Twins pitcher Zebby Matthews enters MLB's top 100 prospects list

Matthews becomes the sixth Twins prospect in the top 100.

Pitcher Zebby Matthews warms up during a Fort Myers Mighty Mussels practice at Hammond Stadium in Fort Myers on Tuesday, April 4, 2023. / Jonah Hinebaugh/Naples Daily News / USA

Twins pitcher Zebby Matthews, who was recently promoted to Triple-A St. Paul, has entered MLB's top 100 prospects list. He's now the sixth Twins prospect in the updated top 100. Only two other organizations have at least six prospects on the list.

5. Walker Jenkins
13. Brooks Lee
26. Emmanuel Rodriguez
87. David Festa
92. Luke Keaschall
100. Zebby Matthews

It's been an incredible year for Matthews, who has been promoted twice and is now one call-up away from making his MLB debut. He has a 1.95 ERA and 0.76 WHIP in 83 innings across three levels, with 97 strikeouts and just six walks. After dominating at High-A Cedar Rapids and Double-A Wichita, Matthews made his St. Paul debut last Sunday and allowed two runs in five innings with six Ks and no walks in a victory.

Zebby Matthews, making his first career start at Triple-A, retired 13 of the last 15 batters he faced in the @StPaulSaints win🌟

5 IP / 4 H / 2 R / 0 BB / 6 K

On the season, he has 97 strikeouts to 6 walks…which is the best K/BB ratio in @MLB and @MiLB (min. 35 IP)‼️#MNTwins pic.twitter.com/hLZcoPQfHH

— Twins Player Development (@TwinsPlayerDev) July 21, 2024

The 24-year-old Matthews was an eighth-round pick out of Western Carolina in 2022. A 6'5" right-hander, he has a mid-90s fastball that he complements with a cutter, slider, curveball, and changeup. If his 2024 dominance carries over to the Triple-A level, it's not out of the question that he could wind up in the big leagues later this year. One can certainly make the argument that Matthews, not Festa, is the top pitching prospect in the Twins' organization. Both appear to have bright futures.

The Athletic's Keith Law also placed Matthews 60th on his recent top 60 prospects list. Jenkins is No. 9 and Rodriguez is No. 26 on Law's list (which doesn't include active major league players like Lee).