Minnesota Twins pitcher Joe Ryan has been listed as one of the top trade targets before the 2026 trade deadline. On July 2 2026, David Schoenfield of ESPN stated that Ryan would be a top trade target for the Atlanta Braves and Philadelphia Phillies.

“The Braves’ rotation had a 3.12 ERA in April and 3.22 in May, but it was over 4.00 for June as Bryce Elder struggled and Spencer Strider landed on the IL (with a 5.31 ERA). Once you get past Chris Sale, are the Braves comfortable with anybody else lining up to start the second game of a playoff series? Spencer Schwellenbach hasn’t even begun a rehab assignment, so he remains out of the pitcher. Atlanta needs another front-line starter. Ryan won’t be cheap, as he is arguably the best starter who might be available aside from Skubal, plus he is under team control through 2027”.

“As for the Phillies, they need offense — but, like the Padres, they really will have to rely on their current guys, such as Trea Turner, J.T. Realmuto and Alec Bohm, to hit better. They also need another starter to line up with Cristopher Sanchez, Zack Wheeler and Jesus Luzardo, as Aaron Nola is unusable in a playoff series and Andrew Painter is back in the minors. Put it this way: If you’re going to beat the Dodgers, you’re going to have shut them down, and that means adding a fourth quality starter. The Phillies and Twins struck a big deal last trade deadline for Jhoan Duran, so these front offices have worked together before”.

However, teams around the league should avoid acquiring Joe Ryan. His perceived value does not match reality. Joe Ryan is a pitcher who likes to throw a significant amount of four-seam fastballs. 

Decoding the Joe Ryan Fastball Data

Since 2024, he has thrown 3,153 four-seam fastballs, which is 48.4% of his pitches. Ryan’s average fastball velocity has been 93.7 miles per hour, which ranks 279th among all starting pitchers since 2024. 

Due to the low fastball velocity, he throws a high amount of his four-seam fastballs on the edge of the strike zone. Joe Ryan ranks eighth among starting pitchers, with 1,475 four-seam fastballs on the edge of the strike zone.

50.2% of those pitches on the edge of the strike zone have been fouled off or called a ball. The combination of these elements has forced Joe Ryan to throw many pitches per inning. He has averaged 16.26 pitches per inning, which is the 23rd highest among starting pitchers since 2024.

Consequently, Joe Ryan’s average start length has been 5.6 Innings since 2024. The average start length put him in the same category as Freddy Peralta and Kyle Harrison. Since 2024, Freddy has averaged 5.3 innings per start, while Kyle Harrison has averaged 5 innings per start in his first year as a full-time starter with the Milwaukee Brewers in 2026.

Ryan’s tendency to average between five and six innings per start is a concern because the media believes rival teams will have to give up premium assets to acquire Ryan.

The Market Perceptions Driving Joe Ryan Trade Rumors

On June 9 2026, Kerry Miller of Bleacher Report proposed a mock trade in which Ryan would go to the Los Angeles Dodgers. In that trade, Los Angeles would give up three of the top 15 prospects in their farm system. Those prospects are Zyhir Hope (#2), River Ryan (#7), and Kendall George (#13).

Ryan’s inability to consistently go deep into games makes this a bad trade. The Los Angeles Rogers would be given some of the top-tier assets for a pitcher that may only last five innings.

Joe Ryan’s perceived value on the trade market is not what teams will be getting in reality, and that is why teams around the league should be cautious before paying a premium price for him.