The Twins’ 2026 Dominican Summer League season didn’t exactly light up the scoreboard on the pitching side, but a few arms did enough to stand out in a group that was otherwise a work in progress. With the club leaning heavily into offense on the international market and taking a more bargain-bin approach to pitching, the bar for “best” was less about gaudy numbers and more about signs of growth, flashes of control, and a trajectory worth watching.
A handful of arms earned honorable mention: RHP Alam Soriano went 2-2 with a 7.39 ERA in 11 games, including one start, over 28 innings with 30 hits, 14 walks and 26 strikeouts. RHP Miguel Martinez posted a 0-2 record and a 6.92 ERA in 11 outings, three starts, across 26 innings, allowing 26 hits, issuing 23 walks and striking out 30. RHP Enmanuel Mena finished 1-3 with a 7.41 ERA in 10 games, five of them starts, over 17 innings with 22 hits, 12 walks and 21 strikeouts.
From there, the next tier brought a pair of tied runners-up. RHP Yolcar Garcia, 18, went 1-1 with a 7.45 ERA in 11 appearances, five starts, and 29 innings, giving up 28 hits and 13 walks while striking out 26.
The 6'0", 177-pound Venezuelan steadily trimmed his WHIP as the season went on and showed he could keep the ball in the park. He also reached at least four innings in a couple of outings, a useful checkpoint for a young arm still growing into pro ball.
The other tie at No. 2 belonged to RHP Adrian Martinez, 17, who was the top signing in the Twins’ 2026 international pitching class at $100,000. He finished 1-2 with a 6.67 ERA in 11 games, 10 starts, and 29 2/3 innings, allowing 27 hits, 28 walks and striking out 35.
Command was the issue, and his ERA climbed as the season moved along, but the progression in his results was real. His opponents’ batting average dropped from .302 in June to .167 in August, and he led the DSL Twins in strikeouts and WHIP.
At 6'0" and 195 pounds, he already looks physically ahead of many of his peers, and the Twins will be watching closely to see whether he develops into a starter or a high-leverage bullpen piece.
The top spot went to RHP Fernando Hernandez, the 20-year-old Venezuelan who emerged as the Twins’ 2026 Dominican Summer League Pitcher of the Year. Hernandez, listed at 5'10" and 169 pounds, went 0-1 with a 4.05 ERA in seven starts, throwing 13 1/3 innings with 13 hits, just two walks and 16 strikeouts.
In a league dominated by younger teenagers, his age and polish made him stand out right away. The command was the separator: two walks all season in a setting where that kind of control is rare.
Hernandez also missed the middle of the season, then came back and kept rolling until his final appearance, when he gave up four runs over a couple of innings. Remove that outing, and he allowed just two runs across the other six games.
His ERA sat nearly three runs better than the next group of pitchers on the roster, and because of his age, he may be able to move faster through the system in 2027. For a Twins DSL staff that had plenty of rough edges, Hernandez was the clearest source of encouragement.
Congratulations to Hernandez and the rest of the international prospect pitchers mentioned here on a strong debut pro season, and best of luck and health to each of them!
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