Joe Ryan on his favorite MLB pitchers and water polo pitching mechanics

What do Max Scherzer, Zack Wheeler, Aaron Nola, Gerrit Cole, Kevin Gausman and Sonny Gray have in common? They're among Twins starting pitcher Joe Ryan's favorite pitchers to watch.

There's so many guys. I think the guys that I grew up watching, seeing Scherzer...he's obviously one of the best to do it," Ryan said from Major League Baseball's league offices in Manhattan, N.Y., on Tuesday. "I really like watching Wheeler and Nola on the Phillies, it's been cool to see their careers and just how they evolve and seeing Wheeler's done the split more this year that's been pretty cool. Gausman, obviously, with the split. Cole has just been always fun, just the consistency that he's always had is pretty special. Obviously Sonny Gray, but I think just watching our guys is so fun. Watching Griffin Jax go out there and how much work he puts in and how good he's been, it's pretty special. And Pablo (Lopez), Bailey (Ober), (Chris) Paddack and Simeon (Woods Richardson), it's been a treat just to watch our starters do their things."

Ryan has been Minnesota's best starter this season, boasting career-bests in earned-run average (3.38) and WHIP (1.01) and 77 strikeouts in 72 innings. The Twins are 7-4 in 11 games started by Ryan in 2024.

Ryan's success can be attributed to experience and the development of a splitter and an improved sweeper and sinker to go along with his heavy fastball, which at times appears to rise as it approaches home plate due to the throwing mechanics Ryan possesses. He attributes his mechanics to his experience as a water polo player growing up in California.

"In water polo, skip shots are a way to score a goal and you really have to stay behind the ball and throw it really hard. I always thought it was the coolest thing. I was trying to do it and I remember throwing the ball straight into the water and it wouldn't do anything for a long time and then finally I got it to be able to skip and that was the only thing I wanted to do," Ryan explained. "I think it teaches you backspin. You have to stay behind the ball a little longer and really get your arm out front, so I think it just teaches good throwing mechanics. Definitely a challenging sport."

Want a good fastball? Try water polo, apparently.