Pierson Ohl Set to Make Minnesota Twins Debut: What Can Pitching Prospect Offer?

[Cody Christie]

Image courtesy of Rob Thompson, St. Paul Saints.

The Minnesota Twins made a notable move on Monday, trading Chris Paddack and Randy Dobnak to the Detroit Tigers. In doing so, they opened a spot in an already thin starting rotation that has been hit hard by injuries throughout the 2025 season. To fill that void, the club is turning to one of the organization’s most consistent arms from the minor leagues.

According to multiple reports, the Twins are calling up right-hander Pierson Ohl from Triple-A St. Paul. He is expected to make his MLB debut on Tuesday at Target Field, against the Boston Red Sox. Given his usage this season, Ohl will likely work in a bulk role behind an opener, similar to how the team has used Travis Adams earlier this year. Twins manager Rocco Baldelli recently talked about how the team will use bullpen games over the season’s final two months. 

Precision Over Power
Ohl, 25, may not be a household name, but he has quietly carved out a reputation for elite command throughout his minor-league career. Drafted in the 14th round out of Grand Canyon University in 2021, he has walked just 3.6% of batters in 389 professional innings. For comparison, the major-league average usually falls in the 8% range. 

While he has never been known for overwhelming stuff, Ohl has made meaningful strides this year. He has increased his strikeout rate from 21.6% across his first three seasons to a sharp 30% in 2025. That growth appears tied to adjustments in his arm slot and changeup grip, giving him an added dimension to pair with his pinpoint control.

Climbing the Ladder
Ohl’s journey through the system has been steady, and stayed mainly under the radar. After debuting in the Florida State League, he reached Double-A Wichita in 2023 and posted solid results, with a 2.69 ERA, a 21.8 K%, and a 3.8 BB%. However, a rough 2024 campaign (wherein he finished with a 4.68 ERA) threatened to stall his progress. His strikeout rate dipped to 16.3% and batters were hitting the ball harder against him, with a 7% increase in their line-drive rate. He made the adjustments described above following the season, and the results speak for themselves. 

Rather than plateau, Ohl responded in 2025 with his best season yet. He owns a 2.17 ERA across 66 1/3 innings spanning High-A, Double-A, and Triple-A. He has struck out 79 hitters and walked only 10 during that stretch. Though most of his work this season has come in multi-inning relief appearances, he has made five starts and maintained consistent effectiveness, regardless of role.

The Twins have used him in a swingman role this season, with outings ranging from just under two innings to a high of four innings. The Twins have made a conscious pitching development plan with players like Ohl to get them more consistent work in shorter outings. That makes him a good fit for a hybrid spot start, which is likely how the Twins will deploy him on Tuesday.

Ohl utilizes a six-pitch mix, but is highly reliant on a fastball-changeup combination. He uses his fastball 40% of the time (92.1 mph) and his changeup over 38% of the time (81.1 mph). His other offerings include a cutter (85.7 mph), slider (83.4 mph), curveball (77.8 mph), and sinker (92.4 mph). Depending on his role with the Twins, it seems likely for him to continue to lean on his fastball and changeup, especially in his big-league debut. 

Filling the Gaps
Minnesota’s rotation is currently missing several key arms (including Pablo López and David Festa) who are expected to remain out for at least a couple more weeks. Bailey Ober is slated to return from the injured list on Wednesday, but even with his return, the team will need reinforcements to handle the upcoming innings load.

With Ohl joining the staff and Adams optioned back to Triple-A, the team has clearly shifted to a more fluid pitching plan in the short term. Even as the front office explores more changes ahead of the trade deadline, opportunities like this allow the Twins to evaluate their internal depth.

If Ohl can replicate his minor-league success, there’s a path for him to remain with the big-league club beyond just a spot start. Whether he becomes a multi-inning reliever or a more permanent fixture in the rotation, he will get his chance to prove he belongs. And if his 2025 numbers are any indication, he might just take full advantage of it.

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What stands out about Ohl’s minor-league resume? Leave a comment and start the discussion. 

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[Aggies7]

“Given his usage this season, Ohl will likely work in a bulk role behind an opener, similar to how the team has used Travis Adams earlier this year”

Oh joy.

[Fire Dan Gladden]

There should be a lot of opportunities for the young pitchers over the next few months. SWR, Festa, and Mathews, plus Adams, Ohl, and anyone else pending trades.  I am just hoping to see progress giving the fans some hope for next year.

[Dman]

I had kind of lost site of Ohl,  He has always needed to get his K rate up to get his chance and last year he still hadn't done that.  I knew he was doing pretty well this year, but had no idea just how well.  I have always really liked his aggressive approach to pitching.  He has worked really hard to get his chance and I am happy to see he is getting one.

It will be interesting to see if the new arsenal will work at the MLB level.  I am excited  to see what he can do.  I hope he can be a future arm we can bank on.  We will know more after tonight.  Good luck Pierson Ohl!

[Dman]

11 minutes ago, Fire Dan Gladden said:

There should be a lot of opportunities for the young pitchers over the next few months. SWR, Festa, and Mathews, plus Adams, Ohl, and anyone else pending trades.  I am just hoping to see progress giving the fans some hope for next year.

Yeah they have some Rule V guys that can get early work if the Twins plan on adding them like Prielipp, MaCleod, Klein, and Culpepper.  If Raya can put things together they could run him out there as well.

[RaoulDuke]

The return of the Kevin Slowey profile that the Twins used to covet.

Hopefully he does well, I would like to see a number of young arms get looks for the rest of the season.

[Vanimal46]

36 minutes ago, Aggies7 said:

“Given his usage this season, Ohl will likely work in a bulk role behind an opener, similar to how the team has used Travis Adams earlier this year”

Oh joy.

One of several pitchers who are being trained to never be a starting pitcher. I couldn’t disagree more with Falvey on this strategy. The way things are trending we’re going to be watching bullpen games multiple times per week. 

[gman]

Not everyone needs to throw hard enough to risk arm injuries. I've been watching Ohl to see if he would get a chance.

[DJL44]

He may fool people for a while until the scouting reports catch up, then he will get pounded and head back to AAA to make adjustments and improvements. However, that is the most productive use of MLB playing time for the final two months of this season.

[Parfigliano]

18 minutes ago, RaoulDuke said:

The return of the Kevin Slowey profile that the Twins used to covet.

Hopefully he does well, I would like to see a number of young arms get looks for the rest of the season.

Let the auditions begin.  

[4twinsJA]

I like Ohl, never going to be a Cy Young candidate or probably not an AllStar. But, he has good control, a good pitch mix, and has improved his pitch sequencing. He has shown he deserves a shot.

[Aggies7]

10 minutes ago, Vanimal46 said:

One of several pitchers who are being trained to never be a starting pitcher. I couldn’t disagree more with Falvey on this strategy. The way things are trending we’re going to be watching bullpen games multiple times per week. 

Hate is a strong word but I hate this approach. The opener strategy disgusts me lol

[CRF]

WHO? 

[lukeduke1980]

Do we really have to do the opener just let him start I don't see the point

[mickster]

11 minutes ago, lukeduke1980 said:

Do we really have to do the opener just let him start I don't see the point

I believe he is starting.

[Major League Ready]

55 minutes ago, lukeduke1980 said:

Do we really have to do the opener just let him start I don't see the point

It's a lot easier to enter the game against the 4/5/6 or 5/6/7 hitters than it is to face the top of the order.  It gives them the opportunity to pitch more innings without facing the top of the order 3 times.

[shimrod]

" The Twins have made a conscious pitching development plan with players like Ohl to get them more consistent work in shorter outings. "

The highest value pitchers are ace starters. The next most valuable are shutdown closers. 

The Twins are focused on optimizing development of middle relievers. Incredible.

[Riverbrian]

I have no expectations. 

I happy for him and hope his dreams come true. 

I love major league debuts. 

[Major League Ready]

3 hours ago, Vanimal46 said:

One of several pitchers who are being trained to never be a starting pitcher. I couldn’t disagree more with Falvey on this strategy. The way things are trending we’re going to be watching bullpen games multiple times per week. 

My interpretation is that there are a lot of pitchers that are effective one or twice through the order.  Can they develop specifically for that role and maximize effectiveness?  Probably.  They might also be thinking this approach would cover more innings.  If they can get 2 IPs twice a week that's over 100 IPs.  180-200 IP from 2 BP arms would be great.  That would be a good way to preserve the BP.  Again, I will wait and see if this can be executed.   In theory, I like the idea of a couple guys that can go 2-3 innings per outing twice a week.  If they can make this an effective strategy, I will like it a lot.  I give them props for thinking outside the box.  It's a little Tampa Bayish.

[rv78]

1 hour ago, Bigfork Twins Guy said:

Reminds me of when Zebby came up.  Fantastic control, but not great velocity.  Maybe if Ohl gets a taste this season, he can mimic Zebby and add velocity to his control to become effective.

If the goal is for him to mimic Zebby, I will be reserving judgement until Zebby proves he belongs at the major league level as well.

[The_No_Lifer]

1 hour ago, shimrod said:

" The Twins have made a conscious pitching development plan with players like Ohl to get them more consistent work in shorter outings. "

The highest value pitchers are ace starters. The next most valuable are shutdown closers. 

The Twins are focused on optimizing development of middle relievers. Incredible.

This would be a valid criticism if people thought Ohl could be an ace or shutdown reliever.  The velocity needed to start or be a top reliever hasn't developed.  He's a 14th round pick, and if he becomes a serviceable long reliever that is a win.

[shimrod]

The article at the link says the Twins are taking this approach with most, if not all, of their minor league pitchers. It's not just Ohl. It's the new Twins way.

Perhaps the article is incorrect, I hope so. 

[mikelink45]

What have we got to lose?  We are not a playoff team.  If the rest tank and let us in it will be one and done which contributes nothing.  Let Ober rest, give us a six man rotation with lots of young arms.  It will make it a lot more interesting than wondering if we can get to 500

[S Bart]

4 hours ago, Fire Dan Gladden said:

There should be a lot of opportunities for the young pitchers over the next few months. SWR, Festa, and Mathews, plus Adams, Ohl, and anyone else pending trades.  I am just hoping to see progress giving the fans some hope for next year.

I am a bit curious how the AAA knuckleball pitcher performed for the Saints this year. I watched Phil Niekro in a game once and found it interesting to spectate that game. It is a rare pitch nowadays and not necessarily impactful. 

[purplesoldier4u]

4 hours ago, RaoulDuke said:

The return of the Kevin Slowey profile that the Twins used to covet.

Hopefully he does well, I would like to see a number of young arms get looks for the rest of the season.

Or, perhaps, Brad Radke. Judging by the dunderheads calling ball &s strikes, a pitcher that lives on outer reaches of the strike zone might be onto something.

[rdehring]

Thanks for the update.  Will be watching tonight with my fingers crossed.

Appears the Twins will be mixing and matching a lot over the next two months.  Assuming he doesn't wear down as the season winds down, is it possible we will see Prielipp?  Now that's an appearance I won't want to miss.

[RaoulDuke]

I do think this is going to be more of thing in baseball going forward.  Teams are leaning into analytics and pulling starters earlier and earlier to avoid the 3rd time through the lineup which leads to more bullpen innings.  To eat those innings you have to either use a bunch of 1 inning guys often or have bulk arms.  

For some guys I think it could be a good role, think Jake Odorizzi.  Good stuff but throws to many pitches to be more than a 4/5 inning guy.  Instead you have him let loose for 3 innings more often and in spots that you pick.  

The long/ bulk guy has traditionally been basically your worst pitcher, but it could be a weapon.  The major problem is how do you get players to accept it because you get paid by being a starter or back end pen arm.

[Vanimal46]

2 hours ago, RaoulDuke said:

I do think this is going to be more of thing in baseball going forward.  Teams are leaning into analytics and pulling starters earlier and earlier to avoid the 3rd time through the lineup which leads to more bullpen innings.  To eat those innings you have to either use a bunch of 1 inning guys often or have bulk arms.  

For some guys I think it could be a good role, think Jake Odorizzi.  Good stuff but throws to many pitches to be more than a 4/5 inning guy.  Instead you have him let loose for 3 innings more often and in spots that you pick.  

The long/ bulk guy has traditionally been basically your worst pitcher, but it could be a weapon.  The major problem is how do you get players to accept it because you get paid by being a starter or back end pen arm.

Then attendance throughout the league will continue to decline. No one wants to pay money to watch openers and bulk pitchers. The stadium fills up when you know Pablo Lopez or Joe Ryan is on the mound and you have a chance to see them throw 7-8 innings on good days. 

[Vanimal46]

The only sellout the Twins have had the entire season (thanks to a post game Nelly concert as well) was July 11 when it was Joe Ryan vs. Paul Skenes. The starting pitcher is still a very important component of any team and a HUGE marketing tool for a team. Falvey is building a future where we don’t know who starts, who cares? They’ll be pulled after 3-4 innings anyway. 

[rv78]

23 hours ago, Bigfork Twins Guy said:

What I was referring to was Zebby's increase in velocity not necessarily his SSS to-date.  When Zebby first came up last year his FB was like 91-93.  He worked in the off season and is now up in the high 90's.  I am hoping that Ohl can also increase his velocity and with high control (like Zebby) be someone we can count on in the future.

I think you are mistakenly tying the increase in velocity to success. Zebby hasn't proven it has helped him nor that he can be counted on. Outside of Ober, the 9 years of Falvey developing a pitching pipeline has been a massive swing and a miss.