Twins Need Joe Ryan's Final Start to Be Preview of What's Coming in 2027

Joe Ryan will walk out to the mound one final time for the Minnesota Twins in 2026 on Friday evening. He has a chance to put a finishing touch on what has turned into a complicated 2026 campaign.

The Twins are kicking off a three-game series against the Texas Rangers, who are fighting for a postseason appearance, where every game matters.

Ryan enters Friday night with a 6-10 record, 3.83 ERA, and 151 strikeouts against only 30 walks across his 138.2 innings of work this year.

The record isn’t very impressive, is it?

But, there’s more to the story. Ryan’s importance to this team heading into 2027 goes beyond what the wins and losses show. He proved just how good he can be and how quickly things can change when he isn’t completely healthy.

Joe Ryan’s First Half Success

Minnesota Twins starting pitcher Joe Ryan Credit: Bruce Kluckhohn-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

For the majority of the first half of the long 162-game season, Ryan was a major contributor to a team that looked like they were a postseason caliber rotation.

He earned a second consecutive All-Star selection and entered the second half of the season looking like one of the Twins' most reliable starters.

Then, things changed. Quickly.

On July 20, just a few short days after the All-Star break, Ryan surrendered a career-high six home runs against the Cleveland Guardians. The Twins pushed back a start for him due to general arm fatigue.

The struggles continued. Eventually, a physical explanation surfaced that could have explained some of the problems.

Minnesota placed Ryan on the injured list with a strained left glute. That was early August and kept Ryan on the sidelines for more than a month. When he returned on September 7, he looked better.

He struck out seven over four innings against the Detroit Tigers, allowed three runs, two earned.

He has yet to earn a victory since coming back from the injured list, but his performances are getting better. He kept the Angels in check with two runs over five innings while striking out five on September 19.

Now, he will get one more chance Friday evening.

Twins Need Ryan Healthy in 2027

Nothing is on the line. The result of the game or even the series will not change anything for Minnesota. The same can’t be said for the Rangers.

Regardless, the Twins have already been officially eliminated from postseason contention and will enter the final series sitting at 75-84 on the season.

Ryan’s performance could provide one final encouraging sign before the organization turns its head to 2027 completely.

There are some promising young pitchers waiting in the wings and Taj Bradley has established himself as another important piece of the rotation. Truthfully, though, the Twins are much better off if Ryan returns to being the pitcher they saw early on in 2026.

Despite the injury and second-half struggles, Ryan provides this organization with a reason for optimism. His 151 strikeouts against 30 walks proves his command and one of the reasons he has been so important to the team.

If he can get healthy and stay that way for an entire season, he could be exactly what the Twins need.

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