"Now He Can Reclaim Himself on the Field": Matt Canterino’s Last Stand

[Matthew Taylor]

Matt Canterino’s career has been a rollercoaster of dominant performances and frustrating setbacks. A once-promising starting prospect, injuries have forced him down a different path. Now fully healthy and transitioning to a bullpen role, Canterino is hoping to finally carve out a place with the Minnesota Twins.

 

Image courtesy of William Parmeter

For years, Minnesota Twins prospect Matt Canterino has tantalized fans and the organization alike with his electrifying stuff. Since being drafted out of Rice University in 2019, Canterino has put up video game-like numbers in the minors, boasting a 1.48 ERA and a slick 13.8 K/9. But as much as his talent has been evident, his ability to stay on the mound has not. Injuries have defined his professional career as much or more as his dominance when healthy.

Sunday’s bullpen outing was another step in his long road back. Canterino worked a scoreless inning but walked three batters while striking out one. It wasn’t a perfect showing, but the mere act of pitching in live game action was significant.

Twins manager Rocco Baldelli put Canterino’s outing into perspective:

"I think for him getting back on the mound and being able to relax and just go pitch, a lot of this, that’s part of his goal. That’s part of his goals. I think if he’s able to do that and get a couple outings, a few outings out here, rein in his — not just the command. Rein in his heart rate and get comfortable back on the field again, that’s what a big part of this is when you miss time."

Canterino’s story has been one of perseverance. While he felt great heading into 2020, the minor league season was canceled due to the pandemic. Injuries then derailed his career at every turn. In 2021, he dealt with a forearm injury. The following year, that forearm issue resurfaced and required Tommy John surgery. His 2023 season was entirely dedicated to rehabbing from the elbow procedure, but just as he was ready to go, a shoulder strain in spring training wiped out his season before it could begin.

Baldelli continued, "That has to come before you’re totally dialed in on just the performance. He looked fine. He scattered it around and yes, he got through it and found a way through all that but more than anything, he’s out there and now he can reclaim himself on the field."

Now 27 years old, Canterino is at a crossroads. The Twins have moved him to a full-time bullpen role in the hopes that shorter outings will help keep him healthy. It’s a logical move, and if his arm can hold up, the stuff has always been electric. His fastball still sits in the mid-to-upper 90s, and his slider remains a true strikeout weapon.

It would be easy to dismiss Canterino after all he’s been through, but history suggests he shouldn’t be counted out. Each time he’s returned from injury, he’s performed at an elite level. It’s why the Twins have remained patient, keeping him on the 40-man roster despite his lack of availability. The organization clearly sees the upside and is willing to give him every opportunity to prove himself.

Canterino’s resilience is another reason to believe in him. Many players might have called it quits after years of setbacks, but he has never wavered in his commitment to making it back. His work ethic and determination are undeniable, and those qualities make him an easy player to root for.

For now, the Twins don’t have an immediate need in the bullpen, but injuries and performance fluctuations are inevitable over the course of a long season. If Canterino can stay healthy and find some consistency in the minors, it’s easy to see him getting a shot in the big leagues later this year. Given his age and injury history, this season could very well be his last real chance to establish himself as a major league pitcher.

The road has been long and difficult, but Matt Canterino is still standing. Now, it’s up to him to make the most of this opportunity. His journey back to the mound is far from over, but if history is any indication, he won’t stop fighting until he gets there.

Do you think Matt Canterino will play a role in the Twins' bullpen in 2025? Leave a comment below and start the conversation!

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[LambchoP]

I sure hope he can play a role this year. If this is the year he finally stays healthy and pitches like he used to it'll give us another high leverage weapon out of the pen. We've seen how an elite bullpen can help a team win.

[Fatbat]

We will need him at some point. Injuries happen way too often to the twins. 

[tony&rodney]

No, I don't think Matt Canterino will play a positive role in the bullpen in 2025, but I do believe there is a decent chance that Canterino can be a factor in the 2026 bullpen. 

[rdehring]

With his long and difficult journey, cannot be more hopeful that something good will finally come to this young man.  Still believe that he can not only be a part of future Twins pens, but that he can be special.  Considering how many players have been removed from the 40-man this winter, certainly seems like the Twins continue to believe as well.

Let's hope his big league career begins this summer at Target Field.

[sweetmusicviola16]

I hope he prospers and does really well with his talents.

[olerud]

I do belive he will,  his stuff is electric the only question is health and he's due the time is now!

[gman]

I hope he can make it to the Twins this year. August would be nice. For his sake I hope he goes through the whole season healthy. I'm not sure he could pitch 50 innings total this year at whatever levels.

[ddubbl1]

I can't help but root for a guy with a "NEVER SAY DIE" drive to be a big leaguer. I'm hoping he does well in St. Paul but I hope we don't actually need him till later in the season. If our current bullpen stays healthy they should help us win a lot of games. I definitely wanna see him in a Twins jersey at some point this season. With all of his hard work he deserves to be in THE SHOW! Lord Duncan's Rock & World  youtube @derekduncan900

[IndianaTwin]

A nice thing about the minors is that you can be very regular in managing workload. For example, Raya started 25 straight Fridays last year. If Canterino is being shifted to the bullpen, one wonders whether something like pitching an inning every Tuesday and Friday night would make sense. Maybe at some point you switch to Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday. 

If you keep Varland in the pen and Castellano stays around as a reliever, Canterino is something like 12th  in the pecking order among relievers on the 40-man roster and that doesn't even take into account someone getting DFAed or put on the 60-day IL and being replaced one of the veterans on minor league contracts (i.e., Blewett, Ynoa). Such a ramp up could suit Canterino well for a callup later in the year if he's earned it. 

[Doctor Gast]

9 hours ago, IndianaTwin said:

A nice thing about the minors is that you can be very regular in managing workload. For example, Raya started 25 straight Fridays last year. If Canterino is being shifted to the bullpen, one wonders whether something like pitching an inning every Tuesday and Friday night would make sense. Maybe at some point you switch to Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday. 

If you keep Varland in the pen and Castellano stays around as a reliever, Canterino is something like 12th  in the pecking order among relievers on the 40-man roster and that doesn't even take into account someone getting DFAed or put on the 60-day IL and being replaced one of the veterans on minor league contracts (i.e., Blewett, Ynoa). Such a ramp up could suit Canterino well for a callup later in the year if he's earned it. 

I agree. Canterino has the stuff to be a top-end SP. But the problem is with his arm. Limit his innings, IMO he should be fine. IMO he should make an impact this season. Canterino has options, I like to keep arms in the BP that have options that can rotate in & out of AAA to help support Baldelli's 1 inning philosophy. Otherwise they get burnt out. Our BP has a lot of potential & IMO Canterino & Prielipp can be a part of that. They have the potential to become high-leverage RPs, hope they can realize that.

[DJL44]

19 hours ago, tony&rodney said:

No, I don't think Matt Canterino will play a positive role in the bullpen in 2025, but I do believe there is a decent chance that Canterino can be a factor in the 2026 bullpen. 

Assuming he avoids the 60 day injured list, the Twins are likely to burn his last option this season. They really need him to get to the majors and perform.

[tony&rodney]

11 minutes ago, DJL44 said:

Assuming he avoids the 60 day injured list, the Twins are likely to burn his last option this season. They really need him to get to the majors and perform.

Hoping the best for Canterino but it seems he has quite a ways to go before he is ready for MLB bats. It would be a Twins thing to elevate a relief pitcher who is not ready, but down on option, while holding back guys who are more than ready because they still have plenty of options left. 

I'm for letting him build up this year and gambling he is ready next year if his body is strong and his performance is decent. Canterino has so little experience. However, despite his initial outing we may see Canterino up at 97-100 and maybe he is ready. So I'm keeping an open mind but wanting him to gain some experience, gain strength, show his ability to pitch, and let him work through his repertoire before promoting him out of desperation.

[DJL44]

8 minutes ago, tony&rodney said:

Hoping the best for Canterino but it seems he has quite a ways to go before he is ready for MLB bats. It would be a Twins thing to elevate a relief pitcher who is not ready, but down on option, while holding back guys who are more than ready because they still have plenty of options left. 

I'm for letting him build up this year and gambling he is ready next year if his body is strong and his performance is decent. Canterino has so little experience. However, despite his initial outing we may see Canterino up at 97-100 and maybe he is ready. So I'm keeping an open mind but wanting him to gain some experience, gain strength, show his ability to pitch, and let him work through his repertoire before promoting him out of desperation.

I don't think they will promote him just to promote him. He does have the option left. However, if he doesn't make it back to the majors this season, they're going to have to waive him off the roster in the offseason.

[tony&rodney]

9 minutes ago, DJL44 said:

However, if he doesn't make it back to the majors this season, they're going to have to waive him off the roster in the offseason.

I do hope that Canterino shows enough to receive a call to MLB this summer. i just don't want him to be put on the team for an experience. 

Canterino has never pitched at the MLB level. He last pitched at AA in 2022. His experiences are limited. The Twins can keep him on the 40 person next offseason if they believe he has a reasonable chance to contribute in 2026. Michael Tonkin was kept in a similar vein of thinking.

[jmlease1]

He's got all the talent in the world, but the missing ability has been availability. It sucks that he simply hasn't been healthy enough as a pro to really show what he can do. He's been a pro for 6 seasons, but only pitched in 3 of them, and even there he's only thrown 85 innings.

But goodness, in those innings he's been FILTHY. sure the control isn't immaculate (35 BBs and 10 WPs in 85 innings ain't great) but all the other peripherals around him are fantastic. 

I'm glad they're moving him to the bullpen. Hopefully that lets him show his talent and can keep him throwing all season. I think we'll see him in MN this season if he stays on the field. We've got multiple relievers with injury issues (Stewart, Topa especially) but there's always a need for another guy at some point. Canterino has the stuff to compete.

Hope he stays healthy. He's got a thunderbolt for an arm, and it sucks that he hasn't been able to really show it as a pro. (would I send my kid to pitch at Rice? heck no. they'll need a generation to wash off the stink of the number of arms they wrecked)

[bean5302]

Canterino needs to prove he can throw strikes. He'll be doing that at AAA to start the season, provided he can make it through Spring Training without getting hurt, which seems to be unlikely based on his history.

Provided Canterino can get 20 or so appearances in relief and he's able to get his K rate over 25% with a walk rate 3x lower than his K rate, the Twins will find a place in the bullpen for him. Having a 6 BB/9 in AA 3 years ago doesn't fill me with confidence more polished guys will chase his stuff if it's out of the zone.

[LambchoP]

Has he pitched at all yet this spring?

[ashbury]

13 hours ago, LambchoP said:

Has he pitched at all yet this spring?

Yes.  One inning.  Three walks, no runs.

baseball-reference.com has their 2025 page up for the Twins and it has current Spring stats:

  https://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/MIN/2025.shtml

[Danchat]

The last stand may be over, now that he's sidelined with a shoulder injury.

A while back I called Canterino the "new Nick Burdi" based on his injury history, but I think he has redefined that role. Here's hoping Prielipp can avoid this fate.

[TopGunn#22]

This kid has intrigued me ever since we drafted him.  I think the Nick Burdi comp is accurate.  Another guy that has a similar comp is former Dodger Brock Stewart.  The Dodgers just couldn't wait for Stewart's health to get straightened out and the Twins have been able to reap some quality innings from Stewart as a result.

There is no denying the "STUFF" that Canterino has.  If he starts at St. Paul and he's healthy and dominant in April, May and into June, I could see the Twins calling him up.  Tony&Rodney makes a good point about his lack of options with just one remaining, but if he's good (and stays healthy) in April, May and into June, proving his command is solid his stuff is Major League in every way.

I think this is finally the year we will see him in a Twins uniform and again...IF HE CAN STAY HEALTHY...the stuff will keep him on the Twins.  If that becomes the case, he will mirror Brock Stewart.  If he's healthy, he will be effective.  But it's going to be like playing Russian Roulette with both Canterino and Stewart when it comes to the health.  

[LambchoP]

Looks like he's already hurt again with a shoulder strain. My guess is another 60 day IL is coming. At this point I'm thinking if he can't come back and pitch some minor league innings this year, he'll lose his spot on the 40 man. Maybe he passes waivers and we sign him to a minors deal. I had hopes for him but it seems his arms can't hold up to pitching. Prelipp might be our best bet at an in house all-star type reliever.

[DJL44]

34 minutes ago, LambchoP said:

Maybe he passes waivers and we sign him to a minors deal.

I think he passes through waivers. Teams are not super interested in pitchers who can only throw 85 innings over the course of 6 seasons.