The Minnesota Twins have several interesting prospects on the precipice of impacting the big league ballclub. But injuries and inconsistent performances fro the top over the last two years breed questions. A healthy mix of bats and arms lay on the horizon in Minneapolis.
But look deeper into the farm and you’ll find names you may not be familiar with, but probably should be.
DEVELOPMENTS
Walker Jenkins is proving to be everything the Twins hoped he’d be and more. He’s got a shot to debut in the big leagues before he turns 21 and boasts some of the best impact potential from the left side of the plate the minor leagues can offer. A few nagging injuries have slowed Jenkins’ meteoric charge up the organizational ladder, but when he’s had his feet beneath him all he’s done is hit.
Jenkins crossed four levels in 2024 and ended the season at Double-A. He slashed .282/.394/.439 with six homers last season but ask anyone in the scouting industry and they’ll tell you more game power is coming. He’ll head back to Double-A Wichita in next spring and could be a summer call-up.
The story on Emmanuel Rodriguez is similar. He’s been dinged up, but he played across four levels last season. In the 47 games he played, Rodriguez slashed .280/.459/.567 with nine homers. He ended the year at Triple-A and will likely head back to St. Paul next spring. He’s got a shot to debut for the Twins as a 22-year-old.
Luke Keaschall was one of the best-kept secrets in the 2023 Draft. He was undervalued in the public sector, but the Twins saw enough of him to take him in the second round. His 2024 was limited as he received Tommy John surgery in August but he’ll go to Triple-A to start the 2025 season and could be in line for a summer call-up as well.
From this chair, right-hander David Festa is a name you should circle for the Twins rotation for the next several years to come. He’s a terrific athlete on the mound who can do things with his body many others cannot. He’s got size, stuff, and untapped potential in terms of arm talent.
Festa was a punch-out machine last season racking up 77 Ks in just 64.1 innings. Walks and homers will hurt him at times, but as is the way of the modern starting pitcher. Festa will have games where he looks like a bonafide ace. He’s not technically a prospect anymore, but I don’t care. If he can bring it all together, he could sit atop the Twins rotation by the time 2027 rolls around.
Along those same lines, keep an eye on righty Marco Raya this season. He’s dealt with injuries and his smaller frame does lead to questions about his ability to start long-term. But Raya may flirt with triple-digit velocity as a pro and has a disgusting slider to compliment the heat. Raya will be 23 years old this year and must prove he has the build to start. If he cannot, you may be looking at Griffin Jax‘s eventual high-leverage replacement.
QUESTIONS
The most important unknown in the Twins’ system is timing, not whether or not they have impact on the way. Jenkins represents a chance at a star, Rodriguez isn’t far behind, and Raya’s upside fits in somewhere in the upper tiers of a good rotation.
But when these kinds of performances arrive is unclear. Jenkins could hit the majors as early as the second half of 2025, but will he bring impact right away? Raya could be on a similar path, but he’s never worked more than the 97.2 innings he tossed a year ago, serving as a hurdle to anything substantial until at least 2026.
Right-hander Andrew Morris may be closer to the majors than Raya (he rolled up 133 innings in 2024), but he comes with more questions and at least currently less upside, fitting more into the back-end of a rotation, or even the bullpen, entering 2025.
There are a slew of very interesting, higher-ceiling players that are at least a few years away, including RHP Charlee Soto, OF Yesser Mercedes, 2B Dameury Pena, and OF Eduardo Beltre.
| LEVEL | TEAM | W-L | TOP PROSPECT |
|---|---|---|---|
| AAA | St. Paul | 70-79 | Emmanuel Rodriguez, OF |
| AA | Wichita | 58-80 | Luke Keaschall, UT |
| A+ | Cedar Rapids | 67-63 | Kaelen Culpepper, SS |
| A | Fort Myers | 66-59 | Charlee Soto, RHP |
| R | Twins | 28-31 | Dasan Hill, LHP |
| DSL | Twins | 30-25 | Eduardo Beltre, OF |
ADDITIONS & SUBTRACTIONS
It was a quiet year on the trade and free-agent fronts for the Twins, but they did add talent as the year progressed. In July’s Draft, the Twins selected SS Kaelen Culpepper (1) in the first round. They followed that up by selecting fellow SS Kyle DeBarge in Comp Round A, 2B Billy Amick in the second round, and took a shot on a couple of outfielders in the mid-rounds in Jaime Ferrer and Caden Kendle.
The club did trade 2B Yoyner Fajardo to the Pittsburgh Pirates for cash, acquired 3B Rylan Bannon from the New York Mets, and acquired SS Jay Harry from the Toronto Blue Jays for RHP Trevor Richard at the deadline.
GRADUATIONS
Austin Martin, OF
Brooks Lee, SS
Woods-Richardson, RHP
Festa, RHP
Ronny Henriquez, RHP
Scott Blewett, RHP
Kody Funderburk, LHP
Zebby Matthews, RHP
BIG-LEAGUE RADAR
Rodriguez, OF
Keaschall, UT
Eiberson Castellano, RHP
Cory Lewis, RHP
Andrew Morris, RHP
Marco Raya, RHP
Tanner Schobel, 3B
Kala’i Rosario, OF
Payton Eeles, OF
Connor Prielipp, LHP
SCOUT SAYS
“They’v gotten a lot from their farm the last several years, but some of it has come from the not-so-obvious, and less has come from the names we’d expect. The injury issues with (Byron) Buxton and Royce Lewis have hurt, but they’ve gotten quite a bit from (Joe) Ryan, (Bailey) Ober, (Jose) Miranda, Ryan Jeffers, (Matt) Wallner, (Griffin) Jax, now David Festa… it’s a long list. Kepler was their own development
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