2026 Twins Daily FCL Twins Pitcher of the Year

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The Florida Complex League can be a particularly important proving ground for young pitchers. For many of the Twins' youngest arms, it is their first experience facing professional hitters on a regular basis, while also learning how to handle a professional workload and refine their pitches.

That makes evaluating FCL pitchers a little different than simply looking at ERA or strikeout totals. Age, competition, command, workload, and how quickly a pitcher earns a promotion can all provide important context when determining which performances stood out the most.

The Twins had a handful of young pitchers put together encouraging seasons in the FCL this summer. Some showed the ability to miss bats, others excelled at limiting damage, and a few did enough to earn a promotion to Low-A before the season came to an end.

Before getting to the top three, the Twins Daily minor league writers also gave consideration to the following players.

Honorable Mentions

Halton Hardy: 10 G, 29.1 IP, 4.30 ERA, 1.09 WHIP, 34 K, 8 BB.
Geremy Villoria: 6 G, 7 IP, 0.00 ERA, 1.14 WHIP, 5 K, 3 BB.

3. RP Brad Rudis
18 G, 26.1 IP, 3.42 ERA, 1.22 WHIP, 33 K, 16 BB.

After going undrafted a year ago coming out of Texas A&M, Rudis put together a quality first season as a professional. His strikeout rate in the Florida Complex League finished at 30%, giving him a solid bat-missing foundation even as he continued to work through some command issues.

Rudis also did a very good job of limiting hard contact. He allowed just three extra-base hits over his 26.1 innings, which helped him navigate the FCL despite walking 16 batters. Keeping the ball in the park was an important part of his success.

Age was also a factor when evaluating these rankings. Rudis is 23 years old, which is certainly on the older side for an FCL pitcher. That doesn't take away from what he accomplished, but it does provide some additional context when comparing him to much younger pitchers.

Still, the Twins clearly believed Rudis had done enough to warrant a tougher challenge. He earned a promotion to Low-A in early August, giving him an opportunity to test his stuff against more advanced competition.

2. RP Jake Covey
10 G, 25.2 IP, 2.81 ERA, 1.33 WHIP, 38 K, 19 BB.

Covey is a pretty cool story. After going undrafted last year out of Concordia University Irvine, he retired from baseball with the thought that his playing career was over.

That changed when the father of one of his college teammates called him and convinced him to keep playing. The Twins eventually signed Covey to a contract in early June, giving him an unexpected opportunity to begin his professional career.

Covey looked pretty darn good once he got that opportunity. He struck out 33% of the batters he faced in the FCL, showing the ability to miss bats despite some command issues. The walks were a concern, but he consistently kept the ball in the park.

In fact, Covey didn't allow a single home run over his 25.2 innings. That's particularly impressive for a pitcher who was making his professional debut and still working to refine his command.

The Twins rewarded that performance with a promotion to Low-A at the end of the season. After going from retiring from baseball to getting signed in June and then reaching Low-A a few months later, Covey's 2026 season was certainly an interesting one. Hopefully, he can pick up where he left off in 2027.

Twins FCL Pitcher of the Year: RP Hendry Chivilli
8 G, 25 IP, 2.52 ERA, 1.24 WHIP, 20 K, 13 BB.

Chivilli didn't rack up gaudy strikeout numbers or showcase ridiculously impressive command, but for a 20-year-old pitcher, he looked pretty darn good. Age was once again an important factor in these rankings, and Chivilli was competing against significantly more experienced hitters throughout the season.

This was also Chivilli's first full season as a pitcher only. Up until 2024, he was an infielder for the FCL Twins, and he threw just 14.1 innings a year ago. Making the transition from position player to full-time pitcher is no small adjustment, making his performance this season even more encouraging.

Chivilli's 2.52 ERA was the best among the three pitchers at the top of these rankings, and he allowed just 25 hits over his 25 innings. The strikeout numbers weren't overwhelming, but he consistently gave the Twins quality innings while continuing to learn a position he is still relatively new to.

His performance was good enough to earn a promotion to Low-A in late July, giving him a chance to see how his stuff would play against more advanced hitters. Considering how quickly he has progressed since becoming a full-time pitcher, that promotion was another encouraging sign.

The best part might be Chivilli's age. He will still be just 21 years old next season, giving him plenty of time to continue developing both his stuff and his command. A strong start to the year could put him on the radar for more national recognition as he continues climbing through the Twins organization.

For all three of the top pitchers, the FCL represented a different point in their development. Rudis was an older undrafted pitcher trying to establish himself after signing as a free agent. Covey was simply trying to restart a career he had already decided was over. Chivilli was learning how to pitch full-time after spending much of his career as an infielder.

That context makes the performances of all three more interesting. Each pitcher took a different path to success, and all three ultimately earned promotions to Low-A after proving they could handle the FCL.

Now, the challenge gets significantly tougher. The next step will be seeing whether the stuff and development that worked in Fort Myers can translate against more advanced hitters. For Chivilli in particular, the opportunity is especially intriguing given his age and limited experience on the mound.

The FCL may only be the beginning of their professional careers, but each of these pitchers gave the Twins another reason to keep an eye on their development moving forward.

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