X: @davidfesta13...Instagram: @DavFesta13...attended Seton Hall Prep in West Orange, N.J... two-year letterwinner as a right-handed pitcher...helped lead the Pirates to a 50-8 record over two years and a conference championship his senior year...named to the All-Super Essex Conference Team as a senior...made the Dean’s List eight times...member of the National Chinese Honor Society...member of Knights of Setonia and Wounded Warrior Project...is a fan of New York Rangers hockey, Tennessee Volunteers football, Indianapolis Colts football and New York Knicks basketball...also a fan of tennis and professional golfer Brooks Koepka...nicknamed by some teammates "Slim Reaper"...participated in 2025 & '26 TwinsFest at Target Field in January...one of favorite pitchers growing up was Jacob deGrom, so grew up wearing number 48 and watching deGrom; Festa being from New Jersey and deGrom pitching for the Mets.
2025
Pitched in second career Spring Training for Twins and was optioned to Triple-A St. Paul on March 16...Was Saints' Opening Day starter on March 28 vs. Indianapolis, pitching five shutout innings, with three hits allowed, no walks and four strikeouts, earning the win...named Twins Minor League Pitcher of the Week for the performance...Made one more start for the Saints before being recalled by Minnesota on April 11 (Pablo López - IL)...Went 0-0, 1.38 ERA (13 IP, 2 ER) with five walks and 15 strikeouts in three starts for Minnesota, from April 11-23...Optioned back to St. Paul upon López's return from IL...Returned to Saints' rotation to make four more starts, from April 29-May 29, going 1-0, 1.77 ERA (20.1 IP, 4 ER) with two walks and 26 strikeouts...Named Twins Minor League Pitcher of the Month for May, posting a 1.26 ERA (14.1 IP, 2 ER) with two walks, 19 strikeouts and a .160 opponent batting average in three starts for the Saints...Recalled by Minnesota for second stint of season on June 5 when Pablo López went back on 15-day Injured List with a right shoulder strain...Set season-high with seven strikeouts on July 3 at Miami (6 IP)...Placed on 15-day Injured List with right shoulder inflammation on July 23...Was diagnosed with thoracic outlet syndrome in right shoulder in mid-September and was shut down for season...Combined to go 5-5, 4.36 ERA (84.2 IP, 41 ER) with 26 walks, 92 strikeouts and a .230 opponent batting average in 18 games (17 starts) between Minnesota and St. Paul.
2024
Was in Twins Spring Training as non-roster invite, marking first Major League spring training of career; made one appearance, working one scoreless inning on March 10 vs. Washington...reassigned to minor league camp on March 11...Began season with Triple-A St. Paul and was club's number two starter, making first start on March 30 vs. Columbus, his fourth career start at Triple-A level...Struck out 10 batters on April 30 vs. Louisville (5.0 IP), one short of professional career-high...struck out 10 again two starts later on May 11 at Toledo (6.0 IP)...the May 11 game earned him Twins Minor League Pitcher of the Week honors...Set St. Paul Saints franchise record striking out seven consecutive batters on May 25 at Buffalo...Named Twins minor league Pitcher of the Month for May, going 1-1, 3.44 ERA (18.1 IP, 7 ER) with seven walks and 30 strikeouts in four starts for Saints...Matched season-high with 10 strikeouts for third time on June 14 at Louisville (6.0 IP)...earned Twins minor league Pitcher of the Week for second time on season...Had contract selected by Minnesota on June 27 to fill rotation spot by Chris Paddack (IL)...Made major league debut in start on June 27 at Arizona, allowing five runs on seven hits in five innings pitched, with one walk and two strikeouts, earning the win...recorded first strikeout, fanning Joc Pederson in the fourth inning...Set major league season high with nine strikeouts over five shutout innings on August 5 at Chicago-NL...After going 1-1, 10.80 ERA (10.0 IP, 12 ER) in first two Major League starts from June 27-July 3, went 1-5, 3.81 ERA (54.1 IP, 23 ER) in next 12 appearances (11 starts) from July 24-end of season; that included 11.43 strikeouts-per-9.0 innings pitched...Finished with 10.77 strikeouts-per-9.0 innings pitched, second-highest in Twins history among rookies (min. 60.0 IP), trailing Jhoan Duran's 2022 ratio of 11.84...His 10.77 strikeouts-per-9.0 innings pitched ranked fourth among AL rookies (min. 60.0 IP), and seventh-best among rookies in all of baseball...Combined to go 5-9, 4.48 ERA (124.2 IP, 62 ER) with 49 walks, 166 strikeouts and a .248 opponent batting average in 29 games between St. Paul and Minnesota...right-handed batters hit .240 and left-handed batters hit .258...Finished season with 124.2 innings pitched at both levels combined, setting a new professional single-season high.
2023
Ranked as 11th-best prospect in Twins organization entering 2023, per MLB.com...Began season with Double-A Wichita and was the club's number two starter, making first start on April 7 at Springfield, pitching 5.0 shutout innings, with one hit allowed, no walks and eight strikeouts...Named Twins Minor League Pitcher of the Month for April, going 1-1, 3.79 ERA (19.0 IP, 8 ER) with five walks and 27 strikeouts in four starts for the Wind Surge...Named to SiriusXM Futures Game representing the American League...Pitched the fifth inning, tossing 1.0 scoreless inning with one hit allowed, no walks and one strikeout...Promoted to Triple-A St. Paul on Aug. 28...Made Triple-A debut on Aug. 30 vs. Columbus in a start and earned the win, allowing one run on four hits in 5.0 innings pitched, with one walk and seven strikeouts...Named Twins Minor League Pitcher of the Month for August, marking his second honor of season after going 2-0, 1.33 ERA (20.1 IP, 3 ER) with seven walks and 27 strikeouts in five games (four starts) for the Wind Surge and Saints...Combined to go 4-4, 4.19 ERA (92.1 IP, 43 ER) with 42 walks, 119 strikeouts and a 1.39 WHIP in 24 games (22 starts) at Wichita and St. Paul combined...Held right-handed hitters to a .238 average, compared to .253 vs. left-handed hitters...Ranked No. 4 prospect in Twins organization entering 2024 by Baseball America.
2022
Split the season between Low-A Fort Myers and High-A Cedar Rapids, going 9-4, 2.43 ERA (103.2 IP, 28 ER) with 34 walks and 108 strikeouts in 21 games (18 starts)...struck out professional career-high 11 batters in 6.0 innings pitched on May 10 vs. Palm Beach...named FSL Pitcher of the Week on May 15...named Twins minor league Pitcher of the Week three times on season: May 15 with Fort Myers, June 19 with Cedar Rapids and Sept. 18 with Cedar Rapids...won seven-straight decisions from May 10-July 14, posting a 1.66 ERA (54.1 IP, 10 ER) in 10 starts for Cedar Rapids.
