Credit: Chris Tilley-Imagn Images
It’s that time of the year. With Spring Training quickly approaching for the Minnesota Twins and the rest of Major League Baseball, updated top prospect rankings are releasing across the internet.
Baseball America dropped theirs last week, shortly followed by MLB Pipeline. On Monday, Keith Law (The Athletic) — who has gained a reputation for his controversial baseball opinions (and being somewhat of a MN Twins hater) — dropped his new rankings.
Four Minnesota Twins in Keith Law’s Top 100 lead by Walker Jenkins
Because they have so much talent ready to break into the big leagues, the Minnesota Twins have one of highest-graded minor league systems in baseball. Four players — Walker Jenkins (11), Emmanuel Rodriguez (57), Kaelen Culpepper (82) and Eduardo Tait (93) — made Law’s top 100.
It was a bit surprising to see Law so high on what the Twins have down on their farm, but it wasn’t so much about where he ranked their top prospects. It was more about all the positive things Keith had to say about the Twins’ most talented MiLB youngsters, starting with 2023 No. 5 overall pick, Walker Jenkins.
MN Twins prospects in @keithlaw‘s Top 100:
11. Walker Jenkins
57. Emmanuel Rodriguez
82. Kaelen Culpepper
93. Eduardo Tait
— Ted (@tlschwerz) January 26, 2026
He’s an above-average runner who has mostly played center in the minors, but given his injury history and the physical projection he still has, he’s probably going to end up in right field. I’m worried about his trouble staying healthy, but not worried about the offensive profile, even with the hiccup in St. Paul to end the year. He’s got a fantastic swing that will allow him to barrel the ball very consistently, and there’s 25-plus homer power in there as he refines his approach.
Walker Jenkins is obviously the cream of the crop, in the Minnesota Twins’ farm system. Despite playing just 84 games last season, he batted .286/.399/.451 with 10 home runs and 17 stolen bases, playing against competition much older than him.
Jenkins will be in Fort Myers for Twins Spring Training in February. While he’s expected to start at Triple-A St. Paul, a major league debut at some point this summer is a very real possibility.
Keith Law high on Emmanuel Rodriguez and Eduardo Tait
Like Jenkins, Emmanuel Rodriguez has dealt with plenty of injuries over the course of his minor league career. Law is concerned, but still seemingly bought in on the potential. Rodriguez has to dial back his strikeout rate if he’s going to find success at the highest level.
His .269/.431/.409 slash line last season is plenty encouraging though. And given the MN Twins concerns in the corner outfield, we could see E-Rod sooner than later this season, if he has a good camp and starts the season off hot with the Saints.
When he plays, he shows extreme patience to the point of passivity, chasing pitches out of the zone just 16 percent of the time in Triple A but also taking strikes 39 percent of the time, and hits the ball hard enough to project plus power if he ever plays regularly, maxing out at 113.6 mph last year. He’s a plus athlete who could probably play center if he could hold up, but at this point I’m questioning if sitting on the bench between innings is too risky for him — maybe the Twins should set up a hyperbaric chamber for him in the clubhouse.
What about Eduardo Tait and Kaelen Culpepper?
Developing into a big leaguer is difficult for any young player, but especially catcher, where the learning curve is even more intense. But the Minnesota Twins are not trying to rush Tait’s development, after they traded for the teenage catcher recently.
The Twins just signed Victor Caratini and trading for Alex Jackson to add even more catcher depth within the organization. Long-term though, Minnesota’s farm system doesn’t have a clear path into the future at the catcher position. Reality could hit fast next offseason, when Ryan Jeffers becomes a free agent.
In 112 games last year, Tait batted .253/.311/.427 with 32 doubles and 14 homers. He absolutely has to rein in his aggressiveness offensively, but the excitement for a still developing body is there. Nonetheless, Keith Law ranked the 19-year-old 93rd which suggests future belief.
Tait only turned 19 in August, a few weeks after the Phillies traded him and Mick Abel to the Twins for Jhoan Duran. He’s a high-risk, high-reward prospect who shows enormous power for his age and a cannon of an arm, but is a below-average receiver and blocker who swings at everything right now…Behind the plate, he is very much a work in progress beyond his arm strength, needing help in all other aspects of his game; he’s athletic enough to do it, and still young, but it’s probably grade 40 defense all around and he’ll have to put a significant amount of work in to do it.
Kaelen Culpepper was the other prospect to be included by Law and checked in just ahead of Tait. While he didn’t reach Triple-A last season, it’s possible that roster construction could have Minnesota calling on his services before any other the aforementioned top prospects who made Keith Law’s latest top 100 rankings.
Mentioned in this article: Eduardo Tait Emmanuel Rodriguez Kaelen Culpepper Keith Law Walker Jenkins
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