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    3 Twins Pitching Prospect Predictions for 2026

    Three young Twins pitchers have a chance to break out nationally with their 2026 performances.

    Cody Christie
    Image courtesy of William Parmeter

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    Twins Daily just wrapped up its annual top prospect countdown. Notably, six of the Twins’ top eight prospects are expected to open at Triple-A St. Paul, one step from the big leagues.

    That proximity means the Twins could see several prospects make their major-league debuts in 2026. While much of the focus is on position players at the upper levels, the system's pitching side also boasts several intriguing arms. These pitchers could take big steps forward this year.

    Here are three Twins pitcher prospect predictions for 2026.

    Riley Quick Wins Twins Minor League Pitcher of the Year
    Quick's power arsenal could let him dominate minor-league hitters this season. He started 14 games for the University of Alabama last year, showing enough for the Twins to draft him 36th overall. Minnesota signed him for the full slot bonus of $2.69 million.

    Quick’s fastball already sits in the 96-97 mph range and can touch 99, while maintaining its velocity deep into outings. The Twins are helping him refine how he uses the pitch, leaning on his sinker against right-handed hitters while mixing in a four-seamer against lefties.

    His secondary pitches also generate plenty of swings and misses. Quick throws a mid-80s slider with sharp two-plane movement that he can tighten into a harder cutter, along with an upper-80s changeup that features strong fade and depth.

    He logged only 87 innings in college before entering pro ball. Building a full starter’s workload will be important this season. If he refines his command while keeping his electric stuff, Quick could emerge as the Twins' fastest-rising arm of the year.

    Dasan Hill Enters Next Season as a Top-100 Prospect
    The Twins made a significant investment in Hill during the 2024 Draft, signing the highly projectable high school left-hander for $2 million after selecting him with the 69th overall pick. His first full professional season showed why the organization was willing to go over slot.

    Hill struck out more than 12 batters per nine innings and held opposing hitters to a .196 average over 62 innings. He posted a 2.77 ERA at Low-A before finishing the season with a promotion to High-A.

    His fastball already averages around 95 mph and has touched 99, and early reports this spring indicate he has begun reaching triple digits as he continues adding strength to his 6-foot-5 frame. Hill also features a low-80s sweeper that produced a high whiff rate, along with a big curveball and a changeup that helps him neutralize right-handed hitters.

    The main area for improvement will be throwing more consistent strikes. Hill’s strikeout ability is already impressive, but reducing his walk rate will be key as he moves up the ladder. If his command improves while his velocity continues trending upward, Hill could quickly become one of the most exciting young left-handed pitching prospects in baseball and enter the top 100 by the end of the season.

    Connor Prielipp Ends the Year as the Twins Closer
    The Twins intend to keep Prielipp in the Triple-A rotation to start, especially because of big-league injuries that could spell an earlier need for his reinforcement than they anticipated when camp opened. His injury history, however, could shift him into a bullpen role.

    Prielipp missed nearly all of 2023 after undergoing internal brace surgery on his elbow. He returned in 2024 for limited action and finally logged more than 80 innings in 2025 while pitching at the upper levels of the minors. His performance was strong enough to earn him a spot on the Twins' 40-man roster during the offseason.

    When healthy, Prielipp has exceptionally impressive stuff. His fastball averages around 95 mph and can reach 99, and it generated more swings and misses once he reached Triple-A. He also added a two-seamer late in the season. His upper-80s slider features elite spin rates and grades as a plus pitch, while his changeup also produces plenty of swings and misses. He has even begun experimenting with a curveball to round out his repertoire.

    If durability becomes a concern, a bullpen move could help. His power arsenal may be more effective in shorter outings. In that role, Prielipp could reach Minnesota quickly and end the year in late-inning situations.

    The Twins' farm system features several promising young arms who could take meaningful steps forward in 2026. Quick has the raw stuff to dominate in the minors as he builds a full professional workload. Hill has the potential to emerge as one of the organization’s biggest breakout prospects. Prielipp could eventually find his path to the big leagues through the bullpen, where his electric repertoire might play even better.

    With several pitching prospects nearing the upper levels, 2026 could signal a new wave of Twins arms in Minnesota.


    What are your predictions for the Twins' pitching pipeline in 2026? Leave a comment and start the discussion.


    Interested in learning more about the Minnesota Twins' top prospects? Check out our comprehensive top prospects list that includes up-to-date stats, articles and videos about every prospect, scouting reports, and more!

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    I'm with you on Hill and Quick. I have my doubts on your assessment of Prielipp. He might end up in the bullpen, but closer seems too much. I think there's a chance it will be Hendricks. He's not there yet, but he's a bulldog and he'll be hard to keep down. I hope they make room for him on the roster.

    How can we not be excited about all three.  Especially those two young guns who should make several stops this summer.  Hopefully both are at AA come August.

    Considering how much time he has missed, I continue being impressed by Prielipp's rapid journey thru the system.  Don't know and really don't care what his role is with the Twins come summer.  I just want to see him on the mound at Target Field.

    Quick is a fun prospect and there's a ton to like in him. Can he stay healthy and turn that stuff into production? I'm looking forward to finding out. I suspect the Twins will be a little careful with his workload this season since he's pitched so little overall in his college career, and that might hold him back from winning an award...but that kind of stuff could be really dominant in A-ball even if he still needs refinement in his command & control.

    Hill did very well in his first season of pro ball, but he definitely has a fair bit to work on. Those walk rates just aren't sustainable for long. If he shows real progress on filling up the strike zone, though, he could crack that top 100. He's got all the things prospect evaluators look for: height, stuff, and he's still very young. Will he make AA at 20? Not with a BB/9 over 5...

    Prelipp may be in competition with Festa and several others for the Closer hat, and that assumes he is moved off a starting role for a non-injury reason. I'm gonna take the field on Young Twins 2026 Closer.  

    Quick and Hill are everything tempting and alluring and dangerous about pitching prospects. Hill looks effortless hitting 100, and Quick has never stumbled. But man, pro ball is really hard. I keep saying that, but the survivors that reach MLB are beating tremendous odds. This set of three choices reflects some wishful thinking, which I love in mid-March, but the fact that Bailey Ober and SWR are the guys with the most big league innings isn't because they were the best at each step along the way, it's because they kept taking the ball, they stayed on the mound, they kept improving. Joe Ryan has made more than anyone expected out of his middling but unique FB and staying fairly healthy. That may be why the less flashy Klein and Morris are so prominent around here. 

    I'd be thrilled for any of these guys to reach their potential, but the math is against them. Blessing, boys, and hope to see you across the river one of these years.

    I'm a fan of all three guys mentioned, and Soto of course if he can stay healthy. So much with young arms comes down to health, so just have to hope for the best there.

    I've been seeing a lot of Twins fans giving up on Prielipp which is sad. Are his number mind blowing? No of course not, he hasn't even pitched 100 innings yet. People also forget how injury ridden Crochet was before becoming a star. Happy endings do happen and Prielipp has the upside to really blossom, and I would keep him a started as long as possible.

    Dasan should already be top 100 in my opinion & I can't wait to see the 4 draftees (Quick, Ellwanger, Barr & Slenderman Reitz) pitch this year

    Prielipp: I think his staying a starter for now makes sense. He's still refining his 2 seamer and his new curveball. Being a starter allows for thst work to take place. And there's still real upside of him as a starting pitcher. Let's not forget, he's still working on the subtitles of actually pitching, like setting batters up. I have no doubt he could be a great reliever. And maybe he has his IP monitored by pitching out of the Twins pen at the end of the year. But I don't know that I agree with him being the closer. 

    Hill: Great velocity, quality secondary offerings, 12K per 9, and a .196 AVERAGE against are all tremendous. A little more stamina, and get the BB down to around 3 puts him easily in the top 100 for 2027. It might also get him to AA at some point next season.

    Quick: He's very exciting. I think they got a top 20 talent as a steal. No question he sees A+ in 2026. But might he also reach AA late in the year? I think it's possible.

    Everyone is rightfully excited about Ellwanger. And it's hard not to be intrigued about Reitz if he can get all that 6' 11" moving smoothly. I believe I've heard he's already touching high 90's. But 5th rounder Matt Barr has my attention. Dominating the way he did at his JC and then being recruited to play at powerhouse Tennessee should have everyone watching him very closely. He's pretty young...19yo when drafted...but I think there's a lot of talent/projection there.



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