While no crystal ball could have predicted the brutal injury luck the Minnesota Twins have encountered, the team’s decision to not make a trade at the deadline continues to age poorly.
Even before losing Joe Ryan to a Grade 2 teres strain, the Twins needed to figure out how to get some starting pitching depth. After getting kneecapped by the injury bug last week, the need to find healthy arms has led Minnesota to promoting yet another top prospect to make his MLB debut.
Zebby Matthews has been on a meteoric rise this season down on the farm. He began the year as one of a few pitching prospects to keep an eye on, but has since become a Top 100 prospect who has been lighting up opposing pitchers.
After David Festa made his debut earlier this summer, Matthews became the Twins top MLB-ready prospect and he’s about to make the final leap.
Twins are calling up Zebby Matthews for series vs. Royals
It was hinted at over the weekend as a possibility, and a lack of available starters has created a push-come-to-shove situation.
As expected, the Twins are calling Matthews up to help fill out the rotation for a crucial upcoming series against the Kansas City Royals.
The Minnesota Twins are calling up right-hander Zebby Matthews, one of the fastest-rising prospects in baseball this year, sources tell ESPN. Matthews, an eighth-round pick out of Western Carolina in 2022, has 114 strikeouts and seven walks in 97 IP. Elite command, good stuff.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) August 12, 2024
Matthews becomes the fifth Twins minor leaguer to make his MLB debut this season. Austin Martin and Jair Camargo were the first, with Festa and then Brooks Lee following a few months later. So far the results have been mostly positive, although the jury is still out on Martin and Camargo.
Festa struggled over this first few starts but settled in nicely with the first truly great performance of his career against the Chicago Cubs last week. He did his best against the Guardians over the weekend, although the Twins ultimately lost the game he started.
Matthews’ ascension is both exciting and nerve wracking at the same time. Minnesota’s farm system ranks in the Top 5, but the context of the promotion is less than ideal. Rather than giving him a look purely based on his talent, the Twins are making this move out of sheer desperation.
The Twins have run out of healthy arms to put in the rotation, and it comes at a brutal time. Only 3.5 games separate Minnesota from being in first place, but a half game stand between the Twins falling back into third.
It’s still exciting to see Matthews ascend this quickly, but his debut comes with an immense amount of pressure on him to produce right away.
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