Aside from the highly-regarded Emmanuel Rodriguez, the Twins have a deep farm system with a handful of prospects ready to make their Major League Baseball debut. Here are a couple that we could see at 1 Twins Way come summertime.
Marco Raya
The Twins added Raya to their 40-man roster in November of last year after his third season in the minor leagues. The 2020 fourth-round pick pitched a career-high 92.2 innings in his 2024 campaign and has posted a 3.75 ERA over three levels in the Twins minor league system.
Raya features a dominant fastball and slider, followed by a 55-grade changeup. Through his seasons in the minor leagues, his pitches have increasingly become better over time. Despite missing all of 2021, Raya jumped three levels in just two years, which speaks volumes to how the Twins have viewed his development.
Some highlights of Marco Raya's outing tonight.
— TFTwins (@TFTwins) September 14, 2024
5 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 5 K
67 pitches, 38 strikes (56.7%) pic.twitter.com/lsKkLWEq3y
The most likely reason Raya would make his debut in 2025 is due to injuries to a few players. This is a great problem to have because it means they have plenty of quality depth.
However, I could see him being a prime candidate for doubleheader relief in the middle of the summer.
Payton Eeles
After five total college seasons, Eeles found his way to the Independent Circuit in the summer of 2024. After just six games, the Twins signed Eeles for $500 and he went on to play 111 games across three levels, most notably, 64 games for the St. Paul Saints where he would end the season leading off for the Triple-A affiliate.
Eeles played six positions in the minor leagues last season, primarily as a middle infielder. In 519.1 innings, he had a .983 fielding percentage at second base, turning 25 double plays. The 5'5" 24-year-old slashed .307/.435/.497 while producing a .932 OPS and stole 41 bases.
Payton Eeles is playing like a man possessed! 👻 pic.twitter.com/DNfzq7y8BF
— St. Paul Saints (@StPaulSaints) August 22, 2024
With varying injuries across the 26-man roster, including second baseman Brooks Lee, it's easy to see how Eeles gets added to the 40-man roster and finds his way onto the big league club. If he can prove that he has value as a utility man, that opens up a couple roads to the Twins.
Carson McCusker
If there is one thing the Twins love, it's to find Independent players. Not only is that where they found Eeles, but it's also where they acquired McCusker in 2023. The Oklahoma State product signed with the Twins after playing 37 games in the Independent league.
After posting a .867 OPS in just 46 games two seasons ago, McCusker played most of the 2024 season in Wichita with the Double-A affiliate of the Twins. After 98 games where he blasted 15 home runs, the 6'8" outfielder ended his season with the Saints. He slashed .286/.337/.484 in his final 24 games of the season in a year in which he played well against higher competition.
Just another ball absolutely murdered by @carson_mccusker. He crushes this solo home run at 111.0 mph. It's his fourth home run in 15 games at Triple-A. He has a hit in 13 of 15 games with us. Now has 12 XBH in last 18 (3 2B, 3B, 8 HR). Also 18 RBI last 18 games pic.twitter.com/mVtD72qObn
— St. Paul Saints (@StPaulSaints) September 11, 2024
Though the 26-year-old may not be as highly touted as other prospects in the system, it's evident that he can product against pitchers that are nearly major league ready. His large frame makes it easy to see why he would be a good fit in a corner outfield position, and with question marks paired up with streaky play, I can see a path to the majors for a well-rounded player like McCusker.