Twins Prospect Riley Quick Has A Crazy High Ceiling

[Cory Sparks]

Image courtesy of William Parmeter

Riley Quick doesn’t just have a spectacular baseball name; he could hold a pivotal role in the future of the Minnesota Twins. The Twins’ rising prospect is turning heads as he coasts up the team’s minor league system. Let’s break down who the recently promoted pitcher is, what his strengths and weaknesses are and just how ‘quick’ he can impact the big league ball club.

Growing Up With A Dominant Stature

Quick could pass as an NFL player, as he stands at 6-foot-6, 255 pounds while using every bit of that size to generate plenty of force on the rubber. This is somebody who played offensive line in high school, but he’s converted that physicality to becoming an intimidating, effective pitcher in Minnesota’s farm system. 

The Twins selected him the 36th overall pick in last year’s draft, and he’s already toeing the rubber with the High-A Cedar Rapids Kernels. So far through 13 starts (10 with the Kernels), he holds an 0-2 record with a 3.57 earned run average. Quick has fanned 69 hitters while walking just 22 across 45.1 innings of work, all as a starter. 

An Electric 1-2 Punch

The 22-year-old towering righty primarily operates with a three-pitch mix: the fastball, slider and changeup. MLB Pipeline has his fastball and slider each at a 60-grade, and it’s for good reason. His firm four-seamer has a sinking action, and it sits easily in the 96-97 mile per hour range with the potential to reach 99. While Quick is fresh off of Tommy John surgery in 2024, he’s showing the ability to hold that velocity through games, a key component differentiating a potential starter from a bullpen arm. 

While the heater is a prominent part of his game, a little variety is never a bad thing. The hard-throwing orthodox pitcher utilized his fastball nearly 50% of the time during his final season with the Alabama Crimson Tide. His fastball holds just as much weight, also earning a 60-grade on MLB Pipeline’s 20-to-80 scouting scale. It’s a two-plane pitch, breaking both vertically and horizontally as an effective break-off option from a cutter that also sits in the low 90s. 

Working Up A Sample Size

The stature and dominant nature are there, but the Twins need to be careful with Quick. Averaging about three and a half innings per start, the Kernels’ starter is on track to clock 80-90 innings in his first year as a professional. This comes after he logged 87 total innings in college ball. It’s a relatively normal approach considering the circumstances; Phillies’ first rounder Gage Wood has seen the same type of innings management after he had never thrown more than 40.1 innings at the college level. 

The Alabama alum’s main priority will be maintaining his command as he gets more acclimated to pitching deeper into games. The tools are clearly there, and there should be plenty of opportunity for someone sporting an impressive .191 batting average allowed when he does reach the major league level. 

When Will He Arrive?

When will Quick get to the big leagues? His stuff could probably play as a reliever as soon as next year, as most ball clubs could find a place for someone who can live in the mid-to-upper 90s with a sharp secondary offering. The road to becoming a starter will be heavily dictated by the innings and control, as he has relinquished 22 walks over 45.1 frames (roughly a walk every other inning). A mid-2028 call-up seems realistic, as it would still be a minor league journey that takes less than three years for a former SEC arm.

View full article

[ashbury]

Welp, now you've convinced me.  He's gonna be trade bait for a couple years of a good, established starter.