Why Did the Twins Prefer Travis Adams Over Pierson Ohl?

[Nick Nelson]

After they traded a majority of their bullpen at the trade deadline last year, the Twins had a bunch of bullpen innings to cover in the final two months. Many of those went to marginal veteran placeholders like Thomas Hatch, Michael Tonkin, Erasmo Ramirez and Genesis Cabrera. More intriguing to follow were internally-developed arms Travis Adams and Pierson Ohl, who ranked 6th and 7th in pitching appearances for the Twins after July 31st.

While hardly top prospects or household names, Adams and Ohl seemed like credible contenders to carve out a role in Minnesota's reconstructed relief corps. As unremarkable minor-league starters whose stuff and results showed potential to jump in shorter stints, both looked similar enough to many of the pitchers who previously broke through in the Twins bullpen — including the remaining ringleader Cole Sands.

Ohl was recently designated for assignment to make room on the 40-man roster, and on Wednesday he was traded alongside Edouard Julien to the Rockies. Adams remains on the 40-man, for now, and he's one of only six pitchers with any real experience as major-league relievers. That doesn't guarantee Adams will stick around through the spring, but the front office has continually shown an auspicious level of faith in the right-hander. I find myself wondering why.

Let's compare Adams with the now-departed Ohl to try and figure out what's driving the team's confidence.

Similar Track Records in the Twins System
Adams and Ohl are both 26 years old. Both were drafted out of college in 2021 — Adams in the sixth round, Ohl in the 14th. In the minor leagues they posted similar numbers, although Ohl was a little better across the board in terms of performance. Here are their totals in five minor-league seasons:

• Adams: 407.1 IP, 4.44 ERA, 8.6 K/9, 2.9 BB/9, 1.27 WHIP
• Ohl: 394 IP, 3.61 ERA, 8.6 K/9, 1.3 BB/9, 1.13 WHIP

Neither really ever emerged on the top prospect radar, although they'd occasionally pop up on longer lists and in sleeper conversations. Aaron Gleeman of The Athletic had Ohl ranked 25th on his 2024 preseason list, with Adams unranked, and then in 2025 had Adams ranked in the same spot with Ohl falling out of the top 40.

This flip-flop points to an upward trend for Adams in the 2024 season (3.90 ERA in 127 IP at AA/AAA) and a downward one from Ohl (4.68 ERA in 102 IP at AA). It was enough to get Adams added to the 40-man roster afterward while Ohl went undrafted in the Rule 5. This also meant Adams was first in line for a major-league shot, debuting in early July of 2025 while Ohl had to wait until the end of the month.

During their limited time in the majors last year, much like during the balance of their minor-league careers ... Ohl sure looked like the better pitcher.

Ohl Outperforms Adams During MLB Bullpen Audition
Let's be clear: neither of these guys was good in 2025. Ohl posted a 5.10 ERA in his 30 innings of work, although it came along with a 27-to-7 K/BB ratio and respectable 4.20 FIP. Meanwhile, Adams put up a brutal 7.49 ERA in 33 ⅔ innings, sprinkling in repeated blow-up spots. He averaged nearly a strikeout per inning but also walked 10.8% of opposing hitters, roughly double the rate of Ohl.

 

What's really interesting is the way the usage of these two pitchers evolved in tandem. Early on they were used in extended, inning-eating roles, even making occasional spot starts. When the calendar flipped to September, and the Twins seemingly got a little more serious about trying to evaluate what they had, both were used almost exclusively in shorter, higher-effort, one-inning stints.

Between July and August, Adams and Ohl threw 40-plus pitches in 13 of their 15 appearances. In September, they made 17 combined appearances and only one of those included more than 40 pitches thrown. It was Ohl's first outing of the month, in which he gave up four earned runs. From then on, his numbers: 8 IP, 0 ER, 9 K, 1 BB, 5 H. Among Twins relievers he ranked second only to Kody Funderburk in September WPA. On the surface, it was everything you'd want to see from a guy making his case to contend for a job in the 2026 bullpen.

 

Adams didn't fare so well in the shorter September stints. His numbers: 10.1 IP, 9 ER, 10 K, 5 BB, 9 H. He couldn't be trusted to come in and pitch through an inning, much less do so cleanly. 

So Why Did the Twins Prefer Adams?
I realize we are working with very small samples in the analysis above. I'm not trying to overblow the significance. But Adams has been outperformed by Ohl over the breadth of their careers so far, and especially in last September's mini-audition. Nonetheless, Ohl was first out the door. When you look at the repertoires it is a little easier to see why. 

Ohl's approach is built around excellent control and a standout changeup that he threw a ton (37%), but he doesn't have much in terms of a third or fourth pitch. His 91-MPH fastball is in the 15th percentile for velo and got blasted for a .370 batting average. It's tough to succeed in relief without at least a decent fastball as your base, especially without an assortment of secondaries you can credibly mix in. 

Adams' heater is nothing special but he throws it in the mid-90s and it held its own (.351 xwOBA vs. 432 for Ohl). He's got five different pitches he threw at least 10% of the time with the Twins, including a slider that shows real promise. You squint at him and you can see the raw profile that eventually turned into Sands, or even Griffin Jax.

Regardless, Adams hasn't ever performed all that well in the minors and he got bashed in the majors. Despite an evident stuff advantage over Ohl, he was worse by almost any metric, including chase rate and strikeout rate.

 

You might be saying, "Nick, I can't believe you've spent all this time weighing the merits of two borderline MLB arms like these," and you'd have a fair point. But it's been that kind of offseason, and as a result, there's a lot of pressure to get these decisions right. Even if the Twins add another veteran reliever or two, pitchers like Adams are going to get opportunities, and dark horses will need to emerge. 

For now, the Twins are committed to sticking with Adams in that mix, while Ohl moves on to see how his signature changeup plays in the Colorado altitude. While I'd like to believe they made the right choice, their history with keeping the right fringy relief pitchers is hardly infallible.

 

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[tony&rodney]

The decision may have been a coin flip. More coins still need to be flipped.

[adjacent]

The most likely reason for me is that the Rockies wanted Ohl and not Adams.

[Jeff K]

Neither are difference makers.  And "Iron Glove" Julien won't be missed either.

[bean5302]

22 minutes ago, adjacent said:

The most likely reason for me is that the Rockies wanted Ohl and not Adams.

The Twins DFA'd Ohl, but didn't DFA Adams.

[ziggy]

At one of the games I attended last year Adams came in as a reliever. It looked like batting practice except the contact was louder. I was sitting lower level first base side of the stadium so not the best view but his fastball looked straight as an arrow. Not going to survive in the big leagues with that pitch.

I hope the Twins pitching coaches can help him get better.

[bean5302]

I do feel like Ohl has more potential than Adams right now. Ohl was a hard-core strikes thrower in the minors, perhaps challenging hitters too much. Ohl backed the strike throwing off at the MLB level and delivered pinpoint control with a 115+ location, very good O-swing rates, but his stuff got barreled a lot. Maybe the Twins felt there wasn't any room for stuff improvement and MLB hitters would start getting too good at pitch recognition and just crush Ohl as a result. 

[Patzky]

1 hour ago, tony&rodney said:

The decision may have been a coin flip. More coins still need to be flipped.

So long as we're flipping coins I would have preferred it landed on edge and we kept Hatch.

[DJL44]

They need to replace both Ohl and Adams with better pitchers.

[The Great Hambino]

I suppose you could argue that Ohl is already basically the best version of himself, while Adams has room to improve by paring down the pitch mix and focusing on the more effective pitches.

But the truth is that neither really belongs in a competitive bullpen

[JD-TWINS]

I’d be surprised if Adams is on the 26 Man past April 30th……he may just slot as the depth, 10th guy and start out in St Paul?

IMO, Ohl had 2 pitches and one with real effectiveness, a change-up. Adams can trim his pitch count from 5 to 3 as a reliever.

Re Adams: MeGill - Sands - Jax …… none of them were successful starters either - focus and experience in one inning roles may make him serviceable?

The PEN was in a shambles after July 31 & Team was just trying to cover innings. Adams cannot throw more than an inning at a time in the SHOW with any expectancy of success. He got guys out last year but, generally, by pitch 35 he was getting knocked all around.

One inning at a time with his 3 best pitches - Adams has a chance to be the 8th guy in somebody’s PEN.

[JD-TWINS]

22 minutes ago, The Great Hambino said:

I suppose you could argue that Ohl is already basically the best version of himself, while Adams has room to improve by paring down the pitch mix and focusing on the more effective pitches.

But the truth is that neither really belongs in a competitive bullpen

I agree with your first paragraph and that neither is currently worthy of a spot in the Twin’s PEN. Adams has a chance, with refinement.

[Rod Carews Birthday]

Since neither of them is currently likely good enough to be a solid MLB reliever, you have to rely on projection and what you think additional development might lead to.  While Ohl seemed to outdo Adam’s in the stat line, it Adams fixes some control issues, it might lead to better results.  Conversely, perhaps Ohl “is who he is” and they don’t see him developing further based on stuff, track record, mental makeup, etc. — some of which we have a hard time seeing from the outside.

I think that the Twins look at Adams as being worth a lottery ticket shot vs. Ohl as less likely to become something useful.  Adams isn’t that likely to make it either (or even past spring training), but the Twins feel they can squint and imagine a pitcher.   I don’t know if they’re right or not, but that’s the road they’ve taken.  

[saviking]

6/7

[DataNerd]

Ohl does not have an MLB fastball, and it's hard to make a changeup work when hitters aren't worried about the fastball.  Adams does, and if he can improve a secondary option he could be a part of the bullpen.  He'll probably start out in AAA even if we don't sign another player, so there probably won't be a decision made on him until a month or two into the season.

[nicksaviking]

I'd put good money the difference was their velocity. Ohl is topping out at 91 MPH and has a slighter build so it's unlikely there's much more to add. He's going to have to be a smoke and mirrors junkball lefty if he can't get his fastball by anyone. We've seen that work in small stretches, but after the opponents see the guy enough, usually it's lights out, game over.

[terrydactyls]

18 minutes ago, nicksaviking said:

I'd put good money the difference was their velocity. Ohl is topping out at 91 MPH and has a slighter build so it's unlikely there's much more to add. He's going to have to be a smoke and mirrors junkball lefty if he can't get his fastball by anyone. We've seen that work in small stretches, but after the opponents see the guy enough, usually it's lights out, game over.

"Junkball lefty"?  Impossible since he's right handed.

[nicksaviking]

4 minutes ago, terrydactyls said:

"Junkball lefty"?  Impossible since he's right handed.

You got me there. 

Which makes him even more unlikely to succeed because there's really never been such a thing as a junkball righty.

[terrydactyls]

1 minute ago, nicksaviking said:

You got me there. 

Which makes him even more unlikely to succeed because there's really never been such a thing as a junkball righty.

Maybe Ohl just needs to switch hands?

[DataNerd]

7 minutes ago, nicksaviking said:

You got me there. 

Which makes him even more unlikely to succeed because there's really never been such a thing as a junkball righty.

He also doesn't have the ability to spin a curveball.  Shame because the command/changeup are legit

[Dman]

1 hour ago, DJL44 said:

They need to replace both Ohl and Adams with better pitchers.

Yeah I think you are right.  The Twins seem to be looking for more power arms.  Guys that can throw 96 or better out of the pen.  Ohl can't do that.  Adams is close.  The guy they received in trade should be able to throw hard as well.

The Twins most effective relievers were guys that threw hard.  Duran, Jax, Varland.  They have arms beyond Ohl and Adams that can do that.  

Still I think Ohl's changeup is enough to make things work.  With more refinement he could become something and it appears others teams agreed since Colorado was first in line and still made a trade. 

Ohl's end of the year performance really intrigued me and I thought they might want to give him more time to see how things played out, but given the glut of young arms they have I guess they felt they had as good or better options behind him and they needed 40 man room.

[GNess]

Even if the Twins get this right and Adams outperforms Ohl this season it might have zero bearing on their record. What can Ohl be expected to do after all.

[LewFordLives]

15 minutes ago, nicksaviking said:

You got me there. 

Which makes him even more unlikely to succeed because there's really never been such a thing as a junkball righty.

Carl Willis briefly made a living at it when he pitched for the Twins. But yeah, they're few and far between these days.

[Parfigliano]

2 hours ago, Jeff K said:

Neither are difference makers.  And "Iron Glove" Julien won't be missed either.

Yes he will.

[gman]

Since Ohl and Adams were the two guys the Twins brought up from the minors to show their stuff the last 60 games last year, what does that say about the time it will take to bring guys out of the minors for the bullpen this year. This does show what a waste of time the year end was in 2025.

[Nick Nelson]

1 hour ago, DataNerd said:

Ohl does not have an MLB fastball, and it's hard to make a changeup work when hitters aren't worried about the fastball.  Adams does, and if he can improve a secondary option he could be a part of the bullpen.  He'll probably start out in AAA even if we don't sign another player, so there probably won't be a decision made on him until a month or two into the season.

If I thought this was true I'd probably be a lot less invested in this discussion but I currently think Adams is a major odds-on favorite to make the Opening Day bullpen, as would Ohl if he were still here.

For an 8-man bullpen you've got the following 5 semi-locks due to experience: Sands, Rogers, Funderburk, Topa, Orze

Then you've got a pool of starters who could eventually be transitioned to relief, but likely not before Opening Day: Festa, Matthews, Bradley, Abel

And these are the remaining pitchers on the 40-man: Adams, Prielipp, Morris, Raya, Rojas, Klein. Adams is the only one from that group with any MLB experience, or really any relief pitching experience. Do we think it's likely that 3 others leapfrog him?

In terms of overall expected impact in 2025, Adams is fairly low. In terms of immediacy of impact, he's fairly high. And that matters because the Twins have to find a way to avoid digging themselves into irrelevance before others have a chance to step in.

[Brandon]

1 hour ago, DataNerd said:

Ohl does not have an MLB fastball, and it's hard to make a changeup work when hitters aren't worried about the fastball.  Adams does, and if he can improve a secondary option he could be a part of the bullpen.  He'll probably start out in AAA even if we don't sign another player, so there probably won't be a decision made on him until a month or two into the season.

See Doug Jones and Jamie Moyer.  Moyer's fast all was 81 in his last season but sat in the 80's his last decade or more in baseball.

[Brandon]

I guess the Twins thought we got the ceiling of Ohio last year.  Though it would be nice to see how he would do in one inning stints.

But I do think Adams has more potential but at least Ohi is achieving his ..

Another difference between Ohio and Adams is the larger investment in Adams.  While not too much it is noteable.  I6th round signing bonus vs 14th round.  What is that 250k - 500k?

[Danchat]

11 minutes ago, Nick Nelson said:

If I thought this was true I'd probably be a lot less invested in this discussion but I currently think Adams is a major odds-on favorite to make the Opening Day bullpen, as would Ohl if he were still here.

For an 8-man bullpen you've got the following 5 semi-locks due to experience: Sands, Rogers, Funderburk, Topa, Orze

Then you've got a pool of starters who could eventually be transitioned to relief, but likely not before Opening Day: Festa, Matthews, Bradley, Abel

And these are the remaining pitchers on the 40-man: Adams, Prielipp, Morris, Raya, Rojas, Klein. Adams is the only one from that group with any MLB experience, or really any relief pitching experience. Do we think it's likely that 3 others leapfrog him?

In terms of overall expected impact in 2025, Adams is fairly low. In terms of immediacy of impact, he's fairly high. And that matters because the Twins have to find a way to avoid digging themselves into irrelevance before others have a chance to step in.

To add on to your list, there will probably be some minor league deal vets gunning for those last spots in the pen (Dobnak surprised us by cracking the starting pen last year, Daniel Duarte in 2024, etc). We've seen them make the team right out of the gate before.

[old nurse]

3 hours ago, bean5302 said:

The Twins DFA'd Ohl, but didn't DFA Adams.

They haven’t DFAd Adams yet.