Every year, a handful of players ranked outside the top 10 in their respective farm systems take meaningful steps forward to improve their stock and vault up prospect rankings. Part of the fun is trying to identify those breakouts before it happens. So today, we\u2019re identifying Twins prospects who have the potential to make a jump in 2026.<\/p>\n
To qualify, a player must rank outside the organization\u2019s preseason Top 10 prospects.\u00a0All scouting reports are from Baseball America\u2019s 2026 Prospect handbook, which you can purchase here<\/a>.<\/p>\n You can find Top 30 prospect rankings\u00a0for all teams here<\/a>\u00a0and all breakout candidates here<\/a>.<\/p>\n Breakout Prospects<\/p>\n Riley Quick<\/a>, RHP<\/p>\n BA Grade\/Risk: 55\/High Track Record: It wasn\u2019t a certainty Quick would even play baseball in college as he received SEC offers as an offensive lineman in high school and his brother Pierce played college football for Alabama and Georgia Tech. He ultimately decided to focus solely on baseball and spent three years at Alabama, where he only threw 87 innings and missed a year with Tommy John surgery. The Twins drafted him 36th overall in 2025 and signed him for a slot-value bonus of $2.69 million.<\/p>\n Scouting Report: Quick brings unique size and athleticism to the mound at 6-foot-6, 255 pounds. He throws from a low three-quarters arm slot with a crossfire delivery. His fastball sits 96-98 mph and tops out at 99, but plays below its velocity. He throws both a sinker and four-seamer equally, but their usage will likely be tweaked in pro ball. There are differing opinions over what Quick\u2019s best secondary pitch is. He uses his 84-88 mph slider the most but it is inconsistent and his changeup and cutter show more potential. His changeup shows the most bat-missing ability with a combination of deceptive arm speed and late fade and he really took to his low-90s cutter, which he started throwing in 2025. His strike-throwing improved in 2025 and will be a key area for his development going forward.<\/p>\n The Future: Quick brings a fascinating skill set that the Twins now have the chance to mold. He has midrotation upside, but that projection is fluid given his limited experience as a full-time pitcher. He\u2019ll start 2026 at a full-season affiliate, with High-A Cedar Rapids not out of the question given his pitch quality.<\/p>\n Scouting Grades: Fastball: 60 | Slider: 50 | Changeup: 55 | Cutter: 55 | Control: 45<\/p>\n
Adjusted Grade: 40<\/p>\n