The Minnesota Twins Should Be Banking On Mick Abel's High Upside

It hasn’t been the smoothest road for Mick Abel to get to this point in his career. But after a disappointing end to a season cut short, there is much promise for Abel to be a core piece of the Minnesota Twins going forward. 

Abel, who is just 25-years-old, was once one of the top pitching prospects in the league with the Philadelphia Phillies. After struggling in the first six starts of his career in 2025, he was dealt to the Twins in a trade that sent closer Jhoan Duran to Philadelphia. 

The right-hander was seen as the centerpiece heading to Minnesota, though his status as one of the organization’s top prospects was not as highly touted as it used to be. Joining Minnesota presented itself as an opportunity for the former first-round pick out of high school to get on the right track, especially after dealing command inconsistencies in his career.

When Abel first joined the Twins, those struggles continued. In the four appearances he made with Minnesota in 2025, Abel allowed 13 earned runs across the 14 innings he pitched. 

However, in 2026, Abel turned things around in the small sample he had on the mound.

Abel broke camp in the starting rotation to open the year, where he had impressed in four appearances. He allowed nine earned runs in his first two outings of the year, but soundly bounced back in his next two starts, where he combined to throw 13 scoreless innings and strike out 16 batters in that span. Unfortunately, the Twins would not see more from Abel from that point on.

Six days after his April 14 outing, the Twins placed Abel on the injured list with right elbow inflammation. Minnesota had hoped he could return to the rotation mid-season, but those hopes fell through when he had suffered a setback during a rehab assignment in June.

In July, the Twins transferred Abel to the 60-day injured list, where he remained for the rest of the season. He began throwing off a mound once again in September, throwing lightly. He underwent arthroscopic surgery on July 1.

Abel is expected to be fully healthy and ready to be a part of the Twins’ rotation in 2027. Though it was a very small sample, his last two starts of the season gave Minnesota a glimpse of the potential he has on the mound as a productive starter. The upcoming season marks his chance to have a runway in the rotation — and the expectation is high and promising.