Joe Ryan has become a model of consistency for the Minnesota Twins over the last four seasons. Since making his debut late in the 2021 season after the Twins traded Nelson Cruz to the Tampa Bay Rays for him, Ryan has totaled a 3.74 career ERA, a 3.77 FIP, and 8.6 bWAR over 533.1 innings pitched. Opposing hitters don’t love the Joe Ryan experience because even without high-end velocity, he has still found a way to miss bats by averaging a 10.1 career K/9.

We’ve seen more of the same from Ryan this year. Through his first 5 outings this season, he has a 2.57 ERA and a 10.29 K/9 over 63 innings. Another solid performance against his former team drove the Twins to victory. He threw 6 innings of one-run ball and 5 strikeouts to stop the team’s two-game skid.

Ryan has never been considered Minnesota’s “ace” despite being the team’s Opening Day starter in 2022. Behind Sonny Gray and later Pablo López, he has grown from a middle-of-the-rotation starter into a legitimate No. 2 option on this Twins team. Still, one accolade is within Ryan’s grasp this year.

Making the 2025 All-Star Game in Atlanta.

Ryan has nearly gotten the All-Star nod before

Ryan has looked like he belongs in the All-Star Game this season. It hasn’t been Ryan’s first brush with the Midsummer Classic. In 2022, Ryan put together a nice first half with a 2.99 ERA over 14 starts in the first half of the 2022 season. However, Luis Arraez and Byron Buxton scooped up Minnesota’s nominations that season.

In the first half of 2023, Ryan’s first 15 starts had him cruising to an All-Star nod with a 2.98 ERA over 93.2 innings on a starting staff with a top-2 3.64 team ERA. Because of Minnesota’s rotation success, López and Gray were the Twins’ All-Star representatives.

Last season, Ryan recorded a 3.13 ERA in his first 15 starts but lost out again to Carlos Correa and Willi Castro.

His best shot might be this season

The Twins don’t have many front-runners to claim the All-Star game nomination. Buxton was on the fast track to locking that up with an .834 OPS and 131 wRC+ through his first 41 games of 2025. However, he is missing time on the IL due to a concussion. Given the nature of the injury, predicting his return is difficult. A prolonged absence from Buxton could open the door for Ryan to get some All-Star affection.

On the pitching side, López and his 2.31 ERA going into Wednesday could get him back to Atlanta this season.

Part of cracking the All-Star code is name recognition and branding. More than just Twins fans vote on the All-Star team, making it more challenging for a pitcher like Ryan to earn a nomination over Buxton, Correa, and Gray because they are more well-known players league-wide.

Duran has built a league-wide following, which could help launch the flamethrower to his first All-Star appearance. As popular as Ryan is among Twins fans, he doesn’t have the reputation of dominating highlights that flood social media.

Ryan’s greatness is subtle

Instead of being overpowering, Ryan is effective. He hits his spots and uses his technique to manipulate hitters’ timing and eye level instead of blowing it by them. A 93.2 MPH average velocity on his fastball isn’t overpowering in today’s game. Still, it’s his best pitch with a +12 run value on Baseball Savant in 2025 and a .168 batting average against the 4-seamer. That comes from the location and run Ryan has on his fastball.

Location is vital to his success. His 55.1 percent zone percentage is a career-high and well above the 48.7 percent league average. Even though the fastball doesn’t have heat, it has movement. Ryan’s +12 fastball run value is in the 99th percentile. Pair that with the 24-degree arm angle and a 78th percentile extension that helps to keep the ball in Ryan’s hands just a split second longer to give him an advantage against opposing lineups.

He attacks opposing hitters by pounding the strike zone, and his control of the strike zone is crucial. He has a 1.29 BB/9 clip that would be his best ever. Where Ryan struggles is when the location goes away, and those pitches catch too much of the plate. For a fly ball pitcher like Ryan, that can mean giving up home runs. However, he has a career-best 1.14 HR/9 this season.

Ryan is striking everyone out

Ryan is in the middle of a career season. His 3.20 FIP may suggest he isn’t quite pitching at a 2.57 ERA level, but there’s a slight disparity between the two numbers. Ryan’s 28.3 percent whiff rate is currently a career high.

His .240 BABIP is on track to be his career-best in a full season. A career-best 0.83 WHIP and 85.8 percent left on base clip also shows that Ryan is limiting his trouble on the base paths. That’s especially important for a fly ball pitcher like Ryan in limiting damage if a hitter launches a home run off of him.

Ryan’s biggest test might not be getting to the All-Star Game, but what comes after. Ryan has dealt with injury issues in the last two seasons that have either kept him off the mound or cratered his production.

The 2023 season was the best example. On June 26, Ryan suffered a groin injury. He made 14 starts from that point and recorded a 6.62 ERA, giving up 24 home runs over 68 innings pitched.

Injuries are random, and starting pitchers are much more likely to suffer some kind of health setback throughout a season. But if Ryan wants to maintain his first-half production, he needs to minimize the damage from the grind of a 162-game season. When right, Ryan has the potential to help anchor the top of the Twins rotation with ace López.

Joe Ryan may not be a franchise ace. However, he has developed into a consistently productive pitcher, finding ways to improve every season. Despite being a contender for the honor each of the last three seasons, Ryan has had to wait his turn for an All-Star selection. This may finally be the year people will get the Joe Ryan Experience in the Midsummer Classic.