Seth Stohs

Image courtesy of © Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images On Wednesday afternoon, the Minnesota Twins announced that they had claimed utilityman Ryan Kreidler off of waivers from the Pittsburgh Pirates. The 27-year-old became available on the waiver wire on Monday when the Pirates DFAd him in favor of outfielder Will Robertson. A native of northern California, Kreidler went to UCLA. In 2019, he was the fourth-round draft pick of the Detroit Tigers. He moved fairly quickly up the organizational ladder and was called up in September of 2022 to make his debut. In 26 games that year, he hit .178 which, unfortunately is easily the best batting average he has put up in short big-league stints in 2023, 2024 and 2025. In 89 games over four years with the Tigers, he hit a combined .138/.208/.176 (.383) with one double and two home runs. In the big leagues, he has played 42 games at shortstop, 24 games at third base, 19 games in center field, five games at second base, and one game in left field. In 2023, he missed time with a knee injury and then later had surgery for a core-muscle injury. In 2024, he had surgery on the index finger of his throwing hand and missed significant time. In late August this season, the Tigers DFAd Kreidler, and he was claimed by the Pittsburgh Pirates. He spent a week on the Pirates big-league roster but didn't get into a game. Will he remain on the Twins 40-man roster throughout the offseason? We shall see. However, he is were to be DFAd and cleared waivers, he will become a free agent. He is also out of options after this season. MORE TRANSACTIONS Minor league transactions just kind of happen here and there throughout the offseason as needed. The Twins recently made a couple of moves. First, Erasmo Ramirez was able to elect free agency and did just that. Previously, Noah Davis, Darren McCaughan and Brooks Kriske elected free agency as well. RHP Sebastian Pulido was released. The 19-year-old pitched in just six games for the FCL Twins in 2025. In 9 1/3 innings, he had a 5.79 ERA, had five walks and struck out 11 batters. 22-year-old Venezuelan right-hander Anthony Narvaez was also released. In 2025, he pitched in five games for the FCL Twins and seven games for Fort Myers. Combined, he worked 16 2/3 innings and had a 2.70 ERA, eight walks and 14 strikeouts. He signed with the Twins in March of 2022. He spent significant time on the injured lists each of the past three seasons. Tyler Stasiowski signed with the Twins in August of 2024 as a non-drafted free agent out of the University of California. He pitched in just three games late in the 2024 season. He spent the 2025 season with the Mussels. In 35 games and 47 innings, the 24-year-old posted a 6.70 ERA and had 22 walks and 45 strikeouts. He was released last week. Peyton Carr was the Twins 10th round pick in 2024 out of High Point University. He played in 84 games this season for Fort Myers and hit .226/.332/.322 (.654) with nine doubles, two homers and four homers. He moved up to Cedar Rapids late in the year and went 1-for-8 (.125) over three games. The hit was a double. The 23-year-old Fort Myers native was released as well. And finally, what will certainly be a surprise to no one, the Twins released LHP Matt Mikulski as well. In 2021, the Giants made him their second-round pick. That season at Fordham (his fourth season there), he went 9-0 and had 124 strikeouts in 68 1/3 innings. In 2022, he went 4-5 with a 6.95 ERA in 18 starts (22 games). Then in 2023 at High-A, he posted a 6.75 ERA and had 54 walks and 71 strikeouts in 66 2/3 innings. He made the move to the bullpen early that season. He repeated the level in 2024 and posted a 5.58 ERA with 41 walks and 55 strikeouts in 59 2/3 innings. At the end of spring training in 2025, the Giants released him. In late May, the Astros signed him. He posted a 16.88 ERA in three outings in the FCL. He moved up to High-A and posted a 5.68 ERA in 12 2/3 innings over nine appearances. And then the Twins and Astros began talking about Carlos Correa. On deadline day, the Twins sent Correa back to the Astros in exchange for the southpaw Mikulski. The Twins knew what they were getting, and that was a whole bunch of cost savings to Correa over the coming years. He posted a 10.13 ERA in six games with the Kernels and had 13 walks, two hit batters and seven strikeouts in his 5 1/3 innings in Cedar Rapids. Again, no surprised he was released. View full article

Image courtesy of © Bruce Kluckhohn-Imagn Images RHP Michael Tonkin Age on Opening Day 2026: 36 Service Time: 5 years, 44 days. 2023 Salary: $750,000 2024 Salary: $1,000,000 2025 Salary: $1,000,000 MLB Trade Rumor Estimate: $1.4 million Background A California native, the Twins drafted Michael Tonkin in the 30th round of the 2008 draft. His “claim to fame” at that point was being Jason Kubel’s brother-in-law. He has carved out a pretty solid career of his own to this point. He made his MLB debut with nine games in 2013. He pitched in 141 games (149 K in 146 1/3 innings) for the Twins from 2013 through 2018. In 2018, he pitched in Japan. He came back to the States in 2019 but pitched in a variety of cities and leagues. In 2019, he pitched for Long Island (Atlantic League), Reno (Diamondbacks) and Nashville (Brewers). Like most, he didn’t pitch in 2020. He returned to Long Island in 2021 but also pitched some for Tijuana in the Mexican League. He signed with the Braves in 2022 and pitched well for Triple-A Gwinnett. He was 5-2, had 16 saves, and dominated with 73 strikeouts and just 15 walks in 48 1/3 innings. He pitched in one game for Gwinnett in 2023 before making his return to the big leagues after five years out of the league. He pitched in 45 games for Atlanta and was 7-3 with a save in 80 innings. 2024 was a transaction-filled season for Tonkin. He signed with the Mets in the offseason and pitched in three games before being DFAd. The Twins claimed him on April 9th. He gave up two runs over two innings in one game before the Twins DFAd him. The Mets claimed him and he pitched in back-to-back games against the Dodgers before they DFAd him again. The Yankees claimed him, and he made two appearances in April. That means that he pitched for four MLB teams in MLB games before the calendar turned to May. Fortunately, he was able to stick in The Bronx for a while. He gave up just two earned runs in MayHe gave up two earned runs in 13 appearances in June. He struggled in July and gave up runs in six of his 10 outings, but never more than two runs. In August, he pitched in seven games and gave up runs in four of them including three runs twice. The Yankees DFAd him near the end of August. The Twins were mid-collapse, so he pitched in 20 games for the Twins to end the season. Overall in 13 games for the Twins, he posted a 3.86 ERA. In 16 1/3 innings, he had seven walks and 22 strikeouts. Combined with his success with the Yankees, the Twins tendered him a contract for 2025, avoiding arbitration. 2025 Season Tonkin came to spring training and in March, he was diagnosed with a rotator cuff strain. He began a rehab assignment in late April but after just one game he was pulled off of the rehab assignment because of biceps tendinitis. He went on the 60-Day Injured List. A month later (early June), he returned to the Saints to continue his rehab. It wasn’t long before Tonkin came off of the IL and was DFAd. Unclaimed, he stayed with the Twins and continued pitching for the Saints. He began July with six games in which he went 8 1/3 innings and gave up no runs on one hit and two walks. He had 11 strikeouts. He was back. He made one more appearance in St. Paul before rejoining the big league club. Shortly after the trade deadline, he was thrown into more late-inning, high-leverage situations. He had a stretch of six games in mid-August in which he gave up no runs over 7 2/3 innings. In that stretch, he gave up no hits, walked three and struck out seven. It was a season of ups and downs. Twins 2025 Stats: 21 G, 24 IP, 20 H, 8 BB, 19 K, 4.88 ERA, 1.17 WHIP Twins Depth at his Position (Right-Handed Relief Pitchers) 40-man roster: Travis Adams, David Festa, Thomas Hatch, Cody Laweryson, Pierson Ohl, Arbitration-Eligible: Cole Sands, Justin Topa, Triple-A: Marco Raya (40), Cory Lewis, Jarret Whorff, Matt Canterino, Double-A: Mike Paredes, Jacob Wosinski, Hunter Hoopes, John Stankiewicz, Summary: This is kind of a weird summary to write since an MLB bullpen will likely include eight relief pitchers, and one or two are left-handed, so there are options. The other thing to consider is Triple-A starters and young MLB guys could move to the bullpen and take a spot. So, this is certainly not a full list. Could David Festa and/or Zebby Matthews move to the bullpen? Could Connor Prielipp impress enough in spring training or early in the season to be considered for a bullpen job? The best story would be Matt Canterino being fully healthy and finally getting a Why the Twins Should Offer Him Arbitration First and foremost, in today’s game, $1.4 million is not much money. While I can’t imagine anyone seeing Tonkin as a late-inning, high-leverage option at this point, Tonkin still has enough velocity and a solid sweeper when he is on. He can be a solid middle-innings innings eater who can also handle the stress of a tough situation and come back again. There is value in having a couple of veterans on a roster and in a bullpen. It may be even more important in what could be a difficult season in 2026. While the future may be for the 20 somethings, guys who throw harder and have a certain presence, having a guy who has been there and done that, seem ups and downs, and played in different environments around the world. Granted, you don’t necessarily pay a lot for those intangibles and experience, there is value in it. Why the Twins Should Non-Tender Him The Twins do have a lot of arms that could pitch in the big leagues in 2026. We saw several young pitchers make their debuts this year. Pitchers like Travis Adams, Pierson Ohl, and Cody Laweryson got their first taste of the big leagues in 2026. Depending on trade plans surrounding the current top starters, there could be enough starting pitchers that some couple be moved into the bullpen and get called up. Guys like Connor Prielipp and Marco Raya who had starts and innings and pitch limits could come up and pitch three innings twice a week or something. Could flamethrowers like Festa, Matthews, Bradley or Abel go the Varland Route and dominate out of the bullpen? With so many arms hopefully earning opportunities, it would be easy to say a guy like Tonkin could be non-tendered particularly if you don’t believe that player won’t be willing or able to share lessons learned and their experiences to help the young players. (There is unquantifiable value in that, no question!) Projection Honestly, I think that the Twins should attempt to do with Tonkin what they did last year. It would appear that the Twins went to Tonkin and his representatives with a dollar value they were comfortable with. Last year that was $1 million. Maybe for 2026 that number can be $1 million to $1.15 million. It is enough that it’s worth the player taking, knowing if they’re non-tendered, they’re more likely to get a minor-league deal with nothing guaranteed. In addition, the Twins have used the tactic of signing a reliever each year to a deal maybe 25% over the league minimum. That way, the Twins can DFA him knowing that he isn’t likely to be claimed. They can get him to Triple-A and keep him pitching, ready to rejoin the big league club as needed. We’ve seen that in recent years with Jharel Cotton, Jay Jackson, and even Tonkin last year. If Tonkin isn’t willing to sign for the $1 million to $1.15 million offer, then I would non-tender him. I’d try to offer him a minor-league contract with a spring invitation, but he might get other offers. And, frankly, the Twins (and all other teams) will sign multiple pitchers to minor-league details that can fill a similar role. What do you think about Michael Tonkin, and his potential role in 2026? Consider his stats and your observations when watching him pitch, and his pitches, are there reasons they should keep him? Easy DFA? Work out some other agreement? What would you do? View full article

Just FYI... I completely agree that Prielipp should continue starting, at least to start the season. But if they're still semi-competitive in June/July, and they've got 5-6 starters who are all doing just fine, and the bullpen has a need, I have no problem with turning to him. At this point, who knows if Lopez, Ryan, or Ober will be back. What will they do with Zebby and Festa and Adams, etc? Zebby, Bradley, Abel, SWR, all ended the season strong. Lots of unknowns.

Image courtesy of © Denny Medley-Imagn Images LHP Genesis Cabrera Age on Opening Day 2026: 29 Service Time: 5 years, 149 days. 2023 Salary: $950,000 2024 Salary: $1,512,500 2025 Salary: MILB Contract 2026 MLB Trade Rumor Estimate: $1.4 million Background Born in the Dominican Republic, Genesis Cabrera signed with the Tampa Bay Rays in November of 2013. He went to the Cardinals in a trade deadline deal that sent Tommy Pham to the Rays. He made his MLB debut as a 22-year-old in May of 2019 and since then has pitched in 312 big-league games. He spent parts of five seasons in St. Louis before being a deadline acquisition of the Blue Jays in 2023. He stayed in Toronto through the 2024 season. 2025 Season Cabrera signed a minor-league deal with the Mets. After a month in the minors, he was called up to the Mets. He made six appearances before being DFAd. The Cubs claimed him, and he pitched in nine games over about a month on the North Side. He was again DFAd, but this time he was claimed by the Pirates. He pitched in nine games before being released by the Pirates. Shortly after, the Twins had just traded more than half of their bullpen. They signed him to a minor-league contract in early August. He pitched in one game for the Saints before the Twins called him up. He spent the final six weeks of the season in the big leagues. 2025 Stats (Overall): 40 G, 42 2/3 IP, 46 H, 18 BB, 35 K, 6.54 ERA, 1.50 WHIP. 2025 Stats (Twins): 16 G, 14 2/3 IP, 17 H, 11 BB, 13 K, 7.98 ERA, 1.91 WHIP. Twins Depth at his Position (Left-Handed Pitcher): Kody Funderburk - 40-man roster Anthony Misiewicz - Arbitration-Eligible Triple-A: Aaron Rozek, Christian MacLeod, Kendry Rojas, Connor Prielipp Double-A: Gabriel Yanez, Kade Bragg, Jaylen Nowlin, Summary: I would assume that the Twins will want to keep Kendry Rojas and Connor Prielipp as starters, at least early in the season. Bragg is probably the top left-handed relief pitcher prospect in the organization. Why the Twins Should Offer Him Arbitration At this time, Cabrera, Anthony Misiewicz and Kody Funderburk are the lone lefties on the Twins 40-man roster. Like Cabrera, Misiewicz is also arbitration eligible. Cabrera has had success in the big leagues. He throws hard and is still on the right side of 30. If Pete Maki (or whoever the Twins' pitching coach is) thinks there is something there, then bring him in. Why the Twins Should Non-Tender Him Cabrera was a minor-league signing a year ago and pitched for four teams during the 2025 season. His stats were not good, so there is no reason to think he’s earned a big-league contract. At this stage, he’s a replacement level type of player. I mean, that’s what he was for the Twins. They traded seven pitchers and five starters in late July; the Twins needed arms. He became a free agent about that time, and the Twins used him as a lefty reliever to finish out the season. Projection: I think that it is an easy decision to non-tender Genesis Cabrera. However, with a fastball at 95 and a sometimes-solid slider, it isn’t crazy to think that with a couple of tweaks, he could again become a solid reliever. He’s also left-handed. He would be a guy I would try to bring back with a minor-league contract with an invitation to big-league spring training. Relievers are volatile from year to year. We’ve seen it many times. One year can be bad and the next solid. What do you think about Genesis Cabrera? Consider his stats and your observations when watching him pitch, and his pitches, are there reasons they should keep him? Easy DFA? Work out some other agreement? What would you do? View full article

Image courtesy of © Malcolm Emmons-Imagn Images The Twins have been in Minnesota for about 65 years. One of the players who came to Minnesota from Washington was Harmon Killebrew. When people attempt to create a list of the top players in the team’s history, Killebrew remains at the top of that list. When looking at the Twins record book, a large percentage of categories have Killebrew’s name right at the top. “Killer” played a total of 22 seasons in the big leagues. He spent parts of seven seasons with the Senators and then spent the 1961 through 1974 in a Twins uniform. He ended his career with a season with the Royals. He played in the 1965 World Series when the Twins lost in seven games to the Dodgers. He hit 573 home runs. He won an MVP (1969). He finished second once, third once, and fourth two times. He played in 13 All Star games. He led the league in home runs six times and in RBI three times. He also led the league in walks four times and had seven seasons in which he walked at least 100 times. Inexplicably, it took the Baseball Writers four ballots to vote him into the Hall of Fame, an honor he finally received in 1984. Harmon Killebrew was a great baseball player, but those who knew him will always talk about how kind he was and how much he did for people in the community. Following his career, he was involved in several endeavors. He spent time in the ‘80s as a color analyst on broadcasts. He was active in the Twins community and at events. He grew up in Payette, Idaho. In 2011, at the age of 74, he passed away due to cancer in 2011. The Twins decided to continue the Killebrew legacy of community work by creating the Harmon Killebrew Award for Community Service. Each season, the organization recognizes one player from each of the Twins four full-season affiliates. Each affiliate’s General Manager nominates players and lets the organization know what type of community work the players have done. Recently, the Twins announced their 2025 Killebrew Award winners. St. Paul Saints: C Noah Cardenas Noah Cardenas has been doing good in his communities for many years. In fact, he received the Killebrew Award in 2002 at Fort Myers and in 2023 in Cedar Rapids. Cardenas, who turned 26 during the season’s final month, began the 2025 season in Wichita. In 30 games, he was hitting .257/.409/.416 (.825) with seven doubles and three home runs. In mid-June, he earned his promotion to St. Paul. In 39 games, he hit .234/.364/.458 (.822) with three doubles and seven RBI. He was remarkably consistent with the bat. Just look at the consistency in the OPS. Defensively, he’s always been consistently strong behind the plate. The UCLA product has also been very consistent off the field. He joined the Saints on June 10th, and he happily spent a ton of time in the community right away, consistently volunteering for pretty much anything. Specifically, he made four visits to the Children’s Hospital Star Studio. He visited patients in their rooms. He participated in a couple of baseball camps. He volunteered at Catholic Charities and served meals to the less fortunate. That wasn’t set up by the Saints. He did it on his own, just because he wants to serve people. Over his pro career (as evidenced through these awards), he has helped a lot of people, signed a lot of autographs, and put a lot of smiles on the faces of fans and especially the kids who get to chat with him. Wichita Wind Surge: RHP Ricky Castro Castro had a nice first-full season in the Twins organization in 2025. He pitched in 28 games including 15 starts, all with the Wind Surge. He went 3-4 with a 5.48 ERA. In his 95 1/3 innings, he had 93 strikeouts to just 31 walks. He was happy to have that opportunity to play the full season in Wichita and a part of the community. Castro, who turned 26 in August, was involved in a variety of community activities. He recently said, “Some ways we were involved in the community included construction with Habitat for Humanity, visiting patients in Wesley Children’s Hospital, interacting with dogs and their fosters for Kansas Humane Society. Some teammates were involved with The Lord’s Diner and Wichita Food Bank to feed the community from different angles.” Always humble, he added, “It’s such an honor and privilege to win this award. However, the award speaks for itself as it’s not about me in the slightest. I’ve learned that humans are all in this together, no matter our background or current situation. Seeing one another as greater than yourself and finding ways to serve others is how I want to live. So I’m grateful we had so many opportunities this summer.” If you hadn’t heard much about Castro, here is the way-too-quick summary that brought him to the Twins and the 2025 season. Castro grew up a Cubs fan in Naperville, Illinois. After high school, he spent a year at Parkland College. He went to Purdue the following year but pitched in just three games due to the Covid season. He pitched in 27 games for the Boilermakers over the 2021 and 2022 seasons. He used his fifth year as a graduate student at Tulane. In 18 games, he made 16 starts and had 85 strikeouts to just 18 walks in 79 2/3 innings. He went undrafted and spent that summer with the Joliet Slammers in the independent Frontier League. That’s where he began the 2024 season, but after three starts, the Twins signed him in late May. He pitched in eight games for the Mighty Mussels and then moved up to Cedar Rapids where he pitched in seven games. Castro noted, “Since my time with the Twins, I’ve learned more about who Harmon Killebrew was as both a player and a person. He left an incredible legacy on and off the field. Outside of his Hall of Fame career, he is remembered for his humility, kindness, and eagerness to generously serve others. I admire how he brought the community together to support cancer research through his foundation and how he created opportunities for children with disabilities to play baseball at Miracle League fields. All in all, he treated people with kindness and compassion, which is something I strive to do.” Cedar Rapids Kernels: RHP Nick Trabacchi Castro took a roundabout route to affiliated ball. Nick Trabacchi’s route was equally circuitous. But once he got to the Twins, he made a strong impression, especially in the Cedar Rapids community. He signed with the Twins in late May and assigned him to the Kernels. Almost immediately, he became quite active with many of the community events that the Kernels participate in. He joined other players at the stadium for a youth baseball camp. He also spent time at the Veteran’s Administration (VA). In fact, he called it, “My favorite event.” He continued, “I know many that have served in the military or still serve for us. (I) was honored to express my appreciation to those who were there, but actually, they all had some awesome (and funny) stories, and I just had a great time.” The 26-year-old spent hours talking to veterans in their hospital rooms. He spent quite a bit of time just standing near the front door, greeting veterans and their families. Of the award, Trabacci said, “I am incredibly honored and humbled to receive this prestigious award. All of my teammates were just as deserving which makes it that much more special for me.” Nick Trabacchi grew up on Long Island. After graduating from Smithtown high school, he went to Maryland-Baltimore County. A fracture in his back cut his freshman year short, and he pitched in 2019 with a back brace. As a junior, he transferred to Division II Shepherd University. He made just two starts before Covid ended that 2020 season. He made 23 appearances over the next two seasons at Shepherd. Undrafted, he went the independent route. From 2022 through April of 2025, he spent time in the Pecos League, the Atlantic League, and the Frontier League in places like Bakersfield, Long Island, Empire State, Charleston, Quebec, and Hagerstown. This season, he was pitching for the New Jersey Jackals in the Frontier League. After eight appearances, he posted a 0.73 ERA and a 0.73 WHIP. In 12 1/3 innings, he had 20 strikeouts and just one walk. He posted a 3.81 ERA over 20 games for the Kernels. In 28 1/3 innings, he had 28 strikeouts and 12 walks. He recently told Twins Daily, “I feel incredibly blessed that I get to play baseball and even more as a Twins player. I still recall all the awesome moments I had as a kid with ballplayers, and it kind of drives the way I view each community I’m part of each season.” He added, “Obviously Harmon Killebrew is a Twins icon, but he was known as being a better person than a baseball player… which is unreal because he’s in the Hall of Fame. I feel that’s the standard when we’re as fortunate as we are to be in the position we are as professionals.” Fort Myers Mighty Mussels: RHP Eli Jones After three seasons at the University of South Carolina, the Twins made him their seventh-round draft pick in the 2024 MLB draft. He made his professional debut in 2025 with the Mighty Mussels. He went 2-10 over 23 games (18 starts) with a 5.13 ERA. In exactly 100 innings, he had 84 strikeouts and 40 walks. Off the field, he made a strong impression on the organization and in the Fort Myers community. Mussels’ General Manager Judd Loveland said, “Eli Jones has been a leader in the Mussels’ clubhouse throughout his first professional season. He goes above and beyond with his interactions with the Fort Myers fans and community.” Congratulations to each of these players on their well-earned and well-deserved recipients of the Killebrew Award. View full article

I completely believe that Buxton has meant everything he has said about the Twins and the community and wanting to stay, and "I'm not going anywhere." But he's 31, he's put in his time, and if there are no other veterans (Pablo, Ryan, etc.), I will not blame him at all for being willing to accept a trade. I'd be happy for him if he was traded to Atlanta so his family would be at or near home.

Which doesn't matter even a little bit.

Laweryson, not a lefty...

I don't think he really got tired so much as they were working the plan. The plan both in terms of innings or pitches, but also what he was throwing and how much. The fact that he ended the season with six strong innings for St. Paul is very encouraging. He's definitely put himself on the map as a guy we could see in some role in 2026.

I should wait to watch the whole thing before commenting... you made the above comment about 2 minutes after I sent the above. I went with John Klein as my #1 as well.

You mentioned me agreeing that it was a difficult year of voting. For me, it was difficult because the top four hitters all were very deserving of it (Gonzalez, Rosario, Fedko, Culpepper). However, on the pitcher side, there weren't really any obvious choices, in part because of how they used pitchers in the minor leagues.

Image courtesy of Rob Thompson, St. Paul Saints (graphic by Thieres Rabelo) The categories have become blurred. What is the role of a starter? What is the role of a reliever? In the Twins system, they have several pitchers who started but usually worked just three or four innings. There were several relievers that would frequently pitch three to four innings when they worked. And in many cases, those pitchers flipped roles. So, distinguishing whether a pitcher is a starter or a reliever is more difficult. We decided that to be considered a starting pitcher, the pitcher had to make at least nine starts. Then some common sense was needed. If a pitcher played in eight games and all eight of them were starts, that guy is a starter. Of course, if a guy made just eight appearances all season, it’s hard to imagine that pitcher finishing in the top five or six in the organization. Today we are highlighting the top performing relief pitchers in the Minnesota Twins organization in 2025. We will help you get to know the top four performers, but let’s start with some Honorable Mentions. Honorable Mentions RHP Cody Laweryson (27), Wichita/St. Paul: 34 G, 2-4, 6 Saves, 2.86 ERA, 1.27 WHIP, 44 IP, 42 H, 14 BB, 45 K. RHP Ruddy Gomez (25), Ft. Myers/Cedar Rapids: 27 G, 1-3, 12 Saves, 1.69 ERA, 0.94 WHIP, 37 1/3 IP, 25 H, 10 BB, 51 K. Others Receiving Votes: RHP Jacob Kisting, LHP Samuel Perez, LHP Zander Sechrist Here are the top four players for the Twins Daily Relief Pitcher of the Year, leading up to the choice for the Twins Minor League Relief Pitcher of the Year. 4. RHP Hunter Hoopes (25), Ft. Myers/Cedar Rapids/Wichita 42 G, 6-5, 2 Saves, 3.27 ERA, 0.92 WHIP, 52 1/3 IP, 25 H, 23 BB, 64 K. Hoopes grew up in Fairfax, Virginia, where he starred on the basketball court and on the baseball diamond at WT Woodson High School. A top prospect in the state, he headed to UNC Asheville for the 2019 and 2020 seasons. In 2021, he pitched at John A. Logan Community College. From there, he went to the University of Alabama where he pitched in 2022 and 2023. He went undrafted and pitched for Schaumburg in the independent Frontier League that summer. He began working as a trainer at Tread Athletics in Charlotte, North Carolina. It might just be the video below, posted on all of the company’s social media, of him throwing 107.5 mph, that got the Twins interested. (Note: When you see those videos, the balls being thrown are lighter than regular baseballs, so it doesn’t mean that is how hard he throws all the time. But, it certainly will get you noticed.) data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAPABAP///wAAACH5BAEKAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAICRAEAOw== In July of 2024, he signed a minor-league contract with the Twins and was assigned to the FCL Twins. Like players drafted, he didn’t pitch in games. He began this season in Fort Myers and pitched 21 innings and 16 games. He had a 2.14 ERA, a 0.96 WHIP, and nine walks to 32 strikeouts. He quickly moved up to Cedar Rapids and worked 17 1/3 innings over 14 games. He posted a 1.56 ERA, a 0.64 WHIP, and he had five walks to 20 strikeouts. The Twins moved him up quickly to Double-A Wichita where he found his first struggles. In 12 games and 14 innings, he had an ERA of 7.07. However, there is no reason whatsoever to focus the attention on that last quarter of his season, especially since he hadn’t pitched this much in two years. Early in the season, he was averaging about 93-94 mph with his fastball. He frequently hit 95, 96 and even 97 a few times. He also throws a changeup which can be really good. At times he has shown an ability to throw the changeup 15 mph slower than his fastball. But it is going to be his fastball, as well as his ability to throw strikes that will keep him potentially moving up. 3. LHP Kade Bragg (24), LHP, Ft. Myers/Cedar Rapids/Wichita 42 G, 8-2, 5 Saves, 2.94 ERA, 1.13 WHIP, 67 1/3 IP, 45 H, 31 BB, 82 K. Bragg grew up in Ennis, Texas, a city with a population approaching 25,000. Technically, it is part of the Dallas-Ft. Worth market, but it is approximately a 35 mile drive south on Highway 45. He went to Weatherford College out of high school, a Community College about 60 miles west of downtown Dallas. In 2023, he went to Division II Angelo State in San Angelo, Texas, a four-hour drive west of Texas. He pitched in 18 games including 16 starts. He went 15-1 with a 1.20 ERA and a 0.98 WHIP. In 104 2/3 innings, he gave up just 63 hits, walked 39 and had 124 strikeouts. The Twins made him their 17th round pick in 2023. He began his pro career in 2024 in Fort Myers, but after just six innings, he missed the rest of the season. However, he was able to pitch in the Arizona Fall League after the season. He had 13 walks and 13 strikeouts in 13 2/3 innings. He began this season with nine games in Fort Myers where he had four walks and 18 strikeouts in nine appearances and 12 innings. He moved up to Cedar Rapids where he pitched in 33 innings over 18 games. He had 18 walks and 43 strikeouts. He then was promoted to Double-A Wichita. He pitched in 22 1/3 innings over 15 games. He had nine walks and 21 strikeouts. data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAPABAP///wAAACH5BAEKAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAICRAEAOw== The southpaw has a solid pitch mix and a delivery that can be a bit deceptive. He has a low-to-mid-90s fastball with significant run in on a left-hander. He’s also got a strong slider with sink and slide. He also has a mid-90s changeup and a cutter. He will need to continue working on improving his control and command, but his 11.0 K/9 tells us he has a strong ability to miss bats. 2. RHP Mike Paredes, 25, Wichita/St. Paul 38 G, 11-0, 7 Saves, 2.38 ERA, 1.01 WHIP, 105 2/3 IP, 79 H, 28 BB, 92 K. Paredes grew up in San Diego and attended San Diego High School. He pitched on the varsity for four years. After his prep career, he didn’t go too far. He made the 11 mile drive from his high school to San Diego State University. His freshman season (2019), he made five starts and 12 relief appearances. He went 3-3 with a 5.29 ERA. He made four starts in 2020 before Covid ended the season. He was 1-1 with a 4.05 ERA in 20 innings. He came back in 2021 and pitched in 14 games (11 starts). He was 4-0 with a 5.59 ERA. In 77 1/3 innings. He had 65 strikeouts. The Twins drafted him in the 18th round of the 2021 draft and pitched twice for the FCL Twins that summer. He was 7-4 with a 3.27 ERA with 16 walks and 63 strikeouts in 85 1/3 innings for Fort Myers in 2022. In 2023, he moved up to Cedar Rapids where he went 7-1 with a 3.14 ERA and 58 strikeouts in 63 innings. He split that season between Cedar Rapids and Wichita. Paredes began the 2025 season in Wichita. He pitched in 37 games (2 starts), and in 103 2/3 innings, he went 11-0 with seven saves. He had a 2.43 ERA and a 1.03 WHIP. He was 2-3 with a 3.02 ERA and 61 strikeouts in 65 2/3 innings. He had 28 walks and had 91 strikeouts. data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAPABAP///wAAACH5BAEKAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAICRAEAOw== And following his fantastic season in Wichita, he ended the season by spending the final week with the Saints. He pitched in one game. He needed just 17 pitches to throw two scoreless innings. In those 17 pitches, he threw five different types of pitches. He threw just two fastballs, two curveballs, four cutters, four changeups, and five sliders. Despite it being the final game of his longest season, his fastball topped out at 94 mph. His other pitches were all in the mid-80s. The slow curve has a significant drop. The cutter and slider kind of run together. I’d assume that most of them are cutters, although once in a while it may break more, like a slider. His fastball has a little tail on it, and the changeup has a lot of tail and drops. 1. RHP Pierson Ohl, 25, Ft. Myers/Wichita/St. Paul 24 G, 5-3, 2 Saves, 2.40 ERA, 0.97 WHIP, 71 1/3 IP, 58 H, 11 BB, 86 K. Raise your hand if you knew the name Pierson Ohl before he was called up to the Minnesota Twins in late July. Those of you who follow Twins Daily’s minor-league content, he has certainly been referenced often. Ohl grew up in Simi Valley, California. He went to Grace Brethren High School. He went 22-3 over his four years of varsity baseball there. His senior year, he posted a 0.54 ERA in 64 2/3 innings. He was the league’s MVP, all-county and second team all-state. He chose to attend Grand Canyon University in Phoenix, Arizona. He immediately jumped into their starting rotation and made 16 starts as a freshman. He went 7-5 with a 3.45 ERA in 91 1/3 innings. In 2020, he made four starts before Covid ended the season. He was 1-2 with a 2.89 ERA over 28 innings. Over 119 1/3 innings those two seasons, he had 20 walks and just 83 strikeouts. In his junior season, he went 10-2 with a 2.60 ERA. In 100 1/3 innings, he had 12 walks and 103 strikeouts. The Twins saw enough to make him their 14th round pick in the 2021 draft and pitched in one FCL game that summer. He had 101 strikeouts and 13 walks over 91 2/3 innings in Fort Myers in 2022. He split the 2023 season between Cedar Rapids and Wichita. In 127 1/3 innings, he had just 18 walks and 115 strikeouts. He spent the full 2024 season with the Wind Surge and went 4-7 with a 4.68 ERA. That brings us to 2025. With so much pitching depth and prospects in St. Paul, he began the season back in Wichita. He also started a new role. He had primarily pitched as a starter but got some relief appearances in the past. For Ohl, he was used in the same type of role that several Twins minor league pitchers, including Travis Adams, Marco Raya, Darren Bowen, were used. He pitched in 13 games for the Surge. He worked between two and four innings in each outing but one (went 1 2/3 innings). Most of the time, that meant between 40 and 55 pitches. He went 4-1 with a 2.08 ERA. In 39 innings, he had just four walks and 46 strikeouts. data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAPABAP///wAAACH5BAEKAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAICRAEAOw== In late June, he was promoted to Triple-A St. Paul. He made seven appearances, all between two and four innings and between 31 and 68 pitches. Late in July, the Twins needed someone to make a spot start in a bullpen game. On July 29th, he made his debut against the Red Sox. His first inning included a strikeout by Roman Anthony, a strikeout by Alex Bregman, a double to Jarren Duran, and he ended it by strikeout in Trevor Story. data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAPABAP///wAAACH5BAEKAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAICRAEAOw== He tossed a 1-2-3 second inning with two fly outs and a pop out. Then came the third inning. It started with a ground out. However, he gave up a triple, a single, and a double that made it 2-0 Red Sox. Next, he struck out Duran. Unfortunately, Story followed with a two-run home run to make it 4-0. After a walk, he got the third out. Michael Tonkin came in for the fourth inning. In his debut, Ohl gave up four runs on five hits and a walk over three innings. He certainly struggled in four of five big-league games. However, in a game against the A’s, he gave up one run over four innings and then tossed three scoreless innings against the White Sox. Again, his role was to pitch between two and four innings. And he tossed between 36 and 72 pitches. He went down to St. Paul where he pitched twice. The Twins called him back up a week into September. He gave up four runs in 1 1/3 innings in his first outing, but he has now pitched four straight games without giving up a run. Baby steps. And, hey, this is the minor-league award, and Ohl was terrific this year. The fact that he got a big-league opportunity this season may have come because of what happened at the trade deadline, but he earned that opportunity. And, frankly, he has shown enough stuff to find success in a big-league role. How would your ballot look for the Twins' top relief pitchers in 2025? Leave a comment and start the discussion. View full article

On Tuesday morning, the Twins announced their minor league awards winners: Sherry Robertson Award (Minor League Player of the Year): Kaelen Culpepper Jim Rantz Award (Minor League Pitcher of the Year): Connor Prielipp The rest of the week, we will be naming the Twins Daily Minor League Award winners (Hitter, Starting Pitcher, Relief Pitcher) and soon after, our Twins Minor League All Stars. Will the voting align with the Twins? What do you think?

Image courtesy of Rob Thompson, St. Paul Saints (photo of Kyler Fedko) Earlier this week, the St. Paul Saints announced their 2025 award winners. Outfielder Carson McCusker was named the team’s MVP. Travis Adams was named the team’s pitcher of the year. Congratulations to each of them! On Sunday, the Saints played their final game of the 2025 season. (I’m not crying… you are!) This also marks the end of the Twins Daily Minor League Reports for the 2025 season (seriously, not crying!), but we’ll be back in 2026. Don’t worry! Of course, we will also again have a weekly update on how the Twins prospects are doing in the Arizona Fall League. We'll be watching those winter league box scores to see how any Twins are doing. Did You Know? RHP Ruddy Gomez and IF Dameury Pena were drafted last week in the Dominican Winter League draft. Gomez was the seventh-round pick by Tigres de Licey. Pena was the 13th-round pick of the Gigantes del Cibao. Last week, we announced the 2025 Twins Daily Short-Season Minor League Hitters and Pitchers of the Week. Our votes are in for the full season awards, and we’ll get those articles posted this week. FCL Twins Hitter of the Year FCL Twins Pitcher of the Year DSL Twins Hitter of the Year DSL Twins Pitcher of the Year As you know, the daily minor-league reports are a staple at Twins Daily. You’ve come to expect it and we sure enjoy writing it. There is a great group of commenters who read the report daily, discuss fun topics (or not-so-fun topics), and ask questions. We really do appreciate you, and your input. If you have any questions or comments, let us know in the comments or DM me. What are your favorite parts of it, and are there parts that seem unnecessary? We welcome your suggestions and look to continue making it a Must Read for fans. TRANSACTIONS None. SAINTS SENTINEL St. Paul 3, Memphis 8 Box Score A few solo home runs were not enough to earn a win for the Saints on Sunday. In fact, it wasn’t enough to reach the number of runs that they gave up in the first inning. After two straight wins, the Saints dropped their final game of the 2025 season. Andrew Morris made the start for the Saints, and he’s been good since returning from the injured list, but on Sunday he was hurt by the long ball a couple of times. He gave up four runs in the bottom of the first inning. Two runs came on a Matt Lloyd homer. In the fourth inning, he gave up a solo homer to JJ Wetherholt. In total, Morris gave up six runs on seven hits and a hit batter over the first 4 1/3 innings. A rehabbing Anthony Misiewicz got the final two outs of the fifth inning. Noah Davis and Brooks Kriske each threw a scoreless inning in relief. Trent Baker gave up two runs on two hits and a walk in his inning. On offense, the Saints had just five hits. Jose Miranda had the lone single. He ends the year hitting just .195 with a sub-.600 OPS with the Saints. Walker Jenkins had the lone double, his sixth since joining the Saints. The team went just 0-for-2 with runners in scoring position. However, the Saints had three solo home runs on the day. With two outs in the second inning, Aaron Sabato hit his 14th Saints homer of the year. He ends his season with 23 total homers. That marks his career-high, topping the 22 he hit in 2022. Jonah Bride led off the seventh inning with his fifth Saints home run. Leading off the Saints ninth inning, Kyler Fedko hit his eighth home run for St. Paul. It is his 28th overall home run of the season. He also had 38 stolen bases. It is also notable that it is his first career home run on his birthday. PLAYERS OF THE DAY Hitter of the Day Kyler Fedko (St. Paul): 1-for-4, HR(8), R, RBI, and it’s his birthday. Pitcher of the Day Brooks Kriske, I guess? (St. Paul): 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K, 14 pitches, 10 strikes (71.4%) PROSPECT SUMMARY Check out the Prospect Tracker for much more on our Twins Top 20 prospects after seeing how they did today. #1– Walker Jenkins (St. Paul) - 1-for-4, 2B(6), K (played CF) #2 - Luke Keaschall (Minnesota) - 1-for-4, 2B(14), R, 2 K (DHd) #5 - Emmanuel Rodriguez (St. Paul) - 0-for-4, 2 K, (played RF) #16 - Andrew Morris (St. Paul) - 4 1/3 IP, 7 H, 6 ER, 0 BB, 1 HBP, 4 K, 76 pitches, 54 strikes (71.1%) #19 - Kyler Fedko (St. Paul) - 1-for-4, HR(8), R, RBI (played LF) UPCOMING PITCHING PROBABLES All Twins minor-league seasons complete. CURRENT W-L Records Minnesota Twins: 67-89 St. Paul Saints: 62-86 Wichita Wind Surge: 76-62 Cedar Rapids Kernels: 72-60 (finished 2nd in Midwest League playoffs) Fort Myers Mighty Mussels: 52-73 FCL Twins: 39-20 (finished 2nd in FCL playoffs) DSL Twins: 24-32 Please feel free to ask questions about the teams, the rosters, and discuss today’s games, or anything else Twins minor-league related! View full article

Image courtesy of Greta Riedl / St. Paul Saints (photo of Will Holland) Penultimate… such a fun word! That’s right. On Saturday afternoon the Saints played the penultimate game of the Twins 2025 minor league schedule. The other affiliates have each been done for about a week, but the Saints got one more week of games. Sunday will be the final one. TRANSACTIONS Before the second Twins game on Saturday, the Twins placed Pablo Lopez on the Injured List and recalled Mick Abel. Hear me out. What do you think of this idea? A few weeks ago, I wrote about five Twins minor leaguers who will become free agents at the conclusion of the World Series. One of them, RHP Cody Laweryson, was called up recently to take Justin Topa’s roster spot. Will Holland is another player on that list, and he is finishing out the season with the Saints. What do you think about the idea of calling up Will Holland for the final week of the season? Give him an extra $18-20,000 for that week as a thank you for what you’ve done in our organization since they signed him in 2019. There are several players on the IL currently that could be pushed to the 60-Day Injured List. There are a couple of guys that could be DFAd. Would a team do that in a pennant-chasing season? Of course not. Would it be potentially great for good will? Possibly. Consider the Twins have a Top 3 pick in next summer’s MLB draft. They convince a top talent in the draft to sign for a few million dollars under slot. But there are now agents that see that if the Twins draft a guy and he produces and stays in the organization for six full seasons without a big-league promotion, they just might find players in later rounds will to tell other teams that they won’t sign unless they get a certain bonus because they want to be drafted by the Twins, an organization that treats its players well and respects their work and longevity. A human-centered organization. Oh wait! They traded Louis Varland with five years of service time remaining. No one is buying that human-centered stuff anymore. But I would love to see Will Holland get one week in the big leagues. Call him up! SAINTS SENTINEL St. Paul 11, Memphis 3 Box Score In his final start of the season, lefty Kendry Rojas started and gave up just one run over 3 1/3 innings. He gave up for hits and walked just two, but he had five strikeouts to help him out of some situations. In the fourth inning, Christian MacLeod got the final two on and two outs, but he kept the score at 3-1 Saints. Oh yeah, the Saints. They scored three runs in the top of the third inning. Noah Cardenas hit a one-out single. Will Holland (Call Him Up!) signed him to second. Next, Walker Jenkins singled which drove in Cardenas with the team’s first run. A rehabbing Christian Vazquez grounded out, but Holland scored the second run. Kyler Fedko and Jonah Bride reached on walks. With Emmanuel Rodriguez batting, Memphis starter Zach Plesac balked to score the Saints third run. Rodriguez’s plate appearance ended with a walk, but after a pitching change the half-inning ended. MacLeod gave up a run of his own in the fifth inning which made it 3-2, but the Saints responded right away in the top of the sixth inning. Jonah Bride led off with a single to center. Rodriguez delivered an opposite-field home run. It marked just his sixth home run of the season. Also, later in the innings, the Saints got singles from Tanner Schobel and Will (Call Him Up!) Holland! On the day, MacLeod went 2 2/3 innings and gave up the one run on two total hits. Erasmo Ramirez gave up a hit and a walk but got out of the seventh inning unscathed. At that point, the Saints just added on. In the top of the seventh, Kyler Fedko walked and stole second. Bride singled him to third, and Fedko scored on a fielders’ choice off the bat of Rodriguez. Rodriguez stole second and then scored on a Schobel single to make it 7-2. With one out in the eighth, Will (Call Him Up!) Holland walked and stole second. He scored on a Walker Jenkins single to center. Christian Vazquez followed with a two-run homer that made it 10-2 Saints. The Saints added on more in the ninth inning when Will (Call Him Up!) Holland walked with the bases loaded to drive in Rodriguez. Marco Raya tossed the final two innings. He gave up one run on two hits. Blaze Jordan hit a homer with two outs in the ninth. Rodriguez went 3-for-4 with a walk, his sixth homer and his ninth stolen base. He also threw out a runner at the plate. Jenkins went 2-for-5 with two RBI. Bride was 2-for-4 with a walk. Schobel was 2-for-5. Vazquez went just 1-for-5 with a walk, but he drove in three runs. Also, Will (Call Him Up!) Holland was 2-for-3 with two walks and his 11th stolen base. PLAYERS OF THE DAY Hitter of the Day Emmanuel Rodriguez (St. Paul): 3-for-4, BB, HR(6), 3 RBI, 3 R, SB(9), Pitcher of the Day Christian MacLeod (St. Paul): 2 2/3 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 0 K, 45 pitches, 26 strikes (57.8%) PROSPECT SUMMARY Check out the Prospect Tracker for much more on our Twins Top 20 prospects after seeing how they did today. #1– Walker Jenkins (St. Paul) - 2-for-5, HBP, 2 R, 2 RBI, K (played CF) #2 - Luke Keaschall (Minnesota) - Game 1: 1-for-3, 2B(13), Game 2: #5 - Emmanuel Rodriguez (St. Paul) - 3-for-4, BB, HR(6), 3 RBI, 3 R, SB(9), (played LF) #6 - Mick Abel (Minnesota) - 4 IP, 1 H, 2 R, 3 BB, 5 K, 71 pitches, 39 strikes (54.9%) #9 - Kendry Rojas (St. Paul) - 3 1/3 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 5 K, 68 pitches, 45 strikes (66.2%) #15 - Marco Raya (St. Paul) - 2 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 0 K, 22 pitches, 15 strikes (68.2%) #19 - Kyler Fedko (St. Paul) - 0-for-3, 2 BB, R, SB(12) K (played RF) SUNDAY PROBABLES St. Paul @ Memphis (1:05 PM CT) - RHP Andrew Morris (4-5, 3.69 ERA) CURRENT W-L Records Minnesota Twins: 66-89 St. Paul Saints: 62-85 Wichita Wind Surge: 76-62 Cedar Rapids Kernels: 72-60 (finished 2nd in Midwest League playoffs) Fort Myers Mighty Mussels: 52-73 FCL Twins: 39-20 (finished 2nd in FCL playoffs) DSL Twins: 24-32 Please feel free to ask questions about the teams, the rosters, and discuss today’s games, or anything else Twins minor-league related! View full article

This week, we've been handing out awards to the Twins short-season teams, the Florida Complex League and the Dominican Summer League. In the past, we had lumped these two teams together for "short season" awards. However, the FCL Twins schedule started a couple of weeks sooner, and they finished a few weeks before the DSL Twins did. These are different leagues. FCL Twins Hitter of the Year FCL Twins Pitcher of the Year DSL Twins Hitter of the Year Let's get to our fourth minor-league award, the Dominican Summer League Pitcher of the Year. Let's start with a couple of honorable mentions before getting to the top guys. Honorable Mention Eliezer Lucena (17): 3-0, 3.35 ERA, 11 G, 1 GS, 37 2/3 IP, 38 H, 19 BB, 31 K Yordi Jose (18): 0-1, 2.08 ERA, 7 G, 0 GS, 8 2/3 IP, 7 H, 5 BB, 11 K (video) Honorably Honorable Mention Geremy Villoria (17): 0-1, 3.68 ERA, 8 G, 8 GS, 22 IP, 20 H, 7 BB, 24 K The Twins acquired the then-16-year-old Villoria from the Phillies in the Harrison Bader trade. He is one of the youngest players in the league, the Phillies signed him for $425,000. In fact, he didn’t turn 17 until after the season was complete. Already 6-3 and 180 pounds, Villoria has room to grow, but he’s already hitting the mid-90s with his fastball. He also has the makings of a solid changeup and breaking ball. He had made five starts and thrown 14 innings. In his time with the Twins, he made three starts and threw just eight innings. But combined, he posted a 3.68 ERA, and in his 22 innings, he gave up 20 hits, walked just seven and had 24 strikeouts. #3: Jensi Infante (18): 2-0, 1 save, 3.47 ERA, 16 G, 2 GS, 23 1/3 IP, 17 H, 17 BB, 17 K. Infante was already 18 when he signed with the Twins in January. The Astros have had some success signing older pitchers in the international market (yes, “older” meaning 18…). They typically sign for less, and scouts know a little more about what that pitcher can be. Infante was solid, but unspectacular. Too many walks. Not enough strikeouts. But he did alright at limiting runs against him. He’s 6-3 and still quite thin. Can he gain size and strength? If so, he can take strides. #2: Rey Pacheco (18): 5-2, 1 save, 3.00 ERA, 16 G, 3 GS, 33 IP, 32 H, 7 BB, 31 K. Pacheco had just turned 18 when he signed with the Twins in January out of Mexico. He was the DSL team’s reliable pitcher throughout their season. He came in in a variety of situations. Early in the season, he was brought into the games late just to finish a long game. Later in the season, he started coming into the middle innings in key situations. He ended the season with three starts. He threw three or more innings in his final five outings. Nothing overly spectacular, but he generally threw strikes which, if you follow the Dominican Summer League, isn’t always a given. #1 RHP Santiago Castellanos (17): 1-2, 2.79 ERA, 9 G, 8 GS, 29 IP, 23 H, 9 BB, 36 K Like Villoria, Castellanos was one of the youngest players in the Dominican Summer League, and hence, in professional baseball. He didn’t turn 17 until halfway through July. In January, Castellanos was one of the top pitchers in Venezuela in the 2025 class. The Twins signed him for $247,500. Castellanos is 5-11, and tiny, maybe 160 pounds, but he is young and has room to grow. However, even before signing he was hitting 97 mph on the radar gun with his fastball. Again, he was just 16. He also has a curveball that spins well and produces a sharp break. He’s also been working on a changeup. Now, with his youth, he’s got a long way to go, and plenty to improve upon. And that will happen. He also just needs to be more consistent (that is true of many big-league pitchers too). For me, what impressed me most, as much as his ability to throw so hard at such a young age, is his control. Of 24 players who pitched for the DSL Twins in 2025, 10 of them had more walks than strikeouts. Two others had the same number of walks as strikeouts. Meanwhile, in his 29 innings, Castellanos had just nine walks to go with 36 strikeouts. There are several Twins pitching and development coaches in the Dominican Summer League. One of those coaches said of the young hurler, “Santiago has a natural ability to throw strikes with all of his pitches and pairs that with a really clean delivery that allows him to produce good velocity for his age.” He continued, “We’re really excited to see him continue to work on the consistency of his shapes and command of all his pitches, as well as add more velocity as he gets older.” Congratulations to Castellanos and these other pitchers on a strong debut pro season, and best of luck and health to each of them! View full article