Minnesota Twins Prospect Hot Sheet, June 9, 2025: Khadim Diaw Rising

[Cody Christie]

Image courtesy of Rob Thompson, St. Paul Saints (Aaron Rozek)

Welcome to the Twins Prospect Hot Sheet! Each week, we take a closer look at multiple players who are climbing the organization’s prospect ladder thanks to standout performances. This isn't limited to top-10 prospects, as you’ll find some lesser-known names putting themselves on the radar, as well. This week’s list features a pitcher trying to pitch his way into a big-league role; a former first-round slugger hunting for his power stroke; and a young catcher turning heads with an electric start. Let’s dive in.

LHP Aaron Rozek – St. Paul Saints
Rozek is one of the best feel-good stories in the Twins system. The Minnesota native and former Minnesota State-Mankato standout went undrafted in 2018, but kept grinding his way up the ladder. After spending time in independent ball, the Twins signed Rozek in 2021. Since then, he has carved out a role as an organizational lefty, with command and deception as his calling cards.

In 2024, Rozek pitched split time between Double- and Triple-A, posting a 3.91 ERA across 122 innings. His 19.5 K% showed that while he’s not overpowering, his ability to change speeds and locate helped him keep hitters guessing. Control remained his strength with a 5.8 BB%, one of the best rates among starters in the Twins system.

Hitting the Hot Button
Rozek’s 2025 season has quietly made him one of the organization’s most dependable arms. As of early June, he holds a 2.98 ERA over 54 1/3 innings, thriving in a swingman role that has seen him make both starts and multi-inning relief appearances. His fastball velocity sits around the low 90s, but what’s turned heads is the improvement in his cutter and changeup. These pitches generate weak contact and keep him off the barrel. In particular, Rozek’s strikeout rate is up nearly 3% compared to last season. While he’s not likely to become a rotation piece in Minnesota, he’s now a dark horse in the mix as a possible depth option for long relief or emergency starts later this summer.

1B/DH Aaron Sabato – Wichita Wind Surge
Sabato was the Twins’ first-round pick in 2020 out of North Carolina, selected for his eye-popping power potential. Known as a slugger with light-tower power and serious on-base skills, Sabato’s pro career has been a winding road. Strikeouts and contact issues plagued him, but the pop was always there.

In 2024, Sabato struggled at Double-A Wichita, slashing .206/.303/.350 with 10 home runs and 14 doubles in 85 games. At 25 years old, he was slightly older than the average age of the competition in the Texas League, so there were some expectations that his performance would improve. His 12.3% walk rate and improved zone discipline gave reason for optimism that he could still develop into a power threat suitable for first base or designated hitter duties.

Hitting the Hot Button
Sabato’s start to 2025 has been his most complete showing as a professional. Through the first two months of the season, he’s hitting .311/.409/.568 with eight home runs and 10 doubles in 42 games. His .977 OPS and .568 SLG are the best in the Texas League. His strikeout rate has dipped to 25.6%, the lowest of his career at any full-season level. 

What’s been the difference? Sabato is laying off pitches up in the zone and showing more confidence going the other way, punishing mistakes to right-center instead of trying to pull everything out to left. If this version of Sabato holds, the Twins may finally have the middle-of-the-order right-handed bat they hoped for when they made him a first-rounder five years ago. At the very least, he's put himself back on the radar as a potential (eventual) big-league option.

C/OF Khadim Diaw – Fort Myers Mighty Mussels
The Twins selected Diaw in the third round of the 2024 MLB Draft from Loyola Marymount University. He became the first player of Senegalese descent to be selected in the MLB Draft. He dealt with multiple injuries in college, including a back fracture, broken left thumb, and sprained wrist. However, his college production was still strong, as he posted a .985 OPS in 80 games. 

After signing with the Twins, he played 24 games in Fort Myers and slashed .271/.374/.341, with four extra-base hits. Defensively, he played the bulk of his time behind the plate (over 100 innings) but also made starts at multiple outfield positions. Scouts raved about his athleticism and potential, but there were many unknowns due to his limited playing time in college. 

Hitting the Hot Button
So far in 2025, Diaw has put himself on the national prospect map. In 38 games with Cedar Rapids, he’s batting .302/.455/.431 with four steals and a 12.3% walk rate, a sign of gradually improved plate discipline. He’s being more selective at the plate and making much more contact on pitches in the strike zone. Last week, ESPN’s Kiley McDaniel updated his top 10 prospects for each organization and had Diaw as the Twins’ ninth-best prospect. He mentions that he likes Diaw before the season, and he’s “taken big steps forward” in 2025. Unfortunately, he broke his finger when he was hit in the hand by a batter’s swing, so he will be on the IL until that heals.

While the focus at the top of the Twins’ farm system usually rests on big names, it’s players like Rozek, Sabato, and Diaw who help shape the depth and potentially impact the big-league club down the road. Rozek is making a case to be the next man up for pitching depth. Sabato is reminding fans why he was a first-round pick. Diaw is quietly breaking out as one of the most exciting athletes in the lower levels. Keep an eye on these names, as they may not remain under the radar for much longer.

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Who else should make next week’s Hot Sheet? Drop your picks in the comments below!

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[Linus]

What about Diaw s defensive abilities?  Is he really a legit catching prospect or more of a utility type player?

[FlyingFinn]

Interesting that two of these guys (Rozek and Sabato) are Rule 5 draft eligible. For now, I don't see the Twins adding either to the 40 man. Would someone take one?

[High heat]

You’d think they would move Sabato up to AAA here shortly.  Maybe he figured something out but it’s a high bar with the bat to have any kind of mlb value in he is a bad defensive 1B only.

[DocBauer]

I know Rozek is needed and has thrived filling different roles for both St Paul and Wichita, but I can't help wonder if he and the Twins wouldn't be better served just using him as a middle man and cut it loose. He may be older, but LH and breathing for a team short on LHP makes me believe he at least has a shot in that role.

Who is this Sabato guy? Because he sure doesn't look like the guy who's floundered in the Twins system the previous 4 years. Is there even a real chance that at 25yo he actually figured something out? If he keeps this up he needs to be at St Paul come July 1st. He's either protected next offseason because this growth is real, or some rebuilding team will take a chance on him as a 1B/DH.

With all due respect to Mauer, I don't know that the Twins have ever drafted as good of an athlete as Diaw. It's great that he can play CF, but other than getting his bat in the lineup when not behind the plate, I'd be focusing on him as a backstop. Period. He's got bat ability you normally don't see with and the athleticism to move well behind the plate. IMO, he's the #1 catching prospect in the system.

NOTE: If Jaime Ferrer...also drafted last year... steps up with the bat, he's POTENTIALLY the #2 catching prospect. But Noah Cardenas would be #2 at the moment. He's got a good arm and good skills behind the plate, and has had a big rebound offensively after a very disappointing 2024. He'll probably never be a great hitter or have much power, but he makes contact, controls the zone, and has a good eye.

Ricardo Olivar has caught more than he's played OF or DH this season. But while he's posted the best CS% of his career, 17% doesn't speak to confidence behind the plate.

Too bad Nate Baez can't throw, because his bat has been big for CR this year. He doesn't have the power for 1B and might not have the skills to ever play a MLB quality catcher.

[Cody Christie]

4 hours ago, Linus said:

What about Diaw s defensive abilities?  Is he really a legit catching prospect or more of a utility type player?

He’s such a good athlete that many evaluators believe he can stick at catcher.

[Dman]

1 hour ago, DocBauer said:

I know Rozek is needed and has thrived filling different roles for both St Paul and Wichita, but I can't help wonder if he and the Twins wouldn't be better served just using him as a middle man and cut it loose. He may be older, but LH and breathing for a team short on LHP makes me believe he at least has a shot in that role.

Who is this Sabato guy? Because he sure doesn't look like the guy who's floundered in the Twins system the previous 4 years. Is there even a real chance that at 25yo he actually figured something out? If he keeps this up he needs to be at St Paul come July 1st. He's either protected next offseason because this growth is real, or some rebuilding team will take a chance on him as a 1B/DH.

With all due respect to Mauer, I don't know that the Twins have ever drafted as good of an athlete as Diaw. It's great that he can play CF, but other than getting his bat in the lineup when not behind the plate, I'd be focusing on him as a backstop. Period. He's got bat ability you normally don't see with and the athleticism to move well behind the plate. IMO, he's the #1 catching prospect in the system.

NOTE: If Jaime Ferrer...also drafted last year... steps up with the bat, he's POTENTIALLY the #2 catching prospect. But Noah Cardenas would be #2 at the moment. He's got a good arm and good skills behind the plate, and has had a big rebound offensively after a very disappointing 2024. He'll probably never be a great hitter or have much power, but he makes contact, controls the zone, and has a good eye.

Ricardo Olivar has caught more than he's played OF or DH this season. But while he's posted the best CS% of his career, 17% doesn't speak to confidence behind the plate.

Too bad Nate Baez can't throw, because his bat has been big for CR this year. He doesn't have the power for 1B and might not have the skills to ever play a MLB quality catcher.

Nice writeup @DocBauer!  really like Rozek too.  I don't know if he has MLB potential or not, but for as bad as the pitching has generally been at AAA and AA you can usually count on Rozek to be some kind of stopper.  I don't think he has plus stuff, but maybe there could be a crafty lefty role somewhere for him?

I don't trust Sabato just yet, but it feels great to be able to say some positive things about him.  Seeing him with a a nearly .400 OBP and 900 OPS makes you think they should give him a crack at AAA.  We'll see if he slows down or not.

I am pretty high on Diaw.  I think he will grow into some more power and I agree with you that his athleticism makes him look like the #1 catcher prospect to me.  Still has to throw more guys out, but everything else seems pretty well balanced.  Would love to see a few more guys like him in the system. 

 

[Doctor Wu]

Not much to add to the already well-written posts, but I liked this article a lot. I've been very impressed by what Diaw has done thus far and obviously hope it's just the beginning of better results. DocBauer was also right on about Sabato. He's like a different player all of a sudden. For real or not?

[TwinsDr2021]

The old guys do nothing for me, they are doing what they need to be doing just to say in baseball. The Diaw kid impresses me and hope he keeps it up and can catch.

[twinstalker]

On 6/9/2025 at 9:09 PM, High heat said:

You’d think they would move Sabato up to AAA here shortly.  Maybe he figured something out but it’s a high bar with the bat to have any kind of mlb value in he is a bad defensive 1B only.

Yeah, first can he hit at all, then we'll worry about whether he hits enough for MLB 1B.  Fact is, in his 4th try at AA and only over 159 PAs this year at age 26, Sabato is still striking out 26.4% of the time.  If you're thinking he has a chance, you're right in that it's the same chance as Lloyd Christmas.

His BABIP is .395 at AA this season compared to closer to .280 for his AA career prior.  His reward for all this is being on the Hot Sheet, not being a real prospect.

[High heat]

16 minutes ago, twinstalker said:

Yeah, first can he hit at all, then we'll worry about whether he hits enough for MLB 1B.  Fact is, in his 4th try at AA and only over 159 PAs this year at age 26, Sabato is still striking out 26.4% of the time.  If you're thinking he has a chance, you're right in that it's the same chance as Lloyd Christmas.

His BABIP is .395 at AA this season compared to closer to .280 for his AA career prior.  His reward for all this is being on the Hot Sheet, not being a real prospect.

I agree with you, but after this season I believe he will be a minor league free agent, at 26 and no prospect or anyone of value playing 1B at AAA you have to see if the production with the bat can translate.  I have huge doubts but I think you have to see.