The Twins are calling up right-hander Pierson Ohl, per Chase Ford of MiLB Central. The Twins will have to select him to the roster but they opened space by trading Chris Paddack to the Tigers earlier today.
Ohl, 25, was a 14th-round pick of the Twins in 2021. Since then, he has been climbing the minor league ladder, demonstrating excellent control. In 389 minor league innings, he has only given out a walk to 3.6% of batters faced. For reference, league average is usually in the 8-9% range. Among qualified pitchers this year, only Zack Littell has a better walk rate than 3.6%.
He hasn’t always shown strong strikeout stuff but has been trending positively in that department lately. From 2021 to 2024, he punched out 21.6% of batters he faced. Here in 2025, he has pumped that up to 30%, while keeping his walks down at an excellent 3.8% rate.
Last month, FanGraphs ranked Ohl the #22 prospect in the Twins’ system. The report notes that his arm slot and changeup grip are different this year, which has seemingly helped him unlock more strikeouts.
The improved results will get Ohl up to the majors, though it’s unclear what kind of role the Twins have in mind for him. He was largely a starter prior to 2025 but has been in a sort of swing role this year. He has made five starts and 17 relief appearances this season, logging 66 1/3 innings. All his outings this year have been from 1 2/3 innings on the short end to four innings on the high end.
As mentioned, the Twins have already traded Paddack. Danny Coulombe is another impending free agent and therefore likely to be moved before Thursday’s deadline. It’s less likely but somewhat possible that they trade someone like Joe Ryan, Jhoan Durán or Griffin Jax. Other guys like Brock Stewart, Justin Topa or Michael Tonkin could also go.
Regardless of the eventual extent of their sell-off, the Twins will have some innings available. Whether he’s working as a spot starter or long reliever, Ohl will get a chance to absorb some of them. He’ll be making his major league debut as soon as he gets into a game. Since this is his first call to the show, he has a full slate of options and can be retained until he reaches six years of big league service time.
