Here at the start of 2026, we’re taking stock of talent in the Twins organization by ranking their top 20 player assets. You can read the ground rules in our introductory post from Monday, but the short version is this: We’re trying to answer the question, “Which current players in the organization are most indispensable to fulfilling the vision of building a champion?”

You can catch up on my picks for #16 through #20 in that post, but here’s a quick glance at the list so far:

Now let’s keep the countdown moving as we break down the next five in my rankings

The Top 20 Twins Player Assets of 2026: 11-15

15. David Festa, RHP
Age: 25
Controlled through: 2030
2025 Ranking: 9

In 2024, Festa channeled his rapid minor-league ascent into an encouraging major-league debut, posting a 3.76 FIP with 77 strikeouts in 64 innings. But coming out of 2025, question marks loom large for the right-hander, causing a moderate drop in these rankings even as his ability and upside keep him firmly on the list of potential difference-makers.

Festa battled on-and-off shoulder issues throughout the season before ultimately being diagnosed with thoracic outlet syndrome. While that’s a scary phrase for any pitcher, there’s a healthy optimism around the outlook for Festa, who didn’t require surgery. It sounds like he’s feeling better after resting up and is expected to be at full strength for spring training. 

Even while taking a step back in 2025, Festa showed the qualities of a standout, limiting opponents to a .240 batting average while averaging a strikeout per inning. Given the injury hiccups and the makeup of Minnesota’s pitching personnel, I wouldn’t be surprised if Festa transitions to the bullpen sooner than later, but there’s a little question he could be a dominant force in the late innings.

 

14. Eduardo Tait, C
Age: 19
Controlled through: 2031+
2025 Ranking: NR

It’s tough to rank a player like this. Tait is still a teenager and hasn’t played above Single-A. He has a long way to go and the flameout rate on this player type is high. But when the Twins made Tait a central part of their Jhoan Duran trade, they were investing in him as their future at catcher, and with valid reason.

Tait was widely viewed as a top-100 prospect entering 2025. He more than held his own at 18 and 19 against advanced Single-A pitching and his catching skills are considered legit. Tait is still probably several years away from being an MLB regular if all goes well, but he’s on the right track and if he emerges as a quality backstop in the big leagues this move will be a big win for the Twins.

 

13. Royce Lewis, 3B
Age: 26
Controlled through: 2028
2025 Ranking: 2

In terms of what he can be, Lewis remains one of the very top players in the Twins organization. But we have to rank him based on what he is. And unfortunately the 2025 season only reinforced the third baseman’s fade from upper-echelon stardom into mediocrity. He slumped frequently on the way to a career-worst .671 OPS, lamenting a swing that felt “horrible” while futilely grasping for answers. 

On the bright side, it was also the healthiest season of his career, in terms of both games played and how he looked visually down the stretch, stealing bases aggressively and making spritely plays at third. That seems to bode well as Lewis enters a pivotal 2026 season. The Twins are doing everything they can to remove his barriers (real or perceived) and set him up for success. 

I started putting these rankings together in 2018, the year after Lewis was drafted number one overall. In the eight annual lists I’ve compiled, he has never been outside of the top five, until now. Hopefully it’ll prove to be an outlier in the larger story of his career, but it’s hard to justify putting him any higher at this moment in time, especially as his salary starts ticking up in arbitration. Then again, knowing what he’s capable of and what his resurgence would mean for this franchise, how could I rank him any lower?

 

12. Matt Wallner, OF
Age: 28
Controlled through: 2029
2025 Ranking: 8

The 2025 season was Wallner’s worst as a major-leaguer, but it was still … pretty solid. That’s the kind of floor you’re working with when you’ve got power and patience like his. He posted a 110 OPS+ and ranked sixth among Twins position players in fWAR at 1.4. If it’s a bump in the road, no problem, but if it’s Wallner’s new norm, he’s not going to be a terribly valuable player going forward.

There are some troubling signs — pitchers increasingly blowing him away up in the zone as his defense trends downward — but Wallner’s core strengths should not be overlooked or downplayed. There are very few players who hit the ball as hard, and few hitters who’ve been more productive in general since he arrived in the majors. 

 

11. Zebby Matthews, RHP
Age: 25
Controlled through: 2030
2025 Ranking: 13

Good young starting pitchers with team control are inherently among of the most valuable assets in baseball, treasured by teams across the league. There’s a reason why the Twins front office has focused so heavily on developing this particular type of player, and why they targeted several in their sell-off a the trade deadline. Matthews is shaping up as one of their biggest success stories, though he’s yet to fully turn the corner.

A spectacular run in the minors has led to a rocky introduction at the big-league level, where Matthews has a 5.92 ERA in 117 innings with too many home runs allowed. But he’s also got a 131-to-35 K/BB ratio powered by a mid-90s fastball and sharp secondaries. Matthews needs to prove his shoulder can hold up and needs to unlock consistency in his performance on the mound, but if he can pull it together in 2026 he’ll likely vault into the top five on these rankings. If that doesn’t click in, a reliever transition could be in the cards sooner than later.

 

What are your thoughts on the rankings so far? Which of these players do you think will be most important to the team’s outlook? Should any of these five have cracked the top 10? Let us know in the comments, and check back in tomorrow when we count down 10 through six.Â