AL Central: Matthews/Festa may be on outside looking in, for now

Minnesota Twins

Four spots in the rotation are accounted for as Opening Day nears, with three candidates possibly still in contention for the final spot. Simeon Woods Richardson (RHP, MIN) likely has a leg up for the job, and he has allowed just 1 ER in 7 IP this spring, with a 7/2 K/BB. The 24-year-old registered a 4.17 ERA and 4.64 xERA in 28 starts last season and needs to add some swing-and-miss to his game in order to take a step forward.

David Festa (RHP, MIN) has surrendered 9 ER in 8 IP this spring, but a 9/1 K/BB shows he has deserved a better fate. Luck wasn't on his side in 2024 either, as his 4.90 ERA was more than a run higher than his xERA (3.79). Festa had a 29% K% and 13.5% SwK in 13 second half appearances (12 starts),...

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