The Twins’ pitching pipeline kept moving in 2026, and the group that surfaced this season gave the award race plenty of texture. Some arms were just starting out, others were trying to prove they belonged higher up the ladder, and a few made loud cases along the way. In the end, Twins Daily’s top honor went to a pitcher whose first pro season moved fast and flashed real upside.
Before getting to the winner, the recent history of the award offers a quick reminder of the names that have taken it home: 2025 Dasan Hill, 2024 Zebby Matthews, 2023 Cory Lewis, 2022 Louie Varland, 2021 Louie Varland, 2019 Randy Dobnak, 2018 Tyler Wells, 2017 Stephen Gonsalves, 2016 Stephen Gonsalves, 2015 Jose Berrios, 2014 Jose Berrios, 2013 Taylor Rogers and 2012 BJ Hermsen.
A few pitchers earned honorable mention status this year. Ty Langenberg posted a 4.29 ERA, 1.36 WHIP, 20.8% K, 8.2% BB, 4.35 FIP and 123 2/3 innings over 33 games and 33 starts.
Adrian Bohorquez put together a 3.02 ERA, 1.20 WHIP, 27.3% K, 12.6% BB, 3.92 FIP and 59 2/3 innings across 19 games and 18 starts. Paulshawn Pasqualotto logged a 3.73 ERA, 1.27 WHIP, 32.9% K, 9.0% BB, 3.62 FIP and 70 innings in 42 appearances, all out of the bullpen.
The No. 3 spot went to Merit Jones, whose first full professional season came with some unusual shape. The Twins’ 2025 20th-round pick worked as both a starter and a reliever, but his workload still looked a lot like a starter’s.
He opened the year impressively with Low-A Fort Myers, then moved up to High-A Cedar Rapids in early August. The jump brought more difficulty, but it also showed the organization believed he was ready for a tougher test.
Jones’ best trait was the ability to miss bats. Even though he never went beyond five innings in any of his 15 starts, he had at least seven strikeouts in five of those outings. There’s still work ahead, but after more than 110 innings and time in both roles, his first full season gave the Twins something to build on.
Preston Johnson finished second after a season that took a winding route before settling into something productive. He began 2026 in independent baseball after a rough 2025 in the Orioles’ system, then the Twins signed him in mid-May. From there, he spent the year at Double-A Wichita and piled up nearly 11 strikeouts per nine innings while showing solid control.
The one big blemish was the home run ball. Johnson allowed 15 homers, and that extra-base damage did a lot of the work against him despite the strong strikeout and walk numbers.
Age also played into the voting, which is part of why he landed behind Quick. Even so, moving from independent baseball to one of the more effective pitchers in the Twins’ system made for a strong 2026.
The winner was RHP Riley Quick, Twins Daily’s No. 5 prospect and top pitching prospect. After the Twins selected him 36th overall in the 2025 MLB Draft, Quick wasted little time showing why he drew that kind of attention. He was too much for hitters at Low-A Fort Myers, stayed sharp after a promotion to High-A Cedar Rapids, and then earned another jump to Double-A in mid-July.
His time in Wichita was a little bumpier, but the overall arc of the season still stood out. Quick finished with a 4.74 ERA, 1.40 WHIP, 30.6% K, 13.4% BB, 4.94 FIP and 81 2/3 innings over 23 games and 23 starts. The walks and hard contact were the clear issues, and that 13.4% walk rate is going to need to come down if he’s going to develop into a quality major league starter.
Still, the swing-and-miss stuff was real. Quick struck out 30.6% of the hitters he faced, which matched the kind of impact arm the Twins were betting on when they drafted him. When the command is there, he can overpower hitters, and that gives him a ceiling that goes well beyond the ERA.
He’s expected to start 2027 back at Double-A, where he had some trouble after the promotion. But with a full offseason to adjust and keep refining his arsenal, there’s a clear path for another step forward. If that happens, a major league debut in 2027 would not be a surprise.
Several Twins pitchers put together strong years in 2026, but Quick’s prospect standing, strikeout ability and rapid climb through the system separated him from the pack. The first pro season wasn’t flawless, but it was enough to make him Twins Daily’s Minor League Pitcher of the Year.
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