Taj Bradley is off to an impressive start this season with the Minnesota Twins. The 25-year-old has a perfect 3-0 record through four starts. Along with his undefeated record, he is carrying a 1.25 ERA with 29 strikeouts.

Bradley has won his last three starts after coming off a solid performance on Sunday against the Toronto Blue Jays. He went five innings, allowing one run and striking out seven. Through 16 games, the Twins are first in the American League Central Division and Bradley has been vital to the team’s early season success.

He leads the team in multiple pitching categories, including strikeouts, wins, and quality starts. Before his start against the Blue Jays, Bradley faced off against two-time Cy Young winner, Tarik Skubal.

Bradley was dialed in that day against the Detroit Tigers. He struck out 10 batters and only allowed one run in the Twins 4-2 win.

Twins’ manager Derek Shelton was pleased with Bradley’s performance against the Tigers.

“Confidence continues to grow,” Shelton said. “Not only for us, but for him. To be able to go through that lineup, in our division, go toe-to-toe with Skubal, did not show any signs that he tried to do more than he should have. And he executed pitches.”

In his fourth season in the majors, Bradley is developing into a dominant pitcher, and he has all the tools to be an ace on any pitching rotation.

“I just think I want to be able to throw strikes with all my pitches,” Bradley said after the win over Detroit. “Get in and out of the zone with both of them, get to two strikes early and stuff like that. Today it showed I can use the splitter 3-2 counts, 0-0, 0-1, 0-2. It’s a big difference maker, especially with the fastball coming off the same sightline and tunneling it well. The curveball is a good pitch. I feel like I want to strike it more but it got me the swings and misses I needed.”

Twins pitching coach LaTroy Hawkins spoke with MLBbro.com on Bradley’s value to the team along with fellow MLBbro Simeon Woods Richardson.

Bradley’s confidence has certainly grown throughout his time in the big leagues and he’s starting to understand how to be effective with multiple pitches in his arsenal. His battery mate, Ryan Jeffers has enjoyed having a front row seat to Bradley’s success this season.

“By him buying into the stuff that goes on before his start, the game planning and the off-the-mound stuff… it gives him more of a comfortable feeling to trust me and then to go out there and just be the best version of Taj,” Jeffers said. “Go out there and throw 100, throw the splitter and throw curveballs. It gives him more confidence to just go out there and pitch.”

This could be an All-Star caliber season for Bradley if he can continue to have the success on the mound that he’s had so far this season. Minnesota can make some noise in the American League and Bradley could be the leader of their starting rotation.

This season could be one to remember for Bradley.