\n\tSpring training has officially come to a close, with the Twins wrapping up Grapefruit League play at 11-18. The record doesn\u2019t look pretty on the surface, but it rarely tells the full story this time of year. What does matter is how the team finished, and in that sense, there\u2019s at least some momentum to build on. The Twins closed camp on a three-game winning streak, highlighted by a 15-6 splattering of the Red Sox on Tuesday that served as a fitting final tune-up before the games start to count.\n<\/p>\n
\n\tSpring is ultimately about evaluation. It\u2019s where roles are earned, adjustments are made, and early impressions begin to shape expectations for the season ahead. With that in mind, here\u2019s a look at some of the biggest winners and losers from Twins camp, as Opening Day dawns.\n<\/p>\n
\tWinners<\/p>\n
\n\tLuke Keaschall<\/a> \n\tMick Abel<\/a> \n\tMatt Wallner<\/a> \tLosers<\/p>\n \n\tZebby Matthews<\/a>
After a mini-breakout in 2025, Keaschall picked up right where he left off this spring. In 53 at-bats, he slashed .377\/.411\/.717 with 10 extra-base hits. He led all Twins this spring in doubles (5) and RBIs (12), along with being tied for the team lead in triples (2) and runs scored (10). After a strong but limited showing last season, Keaschall\u2019s impressive contact quality this spring could turn into him taking the next step as a hitter in 2026. He figures to hit near the top of the Twins’ lineup every day.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n
Abel was not only one of the Twins\u2019 biggest spring risers; he was also one of Major League Baseball\u2019s biggest risers. The young right-hander looked absolutely dominant, allowing just five earned runs over 22 innings, and posting 27 strikeouts against just four walks. The impressive command and confidence he showed in attacking hitters are things we did not see from him during his time with the Twins last year. His spring performance earned him a spot in the Twins\u2019 rotation to start the season, and Abel has a chance to turn into a frontline starter in 2026.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n
Just a month ago, I would not have guessed that I\u2019d be talking about Wallner as a spring winner. Yet, here we are. After a very slow start to camp, he wrapped up the spring with a .333\/.439\/.604 slash line, and gave Twins fans a glimpse into the upside they\u2019ve always known is there. The swing-and-miss aspect of Wallner\u2019s game was still there, as he struck out 14 times in 48 at-bats, but his eight walks and .439 OBP more than made up for it. He\u2019ll enter the regular season as the Twins\u2019 everyday right fielder, and he’ll be an important piece of the Twins offense near the top of the order. This kind of production is likely unsustainable, but if Wallner can hover in the .260 range with the batting average, his power and on-base ability will make him a fun player to watch.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n
Entering this spring, Matthews looked like a safe bet to have a rotation spot. However, he gave up seven earned runs over just 11 innings, and was never able to string together multiple quality outings in a row. Because of his struggles, he lost out on a big-league rotation spot and will start the year in Triple-A. However, his 3.11 FIP would indicate he ran into some bad luck along the way, and it shouldn\u2019t be long before he\u2019s back up in the majors.\n<\/p>\n