As expected, the Minnesota Twins took a college shortstop with their first-round pick in the 2025 MLB Draft, and Marek Houston checks all the boxes of a prospect the Twins' front office will love. However, the most intriguing pick by the Twins could be the selection they made with the No. 36 selection, Alabama right-hander Riley Quick.
All puns aside, Quick could have an accelerated path to the Major League level.
WOW!
— Talkin' Twins (@TalkinTwins) July 14, 2025
With the 36th pick in the 2025 MLB Draft, #MNTwins select RHP Riley Quick.
✅ Top-5 arm in the draft
✅ 97mph fastball (tops out at 99)
✅ 6'6", 255 lbs - gets huge extension
✅ Classic Twins type - high-ceiling college arm with a 5-pitch mix#MLBDraft pic.twitter.com/IXNhfNrnZn
Twins assistant general manager Sean Johnson met with reporters after Day 1 of the draft and made it clear how impressed the team's front office is with their new pitching prospect.
“I think we’re lucky he chose baseball over football,” Johnson said. “Not all 6-6 guys have the same amount of athleticism. So a guy who is that nimble and big, and coordinated with his delivery, was really appealing. We think there’s even more to unlock with the way he uses his pitches.”
Twins might’ve just added a bullpen-ready arm to help them now
It will be curious how the Twins navigate the trade deadline, because that could play a factor in how quickly Quick reaches the Major League level. As it stands now, the Twins are still in the middle of a crowded American League Central Wild-Card picture. As long as that remains the case, it would seem unlikely that the Twins would entertain trading pitching staff stalwarts such as Joe Ryan, Griffin Jax, and Jhoan Duran.
Beyond that, if the Twins remain in contention, it may not be entirely out of the realm of possibility that Quick makes a cameo in the bullpen before the end of the season. In his day and age, a pitching prospect who has already had Tommy John surgery is a step further in their development than others. While Tommy John surgery could have been the reason why Quick fell to the Twins, it won't play a factor in how quickly he reaches the Majors.
For pitching prospects like Quick, who have an electric fastball, the trend is getting them to the Major League level as soon as possible--as a way to not waste innings pitched on the arm in the minor leagues. Quick wasn't the Twins' first-round pick, but chances are he reaches the majors before Houston does.