There is certainly stock put into Mick Abel already. Considering he was part of a major trade last season, which saw the Twins give the Phillies Jhoan Duran, there is reason to believe that Minnesota has faith in Abel becoming a mainstay within the team's pitching staff.
But where will he land? Will the 24-year-old go to the bullpen to start the 2026 season, or will he earn a spot in the starting rotation? Making his MLB debut in 2025, Abel struggled in his initial adjustment to big league hitting, but there were flashes of greatness that should excite Twins fans.
On Monday in a spring training game against the Tigers, fans should be even more hyped for what Abel can bring to the table. With two-time AL Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal being his counterpart, Abel went punch-for-punch with the best pitcher in baseball in his first outing of the year.
It's time to keep a close eye on Mick Abel.
Mick Abel had 12 swings and misses in his 46 pitches thrown today. #MNTwins
— DanHayesMLB (@DanHayesMLB) February 23, 2026
Mick Abel makes convincing impression in first spring start with Twins
Abel's final line on Monday at Publix Field at Joker Marchant Stadium:
- 3 IP, 5 K, 0 BB, 2 H, 0 R, 46 pitches, 29 strikes
This is a strong first appearance for Abel, who allowed a leadoff triple against Matt Vierling to start the game. He left the veteran outfielder stranded with three consecutive strikeouts, facing Kerry Carpenter, Gleyber Torres, and Riley Greene — all starters for Detroit.
He dominated further into the second inning, striking out Javier Báez and Colt Keith, making it five consecutive punch-outs. Three of his strikeouts were on a four-seam fastball, reaching the mid-90s. One came on a curveball, and his final one came on a changeup.
Abel famously throws his fastball often, so that was no surprise in his first taste of 2026 competition. His curveball, when used effectively, is his best pitch, though. Opponents hit .171 against that pitch last season, clocking a 37.5 whiff rate. He struggled with his changeup in 2025, which saw batters hit .417 against it. To get a strikeout on that pitch in his first spring outing shows us that his changeup could be getting better.
It's not an easy pitch to throw, but once Abel gets comfortable using it, he could become a legitimate starter. Hats off to him as he matched Skubal's outing, who struck out four batters in two scoreless frames on Monday in his first start of the spring.