The Twins’ major-league starting pitching suffered a rash of injuries in June, and Twins fans began searching the minor leagues for hope to keep the 2025 season alive. Last month’s minor-league starter of the month, David Festa, got called up to fill the void. Whose performance in June made him the “Next Man Up” in July? These are the arms worth watching after their June 2025 performances across the Twins affiliates.
Honorable Mentions
RHP Alejandro Hildalgo (Cedar Rapids): 1.93 ERA, 5 G, 18.2 IP, 12 H, 4 ER, 7 BB, 23 K, 1.02 WHIP, .176 BA
RHP Joel Garcia (FCL Twins): 3.55 ERA, 3 G, 12.2 IP, 9 H, 5 ER, 2 BB, 17 K, 0.87 WHIP, .205 BA
RHP Santiago Castellanos (DSL Twins): 1.32 ERA, 4 G, 13.2 IP, 9 H, 2 ER, 3 HB, 4 BB, 17 K, 0.95 WHIP, .191 BA
#5 – RHP Adrian Bohorquez – Fort Myers Mighty Mussels
3.06 ERA, 5 G, 17.2 IP, 11 H, 6 ER, 10 BB, 23 K, 1.19 WHIP, .177 BA
The Twins signed Bohorquez to a minor-league contract in 2023 out of his native Venezuela, and he’s bounced between the FCL Twins and the Mighty Mussels ever since. Bohorquez makes the top five this month not because his numbers scream All-Star, but because of how far he’s come in such a short time. After four starts in May, he owned a 14.34 ERA and averaged less than three innings an outing. Through his five June starts, the ERA obviously plunged, but his duration per game also ticked up an inning and his opponents’ batting average dropped a whopping 150 points. Bohorquez continues to climb up the prospect rankings, and I wouldn’t be surprised if the 6’1”, 190-pound 20-year-old pitches his way into some innings in Cedar Rapids before the year ends.
#4 – LHP Aaron Rozek, Wichita Wind Surge
2.05 ERA, 5 G, 22.0 IP, 19 H, 5 ER, 8 BB, 26 K, 1.23 WHIP, .238 BA
Again, Rozek’s inclusion on this month’s list involves a heavy dose of improvement from earlier in the season, mixed with the attributes that he brings to an organization desperately in need of starting pitching reinforcements. Rozek managed to drop his ERA from 4.91 to 2.05 between May 1 and July 1. In his last two June outings, however, he served in more of a middle relief role of three innings each, after starting the month with three straight five-inning starts. Do the Twins see him as a long-relief specialist, or will they continue to build him up for a starting role? As a left-handed strikeout specialist, the future is bright either way for Rozek and the Twins.
#3 – RHP Chase Chaney, Cedar Rapids Kernels
2.42 ERA, 4 G, 26.0 IP, 20 H, 7 ER, 5 BB, 17 K, 0.96 WHIP, .208 BA
Chaney stands 6’1”, weighs 199 pounds (very precise), and the Twins are excited that the former 16th-round pick of the Los Angeles Angels is now starting games in the Minnesota farm system. Even though he had to overcome an April demotion from Wichita, Chaney has established himself as a core weapon for the Kernels staff, averaging over six innings per start in June. His first start of July reflected the “Pitcher of the Month” jinx, but his June performance warranted attention. Strikeouts and words such as “dominance” followed Chase’s outings, and after watching multiple short starts by Twins starters in June, one can hope that Chaney can continue to develop and bring his length to the major-league side of the equation by 2027.
#2 – RHP John Klein – Wichita Wind Surge
3.26 ERA, 5 G, 19.1 IP, 10 H, 7 ER, 6 BB 24 K, 0.83 WHIP, .143 BA
Klein began his June with his worst start of the month, and what came next was a success story in opportunity and delivering on promise. As Klein got stretched out over the month, his stat line continued to impress. The 6’5”, 225-pound righty became not only a starting pitcher, but one of the organization’s best. Klein has the velocity (high 90s) to register strikeouts, and if he can continue to rein in his control as he has in recent starts, the sky is the limit for this 23-year-old talent.
Twins Minor League Starting Pitcher of the Month – RHP Pierson Ohl – Wichita Wind Surge/St. Paul Saints
1.35 ERA, 5 G, 20 IP, 13 H, 3 ER, 4 BB, 21 K, 0.85 WHIP, .176 BA
Defining starting pitching in the minor leagues is always a bit of a moving target, but our choice for Starting Pitcher of the Month in the Twins affiliate system registered 26.1 innings across seven games for Wichita and St. Paul in June. Right-handed prospect Pierson Ohl averaged just under four innings an outing and started both of his games with St. Paul after getting the call to his third minor-league team in 2025 on June 23.
What immediately stands out about this 6’1”, 180-pound hurler is that he struck out nearly 11 batters for every one he walked. The contact that did take place, for the most part, was weak, and led to a paltry 1.37 ERA and 0.65 WHIP in June. The four runs that he surrendered in the month came via the long ball, which is something he will need to take to heart as he continues to develop. It will be interesting to see if his outings continue to get stretched throughout the rest of the season with the Saints, as he clearly is getting programmed intentionally and will not be making his debut at Target Field in 2025 most likely. Will he continue to be pushed into the starter’s role? Or will his strikeout rate lead him toward some shutdown relief role in the future? Time will tell, but for now, we salute his efforts and name him our Twins minor league starter of the month.
June has come and gone, but several starting pitchers in the Twins organization made their mark and hope to continue that success into the dog days of summer. How would your ballot look for the Twins Minor League Starting Pitchers of the Month? Let us know in the comments.
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!