Matt Canterino, P
Sonny Gray's future is murky, and even if he re-signs with the Twins he isn't part of the long-term plan. Joe Ryan struggled down the stretch and there are now doubts that he'll be more than a No. 3 starter -- which still isn't bad. Minnesota needs a Robin to Pablo Lopez's Batman in the starting rotation, and a few young pitchers might be able to fill that hole.
Matt Canterino is a name to watch.
He's a classic Twins case in both good and bad ways. Back in 2021, he was pretty much lights out at High-A Cedar Rapids, posting a 0.86 ERA, a 0.67 WHIP, and 43 strikeouts in 21 innings of work. He only pitched five starts, though, because of an issue with his arm that ultimately ended with Canterino undergoing Tommy John surgery last season.
Now he's on the otherside of a 14-month recovery timeline and could hear his name called up at some point this season. Canterino isn't as close to the Majors as some other guys on this list, but he has insane upside given what we saw from him before his surgery. He also wouldn't be the first Twins rookie to bounce back from major surgery to have an impact on the team. It's still a bit of a longshot to say he'll step up and fill in the No. 2 role next to Lopez -- and there's a chance he never does -- but there's a lot of hope that Canterino can capitalize on the early promise he's shown.