Twins Starter Joe Ryan Doubting His Pitch Delivery Right Now

Right now, Joe Ryan is questioning whether his body is capable of executing at the highest level. After Tuesday’s 8–2 loss to the Kansas City Royals, The Athletic’s Dan Hayes (subscription required) reported Ryan was asked whether he felt physically capable of executing his delivery.

“No, definitely not,” Ryan said.

Ryan allowed five runs, four earned, on seven hits and two walks over 5.1 innings. It was his third consecutive loss, extending a stretch in which he has surrendered 16 earned runs across 15.1 innings. His worst performance came July 20 against the Cleveland Guardians, when he was tagged for eight runs on 10 hits, including six home runs, in just four innings of work.

Ryan Is Trying To Regain His Feel

Minnesota Twins pitcher Joe Ryan winds up to throw a baseball. — Minnesota Twins pitcher Joe Ryan. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Ryan’s discomfort with his delivery predates this week. After a shortened spring training caused by a back issue, he said in April that he had not felt like himself throughout the season, even when the results were strong. He described his body as being “out of sequence,” referring to the timing of the movements within his delivery.

Catcher Ryan Jeffers called him “extremely body aware,” a trait that can help a pitcher identify mechanical inconsistencies before they grow. That same awareness may also make the current stretch more frustrating. Ryan has repeated his delivery thousands of times to master it, so even the slightest off feeling can become an annoyance when it does not match what he normally expects.

That mind-body disconnect may also create a mental challenge. A pitcher must commit to every pitch and trust that his body can execute the same mechanics over and over again. Misses can encourage adjustments, and those adjustments can lead to mistakes and inconsistency.

Ryan’s injury sheet has provided a reason for caution. He left a May start with elbow soreness, then had his turn in the rotation pushed back in July because of general arm fatigue. His first start after that delay produced four earned runs over six innings before Tuesday’s continued struggles.

None of this establishes that Ryan is injured right now, and he previously said there was no reason for concern after the arm fatigue subsided. Furthermore, his season has still been solid, with a 3.65 ERA and 138 strikeouts across 125.2 innings, although that represents a slight decline from the 3.42 ERA he posted last season.

Minnesota nevertheless has reason for concern. Ryan is a pitcher who has built his game on pinpoint accuracy; his 5.2% walk rate (94th percentile league-wide) is evidence of that. To maintain that consistent control, his body needs to be at its best.

With a playoff spot within reach, Minnesota needs to prioritize the mental and physical health of its ace. That could mean giving Ryan additional rest between starts or having direct conversations about what he is feeling before the problem follows him into October.

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