Pitchers who could dominate Minnesota high school baseball state tournament

Every June, as the grass greens and the metal bat cracks echo deeper, Minnesota’s high school baseball state tournament becomes a proving ground — not just for team glory but for arms ready to leap.

This year’s field? It’s stacked with velocity, movement, and mound presence. It’s a buffet of breaking balls, highlight reels of heat, and a glimpse into the future of Midwest pitching.

Prep Baseball Minnesota picks seven arms here that could tilt the bracket this week. Some were named to the Star Tribune’s All-Minnesota Baseball Team on Tuesday, and some names you might just be learning:

Butterworth is less pitcher, more Norse deity sent down to torment hitters with a blitzkrieg of movement and velocity. At 6-foot-6, he stands on the mound like a skyscraper in cleats, commanding a low-90 mph fastball with late arm-side life that runs like it’s trying to evade contact. He mixes in a sweeping upper-70s slider, a tumble-off-the-table curveball in the low 70s, and a power changeup with hard fade in the low 80s.

In eight starts through section play, he’s posted a 1.845 ERA, striking out 69 over 49.1 innings. He’s the sixth-ranked player in Minnesota’s 2025 class — and probably the last guy anyone wants to face with the season on the line.

Ellingson pitches like he’s been wronged. There’s fire behind every offering, and it’s not just about velocity (though he’s been up to 88). His curveball spins north of 2,600 RPM with sweeping action that freezes right-handers and disappears on lefties. His slider is thrown with more intent: shorter, sharper, meaner.

Ellingson has been Perham’s rock, compiling a 6-1 record, 0.80 ERA, and 59 punchouts in just 35 innings. For an uncommitted junior, there may not be a louder stage to audition than this one.

His stuff misses bats. Felling ranks fifth in Minnesota’s 2025 class, and it’s easy to see why.

There’s polish in Hagman’s delivery that belies his age. A low-90s fastball spins at 2,355 RPM and comes from a low three-quarters slot, giving hitters the uncomfortable mix of deception and velocity. The delivery is repeatable, the arm action is compact, and the results speak: 3-0 record, 2.82 ERA, and 42 strikeouts in just under 29 innings.

For a Farmington team looking to make noise, Hagman isn’t just a name to know — he might be the reason they’re still playing into the weekend.

If you’re looking for one word to describe Marsolek, it might be “craft.” The 6-2 lefty doesn’t blow you away with pure heat — his fastball sits between 84 and 87 mph — but he attacks with a chess master’s strategy. Curveball in the low 70s? He’ll throw it in a 3-1 count. Changeup at 78? Here comes the fade, and you’ll be walking back to the dugout wondering what just happened.

That’s how you wind up striking out 123 in 67.2 innings.

There’s something about Timmerman that feels like a throwback. He’s not lighting up radar guns or chasing spin rates for the sake of attention — he’s pitching to win. And in 2025, he’s done just that. Over 45 innings, the right-hander has posted a 4-1 record, allowing just 35 hits while striking out 60. His ERA? A tidy 2.02. Opponents are hitting a meager .211 against him.

Timmerman does it with a heavy, hard-to-barrel fastball and a slider that spins around 2,400 RPM, keeping hitters guessing and off balance. The delivery is clean, direct, and remarkably repeatable. The No. 37-ranked arm in Minnesota’s 2025 class is a gamer who knows how to pitch, not just throw — and in Rosemount’s postseason push, he’s become the workhorse.

He’s racked up 77 strikeouts over 50.1 innings with a 0.97 ERA and a 19% whiff rate. That plays. The southpaw has reportedly been touching the upper 80s this spring, and his arm action — long-to-short with whip at a ¾ slot — adds deception. His delivery’s got rhythm, and when he’s in sync, hitters are usually walking back to the dugout. A strong showing this week could put a bow on a stellar senior season.

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Read more: Get the scoop on the uncommitted 2026s to watch during the state tournament by reading this Prep Baseball Minnesota article.