Spring training is well underway in Fort Myers, and we’re hurtling toward Opening Day at Camden Yards on Thurs., March 26. What once looked like a relatively straightforward camp has shifted dramatically over the last couple of weeks, as both Pablo López and David Festa were lost to injury, forcing the organization to rework its pitching plans much earlier than expected. Those absences don’t just impact the starting rotation; they also place additional strain on the bullpen to absorb innings during the season’s early months.

In recent weeks, the front office supplemented the relief corps with veteran additions who can provide stability in the middle and late innings, while some of the younger arms continue to develop. That influx of experience will need to bridge the gap early in the year, especially if Minnesota needs to lean on its bullpen more heavily while sorting out the back end of the rotation.

There are still plenty of decisions to make with the roster, including how the final bench spots shake out and which relievers ultimately break camp. With those developments in mind, here is a projection for Minnesota’s 26-man roster entering the season.

Starting Rotation (5): Joe Ryan, Bailey Ober, Taj Bradley, Simeon Woods Richardson, Zebby Matthews
Others on 40-man roster: Mick Abel, Connor Prielipp, Andrew Morris, Kendry Rojas, and John Klein

Without López and Festa, the rotation must prove it can handle a full workload from day one. Ryan and Ober move into clear leadership roles atop the staff, and both will be leaned on heavily to provide stability every fifth day. Ryan was scratched from his first spring start with lower back inflammation, but the MRI didn’t show anything significant. Ober has yet to appear in a spring game for the Twins, but Derek Shelton told reporters this weekend that he doesn’t feel Ober is behind.

Bradley is the biggest wildcard in this group. His stuff has never been in question, but Minnesota needs him to translate that arsenal into consistent big-league results across a full season. Woods Richardson showed flashes of being able to navigate major-league lineups over the last two seasons, but the Twins have been careful with how many times he faces a lineup. This is the type of opportunity that could cement him as a long-term rotation piece.

Matthews rounds out the group and will be tasked with simply throwing strikes—a skill at which he excelled in the minors—and keeping the team in games early in the year while Minnesota evaluates its pitching depth. In 2025, Matthews posted a 3.79 FIP and paired it with an 18.1 K-BB% that sat well above league average. He could be a potential breakout starter.

Bullpen (8): Cole Sands, Justin Topa, Taylor Rogers, Anthony Banda, Eric Orze, Andrew Chafin, Kody Funderburk, Zak Kent
Others on 40-man roster:  Marco Raya, Travis Adams

How many left-handed relievers is too many? The Twins may be pushing the envelope in that category with Rogers, Banda, Chafin, and Funderburk. None of this quartet of lefties is particularly good at getting out right-handed batters, so the usage of this bullpen might be tricky.

From the right side, Sands and Topa return as internal arms who have earned trust in at least medium-leverage spots, while Orze and Kent offer fresh looks capable of missing bats. With rotation uncertainty early in the season, this unit may be asked to cover more innings than originally anticipated.

The bullpen looks much different than it did at the beginning of the offseason, but there isn’t a lot of upside. Minnesota can hope that a veteran like Liam Hendriks has something left in the tank, but he’s been limited by health concerns for multiple seasons. There’s also no guarantee he will be ready for Opening Day. Raya and Adams offer some potential depth at Triple-A, but they are both transitioning to a full-time relief role.

Catchers (2) Ryan Jeffers, Victor Caratini
Others on 40-man roster: Alex Jackson
Jeffers returns as the primary catcher and remains an important middle-of-the-order bat for this lineup. Caratini provides Minnesota with flexibility thanks to his ability to switch hit and slide over to first base when needed.

Over the weekend, I wrote about the Twins potentially carrying three catchers on the Opening Day roster, since Jackson is out of minor-league options. Minnesota put this plan into action with a spring lineup that had Jeffers at DH, Caratini at first base, and Jackson at catcher. Still, that would seem to severely limit Shelton’s bench options, even with Caratini able to play first base.

Infielders (6): Josh Bell, Luke Keaschall, Brooks Lee, Royce Lewis, Kody Clemens, Ryan Kreidler
Others on 40-man roster: Eric Wagaman, Tristan Gray
Bell might turn out to be Minnesota’s most important offseason signing, as the switch-hitter adds a veteran presence to a lineup that struggled in the second half of 2025. Keaschall has been electric in his big-league career with a 128 OPS+ in 49 games. Now, he needs to show that consistency over a full season—and improve as a defender.

The Twins are handing shortstop to Lee, but that’s out of necessity, with few other organizational options. Baseball America went so far as to say the Twins “don’t have a shortstop.” In his first two seasons, he has a 75 OPS+, which doesn’t match the output the Twins thought they were getting with the eighth overall pick.

Lewis is entering what might be the most important season of his young career. He has shown the ability to be one of the most impactful bats on the roster when healthy. He changed his batting stance this winter, and the early results have been positive. Clemens and Kreidler round out the group, providing defensive flexibility and depth across the diamond.

Outfielders (5): Byron Buxton, Matt Wallner, Trevor Larnach, Austin Martin, James Outman
Others on 40-man roster: Emmanuel Rodriguez, Gabriel Gonzalez, Alan Roden, Hendry Mendez
Buxton anchors the outfield both defensively and offensively when he is in the lineup. He’s coming off his best big-league season, and now he can use the World Baseball Classic as a springboard to the 2026 campaign. Wallner is coming off a disappointing season, but still posted a 110 OPS+. It’s surprising that Larnach is still on the roster, but the Twins must believe he is closer to the 116 OPS+ player he was in 2024 than to the one who produced tepid results last year.

Martin offers athleticism and positional versatility. He was one of the lone bright spots in the second half of 2025, posting a 106 OPS+ and stealing 11 bases in 50 games. Outman is out of options and adds another left-handed power threat who can handle center field when needed. His Triple-A performance and underlying metrics suggest a breakout season. He’s also out of options.

Together, this group gives Minnesota coverage at all three outfield spots, along with the flexibility to mix and match depending on pitching matchups early in the season.

Opening Day rosters are rarely intact for long, and this group will almost certainly look different as the season unfolds. Injuries have already forced Minnesota to adjust its plans, and more challenges are likely to arise over the first few weeks of the schedule.

That said, the foundation of this roster offers a blend of upside and versatility that should allow the Twins to remain competitive while waiting for reinforcements later in the year. How this group handles the early portion of the season could go a long way toward determining whether Minnesota can stay afloat in the standings until some of the organization’s top prospects are ready to join the fray.

What would you change about the team’s Opening Day roster? Leave a comment and start the discussion.