Twins Daily's 2025 Minor League Starting Pitcher of the Year

[Cody Christie]

Image courtesy of Thieres Rabelo

Minnesota’s pitching pipeline saw multiple rookies impact the big-league roster this season, with mixed results. Technically, Zebby Matthews and David Festa didn't number among that group, but they're important to the team's future—as is the incoming next wave of homegrown hurlers. Derek Falvey and Minnesota’s player development team have prided themselves on building a pitching pipeline. If the team’s winning window reopens in 2026, the organization’s top-performing pitchers will need to get to the big leagues and perform well. 

Before exploring this year’s top vote getters, here’s a look back at Twins Daily’s recent winners of this award. 
2024: Zebby Matthews
2023: Cory Lewis
2022: Louie Varland
2021: Louie Varland
2019: Randy Dobnak
2018: Tyler Wells
2017: Stephen Gonsalves
2016: Stephen Gonsalves
2015: Jose Berrios
2014: Jose Berrios
2013: Taylor Rogers
2012: BJ Hermsen

Let’s get into this year’s voting, starting with the honorable mentions and others receiving votes. 

Honorable Mentions:

• RHP Michael Ross (Low-A): 3.18 ERA, 1.23 WHIP, 76 K, 22.0 K%, 29 BB, 8.4 BB%, 82 IP
• RHP Jose Olivares (High-A): 4.38 ERA, 1.36 WHIP, 107 K, 27.6 K%, 57 BB, 14.7 BB%, 90 1/3 IP
• RHP Adrian Bohorquez (Low-A, High-A): 4.29 ERA, 1.18 WHIP, 85 K, 27.2 K%, 31 BB, 9.9 BB%, 71 1/3 IP
• Others Receiving Votes: Chase Chaney, Cole Peschl, Trent Baker, Andrew Morris

4. RHP C.J. Culpepper , Double-A
2025 Stats: 2.43 ERA, 1.31 WHIP, 53 K, 21.2 K%, 31 BB, 12.4 BB%, 59 1/3 IP (17 GS)
Culpepper didn’t rank among the largest innings totals among Twins pitching prospects, but he made every start count. He missed two-plus months with a pinched nerve in his right elbow, and got sick with a virus multiple times. Despite the missed time, a sub-2.50 ERA across 17 outings in Wichita showed that he can keep hitters off balance and limit damage even when batters find way on base. The 23-year-old was still a year and a half younger than the competition in the Texas League, and held older batters to a .544 OPS for the season. His strikeout rate didn’t jump off the page, but he paired it with a knack for inducing weak contact and working his way out of jams. If he can trim the walks, Culpepper has the foundation of a back-end starter with the stuff to surprise.

3. LHP Connor Prielipp, Double-A/Triple-A
2025 Stats: 4.03 ERA, 1.51 WHIP, 98 K, 31 BB, 82 2/3 IP (23 GS, 24 G)
The Twins have been patient with Prielipp after his injury history, and 2025 represented his most consistent season of work yet. He took the ball regularly in Double-A before earning a bump to St. Paul, where he held his own against veteran hitters. He faced older batters in over 57% of his plate appearances and struck them out 27% of the time. His ERA hovered just above 4.00, but the left-hander showed stretches where his slider looked like a big-league weapon. For a pitcher still working his way back to full strength and consistency, this season was a step in the right direction. The next challenge will be refining his command so that his strikeout ability can shine through more consistently at the upper levels. He’s arguably the team’s top pitching prospect, and the organization recently named him their own pick for minor league pitcher of the year. 

2. RHP John Klein, Double-A/Triple-A
2025 Stats: 3.98 ERA, 1.25 WHIP, 128 K, 27.6 K%, 37 BB, 8.0 BB%, 106 1/3 IP (15 GS, 31 G)
The Twins took a revolutionary approach with a group of pitching prospects this season, and Klein was among them. Instead of being part of the regular rotation, the Twins had a group stay on a four-day rotation while throwing fewer pitches in each appearance. Klein quietly thrived in this pitching environment and put together one of the more reliable seasons among Twins pitching prospects. He logged over 100 innings across two levels and held hitters in check, with a balanced mix that allowed him to both miss bats and limit free passes. His strikeout-to-walk ratio stood out as a strength, and he adapted well when moving between the rotation and the bullpen. That versatility could end up being his ticket to the big leagues, where he may eventually profile as a swingman or multi-inning reliever. Regardless of role, Klein’s steady production has made him a name worth watching.

1. LHP Dasan Hill, Low-A/High-A
2025 Stats: 3.19 ERA, 1.36 WHIP, 83 K, 31.3 K%, 40 BB, 15.0 BB%, 62 IP (19 GS)
Hill’s season was the definition of a breakout. At just 19 years old, he showed a maturity on the mound that belied his age while making the jump from Low-A to High-A. His fastball routinely overpowered hitters at both levels, and his sharp slider gave him a true out pitch that piled up strikeouts in bunches. That dominance is reflected in his gaudy 31.3% strikeout rate, one of the best marks in the organization. In his first 11 starts (33 IP), he posted a 2.45 ERA while limiting batters to a .561 OPS. 

The one bad side of his season was the command. With a 15.0% walk rate, Hill often put himself in tough situations, but what stood out was how often he pitched his way out of trouble. His OPS with runners on base was over 20 points lower, compared to when the bases were empty. For a young arm still refining his mechanics, the ability to miss bats at such a high clip outweighed the occasional lack of control. He faced younger batters in only 15 plate appearances this season, and they went 0-for-10 with six strikeouts. That combination makes him both raw and incredibly exciting. He is the kind of prospect who could make significant developmental strides in a short period.

Beyond the stats, Hill’s profile is exactly what the Twins have been searching for: a high-upside left-handed arm who can project into a starting role. Minnesota has rarely had this type of pitcher rising through the system in recent years, and Hill’s emergence gives them a legitimate candidate to grow into that mold. His final start in Cedar Rapids put a bow on his season. In five innings, he limited Beloit to two earned runs on two hits, with seven strikeouts and two walks. He kept the team’s playoff hopes alive and dominated as a teenager.

If he can smooth out the command, his ceiling is that of a playoff-caliber starter—the type of arm who could anchor the staff for years to come. With his youth, strikeout ability, and fearless approach, Hill became the most exciting pitching story in the Twins’ system in 2025.

The Twins saw progress from several different arms in 2025, with each name on this list taking critical steps forward. Prielipp and Klein showed durability and flashes of upside at the upper levels, while Culpepper quietly dominated in Double-A. Still, it was Hill’s emergence that stole the spotlight, as his combination of strikeouts and youth made him one of the most intriguing pitchers in the organization. With arms like these pushing upward, Minnesota’s pitching pipeline may be better stocked than it has been in quite some time.

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How would your ballot look for the Twins’ top minor league starter this season? Leave a comment and start the discussion.

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[PDX Twin]

I want to be optimistic ... but recent history makes me wonder not if but how he will fail. Injuries? Poor performance? Something else? I just can't believe that he can possibly be the left-handed ace we have craved since Santana.

[mrguy]

Klein is probably the guy I have the most faith making an immediate impact. Prielipp is probably going to have some more patience and spend a lot of his season in AAA working on those little issues that got to him there like his walk rate before finally getting the call. Klein just seems like an ace in the making, literally having the 3rd most strikeouts in the entire ORG(majors and minors) only being behind Zebby and Joe Ryan. The guy definitely seems like someone I can see becoming a young end of the rotation piece by this time next year if he can stay healthy and keep getting the results he's gotten. And he's gotten this result in high minors at 23, definitely a guy I feel like is going to be big for the team.

[mikelink45]

When I look at your list of winners it is now awe inspiring.  Let's hope Hill rises higher than the past choices. 

[FlyingFinn]

I was curious on their ages:

Hill 19

Klein 23

Prielipp24

Culpepper 24

Ross 23

Olivares 22

Bohorquez 20

Cheney 25

Peschl 22

Baker 26

Morris 24

Need to add to 40 man to avoid Rule 5 draft - Morris, Olivares, Culpepper, Prielipp, Klein, Chaney and Baker. Because everyone loves drafting pitchers and the Twins have plenty of dead weight, I'm adding Morris, Culpepper, Prielipp and Klein. Maybe Olivares but it's tough with him still in A ball.

[dxpavelka]

You just wrote an article about the Twins Minor League Starting Pitcher of the Year and gave a whole bunch of stats and NOWHERE among them was his won / loss record.  I get it, the game has changed.  But has it changed for the better?  This article makes me wonder.

[FlyingFinn]

5 minutes ago, dxpavelka said:

NOWHERE among them was his won / loss record. 

It's one of the least important stats for minor league starting pitchers. Prielipp could pitch 4 shutout innings, get pulled due to pitch count and not get the win. Bullpens can be bad in the minors so a starter can "lose" their win they could have earned or not get tagged with the loss they deserved.

[Russ]

Sample size of stats is very small

Fragile Arms?

[TwinsDr2021]

12 hours ago, mrguy said:

Klein is probably the guy I have the most faith making an immediate impact. Prielipp is probably going to have some more patience and spend a lot of his season in AAA working on those little issues that got to him there like his walk rate before finally getting the call. Klein just seems like an ace in the making, literally having the 3rd most strikeouts in the entire ORG(majors and minors) only being behind Zebby and Joe Ryan. The guy definitely seems like someone I can see becoming a young end of the rotation piece by this time next year if he can stay healthy and keep getting the results he's gotten. And he's gotten this result in high minors at 23, definitely a guy I feel like is going to be big for the team.

Klein an ACE? can't tell if this is satire. He was terrible in AAA, 13 walks in 25 innings, 33 strike outs aren't bad but not amazing either. In AA while being held back from over exposure to minor league hitters his ERA was 3.12 in 80 innings with 24 walks, again not a bad strike outs with 95. But for a guy that turns 24 in April next year nothing about that says we should have faith in him being anything more than a bullpen arm. 

I will add that him being considered the second best minor league starter (a glorified relief pitcher) does not make me feel warm and fuzzy about the pitching pipeline the Twins have in the minors. 

[DJL44]

40 minutes ago, dxpavelka said:

You just wrote an article about the Twins Minor League Starting Pitcher of the Year and gave a whole bunch of stats and NOWHERE among them was his won / loss record.  I get it, the game has changed.  But has it changed for the better?  This article makes me wonder.

Nobody is really trying to win in the minor leagues. Player development is the first priority.

[jmlease1]

I think I would have moved Bohorquez up higher in this, but Hill is a fine winner. Fair amount of injuries littered around the Twins pitching prospects this year (huge bummer that Soto missed basically the entire season) but there's some real arm talent there.

Cedar Rapids will be interesting next season on the pitching side with Hill, Bohorquez, and (hopefully) Soto in the rotation and pushing to get moved up to AA.

Never enough starting pitching, right?

[Old Crow]

18 minutes ago, DJL44 said:

Nobody is really trying to win in the minor leagues. Player development is the first priority.

Don't tell that to the kids or the home town fans either.

[jmlease1]

42 minutes ago, DJL44 said:

Nobody is really trying to win in the minor leagues. Player development is the first priority.

Obviously the players are trying to win, it's just that the managers aren't going to stretch a pitcher another inning/10-20 pitches to try and close a game over long-term player health and development. No one is going to be asked to play through an injury, etc. Prospects aren't going to get dropped for a slump like they might in MLB.

I think the Twins dropped a minor league manager because they couldn't get on that program and were managing every game like it was Game 7...

[Dman]

Really cool to have a High school pitcher come in first year and dominate.  I agree the walks are concerning, but Hill exceeded every expectation you could have for a high school pitchers first pro year.  With Hill, Soto and Bohorquez coming up together along with a nice group of recently drafted college arms that could be a nice wave of upside arms in the near future.

Prielipp managed to get pitcher of the year from the Twins org.  I am happy he made it through a whole season healthy and seems to be pitch mix or pitch location away from being even better than he was this year. Fingers crossed he moves into the elite pitcher zone next year.

I really like what Klein did this year and was happy to see him voted ahead of Preilipp as he was just a tick better all year.  They are close enough to say they are even and you could have given the lefty the edge, but it nice to see Klein get some love.  

Some good arms in this group and the for the ones in AAA next year should help them figure out what they'll need to work on to get to the Majors.  Even if some of these arms end up pen arms they could be really, really good pen arms.

It's a nice list and should grow when the college arms added from this years draft hit the Minors next year.

[DJL44]

23 minutes ago, jmlease1 said:

Obviously the players are trying to win, it's just that the managers aren't going to stretch a pitcher another inning/10-20 pitches to try and close a game over long-term player health and development. No one is going to be asked to play through an injury, etc. Prospects aren't going to get dropped for a slump like they might in MLB.

I think the Twins dropped a minor league manager because they couldn't get on that program and were managing every game like it was Game 7...

Everyone has a plan to get their work in, and it might not be ideal for winning that game. Players are promoted to a level where they are challenged, not left at a lower level to win games.

[DJL44]

I am still not sure if they will protect Klein this offseason. He's on the bubble.

[rdehring]

Great seeing Prielipp get thru the entire season, pitch over 100 innings and get the Twins MiLB Pitcher of the Year.

His numbers were very good.  But I was wondering.  Considering his few innings over the past X years he often tired as he got to the third or fourth innings.  Expect his stats would have been off the charts had the last inning in each outing not been included.  As he builds his arm strength, expect he could/will be special come 2026 and beyong.

[mrguy]

4 hours ago, TwinsDr2021 said:

Klein an ACE? can't tell if this is satire. He was terrible in AAA, 13 walks in 25 innings, 33 strike outs aren't bad but not amazing either. In AA while being held back from over exposure to minor league hitters his ERA was 3.12 in 80 innings with 24 walks, again not a bad strike outs with 95. But for a guy that turns 24 in April next year nothing about that says we should have faith in him being anything more than a bullpen arm. 

I will add that him being considered the second best minor league starter (a glorified relief pitcher) does not make me feel warm and fuzzy about the pitching pipeline the Twins have in the minors. 

Those early innings in AAA, both for him and Prielipp are just the growing pains that come from the jump from AA to AAA. We can already see what's good about them and what they will have to adjust, and the main goal this coming season would then be to see how quickly they can make that adjustment since the stuff is clearly there. And if they can make those adjustments while still maintaining their actual stuff, they can very easily shift to being contributors. He's still young, only turning 24 when the season starts, acting like being 24 in AAA is some wall that basically locks them out of being anything special just seem cynical, especially when you consider that plenty of great starters didn't debut in the majors until they were 24. The easiest example here would be Jacob DeGrom, who debuted at 26.

[Seth Stohs]

2 hours ago, rdehring said:

Great seeing Prielipp get thru the entire season, pitch over 100 innings and get the Twins MiLB Pitcher of the Year.

His numbers were very good.  But I was wondering.  Considering his few innings over the past X years he often tired as he got to the third or fourth innings.  Expect his stats would have been off the charts had the last inning in each outing not been included.  As he builds his arm strength, expect he could/will be special come 2026 and beyong.

I don't think he really got tired so much as they were working the plan. The plan both in terms of innings or pitches, but also what he was throwing and how much. The fact that he ended the season with six strong innings for St. Paul is very encouraging. He's definitely put himself on the map as a guy we could see in some role in 2026. 

[Mike Sixel]

5 hours ago, TwinsDr2021 said:

Klein an ACE? can't tell if this is satire. He was terrible in AAA, 13 walks in 25 innings, 33 strike outs aren't bad but not amazing either. In AA while being held back from over exposure to minor league hitters his ERA was 3.12 in 80 innings with 24 walks, again not a bad strike outs with 95. But for a guy that turns 24 in April next year nothing about that says we should have faith in him being anything more than a bullpen arm. 

I will add that him being considered the second best minor league starter (a glorified relief pitcher) does not make me feel warm and fuzzy about the pitching pipeline the Twins have in the minors. 

2nd best year, isn't 2nd best prospect......

[dxpavelka]

On 9/26/2025 at 7:06 AM, FlyingFinn said:

It's one of the least important stats for minor league starting pitchers. Prielipp could pitch 4 shutout innings, get pulled due to pitch count and not get the win. Bullpens can be bad in the minors so a starter can "lose" their win they could have earned or not get tagged with the loss they deserved.

All of the same can be true in the big leagues.  Again, the question is has any of this made the game better?

[dxpavelka]

On 9/26/2025 at 7:40 AM, DJL44 said:

Nobody is really trying to win in the minor leagues. Player development is the first priority.

Then why keep score?  I just attended three of my granddaughter's soccer games this morning.  The don't keep score.  But you can be sure the players do.  Does nobody trying to win in the minor leagues make the game better?  Could we AT LEAST put the pitcher's records in the article?

 

[Linus]

I’m excited about Hill and intrigued by Priellip. That about covers it for me. 

[bean5302]

MiLB pitching numbers I look at. K%, BB%, WHIP, FIP, ERA.

I don't think any pitchers in the Twins' minor league system had truly remarkable seasons by performance standards, but relative to what they had to prove, a few stand out.

From this list, Prielipp is my choice. I reviewed several of his game logs with pitch locations / at bats and it seems like Prielipp's stuff worked against him earlier in the season. Painting the edges of the zone resulted in quite a few too many balls which were actually strike 3s, etc.

The fact Prielipp was able to make it to AAA and get 82.2 innings pitched this year was great. He proved his stuff was working against higher level players, but his placement of his slider needs some work. He's got to keep it further out of the zone to reduce contact.

Dasan Hill needs to throw more strikes. There are an infinite number of pitchers who've been successful getting low minors guys to chase pitches who run into a wall as soon as hitters learn an iota of plate discipline. His season was impressive, but even amongst the group considering his age, there were pitchers who were better. Not many, but a few. Hopefully, Hill can take another step forward and tighten down the control.

[tony&rodney]

On 9/25/2025 at 9:34 PM, FlyingFinn said:

Maybe Olivares but it's tough with him still in A ball.

He has some strong stuff and could rise quickly as a relief pitcher. Olivares was actually a fun guy to watch this year. I would keep him.

[TwinsDr2021]

On 9/26/2025 at 1:04 PM, Mike Sixel said:

2nd best year, isn't 2nd best prospect......

Never said that, TD said the 2nd best minor league starting pitchers this year was a glorified relief pitcher. I get that two of their better prospects were Festa and Matthews who moved up. And it is a good sign Hill, Prielipp, and Culpepper pitched the way he did. I don't like TD validated what the Twins did saying a 3 inning pitcher is a starter, but I actually liked what the Twins did to develop a bullpen out of guys not likely to be major league starting pitchers, but the idea of guys being protected from facing minor league guys more than once magically doing it in the majors is highly unlikely. 

But hey never put it past the Twins to make it harder and less interesting to watch their games.