3 Must-Watch Twins Pitchers in Spring Training ​

[Cody Christie]

Image courtesy of William Parmeter (photo of Marco Raya)

Pitchers and catchers report this week, which means optimism is officially back on the menu in Fort Myers. Every organization arrives believing that this will be the year injuries cooperate, prospects take the leap, and depth charts magically sort themselves out. For the Twins, spring training feels especially important because there are real decisions to be made on the mound and not all of them are theoretical. Roles are open. Health matters. And a few arms could reshape how this staff looks by Opening Day.

Pitching enters the spring as one of Minnesota’s clear strengths. The Twins have more usable arms than rotation spots, and that is a good problem to have after years of scrambling for innings. Last summer’s trade deadline played a major role in that shift, as the front office targeted pitching help that could impact both the short and long term. With multiple starters capable of handling big league innings and a bullpen that is lacking upside options, spring training will be less about finding warm bodies and more about determining fit.

That depth makes the following three pitchers particularly interesting to watch over the next few weeks.

RHP Bailey Ober
Why To Watch: Can his velocity return?
Joe Ryan and Pablo Lopez will be away with their national teams for the World Baseball Classic, which quietly places Ober at the top of the Twins rotation this spring. That alone makes him worth paying attention to, but there is more going on here than spring training optics.

The 2025 season was a frustrating one for Ober. A lingering hip injury sapped velocity from a pitcher who already lives on precision rather than raw power. In 2024, his four-seamer averaged 91.7 mph, and that dipped to 90.3 mph last season. It was never about dominance disappearing overnight. It was about margins shrinking. The Twins believed the injury would resolve itself over the winter without surgery, and that belief will be tested immediately once Ober starts stacking outings in camp.

RHP Marco Raya
Why To Watch: How does he transition to the bullpen?
Over the last week, Twins general manager Jeremy Zoll discussed Raya as one of the former starting pitchers in the organization who is transitioning to a bullpen role. It is a notable pivot for a pitcher who has been one of the Twins' top prospects since being drafted out of high school in the shortened 2020 MLB Draft.

Raya’s 2025 season at Triple A was rough. A 6.02 ERA and 5.48 FIP came alongside a 22.6 K% and a career-worst 12.6 BB%. That last number is the one that really matters now. Moving to the bullpen can unlock velocity and simplify pitch usage, but free passes become even more damaging in shorter stints. As the old Metrodome video board famously reminded everyone, walks will haunt.

LHP Connor Prielipp
Why To Watch: Will he be a starter or a reliever for the long term?
Prielipp has been one of the most dominant pitching prospects in the system when healthy, and that qualifier has followed him since he turned pro. Drafted in the second round in 2022, Prielipp made just two starts in A ball before undergoing Tommy John surgery that wiped out his 2023 season. He returned in limited fashion in 2024 before finally getting a chance to build momentum last year.

The results were encouraging. Across Double- and Triple-A, Prielipp posted a 4.03 ERA with a 3.54 FIP and a 98 to 31 strikeout-to-walk ratio over 82 ⅔ innings. The organization used him almost exclusively as a starter, while carefully monitoring his workload. His stuff and injury history naturally invite bullpen speculation. Spring training may not provide a definitive answer, but how the Twins deploy him will be telling.

Spring training is rarely about results, but it is always about information. For the Twins, these three pitchers represent different questions that need answering before the games start to count. Is a veteran starter healthy again? Can a former top prospect reinvent himself in a new role? And where does a talented but injury-tested arm fit best going forward? If pitching is going to carry Minnesota in 2026, the clues will start showing up this spring.

What pitchers will you be watching in spring training? Leave a comment and start the discussion. 

 

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[Linus]

I’m optimistic that Ober is going to be his old self. Occam’s razor says his hip injury was the problem. I hope they let Priellip pitch out of the pen. He can get his innings managed and if things go well start next year. 
Raya will be in St Paul. 

[ziggy]

Matt Cantereno is also invited to camp. I'm thinking it's time to either fish or cut bait with him also. 

[Mahoning]

All three have recent injury issues. Twins have many more IFs than they do stars. 

[DJL44]

24 minutes ago, ziggy said:

Matt Cantereno is also invited to camp. I'm thinking it's time to either fish or cut bait with him also. 

Canterino has already been ruled out for all of spring training with a bum shoulder.

[Blyleven2011]

Conner Prielipp is the one to watch in spring training  , can he put his injuries behind him is the question  ...

Raya has been hyped all along since drafted but has had kid gloves on since drafted , that's on our development personal  , he didn't show anything in AAA but has convinced our management that he's now qualified for a bullpen position  ...

Ober can be his old self if the injury was his problem last year , spring training we will know  ...

All eyes are on the players in spring training  , time is now to impress ...

[KirbyDome89]

Raya barely averaged more than 3 IP per appearance last season and he spent the 2nd half as a relief arm. It's not much of a transition. 

[OregonTwinsFan]

I am worried that Ober is washed up.

I think Prielipp makes the team in the pen and has a chance to be the new closer.

We will see...

 

[Parfigliano]

47 minutes ago, DJL44 said:

Canterino has already been ruled out for all of spring training with a bum shoulder.

An event rivaled only by sunrise in its predictability.

[RaoulDuke]

I am most interested to see which starters end up in the pen to start the year.  Normally its a demotion and they are picking guys with mediocre stuff to fill low leverage roles.  This year I think they are searching for guys that can be back of the pen contributors.

Prielipp is an obvious choice, get him up and in the MLB without worrying about an innings limit and stretching him out farther.

Festa has high end stuff but would probably benefit narrowing his pitch selection and throwing all out vs getting shelled the 3rd time through an order.  As well as coming off the TO surgery.

Zebby could be an interesting reliever but I think he gets another chance to start first.

Bradley is also very interesting to me as he can earn the 3rd spot in the rotation with consistency or he could have nasty reliever stuff if switched to the pen.

[Cris E]

1 hour ago, DJL44 said:

Canterino has already been ruled out for all of spring training with a bum shoulder.

Kind of predictable, his version of the "Best shape of his life" story. 

[AceWrigley]

1 hour ago, DJL44 said:

Canterino has already been ruled out for all of spring training with a bum shoulder.

What? No surgery? This is an improvement.

[DJL44]

20 minutes ago, AceWrigley said:

What? No surgery? This is an improvement.

He had surgery a year ago and still hasn’t recovered from it.

[Old Twins Hat]

6 minutes ago, DJL44 said:

He had surgery a year ago and still hasn’t recovered from it.

Uhh, he would probably pitch if he could, right?

So give the kid a break, he's likely a human being.

[DJL44]

1 hour ago, Old Twins Hat said:

Uhh, he would probably pitch if he could, right?

So give the kid a break, he's likely a human being.

I’m not mad at him. Just passing along status.

[miracleb]

"Prielipp has been one of the most dominant pitching prospects in the system when healthy"

I still have high hopes for Prielipp.....but that statement is not consistent with ANY of his stats......

[miracleb]

"Prielipp has been one of the most dominant pitching prospects in the system when healthy"

Now you COULD say this about Matt Canterino...and be accurate.  The promise that Canterino had was HUGE...but sadly......it looks like he will not get past the "health" issue,......

[Whitey333]

You talk about so many great starters.  Let's be truthful here.  We hav2 good starters and 1 possible good starters.  Yes we have like 8 potential starters.  That doesn't mean they are good.  The leftovers most other teams don't want.  So they end up in the Twins reclamation roster.  

[Cris E]

SWR was pretty good last year. He began the year as our 4th starter, missed some time in the second half and ended up with a 4.04 ERA in 23 games. Even as a #3 you shouldn't complain about a 4.00 ERA. This year it looks like the various projection systems expect him to continue to grow, maybe go from 1.2 to 1.4 or 1.8 WAR. That's in line with the #4 for a lot of other teams, plus the Twins have several other youngsters like Mathews and Bradley who are also expected to be around 1.5 WAR or better, so they actually go six deep. At Fangraphs the #4/5 for the Braves are 1.2 and 1.1 WAR, to name one example, and the Rays, Brewers, Orioles and Cubs are worse off than we are.

[bean5302]

15 hours ago, Blyleven2011 said:

Conner Prielipp is the one to watch in spring training  , can he put his injuries behind him is the question  ...

 

Prielipp had a failed TJ surgery 5 years ago which needed to be re-done. Prielipp doesn't have any injury problems.

 

[bean5302]

2 hours ago, miracleb said:

"Prielipp has been one of the most dominant pitching prospects in the system when healthy"

Now you COULD say this about Matt Canterino...and be accurate.  The promise that Canterino had was HUGE...but sadly......it looks like he will not get past the "health" issue,......

Canterino has almost no sample size above the low minors, he walked everybody in sight at AA and was the beneficiary of a super low BABIP. His xFIP suggests he was hardly "dominant" he was just lucky.

Prielipp actually had some substantial experience at AA, and despite being his first full season back from TJ, showed far better control than Canterino, and had much more impressive (dominant) expected stats. Something which could be projected.

[bean5302]

Prielipp is definitely going to continue starting now that Falvey has been moved out of the way.

[miracleb]

19 minutes ago, bean5302 said:

Canterino has almost no sample size above the low minors, he walked everybody in sight at AA and was the beneficiary of a super low BABIP. His xFIP suggests he was hardly "dominant" he was just lucky.

Prielipp actually had some substantial experience at AA, and despite being his first full season back from TJ, showed far better control than Canterino, and had much more impressive (dominant) expected stats. Something which could be projected.

Projection doesn't equal "dominant."  It is just a plain fact.......he has not been dominant.  I am still hopeful though......

[JD-TWINS]

17 hours ago, DJL44 said:

Canterino has already been ruled out for all of spring training with a bum shoulder.

I’m absolutely shocked that Matt is hurt again!! Seriously, his rate of availability has to be around 10% over his time connected with the organization. Discussing him going forward as a contributor is like hoping Santana comes out of retirement to pitch.

Done with Matt…….understood, nothing he can control, have to feel for him, but he’s not helping the club!

[JD-TWINS]

1 hour ago, miracleb said:

Projection doesn't equal "dominant."  It is just a plain fact.......he has not been dominant.  I am still hopeful though......

Agreed - I thought the “dominant” description was a real stretch! Maybe, “talented with upside”? Monitored innings - able to pitch at full effort - able to contribute in The Show……. are all big positives for Prielipp in the PEN in ‘26.

[DarrenPS]

18 hours ago, ziggy said:

Matt Cantereno is also invited to camp. I'm thinking it's time to either fish or cut bait with him also. 

They signed him to a 2 year MiLB deal, so he'll have a few more chances even though he is missing spring again

[JD-TWINS]

3 hours ago, Whitey333 said:

You talk about so many great starters.  Let's be truthful here.  We hav2 good starters and 1 possible good starters.  Yes we have like 8 potential starters.  That doesn't mean they are good.  The leftovers most other teams don't want.  So they end up in the Twins reclamation roster.  

Through 50 starts in ‘24/‘25 combined, Woods Richardson is 12-9 (over his age 23/24 seasons - averaging 122 innings/yr.) with a WAR of 2.0 & 2.2 respectively. His blended ERA in those 2 seasons is essentially 4.10………..that equates to 2.43 runs in a 5 1/3 inning outing. I do not understand the continual lack of respect he gets for his proven upside?

[Larry Janisewski]

19 hours ago, ziggy said:

Matt Cantereno is also invited to camp. I'm thinking it's time to either fish or cut bait with him also. 

Read today that he is already out with an injury.

[h2oface]

Endless shortstops to utility players and minor league top pitching prospects to the bullpen. Is anyone surprised?

[bean5302]

On 2/12/2026 at 11:48 AM, JD-TWINS said:

I’m absolutely shocked that Matt is hurt again!! Seriously, his rate of availability has to be around 10% over his time connected with the organization. Discussing him going forward as a contributor is like hoping Santana comes out of retirement to pitch.

Done with Matt…….understood, nothing he can control, have to feel for him, but he’s not helping the club!

 

On 2/12/2026 at 12:03 PM, DarrenPS said:

They signed him to a 2 year MiLB deal, so he'll have a few more chances even though he is missing spring again

 

On 2/12/2026 at 1:05 PM, Larry Janisewski said:

Read today that he is already out with an injury.

Canterino is not hurt again. He's still recovering from the same shoulder surgery he had last year. At the time of the surgery last year, Nick Paparesta said it was likely Matt would have a longer recovery than the 12 month typical time frame. Canterino had the surgery mid-March last year so expecting him back before the end of Spring Training this year was a long shot to begin with.

I'm no Canterino simp, but I'm not going to be unfair to him, either. I think it's unlikely Canterino EVER sees the mound in a real MLB game. I believe the Twins signed Canterino 90% as a charity move to give him a chance to rehab while having his medical expenses and recovery paid by the team. 10% a just in case he actually comes back from shoulder surgery.

The findings in Canterino's evaluation by Dr. Keith Meister was basically his shoulder ligaments were loose after having several shoulder strains and the ligaments needed to be shortened to tighten the shoulder up. That's a really big deal, and it takes a long time to recover from it. 

I wish Matt the best in his recovery, and there's always a glimmer of hope the work he does in the process to let the ligaments heal AND to strengthen his shoulder to the point he doesn't have the strains show up again successfully allow him to return to pitching without a career ending velocity loss.