Prospect Rankings

Scouting grades: Fastball: 55 | Curveball: 50 | Slider: 50 | Changeup: 50 | Control: 50 | Overall: 45

The 2022 season was the first time Raya pitched in affiliated games since the Twins selected him in the fourth round of the 2020 Draft due to a shoulder strain that sidelined him for most of last season, and the Twins were eager to see how the relatively polished stuff of the 19-year-old from Laredo, Texas, was going to play in live action after he passed up a commitment to Texas Tech to sign with the organization. Raya didn't disappoint, throwing extremely well with Single-A Fort Myers.

There could be a little bit of physical development left on the 6-foot, 165-pound frame, but his body is already twitchy and athletic. He knows he's on the smaller side and is said to love to model himself after Marcus Stroman, though he's got a fundamentally different profile reliant on a big four-seamer alongside three high-quality secondary pitches that entered the organization with great pitch profiles, with the Twins feeling like there's not too much work needed on those. The fastball sat in the low 90s while he was in high school but was said to be up to 95-96 and touching 97 entering '22.

Raya pitches with a chip on his shoulder and is said to have made big strides in his mental development toward the end of '21, and as is the case with many young pitchers, the Twins hope he'll simplify and attack the strike zone with his quality stuff, which he's done in the past. He has the ability to quickly build his stock with strong live outings.