Joe Ryan delivered the strongest campaign of his career in 2025, finally avoiding the health setbacks that disrupted the second halves of his previous two seasons. The right-hander established new personal bests with a 3.44 ERA, a 125 ERA+ and 171 innings, reinforcing his profile as a dependable rotation presence.
Durability had been one of the final hurdles in his development, and his ability to handle a heavier workload elevated both his real-life and fantasy value.
Ryan does not overwhelm hitters with velocity, averaging 93.6 mph on his fastball, but his deceptive four-seam delivery consistently generates swing-and-miss results. That pitch helped drive a strong 28.2 percent Strikeout Rate (K%) alongside a 12.3 percent Swinging Strike Rate (SwStr%), while his 5.7 percent Walk Rate (BB%) highlighted his advanced command.
He complements the fastball with four off-speed offerings that may not grade as elite individually but serve an important purpose by disrupting timing and preventing hitters from sitting on one pitch.
Fantasy Baseball: Strengths, Weaknesses and 2026 Projection
Ryan’s profile carries both stability and identifiable risk. As a flyball-oriented pitcher with a 36.7 percent Groundball Rate (GB%), he remains susceptible to home runs, though he has shown measurable progress in that area over the past two seasons, limiting the damage to a 1.37 Home Runs Per Nine Innings (HR/9) in 2025.
When his command is sharp, he can work efficiently into deeper outings, which is particularly valuable in Fantasy Baseball Points Leagues where innings and strikeouts drive scoring.
From a strengths perspective, Ryan offers reliable strikeout production, excellent control and improving durability. His ability to miss bats without premium velocity speaks to the effectiveness of his pitch design and sequencing. The primary weaknesses stem from the flyball tendencies and the absence of a true put-away secondary pitch, leaving some room for volatility when his fastball command wavers.
Looking ahead to 2026, Ryan is positioned to operate near the front of the Twins’ rotation and could take another step forward if his off-speed repertoire continues to evolve. A realistic projection includes another season in the 170 to 185 inning range with strong strikeout totals and ratios that support weekly fantasy stability. Continued health remains the key variable, but his trajectory suggests a pitcher entering his prime years.
Minnesota reportedly removed Ryan from the offseason trade market, signaling confidence in his role, though his name could resurface around the trade deadline if he is both healthy and performing at a high level.
As far as pitcher hierarchy for Fantasy Baseball Points Leagues, I rank him at Tier 3 under Tarik Skubal, Garrett Crochet and Paul Skenes, among others, and higher than George Kirby, Jesús Luzardo and Dylan Cease.
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