Joe Ryan Named Minnesota Twins Opening Day Starter
When the Minnesota Twins open their regular season on April 7, they will have a rookie pitcher on the mound.
According to Betsy Helfand of the St. Paul Pioneer Press, the Twins have named Joe Ryan as the club’s Opening Day starter.
Joe Ryan will start for the Twins next Thursday on Opening Day.
— Betsy Helfand (@betsyhelfand) March 31, 2022
Acquired from the Tampa Bay Rays in the Nelson Cruz deal, Ryan gets the call over the recently acquired Sonny Gray, becoming the first rookie hurler to start for Minnesota on Opening Day since Tom Hall in 1969.
The 25-year-old has looked sharp in Spring Training thus far, throwing five scoreless innings while striking out six across two Grapefruit League starts.
Ryan started five games for the Twins last season in what was his official Major League debut. In those five starts, the San Francisco, California native compiled a 4.05 ERA, a 0.79 WHIP, and a 30/5 strikeout to walk ratio over 26 2/3 innings.
Ryan could be set for a big year, and his stock is certainly rising in fantasy circles.
FanDuel Sportsbook has the Twins at +500 odds to win the AL Central.
