The angle he throws from is unusual, and hitters notice
Tonkin releases the ball from a sidearm slot, about 11 degrees above horizontal and 3.3 feet to the third-base side of the rubber.
397 tracked release points, averaging 5.2 feet off the ground.
One pitch of his runs sideways more than almost anyone's
Tonkin's 4-seam fastball moves 103.2 inches toward the first-base side, the biggest horizontal move in his arsenal.
226 thrown, averaging 92.4 mph.
When he falls behind, hitters know exactly what is coming
Behind in the count Tonkin throws a fastball 84% of the time, against 60.8% when he is ahead.
106 pitches behind in the count, 120 ahead.
His pitches move in ways that fit together
Tonkin works with 4 pitches: 4-Seam Fastball, Slider, Sweeper and Sinker. The 4-seam fastball is 56.9% of everything he throws.
397 classified pitches in 2025.
One type of hitter does all the damage against him
Hitters do their damage on his fastballs: a .355 expected average against them, against .280 on his breaking balls.
258 of his fastballs thrown.
When hitters connect off him, they hit it hard
Hitters average 91.4 mph off the bat against Tonkin, 8th percentile.
397 pitches in 2025. 8th percentile among qualified pitchers in 2025, 715th in MLB.
He saves one pitch for one side of the plate
Tonkin throws the 4-seam fastball 65.9% of the time against left-handers and 46.4% against right-handers.
183 pitches to right-handers, 214 to left-handers.
This is the pitch he goes to when he needs the out
With two strikes Tonkin goes to the slider: 32.4% of his two-strike pitches, against 23.5% the rest of the time.
108 two-strike pitches in 2025.
He lives on one side of the plate
Tonkin works away from right-handers: his average pitch lands 2.6 inches to that side of the middle of the plate.
397 located pitches in 2025.
One pitch of his moves in a way hitters rarely see
Tonkin's 4-seam fastball carries 11.0 inches of ride against a spinless ball, the biggest vertical move in his arsenal.
226 thrown, averaging 92.4 mph.
He fills the strike zone and makes hitters beat him
Tonkin lives in the strike zone: 48.6% of his pitches are in it, 68th percentile.
397 pitches in 2025. 68th percentile among qualified pitchers in 2025, 250th in MLB.
He works one part of the zone far more than the rest
Tonkin lives at the bottom of the zone: his average pitch crosses at 2.31 feet, against a zone that runs 1.5 to 3.5.
397 located pitches in 2025.
He releases the ball about where everyone else does
Tonkin releases the ball 6.0 feet down the mound, a shorter stride than most.
397 tracked pitches in 2025.
His fastball is the pitch everything else is built on
Tonkin's 4-seam fastball averages 92.4 mph, and has touched 94.4.
226 thrown, 56.9% of his pitches.
He gets ahead early and pitches from in front all night
Tonkin throws a strike on the first pitch 64.4% of the time.
104 plate appearances started in 2025.
How much of the zone he uses depends on the count
Tonkin puts 57.5% of his pitches in the zone when he is behind and 44.2% when he is ahead.
106 located pitches behind, 120 ahead.
He throws strikes to one type of hitter and not the other
Tonkin lands 51.9% of his fastballs in the zone and only 42.4% of his breaking balls.
258 of his fastballs, 139 of his breaking balls.
There is one pitch of his that keeps getting hit
Contact off Tonkin's 4-seam fastball leaves the bat at 92.0 mph, against 89.9 off his slider.
226 and 103 of them thrown.
Too much of the contact against him is loud
43.7% of the contact Tonkin gives up is hit hard, 34th percentile.
397 pitches in 2025. 34th percentile among qualified pitchers in 2025, 519th in MLB.
His ball moves more than the hitter expects it to
Tonkin's stuff spins at 2,334 rpm, 61st percentile in the league.
397 pitches in 2025. 61st percentile among qualified pitchers in 2025, 302nd in MLB.
One pitch of his spins more than almost anyone's
Tonkin's 4-seam fastball spins at 2,355 rpm, the highest in his arsenal.
226 thrown in 2025.
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The numbers behind these live in Pitch Data.
Take me there
The angle he throws from is unusual, and hitters notice
Tonkin releases the ball from a sidearm slot, about 11 degrees above horizontal and 3.3 feet to the third-base side of the rubber.
397 tracked release points, averaging 5.2 feet off the ground.
He releases the ball about where everyone else does
Tonkin releases the ball 6.0 feet down the mound, a shorter stride than most.
397 tracked pitches in 2025.
The numbers behind these live in Pitch Data.
Take me there
One pitch of his runs sideways more than almost anyone's
Tonkin's 4-seam fastball moves 103.2 inches toward the first-base side, the biggest horizontal move in his arsenal.
226 thrown, averaging 92.4 mph.
One pitch of his moves in a way hitters rarely see
Tonkin's 4-seam fastball carries 11.0 inches of ride against a spinless ball, the biggest vertical move in his arsenal.
226 thrown, averaging 92.4 mph.
The numbers behind these live in Pitch Data.
Take me there
When he falls behind, hitters know exactly what is coming
Behind in the count Tonkin throws a fastball 84% of the time, against 60.8% when he is ahead.
106 pitches behind in the count, 120 ahead.
This is the pitch he goes to when he needs the out
With two strikes Tonkin goes to the slider: 32.4% of his two-strike pitches, against 23.5% the rest of the time.
108 two-strike pitches in 2025.
He gets ahead early and pitches from in front all night
Tonkin throws a strike on the first pitch 64.4% of the time.
104 plate appearances started in 2025.
How much of the zone he uses depends on the count
Tonkin puts 57.5% of his pitches in the zone when he is behind and 44.2% when he is ahead.
106 located pitches behind, 120 ahead.
The numbers behind these live in Pitch Data.
Take me there
His pitches move in ways that fit together
Tonkin works with 4 pitches: 4-Seam Fastball, Slider, Sweeper and Sinker. The 4-seam fastball is 56.9% of everything he throws.
397 classified pitches in 2025.
He saves one pitch for one side of the plate
Tonkin throws the 4-seam fastball 65.9% of the time against left-handers and 46.4% against right-handers.
183 pitches to right-handers, 214 to left-handers.
His fastball is the pitch everything else is built on
Tonkin's 4-seam fastball averages 92.4 mph, and has touched 94.4.
226 thrown, 56.9% of his pitches.
There is one pitch of his that keeps getting hit
Contact off Tonkin's 4-seam fastball leaves the bat at 92.0 mph, against 89.9 off his slider.
226 and 103 of them thrown.
One pitch of his spins more than almost anyone's
Tonkin's 4-seam fastball spins at 2,355 rpm, the highest in his arsenal.
226 thrown in 2025.
The numbers behind these live in Pitch Data.
Take me there
One type of hitter does all the damage against him
Hitters do their damage on his fastballs: a .355 expected average against them, against .280 on his breaking balls.
258 of his fastballs thrown.
He throws strikes to one type of hitter and not the other
Tonkin lands 51.9% of his fastballs in the zone and only 42.4% of his breaking balls.
258 of his fastballs, 139 of his breaking balls.
The numbers behind these live in Spray Chart.
Take me there
When hitters connect off him, they hit it hard
Hitters average 91.4 mph off the bat against Tonkin, 8th percentile.
397 pitches in 2025. 8th percentile among qualified pitchers in 2025, 715th in MLB.
Too much of the contact against him is loud
43.7% of the contact Tonkin gives up is hit hard, 34th percentile.
397 pitches in 2025. 34th percentile among qualified pitchers in 2025, 519th in MLB.
The numbers behind these live in Pitch Data.
Take me there
He lives on one side of the plate
Tonkin works away from right-handers: his average pitch lands 2.6 inches to that side of the middle of the plate.
397 located pitches in 2025.
He works one part of the zone far more than the rest
Tonkin lives at the bottom of the zone: his average pitch crosses at 2.31 feet, against a zone that runs 1.5 to 3.5.
397 located pitches in 2025.
The numbers behind these live in Pitch Data.
Take me there
He fills the strike zone and makes hitters beat him
Tonkin lives in the strike zone: 48.6% of his pitches are in it, 68th percentile.
397 pitches in 2025. 68th percentile among qualified pitchers in 2025, 250th in MLB.
The numbers behind these live in Pitch Data.
Take me there
His ball moves more than the hitter expects it to
Tonkin's stuff spins at 2,334 rpm, 61st percentile in the league.
397 pitches in 2025. 61st percentile among qualified pitchers in 2025, 302nd in MLB.
Twins
Career team 2013–2025