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The Stash List Week 18: Top 10 Pitching Prospects to Stash in 2026

Top 10 pitching prospects to stash in redraft league.

The Pitcher Edition of the Stash List highlights the 10 best pitching prospects likely to make an impact during the 2026 season.

Prospects are often thought of as holding value only in dynasty formats. However, knowing which prospects hold value for the current season can help set you apart in redraft leagues. Several have a 2026 ETA, and getting ahead of the curve on rostering these prospects is a key part of roster management. Last year, we saw more pitching prospects make their debut than ever before, and there is no reason we should expect to see anything change in 2026. Keep reading to find out the top ten pitchers you should stash in your redraft leagues.

Ground Rules

  • The Stash List is for your redraft leagues and does not consider impact beyond 2026.
  • Only current minor league players who are expected to make an impact this season are included.
  • Upside, proximity, health, and opportunity are all weighed for each player.
  • The focus is on 12-team leagues with standard categories.
  • Rankings and roster percentages will be updated weekly.
  • Stats will be updated weekly for all players through Thursday’s games.

 

Minor League Starting Pitcher Leaders in FIP through July 23, 2026 (minimum 10 games started and at least a 30% strikeout rate)

 

The Stash List

Graduates/Call-Ups

The following prospects joined the big league clubs over the last week:

Owen Murphy ATL has been yo-yoed between Atlanta and Gwinnett over the last month. Unfortunately, Murphy only went 2.2 innings in his debut start with one home run allowed. He gets a chance to redeem himself in Triple-A this week against Iowa.

Khristian Curtis PIT did well over five scoreless innings. The 6’5″ righty progressed quickly from Double-A to Triple-A and then to Pittsburgh. He utilizes a sharp 92 mph cutter, a 96 mph four-seamer, with a changeup that has almost 17 inches of break. He should get another chance soon.

Kohl Drake ARI made his Major League debut this week, making the Texas Rangers‘ rental of Merril Kelly look like one of the most foolish trades in recent history. Drake’s success in this start lends credence to the notion that the Pacific Coast League inflates pitchers’ stats. Across 17 appearances, he had a 6.92 ERA with eleven home runs allowed. The five strikeouts and 13 whiffs were nice to see from a pitcher with an arsenal that includes a 91 mph fastball with two-plane movement. The Dbacks rotation will likely feature Mitch Bratt, Drake, and Merril Kelly, with David Hagaman succeeding in High-A.

Alex McFarlane PHI allowed one hit in his Major League debut across one inning. The 6’3″ righty was hitting 100 mph on the sinker and 87 mph on the slider. He made the jump from Double-A based on a 33% strikeout rate and a 14% swinging strike rate. He will support as middle relief.

 

Top 10 Pitching Prospects to Stash

 

1. Kade Anderson, LHP, Seattle Mariners

2026 AAA Stat line: 72.1 IP | 1.36 ERA | 41.4 K% | 3.8 BB%

2025 NCAA Stat line: 119.0 IP | 3.43 ERA | 37.4 K% | 7.3 BB%

 

Third-year pro Kade Anderson has become the undisputed Friday night ace at Seattle Mariners University. Literally, the only times he hasn’t opened the weekend on the mound have been because of an act of nature (rain) or an act of Manfred (the 9 a.m. Futures Game). Li-tru-lee. As a result, there haven’t been many recent game capsules to analyze. Instead, the conversation has shifted to something even more interesting: how the Mariners plan to get one of baseball’s most-hyped pitching prospects to the Major Leagues. Several theories have emerged, each with its own logic. Here’s a tour through the most popular paths—and you can decide which one you believe.

The Reliever Plan has been floated by Robert Olney III, better known as Buster Olney. On the July 11 Seattle Mariners Podcast, Olney suggested that Seattle could promote Anderson to Triple-A and “work him out of the bullpen, have him come in in the fourth inning, fifth inning.” It’s certainly an unconventional idea. Olney referenced Joba Chamberlain and David Shields as examples, which, if you’re an Anderson believer, probably isn’t the list of comps you were hoping to hear. The Yankees experimented with a similar developmental path for Carlos Lagrange, while the White Sox have been using Tanner McDougal in a comparable role. Personally, it feels unnecessary. Anderson already logged 119 innings at LSU in 2025, making a jump into the 130-140+ inning range this season seem entirely manageable without artificially limiting his workload.

The Trade Plan is perhaps the cleanest solution. Seattle is currently operating with a six-man rotation, and with several frontline starters already under contract beyond this season. Dealing from that surplus could address the organization’s biggest weakness, its offense, while simultaneously opening a rotation spot for Anderson or even Ryan Sloan. The Locked On Mariners podcast explored this idea in its July 1 episode, noting, “You’re going to have to trade two of these guys to make room for Anderson next year unless you want to do a six-man rotation again.Logan Gilbert, Luis Castillo, and George Kirby were all mentioned as potential trade candidates, with Castillo viewed as the most likely to move and Gilbert another possibility. Emerson Hancock is also being mentioned as being available for trade. From a fantasy perspective, I’m lower on Gilbert in redraft formats than the market appears to be, which could make him an attractive trade chip capable of bringing back meaningful offensive help.

The Long-Term Deal Plan combines roster management with financial foresight. Writing for Sodo Mojo, Jason Wang pointed to the path Chase Burns followed—moving almost directly from Double-A to Cincinnati before positioning himself for a long-term extension early in his Major League career. Seattle never reached that type of agreement with Logan Gilbert, but the organization now has an opportunity to build around multiple potential aces. If the Mariners view Anderson as a cornerstone of the rotation beyond 2026, an aggressive promotion followed by long-term contract discussions could make plenty of sense and further reinforce that they see him as a permanent member of the starting rotation.

The Cash Out Plan is the least likely outcome, imagining a scenario where Anderson is the chip they move at this year’s trade deadline. If real baseball were fantasy baseball, then this transaction kind of makes sense given that a prospect’s value is usually the highest before they debut. Ben Clemens values Anderson as the 31st-40th most valuable trade piece this season. Jerry DiPoto could flip this into an upgrade over J.P. Crawford or a third outfielder.

Finally, there’s The Promote Now Plan, the simplest and, in many ways, the most logical. It starts with Anderson’s current usage pattern and works backward from his workload. The endless speculation surrounding Anderson exists largely because he has remained in the Minor Leagues for so long. Once a top prospect finally debuts, the articles, podcasts, and debates quickly disappear—especially if the debut isn’t a Stephen Strasburg-level spectacle. Anderson is now roughly 50 innings shy of matching his 2025 workload, leaving enough room for approximately 8-10 more starts. Coincidentally, nine full weeks are remaining in the professional season. As @draftchampagne pointed out on social media, Seattle doesn’t need to taper Anderson’s workload or get creative with bullpen appearances. They can simply continue giving him one start per week, let him finish the season as a starter, and allow the innings to take care of themselves. Among all the proposed scenarios, that still feels like the most straightforward path.

 

2.  Quinn Mathews, LHP, St. Louis Cardinals

2026 AAA Stat line: 85 IP | 3.39 ERA | 29.1 K% | 14.1 BB% 

2025 MiLB Stat line: 99 IP | 3.73 ERA | 26.1 K% | 16.8 BB%

 

The 2024 Minor League Pitcher of the Year is one of the hottest starting pitchers in Triple-A over the last three weeks. While Quinn Mathews has not put together a signature dominant performance, what he is doing is locking in the control. Over his last four starts, Mathews has posted 25 strikeouts to seven walks, helping him reduce the season walk rate to 14%. Although this rate of free passes is still unacceptable, he had to do a lot of work to get to this point. His triumvirate of the fastball, slider, and changeup has keyed his success. Although known for a strong changeup, the 6’4″ lefty has seen his slider whiff rate balloon to 42% with a .109 average against. He has done a much better job this season of tunneling that breaker with his fastball.

It was a quality start for Mathews in his most recent matchup with Iowa. The most interesting numbers in his stat line were the single walk and 65% strike rate. He threw the aforementioned slider for an 88% strike rate for two strikeouts on three whiffs. Curiously, the pitch was also put in play for three hard-hit balls. The four-seamer has been punching above its weight, too. The solid extension and 17 inches of vertical break on the 94 mph fastball have allowed it to be effective enough. The season-long data looks bad, but it has been better lately. Nevertheless, Mathews maneuvered through five innings, allowing a single baserunner before giving up three hits and an earned run in the sixth inning.

Mathews is building trust in the notion that he can be an innings-eater with above-average strikeout skills.

 

3.  Carson Whisenhunt, LHP, San Francisco Giants

2026 AAA Stat line: 82.1 IP | 4.15 ERA | 24.9 K% | 10.5 BB%

2026 MLB Stat line: 10.2 IP | 3.38 ERA | 13.0 K% | 13.0 BB%

 

Carson Whisenhunt employs an interesting pitching strategy by using distinct characteristics across his four-pitch repertoire. This appears to be the opposite of tunneling. Let’s call it “uniqueing”. Uniqueing is making each pitch feel special, ensuring that each one feels no less loved than the other. Each pitch has a distinct arm angle, release point, spin, and velocity. Although this is not unique itself, it is quite a departure from what we normally expect from dominant pitchers who throw balls that can overlay on top of each other before trailing off in any number of locations. It’s unclear if this “madman” approach is effective, but the multiple arm paths could be why his strike rate is below average, and the walks are up.

That brings us to this week’s recent performance. Whisenhunt was coming off the high of almost earning his first Major League quality start. Facing Albuquerque, he struck out eight hitters and only walked one across five innings of work. The 6’3″ lefty rode the elite changeup to six strikeouts on 13 whiffs. The average horizontal break was down a few inches, but it appeared not to matter. He threw enough strikes, and the opposition didn’t do much damage on his 92 mph fastball. The other notable detail about this game is that there was a fairly large shadow until the fourth inning separating the mound and home plate into dark and light spaces. Nevertheless, Whisenhunt suppressed runs by limiting the free passes in this game, when he had eleven walks in the previous three starts. He will need to repeat this kind of effort to maintain his position at the top of the depth chart in San Francisco.

 

4.  Brody Hopkins, RHP, Tampa Bay Rays

2026 AAA Stat line: 81.2 IP | 4.63 ERA | 26.7 K% | 20.8 BB% 

2025 MiLB Stat line: 116 IP | 2.72 ERA | 28.7 K% | 12.2 BB%

 

Despite the roller coaster of results, Brody Hopkins continues to flash some of the best raw stuff in Triple-A. The 6’4″ right-hander creates a rare combination of power and deception, driving aggressively toward the plate while generating more than 6.5 feet of extension from a release point below 5.25 feet. That athletic delivery is what separates Hopkins from nearly every other pitcher on this stash list. When his mechanics are synced, the arsenal is electric. He can paint the top of the strike zone with a 99 mph four-seamer, then completely change a hitter’s eye level with a power curveball featuring massive vertical drop. At his best, the 91 mph cutter tunnels beautifully off the rising four-seamer, while the 91 mph changeup fades more than 11 inches to the arm side. With velocity, movement, and multiple speed bands attacking every quadrant of the strike zone, Hopkins possesses the repertoire of a frontline starter. That’s what makes the persistent control issues so frustrating. The talent is obvious; the inability to consistently throw strikes continues to hold it back.

Fortunately, this week was one of the better outings. Hopkins turned in a quality start, allowing just one earned run over six innings while surrendering only two hits. The box score, however, still included the familiar blemish of four walks. When his command unravels, it’s typically the four-seamer and cutter that betray him. Whether the inconsistency stems from mechanics, timing, confidence, or even grip, it seems to vary from outing to outing. One trend has remained remarkably consistent: the cutter simply hasn’t become the weapon its underlying metrics suggest it should be. Despite excellent movement characteristics, the pitch has produced an alarming 25 BB% compared to just a 3 K%. Against Charlotte, it landed in the zone only 43% of the time, carried a 53% strike rate, and yielded two hits. The curveball, on the other hand, was dominant, generating four strikeouts on four whiffs. Opposing hitters continue to gear up for the velocity of the fastball, leaving them vulnerable when Hopkins lands the breaker.

With eight strikeouts and four walks in the outing, Hopkins now owns just a 6% K%-BB% on the season. That’s well below what you’d expect from a pitcher with this caliber of arsenal. The path forward is straightforward, even if the execution isn’t: the walk rate has to come down from 21% to somewhere below 15%. Until that happens, the strikeout upside will continue to be overshadowed by self-inflicted traffic on the bases. While Hopkins focuses on finding the strike zone, opponents have also exploited him on the basepaths. Although he picked off one runner in this start, he still allowed three stolen bases, another area that has added unnecessary pressure to his outings.

Hopkins remains one of the most volatile pitching prospects in the upper minors. On any given night, he can look unhittable or unravel under the weight of his own command. The ingredients for a breakout are still very much intact. Now it’s a matter of stringing together consistent strike-throwing. If he can follow the progression of Ty Johnson rather than Joe Boyle, the ceiling remains as enticing as almost anyone on this list.

 

5.  George Klassen, RHP, Los Angeles Angels

2026 AAA Stat line: 78.1 IP | 4.25 ERA | 21.9 K% | 13.4 BB% 

2026 MLB Stat line: 4.2 IP | 11.57 ERA | 18.8 K% | 31.3 BB%

 

It was a banner day for George Klassen—and especially for his gyro slider. He piled up an eye-popping 25 whiffs, with 12 coming on a breaking ball that was barely part of his arsenal just two years ago. The pitch’s emergence is no accident. Refined mechanics have allowed Klassen to better mirror the release point of his four-seamer and changeup, making it far more difficult for hitters to distinguish out of the hand. The deception is amplified by the raw stuff: the slider arrives at 91+ mph with a spin rate comparable to his 96 mph four-seamer. Despite this dominant outing, his season-long swinging-strike rate still sits at a merely “good” 13% rather than an elite mark. The encouraging trend is what has happened recently. Over his last ten games, both the swinging-strike rate and strikeout rate have taken a significant step forward, suggesting he may have finally unlocked another level. The latest performance was the best evidence yet, as Klassen finished with 11 strikeouts, three walks, and one earned run over six innings.

Looking ahead, the next step is seeing the entire arsenal take another leap. The fastball-slider combination has become a legitimate weapon, but greater consistency from the offspeed pitches would give him answers against every type of hitter. If that happens, the Angels will have few compelling reasons to keep Klassen in Triple-A. With reports that both José Soriano and Reid Detmers could be available in trade discussions, a path to the Major League rotation may open sooner rather than later. For fantasy managers, Klassen remains one of the more enticing stash candidates: a pitcher with legitimate swing-and-miss upside who could deliver impact strikeout totals, provided the control continues to trend in the right direction.

 

6.  Ty Johnson, RHP, Tampa Bay Rays

2026 AAA Stat line: 49.1 IP | 2.74 ERA | 33.0 K% | 9.6 BB% 

2025 MiLB Stat line: 110.1 IP | 2.61 ERA | 34.7 K% | 8.8 BB%

 

Ty Johnson was transferred to the Developmental List on July 9 without any accompanying story. Here is an explanation for the list. It is pure speculation to guess as to the reasons for this move, but Johnson could be working on a third pitch or simply staying fresh for any playoff push. Stay tuned for any news on Ty Johnson in the next week or so.

 

7.  Jaxon Wiggins, RHP, Chicago Cubs

2026 AAA Stat line: 25.0 IP | 6.84 ERA | 24.3 K% | 16.5 BB% 

2025 MiLB Stat line: 78 IP | 2.19 ERA | 31.0 K% | 11.5 BB%

 

Jaxon Wiggins has made three brief Triple-A appearances since being activated from the 7-day injured list on July 10, but the Cubs have kept the reins tight. He has yet to pitch beyond the third inning, operating under a strict 60-70 pitch limit as the organization carefully manages his return after two months on the shelf with elbow inflammation. That caution is understandable, especially considering the upside. Chicago appears destined to chase one of the three National League Wild Card spots behind the dominant Brewers, and Wiggins represents the type of power arm that could eventually provide a boost. At the moment, the Cubs don’t have an active starter averaging more than 94 mph on the fastball, making his velocity a potentially valuable weapon down the stretch.

Thursday night’s outing against Gwinnett, however, was a reminder that premium stuff alone isn’t enough. Wiggins unraveled in the second inning, allowing three runs on four hits and two walks, with a taxing 31-pitch frame that highlighted his biggest obstacle: command. Fortunate for him, he left the bases loaded on a flyout that was about 15 feet short of being a grand slam and a much worse stat line.

He finished the game throwing more balls than strikes and continues to sit in the below-average range for strike rate since returning in early June. Wiggins leaned heavily on the four-seamer, throwing it 70% of the time. The pitch was a paradox. It generated six whiffs, topped out at 97 mph with 19 inches of induced vertical break, yet it also found the zone just 36% of the time and surrendered five hard-hit balls. His changeup remained an effective weapon against left-handed hitters, producing 13 inches of horizontal break, but the overall execution simply wasn’t there. The raw arsenal is unquestionably Major League caliber; consistently locating it remains the challenge. Even before the injury, Wiggins posted only a 61% strike rate in 2025, suggesting there may be improvement ahead, but probably not a dramatic leap.

The biggest adjustment still lies against right-handed hitters. After largely neutralizing them last season, Wiggins has allowed them to post a .981 OPS with three home runs in 2025. His cutter, despite carrying a strong pitch grade, has not played to expectations and has left him relying primarily on the four-seamer and breaking ball against same-sided hitters. The final line reflected those struggles: three earned runs, five hits, three walks, two strikeouts, and ten whiffs, pushing his ERA to an unsightly 9.19.

The results have been rough, but the long-term outlook hasn’t changed. Wiggins is still rebuilding strength, refining his command, and working back from injury. If the strike-throwing improves and the cutter begins to match its underlying quality, the combination of velocity and raw stuff still gives him the ceiling of an impact Major League starter.

 

8.  Jack Wenninger, RHP, New York Mets

2026 AAA Stat line: 82.2 IP | 3.59 ERA | 21.9 K% | 12.7 BB% 

2025 MiLB Stat line: 135.2 IP | 2.92 ERA | 26.4 K% | 7.6 BB%

 

Misses and misplays led to a tedious outing for Jack Wenninger on Tuesday. The 2023 draftee has hit a plateau in Triple-A with many metrics reaching their worst levels in his career. The 5.25 FIP and 5.01 xFIP each say that the 3.59 ERA could be on the rise. That notion is further supported by batted ball data that shows a diminished groundball rate, a rising barrel rate, and a high hard-hit rate. Wenninger has also seen a dramatic dip in his swinging strike rate, which culminates in a lower strikeout rate and much higher walk rate. All of the negative talk mostly comes from a feeling of disappointment that Wenninger has yet to step into his best self. The opportunity for lengthy Major League service time with the last-place Mets is right there, but he is letting it slip away.

Back to the matchup against Elmer Rodríguez and Scranton, Wenninger only completed three frames. He had a difficult third inning where he tossed 35 pitches to get three outs. Overall, it was another start with an abysmal strike rate of 55% and a 36% zone rate. He needs to tighten up the secondaries, the slider and changeup, as they are missing the zone and not really generating many whiffs. The fastball velocity is also underwhelming. The 6’4″ appears stalled out at 94 mph and 17 inches of vertical break, when it looked like he was going to explode on the scene with much higher potential.

Wenninger will get another chance this week in a tentative rematch at Scranton-Wilkes Barre.

 

9.  Nestor German, RHP, Baltimore Orioles

2026 AAA Stat line: 91.1 IP | 3.94 ERA | 25.5 K% | 8.6 BB% 

2025 MiLB Stat line: 123.2 IP | 3.93 ERA | 28.0 K% | 9.0 BB%

 

July has been a turning point for Nestor German. He has consistently worked ahead in counts, allowing him to lean more heavily on his highly graded splitter, a pitch that generates weak contact and a 48% whiff rate. Backed by an outstanding 71% strike rate, German has trimmed his walk rate to below 9% while continuing to suppress contact. The surface results have followed, as he has piled up 14 strikeouts against just two walks this month. The only limitation is that the strikeout rate itself remains modest. German’s current profile looks more like that of an efficient strike-thrower than a bat-misser, meaning his ceiling will likely rise only if either the slider or cutter develops into a more consistent swing-and-miss offering alongside the splitter.

German reinforced that profile with a quality start in Nashville last Saturday. The 6’3″ right-hander incorporates a subtle hitch at the top of his over-the-top delivery, adding a layer of deception before attacking the zone. He struck out four hitters, though somewhat surprisingly none came on the splitter. Instead, the four-seamer and cutter accounted for all of the punchouts, suggesting there may be another path to elevating his strikeout totals. Even so, the splitter remains the pitch that drives his overall success, and unlocking more put-away ability from it would further raise his ceiling. Another noteworthy aspect of the outing was the number of fly balls he allowed.

Given the steep downhill angle created by his release, hitters naturally counter by matching it with a higher attack angle, making elevated contact less surprising. Fortunately, those fly balls have not turned into damaging contact. German has allowed just a 3% barrel rate on the season while holding opponents to a .159 batting average in July. If he continues converting those fly balls into harmless outs, it will be fascinating to see how that profile holds in an Orioles park that ranks among the top five for both hitters and home runs.

See how he did Friday night at Charlotte.

 

10. Karson Milbrandt, RHP, Miami Marlins

2026 AAA/AA Stat line: 74 IP | 2.92 ERA | 30.9 K% | 13.4 BB% 

2025 MiLB Stat line: 90 IP | 3.00 ERA | 29.0 K% | 12.3 BB%

 

Karson Milbrandt has hit his first real bump in the road since earning his promotion to Triple-A. Over his first 23 innings, he has issued 22 walks while recording 20 strikeouts, reached the sixth inning just once, and is still searching for his first victory. The underlying metrics tell a similar story. His swinging-strike rate has fallen to 11%, hitters are making contact on 83% of pitches in the strike zone, and that contact has been increasingly authoritative, as reflected by a 38% hard-hit rate and 6% barrel rate. Remarkably, he managed to avoid surrendering a home run through his first several Triple-A outings—until that streak finally ended. It’s a stark contrast from the dominant version of Milbrandt that overwhelmed Double-A hitters. The key question now is whether these struggles are simply the growing pains of facing more advanced competition or a sign of a deeper issue that needs to be addressed.

His most recent start last Saturday offered a few encouraging signs. Milbrandt trimmed the walks to two over 71 pitches and four innings, a meaningful improvement after his recent stretch of wildness. His 94 mph four-seam fastball was noticeably sharper, accounting for three strikeouts and three whiffs. Curiously, his best swing-and-miss weapon—the sweeper—failed to generate either a whiff or a strikeout while posting just a 46% strike rate. The outing wasn’t without damage, however. He gave up several hard-hit balls, including a three-run home run, the first he has allowed in Triple-A. On the bright side, he still finished with five strikeouts, a 29% strikeout rate for the game that more closely resembles the pitcher evaluators expected to see after his promotion.

One possible explanation for the adjustment period lies in Milbrandt’s pitch mix. He doesn’t feature a true secondary pitch with meaningful arm-side movement. The changeup technically fills that role, but at just 2% usage, it is essentially absent from his arsenal. That leaves hitters primarily tracking glove-side movement, and Triple-A batters may simply be recognizing those shapes and end locations more consistently than Double-A hitters did. His sliders have been hit the hardest, with the four-seamer and sweeper not far behind. The encouraging part is that his release points remain well synchronized, suggesting the issue isn’t deception but rather pitch location, sequencing, or both. Unlocking more consistent command of his curveball would also help. At the moment, the pitch chart shows the breaker scattered throughout the zone instead of being located with intent.

Milbrandt’s latest outing wasn’t a complete turnaround, but it was a step in the right direction. Cutting the walks in half is meaningful progress. The next step is pairing that improved control with sharper execution of his secondary pitches. If the whiffs begin to return and the breaking balls find more consistent locations, this rough introduction to Triple-A could prove to be nothing more than a temporary detour.

Let’s see how he does in his scheduled start on Saturday at Worcester.

 

On The Bubble

Here are the next several pitchers that were in consideration for inclusion on this week’s list:

Coleman Crow MIL, Tyson Hardin MIL, Carlos Lagrange NYY (7-day IL right shoulder inflammation), Tanner McDougal CHW (Strictly reliever for 2026, but the role change may result in a quicker promotion), River Ryan LAD, David Sandlin CHW, AJ Smith-Shawver ATL (Friendly reminder that he is on a rehab assignment and could be back with Atlanta soon), Miguel Ullola (Being built up as a reliever and having tremendous success 9K:0BB in last 5.1 innings with a 24% swinging strike rate), Joe Whitman SFG, and Matt Wilkinson SFG.

 

Pitcher Stash List

 

Stash List Key
Stash now! Upside + Proximity
Upside Stash
Proximity Stash

 

Photo by Michael Wade/Icon Sportswire | Featured Image by Justin Redler (@reldernitsuj on Bsky/Twitter)