The Twins Keep Finding Pitching Talent. Why Can't They Unlock It?

When Derek Falvey took over the Twins' front office 10 years ago, there was a major emphasis on overhauling the team's pitching, from prospect development to MLB talent evaluation and coaching. 

The Twins had fallen into a dark place, with 90+ losses in five of six seasons. During that span, run prevention was a primary weakness, with their 4.61 ERA ranking as worst in MLB outside of Colorado. Minnesota's strikeout rate ranked 30th out of 30.

Falvey was ultimately chosen to succeed Terry Ryan in large part because of his track record for pitching development. This was known be a key focus as soon as he took over. And to some extent, he delivered. The Twins have moved from the bottom to the middle of the pack in key stats like ERA, WAR and K-rate. The 2023 season featured of the best Minnesota staffs in memory, built and cultivated by Falvey and his assistant GM Jeremy Zoll, among others. 

In the past few seasons, though, it feels like momentum has stalled out. This owes to many factors, injuries included, but the dismissal of Pete Maki as pitching coach points to another issue: failure of the field staff to capitalize on upside and potential recognized by Falvey's front office. 

I'll give you one example that feels especially relevant right now. On Wednesday night, Trevor Megill closed out Game 4 of the NLDS and sent the Milwaukee Brewers back to the league championship series. It was business as usual for Megill, who has solidified himself as a trusted closer for the 103-win Brew Crew. 

As you may recall, the Twins had him for a minute. He pitched to a 4.80 ERA in 45 innings for Minnesota back in 2022, and was cut in spring training of 2023 before latching on with Milwaukee, where he almost immediately established himself as a quality reliever. In four years since, Megill has posted a 2.80 ERA and 2.37 FIP with 81 saves across 190 innings. He was an All-Star in 2025.

I distinctly remember watching Megill pitch in spring training and marveling at the caliber of his arsenal, and the potential for dominance from his intimidating 6-foot-8 frame. It was obvious why the front office targeted him on a minor-league deal, and having those types of bets pay off is critical to success for a mid-market club. The Twins' coaching staff just couldn't make it work ... though the Brewers wasted little time doing so.

A similar story played out around the same time with Jeff Hoffman, another timely case study. He was in camp with the Twins in 2023 on a non-guaranteed deal, and he had some buzz. He was one of the last cuts. But he was a cut, and the rest played to script: he latched on with the Phillies, rapidly emerged as an asset, made an All-Star team, signed a big contract with Toronto, piled up 50 saves, and eventually found his way back to the Twins in exchange for a top pitching prospect.

In fairness, the front office deserves its share of blame here. They are the ones that made the call to part ways with Hoffman, who has actually credited Maki with helping him develop his dominant slider. But the Twins had this guy in camp, on the precipice of a breakout, and they were unable to collaboratively conclude that they needed to carry him out of camp and give him a shot. 

It's representative of the executional disconnect that continually holds the Twins back. They saw the promise. They couldn't unlock it. Someone else quickly did. We've also seen this play out with the likes of Yennier Cano, Brent Headrick and others. 

Even their developmental success stories have sometimes been overshadowed by the work of other organizations. Take Louis Varland for example. The Twins deserve plenty of credit for turning a Division II pitcher and 15th-round draft pick into a standout MLB reliever, but shortly after going to another team, Varland reached another level entirely.  

This reminds me of what happened with Ryan Pressly, who progressively turned from a Rule 5 pick into a good relief pitcher before being traded to Houston in 2018 and immediately becoming an elite pitcher. 

I don't want to suggest the Twins pitching staff has not had any wins upon which to hang their hats over recent years. Joe Ryan and Taj Bradley are commendable examples. Yoendrys Gómez might be on that path. (Ironically, all three came over from the Rays.) 

There just haven't been enough. And there have been way too many near-misses — especially in the bullpen — that point to a pitching operation that's been on the right track but unable to push across the finish line. And this is what the Twins will hope to resolve with their new hires on the pitching staff. With Zoll leading baseball ops, there's a new boss to interface with and a new dynamic that will hopefully help shake up the stagnance preventing Twins pitching talent from reaching its potential over the past three years. 

The Twins have spent a decade getting better at finding the right arms. Their next pitching coach needs to make sure that when those arms break through, they're still wearing a Twins uniform.

Are you optimistic about the Twins right now?

Are you optimistic about the Twins right now?

• Are you optimistic about the Twins right now? Required
  

  
• Save

See All Twins Polls >