On the backfields at Twins spring training, these eight players stood out

The Class AAA St. Paul Saints have started their 2025 season and the rest of the Twins’ minor league affiliates will kick off their seasons Friday.

Staying busy on the backfields at the Twins’ complex in Fort Myers, Fla., the club’s minor leagues primarily faced Boston Red Sox prospects during minor league spring training games. It was a matchup between two top 10 farm systems, according to MLB Pipeline’s rankings.

Below are eight players who stood out on the backfields during minor league camp. The list does not include any players who were invited to big-league camp (Zebby Matthews continued to look sharp).

It was an event when Prielipp pitched in minor league games on Fridays this spring. He racked up swings and misses at a stunning rate. The reactions from some Twins officials matched what it looks like when Anthony Edwards finishes a posterizing slam-dunk.

The 6-2, 210-pound lefty struck out seven of the 10 batters he faced in a game against Red Sox prospects, and he struck out six of 14 batters when he pitched versus Atlanta.

His pitch mix took a step forward from last year when he totaled 41 strikeouts in 23⅓ innings. His fastball sat at 94-97 mph in his second-to-last outing. He throws a 90-92 mph slider with a very high spin rate, and an 86-88 mph changeup.

The Twins were high on Prielipp’s potential before he entered camp, and his stock only went up over the past month. He’ll start the season at Class AA Wichita as a starting pitcher on a strict pitch count — the Twins kept pitching prospect Marco Raya to 55 or fewer pitches in April last year — but don’t rule out an opportunity for him to rise to the Twins bullpen if he keeps pitching well.

If Winokur keeps hitting the way he did during spring training, it won’t be long before he shows up on top 100 prospect lists. One of the best athletes in the farm system, even Twins manager Rocco Baldelli wanted to bring the 6-6 Winokur to big-league spring training games when there was a vacancy at shortstop.

Winokur is growing into more power, homering twice in one game a couple of weeks ago. It was a lot of loud contact this spring, particularly against fastballs, with the righthanded hitter generating exit velocities above 100 mph.

His stats (.249 batting average, 14 homers, 54 RBI in 94 games) were depressed playing in the pitcher-friendly Florida State League last year for Class A Fort Myers. The 20-year-old who will report to Class A-Advanced Cedar Rapids handles shortstop better than one would think with his size, but he can play center field, too.

Roque is only 18 years old and pitched in the Dominican Summer League last year (6.93 ERA in 24⅔ innings), but he’s a dark horse prospect to remember. Listed at 6-2, 175 pounds, he has an electric arm. He was sitting 94-95 mph with his fastball during one of his outings with a sharp 85-mph slider that overpowered young hitters. It was impressive for a guy who is the equivalent of a high school senior.

He’s a long way from the majors, but it is easy to see his long-term potential, especially if his velocity continues to tick up.

The Twins acquired Doncon from the Los Angeles Dodgers last spring along with Manuel Margot. He’s bigger than his listed 6-1, 176 pounds, but he showcases solid range at third base, especially when charging forward, and a strong arm.

Doncon, 21, hit .254 with 11 homers and 53 RBI in 94 games at Class A and Class A-Advanced last year. He displays good power when the righthanded batter pulls pitches to left field. He ripped a double down the third-base line when he faced knuckleballer Cory Lewis in an intrasquad game. Doncon will return to Cedar Rapids to start the upcoming season.

Hill hasn’t pitched in a minor league game since he was taken with the No. 69 overall pick last summer out of Grapevine (Texas) High School, but he looked polished during his first spring training in pro ball. In one mid-March outing, the 6-5, 165-pound lefty had a stretch where he struck out five of the seven batters he faced.

His fastball was 95-96 mph, a huge jump from a couple of years ago, and he was spotting his slider on the corners of the strike zone. Starting the season at Class A Fort Myers, the 19-year-old can generate swings and misses at a high rate.

One of the big players in the Twins’ 2024 international signing class, De Los Santos is fun to watch defensively. Think lightning-quick hands when he fields ground balls or makes double play turns at shortstop, plus good range, which should give the Twins some comfort that it could remain his long-term defensive position.

The 18-year-old from the Dominican Republic, a righty batter, often served a leadoff hitter during spring training games. He’ll need to refine his offensive approach to cut down on his strikeouts — he still hit .301 in the Dominican Summer League last year — but he shows real power for a guy who is listed at 6-1, 160 pounds.

An 11th-round pick in last summer’s draft, Carpenter looks like a different pitcher than the one cited in some scouting reports out of Madison College. MLB.com had his fastball at 89-93 mph last year, and he was sitting 94-95 mph during one of his spring outings while topping out at 96 mph.

Carpenter, 20, appeared to have a four-pitch mix with a curveball, changeup and potentially a cutter or sinker, and his off-speed pitches reliably created whiffs. He can generate a high spin rate, and he fields his position well. He’s starting the year at Fort Myers.

Mercedes showed what he could do when he saw a few mistake pitches near the end of camp. He hammered a mammoth homer to left field with a 103-mph exit velocity in one game, then lined a ball into the left-center gap with a 104-mph exit velocity a few days later.

The 20-year-old outfielder will start the season at Fort Myers, but he owns one of the more powerful swings among young hitters in the Twins’ farm system. For the rookie-level complex team last year, he hit .331 with six homers and 18 doubles in 51 games.