Where Minnesota's Top 30 Prospects From 2023 Will Start Their Season?

Two years ago, most of these players were itching for their first major league opportunity. Eleven of the Minnesota Twins' top 30 prospects per MLB Pipeline have done so since then, but many are still waiting to make their MLB debuts.

Let’s look at Minnesota’s top 30 prospects and where they’ll start their 2025 seasons.

1. Brooks Lee

Brooks Lee surpassed Royce Lewis on many prospect ranking lists in 2023 because he hadn’t lost as much time to injury as Lewis. That changed in 2024 when Lee started the season on the IL due to a herniated disc and an inflammation in his back, which he has been dealing with since college.

The back pain resurfaced last week before a spring training game, and Lee will start the season on the IL with back tightness. It will hurt Minnesota’s infield depth because Lee would have played all infield positions except first base. There’s no clear timetable for his return, but the Twins are hopeful he will be on the field earlier than he was for the 2024 season when his rehab assignment began in late May.

Season Start: Injured List

2. Royce Lewis

It’s still debatable whether it’s worse timing to lose a star player to an injury a week and a half out from Opening Day or just an inning and a half into the regular season. Regardless, Lewis will be out anywhere from six to eight weeks as he recovers from a left hamstring strain he suffered on March 16.

The setback is just another in Lewis's long injury history. Still, the Twins are optimistic that this moderate hamstring strain will not keep him on the shelf as long as it did after Opening Day last season.

Season Start: Injured List

3. Emmanuel Rodriguez

The Twins have plenty of talented young prospects starting their 2025 season at Triple-A, and Emmanuel Rodriguez is chief among them. Now ranked as Minnesota’s second-best prospect behind Walker Jenkins, Rodriguez will be looking to play in over 100 games for the first time in his pro career.

As long as Rodriguez’s thumb doesn’t flare up with the same injury as last year and his sprained ankle from spring training doesn’t hamper him, he will have a clear path to reach the majors in 2025.

Season Start: Triple-A St. Paul

4. Connor Prielipp

One of the most exciting arms in Minnesota’s farm system, Connor Prielipp, finally got to show what he was made of when the Twins drafted him in the second round of the 2022 draft. Prielipp pitched to a 3.86 ERA in 23 ⅓ innings over nine starts, accumulating 41 strikeouts and walking only seven batters.

Despite being stretched out as a starter in 2024, there have been indicators in the Twins camp that Prielipp may be on the fast track to becoming a reliever and potentially joining Minnesota’s bullpen as a second lefty this season. Prielipp has only thrown 58 innings in college and pro ball since 2020. With his injury history, the Twins may be best off using him in the bullpen long-term.

But for now, it looks like the Twins will start him in Double-A Wichita’s rotation to begin the year. He, and many other starters in the minors, will still be on a pitch count limit to start the year.

Season Start: Double-A Wichita

5. Edouard Julien

Following a disappointing sophomore slump season, Edouard Julien will make the Opening Day roster again because Lewis and Lee’s injuries have opened roster spots. It’s now a prove-it season for Julien to show he’s better than the .199/.292/.323 triple slash he accumulated over 301 plate appearances in 94 games with the Twins last year.

There’s room for hope because Julien improved at the plate this spring. He hit .273/.344/.455 with two home runs and 10 RBI in 18 games. Still, his defense appears to be lacking at second base and first.

Julien will get plenty of playing time in the first few weeks of the season with Lewis and Lee both out, but how he performs on defense may impact how the Twins continue utilizing him in their plans as the season progresses. He could remain a platoon option at first and second if things go well, or he could strictly move to DH and be a lefty off the bench to pinch hit.

Season Start: Twins Opening Day Roster

6. Marco Raya

One of the many exciting young prospects who will be part of St. Paul’s 2025 starting rotation, Raya made his Triple-A debut at the end of last season. He threw five scoreless innings for the Saints and began the season hoping to build off his largest workload ever after throwing 97 ⅔ innings between Double- and Triple-A.

Like all of Minnesota’s minor-league starters, Raya will still be on a pitch count limit to start the 2025 season. But given the Twins added him to the 40-man roster in November to protect him from the Rule 5 Draft, he will have an easier time from a roster management spot than some of his Saints teammates to make his MLB debut at some point this summer.

Season Start: Triple-A St. Paul

7. Matt Wallner

A year ago, Matt Wallner wasn’t showing any production at the plate as spring training turned into the regular season. Now he’s tied for the spring training home run lead with six and has 14 RBI in camp.

Wallner will take on a bigger role, replacing Max Kepler as Minnesota’s starting right fielder for the 2025 season. While they’re not the same caliber of player defensively, Wallner still can throw 100 mph to throw out runners on the basepaths. He’s also progressing to producing a stronger offensive output than what Kepler put up (.247/.318/.408 triple slash from 2022-24) in his final few seasons with the Twins.

Twins manager Rocco Baldelli also appears to be committed to using Wallner in the lead-off spot most of the time he’s in the lineup. How that will play out is anyone's guess. Regardless, the Twins have their faith placed in Wallner to be the player he was in the second half of 2024 and not the first.

Season Start: Twins Opening Day Roster

8. Simeon Woods Richardson

Woods Richardson took a big leap forward in Minnesota’s starting rotation last year. He showed signs of fatigue towards the end of last season as he reached a career-high 147 innings thrown in his pro career. Still, Woods Richardson will have the opportunity to build off that success and make his first-ever Opening Day roster this year.

He will be looking to take the next steps in his career this season, building up his innings workload, building up velocity, and cutting down his walk totals from last season. Woods Richardson will have an immediate first test this season as he lines up to make his first start of the season against the Chicago White Sox.

Season Start: Twins Opening Day Roster

9. Jose Salas

Perhaps no prospect on this list has seen their stock drop as significantly as Jose Salas. He came over as a part of the deal that sent Luis Arraez to the Miami Marlins for Pablo Lopez. Salas battled through injuries and struggled significantly in his first season with the Twins organization in 2023, posting a .188/.263/.268 in 95 games between Low-A and High-A.

He performed slightly better in 2024, playing all year at High-A Cedar Rapids, posting a .227/.286/.330 triple slash but saw his strikeout rate increase from 25.9% to 27.8%. Salas will only be turning 22 on April 26, which is still a long time ahead of him to turn things around and regain some of his top prospect status.

Season Start: High-A Cedar Rapids

10. Louie Varland

After two seasons of going back and forth between the Twins and Saints rotations, Minnesota’s front office has committed to using Louie Varland as a full-time reliever. Twins fans know what he can be capable of out of the bullpen. Varland showed how dominant he can be in a relief role during Minnesota’s postseason run in 2023 with a 1.50 ERA and .150 opponents average in 12 innings out of the bullpen that September.

Varland has always been his best as a starter, the first time he goes through a lineup as hitters had a .229/.293/.386 triple slash against him the first time they’d face him. Now, he will fill that role, hoping to capitalize as an effective part of one of the best-projected bullpens in baseball.

Season Start: Twins Opening Day Roster

11. David Festa

Despite some struggles in spring training with an 11.91 ERA, Festa is Minnesota’s next man up to join the rotation if one of their current starters goes down, similar to Bailey Ober’s situation at the start of 2023.

Festa will get one of the first three starts at CHS Field to start the Saints season this weekend. To break into Minnesota’s rotation again, he must use this time to adjust his new sinker against hitters and show he is still major-league ready.

Season Start: Triple-A St. Paul

12. Austin Martin 

Martin was the odd man out when the Twins finalized their 40-man roster. Still, Minnesota looks ready to commit Martin full-time to the corner outfield positions following his 2024 performance in center field and second base.

However, Martin showed he still needs more time to adjust defensively in left field. To get the most reps in the outfield, it made the most sense to the Twins to option him to Triple-A until they need him on the active roster.

There, Martin can also build off his success at the plate in St. Paul last season, posting a .305/.469/.379 triple slash in 28 games and find ways to replicate it in the majors.

Season Start: Triple-A St. Paul

13. Matt Canterino 

Out of any player on this list, Canterino has the most disappointing outcome to the start of the season. He will not pitch this season again due to injury. The Twins shut Canterino down after only one spring training outing due to a right shoulder strain. He will take the rest of the season to recover from surgery.

It’s a sad outcome for a prospect who hasn’t pitched in a pro game since July 2022. Twins fans still wish him the best in his recovery, hoping he can finally return to the mound in 2026 and have a shot at the big leagues.

Season Start: Injured List

14. Noah Miller 

The Twins traded Miller to the Los Angeles Dodgers last spring training for Manuel Margot and prospect Rayne Doncon. Miller split time between the Dodgers' High-A and Double-A affiliates last season and remained a glove-first player. However, some of Miller’s offensive numbers improved from his Twins minor league tenure compared to others.

Miller will begin this season at Double-A, hoping to bring his bat up to speed again. He only hit .225/.257/.264 in 33 games with the Tulsa Drillers to end last season.

Season Start: Double-A Tulsa (Dodgers)

15. Yasser Mercedes 

After spending most of the last three seasons in Rookie Ball, Yasser Mercedes ended his 2024 season with Low-A Ft. Myers, playing in 10 games. While he didn’t impress too much at the plate, posting a .125/.271/.150 triple slash in 48 plate appearances, Mercedes was the talk of the Twins Florida Complex League team when he crushed opposing pitchers in 51 games.

At 19 years old, Mercedes posted a .331/.421/.568 triple slash with six home runs, 24 RBI, and 18 stolen bases in Rookie Ball. His next step will be to prove he can overcome his end-of-season fatigue at Low-A and crush the competition there.

Season Start: Low-A Ft. Myers

16. Danny De Andrade 

Danny De Andrade had his 2024 season cut short when he suffered a left ankle sprain in a game last May. He only made it into 29 games for the Kernels before the Twins shut him down.

De Andrade had a .243/.333/.359 triple slash in those 29 games with only two home runs and 19 RBI. He will likely begin the season again in High-A, and if he improves from his injury setbacks, he’ll have the chance to climb the ranks of the Twins farm system and reach Double-A.

Season Start: High-A Cedar Rapids

17. Tanner Schobel

The second of the two players the Twins drafted in the second round of the 2022 draft (boy, that’s a lot of twos), Schobel has not quite lived up to the hype that surrounded him as a draft prospect at Virginia Tech. Schobel spent his entire 2024 season in Double-A, posting a .211/.301/.339 triple slash with only 10 home runs, 53 RBI, and a career-high 23.8% strikeout rate in 122 games.

There’s a plethora of infield talent performing better at Triple-A, with Payton Eeles, Jeferson Morales, Yunior Severino, Armando Alvarez, and now Luke Keaschall expected to begin their 2025 seasons there. Schobel will likely once again make his way back to Wichita with a make-or-break season on the line for his future in Minnesota’s farm system.

Season Start: Double-A Wichita

18. Bryan Acuna 

One of MVP Ronald Acuna Jr.’s many younger brothers in the minors, Bryan Acuna, has been in Rookie Ball over the last three seasons. He crushed it with a .310/.409/.393 triple slash in the Dominican League during his first season of pro ball in 2022, but struggled mightily at .185/.327/.227 stateside in 2023.

Acuna improved last year, raising his triple slash from a .185/.327/.227 a year before to .255/.423/.311. Unlike his older brother, Acuna has yet to develop any power at the plate, with only one home run in 455 plate appearances.

This year, he may spend another summer in Rookie Ball at age 19. If things continue to improve for him, he could have a similar path to Low-A as Mercedes had last season.

Season Start: Rookie Ball FCL

19. Jose Rodriguez

The third Jose Rodriguez in the Twins farm system in franchise history, this Jose Rodriguez played in his first full season of pro ball with the Ft. Myers Mighty Mussels last season. He missed significant time, though, with a right thumb contusion from late May until the middle of August.

However, he accumulated career-low stats when he was healthy. He had a .178/.235/.319 triple slash, only five home runs, 23 RBI, 12 walks, and a career-high 65 strikeouts over 179 plate appearances. The regression may have resulted from a combination of dealing with injury and adjusting to a full season for the first time.

Fortunately for Rodriguez, he’s healthy to start the season and will not turn 20 until June 10. That still gives him plenty of time to regroup from his bad 2024 season and show he can reach another level.

Season Start: Low-A Ft. Myers 

20. Ronny Henriquez

Henriquez is one of the four former Twins prospects on this list who are no longer in the organization and the only one to be making an Opening Day roster outside of Minnesota. He will now have an opportunity for a long-term major league career in the Miami Marlins' bullpen.

The Marlins acquired Henriquez after the Twins DFA’d him from the 40-man roster when they signed LHP Danny Coulombe. Henriquez didn’t have the most impressive camp with the Marlins, posting a 5.14 ERA in six relief outings. Still, he showed enough to make Miami’s bullpen.

Henriquez will have plenty of opportunities to pitch in high- and low-leverage roles in Miami this season. The team's roster looks borderline Triple-A, and ownership has reduced payroll to the bare minimum of $47.9 million.

Season Start: Miami Marlins Opening Day Roster

21. Jordan Balazovic 

After leaving the Twins organization last July for a stint in Korea, Balazovic is back stateside in the Detroit Tigers organization to try and reach the majors again. The Doosan Bears used Balazovic as a starter, and he posted a 4.26 ERA in 57 innings of work in Korea.

The turnaround from how his season was going in St. Paul impressed the Tigers enough to offer him a minor league deal. He’ll be with the Toledo Mudhens and start the season in their bullpen. It feels like he has a better shot of returning to the majors in Detroit than he would have had staying with the Twins.

Season Start: Triple-A Toledo (Tigers)

22. Misael Urbina 

Misael Urbina is in his final season in the Twins organization before he can become a minor league free agent. He has spent the last two seasons in High-A Cedar Rapids, posting a .199/.311/.302, a 25.4% strikeout rate, and a 13.1% walk rate in 203 games.

Despite the constant struggles over the last two seasons, the Twins may be willing to give Urbina a chance to start at Double-A to begin his final year before free agency. But given the meaningful jump in competition from High-A and Double-A, it may be hard for Urbina to stay competitive, given his track record in High-A.

Season Start: Double-A Wichita

23. Alejandro Hidalgo

Hidalgo was the player the Twins got in return for Gio Urshela after they traded him to the Los Angeles Angels following the 2022 season. Hidalgo missed all of 2024 due to a right shoulder impingement. He’s looking to bounce back from a mediocre 2023 season where he pitched to a 5.28 ERA in 58 innings over 21 outings and eight starts.

He’ll begin where he left off in High-A, but it’s unclear whether they’ll use him in the rotation or as a starter again.

Season Start: High-A Cedar Rapids

24. Rafael Cruz

The younger brother of Pirates center fielder Oneil Cruz, Rafael Cruz isn’t nearly as tall as his older brother and has been a minor league free agent for almost a year. He spent all of the last two seasons with the Mighty Mussels, playing in only 93 games, accumulating a .202/.258/.345 triple slash over 380 plate appearances.

The poor performance at the plate led the Twins to release him on May 28, 2024, and he has not received an offer to get back into affiliated ball.

Season Start: Out of Professional Baseball 

25. Brent Headrick

It was somewhat surprising when the Twins DFA’d Headrick and let the New York Yankees claim him.

The Twins waived Headrick to clear space for Ty France after they signed him to a $1 million, non-guaranteed deal. Similar to Henriquez, Headrick had a mediocre spring with his new team, posting a 5.40 ERA with 18 strikeouts and seven walks allowed in 11 ⅔ innings.

While the Yankees have a lot of injuries to start their season, Headrick will be starting another season in Triple-A. However, if he can remain healthy, he will likely have a better chance of returning to the majors as an injury replacement at an earlier point this season compared to last year at the end of the season with the Twins.

Season Start: Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre (Yankees)

26. Ariel Castro

A young outfielder from Cuba who just made his debut in the U.S. Florida Complex League last year. Ariel Castro hasn’t had a solid season over the two years he’s been in Minnesota’s farm system.

He’s compiled a .205/.322/.363 triple slash in 80 games between the FCL and Dominican Summer League. However, after a year of adjusting to life in the United States, he will likely have a breakout season to show he has much promise to remain a part of the Twins system.

Season Start: Rookie Ball

27. Ricardo Olivar 

Olivar gained more notoriety this off-season among casual Twins prospect fans as he was one of several players they could have lost to the Rule 5 Draft. Olivar impressed Minnesota’s front office playing in 100 games between High-A Cedar Rapids and Double-A Wichita, slashing .275/.381/.441 with 12 home runs and 51 RBI over 433 plate appearances.

While his numbers saw a steep decline from High-A to Double-A, he’s expected to start the season at Double-A and split time between catcher and the outfield. The hope is for Olivar to overcome the slump he first experienced at Double-A and replicate his performance with the Kernels.

Season Start: Double-A Wichita

28. Sean Mooney

Mooney missed the 2024 season due to right rotator cuff surgery. His setback led to his retirement from pro ball, which he announced on September 15, 2024. Mooney last pitched at Double-A in 2023 and posted an 8.31 ERA in five games.

Season Start: Retired from Pro Ball

29. Ben Ross

Ross saw some action in Minnesota’s spring training games this last month, and it looks like he’ll make Wichita’s Opening Day roster. Following a lackluster 2024 season, the Twins sent Ross to the Arizona Fall League, where he performed well, posting a .281/.390/.427 triple slash in 24 games.

Ross is looking to capitalize on his AFL performance and his time in big league camp this spring to have a much better 2025 season.

Season Start: Double-A Wichita

30. Jaylen Nowlin 

Ending the 2024 season playing in Triple-A for the first time, Nowlin is a part of the next wave of the Twins pitching pipeline that is knocking on the door of the majors. He split time between the rotation and bullpen in Wichita last season, but they used him exclusively as a reliever in his three games with the Saints.

With the Saints rotation and bullpen looking crowded as is, Nowlin will be one of the odd men out sent back to Wichita to start the season. However, if he can pitch to a much better tune than his 4.67 ERA in 97 ⅓ innings with the Wind Surge last season, he’ll find his way back up to St. Paul in no time.

Season Start: Double-A Wichita

2025 Season Beginnings totals

On MLB rosters: 5

On MLB/MiLB injured lists: 3

In the minors or other pro ball: 19

Free agents or out of professional baseball: 2

While only four of these former/current Twins prospects will be starting their 2025 seasons in the majors, two will at least be back after recovering from injuries with Lewis and Lee, and many more will be making their MLB debuts by the All-Star Break.

There’s still plenty of fun to be had tracking each and every one of their seasons this year, which will give another indication of how the Twins have done with their player development.