{"id":592323,"date":"2026-02-25T15:29:12","date_gmt":"2026-02-25T15:29:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/592323\/"},"modified":"2026-02-25T15:29:12","modified_gmt":"2026-02-25T15:29:12","slug":"inside-the-twins-pitching-pipeline-part-1-minor-leagues","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/592323\/","title":{"rendered":"Inside the Twins Pitching Pipeline, Part 1 – Minor Leagues"},"content":{"rendered":"

\n\tThe Twins work hard to forge organizational depth, and it goes well beyond what we see at Target Field or in St. Paul. I’m researching the Twins’ depth beyond the 40-man roster, and have already taken a look at catcher<\/a>, first base<\/a>, second base<\/a>, third base,<\/a>\u00a0shortstop<\/a>, and outfield<\/a>.\n<\/p>\n

\n\tPitching prospects might be harder to predict than position players because of the variability in how pitchers develop, as well as whether pitchers can stick as starters or if and when they transition to a bullpen role. When Derek Falvey was hired, the idea of creating a pitching pipeline was widely discussed. Was he able to do this, between taking over in 2017 and leaving the team last month? Let\u2019s do a deeper dive into the pitching prospects the Twins have, beyond the members of the 40-man roster.\n<\/p>\n

\n\tHere is the list of starting pitchers not on the 40-man roster the Twins have in their farm system. I\u2019ve included how and when they were acquired, along with the highest level at which they played last season.\n<\/p>\n

\n\tTrent Baker<\/a>
Acquired: Triple-A Rule 5 Draft, 2024
Highest Level in 2025: Triple-A\n<\/p>\n

\n\tBaker was drafted in the 9th round in 2021 out of Angelo State, by the St. Louis Cardinals. He pitched in the Cardinals organization through 2024, reaching Double-A. After that season, Baker was selected by the Twins in the Triple-A portion of the Rule 5 Draft. In 2025, he pitched at Double-A Wichita and earned a call-up to Triple-A St. Paul. He pitched both as a starter and as a reliever, making the majority of his appearances at Triple-A as a reliever.\n<\/p>\n

\n\tBetween the two levels, the 27-year-old pitched in 35 games, starting 15 of them and accumulating 95 2\/3 innings. His strikeout rate was decent, at 24.0%, and he put up an ERA of 3.86 and an FIP of 4.16.\n<\/p>\n

\n\tBaker is a non-roster invitee to big-league camp this year, so keep an eye on whether he gets big-league hitters out. As any team will tell you, you can never have enough pitching depth.\n<\/p>\n

\n\tChristian MacLeod<\/a>
Acquired: 5th round, 2021
Highest Level in 2025: Triple-A\n<\/p>\n

\n\tMacLeod is one of many college pitchers taken by the Falvey-led front office in the middle rounds of drafts. The left-handed pitcher pitched at Mississippi State for two seasons, where he started all 23 of his appearances. He put up solid numbers there, in the country’s most competitive collegiate baseball conference.\n<\/p>\n

\n\tSince being drafted, MacLeod has pitched at every minor-league level, reaching Triple-A St. Paul last year. He’s shown the ability to keep the ball in the park throughout his minor-league career, which is always a good sign. While he started most of his games early in his career, he had more relief appearances at Triple-A in 2025 and did not perform well. A repeat of the level will be good, to see if he can continue to make adjustments.\n<\/p>\n

\n\tMacLeod will be playing his age-26 season in 2026, and we’ll see if he continues to rely on his slider, which he threw 48.3 percent of the time. His fastball is below average, averaging 90.6 mph over his minor-league career. Time will tell if he can develop into the stereotype of a crafty lefty who can be a weapon, either in the rotation or out of the bullpen. He’s a non-roster invitee, too.\n<\/p>\n

\n\tCory Lewis<\/a>
Acquired: 9th round, 2022
Highest Level in 2025: Triple-A\n<\/p>\n

\n\tIf you pay attention to prospects, you’ve probaby seen clips of Cory Lewis, heavily featuring his knuckleball. The 25-year-old signed out of UC-Santa Barbara, where he was the school’s top starter.\n<\/p>\n

\n\tUnfortunately, he was shut down as spring training began, and will miss significant time with a subscapularis strain. Last season, he pitched at Triple-A after getting a sneak peek at the level at the very end of the 2024 season. Unfortunately, the larger dose of that level did not go down as smoothly as he had hoped. His walk rate skyrocketed, and his homer rate jumped up quite a bit.\n<\/p>\n

\n\tPreviously, he had much better numbers, so the hope was that he could find what made him successful at other levels and get back to that for 2026. With the injury, the non-roster invitee will likely not get as many chances as he had hoped. As long as the shoulder injury doesn\u2019t keep him out too long, the plan for 2026 will be to continue to make adjustments and start anew, after a disappointing 2025 season. The clock is ticking on him, though.\n<\/p>\n

\n\tMatt Canterino
Acquired: 2nd round, 2019
Highest Level in 2025: Did not pitch, shoulder injury\n<\/p>\n

\n\tCanterino was an extremely intriguing prospect out of Rice University back in 2019, but unfortunately, his professional career has been marred by injury after injury. The 28-year-old is no longer a top prospect, but if (and this is a big if) he can stay healthy, he has the makeup to make some noise out of the bullpen. Because of his injury history, he will no longer be used as a starting pitcher. He\u2019s still recovering from shoulder surgery in 2025, and probably won’t pitch this year.\n<\/p>\n

\n\tHe hasn\u2019t pitched in a game since 2022, when he pitched mostly at Double-A. There, he showed flashes of greatness, with a 34.8% strikeout rate and a 1.95 ERA. While his days of starting are over, he could yet turn into a weapon out of the bullpen. The big question will be whether he can stay healthy enough to do so.\n<\/p>\n

\n\tC.J. Culpepper<\/a>
Acquired: 13th round, 2022
Highest Level in 2025: Double-A\n<\/p>\n

\n\tAnother pitcher drafted in the later rounds, Culpepper came out of California Baptist University in 2022, where he pitched for three years. He pitched mostly in relief until his final year of college, when he made 14 starts out of 16 appearances, throwing to a 3.26 ERA over 69 innings.\n<\/p>\n

\n\tHe’s pitched almost exclusively as a starting pitcher in his minor-league career, making 53 starts in his first four years. The 24-year-old has steadily climbed the rungs of the professional ladder, pitching with Double-A Wichita last season. He had very promising results over 59 1\/3 innings (17 starts), with a 2.43 ERA. While his FIP was not quite as great, it was still a solid 4.27. The one thing to watch was that his strikeout rate dropped quite a bit once he hit Double-A, from 26.8% in 2024 to 21.2% in 2025.\n<\/p>\n

\n\tAs many young pitchers do, he will continue to refine and develop his pitches. His fastball averages about 94 mph, but has reached 98. His other pitches include a plus slider, a curveball, a cutter, and a changeup. He\u2019s an intriguing pitcher to keep an eye on, as he might still have another level to unlock with some adjustments this season.\n<\/p>\n

\n\tJose Olivares<\/a>
Acquired: International Free Agency, 2021
Highest Level in 2025: High-A\n<\/p>\n

\n\tSigned out of Venezuela for $100,000 in 2021, Olivares has pitched well early in his professional career. The 23-year-old pitched at High-A in 2025, where he had a solid strikeout rate but issued way too many walks\u2014hardly an unexpected wrinkle to need smoothing, for a young arm.\n<\/p>\n

\n\tHe’s shown the potential for three or four above-average pitches. His fastball has reached 97 mph, with a gyro slider that has also shown the ability to miss bats. He also throws a curveball and a changeup, so he has a nice repertoire in the making.\n<\/p>\n

\n\tWith the right adjustments, Olivares could move up the ladder relatively quickly, and we could see him at Target Field within the next couple of years. He\u2019ll likely get his first chance at the high minors this year, so keep an eye on him as he continues to develop in his age-23 season.\n<\/p>\n

\n\tRyan Gallagher<\/a>
Acquired: Trade, Chicago Cubs, July 2025
Highest Level in 2025: Double-A\n<\/p>\n

\n\tOne of two prospects the Twins received from the Chicago Cubs in return for Willi Castro<\/a> at the trade deadline, Gallagher is a former 6th-round pick who split his 2025 campaign between High-A and Double-A. He threw over 100 innings for the first time in his professional career, totaling 121 2\/3, and posted a 3.84 FIP, which was better than his 4.07 ERA.\n<\/p>\n

\n\tHe\u2019s shown the ability to miss bats at Double-A, with a 26.1% strikeout rate last year. He doesn\u2019t walk many hitters, either. He has three above-average pitches and a fourth that grades out as fair. His fastball is solid, working in the low 90s and topping out at 95, with a high-70s changeup that misses some bats. He also throws a slider and a curveball to complete his mix of pitches.\n<\/p>\n

\n\tHe doesn\u2019t have the upside of a front-line starter. However, he’s a safe bet as a back-end guy, and could make an impact on the Twins’ rotation in short order.\n<\/p>\n

\n\tDarren Bowen<\/a>
Acquired: Trade, Seattle Mariners, January 2024
Highest Level in 2025: Double-A\n<\/p>\n

\n\tBowen was acquired as part of the Jorge Polanco<\/a> deal in January 2024, wherein the Twins also acquired Justin Topa<\/a>. Seen at the time as more of a lottery ticket than a headliner, Bowen pitched last season with Double-A Wichita, where he struggled to a 5.14 ERA over 84 innings. He struggled with the long ball, allowing 17 home runs.\n<\/p>\n

\n\tNow 25 years old, Bowen will have to show he can get hitters out in the upper minors to be considered an option in the rotation, or (maybe more realistically) out of the bullpen. He did have 11 relief appearances in 2025, so a transition to the pen may allow his stuff to play up. This will be a key year for his development.\n<\/p>\n

\n\tAlejandro Hidalgo<\/a>
Acquired: Trade, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, November 2022
Highest Level in 2025: Double-A\n<\/p>\n

\n\tHidalgo was acquired from the Angels in return for Gio Urshela<\/a>, whom the Twins recently signed to a minor-league deal. Hidalgo signed with the Angels for $30,000, so he was not a highly touted prospect at the time of signing. He pitched at High-A and Double-A last year, where he struggled mightily but posted solid peripherals, including a 25.6% strikeout rate and an xFIP of 3.94.\n<\/p>\n

\n\tWhile he hasn\u2019t had great results, the soon-to-be 23-year-old will continue to develop, make adjustments, and see if he can get his actual results closer to his expected ones. Still being used as a starter, it\u2019s possible he moves to the bullpen down the road. I would expect the Twins to continue to develop him as a starter this year, but he’ll have to show rapid improvements in outcomes.\n<\/p>\n

\n\tSam Armstrong<\/a>
Acquired: Trade, Chicago Cubs, July 2025
Highest Level in 2025: Double-A\n<\/p>\n

\n\tAcquired along with Gallagher in the swap for Castro, Armstrong is a former mid-round pick who has steadily climbed the minor-league ladder, pitching at Double-A for the entire 2025 season. At 25 years old, this will be a key year in his development, but he had promising results last year, over 130 innings.\n<\/p>\n

\n\tHe finished with a 4.15 FIP and a 3.98 xFIP, which was better than his 4.71 ERA. He\u2019s more of a pitch-to-contact pitcher than many of the other names listed here. While he doesn\u2019t have as high a ceiling as others on this list, he could still prove to be a quality option down the road, and he has stayed healthy, throwing over 100 innings each of the past two seasons.\n<\/p>\n

\n\tRicky Castro<\/a>
Acquired: Free Agent, 2024
Highest Level in 2025: Double-A\n<\/p>\n

\n\tSigned in 2024 out of independent ball, Castro first pitched three years at Purdue and one at Tulane during his collegiate career. It’s not hard to see why he wasn’t drafted out of college; he pitched to a 6.22 ERA with 143 strikeouts over 147 2\/3 innings at those schools.\n<\/p>\n

\n\tAfter the Twins signed him, he pitched at Single-A, High-A, and in Double-A for the entire 2025 season. Early in his minor-league career, he had a high strikeout rate, topping out at 27.0% in 2024. In 2025, it came down a bit, as it often does with a move up in levels; his results didn\u2019t match his peripherals. He finished the year with a 5.48 ERA, but his FIP and xFIP were 4.45 and 4.13, respectively.\n<\/p>\n

\n\tAn intriguing arm, Castro still has adjustments to make, but he is intriguing enough to keep an eye on, to see if he can continue to develop into an option down the road. He was used both as a starter and as a reliever last year, so a move to the bullpen might be in the cards for the 26-year-old.\n<\/p>\n

\n\tWith the list of pitchers being quite long, we decided to break this up into two parts. We\u2019ll take a look at the pitchers who were in the lower minors this past season in the next article.\n<\/p>\n

\n\tWhich of these pitching prospects are you most excited or intrigued by?\n<\/p>\n

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!<\/p>\n

View Twins Top Prospects<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The Twins work hard to forge organizational depth, and it goes well beyond what we see at Target…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":592324,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2388],"tags":[43906,5,15637,21545,18960,13627,17225,822,60,3190,4,23387,37375,37506,10793,148],"class_list":["post-592323","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-minnesota-twins","tag-alejandro-hidalgo","tag-baseball","tag-christian-macleod","tag-cj-culpepper","tag-cory-lewis","tag-darren-bowen","tag-jose-olivares","tag-minnesota","tag-minnesota-twins","tag-minnesotatwins","tag-mlb","tag-ricky-castro","tag-ryan-gallagher","tag-sam-armstrong","tag-trent-baker","tag-twins"],"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/channels.im\/@mlb\/116131985321103934","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/592323","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=592323"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/592323\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/592324"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=592323"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=592323"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=592323"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}