How New Pitching Prospect Mick Abel Can Be Minnesota Twins' Next Joe Ryan

When the Twins acquired Joe Ryan in the Nelson Cruz trade, he was an overlooked arm in the Tampa Bay Rays system. His minor league numbers were strong, but he was blocked from breaking into a rotation stacked with established big-league arms. The Rays moved him, and the Twins reaped the rewards.

Now, the organization hopes to strike gold again. Mick Abel, the 23-year-old right-hander acquired from Philadelphia in the Jhoan Duran trade, found himself in a similar situation. The Phillies’ rotation featured Zack Wheeler, Christopher Sanchez, Jesus Luzardo, and Ranger Suarez, leaving little room for a young starter to break through. Minnesota saw an opportunity to add a talented arm whose timeline and development could align perfectly with their long-term plans.

Twins general manager Jeremy Zoll recently discussed Abel’s background on Inside Twins. “He’s still just 23 years old. He’s pitching at Triple-A. The biggest thing Mick has improved upon this year is improving his strike throwing, and that’s really been helpful for him to take another step.”

Abel’s repertoire is as promising as it is electric. “[His] fastball averages 96, has touched 99, curveball and changeup are really good swing and miss pitches for him,” Zoll said. Those weapons make him a strong fit for a Twins staff that values high-velocity heaters paired with secondaries that can miss bats.

He’s also showing progress in key areas after repeating Triple-A in 2025. Last season, he posted a 22.7% strikeout rate and a 15.1% walk rate over 108 2/3 innings. This year, his strikeout rate is up by 4.6 percentage points, and his walk rate is down by four. His strike percentage has climbed from just under 60% to 63.3%. Those incremental gains are meaningful and signal that his adjustments are paying off.

The slider remains a development priority. “I think some opportunities for us to help him refine his slider a little bit more and make that a little bit more of a weapon against righties,” Zoll explained. “For him, it’s really just keep getting innings under your belt and make sure you are as prepared as possible. He got a cameo of sorts at the big-league level earlier this year, and we want to make sure he can keep pushing forward developmentally to take that next step.”

There are already signs of improvement. His slider velocity has jumped from an average of 84.4 mph last season to 86.4 mph in 2025, and hitters are offering at it more often. His swing rate against the pitch has increased from 43.9% to 47.4%, helping him generate more whiffs. Even so, the Twins know the leap from Triple-A to the majors remains steep, and they want to make sure Abel has fully adjusted to his new organization before taking it.

Some fans have questioned why Abel has not been promoted immediately. Zoll said the decision is about more than just performance. “When a player is traded to a new organization, their whole world is turned upside down,” he explained. “For all these guys, we talked about a lot of different things. How to get them acclimated into the organization. How to give them the best runway to try and take a long-term view and set them up for success for years to come.”

That means resisting the urge to rush. “If you put them right at the big-league level, they are going to feel that extra pressure to perform for their new teammates,” Zoll said. “All these expectations that they may be putting on themselves. So, allow them to settle in.”

The Twins believe Abel’s development path could mirror Ryan’s in 2021. In the short term, he will continue to make starts in Triple-A while focusing on minor refinements that could pay big dividends. As Zoll summarized, “In Mick’s case, get a few more starts under his belt, see if we can help him make a few of those tweaks to really catapult him for the long-term here.”

If Abel’s progress continues, the Twins might once again find themselves with a rotation anchor who only needed the right opportunity to shine.

Can Abel turn into the next Ryan? What is his biggest improvement area? Leave a comment and start the discussion.