When We Could See Top Twins Prospects Debut in 2024

[Ted Schwerzler]

Each year, the Minnesota Twins' major-league roster is supplemented by prospect talent throughout the season. Last year, many of those players turned into regulars. Who could follow in their footsteps in 2024?

Image courtesy of © Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports

This piece has evolved over the years, but dating back to Seth Stohs’s yearly Twins Prospect Handbook, trying to pin which prospects debut in which months has been a fun practice. While top prospects like Royce Lewis will always draw the eyes, players like Edouard Julien or Kody Funderburk sometimes make the most surprising impact.

Rocco Baldelli saw plenty of debuts a year ago, and with the Twins relying heavily on their internal depth for 2024, it stands to reason that a lot of heavy lifting will be asked of new names. We saw only Brent Headrick and Jordan Balazovic from the 2023 list, but a couple of those names should be near-locks to show up in 2024.

Here’s a month-by-month look at one player who could come up and help the Twins in the year ahead:

April: Matt Canterino
I had Canterino debuting in October last year, which didn’t come to fruition. He had Tommy John surgery in August of 2022, and he didn’t make any rehab appearances last season. The former Rice Owl has ramped up to full speed and will come into spring training on the 40-man roster. The Twins have said they plan to use him as a starter, but I wouldn’t be shocked if he goes down the Jhoan Durán path. The stuff has always been legit, and his ability to blow the ball past hitters is impressive. Canterino hasn’t pitched above Double A, but that is nearly identical to the scenario that played out with Minnesota’s now-closer. The Opening Day roster might be a stretch, but the next man up in relief could work.

May: Austin Martin
Recycled candidate number two from last year, I had Martin showing up in September. It’s not surprising he would be on this list early in 2024, because there could have been real consideration for a debut down the stretch last season. Byron Buxton’s health remains a question mark, and although the Twins would like to see him out there daily, having another option is necessary. The only internal candidates on the 26-man roster are Willi Castro and Nick Gordon. Neither is an ideal fit, and Martin’s best position is center field. He dealt with an injury to start the year but posted a .293/.413/.451 slash line across his final 48 games. As a speed threat with on-base abilities and strong defense, he should find his way from one twin city to the other soon.

June: Yunior Severino
The Twins signed Severino in 2018, after the Braves cheating scandal with international prospects removed him and Kevin Maitan from their organization. It’s been a slow burn for the Dominican native, but he followed up a strong 2022 with an impressive 2023. Severino swings and misses a ton, but the power is real and should be expected to translate to the highest level. Baldelli’s roster has significant uncertainty at first base, with neither Alex Kirilloff nor Jose Miranda being a given to keep the job. Severino isn’t a good defender, but he’s not a complete hack. I’d assume the Twins will have him work almost exclusively at the position to start the year in St. Paul, and as he gets his feet under him there, he should become an option for the big-league club.

July: Brooks Lee
When the Twins' top prospect debuts is probably less about his production than the needs of the major-league roster. Lewis should be expected to start at third, with Carlos Correa at shortstop and Julien at second base. That leaves no room for Lee at the moment. If and when any of them go down, Lee will have had an additional opportunity to prove his readiness. The .731 OPS at St. Paul last year isn’t great, but it was just a 38-game sample, and he started figuring things out as his time at Triple A got longer. Over the final 16 games he played for the Saints, Lee owned an .881 OPS and had a 10-to-7 strikeout-to-walk ratio across 68 plate appearances. He’s a strong fielder no matter where the Twins put him, and while the ceiling may not be an MVP talent, he will be a regular for a long time.

August: David Festa
Depending on the prospect list you consult, Festa is either the Twins' best pitching prospect, or one of the next couple on that list. He’s undoubtedly the one who is closest to making their major-league debut, and getting to Triple-A St. Paul for three starts last season sets him up nicely for 2024. Festa has always walked a few more batters than you would like to see from a starter, but he can get strikeouts in bunches and racked up 15 in his first 12 1/3 innings at Triple A. The Twins' starting rotation depth isn’t what it was last year after the departures of Kenta Maeda and Sonny Gray. Getting Chris Paddack back is a boost, but they need him to stay healthy behind Pablo López. What the Twins do to round out their rotation should clarify the picture for Festa, but he also can force the organization’s hand with a strong couple of months for the Saints.

September: Cory Lewis
This would undoubtedly be a meteoric rise for a ninth-round pick. Still, Lewis has dominated at each stop he has made since joining the organization and has already been promoted aggressively. Working 101 1/3 innings last year between two levels of Class A, Lewis posted a 2.49 ERA and a 10.5 strikeouts per nine innings. He doesn’t walk many, and batters struggle to put together hits against him, let alone hit the long ball. His repertoire is interesting, because it features a knuckleball but isn't dominated or defined by that offering. Lewis keeps hitters off-balance by mixing his offerings. If he starts the year at Double A, he should have a chance at finding himself on the CHS Field mound before the season is over, and another year like 2023 would put him on the map for a late-season Twins call-up.

October: Emmanuel Rodriguez
If Lewis was an aggressive pick for September, then Rodriguez takes it to a new level in October. One of the Twins' best prospects (and potentially among those deemed untouchable in a trade), the toolsy outfielder could mature into something extraordinary. He will only be 21 this season, and a debut that quick would be shocking. However, health has been the only thing that has held him back. Playing in 99 games last year, E-Rod had an .863 OPS for Cedar Rapids, including a gaudy .400 OBP. He’s a big-time power hitter who doesn’t miss often, and his eye at the plate is incredible. There is enough speed to steal some bases, and while he projects more as a corner type, that could be a need if Max Kepler is moved or Matt Wallner doesn’t stick. I wouldn’t bet heavily on Rodriguez wearing a Twins uniform this season (outside of spring training), but I wouldn’t bet against it either.

What prospects are you most looking forward to seeing debut for Minnesota in 2024? Who do you think has a chance to be a surprise and help the team significantly, as Julien did a year ago?

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[PatPfund]

Love the list! Trades could always flip things around, but as things stand right now, I might flip Martin and Canterino (not really believing in Byron playing CF until he actually gets back out there, so I'd be giving Martin a serious shot at earning an Opening Day gig).

[tony&rodney]

Austin Martin seems like he has a good shot to be present for Opening Day in Kansas City.

[Cory Engelhardt]

Martin I see sooner, and possibly opening day. Gordon especially doesn't really fit utility with the other players they have, so I'm KIND OF expecting a trade. I mean, is Gordon really a viable option anywhere other than left field? 

Lee, if he is healthy, is up a lot faster too. Maybe not opening day, but certainly before July. 

I do find it interesting  you list Canterino as an April option. IF they are bringing him along as a starter, (even if eventually they move him to bullpen) I can't see a scenario that he debuts that quickly. Maybe I'm wrong.

I'm also very interested in how much playtime time Severino has at the mlb level. Part of me thinks that he gets playing time only if there are a LARGE amount of injuries, but that's always an option. Even if he has power, I don't see how he supplants other guys if other guys are healthy.

[RpR]

Spring Trianing will determine their ability to show up.

[TwinsDr2021]

I don't see Martin up unless things go horribly wrong with Buxton, if they are serious about making Canterino a starter I think he is third in line behind Festa and Lewis. I see Lee up when the Twins think he is ready and will figure out what to do with Julien and Polanco if he is brought up. I love Erod but soured a bit on him after last year, I see him at AA all next year unless he cuts down a bit on K's and gets his average up. Severino seems like a guy we will all be screaming to get up but there really won't be a spot for him unless AK goes down with injury and Miranda is more 23 than 22. Just my two cents. I would love to see Canterino in the pen in the majors to begin the year and stretched out a bit to keep his injuries in check, I see him as a Kopech or at the high end a poor mans DeGrom.

[Karbo]

Lee is an interesting candidate for trade IMO. He wouldn't have a spot on the IF unless a couple guys go down. I would think he could fetch a healthy return. Is there any chance the Twins might think of moving him to OF?

[Oldgoat_MN]

Nice write up. Thanks. 

I cannot see Canterino as a bullpen piece. Not permanently. The Twins are too short handed in starting pitchers. They need him as a starter. 

That said, he's thrown so few innings that they may feel he is best served by coming out of the bullpen this year and moving back to a starter next year.

And of course, anxious to see what we have in Martin and Lee.

[mikelink45]

Martin, Canterino and one of the pitchers is all I see for this year.  Lee needs an injury opening, Severino is dependent on Kiriloff's health.  This is a really interesting list, but if all of them make we will have had a bad year with injuries.  It also depends on trades so it is fun, but unwise to think any of them are a lock. 

[chpettit19]

Canterino being up in April would be pretty shocking. I don't know what would have to happen in the spring to get them to turn him from a starter to a reliever in the first month of the season. I don't see that happening at all.

I don't expect Martin on opening day, but being that he's likely pretty high on the current Buxton replacement list his chance probably comes sooner than later.

Lee is tough to guess as he didn't really light AAA on fire, and they have multiple hopeful core pieces in place already, but he's also a hopeful core piece. I don't think they'll rush him, and if Polanco isn't moved I don't know that I would be super shocked if he doesn't debut until September. He's got probably the biggest variance of anticipated guys because he's so talented that he could come into spring and make it hard to send him to AAA at all or he could be a September call up.

The rest of the guys are mostly just injury depth and I'd bet the Twins would be happier to not have to rely on them much at all in 2024. Unless everything clicks for Rodriguez and then he's a different story.

[jmlease1]

I think the odds are good we'll see all of these guys in MLB at some point except for Rodriguez and Lewis. Injuries will happen, and even a couple of relatively minors ones at the same time can have you digging in to the minors pretty quickly.

I tend to agree there's a good chance Martin will get an early chance in CF, and he's a fine choice defensively for the OF (with ability to step on the dirt in a pinch). I think his on-base skills will translate quickly even if we don't really know what kind of hitter he's going to be out the gate. but I do think the Twins might be comfortable with Castro and Gordon as options in CF behind Buxton, especially if Buxton starts the season with the team confident that he can actually play field from the jump.

Rodriguez and Lewis are both very interesting prospects with very different paths, but i don't see the Twins jumping E-Rod to MLB this season unless they have a major need in the corners that they can't fill another way and he's showing better contact skills and less passivity at the plate while still hammering the ball and taking walks. Lewis is interesting, and as a college pitcher he's probably a little more mature (mentally and physically), but he's still behind Festa, Woods Richardson, and Brent Headrick as call-up options to start a game, and I think there's a real likelihood the Twins will add a starter to the MLB rotation and push Varland down as well, so the team would have to start reaching deep like the bad injury/ineffectiveness years to need Lewis in 2024. And I think we're stronger than that now.

[Beast]

If this team refuses to bring players, they better not be scared to use some of these prospects.

If they don’t sign anybody, and try to run out a bunch of AAAA stopgaps all year, just shut this thing down.  It would be the final coffin mail in terms of displaying they have zero interest in winning.

[DJL44]

1 hour ago, Cory Engelhardt said:

I do find it interesting you list Canterino as an April option. IF they are bringing him along as a starter, (even if eventually they move him to bullpen) I can't see a scenario that he debuts that quickly. Maybe I'm wrong.

I think it would be a huge mistake to have Canterino prepare as a starting pitcher. If they're lucky they'll get about 75 innings out of him in 2024. Don't waste 30 of them having him start in AAA.

[DJL44]

Festa could debut by May if they don't add another SP.

[Cory Engelhardt]

11 minutes ago, DJL44 said:

I think it would be a huge mistake to have Canterino prepare as a starting pitcher. If they're lucky they'll get about 75 innings out of him in 2024. Don't waste 30 of them having him start in AAA.

That's what they said they will do though, to prepare him as a starter this spring. At least that way, I imagine, they can control his workload in a sense. 

[DJL44]

Just now, Cory Engelhardt said:

That's what they said they will do though, to prepare him as a starter this spring. At least that way, I imagine, they can control his workload in a sense. 

Great, then they can shut him down in May!

[Cory Engelhardt]

Just now, DJL44 said:

Great, then they can shut him down in May!

I more meant, this way they can control innings and pitch count a smidge easier, and also make sure that he enters games at the start of innings to have a clean start (not with guys on base.) That's all.

[chpettit19]

28 minutes ago, DJL44 said:

I think it would be a huge mistake to have Canterino prepare as a starting pitcher. If they're lucky they'll get about 75 innings out of him in 2024. Don't waste 30 of them having him start in AAA.

His Dr reportedly cleared him for 125 innings this year. Do you think they won't actually let him do that, don't think he can do that, or don't think they should let him do that? If he can get to 125 this year I'd use him as a starter in the minors for the first half and then switch him to the big league pen if he's dominating as hoped.

[Nashvilletwin]

“He’s a strong fielder no matter where the Twins put him, and while the ceiling may not be an MVP talent, he will be a regular for a long time.”
 

On a thread yesterday, there seemed to be much agreement (not from me) that Lee would never amount to much as a fielding SS (certainly not even close to as strong as our 20th ranked fielding SS in 2023).

Is the thought that  “no matter where the Twins put him” refers only to 3B, 2B, 1B and/or corner OF?  I’m assuming no one thinks C or CF are really options.

For the record, I agree with the author’s assessment - Lee is going to be a solid regular for many years with All Star potential and that includes at SS if and when that time comes.  I’ll take Lee in terms of number of future All Star appearances vs. our current SS (and for the record, I really, really like our current SS - he’s a great baseball player).

[Mike Sixel]

1 hour ago, Oldgoat_MN said:

Nice write up. Thanks. 

I cannot see Canterino as a bullpen piece. Not permanently. The Twins are too short handed in starting pitchers. They need him as a starter. 

That said, he's thrown so few innings that they may feel he is best served by coming out of the bullpen this year and moving back to a starter next year.

And of course, anxious to see what we have in Martin and Lee.

That's what everyone said about their closer.....I think Canterino is in the bullpen this year.

[Mike Sixel]

Just now, Nashvilletwin said:

“He’s a strong fielder no matter where the Twins put him, and while the ceiling may not be an MVP talent, he will be a regular for a long time.”
 

On a thread yesterday, there seemed to be much agreement (not from me) that Lee would never amount to much as a fielding SS (certainly not even close to as strong as our 20th ranked fielding SS in 2023).

Is the thought that  “no matter where the Twins put him” refers only to 3B, 2B, 1B and/or corner OF?  I’m assuming no one thinks C or CF are really options.

For the record, I agree with the author’s assessment - Lee is going to be a solid regular for many years with All Star potential and that includes at SS if and when that time comes.  I’ll take Lee in terms of number of future All Star appearances vs. our current SS (and for the record, I really, really like our current SS - he’s a great baseball player).

The scouting reports on him are good defense, so I disagree he won't be average or better. 

[Nashvilletwin]

15 minutes ago, Mike Sixel said:

The scouting reports on him are good defense, so I disagree he won't be average or better. 

Agree 100%.  He should be a strong defender. My original comment was a bit sarcastic (I apologise for that - not very Minnesota Nice of me) as a number of posters yesterday concurred with the opposite sentiment.  I’m looking forward to seeing Lee in a Twins uniform for many years to come. 

[Ted Schwerzler]

2 hours ago, tony&rodney said:

Austin Martin seems like he has a good shot to be present for Opening Day in Kansas City.

That would be representative of some pretty poor planning by the Twins I’d think. I’d much rather see a Buxton/Martin combo though than Castro or Gordon in CF consistently.

[Ted Schwerzler]

2 hours ago, Cory Engelhardt said:

I do find it interesting  you list Canterino as an April option. IF they are bringing him along as a starter, (even if eventually they move him to bullpen) I can't see a scenario that he debuts that quickly. Maybe I'm wrong.

They say that’s their plan. At this time of the offseason before he debuted, that was the plan for Jhoan Duran too. I just don’t see that coming to fruition, and if he’s healthy, Canterino can help the bullpen immediately.

[Ted Schwerzler]

1 hour ago, Karbo said:

Lee is an interesting candidate for trade IMO. He wouldn't have a spot on the IF unless a couple guys go down. I would think he could fetch a healthy return. Is there any chance the Twins might think of moving him to OF?

Royce would move to the OF before Lee, and that could help things in both respects.

[Ted Schwerzler]

1 hour ago, DJL44 said:

I think it would be a huge mistake to have Canterino prepare as a starting pitcher. If they're lucky they'll get about 75 innings out of him in 2024. Don't waste 30 of them having him start in AAA.

Ding. Ding. Ding.

He's already missed a bunch of time, and you’re going to bring him along slowly to build up innings? The bullpen is top heavy. Add him to the bottom and watch him climb the ranks.

[Cory Engelhardt]

3 minutes ago, Ted Schwerzler said:

Royce would move to the OF before Lee, and that could help things in both respects.

Why not have a scenario where Julien starts to use an outfielder's glove? Having him out in left field occasionally can't be the worst thing IF they have better options in the infield right?

[Ted Schwerzler]

29 minutes ago, Nashvilletwin said:

“He’s a strong fielder no matter where the Twins put him, and while the ceiling may not be an MVP talent, he will be a regular for a long time.”
 

On a thread yesterday, there seemed to be much agreement (not from me) that Lee would never amount to much as a fielding SS (certainly not even close to as strong as our 20th ranked fielding SS in 2023).

Is the thought that  “no matter where the Twins put him” refers only to 3B, 2B, 1B and/or corner OF?  I’m assuming no one thinks C or CF are really options.

For the record, I agree with the author’s assessment - Lee is going to be a solid regular for many years with All Star potential and that includes at SS if and when that time comes.  I’ll take Lee in terms of number of future All Star appearances vs. our current SS (and for the record, I really, really like our current SS - he’s a great baseball player).

I don’t think the Twins *want* Lee to play SS, but he wouldn’t be stretched there. He could be plus-plus at both second and third. I don’t see a scenario where he goes to the OF (again, Royce would move there first), and he’d be wasted as a 1B (while also not hitting for enough power).

[Ted Schwerzler]

1 minute ago, Cory Engelhardt said:

Why not have a scenario where Julien starts to use an outfielder's glove? Having him out in left field occasionally can't be the worst thing IF they have better options in the infield right?

Think the more likely scenario is he becomes a first baseman.

I don’t understand it, but talked to him some about the lack of speed usage while he was in St. Paul last year. Julien has stolen plenty of bases on the farm, but Minnesota hasn’t had him do so. I think some of that is it being quickness/instincts related. That could play in the OF from a jump perspective, but I don’t think his gap closing speed is ideal. However, the Twins have played much weirder fits in LF…Tim Beckham anyone!?

[Cory Engelhardt]

2 minutes ago, Ted Schwerzler said:

Think the more likely scenario is he becomes a first baseman.

I don’t understand it, but talked to him some about the lack of speed usage while he was in St. Paul last year. Julien has stolen plenty of bases on the farm, but Minnesota hasn’t had him do so. I think some of that is it being quickness/instincts related. That could play in the OF from a jump perspective, but I don’t think his gap closing speed is ideal. However, the Twins have played much weirder fits in LF…Tim Beckham anyone!?

I mean, we all watched Delmon and Josh Willingham "defend" in the outfield. Heck, Astudillo tried out there too.

They even thought Sano would be a good option out there. Ugh.