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Sixteen different pitchers threw at least 25 innings for the Twins this season. Here, I assign them all letter grades and review their seasons, in alphabetical order. (Yesterday I graded the hitters on the 2024 Twins.)
Jorge Alcalá: C+
Alcalá was one of the best stories of the first half, rebounding from a lost year to post a 1.56 ERA through the All-Star break. But he, like the team, unraveled in the final two months, to the point where he was sent to Triple-A for a spell in September as the Twins grasped for life. Despite his helpful early contributions and a 3.24 overall ERA, it's hard to view Alcalá's season as a success.
Jhoan Durán: B
He wasn't quite the Durán we were used to, missing a few ticks from his (still elite) velocity and lapsing at a few inopportune moments – as illustrated by his nine losses. But the big righty was still very good. To the extent he struggled, it was mostly attributable to bad luck. He pitched well and even if 99-100 MPH is his new norm, there's no reason to think he can't remain a top-tier closer.
David Festa: B
Festa carved up Triple-A hitters in the first half before joining the Twins to deliver an impressive, and crucial, 64 ⅓ innings over 14 appearances as a rookie. His strikeout stuff very much played in the majors (10.8 K/9) and his command of the strike zone was surprisingly decent, given his rep for being a little wild. He's got the makings of a mid-rotation or even front-of-rotation starter if he can keep firing strikes at a decent clip.
Kody Funderburk: F
A tough season for Funderburk after he showed promise in 2023 as a rookie. He posted a 6.49 ERA in 34 ⅔ innings, struggling with control and contact. He missed almost the entire second half with an oblique injury, returning for one final meltdown outing in late September to punctuate a trying campaign.
Jay Jackson: F
The free agent signing could have hardly flopped worse, posting a 7.52 ERA with seven homers allowed in 26 innings. He was out of the organization by midseason.
Griffin Jax: A
Finally reaching his fully realized form, Jax was one of the best and most dominant relievers in the American League, blowing hitters away with his gravity-bending sweeper. The only thing keeping him from an A+ is that one of his few poor outings happened to be a devastating one – allowing the go-ahead home run against Cleveland to open a September road trip that effectively sunk the team's season.
Pablo López: C+
For a midseason stretch, López looked like the ace we know he can be, but he had an ERA over five at the All-Star break and he totally bombed in his biggest start of the season at Fenway in September. The righty's expected stats paint a more favorable picture, but what happened on the field is what counts and López's final results were disappointingly ordinary.
Zebby Matthews: C+
He posted a 6.69 ERA and 5.71 FIP in nine major-league starts. Those are obviously not good numbers. But we need to zoom out and look at Matthews' season as a whole: He started in Single-A, rocketed through the minors, and delivered some much-needed innings for the Twins late in the season. While his overall numbers in the majors were inflated by a few major clunkers, the 24-year-old allowed allowed two or fewer earned runs in six of eight starts, posting a very good 38-to-8 K/BB ratio.
Bailey Ober: B
In many ways, Ober took the big stride forward that many optimists (like myself) were envisioning before the season. He set a career high in innings and was, for long stretches, almost unhittable. But his propensity for getting absolutely crushed on occasion, and losing games single-handedly, ended up as a significant mark against him, leaving his overall numbers just barely above average.
Steven Okert: F
Another bullpen bust, Okert posted a 5.09 ERA, including 8.79 in his last 20 appearances before being designated for assignment in August.
Chris Paddack: D
There were a few flashes of excellence in his return from Tommy John surgery, but Paddack was largely mediocre as he once again dealt with arm issues that kept him under 90 innings pitched on the season.
Joe Ryan: B
Ryan pitched like a frontline starter and borderline All-Star for four months before going down with a season-ending injury in early August. He still gave up a few more homers than you'd like, but Ryan was mostly outstanding, tallying six times as many strikeouts as walks with a WHIP under one.
Cole Sands: A
In one of the season's most pleasant surprises, Sands excelled in a full-time bullpen role from front to back, earning his way into one of the club's highest-leverage roles and consistently getting the job done.
Caleb Thielbar: D
He missed the first two weeks with an injury, gave up three runs in his first appearance of the season, and never really recovered en route to a 5.32 ERA as part of a leaky bullpen. Thielbar posted his lowest strikeout rate in four years, allowing 50 hits and 24 walks in 47 innings. This might be the end of the line for him.
Louie Varland: F
There were glimmers of promise, especially during his late stint in the bullpen. Still, Varland finished with a 7.61 ERA and 12 home runs allowed in 50 innings, and he also had a 4.75 ERA in Triple-A. Tough to put much of a positive spin on those results.
Simeon Woods Richardson: B
When Anthony DiSclafano went down before the season began, and Paddack went down early, Woods Richardson provided a crucial depth charge, pitching very well for several months before running out of gas in September.
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