One of the main reasons for optimism about the Twins’ short-term future is the wave of young talent in their farm system that should make an impact on the big-league team this year. Several of their top prospects, including outfielder Walker Jenkins, are on track to make their MLB debuts in 2026. For a team with self-imposed payroll limitations, developing homegrown stars is going to be critical. They may already have one in infielder Luke Keaschall, who debuted last season.
Here are five top prospects to keep an eye on this year. All five are in the Twins’ major league camp at Spring Training, which gets underway this week.
OF Walker Jenkins (21 years old)
Jenkins is the clear-cut No. 1 prospect in the Twins’ system and a consensus top-15 prospect in the sport. The fifth overall pick in the 2023 draft is a 6’3″ outfielder with a beautiful left-handed swing, and he has consistently put up strong offensive numbers as he’s risen through Minnesota’s minor league ranks over the past few years. In his first 192 minor-league games across five levels, Jenkins has slashed .295/.399/.464 (.863 OPS) with 19 home runs, 40 stolen bases, and almost as many walks as strikeouts.
Despite missing some time due to injury in each of his first two full professional seasons, Jenkins reached Triple-A St. Paul late last year at age 20. He was merely fine there, posting a .719 OPS in his first 23 games at the level, but simply reaching Triple-A at 20 is an encouraging sign. The key to Jenkins reaching his All-Star ceiling will be unlocking more power. He was a non-roster invite to camp who will likely start the year with St. Paul, but as long as he continues to hit, he should find himself in Minneapolis at some point this summer.
OF Emmanuel Rodriguez (23)
Emmanuel Rodriguez | Rob Thompson, St. Paul Saints
Rodriguez is still a consensus top-100 prospect, but endless injuries have clouded his future. The Dominican outfielder has had an extremely difficult time avoiding the injured list since debuting in the Twins’ system in 2021. The 99 games he played in 2023 are the most he’s played in a season, followed by last year’s 65. In his two other full seasons, he’s been below 50. If Rodriguez is going to pan out, he first needs to stay on the field.
When healthy, Rodriguez is a fascinating and unique prospect. In nearly 300 minor league games, he’s hit .254 with a .424 OBP, a .912 OPS, and 50 home runs. His 22 percent walk rate is excellent. His 30 percent strikeout rate is rough. Rodriguez has big-time athleticism and power, and he’s coming off a Dominican Winter League in which he hit 4 homers and had a 1.063 OPS in 18 games. Although the Twins have a bunch of left-handed outfielders, Rodriguez has a real chance to hit his way onto the Opening Day roster this spring.
IF Kaelen Culpepper (23)
Culpepper was the Twins’ first-round pick in 2024 at No. 21 overall, and he exceeded expectations in his first full season in the minors. He was named Minnesota’s minor league player of the year after a 2025 campaign in which he hit .289 with 20 homers, 25 steals, and an .844 OPS between High-A and Double-A. Culpepper has a great-looking righty swing and is good enough defensively to stick at shortstop, but he could use some continued refinement with swing decisions. Because he hasn’t yet made his Triple-A debut, he’ll almost certainly start the year in St. Paul. He may not need long at that level, however.
LHP Connor Prielipp (25)
Connor Prielipp | Image courtesy of John Vittas- Fort Myers Mighty Mussels
Prielipp is 25, which is old for a prospect, but he remains very intriguing because of his raw stuff. Injuries have significantly slowed his ascent and thrown his future role into some question. Even though he missed almost all of the 2021 season and all of 2022 at the University of Alabama due to Tommy John surgery, the Twins drafted him in the second round that year. He then pitched in just two games in 2023 before needing another UCL surgery. Prielipp returned to pitch in nine games in 2024, but he had only combined to throw 58 innings between 2020 and ’24.
Last year was a big breakthrough year for Prielipp. He stayed healthy enough to pitch in 24 games between Double-A and Triple-A, throwing 82.2 innings. His results were a little shaky (4.03 ERA), but his stuff was sharp and he struck out 98 batters. Prielipp throws a mid-90s fastball and complements it with two strong secondary options in his slider and changeup. The big question is whether the Twins will keep him on a starting path or move him to the bullpen, where he could be an immediate weapon on the big-league club in 2026.
OF Gabriel Gonzalez (22)
Gonzalez, who the Twins acquired from Seattle in the Jorge Polanco trade two years ago, broke out with a huge 2025 season. The Venezuelan outfielder hit .329 with 15 homers, 66 RBI, and a .909 OPS in 123 games across three levels, rising from High-A to Triple-A. Only five players at any level of the minor leagues had more than his 159 hits. Gonzalez, like Rodriguez, is on the Twins’ 40-man roster and could hit his way into their outfield plans quickly.
Others to know for 2026: RHP Marco Raya, LHP Kendry Rojas, OF Hendry Mendez
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