Twins Release Yunior Severino, Showcasing the Challenges of Prospect Development

[Cody Christie]

Image courtesy of Rob Thompson, St. Paul Saints

Not every top prospect's story ends with big moments and standing ovations at Target Field. Earlier this week, the Minnesota Twins officially released infielder Yunior Severino, a once-promising slugger who led the minor leagues in home runs two years ago. His seemingly abrupt release serves as a sobering reminder of just how steep and unforgiving the climb to the big leagues can be, even for players who show legitimate flashes of big-league potential.

From Power Breakout to 40-Man Roster
It wasn’t long ago that Severino looked like one of the most exciting bats in the Twins’ pipeline. In 2023, the then-23-year-old slugged his way to the organizational spotlight, launching a minor league-leading 35 home runs across 120 games between Double-A Wichita and Triple-A St. Paul. His .272/.352/.546 slash line placed him among the most productive hitters in the farm system, and his ability to tap into raw power forced the Twins’ hand. They added him to the 40-man roster that offseason to shield him from the Rule 5 Draft.

Baseball America named him the 2023 Twins Minor League Player of the Year. He was also the Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Year, beating out other players like Brooks Lee and Emmanuel Rodriguez. The Twins organization named Lee the 2023 Sherry Robertson Award winner as their minor-league player of the year. Severino was at the peak of his prospect standing, but there were flaws to his game.     

Despite the power surge, there were always red flags, most notably his high strikeout rate, which sat just shy of 33%. But in a farm system short on impact corner bats, Severino looked like someone who could offer value as a switch-hitting slugger. He was young for Triple-A; flashed legitimate power to all fields; and offered some positional versatility, at least on paper. Yet, the transition from a breakout season to sustainable success proved to be a hurdle he couldn’t clear.

A Disappearing Bat
The Twins carried Severino on the 40-man roster for the entirety of 2024, but never gave him a serious look for a call-up. That, in itself, was telling. With injuries and underperformance impacting the major-league roster at times, Severino remained in St. Paul, trying to regain the form that had vaulted him up prospect rankings. That form never returned.

Severino’s OPS fell by 123 points in 2024. His isolated power (ISO), a key metric for evaluating raw pop, plummeted from .274 to .180. That’s a steep drop, especially in the hitter-friendly confines of CHS Field and across the power-inflated International League. His strikeout rate did improve slightly, dropping to 27.8%, but it came at the cost of his biggest weapon: the long ball.

Pitchers at the Triple-A level began exploiting his approach. Severino showed a persistent tendency to chase pitches outside the zone and often looked off-balance at the plate. Without the loud contact to compensate for the swing-and-miss, the Twins were left with a player whose offensive ceiling suddenly looked far more limited.

In 2025, his numbers cratered in St. Paul. The now-25-year-old hit .196/.344/.324, with two home runs and seven doubles in 33 games. His strikeout rate jumped back up over 35% and his wRC+ was below 85 for the first time in his career. The upper minors can be a challenging environment for power-swinging sluggers, and Severino was never able to put it all together.

A Man Without a Position
Even when the bat was booming, defensive questions trailed Severino. Originally signed as a middle infielder, he’s moved down the defensive spectrum as he’s filled out physically. By 2025, he was primarily limited to first base, where he was considered a below-average defender. He lacked the athleticism to cover ground and didn’t show the soft hands or footwork typically required at the position.

He’s also a below-average runner, which further limits his value as a bench piece or utility player. Without a strong defensive position and with a bat that no longer looked major league-ready, Severino found himself in the unenviable position of being a power-first prospect with no clear role.

Development Isn’t Linear
There’s no question that Severino has legitimate raw power. Players who can hit 30-plus home runs in a minor-league season don’t grow on trees. However, his story highlights the often brutal nature of prospect development. Not every toolsy breakout can carry over to the highest level of competition in the world. Even with gaudy home run totals and a spot on the 40-man roster, Severino couldn’t bridge the gap between upper-minors standout and big-league contributor.

Now 25, he’ll look for another opportunity elsewhere, likely with a club intrigued by his power potential and hoping a new environment can unlock a more consistent version of his swing. And for the Twins, the decision to release him reflects the crowded nature of the roster and the importance of finding players who can offer value both at the plate and in the field.

Severino’s fall from top prospect to organizational depth to release was swift and disappointing. It’s a tough break for the player and a harsh reality for a front office constantly trying to forecast which players will pan out in the ultra-competitive world of MLB development.

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Do you think the Twins gave up on Severino too soon? Or was the writing already on the wall? Join the conversation in the comments below.

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[Fire Dan Gladden]

Be ready to see Severino playing 1B for some MLB team 3 years from now hitting 25 HR. Then we get to see all of the TD comments blaming the Twins FO for failing on this guy.

That is the life of a Twins fan...

[DJL44]

I believe he was signed as a minor league free agent this past offseason. In that respect, he's already been released once by the Twins and brought back as a "project". The odds of success for a prospect who reaches minor league free agency (seven seasons in the minors without being added to a 40-man roster) are not good.

[In My La Z boy]

This is a great example of why the Twins should be very careful in thinking they could move Joe Ryan IF they get "blown away" by an offer. Including Severino in a late season 2023 package of prospects would have brought back a "Joe Ryan like" proven major league starter. Prospects are just that. Prospects. If we think re-tooling looks like trading a "proven major league well-above average starter" for a couple top 100 prospects we're making a mistake in my opinion. How is Chase Petty doing for the Reds? I'll answer, he just finally made his debut in the majors this year and has been pounded, and now is back down. We got an excellent "well-above average" major league pitcher for him and he had a nice run for us. Petty may, or may not ever make it. 

[mikelink45]

15 minutes ago, In My La Z boy said:

This is a great example of why the Twins should be very careful in thinking they could move Joe Ryan IF they get "blown away" by an offer. Including Severino in a late season 2023 package of prospects would have brought back a "Joe Ryan like" proven major league starter. Prospects are just that. Prospects. If we think re-tooling looks like trading a "proven major league well-above average starter" for a couple top 100 prospects we're making a mistake in my opinion. How is Chase Petty doing for the Reds? I'll answer, he just finally made his debut in the majors this year and has been pounded, and now is back down. We got an excellent "well-above average" major league pitcher for him and he had a nice run for us. Petty may, or may not ever make it. 

You have some good points but remember the starts that some of our minor league prospects made in the majors. It's not unusual to take one or two call-ups before prospering. I wait to see what Petty does

[tony&rodney]

8 minutes ago, In My La Z boy said:

This is a great example of why the Twins should be very careful in thinking they could move Joe Ryan IF they get "blown away" by an offer. Including Severino in a late season 2023 package of prospects would have brought back a "Joe Ryan like" proven major league starter. Prospects are just that. Prospects. If we think re-tooling looks like trading a "proven major league well-above average starter" for a couple top 100 prospects we're making a mistake in my opinion. How is Chase Petty doing for the Reds? I'll answer, he just finally made his debut in the majors this year and has been pounded, and now is back down. We got an excellent "well-above average" major league pitcher for him and he had a nice run for us. Petty may, or may not ever make it. 

I'm not sure anyone would suggest Ryan be traded for a pile of Chase Petty guys or similar mid to low top 100 prospect types much less minor leaguers who star at a level like Severino. At least I hope not. I would look more at the return the Rays received for Glasnow and expect even more considering the injury history of Glasnow and the contracts.

Severino was a good story for St. Paul but he was never going to make it as more than a DH. If the Twins didn't already have a hockey team full of DH's perhaps Severino might have received a cup of coffee at the highest level. When his K-rate rose and the holes in his swing opened in combination with his chasing pitches, the numbers tanked. Baseball is a tough business. Pitchers are ruthless.

[old nurse]

20 minutes ago, In My La Z boy said:

This is a great example of why the Twins should be very careful in thinking they could move Joe Ryan IF they get "blown away" by an offer. Including Severino in a late season 2023 package of prospects would have brought back a "Joe Ryan like" proven major league starter. Prospects are just that. Prospects. If we think re-tooling looks like trading a "proven major league well-above average starter" for a couple top 100 prospects we're making a mistake in my opinion. How is Chase Petty doing for the Reds? I'll answer, he just finally made his debut in the majors this year and has been pounded, and now is back down. We got an excellent "well-above average" major league pitcher for him and he had a nice run for us. Petty may, or may not ever make it. 

Severino would have brought back a Gabriel Moya type prospect. 

[chpettit19]

2 minutes ago, In My La Z boy said:

This is a great example of why the Twins should be very careful in thinking they could move Joe Ryan IF they get "blown away" by an offer. Including Severino in a late season 2023 package of prospects would have brought back a "Joe Ryan like" proven major league starter. Prospects are just that. Prospects. If we think re-tooling looks like trading a "proven major league well-above average starter" for a couple top 100 prospects we're making a mistake in my opinion. How is Chase Petty doing for the Reds? I'll answer, he just finally made his debut in the majors this year and has been pounded, and now is back down. We got an excellent "well-above average" major league pitcher for him and he had a nice run for us. Petty may, or may not ever make it. 

No, it wouldn't have. There was a reason the Twins never called him up. Yunior Severino was never that kind of prospect. He was never bringing back a "Joe Ryan like proven major league starter." Major League teams aren't just looking at Fangraphs, sorting by HR leaders and saying "I'll take this guy, he must be good." I mean, sure they could've included him in a package with Brooks Lee and Royce Lewis in 2023 and brought back a proven MLB starter, but Yunior himself wasn't the kind of prospect to front that package. He was never a top 20 system prospect let alone a top 100 prospect. You're comparing him to way different types of prospects. 

Chase Petty had just been drafted out of high school when he was traded. I don't know what he's going to be, and that trade worked out exactly as the Twins wanted it to, couldn't have asked for more, but it's right on track for the Reds, too. Saying he "finally made his debut" is super misleading. A high school kid making it to the bigs in 4 years isn't bad at all. Not super elite, but not some sort of failing. He's 22 years old. I'm pretty sure the Reds are quite happy with how that trade is trending on their side as well. I don't think they've given up on the 22-year-old after 6 innings in the majors.

[Dman]

Prospects flame out and it looks like that is what happened.  Just two years ago he was hitting so well that he needed to be added to the 40 man.  It has been a pretty precipitous fall since then.  He was always a bit borderline as a prospect as he didn't provide much defense, but he used to have a ton of power in his bat.

As others have said we'll find out how much he still likes baseball as this should be wake up call for him. Either he digs in and gets better somewhere else or gives up and goes home.

I think this was the right the call though.  There are a bunch of guys at AA waiting for their chance at AAA and you have someone who just hasn't provided much the last two years.  They need the room to see if other bats can make it.

I feel bad for Severino, but it is just the way the minors work.

[farmerguychris]

I expect he'll soon be playing as an above average regular overseas.

 

[Rod Carews Birthday]

It always seems shocking when things like this happen, but in reality, they happen all the time.  His offensive output in 2023 made it look like he had a real future, but as a one-trick pony, there wasn’t much to sustain him if that trick wasn’t working.  No defense, not speed, lots of strikeouts. . . your bat needs to be pretty special to make that work.  If you are Big Papi or Nelson Cruz, it can happen, but when the wheels come off the bus in AAA, there isn’t really any reason for hope at a level higher.  

[LambchoP]

This is a bit surprising given the lack of depth at 1b position in the Twins system, plus Severino's power potential. They must have thought he would never make enough contact or play the field well enough at any one position. Bummer, he was at one point one of our top prospects. Should have traded him few years back when he led the minors in home runs...

[Road trip]

It's too bad.  I suppose he may get a chance in another minor league system.  At worst he will get a shot overseas or in the American Association.  He could launch a lot of HR's for Fargo/Sioux Falls/Sioux City.  That league is full of former minor leaguers who just weren't quite good enough but still want to play for a small paycheck and a chance.  

[Danchat]

Good stuff, I'd like to see more articles like this covering prospects who don't quite make it.

I don't think Severino was ever a "top prospect" and even when he was mashing there were still strikeout and defensive issues to consider. And it seems to me that power-first / power-only prospects have a hard time making the jump. Only a month or two ago there was clamoring for Carson McCusker, and now that's died down. Now there's interest in Sabato getting a shot - That's not to say I'm not in favor of giving guys chances, but every year we have guys rake at AAA and it doesn't translate. 

For those who remember the Adam Brett Walker craze... that was certainly an interesting time to be a Twins Daily reader. 

[NYCTK]

10 minutes ago, Danchat said:

Only a month or two ago there was clamoring for Carson McCusker, and now that's died down.

Man, he's struggled since he was sent back down. Not really a shocker, but in 139 PAs he's had an OPS of 0.638. Yikes! 

[Guest]

About as abrupt as the fall by the most recent Sire of Ft. Myers.  Must be a virus going around....

[twinstalker]

I don't understand in the least why the Twins put Severino on their 40-man last year, unless they truly didn't ever need that 40th spot.  Basically, they wanted to give St. Paul a AAA slugger, I guess, and it was possible or they were told he would try elsewhere.  They weren't losing any future MLBer by losing him.

He was never a prospect in the sense that he would eventually do anything to help in the majors.  And it really scares me if they thought he might be.  It very possibly comes down to the organization problem of not understanding how to identify or develop hitting.  One that scares the heck out of me as they once again draft a new batch.

[BSLinPA]

4 hours ago, chpettit19 said:

Chase Petty had just been drafted out of high school when he was traded. I don't know what he's going to be, and that trade worked out exactly as the Twins wanted it to, couldn't have asked for more, but it's right on track for the Reds, too. Saying he "finally made his debut" is super misleading. A high school kid making it to the bigs in 4 years isn't bad at all. Not super elite, but not some sort of failing. He's 22 years old. I'm pretty sure the Reds are quite happy with how that trade is trending on their side as well. I don't think they've given up on the 22-year-old after 6 innings in the majors.

correct chpettit19........ Chase Petty was still 21 yrs old on opening day 2025.  Both sides received what they had hoped for.....our team in the short term,  Reds in the long term.  Square deal.

And I favor IMLB's Glasnow comp for Ryan's value.  But hope he stays.

[Rosterman]

What happened to Jeferson Morales? He looked on the cusp of being a bench guy out of spring training. Suddenly released by Twins.

[Parfigliano]

5 hours ago, Road trip said:

It's too bad.  I suppose he may get a chance in another minor league system.  At worst he will get a shot overseas or in the American Association.  He could launch a lot of HR's for Fargo/Sioux Falls/Sioux City.  That league is full of former minor leaguers who just weren't quite good enough but still want to play for a small paycheck and a chance.  

Some MLB organization will sign him and attempt to fix his swing.

[DocBauer]

Severino WAS a top prospect. That's why the Braves got in trouble for violating international signing rules and lost him. The Twins jumped on him when he was available. Between the Braves and Twins, I believe it ended with something like $4.5-5M in total bonus money.

When he lost a bunch of weight before 2024, I thought it was a good sign that hus defense would improve, and he might continue to play some 3B in addition to 1B, with 2B probably no longer viable. But the bat just seemed to disappear the last 2 years. At 25yo, there's still a chance he makes it, or goes oversees to make $, and maybe come back to the States later and get a shot as an improved player.

But it does show just how hard it is to actually make MLB.

I wish him the best, but as someone else mentioned, there are at least a couple prospects looking like they need and deserve a promotion fairly soon.

 

[DocBauer]

As far as Petty goes, I was really excited the Twins got him where they did, and when they did. There's nothing more divisive than a prep arm. Some become All Stars, or really solid middle of the rotation arms. Many, if not most, either flame out completely for one reason or another, or convert to relievers and hopefully have solid careers there.

I'd bet the Reds are really pleased he's reached AAA at such a young age, and can't wait to see him continue to develop and get his next chance.

Hmmm....24yo SWR ring any bells as a young kid just figuring it out?

The Twins got Gray for 2 years of high quality production, and ended up with a top 10-15 prospect in DeBarge for the trade. No matter what Petty does, it was a solid return.

[DocBauer]

6 hours ago, Danchat said:

Good stuff, I'd like to see more articles like this covering prospects who don't quite make it.

I don't think Severino was ever a "top prospect" and even when he was mashing there were still strikeout and defensive issues to consider. And it seems to me that power-first / power-only prospects have a hard time making the jump. Only a month or two ago there was clamoring for Carson McCusker, and now that's died down. Now there's interest in Sabato getting a shot - That's not to say I'm not in favor of giving guys chances, but every year we have guys rake at AAA and it doesn't translate. 

For those who remember the Adam Brett Walker craze... that was certainly an interesting time to be a Twins Daily reader. 

I just have to comment on this. And yes, I remember the Brett Walker craze well.

Despite being in favor of giving McCusker a legitimate opportunity, especially when the team was down an OF and struggling offensively, there remains a difference between he and Sabato. 

McCusker was signed as a flier, and not an especially young flier. But when you DO sign such a flier, and they "fly" through your system and produce, I still think you owe it to yourself as a system to find out if you actually found something. Maybe it's a DH, or a part time OF in this case, but you do yourself a disservice if you don't take an honest look.

I'm NOT saying Severino is McCusker in any way! I'm only saying if he could continue to K at 30% at the ML level...not increase to 40%....and still hit .225-.230 with dangerous power, at least he's worth an honest look isn't he?

The difference I see with Sabato is not just being a former #1 draft choice. The difference I see is a former top prospect who always had some sort of idea of the zone. Even when he was bad, he took some BB. And I'm not even pretending he's suddenly become a 1B/DH SAVIOR for the lineup this season, for 2026, or beyond. But he WAS a 1st round pick, initially, for a reason. And even though most all of wrote him off and were probably surprised the Twins even kept him for this year, the facts are he's been hitting .300 at both AA and AAA, with a composite .388 OB% and .936OPS.

I'm really not directly my comments to you, just saying overall there is probably a difference between 2 ballplayers that have traveled very different paths to this point. One is a flier that maybe deserves a looksee in case you found something. The other is a former top pick and prospect who MIGHT have figured it out at age 25, recently turned 26.

To be excited about Sabato and have unreal expectations is probably wrong. But to be intrigued about a former top pick developing late and who might be a solid player is worth at least taking a good look at, IMO.

Severino was also a top prospect at one point. He couldn't put it altogether. Sabato was a top prospect who seemed to wash out but might have figured it out. Again, I find the prospect of him doing so being intriguing. I wouldn't mind him getting a shot depending on how the rest of the season goes. And maybe he's added to the 40 man this offseason. But I sure wouldn't do so expecting him to be part of the 26 man roster!

[Danchat]

35 minutes ago, DocBauer said:

One is a flier that maybe deserves a looksee in case you found something. The other is a former top pick and prospect who MIGHT have figured it out at age 25, recently turned 26.

I would put Sabato's chances ahead of McCusker's, but I think the comparison holds given that their power is their primary path to any kind of relevance in the majors.

36 minutes ago, DocBauer said:

Severino was also a top prospect at one point. He couldn't put it altogether.

I was referring more to the Twins internal prospect list and if he had garnered any top 100 interest, I don't believe he ever cracked the Twins top 10 list unless I remember incorrectly? Fangraphs had him at #33 in 2021, unrated in 2022... That doesn't match my criteria for a top prospect.

[In My La Z boy]

21 hours ago, chpettit19 said:

No, it wouldn't have. There was a reason the Twins never called him up. Yunior Severino was never that kind of prospect. He was never bringing back a "Joe Ryan like proven major league starter." Major League teams aren't just looking at Fangraphs, sorting by HR leaders and saying "I'll take this guy, he must be good." I mean, sure they could've included him in a package with Brooks Lee and Royce Lewis in 2023 and brought back a proven MLB starter, but Yunior himself wasn't the kind of prospect to front that package. He was never a top 20 system prospect let alone a top 100 prospect. You're comparing him to way different types of prospects. 

Chase Petty had just been drafted out of high school when he was traded. I don't know what he's going to be, and that trade worked out exactly as the Twins wanted it to, couldn't have asked for more, but it's right on track for the Reds, too. Saying he "finally made his debut" is super misleading. A high school kid making it to the bigs in 4 years isn't bad at all. Not super elite, but not some sort of failing. He's 22 years old. I'm pretty sure the Reds are quite happy with how that trade is trending on their side as well. I don't think they've given up on the 22-year-old after 6 innings in the majors.

I guess brevity on my part would have made a better comment;
My 2 points were "don't trade Joe Ryan for prospects" and  "don't be afraid to sell high on prospects"
Obviously in hindsight, late '23 would have been the "sell high" on Severino time and, we got an excellent run out of Sonny, and wouldn't have seen Petty yet. That was it. 

[Sjoski]

Severino sounds like the AAA version of a Miguel Sano. 

[AKTwinsFan]

If we gave him a real shot back then who knows. What ever happened to Martin? Miranda and Juilen are also perplexing. 

[Jacksson]

Soon to be signed by the Red Sox.

Shades of David Ortiz....