Mighty Mussels See Early Returns from Twins’ Willingness to Draft High School Arms

[Cody Christie]

High school arms come with significant risk when it comes to the MLB Draft. The Twins are seeing positive early returns from two recent draft picks as they begin their professional careers. 

 

Image courtesy of William Parmeter (Left: Dasan Hill, Right: Dylan Questad)

For the better part of the last decade, the Minnesota Twins have carved out a distinct path in the amateur draft: find underrated right-handed college pitchers, bring them into the organization’s pitching lab, and turn up the velocity dial. It’s a strategy that’s produced impressive results (ask Bailey Ober, David Festa, or Zebby Matthew). These names weren’t precisely top-of-the-draft darlings, but they’ve steadily climbed the ladder thanks to tweaks made under the Twins’ watchful eye.

But over the last few drafts, there’s been a noticeable shift. While the Twins haven’t abandoned their trusty template, they’ve also begun dipping their toes into a historically riskier pool: high school pitchers. And early in the 2025 season, the Fort Myers Mighty Mussels are reaping the benefits of that calculated gamble.

Two names leading the way are 2024 second-rounder Dasan Hill and 2023 draftee Dylan Questad. Though both are young pitchers for the Florida State League, they’ve already begun to show why the Twins were willing to invest early-round capital and developmental resources into them. However, Target Field is still a long way off when it comes to pitching development and climbing the organizational ladder. 

Hill, a left-handed pitcher selected out of a Texas high school last July, came into pro ball with a live arm and a projectable six-foot-five frame. In his first few outings with Fort Myers this spring, he’s turned heads with 7 1/3 innings, two earned runs, 13 strikeouts, and only two walks. Sure, it’s a small sample, but it’s the kind of line that shows promise in all the right places. He misses bats, limits free passes, and competes in the zone.

Questad, a right-hander taken in the fifth round in 2023, has looked every bit as sharp. After spending most of 2024 refining his mechanics with some speed bumps in the FCL. In 12 appearances (28 1/3 innings), he allowed 33 earned runs on 35 hits with a 19.2 BB%. In 2025, he opened the season with five scoreless innings, racking up eight strikeouts without issuing a single walk. The command has been crisp, the stuff is playing up, and, like Hill, he looks like someone with the potential to develop into something much more.

What’s especially encouraging is how these young arms fit into the broader organizational context. As previously mentioned, Minnesota's front office has long preferred the safety and projectability of college pitchers. It’s a system that’s helped develop a reliable stable of arms, with Ober and Festa in regular rotation spots in the big leagues. Zebby Matthews and Andrew Morris aren’t far behind, continuing to impress in the upper minors.

But high school pitchers? They’re a different beast entirely. Historically, they carry more risk with less physical maturity, fewer innings, injury risks, and often a longer road to the majors. The Twins knew this when they took Charlee Soto in 2023 and Marco Raya a few years prior. Both came with electric stuff and significant upside. Both have been fixtures on the Twins’ top prospect lists. And now, with Hill and Questad showing early flashes of dominance in Fort Myers, the Twins may be starting to build a pipeline of high-upside prep arms that could supplement the "pitching factory" guys down the line.

That blend of approaches (college arms with polish and efficiency, high school arms with ceiling and projection) is starting to give Minnesota a more balanced and dynamic pitching development strategy. They’re not putting all their eggs in one basket. Instead, they’re diversifying the portfolio, and if the early results from Hill and Questad are any indication, that diversification could pay serious dividends.

Of course, we’re still in the bottom of the first inning when it comes to these guys' professional careers. Fort Myers in April is far from Minneapolis and a big-league debut. But that’s the nature of player development. It’s about planting seeds now, hoping that something special blooms in the seasons ahead.

The Twins have built a strong foundation by finding value in unexpected places. Now, they’re betting on the upside, and in Fort Myers, that bet is already starting to look like a good one.

What stands out about these two young arms? Are the Twins finding the right balance of high school and college pitchers in the draft? Leave a comment and start the discussion. 

View full article

[Hrbeks Divot]

Now we need to find someone in the org that can develop a hitting pipeline!

[LambchoP]

Pitching wise the future looks bright. Now we have to find a way to get some offense and give our pitchers some run support, otherwise it won't matter how good the pitching is....

[Major League Ready]

8 minutes ago, LambchoP said:

Pitching wise the future looks bright. Now we have to find a way to get some offense and give our pitchers some run support, otherwise it won't matter how good the pitching is....

Pitching is the scarcest commodity in MLB.   If they develop enough of it, they can trade off the occasional starter (like Cleveland) for some hitting help.  Developing enough pitching also makes it feasible to spend in free agency to plug an offensive hole.  That said, yes it sure would be great if they hit on a couple more offensive players with early picks.  Let's hope Keaschall and Rodriguez are part of the solution and Lewis can stay healthy.

[Linus]

I try not to get too excited about any prospect but Hill is someone that is exciting for sure. Three good pitches plus command at his age is special- being a lefty doesn’t hurt either. Will be interesting to see what his development path is - I’m guessing they take it easy with him this year and next.