Format = Place Participant | Age on 4/1/2025 | Highest Stage Performed | Estimated Time of Arrival
1. OF Walker Jenkins | 20 | AA | 2026
A left-handed hitter at 6’3” 210 lbs, Jenkins walked greater than he struck out and slashed .282/.394/.439 in 82 skilled video games throughout his first full season. The sixth general choose within the stacked 2023 class, Jenkins took the highest spot on this checklist final 12 months and is the odds-on favourite to assert it once more subsequent season until the Twinkies actually slam the gasoline on his growth: an final result he may invite with a sizzling begin at Double-A.
2. OF Emmanuel Rodriguez | 22 | AAA | 2025
He performed simply 47 video games in 2024, however that was loads of time for the 5’11” 210 lb Rodriguez to indicate some qualities that make him the apple of many a dynasty-baseball eye. He slashed .280/.459/.567 with 9 house runs and 9 steals throughout 4 ranges throughout these 47 video games, flashing the three-true-outcomes that ought to assist OBP leaguers even when he’s not making an entire lot of contact within the early going.
3. 2B Luke Keaschall | 22 | AA | 2025
Right here’s what I wrote about Keaschall for final 12 months’s checklist:
“I’ve come to love the phrase “hitting is the simple half” to explain guys like Keaschall who’ve at all times produced and by no means actually struggled with strikeouts. The Twins chosen the 6’1” 190 lb righty out of Arizona State within the second spherical and despatched him to the advanced for 3 video games, then to Low-A for 20 and at last to Excessive-A for eight video games. He slashed .288/.414/.478 with three homers and 11 steals. He’ll most likely open the season again in Excessive-A however appears fairly near prepared for the brilliant lights.”
And prepared for the brilliant lights Keaschall appeared to be, slashing .303/.420/.483 with 15 house runs and 23 steals in 102 video games throughout Excessive-A and Double-A. The one hang-up right here is Minnesota’s potential to build up hitters in want of main league enjoying time, however this stuff are inclined to kind themselves out, or at the very least that’s what folks say.
4. SS Kaelen Culpepper | 22 | A+ | 2026
A 3-year standout because the beginning shortstop at Kansas State, Culpepper went twenty first general to the Twins and cruised by way of Low-A in 17 video games, slashing .294/.366/.541 with simply two strikeouts in 9 video games to pressure the short promotion to Excessive-A Cedar Rapids for 17 video games to shut out the season. He’ll most likely open the 2025 season there (right here) in Iowa, the place it may be colder in spring than winter today, however this workforce is aware of the way to develop a gifted hitter, so the sensible cash suggests he’ll energy by way of the frosty months and wind up on the doorstep of the large leagues heading into 2026.
5. RHP Andrew Morris | 23 | AAA | 2025
Morris will get extra velocity than loads of high-angle arms, a testomony to the athleticism in his 6’0” 195 lb body. One sneaky side of his recreation is that he’s thrown loads of innings (482.1) between school and the professionals, which offers a bit of perception as to how he repeats a singular supply with such consistency. From the Nolan Ryan faculty of pitching: how do you study to throw loads of innings? You throw loads of innings. In 133 innings throughout three ranges in 2024, Morris went 10-and-5 with a 2.37 ERA and 1.08 WHIP on the energy of a plus fastball with trip and a strong slider he can spot the place he needs in any rely.
6. OF Brandon Winokur | 20 | A | 2028
A 3rd-round choose within the 2023 draft, Winokur checks in at 6’6” 210 lbs and performed heart area in his debut season. Completely regular stuff today in baseball, however nonetheless fairly unbelievable to me to contemplate they’re transferring him across the infield and outfield to search out out the place he suits finest. In his first full season, Winokur slashed .249/.327/.434 with 14 house runs and 23 stolen bases in 94 video games, and certain, he struck out a bit (28%), however he additionally posted a 116 whereas rising into his body as a high-school draftee in opposition to older gamers.
7. RHP Marco Raya | 22 | AAA | 2025
A 4th spherical choose in 2020, Raya missed 2021 with a shoulder pressure however has loved a fast climb by way of the system on the energy of his breaking-ball command. He’s listed at 6’1” 170 lbs and didn’t final greater than 4 innings in any begin in 2023 however appeared to search out one thing down the stretch in 2024, permitting zero house runs and recording a 1.31 ERA over his remaining seven begins protecting 34.1 innings throughout two ranges. Any little leap in his velocity would make him an issue, giving him a reasonably clear path to the bullpen if beginning doesn’t work out.
8. C OF Ricardo Olivar | 23 | AA | 2025
Each now and again, or perhaps yearly ‘spherical right here, Minnesota turns up a man who simply hits and hits and hits. Possibly he’s not the largest or most athletic dude, and perhaps he doesn’t have a long-term house on protection, however the dude simply retains shoving “higher” prospects out of the best way as he hits his method up the chain. I don’t imply to counsel Olivar can’t play protection as a result of by all accounts, he’s simply high-quality behind the plate, however he’s 5’10 176 lbs wihtout a lot pace or energy however a protracted observe file of plate abilities and wRC+ outcomes (138, 150, 136, 173, 181) that counsel he’s a troublesome out irrespective of the context.
9. 2B Dameury Pena | 19 | CPX | 2029
Right here’s what I wrote about Pena on June 5 in Prospect Information: Tigers Deploy Malloy or Viars on Hearth:
“Whereas we’re right here discussing handsy Twins (eww) and plate-discipline sort Twins, I’ll throw some hype over towards Twins SS Dameury Pena (18), who appears to be like like a handsy dude with plate self-discipline, slashing .338/.457/.462 with two house runs and three steals throughout 18 video games on the advanced. He has drawn 14 walks (17.3%) and struck out 4 (4.9%) instances.”
Yikes. Should’ve been a bizarre week. Pena cooled off a bit from there. His remaining line was .282/.386/.410 with three house runs and 4 steals in 36 video games. Additionally simply 9 strikeouts in opposition to 19 walks, that means he’s going to interrupt some projection techniques. Cautious on that, as he’s simply 5’10” 150 lbs with out lightning-fast ft.
10. OF Yasser Mercedes | 20 | A | 2028
Mercedes seemed nice off the lot after a sticker worth of $1.7 million however suffered a shoulder damage that triggered the automobile fox and torpedoed his dynasty worth in 2023. He got here again robust in 2024, slashing .331/.421/.568 with six house runs and 18 steals in 51 video games on the advanced earlier than an empty ten video games in Low-A and an August journey to the IL for an undisclosed damage. Large season this 12 months, and maybe the final buy-low window in our recreation if the-power pace mix comes collectively in full-season ball.
Thanks for studying!
