The 2026 Florida Complex League season came to a close this week, and finishing with a 33-26 record, the FCL Twins rode the backs of a handful of intriguing bats to put together a solid season. To see this level of production from so many teenage hitters in their first year playing in the United States is rare and a very promising sign for the future of the Twins’ pipeline.
I’m planning on doing one of these articles for each of the Twins’ minor league teams as their season concludes, so keep an eye out for the next one coming in late August when the DSL Twins finish up their 2026 campaign. I apologize in advance for making this article too long. There were so many players that needed to be highlighted, and there were even a few more that I wanted to write about but decided to hold myself back. To kick it off, we will begin with the biggest story of this team’s season.
Jhomnardo Reyes
Now ranked as my No. 22 Twins prospect, 18-year-old outfielder Jhomnardo Reyes has emerged as the top player in the Twins’ 2025 international signing class, which is looking like a very promising group as a whole. After a solid first pro season in the Dominican where he batted .291 with an .855 OPS, he flourished in the Florida Complex this summer, batting .296 with a .950 OPS and 7 homers.
He is a 6’3” lefty with a thinner frame, but some of the most impressive raw tools in the organization. There is potential for 70 grade raw power as Reyes is posting exit velocities north of 110 MPH as a teenager with plenty of room to add muscle. What really intrigues me is the significant improvements we are already seeing from him in contact and discipline. He slashed his strikeout rate by 6% in 2026 while drawing more walks and improving contact rates. You often see international hitters struggle in their first year stateside as they adjust to a new country at a very young age, but Jhomnardo has absolutely shined this summer. He runs well and can steal some bags, but projects as a fringy or average runner as he matures. With a plus arm and solid range, there is impact potential in a corner outfield spot. A new challenge at Single-A Fort Myers is on the horizon, and Reyes has a chance to really make a name for himself if he continues to smack the ball around there.
Sophomore Sluggers
While these guys haven’t quite produced at the level of Jhomnardo Reyes, they are all showing off plus tools in their second year in the pros.
Teilon Serrano really struggled in the second half of the 2025 season, which made me wary of him as he entered the Florida Complex this summer, but he put together a really encouraging season. It is very much a true outcome approach. His strikeout rate landed around 30%, but so did the walk rate as Serrano was among the league-leaders in walks this year. He is a big power bat from the left side of the plate, running exit velocities up to 110 MPH as an 18-year-old. He runs well and will continue to see time in center field throughout the minors, but likely projects to fit into a corner spot. His hit tool is very concerning, but elite discipline with plus raw power potential and an athletic build has a chance to create a fantastic big leaguer.
In a move that many fans may not have even heard about, the Twins selected Daniel Susac in the Rule 5 draft last winter and immediately traded him to the Giants in exchange for Miguel Caraballo, an athletic switch-hitting catcher who was THE youngest qualified hitter in all of complex ball this summer. Caraballo is 6’0” with an athletic build. There are significant hit tool concerns as he struck out at nearly a 30% clip, but he ran a respectable walk rate while showing off power to all fields. There is plus power potential if he can continue to build strength, especially from the left side. Defensively, his receiving is developing well. Blocking is raw, but he has a quality arm and is unusually athletic for the position. Caraballo has everything he needs to develop into an impactful catcher with a good bat. He is a long way out but already showing loud tools at just 17 years old.
As a highly rated international outfielder, Carlos Taveras has had each of his first two pro seasons cut short due to injury, but when he’s been on the field, he is showing glimpses of a five tool profile. Taveras projects for at least an average hit tool with his smooth swing from the left side. He has an advanced approach and is flashing exit velocities up to 110 MPH already, giving hope for plus power potential if he can continue to add strength and consistently find the barrel in game. He’s an average runner with a good arm, fitting well in a corner outfield spot as his frame fills out. If it all comes together for Taveras, he has exciting potential as an outfielder who can impact every facet of the game.
These Guys Just Keep Producing
Yovanny Duran and Darwin Almanzar are a couple more names who haven’t shown the same power ceiling as the other top bats, but still have mastered rookie ball at just 18 years old.
Yovanny Duran was the primary leadoff hitter for the FCL Twins most of the season. He is a switch-hitting outfielder with twitchy, quick feet. He succeeded last year with a contact and discipline profile, but showed off very little power. His contact rates dropped to around average this year, but it was offset by an even bigger jump in quality of contact. He batted .317 with a .943 OPS and stole 36 bags this season. Defensively, he was the primary center fielder, displaying good range and a reliable arm. The tools aren’t as loud as Jhomnardo Reyes, but the production has been elite, and if he can continue to build up more power, this is a nice outfield profile.
As another switch-hitter, Darwin Almanzar ran into a handful of homers in the Dominican last year, but his true profile is better-explained by his 2026 numbers. In his first year stateside, he batted .254 with only 8 extra base hits. His .824 OPS was largely carried by a monstrous 28% walk rate while striking out only 19% of the time. He has solid contact skills with an extremely patient approach, but still developing power in his smaller frame. Defensively, he primarily plays third and is a raw defender, but has the arm and instincts to fit at the hot corner. It’s a less explosive profile, but Almanzar is ahead of the curve in his development and has plenty of time to continue growing as a player. There is hope for a well-rounded infield profile.
Frederick Hiciano
Now shifting to the pitching side, Frederick Hiciano is not a second-year pro like all of the others. In fact, he is a first-year who the Twins decided to push to the Florida Complex before playing a single game in the Dominican Summer League. This unusual roster management is part of what’s making me intrigued, but the production itself has also been there. There are 36 pitchers under 19 years old who threw at least 10 innings in complex ball this year, and Hiciano is 2nd among them in both FIP and xFIP.
He has a lean 6’2” build, throwing a low 90s sinker that tops out around 95 and has potential for added velocity as he matures. His slider has shown flashes of good spin, but is still developing consistency. He also has a solid feel for his changeup, which is generating quality depth and has the makings of a nice third pitch. We haven’t seen him since he left a July 2nd start with an injury, but in 12 innings, he posted a 3.00 ERA with 15 strikeouts and 5 walks. Quality stuff and an advanced feel for command in a projectable frame makes for a nice pitching prospect. Hiciano immediately becomes one of the Twins most exciting rookie ball pitchers.
This Isn’t Even the Whole Gang
This FCL Twins team showcased an exceptional amount of fire power this year, but there are a handful of other high-profile international prospects in this group that saw limited time on the field this year, if any at all.
Santiago Castellanos is the headliner, an advanced 18-year-old RHP who lit up the DSL last year, but saw limited game action this summer as the Twins put him on a different development plan due to his young age. He ended up with a season-ending elbow injury in June, but the team is hopeful that he will have a normal offseason and be ready to let it loose next spring(Theodore Tollefson, Twitter). His fastball was sitting 92-95 and flashing upper 90s at 16 years old when he signed. He’s showing advanced changeup feel and a quality slider to complement the plus heater. He’s a smaller guy at 5’10”, but packs a punch with a starter repertoire and good strike-throwing.
As the 2nd-youngest pitcher to touch the mound in complex ball this year, Geremy Villoria tossed 7 scoreless innings with 5 strikeouts and 3 walks on the season as the Twins also limited his action due to his age. Coming over from Philly along with Hendry Mendez in the Harrison Bader trade last July, Villoria has a more projectable frame at 6’2”. His fastball sits around 90 with a variety of shapes. Slider is around 80 with high spin, while the mid 80s changeup is in the early development stages, but flashing excellent fade. He’s a good strike-thrower with developing stuff and excellent early results. Look for him to start building up more volume next summer.
Santiago Leon’s 2026 season ended with an injury before it even started. Still, the Twins’ top 2025 IFA signing at $1.7 million showed a lot of promise in his debut season in the DSL. Over his final 30 games, he batted .268 with limited power, but an excellent approach, tallying 22 walks to 17 strikeouts. Thin frame at 5’11” and the swing may need some work, but he runs well and has smooth, twitchy actions at shortstop with a quality arm. He projects as a plus defender in the infield with a strong chance to stick at shortstop, making him a high probability big leaguer if the bat continues to develop.
An injury ended Haritzon Castillo’s season after just 5 games this year, but he is a well-rounded infield prospect who was productive in the DSL last year. Signing bonus was just shy of a million in 2025. Struck out at a 13% clip last year while drawing more walks that strikeouts. The hit tool looks above-average and he generates good bat speed with a whippy swing. There is hope he can develop average power. He runs well and is ahead of the curve in his development on the defensive side. He may lack the twitchy actions needed to play short, but Castillo can be impactful at second or third. Lots of quality tools for him to lean on.
Rey Pacheco was an under-the-radar signing in 2025, running a 3.00 ERA with just 7 walks and 31 strikeouts in 33 innings during his debut season in the Dominican. He’s a smaller righty at 5’9” with an over-the-top delivery. Fastballs sits 88-90 with good spin and ride at the top of the zone. Two distinct breaking balls have shown quality spin with some whiff potential. There is a developing splitter/changeup in the low 80s as well. Pacheco missed the entire season with an injury this year, but displayed a quality repertoire with elite strike-throwing in 2025.
This 2025 international crop is likely among the best groups we have seen in this organization, and we will learn a lot more about each of these players as they move up to Single-A Fort Myers in 2027 and probably even a little bit this fall. Twins fans down in Fort Myers don’t know it yet, but they are about to strike gold.
