Minnesota Twins Pitcher of the Month: June 2026

[Sam Caulder]

Image courtesy of © Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images

June was an interesting month for the Twins' pitching staff. While the bullpen may have been better than it had been at any point this season, the starting rotation was a different story. Joe Ryan came back down to earth a bit, consistency was hard to come by, and the Twins found themselves playing in plenty of high-scoring games.

Injuries certainly haven't helped. Bailey Ober, Mick Abel, and Cole Sands all remained on the injured list throughout the month, forcing the Twins to continue testing the depth of both their rotation and bullpen. Still, there were plenty of encouraging performances from some of the club's relievers, along with another strong month from Zebby Matthews in the rotation. Here's a look at the Twins' top-performing pitchers from June.

4. Anthony Banda
June Stats: 11 G, 9 1/3 IP, 1.93 ERA, 1.61 WHIP, 12 K, 4 BB, 3.86 FIP
Before his month came to an unfortunate end, Anthony Banda quietly put together a very strong stretch. Across 9 1/3 innings, he surrendered just two earned runs while striking out 12 hitters and issuing only four walks. While he did allow six extra-base hits during the month, Banda consistently found ways to work around traffic and keep opponents from putting together big innings.

Unfortunately, the positive momentum came to a halt when he landed on the injured list on June 29 with what appears to be a fairly significant lat strain. It sounds like the injury could keep him sidelined for a while, which is a tough break for both Banda and a bullpen that has relied on him heavily throughout the season.

3. Zebby Matthews
June Stats: 5 G, 33 IP, 3.82 ERA, 1.21 WHIP, 22 K, 8 BB, 4.86 FIP
The overall numbers paint the picture of a solid month for Zebby Matthews, but they still don't tell the full story. Four of his five starts in June qualified as quality starts, and he continued to show why the Twins believe he can be a long-term fixture in the middle of their rotation.

Matthews turned in six strong innings against the Dodgers, along with seven-inning quality starts against the Astros, Rangers, and Royals. The biggest issue continues to be the home run ball, as he surrendered six homers during the month. That's been the biggest blemish on his profile dating back to his major league debut in 2024.

Even so, it still feels like Matthews is incredibly close to taking another step. Outside of a couple of mistake pitches each outing, he's consistently attacking the strike zone, generating weak contact, and giving the Twins length. Clean up a few of those mistakes, and it isn't hard to envision Matthews developing into a legitimate frontline starter.

2. Andrew Morris
June Stats: 13 G, 14 1/3 IP, 3.77 ERA, 1.26 WHIP, 20 K, 4 BB, 2.27 FIP
June was a tale of two halves for Andrew Morris. Over his first four appearances of the month, he allowed six earned runs in just 5 1/3 innings, marking the roughest stretch of his brief major league career.

From there, though, Morris completely flipped the script. Over his final nine innings of June, he didn't allow a single run to score. He gave up just five total baserunners while striking out ten hitters and walking only two. That dominant finish lowered his underlying numbers considerably and continued a trend that's become increasingly obvious over the past couple of months.

Morris is becoming a staple of the Twins' bullpen. Whether he's entering in the middle innings, handling leverage situations, or bridging the gap to the ninth, Twins manager Derek Shelton has continued to trust him. Morris has rewarded that confidence, and both he and the pitcher at the top of this list look like arms the Twins could be counting on for years to come.

Twins Pitcher of the Month: Yoendrys Gómez
June Stats: 13 G, 11 2/3 IP, 2.31 ERA, 1.25 WHIP, 9 K, 4 BB, 3.71 FIP

After making an immediate impact following his arrival in May, Yoendrys Gómez took another step forward in June. He allowed just three earned runs across 11 2/3 innings while recording six saves and a hold, firmly establishing himself as the Twins' go-to option in the ninth inning.

His month wasn't necessarily flashy, nor was it fueled by overwhelming strikeout numbers. Instead, Gómez consistently limited hard contact, avoided free passes, and simply got the job done whenever his number was called. That's exactly what teams want from a closer, and Gómez has embraced that role in a relatively short amount of time.

Less than two months after being acquired, Gómez already appears to have taken full control of the closer's role. As long as he continues throwing strikes and limiting damage, there isn't much reason to believe Shelton will look anywhere else when it's time to finish off a victory.

June wasn't the cleanest month for the Twins' pitching staff, but there were still plenty of positives to take away. Matthews put together four very strong starts, while Morris and Gómez strengthened their cases as long-term pieces in the bullpen. Banda's injury is unfortunate, but his performance before landing on the injured list deserves recognition as well.

The Twins are still waiting to get healthier, and getting pitchers like Ober, Abel, and Sands back would provide a significant boost. Until then, they'll need the younger arms to continue stepping up. If Morris and Gómez can keep anchoring the bullpen while Matthews continues his development, there are still reasons to believe this pitching staff can finish the second half of the season on a much stronger note.

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[mikelink45]

I offer Mike Paredes the honorable mention.  Not because he has been great, but because he has been available and works hard to fill our void.  His 4.60 era is eighth among all active pitchers and he was sent out against the Yankees in New York.  Thanks Mike. 

[Coach Wheels]

I would have had Zeb at 1 or 2 but I value starters a bit more than relievers, still. Gomez has been a pleasant surprise

[gman]

The pitching staff is ridiculously short handed.  To start with I couldn't figure out why there were only 4 pitchers on the list counting both starters and relievers. After looking at the roster and results for the month all the starters answering the bell could have been included and the 2 healthy relievers not giving up a run per inning or more were included. Hopefully the Allstar break gives some of these guys a good opportunity to rest.