Twins Minor League Starting Pitcher of the Year - 2024

Derek Falvey was hired, in part, to bring the Cleveland pitching scouting and development process to Minnesota. Coming off a “total system failure” it took a while to see the fruits of that labor. In 2023, we watched pitchers like Bailey Ober, Joe Ryan, and Louie Varland take significant steps forward despite their inauspicious draft positions and prospect pedigrees. In 2024, we saw the next wave of talent rapidly progress through the system, indicating that the future is bright on the pitching front.

Before digging into this year’s top vote getters, let’s look at the past few years’ winners.

2023: Cory Lewis
2022: Louie Varland
2021: Louie Varland
2020: No Season 
2019: Randy Dobnak
2018 winner - Tyler Wells
2017 winner - Stephen Gonsalves
2016 winner - Stephen Gonsalves
2015 winner - Jose Berrios
2014 winner - Jose Berrios
2013 winner - Taylor Rogers
2012 winner - BJ Hermsen
 

Now, without further ado, here’s the countdown to the Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Year.

Honorable mentions
Travis Adams, 24 years old

• Double-A Wichita: 22 games (19 starts), 108 innings pitched, 5-7, 3.67 ERA, 109 K, 28 BB, 1.13 WHIP
• Triple-A Saint Paul: 4 games (3 starts), 0-2, 19 innings pitched, 5.21 ERA, 9 K, 7 BB, 1.26 WHIP

Ty Langenberg, 22 years old

• Low-A Fort Myers: 9 games (9 starts), 48 innings pitched, 5-2, 3.38 ERA, 56 K,12 BB, 1.21 WHIP
• High-A Cedar Rapids: 12 games (11 starts), 60 innings pitched, 3-3, 3.9 ERA, 60 K, 18 BB, 1.3 WHIP

The Top Four 
T-3 Cory Lewis, 23 years old

• 19 games (17 starts), 79 innings pitched, 3-6, 2.51 ERA, 92 K, 40 BB, 1.32 WHIP

Cory Lewis fits the mold of many other late-round pitchers taken by the Twins. He’s tall (6’5”) and has an interesting characteristic (throws a knuckleball). The Twins took him in the 9th round in 2022. In 2023, he pitched his way to High-A and led all organizational starting pitchers in ERA, BAA, and strikeout rate.

After being named the Twins minor-league pitcher of the year in 2023, he began 2024 on the IL with a shoulder impingement, and spent most of the season at Double-A Wichita, where he was over a year younger than average. He did get promoted to the Saints after the Double-A season concluded. Aside from one blowup game, Lewis did not give up more than two runs in any start this season.

He throws an ok fastball that he throws up in the zone. Because he has good extension, he gets a lot of whiffs. He also throws a 12-6 curve, and of course, that knuckleball. Unlike most knuckleballers who don’t have other good pitches, Lewis has solid stuff. He also has good command. If he’s able to add a bit more velocity to his fastball (currently averaging 92) he could grow into a mid-rotation starter. If he can’t, he may end up in the bullpen.

T-3 David Festa, 24 years old

• Triple-A Saint Paul: 15 games (15 starts), 60-1/3 innings pitched, 3-3, 4.03 ERA, 89 K, 26 BB, 1.36 WHIP
• Twins: 13 games (12 starts), 60 innings pitched, 2-6, 4.80 ERA (3.91 FIP), 72 K, 22 BB, 1.28 WHIP

The Twins took Festa in the 13th round of the 2021 draft out of Seton Hall. At that time, he was still relatively new to pitching as he had been a shortstop until his senior year of high school. That year, he got promoted to low-A and has moved through the system quickly. In 2022, he spent time back at Fort Myers and then was promoted to Cedar Rapids. In 2023, he split time between Double-A Wichita and Saint Paul. Prior to the 2024 season, he found his way onto some top-100 prospect lists, and was also ranked the Twins’ best pitching prospect.

He started the 2024 season at St Paul where he became the first Saints pitcher to ever pitch multiple games with at least 10 strikeouts despite being three years younger than average. On June 27, he received his first call-up. It didn’t go great as he allowed 12 runs over 10 innings, including giving up four homers. He was sent back down for three weeks after which he was called up for the remainder of the season. In his second stint he was much better, pitching to a 3.81 ERA (3.15 FIP) and a .289 wOBA. Those are some great results for a rookie drafted in the 13th round.

Despite having just a three pitch mix, with the Twins, Festa is striking out almost 11 guys per nine innings, best among Twins starters. He has elite extension, and his slider is a true putaway pitch. His four seam fastball and changeup have both gotten hit pretty hard, but his expected numbers on both pitches are better than his actuals. Festa’s fastball doesn’t have much movement on it, and he walks a few too many guys. If he can improve either of those even a bit, he’s got real upside as a number two starter.

#2: Andrew Morris - 23 years old

• 26 games (24 starts), 133 innings pitched, 10-5, 2.37 ERA, 133 K, 32 BB, 1.08 WHIP

The Twins drafted Morris in the 4th round of the 2022 draft out of Colorado Mesa University. He got a single game in that season. In 2023, he split his season between Low-A Fort Myers and High-A Cedar Rapids and threw 84-1/3 innings of 3.63 ERA ball, 8.4 strikeouts per nine innings and a solid walk rate. True to typical Twins fashion, they have helped Morris increase his velocity from the low-90s to the point that he can now touch 97. He has also improved his command to the point that it’s now borderline-elite. He has a four pitch mix and a somewhat deceptive overhead delivery that adds to his effectiveness. He also has a plus slider and average curve. His changeup is serviceable.

He began 2024 back in Cedar Rapids, but was promoted twice, ending up with the Saints for his final seven starts of the season. With Saint Paul, he didn’t miss enough bats and walked a few too many guys as he faced advanced hitting for the first time. This led to a 4.28 FIP. He’s likely to begin the 2025 season in Saint Paul where he will need to work on refining his command. Assuming health, he should make his Twins debut next year. He’s also got a chance to be on some top-100 prospect lists this offseason.

And the Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Year is…Zebby Matthews, 24 years old

• High-A, Double-A, Triple A: 18 games (17 starts), 97 innings pitched, 6-3, 114 K, 7 BB, 0.87 WHIP
• Twins: 8 games (8 starts), 34-2/3 innings pitched, 1-3, 5.71 ERA (5.21 FIP), 38 K, 8 BB, 1.5 WHIP

Zebby. Where to begin. Perhaps where he began: Cedar Rapids. That’s right. He began the season at High-A, and it took him all of four months to make his major league debut. How did he get here, and what stands out about his season?

The Twins drafted him in the 8th round in 2022 out of Western Carolina. Similar to Festa, Morris, and countless others, their player development staff has helped him add three ticks to his fastball, and he now touches 97.

Across three minor-league levels this season, Zebby Matthews put up video game numbers. You almost have to to get promoted three times in four months. He has always had pinpoint control and command and it’s worked for him. This led to him becoming a top-100 prospect on the midseason MLB Pipeline list.

He was called up on August 8th for his debut just two years after being drafted. The season hasn’t gone according to plan, but that’s to be expected from almost any rookie pitcher — particularly one who under ordinary circumstances wouldn’t have debuted until next season. A large part of this can be tracked to his process. He has attacked major league hitters the same way he did guys in the minors. Unfortunately for him, when he leaves too many pitches in the zone, hitters at this level can crush. He is working through the process of learning to pitch differently, to nibble, and to focus on striking guys out outside the zone.

Currently, he gets a lot of whiffs on his slider, which he throws to both lefties and righties. However, his other four pitches all have an xwOBA of .330 or higher. Opposing hitters have slugged over .600 on his cutter and curve, and .593 against his fastball.

He will almost certainly start next season as depth with the Saints, but will be one of the first call-ups when the need arises. Even though he has not been dominant — and in fact, has gotten hit hard, he is hopefully proud of the development he did across the 2024 season. Now he will have time to reflect, reset, and work on becoming a pitcher that’s ready to impact the next time the opportunity presents itself.

What do you think? Would you rank any of these pitchers differently? Comment below!

Interested in learning more about the Minnesota Twins' top prospects? Check out our comprehensive top prospects list that includes up-to-date stats, articles and videos about every prospect, scouting reports, and more!