Outside of injured pitcher Pablo Lopez, the Minnesota Twins don’t have above-average players besides outfielder Byron Buxton and pitcher Joe Ryan. However, second baseman Luke Keaschall could turn into the next one.
The 23-year-old slashed .377/.411/.717 with three homers and 12 RBIs over 18 games in spring training this year and is healthy ahead of Thursday’s Opening Day matchup with the Baltimore Orioles. If he continues his momentum into the regular season, he could establish himself as Minnesota’s new young star.
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The Twins drafted Keaschall No. 49 overall in 2023, and he rose from Rookie League to High-A that year before rising to Double-A in 2024. The 6-foot, 190-pounder then played 28 Triple-A games before getting called up to the big leagues last season.
Keaschall was effective at the top level, as he slashed .302/.382/.445 with four homers, 28 RBIs, and 14 strikeouts over 49 games. The former Arizona State Sun Devil showed why he was MLB Pipeline’s No. 61-ranked prospect and No. 3 in Minnesota’s farm system.
Keaschall will start at second base for the Twins this season and will get the chance to build on his big-league resume. They might not make the playoffs, but this year will be successful if young players like him and third baseman Royce Lewis take a step forward.
Minnesota Twins second baseman Luke Keaschall (15). © Mike Watters-Imagn Images
Minnesota is stuck between two timelines. It has win-now players in Buxton and Ryan, but most of its players still need to prove themselves.
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Keaschall needs to show that he can succeed over a full big-league season, while Lewis has to stay healthy. The 2017 No. 1 overall pick has played just 258 games since his first call-up in 2022.
Right fielder Matt Wallner is in a similar position, as he’s played 273 games since his first call-up in 2022. The 2019 No. 39 overall pick slashed .333/.439/.604 with three homers and six RBIs over 18 games in spring training this year, so he’s another potential breakout candidate.
Meanwhile, shortstop Brooks Lee was the Twins’ No. 8 overall pick in 2022 and logged a .654 OPS in his first full MLB season last year. The 25-year-old did better this spring, as he slashed .315/.373/.444 with one homer and four RBIs over 19 contests.
Spring training success doesn’t guarantee the same in the regular season for any of these players, but Minnesota needs at least one of them to establish themselves as the franchise cornerstone this year.
Thursday’s road matchup with the Orioles will start at 3:05 p.m. ET.