With the All-Star Break finally in motion after a rough June and July for the Twins, fans can finally relax a bit and freak out at another aspect of Minnesota baseball--the draft. The 2025 MLB Draft began last night at 5 P.M., with the first day consisting of the first three rounds, which included compensatory & competitive balance selections.
The Twins had four draft picks within the first day. Just how well did Minnesota's front office handle these selections?
Round One, 16th Overall: Marek Houston, Shortstop, Wake Forest
A plus-defensive shortstop who was a three-year starter hailing from Wake Forest, Marek Houston had a breakout 2025 season that saw him slash a .354/.458/.597 with a strong OPS of 1.055. Offensively, he has interesting hit tools to say the least. His plate discipline is quite good, as evident this past season when he drew a team-led 46 walks and has some of the best contact rates compared to other players in this class. His offense profile essentially is a slap hitter who can hit just about anywhere in the park.
The main focus on Houston, however, is his defense. He was arguably one of the best true shortstops in the class. MLB Pipeline gave him a 60 grade for his fielding! Houston, in all likely hood, will be a strong defender considering his big arm, good range, and speed that MLB Pipeline also noted that will likely serve him better on the field the basepaths. Though to counter that, he did snag 19 stolen bases in 2025.
His offense is more of a big question mark than his defense, obviously. Houston leaned more into power in his junior year compared to his first two seasons with Wake Forest, where he had only hit 12 combined home runs compared to 15 this past season.
Like any prospect, there is a lot to like about him but also a bit that might seem questionable. If his hitting ability picks up and he develops along his glove, he very well COULD be a potential everyday player with the Twins in the future. However, if the bat doesn't translate much, he suits well for the utilityman role. Which, there's nothing wrong that, but drafting a utilityman with your first-round pick might sour some Twins fans.
There's also the problem of a considerable logjam at the position. The Twins had just drafted Kaelen Culpepper last year and Brooks Lee about three years ago. That is to just name a few of course, along with an entire list of middle infielders. Still, if he develops well and if the Twins injury luck has anything to say, he could be up sooner than one might think.
Competitive Balance Round A, 36th Overall: Riley Quick, RHP, Alabama
Riley Quick, from a glance, seems like the perfect Twins prospect. Drafted out of the University of Alabama (which also so happens to have previously been the home of the Twins No.5 Prospect Connor Prielipp), Quick profiles to be quite the strong power pitcher. It helps that his frame is a big one too, standing at 6'6''.
He offers a three pitch-mix: his fastball, slider and changeup. Quick considerably has one of the best fastballs in the class, often sitting between 95-97mph and could possibly top out at 99. His slider is the next best, which sits often around the mid-80s. In short: he possesses some elite velocity. MLB Pipeline has his fastball and slider graded at about 60.
He is a work in progress, of course. 2025 was the year he saw the most workload he had in college after he started his freshman year as a reliever and missed the 2024, which would've been his first season as a weekend starter for the Crimson Tide, due to Tommy John Surgery. His control is good but Quick needs to work on his command and delivery. His consistency is also a bit of a problem too, but it's fair to pinpoint that Quick can fix or improve that as he prepares his professional career, especially after recovering from Tommy John quite quickly.
As a redshirt sophomore, Quick shined as one of Alabama's best starters. In the 14 games he started, he pitched a 3.92 ERA and struck out 70 in 62 innings pitched, which is good for a 10.2 K/9. Again, he has some concerns: he walked 24 batters and gave up a considerable amount of hits and runs, racking up his WHIP to be a 1.38.
He has just about every potential to be a top of the rotation guy for the Twins, but some injury concerns among his command, delivery and other issues that might point to that him being a bullpen piece. But if his own history is to say, Quick could be a late bloomer and a potential interesting piece for the Twins pitching farm regardless with his ceiling through the roof.
Round Two, 54th Overall: Quentin Young, Shortstop, Oaks Christian HS (California)
Would you believe that the Twins drafted yet ANOTHER shortstop? This time, its LSU-commit Quentin Young, who plays shortstop and third base. The nephew of former MLB players Delmon (a former Twin!) and Dimitri, he projects to possibly be a steal in this draft class.
The 6'5 product out of Oaks Christian High School possesses quite a lot to unpack. For starters, his raw power is rated about a 60 via MLB Pipeline but has the chance to add more as he develops.
During the MLB Draft Combine, he showcased his already strong raw power by recording ELEVEN balls with an exit velocity of 100+mph, which included containing the top three EVs overall. He also has good athleticism, strength and contains an elite arm.
Scouting reports have also noted that despite his big size, Young is actually pretty well defensively. While he himself has said he wants to remain at shortstop, others project that he could very well either move to third base or even in the outfield and put that strong arm to use.
But there are some wrinkles in his game. One of the biggest concerns is his swing-and-misses, along with his hitting tool that needs some good development.
He is an interesting developmental type of prospect that has a considerably high ceiling, but should also be given some caution and some time to properly develop and flesh out his hitting tools. As well as figure out a potential other spot for him that is not shortstop, simply because if he DOES develop in an MLB-caliber player, it's probably best to not stick him on a position that is already overcrowded as it is.
Round Three, 88th Overall: James Ellwanger, RHP, Dallas Baptist
The Twins ended the first day by splitting their four picks between two shortstops and two pitchers. In this case, they went with James Ellwanger out of Dallas Baptist University. He was originally a 19th round pick in 2023 to the Washington Nationals but was seen as a prospect that was a first-three rounds quality coming out of high school. Three years later, he seemingly kept that notion.
He was a two-year starter that displayed his powerful arsenal of pitches, among other things. He possesses a four-pitch mix that consists of a four-seam fastball, slider, curveball and changeup. Standing at 6'4 and 205 pounds, Ellwanger is another type of power pitcher that certainly should intrigue Twins fans. This past season, he tossed a 3.98 ERA in the 16 games he pitched in (started 14). Across 63.1 innings pitched, he struck out 95 batters. MLB Pipeline had his fastball and curveball graded at a 60 and 55, respectfully.
His pitches can sit in the 90s and his heater has the potential to touch 100 as well! He also fits well into the mold of poor injury luck too, as Ellwanger missed some time in his freshman year of college.
He does possess some similar concerns like Riley Quick. For instance, his command. In both of the years he was a starter, he struggled with command, most notably walking 39 batters this past season. His control wasn't all that great either, and Ellwanger didn't really show that many signs of improvement in either of his seasons. His delivery is also another issue that should be tinkered with as he joins the professional ranks.
There is the potential (a much higher one than Quick) that he's seemingly suitable for a move to the bullpen. Ellwanger definitely has a good enough ceiling should he fix his pertinent issues to remain a starter. It's all about potential but if he can't live up to it, chances are he'll likely be shifted to a reliever role.