Twins Daily 2024 Top Prospects: #1 Walker Jenkins, OF

[gman]

I hope they implement courses in how to stay injury free. Teach him how not to ram into walls going full tilt and how not to dive 25 feet to catch low drives. Maybe not worry about if he can play center or not, and just let play left and focus on hitting 390.

[madtowntwin]

Walter Jenkins - Charles Soto - Luke Kenschall (Let's not forget him) - Brandon Winokur....Such physicality. Such talent. Such potential. Those are "Only" the first four picks. Then you contemplate the recent international signings. Historically, where will this draft play in Twins History??. Pretty exciting to contemplate. 

[tony&rodney]

1 hour ago, HrbieFan said:

He has proven he can mash the FSL league, why start him there?

Well, as a previous comment mentioned, teams prefer to keep some of their guys in camp for a few weeks and playing in warm weather. The Twins have some significant funds invested in Jenkins and a month of Florida weather in April beats the vagaries of whatever might be occurring in Cedar Rapids. If all goes perfectly, expect Jenkins in Iowa no sooner than May.

[jkcarew]

Oops

[HrbieFan]

On 2/14/2024 at 10:35 AM, tony&rodney said:

Well, as a previous comment mentioned, teams prefer to keep some of their guys in camp for a few weeks and playing in warm weather. The Twins have some significant funds invested in Jenkins and a month of Florida weather in April beats the vagaries of whatever might be occurring in Cedar Rapids. If all goes perfectly, expect Jenkins in Iowa no sooner than May.

He is 18, if he can't handle an Iowa spring, then we are truly breaking out the kid gloves! With this argument we should never send any pitchers to Iowa until it is above 65. 

[tony&rodney]

1 hour ago, HrbieFan said:

He is 18, if he can't handle an Iowa spring, then we are truly breaking out the kid gloves! With this argument we should never send any pitchers to Iowa until it is above 65. 

Well, Jenkins would like to handle the weather in Minnesota this April if it were up to him. The term kid's gloves is exactly how corporate baseball looks to protect, however simply, their financial assets. The real practical reason that finds many young prospects and valued veterans working through rehabilitation staying in Florida or Arizona is that the weather is more conducive to consistent daily work. This practice is now more than 100 years old  and used by every franchise in baseball. It just is a prudent decision.