Ranking the Minnesota Twins’ Top Pitching Prospects: Who’s No. 1?

[Cody Christie]

Image courtesy of William Parmeter

Over the last few seasons, the Minnesota Twins have done a commendable job stockpiling young arms with upside. From electric high schoolers with sky-high ceilings to former college stars trying to move quickly to the majors, Minnesota’s top pitching prospects each bring something unique to the table. While the big-league rotation has seen recent growth thanks to the emergence of players like Joe Ryan and Bailey Ober, the next wave is brewing and ready to push for a spot in Target Field’s rotation in the coming years.

Below are four of the organization’s most compelling pitching prospects: Charlee Soto, Connor Prielipp, Andrew Morris, and Dasan Hill. Each player has a unique path, arsenal, and risk profile. As fans look ahead to the future of the rotation, the question looms: who is Minnesota’s best overall pitching prospect?

Charlee Soto: Raw Tools, Refined Potential
When the Twins selected Soto in the first round of the 2023 MLB Draft, they knew they were betting on raw ability over polish. The then-17-year-old right-hander out of Florida stood 6’5” with a long, athletic frame and a whip-like arm action that scouts dream about. Fast forward, and Soto is already showing why the Twins took the plunge.

Soto’s fastball routinely sits 95-98 MPH with explosive life up in the zone. The pitch gets an elite ride, making it a swing-and-miss weapon even when it's not perfectly located. His slider (a sharp, low-80s breaker) has flashed plus with late tilt and the ability to get both righties and lefties fishing. His changeup remains a work in progress, but there’s natural fade and separation from his fastball that suggests a future above-average offering.

At just 19 years old, Soto still struggles with consistent command. His walk rates have been higher than ideal, and he occasionally loses the zone for stretches. But when everything clicks, it’s electric. Soto has the highest ceiling of any pitcher in the Twins’ system, an ace-level arsenal that could be dominant if he refines his control. There’s still a long road ahead, but the stuff is loud and undeniable. Soto is currently on the IL with triceps soreness in his right arm, and his return timeline is fluid. 

Connor Prielipp: High-End Arsenal, High-End Risk
Injuries may have derailed Prielipp’s draft stock, but the Twins saw a potential front-line starter when they grabbed him in 2022. A former ace at Alabama, Prielipp’s stuff turned heads immediately, and he’s still flashing that same brilliance in the Twins organization when healthy.

Prielipp’s fastball sits comfortably at 95-96 MPH, reaching as high as 99. He doesn’t have elite ride or movement, but the pitch plays thanks to pristine command and a deceptive release point. What sets Prielipp apart, however, is his offspeed combo. His changeup has excellent vertical separation from his fastball and sinks hard in the zone. Meanwhile, his tight, late-breaking slider lives in the mid-80s and has been a whiff machine at the minor league level.

When Prielipp is on the mound, he looks like a major-league starter. The problem? He hasn’t stayed on the mound consistently. After recovering from Tommy John surgery before being drafted, he had internal brace surgery on his repaired elbow. Those ailments have interrupted his rhythm and slowed his progression. If the health stabilizes, the Twins might have a mid-rotation starter with real bat-missing potential. However, there’s still more risk here than some of his peers; nonetheless, his stock has been rising on national top-100 lists.  

Andrew Morris: Underrated and Overperforming
Morris doesn’t light up radar guns like Soto or come with first-round hype like Prielipp, but all he’s done since being drafted in 2022 is perform. Taken in the fourth round out of Texas Tech, Morris brings a polished, pitchability-first profile that could fast-track him to the majors.

His fastball sits in the 92-94 MPH range but plays up thanks to elite spin efficiency and a deceptive release. Last season, He added a cutter that gave hitters a new look and helped him induce softer contact. Morris complements his heater with a true curveball that drops in the mid-70s and a tumbling changeup in the low 80s.

What separates Morris is his command and mound presence. He throws all four of his pitches for strikes and has shown the ability to sequence effectively against both right-handed and left-handed hitters. His K/BB numbers improved at Double-A last season, but his K% has dipped by around 5% at Triple-A this year. 

Some evaluators believe Morris could be in line for a 2025 call-up if he stays the course. The upside isn’t flashy, Morris likely tops out as a back-end starter, but he might be the safest bet in this group to reach the majors and stick.

Dasan Hill: High School Gamble Already Paying Off
When the Twins drafted Hill, they saw an ultra-projectable left-hander with long levers and clean mechanics. At 6’5” and just 165 pounds, Hill had plenty of physical projection, and he's started tapping into it far quicker than anyone expected.

Hill’s velocity has skyrocketed since being drafted. Where he once sat at 88-90 MPH, he now regularly throws 96 with excellent life. He boasts a four-pitch mix that’s ahead of the curve for a 19-year-old, including a fastball, slider, changeup, and curveball. All of his pitches show at least average traits, with the changeup flashing plus.

His slider has been his go-to swing-and-miss pitch in Low-A, living in the zone with a late two-plane break. The changeup may have the highest ceiling, stumping hitters with its late fade and velocity differential. His ability to throw each pitch for strikes makes him one of the most well-rounded arms in the Florida State League.

Hill’s rapid development is exciting, and it wouldn’t be surprising to see him vault up prospect lists soon. He’s still years away, but the combination of stuff, size, and pitchability gives him a chance to be a legitimate rotation piece in the future.

Who’s the Twins’ Top Pitching Prospect?
Each of these arms offers something unique. Charlee Soto may have the highest ceiling, with true No. 1 potential. Connor Prielipp could carve up big-league lineups as a southpaw if he stays healthy. Andrew Morris brings the polish and consistency needed to move quickly. And Dasan Hill is already emerging as one of the breakout prospects in the system.

So now we turn it over to you, Twins fans: who is the organization’s best pitching prospect?

Let us know in the comments below, or head over to the forums to rank these four arms. Who would you trade? Who would you build around? And who do you think will make their debut first? The future of the Twins’ rotation might hinge on the development of this group. And the debate starts now. Who gets your vote as Minnesota’s top pitching prospect: Soto, Prielipp, Morris, or Hill? Drop your rankings and share your thoughts in the comments section!

 

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[rdehring]

Loved this piece, Cody, thanks.

Must disagree, however, with your comment that Soto has the highest ceiling as a true #1.  Although this is his first full season, Hill appears to be doing everything Soto has with even better secondary pitches.  Granted he hasn't been healthy in the past, but Prielipp appears to have put his health issues behind him.  If so, he has the same high ceiling, at least in my opinion.  He also is several levels ahead of the others and still could be pitching at Target Field come September.

Like Morris, alot.  But just don't see him in the same league as the above trio.  [Note: I continue to hope that one of these lefties is the Twins next Liriano.]

[TwinsDr2021]

(This is not meant as a complaint, just an observation and what I heard this weekend from Drew MacPhail)

They seem to be limiting the innings and exposure to get better results and keep them healthy, but it hard to envision this guys as top end big league starters when they aren't given the chance in the minors to work though seeing guys multiple times. Soto, Prielipp and Hill do seem like they have some impressive stuff.

Seems like Jackson Jobe was treated pretty similar and he seems to run the pitch count up pretty quickly limiting his depth into games (we will see how it goes, Good Luck young men)

[DJL44]

I tend to rank on upside, so I'd go with Hill, Soto, Prielipp, Morris. Morris looks like a 5th starter or middle reliever. Prielipp looks like an excellent reliever, but I doubt his arm survives 160-180 innings a season as a starter. Soto and Hill have top of the rotation upside but are a long way off.

[tony&rodney]

Fun to watch all four of these pitchers. One could make an order on ceiling or where they are at the present time. Based purely on my views of their games: Prielipp, Hill, Soto, Morris for ceiling. I would go Morris, Prielipp, Hill for performance to date based mostly on the level of competition and considering I have not seen Soto enough times.

Morris has usually been around 94 MPH and has hit 98 MPH in the games I have seen him pitch. I have watched Morris 8 times. It seems like Morris works quite a bit on his pitches for development as opposed to just trying to get outs. The number of poor plays behind him has been discouraging to watch with Miranda and Julien being particular bad.

Prielipp should be ready for AAA by July. I agree with the careful approach at this time. There are times when he just toys with AA batters. I have watched 5 of his starts.

I have only watched Soto once. He looked really good but I would like to see him more times before jumping all in.

Dasan Hill looks really good too. He is an exciting prospect. I have only seen him pitch four times.

Pretty cool to watch and know the Twins have some fun talented players to watch in their minor league system.

[jorgenswest]

MacPhail did talk about a new pitching cadence plan in the minors. But not of these pitchers are on that new cadence. These four are in the same 6 day starter cadence they have used in the minors for a while.

Of the four I think Prielipp is their best pitching prospect. He has shown success above A-Ball. The difference between his strike out rate and walk rate is elite like Hill’s but he is so much closer.

[jorgenswest]

6 minutes ago, tony&rodney said:

Fun to watch all four of these pitchers. One could make an order on ceiling or where they are at the present time. Based purely on my views of their games: Prielipp, Hill, Soto, Morris for ceiling. I would go Morris, Prielipp, Hill for performance to date based mostly on the level of competition and considering I have not seen Soto enough times.

Morris has usually been around 94 MPH and has hit 98 MPH in the games I have seen him pitch. I have watched Morris 8 times. It seems like Morris works quite a bit on his pitches for development as opposed to just trying to get outs. The number of poor plays behind him has been discouraging to watch with Miranda and Julien being particular bad.

Prielipp should be ready for AAA by July. I agree with the careful approach at this time. There are times when he just toys with AA batters. I have watched 5 of his starts.

I have only watched Soto once. He looked really good but I would like to see him more times before jumping all in.

Dasan Hill looks really good too. He is an exciting prospect. I have only seen him pitch four times.

Pretty cool to watch and know the Twins have some fun talented players to watch in their minor league system.

Who would you put next on the list? Any sleepers taking a big step this year?

[chpettit19]

Prielipp is the closest with #1 potential so he'd be my #1 ranked. I don't know if he'll be able to stay healthy, but I don't know that he won't be able to. He's been healthy this year so I'll say the 2 surgeries worked and he's good moving forward.

After that it'd be Hill and Soto 2A and 2B. Both have really nice ceilings but are really far away. Hard to separate them at this point.

I don't see it with Morris so he's not even close to these other guys. Not in the same universe when it comes to ceiling as far as I can see.

[mikelink45]

The only thing I care about is who is next to be called up if we have a problem with the current five.  When you write Soto is a long way off I roll my eyes and think, injuries, lack of progression - so many issues possible.  Prielipp looks like a BP fix soon, Morris is interesting and must be the next rotation filler. But the way shoulders and elbows are going that it not enough.  

[Doc Lenz]

Can’t wait to watch them pitch 4 to 5 innings with the big club and get taken out because they have thrown 72 pitches.

[h2oface]

What? What about the suggestions of all the trades possible? I know they're coming.......

[AceWrigley]

I like Dasan Hill as the #1 Twins pitching prospect.

[gmwannabe]

Prielipp should be up now piggy backing SWR's starts. Opponents load up lefties vs. SWR, he pitches 4-5 innings. Prielipp comes in for 3-4  innings temptingthem to pinch hit their lefties out of the game. Advantage Twins for Jax or Duran to face right handed batter if he's needed. His stuff will play in the bags, why wait?

[tony&rodney]

4 hours ago, chpettit19 said:

Prielipp is the closest with #1 potential so he'd be my #1 ranked. I don't know if he'll be able to stay healthy, but I don't know that he won't be able to. He's been healthy this year so I'll say the 2 surgeries worked and he's good moving forward.

After that it'd be Hill and Soto 2A and 2B. Both have really nice ceilings but are really far away. Hard to separate them at this point.

I don't see it with Morris so he's not even close to these other guys. Not in the same universe when it comes to ceiling as far as I can see.

If we are talking absolute ceiling only then you are likely correct, which is what I also suggested. However, pitchability is still a thing and for now I'm sticking with Morris until such time as Prielipp gets past 60 pitches and resides in St. Paul as successfully as he has in Wichita. No doubt that Hill and Soto have loads of potential but they are a ways away from MLB conversation. Morris will almost surely never rise above a mid to back end rotation piece in the majors but there is real value in a guy who gets outs and stays off the barrel. I will continue to tune in every time he pitches

[DocBauer]

It's all really subjective isn't it? I look at age, level, production, as well as potential when I look at prospects.

In fact, I'm going to step out of bounds on this topic as I personally still consider both Matthews and Festa as prospects coming in to the season. Matthews is no longer a rookie due to service time, and Festa exceeded minimum standard by 14 IP. So to me, they both are really prospects. You can agree or disagree, but that's just my long view.

So I have Festa and Matthews at the top still virtually 1A and 1B.

After that it's Prielipp. He's closest, and his stuff is elite. Even if he ends up in the pen at some point, the potential is elite there as well.

Next comes Soto. I have to take his stuff and his frame over Hill. I love Hill. Iove that he's LH. I love how good he's looked so young and so soon. But right now, Soto is just as good and has that big strong frame that screams stalwart to me.

I'm really hoping the Twins don't NEED Morris this season. He's been solid, he's flashed, but I think 2026 is his time frame after additional experience and polish this season. And who wants more injuries? But while he's got decent stuff, solid command/control, the upside of the others puts him last.

And FWIW, I'd have a healthy Culpepper next on my list. I think some have forgotten about him since he's started this season late. 

[chpettit19]

11 minutes ago, tony&rodney said:

If we are talking absolute ceiling only then you are likely correct, which is what I also suggested. However, pitchability is still a thing and for now I'm sticking with Morris until such time as Prielipp gets past 60 pitches and resides in St. Paul as successfully as he has in Wichita. No doubt that Hill and Soto have loads of potential but they are a ways away from MLB conversation. Morris will almost surely never rise above a mid to back end rotation piece in the majors but there is real value in a guy who gets outs and stays off the barrel. I will continue to tune in every time he pitches

I don't disagree with any of that. I just prefer ceiling in prospects. It's why I was never as high on Lee as so many others. Even the "high floor" guys have a low probability of being successful major leaguers. It's just the nature of the beast. And difference makers are needed to win in the playoffs. So ceiling is the first thing I look at. Then it's proximity to the majors. 

But any major leaguer you can produce out of your system (whether you drafted them, signed them, claimed them, traded for them, however you acquired them) has value. Lots of value. I wasn't trying to say Morris has no value and could've worded things differently. But, like you said, Morris isn't likely at all to be more than a mid to back end guy. That is very valuable. But not in the same universe as a front end guy. The other 3 all have top of the rotation type stuff. The chances of them actually reaching that lofty potential is incredibly small. Again, just the nature of the beast. But if your 100th percentile outcome is #1 starter then you can miss that and still end up a Morris. If Morris' 100th percentile outcome is #3 starter and he misses by too much he's fighting for a pen spot or an MLB career at all.

The other 3 may never even reach AAA (Prielipp should be there pretty darn soon, though). But I just prefer ceiling. I'll take the extra risk of them being farther away for the added reward of them potentially being org changing arms. This is what makes these discussions so interesting to me. So many ways to look at these guys. And so many ways to prioritize them. Organizations need to take it all into account and it can really effect how teams are built.

[DJL44]

5 hours ago, jorgenswest said:

Who would you put next on the list? Any sleepers taking a big step this year?

Not Raya.

[thelanges5]

Paddack will be gone next year so we’ll need some guys ready or near ready. Like to see Prielipp hit AAA this year and with the Twins sometime next year. Keep him on the starter path as long as possible. 
 

2026 pitching depth - we’ve used 8-9 the past few seasons

Lopez, Ryan, Ober, Festa, Zebby, SWR, Adams,  Morris, Prielipp, Lewis

[tony&rodney]

1 hour ago, chpettit19 said:

I don't disagree with any of that. I just prefer ceiling in prospects. It's why I was never as high on Lee as so many others. Even the "high floor" guys have a low probability of being successful major leaguers. It's just the nature of the beast. And difference makers are needed to win in the playoffs. So ceiling is the first thing I look at. Then it's proximity to the majors. 

But any major leaguer you can produce out of your system (whether you drafted them, signed them, claimed them, traded for them, however you acquired them) has value. Lots of value. I wasn't trying to say Morris has no value and could've worded things differently. But, like you said, Morris isn't likely at all to be more than a mid to back end guy. That is very valuable. But not in the same universe as a front end guy. The other 3 all have top of the rotation type stuff. The chances of them actually reaching that lofty potential is incredibly small. Again, just the nature of the beast. But if your 100th percentile outcome is #1 starter then you can miss that and still end up a Morris. If Morris' 100th percentile outcome is #3 starter and he misses by too much he's fighting for a pen spot or an MLB career at all.

The other 3 may never even reach AAA (Prielipp should be there pretty darn soon, though). But I just prefer ceiling. I'll take the extra risk of them being farther away for the added reward of them potentially being org changing arms. This is what makes these discussions so interesting to me. So many ways to look at these guys. And so many ways to prioritize them. Organizations need to take it all into account and it can really effect how teams are built.

We are probably on the same page. I wanted the Twins to be aggressive trading a few guys (Lee, Julien, even Lewis and Wallner, but of course not all) the last few off seasons to target more talent. Naturally that is difficult to pull off and Falvey is risk adverse to the max. To be fair, one never knows how things would turn out.

When I watch Hill and Soto I can see the potential but they clearly need time. Prielipp is closer and ready for AAA. I wonder when that move will come. I do like how the Twins are having Prielipp use/ develop all of his pitches as opposed to just mowing down the weaker part of the AA lineups. Certainly he goes to AAA in July if the next couple of starts go well. The Twins may wind up trading Morris this coming winter if Adams and others develop. I think Morris could easily slot in as an above average #4/5 starting pitcher next year and a pile of teams could use that skill. The Twins may be content to hold their top 3 and let Festa, Matthews, and Woods Richardson fill the bottom. It should be interesting to see where Prielipp is a year from now. I don't see Raya in the SP picture or anyone else. The pitching has been enjoyable to watch. The bats and defense, not so much.

[tony&rodney]

2 hours ago, DocBauer said:

I'd have a healthy Culpepper next on my list. I think some have forgotten about him since he's started this season late. 

I really tuned in to C. J. last season. He looked good and was coming along. The one quibble i had with him is that he throws 6 or 7 pitches and he was not developing at a rate which I would expect from his arm. That may be unfair but it takes quite a while to command and control any offering. Starting pitchers hope to harness 2-4 pitches. The ability to master twice the number of offerings is a huge task for a young pitcher. He had a very nice outing yesterday though and we will need to see how he does going into the summer once he (Culpepper) transitions back to AA and possibly AAA by August.

[Dman]

It's a small sample but I have Hill as my number 1.  Yeah it could and maybe should be Prielipp, but Hill is doing at 19 in A ball what Prielipp was doing for a short period of time at age 22 K'ing guys like crazy.  They both are lefty's but I still see more projection and a higher ceiling for Hill since he is dominating at such a young age.

You could argue that Prielipp is further along being at AA, but you could also argue Prielipp might never be a starter and might need to be a reliever since he hasn't made it through a full season healthy in his entire pro career and he is 24 now.

Hill at least so far hasn't had those issue's and at least for now can be seen as a potential lefty starter.  I just think that when you weigh things on the decision tree Hill comes out number 1 for me. Prielipp number 2.

I like Soto a lot but I don't think that fastball is going to play.  His control hasn't improved as much as I hoped this year either.  He has a great thick body type for a pitcher, but from what I have seen so far he would be number 3 for me.

McCleod might be number 4 for me with how well he has pitched this year with Culpepper right there with him.

I've lost the shine on Morris.  Not enough K's to be a rotation arm IMO.  He is giving up a lot of solid contact too.  If he can straighten that out I could move him higher.  Bowan has had a good year but kind of like Varland he gives up too many HR's I see Bowan as a reliever when the time comes.

It might be too small of sample size but I am sticking with Hill as my pick for now.

[mark sills]

Andrew Morris on top. for me. Disagree about the lot of hard contact comment, fielding has been a  issue for the amount of hits he's been given up. Last six starts, five or more innings. Prielipp  number two hope he continues to increase pitch count and call up to aaa soon. Hill number three for me . Adams would be the next after the top five. I think they sent him back down to go back to being a starter in triple a in case the possibility of more injuries to our starting pitchers.

[Wizard11]

FWIW as of today Prielipp is back on the IL.  Hill seems to have the highest ceiling.  Baseball America has a nice write up on him and very positive views of his potential to be a number one type starter.

[dxpavelka]

A couple of these guys appear to wear their baseball glove on the hand closest to the 3rd base dugout.  Seems odd for Twins pitchers.  Are they facing the wrong direction?  Is this even allowed?  Perhaps a followup article is in order.  

[dxpavelka]

6 hours ago, mark sills said:

Andrew Morris on top. for me. Disagree about the lot of hard contact comment, fielding has been a  issue for the amount of hits he's been given up. Last six starts, five or more innings. Prielipp  number two hope he continues to increase pitch count and call up to aaa soon. Hill number three for me . Adams would be the next after the top five. I think they sent him back down to go back to being a starter in triple a in case the possibility of more injuries to our starting pitchers.

Adams is going to get a lot of frequent flyer miles crossing the river over the next few months.

 

[Otaknam]

A nice group that hopefully stays healthy, as TJ surgery is way too common with young flamethrowers these days. The TWINS haven’t had a true number one starter, like a Verlander, for a long time, maybe since Liriano. I don’t think you are a serious playoff contender without an ace or at least two number 2’s, who can prevent long losing streaks. Hopefully one of these guys can emerge to fill that roll. 

[nclahammer]

Of all the pitchers mentioned, I've only seen Prielipp and Morris in person and came away with these observations.   In his two starts I saw, Prielipp really caught my attention with the quality of stuff, that pop, his nasty slider, a lot of people mentioned his lack of innings pitched (a valid arguement along with the length of his starts), but what's hard to believe is that last season was his only complete season he pitched in college or the minors...since the 2020 COVID year...and he only tossed 23.1 innings in 2024.  He's already surpassed that with a career best 31.2 this season.   This kid is a real diamond in the rough IMO, albeit with the caveat "if he stays healthy" always next to his name unless proven elsewise (which it looks like he is certainly working on.)  Prielipp is #1 on my list.

Andrew Morris I've seen make three starts and while his stuff is not as eye-popping as the others, his final stat line always seems impressive with only 1 or 2 runs allowed in 5-6 innings, more Ks that IP, and very few walks.   He's not over powering, but really seems to know how to pitch and use what he's got to give his team a chance to win, pretty much every start.  Morris is not my #2, but I think his name needs to be included in the top 5 or so.   He has the potential to fill out the end of a starting rotation.

It's exciting to read about Soto, Hill, and the others; I'll be following on Twins Daily of course to see how they continue to develop.

[Linus]

12 hours ago, chpettit19 said:

I don't disagree with any of that. I just prefer ceiling in prospects. It's why I was never as high on Lee as so many others. Even the "high floor" guys have a low probability of being successful major leaguers. It's just the nature of the beast. And difference makers are needed to win in the playoffs. So ceiling is the first thing I look at. Then it's proximity to the majors. 

But any major leaguer you can produce out of your system (whether you drafted them, signed them, claimed them, traded for them, however you acquired them) has value. Lots of value. I wasn't trying to say Morris has no value and could've worded things differently. But, like you said, Morris isn't likely at all to be more than a mid to back end guy. That is very valuable. But not in the same universe as a front end guy. The other 3 all have top of the rotation type stuff. The chances of them actually reaching that lofty potential is incredibly small. Again, just the nature of the beast. But if your 100th percentile outcome is #1 starter then you can miss that and still end up a Morris. If Morris' 100th percentile outcome is #3 starter and he misses by too much he's fighting for a pen spot or an MLB career at all.

The other 3 may never even reach AAA (Prielipp should be there pretty darn soon, though). But I just prefer ceiling. I'll take the extra risk of them being farther away for the added reward of them potentially being org changing arms. This is what makes these discussions so interesting to me. So many ways to look at these guys. And so many ways to prioritize them. Organizations need to take it all into account and it can really effect how teams are built.

This is my view as well. Floor can make you competitive but ceiling wins championships.  As a draft strategy I would target ceiling constantly as you can pick up floor guys relatively easily. 

[chpettit19]

3 minutes ago, Linus said:

This is my view as well. Floor can make you competitive but ceiling wins championships.  As a draft strategy I would target ceiling constantly as you can pick up floor guys relatively easily. 

The Twins prove that last part every offseason.

[D.C Twins]

Great article...well written!