Mick Abel Continues to Be a Spring Training Bright Spot for the Twins

A little over a week into their spring training slate, the single most promising on-field development for the Twins is the way Mick Abel has pitched in his first two outings.

Abel threw three scoreless innings with five strikeouts last Monday against the Tigers. He followed that up with another sterling outing on Sunday, going three scoreless with one hit allowed and six punchouts against the Braves. Between the two starts, that's 6 scoreless innings with 3 hits allowed, no walks, and 11 strikeouts. He's thrown 89 total pitches and gotten 22 swings and misses.

Whereas Abel's first performance came against much of Detroit's starting lineup, it's worth noting that this one came against Atlanta's split-squad B team. Jorge Mateo was the only 40-man roster player in a Braves lineup that mostly featured fringe big-leaguers, including ex-Twins DaShawn Keirsey Jr. and Jair Camargo. Nonetheless, Abel did exactly what you'd hope in that spot by mowing down just about everyone he faced.

Across 43 pitches, Abel generated 10 whiffs. He got three strikeouts with a fastball that topped out at 99 miles per hour and three more with his slider/sweeper. The only blemish on his line was a harmless two-out single in the first inning.

Mick Abel's 6Ks in 3 innings. pic.twitter.com/vHMQIajRgP
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) March 1, 2026

As with everything that happens in spring training, the numbers from Abel's first two outings should be viewed within the proper context. Still, it's absolutely fair to be encouraged when a young player comes out and shows this kind of promise.

Abel was one of two big pieces the Wolves got back in the trade that sent Jhoan Duran to the Phillies at last year's deadline. The 15th overall pick out of high school in the 2020 draft, he was viewed as a top-100 prospect in baseball for 3-4 years despite some struggles with command in the minor leagues.

Abel debuted for the Phillies last May with a gem against the Pirates, then had some tough outings with both Philly and Minnesota before ending his season with an outstanding performance against his former team in late September. Abel had a 6.23 ERA in 39 MLB innings, but he had a 2.20 ERA in 98.1 innings split between the two teams' Triple-A affiliates.

At 24 years old, Abel doesn't have much more to prove in the minor leagues. He was already a candidate to be in the Twins' Opening Day rotation coming into the spring, and his odds look even better after injuries to Pablo Lopez and David Festa. Behind Joe Ryan, both Bailey Ober and Simeon Woods Richardson seem safe in their spots, which leaves two openings for Abel, Taj Bradley, and Zebby Matthews.

If Abel keeps pitching like this, it'll be an easy decision for Jeremy Zoll, Derek Shelton, and the Twins to put him in the rotation. With his upside, it's not outlandish to say there's a world where he ends up as Minnesota's second-best starter behind Ryan this season. That kind of breakout campaign from Abel would be a huge development for the Twins' present and future.