Twins Make Huge Investment in Pitching with Third-Round MLB Draft Pick

Just a few hours after the Minnesota Twins broke the bank to sign their first-round pick, they shelled out above slot money to land their third-round pick.

Per MLB Pipeline’s Jim Callis, the Twins agreed to terms with third-round pick Ethan Wachsmann on a $2.25 million bonus. He was the No. 79 pick overall and the slot value for his selection was $1.052 million. The Twins opted to pay him $1 million more than required to get him to pass on playing college baseball for Wake Forest.

It happened just a few hours after Minnesota agreed to terms with its first-round pick, Vahn Lackey, who was selected No. 3 overall. He received the third-largest signing bonus in MLB Draft history at $9.497 million, which was just under the slot value of $9.740 million.

Where Ethan Wachsmann Fits

3rd-rder Ethan Wachsmann signs w/@Twins for $2.25 million (slot 79 value = $1,052,700). Colorado prep RHP, fastball reached 100 mph this spring, flashes plus curveball. @WakeBaseball recruit. @MLBDraft pic.twitter.com/GdGQPb3Kh8
— Jim Callis (@jimcallisMLB) July 22, 2026

Wachsmann is a prep pitcher out of Grandview High School in Colorado. Per Callis, the right-hander has a fastball that can hit 100 mph and a secondary pitch in a curveball that scouts like as well. He’s part of a 21-player draft class in which the Twins signed all 21 players, along with four undrafted free agents, per the team.

With the right-hander being a prep pitcher, there’s a good chance he won’t pitch in organized ball this season. He’ll be sent with the rest of the picks to the team’s spring training home in Fort Myers, Fla., for orientation and team workouts. Most pitchers don’t play in an affiliated game until the season after their draft selection.

The potential for a labor stoppage may cause the Twins to allow some of their draft class to play at the tail end of this season at Class-A Fort Myers. How quickly the draft picks acclimate to pro ball will play a factor as well. If Wachsmann’s stuff plays now, he could get a game or two before the end of the season.

He was Minnesota’s second pitcher selected earlier this month. Virginia Tech’s Brett Renfrow was taken in the second-round compensatory portion.

Prep pitchers are hard to predict in terms of trajectory. Most start their careers at Class-A and are given plenty of time to show they’ve taken to pro baseball. Wachsmann’s progress will be measured more by the quality of outings than by how far he can go in a game. In many cases first-year prep players in pro baseball aren’t allowed to go more than three or four innings per outing to build up arm strength. Most only pitch once per week.

An ideal path would be a year at each affiliate. Wachsmann could move faster depending on the quality of play. The Twins could use some quality young pitching, but they won’t force the prep star up the latter. For now, he can enjoy a healthy bonus — and a new beginning in pro baseball.

Add us as a preferred source on Google