Twins Prospect Hot Sheet: Ryan Gallagher and Jason Reitz Climbing the Ladder

[Cody Christie]

Image courtesy of William Parmeter (Photo of Jason Reitz)

As the calendar turns to June, much of the attention around the Minnesota Twins farm system remains focused on top-ranked prospects. However, some of the organization's most interesting developments are coming from players who are forcing their way into the conversation through strong recent performances.

Ryan Gallagher is testing himself against older competition in Triple-A. Jason Reitz is beginning his professional career with encouraging signs of improved command. Khadim Diaw continues to show that his bat plays at every level when he is available. Here's a closer look at three prospects who have been trending in the right direction.

RHP Ryan Gallagher– St. Paul Saints
How He Got Here: Gallagher's road to professional baseball has not been without obstacles. The former University of California, Santa Barbara standout burst onto the collegiate scene by earning Big West Freshman of the Year honors in 2022 before Tommy John surgery cost him an entire season.

The lost year ultimately did little to slow his ascent. After returning to the mound, Gallagher dominated Division I competition, posting a 2.22 ERA while leading the nation with a sparkling 0.84 WHIP. His combination of command and effectiveness convinced the Chicago Cubs to select him in the sixth round of the 2024 MLB Draft.

Gallagher quickly climbed through Chicago's system and had recently earned a promotion to Double-A when Minnesota acquired him as part of last summer's Willi Castro trade. He finished the year with Wichita and has continued advancing through the Twins organization.

Hitting the Hot Button: Gallagher delivered his strongest Triple-A outing to date during his latest start. After allowing a triple in the opening inning and an infield single in the second, he settled in and retired eight consecutive hitters. The right-hander completed five shutout innings, scattered four hits, struck out five, and earned his first victory at the Triple-A level. Perhaps most encouraging was the velocity. Gallagher reached 97 mph, his highest reading of the season.

There is plenty to like about his profile. At just 23 years old, he is roughly four and a half years younger than the average Triple-A player. His ability to miss bats has remained intact with a 25.4% strikeout rate across Double-A and Triple-A this season.

The area to watch moving forward is command. After posting a 5.9% walk rate last season, that figure has climbed to 11.9% in 2026. If Gallagher can bring that number back down while maintaining his strikeout ability, his stock could continue to rise quickly.

RHP Jason Reitz– Fort Myers Mighty Mussels
How He Got Here: The Twins targeted pitching early in the 2025 draft, and Reitz represented another intriguing arm added to the system. Minnesota selected the Oregon product in the fourth round after a strong junior campaign that elevated his draft status. Before transferring to Oregon, Reitz spent two seasons at Saint Mary's. His lone season with the Ducks was productive, as he posted a 3.50 ERA while striking out 73 batters in 64 1/3 innings.

What immediately jumps off the scouting report is his size. Standing 6-foot-11, Reitz possesses one of the most unique frames in professional baseball. That size creates impressive extension toward home plate, but can also make it difficult to consistently repeat his mechanics. While command was considered a developmental hurdle entering professional baseball, the Twins clearly believed there was enough athleticism and raw stuff to bet on the upside.

Hitting the Hot Button: Reitz recently made his home debut for Fort Myers and gave fans plenty to be excited about. He threw three hitless innings while allowing just one walk and striking out two batters. His fastball reached 95 mph and showed the type of life that helped make him an appealing draft target.

The early professional results have been encouraging. Between the Florida Complex League and Fort Myers, Reitz has allowed only one earned run over six innings. He has surrendered four hits while posting five strikeouts against just one walk.

For a pitcher whose command was viewed as a question mark entering the draft, the early control gains are particularly noteworthy. The sample size remains small, but it is exactly the type of progress the Twins hoped to see.

C/OF Khadim Diaw– Cedar Rapids Kernels
How He Got Here: Few prospects have battled more injury adversity than Diaw, yet he continues to hit whenever he steps onto the field. His college career at Loyola Marymount was interrupted multiple times. A back fracture wiped out much of his freshman season, and a broken thumb limited him to only 20 games in 2024. Despite those setbacks, his offensive production never disappeared.

Diaw hit .314/.396/.500 (.896) in 2023 and remained productive during his limited action the following season. Strong performances in both the Cape Cod League and the MLB Draft Combine helped solidify his status as a legitimate prospect, leading the Twins to select him in the third round of the 2024 draft. The injury challenges followed him into professional baseball. After getting off to a promising start, a broken wrist and later a hamstring injury limited him to just 39 games during his first full season.

Hitting the Hot Button: Diaw recently earned recognition as MiLB's Prospect Team of the Week catcher after a dominant stretch for Cedar Rapids. Over the course of the week, he slashed .545/.560/.909 (1.469) with five extra base hits, five RBIs, seven runs scored, two walks, and 20 total bases.

His production has steadily improved throughout the season. After posting a .720 OPS in April, he boosted that figure to .795 during May. Another encouraging trend is how he has handled more advanced competition. Roughly 60% of the pitchers he has faced have been older than him, yet he owns an OPS nearly 60 points higher against those older opponents.

Questions remain regarding his long-term defensive home, but the athleticism is undeniable. Diaw has split his time between catcher and center field, giving the organization multiple avenues to keep his bat in the lineup.

These three prospects arrive at their success from very different paths. Gallagher is proving he belongs against advanced competition while working through command adjustments. Reitz is beginning to show why the Twins were intrigued by his rare combination of size and athleticism. Diaw continues to demonstrate that health may be the biggest thing standing between him and a significant rise up prospect rankings.

Each player has something left to prove, but all three have given Twins fans a reason to keep checking the box scores.

What stands out about these three players? Leave a comment and start the discussion.

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[DJL44]

Gallagher could get Bailey Ober’s spot in the rotation. There aren’t many other options.