Pitching Prospect Dasan Hill’s Breakout Year Put Twins on Notice

[Cody Christie]

Image courtesy of William Parmeter (Photo of Dasan Hill)

The Twins knew Dasan Hill would be a long-term project when they selected him 69th overall in the 2024 MLB Draft, but his first season in professional baseball quickly showed why the organization is so high on the young left-hander. Hill’s debut across two levels offered both eye-opening upside and clear developmental checkpoints, a combination the Twins are more than comfortable working with.

“We’re excited about Dasan,” Twins general manager Jeremy Zoll told FanGraphs of the southpaw Hill, who was drafted out of high school in Texas. “He did a really nice job of missing bats. His changeup came along really well. He had an incredibly high swing and miss rate on that pitch. The breaking balls were a project in spring training, and they kept getting better and better as the year went along. Easy velo from the left side, and it looks like it’s going to be a full four-pitch mix.”

Hill wasted little time showing why he was such an intriguing high school arm. His fastball already sits in the mid-90s and can reach higher, and it plays up thanks to late movement and a tough angle created by his crossfire delivery. At the lower levels, the heater alone was often enough to overpower hitters, but it was the development of his secondaries that separated him from most teenage pitchers.

“We’re excited to keep pushing him. We challenged him in High-A at the end of the year. He knows that he has to be in the zone a little bit more. That will be a big thing for him, getting ahead of hitters and staying ahead a little bit more. He has a really bright future. His body is projectable and will keep filling out.”

That challenge came late in the season when the Twins bumped Hill to Cedar Rapids. Even with limited innings, the move underscored the organization's aggressive view of his long-term outlook. Hill showed flashes of dominance at both stops, finishing the year with a 3.19 ERA, a 3.35 FIP, and a 31.1% strikeout rate over 62 innings between Fort Myers and Cedar Rapids.

“He’s 19 and just getting started,” Twins president of baseball and business Derek Falvey added. “The changeup is really, really good — it’s a weapon pitch — but like [Zoll] said, there is a lot of maturation coming with this kid. There’s not just understanding how to pitch, but also his body and physicality.”

Beyond the fastball, Hill’s slider and curveball showed meaningful progress as the year went on. The slider has become a potential wipeout pitch against left-handed hitters, while the curveball gives him a viable option versus righties. His changeup, though once viewed as a complementary piece, has already become a legitimate weapon and a separator within the system.

The numbers also highlight where the next phase of development must focus. Hill struck out hitters at an impressive rate, but his walk totals pushed his WHIP to 1.35, a reminder that command and efficiency remain works in progress. That inconsistency is not unexpected for a pitcher who spent most of the year at 19 years old and was facing professional hitters for the first time.
 

The Twins were careful with his workload, rarely asking Hill to work deep into games. That approach reflects both his age and the organization’s desire to let his body continue to mature. Even with those limits, Hill established himself as one of the most exciting arms in the farm system and now ranks among the top prospects in the organization.

Looking ahead to 2026, Hill is likely to return to High-A or move quickly to Double-A with a clear set of priorities. The Twins will be focused on strike throwing, getting ahead of hitters, and continuing to refine all four pitches. If those pieces come together, Hill has the upside of a future rotation anchor. If command lags behind the stuff, his fastball and slider combination alone could still make him a high-impact bullpen arm.

Either way, Hill’s first professional season confirmed what the Twins believed on draft day. The raw ingredients are special, the progress is real, and the timeline will be dictated not by urgency, but by how quickly a very young pitcher turns immense talent into consistency.

What would an ideal 2026 season look like for Hill? Can he be a consensus top-100 prospect at this point next season? Leave a comment and start the discussion.

 

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[bunsen82]

Cedar Rapids could have Quick, Soto and Hill all as starting pitchers to start the year.  That is a ton of high end talent.   I would not be surprised if the low minors is loaded on starting pitchers again like they were a couple years ago.  

[old nurse]

The Twins were put on notice that after many a questionable draft they might be figuring this drafting thing out 

[LambchoP]

We just need these guys to finally get some innings, not keep dropping like flies with major injuries like it seems all our top prospects do.

[bunsen82]

1 hour ago, old nurse said:

The Twins were put on notice that after many a questionable draft they might be figuring this drafting thing out 

Since 2021, especially considering their draft slots - their drafts have been very very very good.  

2021 Petty, Miller, Hajjar, Povich, CES -  These were traded,  Then Festa, Fedko, Ohl

2022.  Lee Priellip, Schobel, Morris, Matthews,  Lewis Culpepper, Cossetti, Baez  ( Stud class with potential more upside and depth from this class)

2023 Jenkins, Soto, Keaschall, Winokur (traded Bragg for Wagaman) - there are few other players with upside, but the Twins had no where near the success with lower draft picks as 2022. Nailing the top of the draft is ok in my book.  You have 2-3 studs and Jenkins looks really good, and Winokur is still a Unicorn (we will see if he is real or not). 

2024 - Culpepper, Debarge, Amick, Hill, Diaw -  not much after the early rounds

2025 - unknown but a ton of upside  after a safe pick in Houston.  

[bean5302]

Hill has a very high ceiling right now, but we probably won't really know a ton about him until he gets to AA. The combination of super high K and high BB rates can either mean Hill's stuff is truly outstanding or he's just feasting on inexperienced and unpolished hitters willing to chase outside the zone.

He'll be potentially an exciting prospect to follow this season!

[rdehring]

Had a thought when reading about where Hill may start 2026.  Do the Twins take weather into consideration when deciding what pitchers may, or may not be going to Cedar Rapids the first week of April?  Would they keep their most treasured arms in Ft. Myers or to Wichita?

Will always remember the smile I had when reading about the Kernel's opening week bus trip to Appleton several years ago.  Recall some of the Latin players comments about never having seen frozen water!

[IndianaTwin]

He's another guy where they chose the very consistent, methodical approach to his workload. His first 19 starts were on Saturday, skipping three throughout the season. In the first eight, he never threw more than 62 pitches. In the remaining 12 starts, with one exception, he threw from 61 to 80 pitches.*

With only four starts at High A, I suspect they will start him there with hopes of moving him up to Wichita in Junish and perhaps even a couple of year-end starts in St. Paul if things go swimmingly.

 

*This pattern sets him up for regular "How are they going to develop him into an MLB starter if he never throws more than five innings" comments on TD, but like most teams, their emphasis is more on pitch count than inning in the minors.  

[IndianaTwin]

20 minutes ago, bean5302 said:

Hill has a very high ceiling right now, but we probably won't really know a ton about him until he gets to AA. The combination of super high K and high BB rates can either mean Hill's stuff is truly outstanding or he's just feasting on inexperienced and unpolished hitters willing to chase outside the zone.

He'll be potentially an exciting prospect to follow this season!

Though it's also exciting that on average he was 4.1 years younger than average in Low-A and 3.0 years younger than average in High-A. One would think the hitters would have a bit more polish than the pitchers with that much age difference.  

[IndianaTwin]

1 hour ago, bunsen82 said:

Cedar Rapids could have Quick, Soto and Hill all as starting pitchers to start the year.  That is a ton of high end talent.   I would not be surprised if the low minors is loaded on starting pitchers again like they were a couple years ago.  

And assuming a healthy Lopez, Ryan, Ober, SWR, 5th guy with the Twins, pretty loaded at the high minors as well (pending exodus to the big league bullpen). 

Knowing that using the term Pipeline® creates angst on TD, there does appear to be some semblance of a duct/hose/line/aqueduct/canal/channel/conduit/conveyer/spout/trough in development. 

[bunsen82]

21 minutes ago, IndianaTwin said:

And assuming a healthy Lopez, Ryan, Ober, SWR, 5th guy, pretty loaded at the high minors as well (pending exodus to the big league bullpen). 

The pitching depth could be impressive.   

Spitballing here

A ball -  Ellwanger, Reitz, Barr some combination (Mitrovich, Daniels, Smith Fang and prior year draft players)

A+ - Hill, Soto, Quick,  Oliveras Bohorquez   (that is a strong starting 5)

AA Armstrong, Gallagher, Bowen, Hoopes, Jones   (Weakest of the levels and I still really like that)

AAA - (If Bradley and SWR are up) Abel, Matthews, Festa, Rojas,  (Raya Ohl, Lewis or Adams if they want to keep 1 stretched out).  

Thats a stacked starting pitching farm system.  

[Dman]

Just given the lean build and long arms I thought Hill was going to be a long term project.  Was very surprised at how he did his first pro season.  I don't think I have ever seen a high school arm perform like that for the Twins in their first year.  Outstanding K rate and if the changeup is a weapon already that bodes well for his future.

It's nice to see the Twins going after these young arms.  They have Hill, Soto and Barr as 20 year old arms.  If Hill and Soto can make it to AA at just 20 years old that would be huge.  Bohorquez (aka the Bazooka) is only 21 and at High A and Carpenter while not as Dominant is an interesting Lefty and only 21. They need to stay healthy and add innings, but they could line up to be difference makers by 2027.

Add in the 2025 drafted arms taken in the top 5 rounds with Quick, Ellwanger, Rietz, and Barr along with typical late round arms the Twins always grab and it looks like there could be another large wave of arms ready to tap into by 2027 or 2028.

Still, Hill with the good fastball changeup feels like the arm with the most potential as things stand today.

[tarheeltwinsfan]

22 minutes ago, bunsen82 said:

The pitching depth could be impressive.   

Spitballing here

A ball -  Ellwanger, Reitz, Barr some combination (Mitrovich, Daniels, Smith Fang and prior year draft players)

A+ - Hill, Soto, Quick,  Oliveras Bohorquez   (that is a strong starting 5)

AA Armstrong, Gallagher, Bowen, Hoopes, Jones   (Weakest of the levels and I still really like that)

AAA - (If Bradley and SWR are up) Abel, Matthews, Festa, Rojas,  (Raya Ohl, Lewis or Adams if they want to keep 1 stretched out).  

Thats a stacked starting pitching farm system.  

We shall see. There will be injuries.

[bunsen82]

1 minute ago, tarheeltwinsfan said:

We shall see. There will be injuries.

Even if there is -  can you name a year in the last 2 decades where the Twins have had more pitching talent in the minors?  

[gman]

I expect both Ryan and Lopez to be gone by '28. While Hill could be up for some innings in '27,   '28 will probably be the year that Hill, Soto and Quick will be fighting to get in the rotation, although Quick could see major league time in 2027.

[SD happy]

4 hours ago, bunsen82 said:

The pitching depth could be impressive.   

Spitballing here

A ball -  Ellwanger, Reitz, Barr some combination (Mitrovich, Daniels, Smith Fang and prior year draft players)

A+ - Hill, Soto, Quick,  Oliveras Bohorquez   (that is a strong starting 5)

AA Armstrong, Gallagher, Bowen, Hoopes, Jones   (Weakest of the levels and I still really like that)

AAA - (If Bradley and SWR are up) Abel, Matthews, Festa, Rojas,  (Raya Ohl, Lewis or Adams if they want to keep 1 stretched out).  

Thats a stacked starting pitching farm system.  

And, don’t forget Priellip and Andrew Morris at AAA. With a possible outfield of Gonzales, Jenkins and ERod, StPaul could be a lot of fun to watch. Add K Culpepper at short and Mendez at first could add to the fun.

[tarheeltwinsfan]

6 hours ago, bunsen82 said:

Even if there is -  can you name a year in the last 2 decades where the Twins have had more pitching talent in the minors?  

No, I can't name a year in the last 20, when the Twins have had more pitching talent in the minors. I agree with you. 

[Linus]

9 hours ago, IndianaTwin said:

And assuming a healthy Lopez, Ryan, Ober, SWR, 5th guy with the Twins, pretty loaded at the high minors as well (pending exodus to the big league bullpen). 

Knowing that using the term Pipeline® creates angst on TD, there does appear to be some semblance of a duct/hose/line/aqueduct/canal/channel/conduit/conveyer/spout/trough in development. 

Just don’t use the term log jam 😀

[old nurse]

10 hours ago, IndianaTwin said:

Though it's also exciting that on average he was 4.1 years younger than average in Low-A and 3.0 years younger than average in High-A. One would think the hitters would have a bit more polish than the pitchers with that much age difference.  

If the hitter were more polished for their level, they wouldn’t be at that level.  

[AceWrigley]

12 hours ago, IndianaTwin said:

Knowing that using the term Pipeline® creates angst on TD, there does appear to be some semblance of a duct/hose/line/aqueduct/canal/channel/conduit/conveyer/spout/trough in development. 

Impressive, young word Jedi.

[arby58]

14 hours ago, SD happy said:

And, don’t forget Priellip and Andrew Morris at AAA. With a possible outfield of Gonzales, Jenkins and ERod, StPaul could be a lot of fun to watch. Add K Culpepper at short and Mendez at first could add to the fun.

Of that group, I don't expect to see Priellip in St. Paul - look to the west.

[Twinkies are for eating]

Excited for the kid. Exceedingly rare to have a starting left handed pitcher with his size and stuff. He and Soto are the two I’m most excited about in the org. Really hoping he sticks as a starter.

[TNtwins85]

21 hours ago, bean5302 said:

Hill has a very high ceiling right now, but we probably won't really know a ton about him until he gets to AA. The combination of super high K and high BB rates can either mean Hill's stuff is truly outstanding or he's just feasting on inexperienced and unpolished hitters willing to chase outside the zone.

He'll be potentially an exciting prospect to follow this season!

This season will determine if he’s on the fast track or the slow 1 level a year track. Definitely an exciting prospect. If he puts it together and really progresses he’s knocking on the 2027 door. Let’s watch and hope!

[IndianaTwin]

13 hours ago, AceWrigley said:

Impressive, young word Jedi.

I do know my way around the Google machine. 

[Fatbat]

On 1/17/2026 at 11:05 AM, bunsen82 said:

Since 2021, especially considering their draft slots - their drafts have been very very very good.  

2021 Petty, Miller, Hajjar, Povich, CES -  These were traded,  Then Festa, Fedko, Ohl

2022.  Lee Priellip, Schobel, Morris, Matthews,  Lewis Culpepper, Cossetti, Baez  ( Stud class with potential more upside and depth from this class)

2023 Jenkins, Soto, Keaschall, Winokur (traded Bragg for Wagaman) - there are few other players with upside, but the Twins had no where near the success with lower draft picks as 2022. Nailing the top of the draft is ok in my book.  You have 2-3 studs and Jenkins looks really good, and Winokur is still a Unicorn (we will see if he is real or not). 

2024 - Culpepper, Debarge, Amick, Hill, Diaw -  not much after the early rounds

2025 - unknown but a ton of upside  after a safe pick in Houston.  

Questad and Hall from ‘23 draft could be breaking out in ‘26

[bean5302]

On 1/17/2026 at 11:30 AM, IndianaTwin said:

Though it's also exciting that on average he was 4.1 years younger than average in Low-A and 3.0 years younger than average in High-A. One would think the hitters would have a bit more polish than the pitchers with that much age difference.  

High end prospects are always substantially younger than their roster-filling MiLB non-prospect competition. Players who have the talent don't typically stay long at those levels.

It's not so much Hill's polish vs. other player polish, it's the fact Hill went from high school to competing against talents who are better than the best NCAA teams in the country. It's a huge leap and Hill's stuff still played.

[bunsen82]

17 hours ago, Fatbat said:

Questad and Hall from ‘23 draft could be breaking out in ‘26

They could . . .  I expected more from Questad after the 1st month and then he fell apart.