After the Twins sold at the deadline, all that was left to hope for was that some of the remaining players would make the best of the opportunity that had opened up and earn their way into the 2026 plans. While not everyone made good on this, a few players certainly look like they’ve earned themselves roles on next year’s roster.
Kody Clemens
Clemens looked like a flash in the pan when he followed up his explosive first month in a Twins uniform with a .625 OPS in June. Being a well-traveled 29-year-old, there was always a chance that his performance was simply one good month and that he would return to the version of Kody Clemens that could never quite carve out a regular role on an MLB roster. Finishing as a comfortably above league-average hitter in two of the last three months of the season while playing regularly may have changed that in the Twins’ eyes.
Clemens may not be a part of the long-term future, but he should fit quite well on the 2026 Twins roster. The organization lacks interesting options for first base, where Clemens filled in for much of the second half. He will also be plenty cheap for a roster that is likely to shed more payroll than add to it this offseason. Clemens can be an ideal stopgap at first base and second base in addition to filling in at both corner outfield spots. It may not be a massive development for the future, but Clemens at least gives the team one less roster spot to worry about.
Austin Martin
Making up one half of the trade return from dealing Jose Berrios to the Blue Jays, Martin looks to have finally made good on the Twins’ acquisition of him in 2021. Martin has dealt with swing changes, injuries, and overall inconsistency in his Twins tenure. He’s no longer considered a serious option in the infield mix and remains extremely raw in center field. After receiving regular opportunities down the stretch, he settled into left field, where he showed positive defensive metrics and was one of the Twins’ better overall hitters in the final months of the season.
Martin still lacks power, but his right-handed bat makes him a shoo-in for the Twins’ 2026 roster. Left-handed hitters dominate the outfield, and the team has lacked a quality option to spell them for several years. His speed and athleticism also complement the overall roster, making him a strong bench option at the very least. He may not be the player who was once selected fifth overall in the MLB draft, but Martin may finally be emerging as a valuable MLB player.
Simeon Woods Richardson
SWR has been a solid back-end starting pitcher for multiple seasons, although he’s lacked consistency at times, and the upside has seemed capped because of his repertoire. The end of his season has to have raised some eyebrows, as after returning from a stomach illness, Woods Richardson did enough to leave us questioning whether he just needed a little extra time to take that next step.
Allowing two runs and striking out 23 in his last 17 innings, Woods Richardson looked like he had finally built back up after his illness. He ramped up the usage of his new splitter, which became arguably his best pitch after adding it to his mix partway through the season. After inconsistent usage throughout the year, SWR began to rely on this new offering, and it looks like the key to taking another step forward. With so many arms added at the deadline, Woods Richardson’s job looked to be a bit more in question heading into 2026. His flashes of brilliance to end the season, which coincided with a notable change in pitch mix, should earn him an Opening Day rotation spot for 2026.
Were there any other players who made the most of a bad situation down the stretch? Was there anyone you wished would have done a better job of taking advantage of their opportunity? Let us know below!