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Right-handed pitching prospect Paulshawn Pasqualotto began his 2026 campaign with High-A Cedar Rapids, operating as the Kernels' primary closer. Through 18 innings pitched, the 25-year-old generated a 1.50 ERA, 1.96 FIP, and 44.1% strikeout rate, while netting four saves. He was promoted to Double-A Wichita, where he took on a setup role, netting a 3.94 ERA, 3.57 FIP, and a 24.3% strikeout rate over 16 innings pitched before being promoted to Triple-A St. Paul on July 2.
It took Pasqualotto only 34 innings pitched to make the substantial jump from High-A to Triple-A. Minnesota Twins decision-makers are rushing the 12th-round pick through the high minors, seemingly with the intention of converting the former starting pitching prospect into a viable major-league relief option. The young righty made his Triple-A debut against the Buffalo Bisons on July 3, striking out three in a scoreless inning and earning his first save as a Saint.
Pasqualotto’s ascension isn’t unique, as fellow former starting prospects Mike Paredes, Alejandro Hidalgo, and CJ Culpepper have been promoted aggressively this season, with eyes on them impacting the major-league pitching staff in some capacity. Obviously, Paredes already has done so. Yet, Pasqualotto has been promoted the most aggressively, signaling that the Twins might view him as an arm that could soon become a member of the parent club’s pen.
Right now, Minnesota has the fifth-worst bullpen in baseball, according to Wins Above Replacement at FanGraphs (fWAR). Yoendrys Gómez and Andrew Morris have developed into viable late-inning arms. None of Taylor Rogers, Travis Adams, Eric Orze, Kody Funderburk, Marco Raya, or Woo-Suk Go can be trusted in high-leverage roles, at least right now. That being the case, Derek Shelton is often forced to use inconsistent arms in high-leverage situations, which has led to multiple late-game collapses.
It would be silly to suggest Pasqualotto would immediately become a reliable late-inning arm. He has less experience and is of a lower prospect stature than the young arms that presently populate the bottom of Minnesota’s bullpen, in Raya and Go. Given how dire a state Minnesota’s bullpen is in, however, Pasqualotto could soon earn a 40-man roster spot and join the club’s eight-pitcher relief unit, especially if he can build off his impressive Triple-A debut.
Pasqualotto has excelled at pounding the zone between Double-A and Triple-A, sporting a near-elite called plus swinging strike rate (CSW%), zone contact rate, and whiff rate between the two levels. The right-handed arm’s stuff isn’t particularly eye-popping, with his four-seam, slider, and cutter grading out as slightly below average. As noted earlier, however, he locates his pitches incredibly well, mixing his two fastball variants and slider with his change, which operates as his out pitch against left-handed hitters. His slider functions as his out pitch against righties.
Sitting around 96 MPH, Pasqualotto’s four-seamer is his foundational pitch, which he throws against hitters of either handedness. The young righty has utilized his four-pitch mix to produce an impressive 34.7% strikeout rate between Double- and Triple-A this season, proving that he has the potential to miss bats in the majors. He does struggle with control, as evidenced by a 14.8% walk rate. Still, Pasqualotto has impressed while being promoted aggressively, missing bats at each stop. Minnesota’s bullpen is in dire straits and in need of young, high-upside internal options to fill out the bottom half of the unit.
Pasqualotto is already a twin. He has a twin sister named Brooklyn, and frankly, his first name suggests that his parents were anticipating twin boys or triplets, and so he ended up being named like an entire set of twins. It's nearly time to capitalize that 't' and see how it suits Pasqualotto.
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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