Let’s just cut to the chase, because there’s a lot to discuss. The Twins already have a ton of outfielders. When I asked Twitter this week about how many internal options the Twins have in the outfield, the smallest estimate I received was 12. For reference, the Twins had 12 players play outfield for them all of last season, which included two who were traded away at midseason, three who were acquired midseason, and one Mickey Gasper for an inning in March.

How would you handle all these names, even those who you’re going to comment “It’s not even worth discussing ______!” in the replies about?

1. Byron Buxton
Not much to discuss here. Very good player. Should be the Opening Day center fielder. I suppose they might have to trade him if they upset him enough to waive his no-trade clause, and he might be moved to a corner if one of the guys further down covers center field better than he does at 32.

2. Matt Wallner
More than likely, he’s the Opening Day left fielder. However, he’s coming off his worst MLB season, with a just barely-above league-average .776 OPS (.202/.311/.464 110 OPS+), and his already shaky defense has taken a step back, despite his rocket arm. He seems to be a valuable asset in a lineup that lacks power, but he’s also on the wrong side of 27 and is best suited as a DH. His DH days might be closer than he’d prefer, given other exciting names further down the list.

3. Trevor Larnach
If Larnach is still on the team in March, he’s probably the primary left fielder or DH, but it’s become canonized across the Twins’ fanbase that he’s likely taken his last swings as a Twin. He has a pedestrian career slash line around league average with a .727 career OPS, but spotted against righties, he’s an above-average hitter with no speed or defense to add to his profile. With an estimated $4.7 million due in arbitration for next year, odds seem high that he will either be traded, but the Twins have a history of holding on to lefty corner outfielders even when fans believe they’ll be traded any day now.

4. Alan Roden
Roden was acquired as part of the Louis Varland trade and would be far more exciting on many other teams. Instead, he’s one of 10 current Twins on the 40-man roster who have played left field and are left-handed. He profiles as a solid glove and solid hitter with more on-base potential than power, but he’s struggled in his 55 games as an MLB player. The Twins have a combination of MLB depth in the corner outfield position and high-upside players behind him (whom he has had only 153 more plate appearances than). So, his path to playing time in the medium- and long-term may be at first base, where he played some in college.

5. Austin Martin
The once-top-prospect seems to be settling into a big-league role finally, if the last two months of 2025 are any indication. Martin seems resigned to left field, where his lack of power is a weakness, but if his .374 OBP from 2025 holds up, he can at least be a platoon option, whether that be with Roden, Larnach, or any of the names below. He can also play center field or second base in a pinch, and he’s fast enough to pinch run in games he didn’t start.

6. James Outman
Outman was probably the biggest head-scratcher of an acquisition from the Twins’ 2025 trade deadline. The return for reliever Brock Stewart. Outman placed third in Rookie of the Year voting in 2023, but his .529 OPS since is 50% below league average. He also did not impress in center field for the Twins, despite his positive reputation as a defender. The fourth lefty on this list (thus far), he needs to improve his fielding, hitting, or both to carve out a role. He also may be moved—traded or released—if the Twins decide that his replacement outweighs sunk cost.

7. Kody Clemens
Clemens is currently penciled in as the Twins’ starting first baseman by most, but (should they bring in some other names to cover the position) he may be an option in a corner. He’s looked fine defensively in limited action in right and left field, so it’s not the worst solution—especially early in the season or if the team catches the injury bug. But names further down the list could probably make his outfield skillset obsolete, even if he is platooning with Martin in left field come March.

8. Walker Jenkins
Okay, finally, one of those names further down the list. Jenkins is one of the top prospects in the sport, and even with significant time lost to injury, the 2023 number five pick has made it to Triple-A, holding his own as a 20-year-old for a month in St. Paul. He’s preferably a fixture in the Twins outfield for the next decade. He should be able to play center field enough to at least be Buxton’s backup, which may squeeze Outman out of a job. His hit tool has shone, and if it translates to the majors—especially if he can add some power—he’d be in position to take starting reps away from corner guys like Larnach and Roden and situational reps from Martin and Clemens. It might even happen early in the season, but it’s good not to count chickens before they hatch.

9. Emmanuel Rodriguez
Rodriguez’s situation bears similarity to Jenkins—he’s a left-handed top prospect who could play center and hit enough to man a corner but has been slowed by injury. But the way he’s gotten there is different, as he’s a three-true-outcomes hitter with power, plate discipline, and a lot of strikeouts, which contrasts with Jenkins’ more pure hitting approach. He’s also been more plagued by injury, playing just 295 games across five minor league seasons, though the 22-year-old has raked at every level. It’s not hard to see both Jenkins and Rodriguez covering the corners by midseason, health permitting, reframing the roles of whoever is still in the organization between Wallner, Larnach, Roden, Martin, and Outman. Clemens, too. Sure. Wallner could slide to more DHing, playing right field when any of the other three need a day off, and Martin could continue to platoon, but there are a lot of question marks.

10. Carson McCusker and DaShawn Keirsey Jr
Before you run off to comment that you stopped reading here, let me draw your attention to the fact that it took me nine starting-caliber outfielders to reach the end of the bench major leaguers. Also, more interesting names are coming. Keep reading. McCusker, is reasonable bench options as a one-trick pony. He can slug as a righty. Technically, he could be a 26th man, but there’s a solid chance he will be designated for assignment this offseason, like DaShawn Keirsey Jr, who originally shared this spot in the article with McCusker before his release.

11-12. Utility Players with Outfield Chops: Ryan Fitzgerald, Ryan Kreidler, and Payton Eeles
Both of these guys are currently fighting over the utility infield position, but each has played some outfield to expand their utility. They likely won’t ever be primary guys out there, but they could factor into the picture. Payton Eeles was originally list here as well, but he was traded Friday morning. I’m being thorough. Okay, on to the minor leaguers.

13. Gabriel Gonzalez
One of the most recent additions to the 40-man roster, Gonzalez had one of the better turnarounds among Twins minor leaguers last season. Acquired in the Jorge Polanco trade, Gonzalez struggled at High-A in 2024, but he hit his way to Triple-A late in the season, hitting .329 across three levels. A righty, he provides the Twins a platoon option, provided that he continues to hit at St. Paul in 2026. He likely factors more into the second half, but he could fill a needed role, should the Twins have roster room to carry a platoon partner (alongside Martin; or in place of Martin) for their bevy of lefty hitters in the corner outfield.

14-16. Gonzalez-Adjacent Prospects: Kala’i Rosario, Ricardo Olivar, Kyler Fedko
These guys’ paths to the Twins’ plans are the least clear, but each righty outfielder could fill the same platoon role that Gonzalez would, should they hit well. The odds are low, but between injuries and underperformance, there’s a world in which any of them play into the Twins’ plans and will spend much of the year at Triple-A, one string of fortune from the majors. Rosario and Fedko each had unexpected 25-25 seasons, and Olivar can catch some. Fedko also saw some time at first base in 2025, adding utility.

17. Hendry Mendez
Mendez was the return for Harrison Bader, and he might be the farthest name on this list from the major league outfield, but the 22-year-old was just added to the 40-man roster, which raises his odds of major-league action just out of necessity. Gilberto Celestino played 23 games in 2021 simply because he was a warm body on the 40-man. Mendez had a great year at Double-A, like the three names above, but he’s also left-handed and might be more in the plans at first base than in the outfield.

18. Luke Keaschall
You didn’t expect to see Keaschall on this list, did you? He is an interesting case in this discussion, because in many organizations, he’d already be classified as an outfielder. He played 141 innings in center in 2024 but ceased doing so due to a torn UCL. The Twins have committed to him at second base, where his offense is more valuable, but his future may be in left or center. Given the myriad other options, he’s likely to stay on the dirt—at least for now. But I told myself if a player had at least a 5% chance of being in the Twins outfield, I’d list them, and there’s a world in which Keaschall does end up spending some time in the outfield, even just in platoon lineups.

19. Mickey Gasper
He played an inning there last year. Listen, some things had to change when Eeles was traded and Keirsey was released. This is my fault for dragging my feet on this article.

20. Royce Lewis
Maybe Derek Shelton sees part of recapturing the old Royce Lewis is doing some exposure therapy and having him run around in the outfield a bit. Exorcise those center field demons. It could happen.

So how would you handle all these names? Who starts, who sits, who is headed to St. Paul (where there might be an outfield logjam made of these names, too)? Who would you trade? Who would you cut? Is there a single righty in your picture? Did I somehow miss your favorite option?