Minnesota Twins Minor League Relievers Of The Month - July 2025

The Twins' major league bullpen came out of the All-Star Break looking to right the ship, and instead ended up shipwrecked and scattered across other teams. The 2025 trade deadline saw a direct reduction of 26-man roster arms and an infusion of minor league pitching prospects. The majority of the new prospects came into the Twins' affiliates with a “starter” label, so it will take some time before any of them make the relievers list. Several of June's prospects took a step back as the summer heated up, while others took leaps forward. Welcome to a post-deadline version of “What Twins minor league relievers now in the organization had the best July 2025?”

Honorable Mentions
- John Stankiewicz (Wichita/St.Paul): 3.38 ERA, 9 G, 13.1 IP, 13 H, 5 ER, 3 BB, 8 K, 1.2 WHIP, .260 BA
- Rey Pecheco (DSL Twins): 2.57 ERA, 7 G, 14.0 IP, 14 H, 4 ER, 1 BB, 15 K, 1.07 WHIP, .259 BA
- Brennen Oxford (Fort Myers/Cedar Rapids): 1.64 ERA, 8 G, 11.0 IP, 8 H, 2 ER, 5 BB, 9 K, 1.18 WHIP, .216 BA

#5 – RHP Xander Hamilton – FCL Twins/Cedar Rapids Kernels
1.46 ERA, 8 G (7 FCL/1 Cedar Rapids), 12.1 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 3 BB, 12 K, 0.65 WHIP, .125 BA
Xander Hamilton started July with a rehab stint in the FCL, and his performance there was utterly dominant. 10.1 innings of two-hit, no-run baseball for this 14th-round pick from the 2023 draft catapulted him up to Cedar Rapids for his last July outing. While that was a debut to forget, his trajectory is still aiming high. At 6’3”, 223 lbs, this big right-hander looks to keep climbing the ladder. His strikeout numbers jump off the page, so hopefully, further development will help him bring the whiffs up with him as the competition stiffens.

#4 - RHP Anderson Ramos, FCL Twins
0.00 ERA, 6 G, 9.2 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 3 BB, 12 K, 0.41 WHIP, .034 BA
This month’s edition of gold panning for prospects takes us to Anderson Ramos . His one-hit July at the FCL complex mirrored Hamilton’s success, but at 6’1”, 182 lbs, and only 19 years old, Ramos is starting his success five years earlier and with an encouraging ceiling. Look for Ramos to begin making waves in Fort Myers come 2026.

#3 - RHP Michael Tonkin, St. Paul Saints
1.97 ERA, 7 G, 9.1 IP, 2 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 12 K, 0.40 WHIP, .067 BA
Michael Tonkin might not seem like a prospect, but when your entire bullpen gets traded, you have to go searching for rays of positivity. Drafted in the 30th round of the 2008 by the Twins, Tonkin thought his last Twins memory was going to be how he successfully stayed Jason Kubel’s brother-in-law, until he found his way back to the club at the end of 2024. Shoulder issues thwarted the start of his 2025 campaign, but July saw minor-league rehab assignments and the Twins were ecstatic with what they saw. Tonkin will be featured in high-leverage situations for the Twins the rest of this season, and as he focuses in on his new role at the ripe old age of 35 it is right to acknowledge that he had a great July at St. Paul. It’s not his fault that there was a crater that formed in the development of the franchise; he was just willing to come try to fill a portion of it before he retires. So, thank you, Michael, for putting up with all of us as we weep that you aren’t Jhoan Duran.

#2 – RHP Hunter Hoopes – Cedar Rapids Kernels/Wichita Wind Surge
3.48 ERA, 8 G, 10.1 IP, 5 H, 4 ER, 0 BB, 14 K, 0.48 WHIP, .139 BA
Hunter Hoopes fits the more prototypical bill for high-leverage reliever. The 25-year-old Alabama product signed with the Twins on a minor league deal in July of 2024. Since then, he has climbed three levels to the Wichita club, thanks to his 6’1”, 200 lb frame and his rocket arm. The Twins literally signed Hoopes after seeing him clock 100+ in a YouTube video. Let that sink in a bit as a commentary on our current organizational issues but then give thanks that someone in the organization didn’t hesitate to sign him up! Hoopes would have snagged the number one spot in July, if his Wichita debut hadn’t been so rocky (3 runs over 1.2 innings). He struck out 13 while walking nobody at Cedar Rapids this month, and if the Twins can develop him into a “pitcher” without losing the heat, there is no reason to think that St. Paul or even Target Field might not welcome him in 2026.

Twins Minor League Reliever of the Month – LHP Samuel Perez – Cedar Rapids Kernels
1.00 ERA, 6 G, 9.0 IP, 6 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 8 K, 0.89 WHIP, .194 BA
June’s #2 is now the Reliever of the Month! At 5’11”, 205 lb., Samuel Perez continued to dominate the competition at High-A. Perez has been climbing the organizational ladder since 2021. His reverse splits bode well for the future, and it appears he’s getting honed in for a high-leverage future despite a fastball that doesn’t crack the 90’s. The speed at which the 25-year-old prospect from Venezuela can climb, however, is now expedited given the trade deadline’s aftermath. 

July has come and gone, but several relief pitchers in the Twins organization stood out above the crowd, and they hope to continue that success as summer leagues head into playoff time.

How would your ballot look for the Twins Minor League Relievers of the Month? Who are you most excited to see enter the organization from these trades?  Let us know in the comments.