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MN Twins Soon to Debut New Star Pitching Prospect
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- MN Twins Soon to Debut New Star Pitching Prospect
Troy Taormina-Imagn Images Troy Taormina-Imagn Images
On Thursday the Minnesota Twins rolled out Jose Urena as their bulk guy against the Athletics . It went about as well as you'd expect for a guy who is on his fourth team this season alone .
Rocco Baldelli watched Urena labor through the first inning before getting rocked with six runs in the second inning. The Athletics went on to win the game 8-3 and now have a better record than Minnesota.
Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images
They could have just started recently acquired pitching prospect Mick Abel , who would have been on normal rest. He traveled with the team to Chicago though, and the debut is coming.
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Mick Abel to debut for Minnesota Twins
The most consequential return for any trade that the MN Twins made at the deadline came from the Philadelphia Phillies . Elite closer Jhoan Duran went to the City of Brotherly Love in exchange for Eduardo Tait and Mick Abel. The former is a teenage catching prospect, but the latter has already made his debut and now will pitch for the Twins.
Can confirm Mick Abel did travel with the #MNTwins to Chicago last night.
Zebby Matthews has the start tonight. But there's a TBA listed for Saturday. https://t.co/mZc18TCHWT— DanHayesMLB (@DanHayesMLB) August 22, 2025
There was a time that Abel was a consensus top-50 prospect across all of baseball. His luster has slipped some after a tough 6.46 ERA and 6.5 BB/9 across 108 2/3 innings last season at Triple-A.
In 89 1/3 innings at Triple-A this season, Abel owns a 2.22 ERA and has dropped the walk rate to 3.8 BB/9. Across three starts for the St. Paul Saints (15.1 IP) he owns a 1.76 ERA and 23/6 K/BB.
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Earlier this year the Phillies had Abel make his big league debut. He wound up making six starts in the big league rotation and owns a 5.04 ERA (6.28 FIP) with 21 strikeouts and nine walks across 25 innings. That's not good, but it also looks like he's continued to refine things on the farm since.
What a night for @mickabel13 . Retired the first 12 men he faced. Goes 6.0 IP, 2 R, 2 H, 0 BB, a franchise record & career-high 11 strikeouts. He becomes the 4th pitcher in franchise history with double-digit K's & the 2nd to not walk a batter & 1st to not walk or hit a batter pic.twitter.com/KtCeuLArLD
— St. Paul Saints (@StPaulSaints) August 17, 2025
With Pablo Lopez and Simeon Woods Richardson hurt, the Twins have been utilizing bullpen games in three-of-five rotation spots. Abel being activated on Saturday would remove the "TBD" disclaimer for the contest against the Chicago White Sox .
Related: Rotation Reinforcements Incoming for Minnesota Twins
Rocco Baldelli's team doesn't have much to play for down the stretch, but that means it can be a proving ground for young players. Abel is just 24 years old, and the Twins are banking on him being a key rotation fixture, along with also acquired Taj Bradley , for years to come.
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