Credit: William Parmeter
The Minnesota Twins gutted the major league roster at the end of July when they sent 10 players packing. The majority of those were on one-year contracts, but it made Rocco Baldelli’s roster a proving ground for new names.
That also meant the top of the farm system would be shuffled dramatically. Now boasting one of the best prospect groups in all of baseball, there is plenty to be excited about for the future.
There is not another player on the farm that is as good as Walker Jenkins. Few across baseball still with prospect status can claim that either. Now he’s headed to Triple-A.
Walker Jenkins joins St. Paul Saints
Minnesota used the fifth overall pick on Walker Jenkins during the 2023 Major League Baseball amateur draft. Despite being just over two years removed from that date, he’s now at the highest level of the farm system.
#MNTwins promoted Walker Jenkins to Triple-A St. Paul.
— DanHayesMLB (@DanHayesMLB) August 24, 2025
Jenkins will be 20 years and 188 days old when he makes his debut in the Triple-A lineup. That makes him the youngest player in the International League.
Multiple outlets had Jenkins as a top five prospect coming into the 2025 season, and that was with the loaded names that have since made their big league debuts. Jenkins had the start of his season stunted due to an ankle injury, but earned the promotion after 52 games at Double-A Wichita.
Walker Jenkins, last 18 games…
81 PA, .397/.481/.676, 4 2B, 5 HR, 3 SB, 11.1% BB, 14.8% K
This is a Top-5 prospect talent for #FantasyBaseball. Just needs to show that he can stay healthy.#MNTwins pic.twitter.com/ngPvWQTJ6B
— Eric Cross (@EricCrossMLB) August 22, 2025
He owns a .309/.426/.487 batting line for the Wind Surge this season. He has batted .319 since July and owns an even better .333/.449/.524 line since August 1st.
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Jenkins is truly a five-tool player. Despite having the capability of hitting 20-plus home runs during his prime, he still possesses elite speed, bat control skills, and defensive abilities. Minnesota may be able to utilize him in centerfield as incumbent Byron Buxton ages and shifts to a corner.
What’s next for Walker Jenkins?
The St. Paul Saints are 55-69 and have no route to postseason baseball. That means Jenkins will see his season end in a maximum of 24 more games.
The timing of the promotion coincides with a two-week road trip for St. Paul. He’ll get that time to acclimate away from the hometown pressure at CHS Field. After a stop in Toledo (against old friend Randy Dobnak), St. Paul stays close and faces the Louisville Bats.
Walker Jenkins delivers his fifth 3-hit game for Double-A @WindSurgeICT in the past three weeks ⚡️
MLB’s No. 11 prospect (@Twins) is hitting .336 with a .998 OPS during the second half of the season: pic.twitter.com/eSvcxaSbgZ
— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) August 10, 2025
St. Paul returns home for their final homestand on September 9 against the Columbus Clippers. By then, Jenkins will have had time to acclimate to the level and he should see significant crowds for the final six home games of the season.
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With this level of runway, there is certainly an outside chance he could make the Opening Day roster for the 2026 Minnesota Twins. It’s more likely he’ll begin in Triple-A and be among the first looked at to provide a burst. However, this is an uber-talented player and putting a cap on his trajectory is pointless.
Jenkins isn’t the only top Twins prospect that should end the season in Triple-A. Wichita teammate and 2024 first round pick Kaelen Culpepper is expected to join him as well.
Mentioned in this article: Walker Jenkins
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