3 most exciting non-roster players Twins invited to Spring Training

David Festa, SP

One name that might not be totally familiar to Twins fans but could be near the top of everyone's list is David Festa. He's the organization's No. 10 prospect and one of two top pitchers who could get called up at some point this year (the other being Marco Raya).

The fact that Festa was a non-roster invite to Spring Training while Raya wasn't suggests he's jumped him a bit and is closer to making his debut. A soft launch in Fort Myers will go a long way in telling us just how ready Festa is to being tossed into the mix à la Bailey Ober and Louie Varland over the last few years.

Festa has been doing all the right things making a name for himself across two different levels of the minors. Between the end of July and beginning of September, he posted a 2.40 ERA and a 35 percent strikeout rate across 30 innings of work and went 9-4 with a 2.43 ERA and 108 strikeouts in 103 2/3 innings back in 2022.

He still needs to develop before he makes the leap, but he already seems to have a trio of big league pitches to work with -- fastball, slider and changeup. Festa won't be an early-season candidate to get called up like Brooks Lee is, but he has a chance to whet everyone's appetite in Spring Training and make his name one to remember as the Twins attempt to figure out what the back-end of its starting rotation will look like.

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