Stay tuned to this page for the next two days as we’ll be tracking each pick the Twins make. Come chat about it with us!
After an up-and-down first half by the Minnesota Twins that included another long win, it is officially time for the All-Star Break and the 2025 MLB Draft! The Twins will have a busy first day in the draft with four total day one selections.
The 2025 MLB Draft begins today at 5 P.M. CDT in Atlanta for All-Star Week. Rounds 1-3 will take place on the first day, including all compensatory and competitive balance selections. Rounds 4-20 will be on Monday at 10:30 CDT. Both ESPN and MLB Network will cover the first round, while the second and third rounds will be on both MLB Network and MLB.com. You can find everything you need to know about the draft here, in our draft preview.
Follow along on this post for the next few days. We’ll track all of the first-round picks and break down each of the Twins picks that they make along the way.
2025 Minnesota Twins Draft Pick Tracker
Round 1, Pick No. 16: Marek Houston, SS, Wake Forest
Houston continues the Twins’ trend of first round college hitters, specifically shortstops. Funnily enough, Houston profiles very similarly to last year’s first round pick Kaelen Culpepper. A high floor prospect with the potential to blossom if his power develops, the 6’3”, 205 pound shortstop should be able to rise through the ranks quickly like Brooks Lee and Luke Keaschall before him as long as his bat keeps up with his glove.
MLB Pipeline Scouting Report (#15 ranked prospect):
Houston earns solid-to-plus grades for his quickness and arm strength, and some evaluators will go even higher than that on his ability to play shortstop. He has smooth actions and plenty of range to both sides and should be a high-quality defender at the big league level. Should he not hit enough to merit an everyday role, he has the tools to play almost anywhere on the diamond as a utilityman.
In his first two college seasons, the righty-swinging Houston had a contact-over-impact mentality and projected as an average hitter with below-average power. Now that he has added muscle and sold out for power, he may find 12-15 homers per season while providing less in the way of batting average. His speed plays better in the field than it does on the bases.
FanGraphs Scouting Report (#26 ranked prospect):
Exciting shortstop defender with plus contact skills. Average range, plays up due to body control and ability to make acrobatic throws. A virtual lock to stay at short, has a chance to be plus there. Plus contact and below-average power combo on offense. Passive hitter who often takes strikes right down the middle. All-fields contact spray, tracks pitches well, moves the barrel all over the zone, cuts stride with two strikes. Swing has an abbreviated finish, produces doubles contact. Limited power ceiling, but a high-probability low-end everyday shortstop thanks to contact and defense.
Competitive Balance Round A, Pick No. 36: Riley Quick, RHP, Alabama
MLB Pipeline Scouting Report (#38 ranked prospect):
Quick has the power stuff to go in the first round, beginning with a heavy sinker that sits at 96-97 mph and tops out at 99, and the 6-foot-6, 255-pounder holds his velocity throughout his starts. His mid-80s slider can be a wipeout offering with two-plane depth, and he can turn it into a cutter that climbs as high as 95 mph. He also flashes a solid upper-80s changeup with fade and sink.
Though Quick’s fastball and slider grade as plus-plus at their best and he can back them up with a quality changeup, he doesn’t miss nearly as many bats as his pure stuff indicates he should. His pitches move so much that they can be difficult to harness, leaving him with decent control but spotty command. He has logged fewer innings than most third-year college pitchers and the hope is that he’ll approach his frontline-starter ceiling as he gains more experience and polish.
FanGraphs Scouting Report (#49 ranked prospect):
Coming out of high school, had offers from Florida, Florida State, Ole Miss, Mississippi State and Auburn to play offensive line, but wanted to play baseball at ‘Bama. Good decision, is about to go late first round-ish. Six-foot-six sinkerballer up to 99. Some of these sinkers have incredible tail and draw embarrassing swings from righties who nearly get hit by the pitch. Lower-effort delivery but doesn’t repeat, lacks feel for consistent release. Scatters his entire repertoire; sharpening command will be biggest developmental priority in pro ball. Four-pitch mix. Changeup in the 86-90 mph range flashes plus and has right-on-right utility, slider and cutter give him glove-side weapons. Heavy slider usage against righties, only playing like an average pitch. Was coming off TJ in 2025, entered the season with 25 collegiate innings. Size and inexperience give Quick’s profile exciting late-bloomer characteristics.
Round 2, Pick No. 54: Quentin Young, SS, Oaks Christian HS (CA)
MLB Pipeline Scouting Report (#37 ranked prospect):
The 6-foot-6 Young has a ton of projection, obvious baseball bloodlines and some loud tools. He has huge raw power that some evaluators put top-of-the-scale grades on. He has bat speed and some feel to hit, but there are some swing-and-miss concerns and trouble recognizing spin that cropped up over the summer, leading some to worry a bit about how much he’ll tap into that raw pop consistently.
Young moves well for his size and his athleticism shows up defensively. He actually doesn’t look terrible at shortstop, his position in high school, though he’s likely to move to third if he’s going to stay on the dirt. Some think he might be best suited in right field, where a plus arm that can fire 95-mph fastballs off the mound profiles well. Committed to LSU, Young could provide a team with a Jayson Werth-type of toolbox if he can to a more consistent hit tool, with scouts who laud his work ethic believing he can do just that.
FanGraphs Scouting Report (#39 ranked prospect):
Superlative size and arm strength, massive power projection, very poor hit tool performance on the showcase circuit with more whiffs than balls in play. Lever length makes it tough for him to be on time; impact contact comes in a fairly narrow part of the strike zone. Range and bend on defense is surprisingly good considering Young’s size. Has multi-positional potential as 3B/RF and has the athleticism to be proficient at both. Comes from a family of great big leaguers (Dmitri, Delmon) and is an exciting prospect because of his power potential, but Young swung and missed so much against his elite peers that one has to be apprehensive about his ability to tap into that power.
Round 3, Pick No. 88: James Ellwanger, RHP, Dallas Baptist
MLB Pipeline Scouting Report (#79 ranked prospect):
When Ellwanger is dialed in, he can sit in the mid-90s with his fastball and blow it by batters in the zone with ample carry and armside run, though he has fought his control and command of the pitch throughout 2025. His low-80s curveball has good shape and has been his most reliable offering, while his mid-80s slider has been crushed so much that he has begun toying with a low-90s cutter. He barely uses his mid-80s changeup but it will dive at the plate at times.
After working just 30 2/3 innings between Dallas Baptist and the Cape in 2024, Ellwanger needs innings to hone his craft and prove he can do more than just overpower hitters with his heater. He’s athletic but will have to polish and repeat his three-quarters delivery to develop average control and command. He still has projection remaining in his 6-foot-4 frame, so his arsenal could become even more powerful.
FanGraphs Scouting Report (#96 ranked prospect):
Two-year starter at DBU, struggled with walks both years, sustained velo deep into seasons. Was parked at 96-97 in regional start at LSU and up to 100 on the season. Downhill angle hurts fastball effectiveness but helps curveball stay hidden until descent. Prototypical big league frame at 6-foot-5, loose but erratic arm action. Threw strikes with both his fastball and curveball (his most-used secondary) less than 60% of the time. Primary offspeed is 12-6 curveball with plenty of depth, also has tighter gyro slider that was emphasized more late in the year because he can actually locate it, more like a cutter in terms of usage style. Command likely relegates him to relief, but then where does his velo end up? Shot to be late-inning reliever, but needs to find another grade of command.
2025 MLB Draft First Round Picks
- Washington Nationals: Eli Willits, SS, Fort Cobb-Broxton HS (OK)
- Los Angeles Angels: Tyler Brenmer, RHP, UC Santa Barbara
- Seattle Mariners: Kade Anderson, LHP, LSU
- Colorado Rockies: Ethan Holliday, SS, Stillwater HS (OK)
- St. Louis Cardinals: Liam Doyle, LHP, Tennessee
- Pittsburgh Pirates: Seth Hernandez, RHP, Corona Senior HS (CA)
- Miami Marlins: Aiva Arquette, SS, Oregon State
- Toronto Blue Jays: JoJo Parker, SS, Purvis HS (MS)
- Cincinatti Reds: Steele Hall, SS, Hewitt Trussville HS (AL)
- Chicago White Sox: Billy Carlson, SS, Corona Senior HS (CA)
- Las Oakramento Athletics: Jamie Arnold, LHP, Florida State
- Texas Rangers: Gavin Fien, SS, Great Oak HS (CA)
- San Francisco Giants: Gavin Kilen, SS, Tennessee
- Tampa Bay Rays: Daniel Pierce, SS, Mill Creek HS (GA)
- Boston Red Sox: Kyson Witherspoon, RHP, Oklahoma
- Minnesota Twins: Marek Houston, SS, Wake Forest
- Chicago Cubs: Ethan Conrad, OF, Wake Forest
- Arizona Diamondbacks: Kayson Cunningham, SS, Lady Bird Johnson HS (TX)
- Baltimore Orioles: Ike Irish, C/OF, Auburn
- Milwaukee Brewers: Andrew Fischer, 3B, Tennessee
- Houston Astros: Xavier Neyens, SS, Mt. Vernon HS (WA)
- Atlanta Braves: Tate Southisene, SS, Basic HS (NV)
- Kansas City Royals: Sean Gamble, OF, IMG Academy (FL)
- Detroit Tigers: Jordan Yost, SS, Sickles HS (FL)
- San Diego Padres: Kruz Schoolcraft, LHP, Sunset HS (OR)
- Philadelphia Phillies: Gage Wood, RHP, Arkansas
- Cleveland Guardians: Jace LaViolette, OF, Texas A&M
- Kansas City Royals (PPI: Bobby Witt Jr.): Josh Hammond, SS, Wesleyan Christian Academy (NC)
- Arizona Diamondbacks (QO Comp: Christian Walker): Patrick Forbes, RHP, Louisville
- Baltimore Orioles (QO: Corbin Burnes): Caden Bodine, C, Coastal Carolina
- Baltimore Orioles (QO: Anthony Santander): Wehiwa Aloy, SS, Arkansas
- Milwaukee Brewers (QO: Willy Adames): Brady Ebel, SS, Corona HS (CA)
- Boston Red Sox (Competitive Balance Round A, acquired from Brewers): Marcus Phillips, RHP, Tennessee
- Detroit Tigers (CB A): Michael Oliveto, C, Hauppauge HS (NY)
- Seattle Mariners (CB A): Luke Stevenson, C, UNC
- Minnesota Twins (CB A): Riley Quick, RHP, Alabama
- Baltimore Orioles (CB A, acquired from Rays): Slater de Brun, OF, Summit HS (OR)
- New York Mets (Dropped 10 slots as Competitive Balance Tax penalty): Mitch Voit, IF, Michigan
- New York Yankees (CBT penalty): Dax Kilby, SS, Newnan HS (GA)
- Los Angeles Dodgers (CBT penalty): Zachary Root, LHP, Arkansas
- Los Angeles Dodgers (CB A, acquired from Reds): Charles Davalan, OF, Arkansas
- Tampa Bay Rays (CB A, acquired from A’s): Brendan Summerhill, OF, Arizona
- Miami Marlins (CB A): Cam Cannarella, OF, Clemson