Twins Select James Ellwanger at #88 in the 2025 MLB Draft

[Jeremy Nygaard]

Image courtesy of © Ron Schloerb/Cape Cod Times / USA TODAY NETWORK

Ellwanger was a notable prospect prior to the 2023 draft and slipped due to signability challenges. He was taken by the Nats in the 19th round and is their type of prep power arm. It's an intriguing combination of size, stuff, and refinement needed, particularly on the secondary pitches and with his control.

Ellwanger stands 6'5, 205, it's a lean frame with more strength to add. Even so, he can run his fastball up into the high 90s with good ride and armside run. There's a good curveball present too, an above average pitch, with a slider and changeup that haven't proven to be as effective. Strike throwing has also been a challenge for Ellwanger, at times. Despite too many free passes (13.9% as conference toruney play gets underway), he's performed solidly in 2025. It's a 3.29 FIP and 31.8 K%. 

More to come...

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[Texas Twin]

Pretty fair evaluation, though I have to disagree that he has a “lean frame.” I live in Dallas, go regularly to DBU games, and saw Ellwanger start two games this year. I have a personal connection (his brother just graduated from the university where I teach), and so I talked with James quite a bit in person. He is very well built, strong, and has a thick lower half. I’m not a small man and he made me look tiny. I would guess that he already weighs much more than the listed 205.

He is also one of the nicest young men you will ever meet and comes from a great family. IIRC he was the no. 2 rated pitcher in Texas coming out of high school. Fastball is electric. His struggles were (1) locating it at times, and (2) finishing hitters with his curveball. The last time I saw him start the off-speed got hit hard at least three times.

All in all I think it’s a solid 3rd round pick. Will have to develop his other pitches to start but maybe best profiles as a high-octane reliever.

[Texas Twin]

Pretty fair evaluation, though I have to disagree that he has a “lean frame.” I live in Dallas, go regularly to DBU games, and saw Ellwanger start two games this year. I have a personal connection (his brother just graduated from the university where I teach), and so I talked with James quite a bit in person. He is very well built, strong, and has a thick lower half. I’m not a small man and he made me look tiny. I would guess that he already weighs much more than the listed 205.

He is also one of the nicest young men you will ever meet and comes from a great family. IIRC he was the no. 2 rated pitcher in Texas coming out of high school. Fastball is electric. His struggles were (1) locating it at times, and (2) finishing hitters with his curveball. The last time I saw him start the off-speed got hit hard at least three times.

All in all I think it’s a solid 3rd round pick. Will have to develop his other pitches to start but maybe best profiles as a high-octane reliever.

[TopGunn#22]

I like this pick.  Good Size and the ability to fill out and add strength.  The key with any pitcher is confidence, command and control.  He's got the arm.  Can the Twins develop the 3 "C's."  

[DocBauer]

Already sitting 95 and can hit higher. Probably hits 100 a couple times next year once the Twins developmental staff spends time with him. The Twins are also good with adding and eliminating pitchers. They tend to work well with sliders, so they may be able to do something with his. 

Obviously needs some kind of change or we're talking a future pen arm. And that's not a bad thing either. He hasn't really thrown a lot due to some injuries, so that may have held back the development of his other offerings as well as control. 

You have to wonder, with his frame, velocity, and a good breaking ball, his he a late 1st or comp type if he had more IP under his belt?

Low floor but high ceiling potential that's an exciting arm to grab in the 3rd round.

[twinstalker]

You can always tell when the project pitcher phase of the draft kicks in for the Twins, though Ellwanger was ranked (by Law) right around where the Twins took him, so maybe  it's after the requisite catchers get taken.

[Texas Twin]

One addition to what I wrote above about Ellwanger. This anecdote speaks to his character and makeup, which I believe are a not-so-unimportant element of a pitcher’s success.

 

It so happens that I am also a high school baseball coach, and because of the connection with Ellwanger, I brought a bunch of my guys to one of his starts and we agreed to meet after the game so that he could address my team and they could ask him some questions.

 

I would have to look it up, but his start—granted against a Western Kentucky team that was among the hottest in college baseball at the time—was probably his worst outing of the year. Something like 3.2 innings and 6 ER. 

 

One can imagine that the last thing he wanted to do after a disappointing outing was come out and talk to a bunch of 15- and 16-year-olds. 

 

And yet, he came out, and talked with my team. Not only that, he devoted at least 15-20 minutes to my players, answered some of their questions, and gave them some advice. Was extremely gracious and generous with his time and knowledge.

[Trov]

Twins love taking the power arms that have injury history with these picks.  Normally, if they did not have the injury history they would be higher.  Hopefully this one works outs. 

[Fatbat]

Gonna be a fun watch when he is shoving thru AA and AAA.  Development of an out pitch and he has SP 1/2 written all over him. I believe the lean frame reference was back when he was 17 and scouted heavily.  He is no longer lean when you watch his youtube vids. The kid can pitch!

[LambchoP]

Glad the Twins are finally with the times and looking for power arms that can get strikeouts rather than the pitch to contact soft throwers of the Terry Ryan era. Of course with power arms they have the injury potential to deal with, and all but the best won't throw too many innings. But strikeouts, velocity and movement rule in today's game. Hopefully some of these kids work out. The team will always need home grown pitching.

[jmlease1]

I'm down with this pick just for the Lew Ford connection. :P