The Minnesota Twins' pitching staff took a hit this season, as right-handed starter Pablo Lopez is out for the year with a torn UCL in his right elbow. However, 24-year-old right-hander Mick Abel provides a silver lining.

The Oregon native logged another effective spring training outing on Thursday, allowing two runs on three hits over 4.2 innings in Minnesota's 4-2 loss to the Boston Red Sox. He now has a 2.00 ERA over five starts this spring after recording a 6.23 ERA over 10 regular-season outings last season.

Abel is showing why he should be in the Twins' rotation moving forward, especially with Lopez out. As of now, the 6-foot-5, 190-pounder is listed as their fifth starter behind ace Joe Ryan, right-hander Bailey Ober, right-hander Simeon Woods Richardson, and right-hander Taj Bradley, per ESPN.

Minnesota acquired Abel from the Philadelphia Phillies in July for catching prospect Eduardo Tait and right-handed pitcher Jhoan Duran. The Phillies drafted him No. 15 overall in 2020, and he went 24-34 with a 4.24 ERA over 102 minor-league starts. Five of those starts were with the Twins’ Triple-A squad last season, and he logged a 1.85 ERA over that span.

Additionally, Abel tossed 14 MLB innings for Minnesota in 2025, allowing 13 earned runs over that span. Although his tenure with the club got off to a rocky start, he's now showing why Philadelphia drafted him in the first round.

Other than Ryan, who made the All-Star team last season and finished ninth in baseball with a 1.04 WHIP, Minnesota's rotation doesn't stand out on paper. Ober had a 5.10 ERA over 27 starts last year, Woods Richardson had a 4.04 mark over 23 outings (22 starts), and Bradley had a 5.05 ERA over 27 starts. The Twins acquired the latter pitcher from the Tampa Bay Rays in exchange for Griffin Jax in July, who logged a 3.60 ERA in 23 outings after the deal and pitched for Team USA in the World Baseball Classic.

If one of those non-Ryan hurlers doesn't have a bounce-back year, Minnesota will be in trouble. The club doesn't have above-average players on offense besides outfielder Byron Buxton, so wins could be difficult to come by if the pitching doesn't carry. Homegrown players like third baseman Royce Lewis could break out, but there's no guarantee.

Up next for the Twins is a spring training matchup with the Toronto Blue Jays on Friday.