The Twins 2022 draft class has a chance to be one of their best in recent memory. After taking Brooks Lee and Connor Prielipp at the top of the class, Minnesota followed a now routine paradigm; stock up on college arms in the mid and late rounds and let their player development staff go to work. From the cluster of eight college pitchers the Twins picked between rounds four and 20, a quartet has emerged tied together by an unusual level of early success in the minors. Andrew Morris (round 4), Zebby Matthews (round 8), Cory Lewis (round 9), and C.J. Culpepper (round 13) have all reached the upper minors with at least a chance to start. That’s an outcome you’d sign up for every time.

Lewis was drafted out of UC Santa Barbara 264th overall and signed for a little under slot at $140,000. In 2023, his first full season as a professional, Lewis saw both levels of A ball, posting a 2.49 ERA in 101 innings, striking out 118 in the process, setting Lewis up for a AA debut in 2024. Unfortunately, the start of his season was delayed by a shoulder strain. He ultimately debuted in Wichita on June 12th. Lewis continued the excellent start to his pro career, managing a 2.55 ERA in 79 innings while striking out 27% of hitters and walking 12.2%. He finished the season with a five inning debut in AAA for St. Paul, putting his name in the mix for a 2025 debut with the Twins.

What’s to Like?
Lewis stands at 6’5, 220 pounds and has the frame to handle the workload of a starting pitcher. He moves well on the mound and has a relatively effortless delivery with good extension, releasing the ball from a vertical slot. Lewis’ fastball has strengths and limitations that balance each other out. It’s light on velocity, hitting a maximum of 92.3 mph in his lone start for the Saints. Conversely, it has exceptional carry, averaging 19.7 inches of induced vertical break, helping it to generate plenty of miss when he locates it at the top of the zone. For secondary offerings, Lewis has a downer curveball, a sharp slider, and a changeup that has both vertical and horizontal action, but lacks the suddenness you might want to see it generate in its movement. None of those secondary pitches are plus, although the slider is the closest. 

Finally, Lewis has a legitimate knuckleball. Good enough to stand on its own, Lewis’ iteration averages ~400 rpms. He throws it hard, with a 90th percentile velocity of ~86 mph. There are two levels of deception here, both the knuckling action, and the velocity. While Lewis has an unusual pitch-mix and combination of traits, it’s hard to argue with the track record he’s established in his two full minor league seasons to date.

What’s Left to Work On?
There are three primary areas of focus for Lewis in 2025. First and foremost, fastball velocity. If Lewis can live in the 92-93 mph range with his fastball, it has the traits to be an above average pitch on which he can rely at the major league level. If it’s operating in the 89-91 mph range, I’m not sure that’s the case. Additionally, developing the effectiveness and consistency of one of his secondary offerings (beyond his knuckleball) is key. His slider is likely his best shot at an above average breaking ball. Continuing to hone this pitch gives him a chance at three above average pitches and a chance to continue to start. 

Finally, strike throwing. Lewis threw 62.9% strikes in 2024. While he may never be an elite strike thrower like Andrew Morris or Zebby Matthews, he has to continue to be able to get into leveraged counts against hitters, particularly as a pitcher who leans more towards pitchability than elite raw stuff. Throwing more strikes (~65-66%) will allow him to rely on his best pitches in counts and locations in which they make the most sense to attack with.

What’s Next?
Hopefully, a run of clean health and a nice long runway at AAA. After being named Twins minor league pitcher of the year in 2023, Lewis missed valuable time at the beginning of 2024, to the point he flew under the radar due to the ascent of Zebby Matthews and Andrew Morris. Lewis should have plenty of time to develop and adjust at AAA before he makes his major league debut sometime in 2025. His future roles likely oscillate between being an up and down arm, and a back end starter. Putting his shoulder troubles in the rearview mirror will give him the best chance at reaching his ceiling.