{"id":645002,"date":"2026-03-26T18:14:20","date_gmt":"2026-03-26T18:14:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/645002\/"},"modified":"2026-03-26T18:14:20","modified_gmt":"2026-03-26T18:14:20","slug":"the-next-minnesota-twins-2026-edition-minor-leagues","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/645002\/","title":{"rendered":"The Next Minnesota Twins, 2026 Edition – Minor Leagues"},"content":{"rendered":"

\n\tThose Twins debuts from last year included position players Carson McCusker<\/a>, Luke Keaschall<\/a>, and Ryan Fitzgerald<\/a>, while Pierson Ohl<\/a>, Cody Laweryson<\/a>, and Travis Adams<\/a> did so as pitchers. In a bit of an odd year as far as these predictions go, only Keaschall and Adams were detailed in this column<\/a> before the start of last season. Keaschall was one of the standouts of spring training in 2026, and Cody Laweryson won one of the last Opening Day bullpen spots. Adams looks like he\u2019ll start in St. Paul, Carson McCusker chose to continue his baseball career in Japan, Pierson Ohl was traded to the Colorado Rockies, and Ryan Fitzgerald latched on with the defending champion Los Angeles Dodgers.\n<\/p>\n

\n\tWhile the star power present in those 2025 debuts could be considered a little lacking, I have good news. Many of the Twins’ top prospects sit at the top of their farm system heading into 2026 and could provide jolts of excitement into Target Field throughout the summer.\n<\/p>\n

\n\tSo, who are some of the prospects who could make their MLB debuts this year and become the Next Minnesota Twins?\n<\/p>\n

\n\tON THE 40-MAN ROSTER:
After undertaking one of the largest sell-offs of major-league talent in MLB history at last year’s trade deadline, the Twins’ 40-man roster includes several new additions, all poised to contribute in the majors for the first time. There is a plethora of both pitching and hitting reinforcements, as well as potential star power included.\n<\/p>\n

\n\tEmmanuel Rodriguez<\/a>, OF (23 years old on Opening Day) – Twins Daily\u2019s #3 Prospect<\/a>
Despite dealing with injuries that have kept him out of action for significant periods of time over the past two seasons, Rodriguez has been pushed up the ladder aggressively thanks to his loud tools. Those include almost unheard-of plate discipline (20.6% walk rate in 2025), light-tower power (peak exit velocity of 117 MPH), and athleticism to play center field at a high level in the majors.\n<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

\n\tWhile all those walks have produced elite on-base percentages when he\u2019s played (.429 with the Saints last year), he does have the caveat of it being tied to a strikeout rate that is worrisome (31.8%). Is he an Adam Dunn<\/a> or Joey Gallo<\/a> type player who can play solid outfield defense? Or more like Edouard Julien<\/a>? The Twins likely will start finding out if he stays healthy in 2026.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n

\n\tJohn Klein<\/a>, RHP (23)
The big right-hander and native of Brooklyn Park, Minn. put his name on the prospect map with a solid 2025 season, operating as a swing-man with the Wichita Wind Surge. In 24 double-A appearances that included 11 starts, he posted a 3.12 ERA and struck out 95 hitters over 80 2\/3 total innings. After being promoted to the Saints, that ERA took a big hit, but some of the underlying metrics still stood out, including a 3.30 FIP and nearly 30% strikeout rate after moving up. His fastball sits in the 95 MPH range and his slider has shown improvement while in the system. There\u2019s a solid reliever profile in here and perhaps even more velocity to be unlocked after settling fully into that role.\n<\/p>\n

\n\tConnor Prielipp<\/a>, LHP (25) – TD\u2019s #5 Prospect<\/a>
Prielipp resided in the \u201cDark Horse\u201d category of this list last year as he entered the season finally healthy after a second elbow procedure. While he didn\u2019t reach the majors, the most important thing was that he didn\u2019t miss a start and eclipsed his entire innings total since being a freshman at Alabama.\n<\/p>\n

\n\tWhile his numbers won\u2019t pop out at you from his time in major-league camp this spring, the \u201cstuff\u201d I talked about in his prospect profile linked above is still the calling card. The addition of a curveball also sounds like another weapon that could push his ceiling further up.\n<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

\n\tThere will still be some form of innings limit on Prielipp in 2026, so unless he\u2019s dominant from the jump in Triple-A, his debut is more likely to happen as a reliever. That\u2019s also not a bad thing, if the outcome is another Glen Perkins<\/a>.\n<\/p>\n

\n\tGabriel Gonzalez<\/a>, OF (22) – TD\u2019s #7 Prospect<\/a>
If Twins fans were disappointed by the season Gonzalez put together in 2024 after coming over from the Seattle Mariners in the Jorge Polanco<\/a> trade, they should be equally excited by what he did in 2025 when he took home Twins Daily\u2019s Minor League Hitter of the Year<\/a> award.\n<\/p>\n

\n\tStarting with Cedar Rapids, he improved his OPS by over 200 points from the prior year to earn a promotion to Wichita. Then he hit even better there, to get bumped to St. Paul for the final 34 games of the season. He batted well over .300 at each stop, and tallied 38 doubles and 15 home runs in 123 total games, good for an OPS of .909 overall. It was a year-long hot streak and one of the standout hitting performances in all of the minor leagues.\n<\/p>\n

\n\tHe is limited to the corner outfield and won\u2019t impress any more there than current Twins options, but he is a right-handed hitter among the glut of lefties the Twins currently deploy. If he keeps hitting, he will find a role with the Twins in 2026.\n<\/p>\n

\n\tAndrew Morris<\/a>, RHP (24) – TD\u2019s #12 Prospect<\/a>
Morris was a solid pick to make his debut last year after a breakout 2024 season, but was derailed early in the summer by a forearm strain. He came back and ended the season with a solid stretch in Triple-A, pitching to a 3.45 ERA and 29-to-4 strikeout to walk ratio over his final 31 1\/3 innings. There may be a better relief pitcher here than a starter. He reminds me a lot of Louis Varland<\/a>, who made his debut as a starter before evolving into a legitimate relief option in the majors.\n<\/p>\n

\n\tHowever, Pablo L\u00f3pez<\/a>‘s and other starter injuries opened a bigger door for opportunity in the rotation, and Morris should begin the season high on the pecking order for rotation reinforcements.\n<\/p>\n

\n\tMarco Raya<\/a>, RHP (23) – TD\u2019s #15 Prospect<\/a>
Poised to be unleashed as a reliever after spending almost all of his time in the farm system as an innings-limited starter, Raya will look to thrive in a new role this year. He has always shown glimpses, with a mid 90s fastball that could tick up further in shorter stints and an excellent breaking ball to fool hitters. The issue, like many young hurlers, has been controlling it consistently. He will need to cut down the walks to truly break through, but the hope is that being able to focus on his best pitches as a reliever will assist in that department.\n<\/p>\n

\n\tKendry Rojas<\/a>, LHP (23) – TD\u2019s #8 Prospect<\/a>
The Twins targeted the talented lefty as the main part of their return for Varland at the 2025 trade deadline, but got mixed results after he came over. He was perhaps pushed to Triple-A too early by both the Toronto Blue Jays and the Twins after coming over, but there is a lot to like about the 23-year-old.\n<\/p>\n

\n\tHe has demonstrated an increase in velocity this spring (averaging 96+ MPH), and his slider and changeup show signs of being above-average offerings. He will start the year among a potentially solid Saints pitching rotation, giving him the chance for spot-start opportunities from day one.\n<\/p>\n

\n\tHendry Mendez<\/a>, OF\/1B (22) – TD\u2019s #16 Prospect<\/a>
Mendez was having a solid season in the Philadelphia Phillies farm system before being traded to the Twins for Harrison Bader<\/a>. Then he turned it up to 11 after joining the Wind Surge. In 33 games for Wichita, he slashed .324\/.461\/.450, good for a 159 wRC+ that rivaled the aforementioned Gonzalez in the Texas League. For his career, he has walked nearly as often as he has struck out, displaying a plus hitting aptitude. He also had an excellent, albeit brief, appearance in the Arizona Fall League last year<\/a>, collecting six hits, including the first home run of the AFL season. While he has been a corner outfielder, the intent in 2026 appears to be to give him time at first base and some potential position flexibility.\n<\/p>\n

\n\tTOP PROSPECTS:
While I\u2019ve already written about seven players who reside in Twins Daily\u2019s Top 20 Prospect Rankings<\/a> because they are on the 40-man roster, it is the two names below that sit atop that list at number one and two. Fans of the St. Paul Saints will see them both starting the season at CHS Field in 2026.\n<\/p>\n

\n\tWalker Jenkins<\/a>, OF (21) – TD\u2019s #1 Prospect<\/a>
Jenkins is the obvious crown jewel of the Twins farm system, ranking universally in the top 20 of national rankings and as high as fifth heading into 2026. The only thing holding him back has been the familiar injury bug, which again has reared its head during spring training with a hamstring issue.\n<\/p>\n

\n\tWhen he is on the field, he is a special talent. Jenkins is built for the game of baseball, standing at a listed 6-foot-3 and a strong and lean 210 pounds. He has the speed, instincts, and arm to stick in center field, but would also profile as a plus defender in a corner. But that\u2019s not why he is so highly regarded. It\u2019s the smooth left-handed swing, natural power, and contact profile that put him into elite prospect territory. If you were building a No. 3 hitter in a lab, Jenkins could be the blueprint.\n<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

\n\tThose are lofty expectations and the power potential does have legitimate questions, but a hitter is a hitter. That would be my best explanation for what I have seen from Jenkins. In a purely Twins comparison, he is more of a pure hitter mold of Joe Mauer<\/a> than the power potential of a Justin Morneau<\/a>. A bit of a middle-ground there is where I think Jenkins can end up, which is a cornerstone player to usher in this next wave of players.\n<\/p>\n

\n\tKaelen Culpepper<\/a>, SS (23) – TD\u2019s #2 Prospect<\/a>
Culpepper began last year with some questions to answer as the 21st pick of the 2024 MLB draft. Could he stick at shortstop? Could he hit for power? Would the athleticism carry him?\n<\/p>\n

\n\tConsider those questions answered.\n<\/p>\n

\n\tStarting in Cedar Rapids, he posted a 147 wRC+ that ranked in the top five in the Midwest League among players with at least 240 plate appearances, before being promoted to the Wind Surge. He barely slowed down, posting a 129 wRC+ mark in his 59 games there, batting .285\/.367\/.460. That performance pushed him into national top 100 lists heading into this season.\n<\/p>\n

\n\tIn addition to the hitting, his defense also took a step forward and quieted any concerns about his ability to stick at shortstop. If he wasn\u2019t impacting a game with a big home run, he was probably doing something slick on defense.\n<\/p>\n

\n\tTRIPLE-A DEPTH:
If you haven\u2019t already gotten the gist by now, there is a ton of prospective talent sitting at the top of the farm system heading into this season. The St. Paul Saints could truly have a special Triple-A roster in the early going. But there are plenty of other names filling out their lineup and pitching staff that are one call away as well.\n<\/p>\n

\n\tChristian MacLeod<\/a>, LHP (25)
This big left-hander has been a favorite of mine since shoving for the Kernels and Wind Surge during the 2024 season. Zebby Matthews<\/a> (and Andrew Morris) got most of the hype for pitching at the top three levels of the farm system that year, but that is also something MacLeod accomplished. During the 2025 seasons he continued that dominance with Wichita for half the season (2.63 ERA), before finally being promoted to St. Paul. He pitched mostly in a bullpen role there, and that looks like the plan for 2026, which gives him a good opportunity as the Twins look to build a new bullpen from scratch.\n<\/p>\n

\n\tKyler Fedko<\/a>, OF (26)
A late bloomer who had a true breakout season last year, finishing second in Twins Daily\u2019s 2025 Minor League Hitter of the Year<\/a> voting. No matter who you are, 28 home runs in a season will get you noticed, and that tally ranked seventh in all of the minor leagues. In addition to the power, Fedko also displayed great patience (14.2% walk rate) and surprising speed on the basepaths (38 steals in 46 attempts).\n<\/p>\n

\n\tDARK HORSE:
The best recent example of a true \u201cDark Horse\u201d I can provide is Zebby Matthews, from the 2024 season. He rose all the way from Cedar Rapids to pitch for the Twins late in the year behind a massive uptick in performance from prior seasons. It\u2019s certainly a long shot that anybody in this section makes their debut, but there always seems to be a surprise or two.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n

\n\tRiley Quick<\/a>, RHP (21) – TD\u2019s #11 Prospect<\/a>
Following the footsteps of Connor Prielipp as a prospect from the University of Alabama who has had Tommy John<\/a> surgery, Quick was selected by the Twins in the first round of the 2025 draft. Like his lefty counterpart, Quick has big \u201cstuff\u201d, including a high-90s fastball and a plus slider. He is a \u201chelium\u201d type prospect who, if nothing else, could rise a lot higher on prospect lists as the season goes on if things fall into place.\n<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

\n\tDON\u2019T FORGET ABOUT:
This section is for prospects that may have been lost in the shuffle. They were perhaps highly regarded at one point, missed time due to injury, or lost some of their luster for whatever reason. Despite any of that, they have shown flashes and could be an option to fill in gaps during the long MLB season.\n<\/p>\n

\n\tKala\u2019i Rosario, OF (23)
A former Midwest League MVP and AFL Home Run Derby champion, Rosario finished second in the Twins system to Fedko with 25 homers during the 2025 season. The month of August was an especially high note, where he slugged 11 home runs in 27 games, good for a 1.135 OPS over that timeframe.\n<\/p>\n

\n\tAaron Sabato<\/a>, 1B\/DH (26)
Former first-round pick hit .305 with nearly a 1.000 OPS in Wichita to earn promotion to Triple-A in 2025. However, a path to major-league playing time is severely limited as a pure first baseman or designated hitter.\n<\/p>\n

\n\tTanner Schobel<\/a>, IF (24)
Infielder was the Twins\u2019 2nd-round draft pick in 2022 after a breakout performance with Virginia Tech, where he hit .362 with 19 home runs. That type of power hasn\u2019t translated to pro-ball, but he can play multiple positions and posted an OPS of .837 in Wichita before finishing the 2025 season with the Saints.\n<\/p>\n

\n\tCory Lewis<\/a>, RHP (25)
A prospect darling in prior seasons, thanks in part to his unique knuckleball, Lewis had a rough introduction to Triple-A last year and is dealing with a shoulder injury this spring. Perhaps the two were connected, but if he can come back healthy and rediscover his form, he could find himself in the mix for bullpen or spot-start roles.\n<\/p>\n

\n\tThese names are all part of the next wave of Twins prospects that fans could see at Target Field for the first time during the 2026 season. When do you think the top prospects could make their debuts? Who are some other names that I may have missed? Let\u2019s go Twins!\n<\/p>\n

Interested in learning more about the Minnesota Twins’ top prospects? Check out our comprehensive top prospects list that includes up-to-date stats, articles and videos about every prospect, scouting reports, and more!<\/p>\n

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