Joe Ryan Showed Exactly Why He's Twins' Ace in Dominant All-Star Inning

Joe Ryan's line in the All-Star Game looks simple: one inning, one hit, no runs, and two strikeouts.

What happened on the mound told a much more compelling story.

Making his second consecutive All-Star appearance, the Twins right-hander entered in the bottom of the fourth inning and immediately faced a dangerous stretch of the National League lineup featuring Juan Soto, Freddie Freeman, CJ Abrams, and Max Muncy. Soto opened the inning with a single to center field, the National League's first hit of the game, but Ryan never altered his approach.

He continued attacking with his four-seam fastball at the top of the strike zone, mixed in his knuckle curve at the right moments, and retired the next three hitters in order. Freeman and Abrams both struck out, while Muncy lifted a harmless popup to end the inning.

It was more than a scoreless inning. It was another reminder of why Ryan has emerged as one of the American League's best starters.

The Fastball Set the Tone

The most striking detail was the velocity.

Ryan averaged 95.5 mph with his four-seam fastball, exactly 2.0 mph above his season average. Even more impressive, none of his nine fastballs came in below 95 mph, and he topped out at 95.9 mph against Freddie Freeman.

That velocity jump is common when a starter only needs to work one inning, but it highlighted the level of power Ryan can reach when he doesn't have to conserve energy for a full outing.

After Soto's leadoff single, Ryan stayed aggressive.

Freeman swung through a 95.9 mph fastball. Abrams also missed a 95.6 mph heater above the zone. Muncy whiffed on another 95.5 mph fastball before eventually popping out to shortstop.

Overall, Ryan's fastball generated four whiffs on eight swings, a remarkable 50% whiff rate.

The Curveball Finished the Job

Minnesota Twins starting pitcher Joe Ryan (41). | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Ryan's knuckle curve was the perfect complement. He threw it only three times, and all three pitches were strikes.

Freeman watched one for a called strike before eventually striking out, while Muncy also took a called strike on the pitch.

The sequence illustrated why Ryan is so difficult to face. Hitters have to gear up for a fastball approaching 96 mph, and once their timing adjusts, he drops in a devastating breaking ball that completely disrupts their rhythm.

His splitter made only a brief appearance as a change-of-pace offering. The real story was the combination of his fastball and curveball.

Another Reminder of the Season Ryan Is Putting Together

Ryan's All-Star appearance reinforced everything he accomplished during the first half of the season.

Through 20 starts, the 30-year-old owns a 2.85 ERA, a 2.77 FIP, a 1.051 WHIP, and 128 strikeouts across 110 1/3 innings. His 150 ERA+ reflects a pitcher performing 50 percent better than league average after adjusting for ballpark and league context.

He also entered the All-Star break pitching some of his best baseball of the year.

Date	Opponent	IP	ER	SO
July 11	Angels	6	2	6
July 5	@Yankees	7	0	9
June 30	@Astros	4	0*	5
June 24	Dodgers	6	4	9
June 18	@Rangers	5	0	7

*Six runs scored against Houston, but none were earned.

Over those five starts, Ryan struck out 36 batters in 28 innings, continuing to miss bats at one of the highest rates of his career while limiting damage nearly every time he took the mound.

His All-Star inning followed the same blueprint.

Soto's leadoff single never changed Ryan's approach. He trusted his fastball, turned to the knuckle curve whenever he needed to disrupt hitters' timing, and retired three All-Stars in a row.

Once again, he showcased the complete repertoire of a true ace, while continuing to raise the question of how long the Twins will be able to keep him in Minnesota.

The box score will remember it as one scoreless inning. Ryan's pitch mix told a different story. Against some of the National League's biggest stars, the Twins right-hander looked exactly like the ace he has been all season.

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