Three Minor League Hitters Who Can Help The Twins In The Second Half

[Cody Pirkl]

Additions to the lineup from St. Paul arguably saved the Twins in 2023. Even as the lineup rounds into form much earlier than last year, could we see the same in 2024?

Image courtesy of © Bruce Kluckhohn-USA TODAY Sports

The Twins have come a long way from the anemic offense they showed to begin the 2024 season. Still, the lineup isn’t perfect, and they could use an addition or two to bring them back to the elite level we saw them reach at the end of 2023. Three names who could be impact additions from St. Paul in the second half stand out.

Matt Wallner
We saw Wallner burst onto the scene and carry the lineup at times in 2023. As frustrating as it is to watch him at his worst, at its best, his bat is extremely valuable--as evidenced by the .877 OPS he posted in his rookie season. After a rough start to his 2024 season, he appears to have made some mechanical adjustments in St. Paul, and he’s kicking the door in to get another shot.

For the first time in what feels like years, the Twins lineup has too many right-handed bats. With only four left-handed hitters on the active roster, the Twins could sure use some version of the Wallner they saw in 2023. It may take an injury or the Twins parting ways with a veteran role player, but if he keeps up his recent pace, Wallner can’t stay in St. Paul much longer.

Brooks Lee
By now, the refrain is familiar: If Lee hadn't had a back injury and been unavailable throughout April and May, the team's infield future would already have arrived. There’s no time like the present, as the Saints have been starting the switch-hitter at second base recently; the versatile Willi Castro has been stopping the gap there for the parent club since Edouard Julien's demotion.

Lee has been on fire, and looks the part of a steady everyday player for years to come, especially with the signs he’s shown from the right side of the plate. His track record as a solid shortstop should make him a great defender at second, and could open up Castro to move elsewhere as needed.

The great thing about having Castro on the roster is that an injury just about anywhere would open up playing time for a top prospect like Lee. Whether an infielder or outfielder, Castro can move off the position and find everyday playing time elsewhere for Lee to make his debut. We're likely see the start of what should be a great Twins career in the second half.

Jaír Camargo
In terms of health, the Twins have had incredible luck at the catcher position for the last season and a half. (That, or their unique dedication to alternating and time-sharing at the position has helped both Ryan Jeffers and Christian Vázquez avoid injuries.) It’s good news for them, but bad news for Camargo, whom the Twins officially believe in to some degree; they added him to the 40-man roster this winter.

Their good health may continue, but Camargo will be a massive recipient of playing time should one of the catchers need some time off. The Twins should continue to split the time behind the plate 50/50, but Camargo has the tools to make an impact for however long he’s afforded an MLB roster spot.

With solid defense and 20-homer power, Camargo may not be a top prospect, but he’s certainly capable of contributing as a role player. The only thing keeping him in St. Paul is the big-league crew's continued good fortune regarding health behind the plate at the MLB level.

The Twins have plenty of bats in St. Paul, which we may see in the second half, but these three appear to be the closest to being inserted into the MLB lineup. Are there any other names you’re looking for down the stretch this season? Let us know below.

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[mikelink45]

Add Keirsey and Julien.  And we have a bunch at AA that are ready to bust out too.  Nice problem.

[Karbo]

I believe Lee is the future at 2nd. I'd like to see Julian moved to 1st in St. Paul because He will hit, or at least he has at every level until this year. A platoon of some sort with Julian and Miranda at 1st makes sense to me. Next season will probably loose Kepler, Margot and Santana. Hopefully they can do something about the pen at the trade deadline. If not then, at least in the off season. Next year looks better than this year IMO.

[Doctor Gast]

We know Lee has the glove, and now his bat is exploding so by all means bring him up. Wallner's trouble in the MLB is SOs. Has he mastered that in AAA? Camargo can hit well enough in AAA for a catcher & has the arm. But in his short stint in the MLB, Twins didn't even give him 1 inning for a try behind the plate. What should be his ticket to the MLB is his defense not his bat, I don't think he's there yet. IMO Camargo is only in case of an emergency & muddle through until the other returns. Fortunately, we haven't had any injuries to really test where he's at. (LH) Keirsey is the one I'd really like to have the opportunity to shine but he's not on the 40 man.

[LambchoP]

I'd also like to see Lee take Farmers roster spot and have him play everyday at second. I'd like to see Keirsey Jr to see how he does but that's a long shot. My guess is they'll give Wallner another shot soon. I'd like to see Festa get a cup of coffee, dnd now is the time with Paddack on the IL. I don't trust Varland to start anymore, should put him in the BP.

[old nurse]

Is Wallner able to hit the high inside pitch now? 

[Riverbrian]

29 minutes ago, Karbo said:

Next season will probably loose Kepler, Margot and Santana. Hopefully they can do something about the pen at the trade deadline. If not then, at least in the off season. Next year looks better than this year IMO.

Farmer should be added to your list. 

Some key players Lewis, Ober, Ryan, Jax will be entering arbitration and getting significant raises.

For Jeffers it's year #2 of Arbitration with a bump coming and Every Day Willi Castro will be in year #3 and a significant bump most likely coming.  

2024 Payroll is around 129 Million

2025 Payroll is currently around 95 Million without Arbitration. The Arb bumps in pay will most likely eat up the majority of that 34 million difference between this year and what is on the books for next year.  

From the current roster... We will be down the 4 position players listed plus Thielbar in the bullpen. 

Unless any one expects a payroll jump... I don't.

Therefore... I see no reason to think the Twins will be fishing in the big fish bay of the free agent lake this off-season.

Therefore... those 4 position players will be filled by players from the farm or once again... cheaper... right handed hitting specialists to fill the Farmer and Margot roles.

Probably a combination of... Because... Left Handed hitters Julien, Kirilloff and Wallner are still the players most likely to fill in from the farm and they require the right handed hitting handcuffs.   

Cheaper Free Agents like Amed Rosario and Rob Refsnyder are the type of free agent I expect to see the Twins Target. 

The Twins may have to shed Kirilloff (out of options) to make it work. Will Brooks Lee be fulltime on opening day? 2B is where he can get that full time work.    

Something like this?  

DH - Julien or Larnach/Lewis

C - Jeffers and Vazquez

1B - Miranda

2B - Lee

3B - Lewis/Rosario

SS - Correa

LF - Castro/Martin

CF - Buxton

RF - Wallner or Larnach/Refsnyder

Just a guess but I'm pretty sure Pete Alonso ain't showing up. I suspect we will need those youngsters to fill roster space and too many of them are left handed so Rosario and Refsnyder types have to take up roster spots. 

I'm sorry is this too soon? I realize that 2024 isn't over yet. You just got me thinking. 

[TwinsDr2021]

5 minutes ago, Riverbrian said:

I'm sorry is this too soon? I realize that 2024 isn't over yet. You just got me thinking. 

More reason to get Lee up sooner than later to get him some experience, and probably Julien and Wallner as well.

[LA Vikes Fan]

50 minutes ago, Doctor Gast said:

We know Lee has the glove, and now his bat is exploding so by all means bring him up. Wallner's trouble in the MLB is SOs. Has he mastered that in AAA? Camargo can hit well enough in AAA for a catcher & has the arm. But in his short stint in the MLB, Twins didn't even give him 1 inning for a try behind the plate. What should be his ticket to the MLB is his defense not his bat, I don't think he's there yet. IMO Camargo is only in case of an emergency & muddle through until the other returns. Fortunately, we haven't had any injuries to really test where he's at. (LH) Keirsey is the one I'd really like to have the opportunity to shine but he's not on the 40 man.

 

21 minutes ago, old nurse said:

Is Wallner able to hit the high inside pitch now? 

That's the question with Wallner. I'd love to see him come up rake like he did last September but it would really hurt if he came up and struck out 50% plus of the time like he did in the playoffs last year and in April this year (he was bad in Spring Training too). His SO rate is over 33% in AAA d so far this year, not good at all, but it has been better lately. We really need to see a SO rate of around 235% or less at AA for an extended period before he's worth the risk IMHO. I think Wallner is probably 2 or 3 more good weeks of hitting away from a call up. Of course, an injury or two could change everything.  

[olerud]

Good article!

[Road trip]

33 minutes ago, Riverbrian said:

I'm sorry is this too soon? I realize that 2024 isn't over yet. You just got me thinking. 

It's probably not too soon anymore.  9 games back of Cleveland, nearly July.

It is possible to both try out some youngsters like Lee and/or Wallner with an eye towards next year, AND still stay in the race for the wildcard.  Frankly, the Twins really need another left-handed bat right now.

Will the FO pursue this route?  I'm losing faith.

[bean5302]

Matt Wallner does not need to hit the high inside pitch. 

Was Wallner weak against inside pitches, especially high up? Yep. His final position was super close to the plate = lots of HBP last year. Since his final position in his stance/swing was so close to the plate with his front leg, he was weak to being jammed.

Almost all MLB players have a "hole in their swing." Pitchers aren't accurate to within an inch or two of where they place their pitches. Throwing high/inside = HBP or BBs a lot. It also means missing their spot middle/high, middle/middle and watching Wallner put the ball in the seats.

If a pitcher can perfectly place their pitches, not many MLB hitters are going to be successful against them. Not sure what Wallner's problem was, but it certainly felt "mental" to me.

 

[MinnInPa]

no no no to wallner ....until he cuts down on K's ..hes over 37% and only hitting .242. no help there at all. 2 guys ..obvious #1 is Lee..and then maybe Kiersey if an OF goes down

[Riverbrian]

2 hours ago, TwinsDr2021 said:

More reason to get Lee up sooner than later to get him some experience, and probably Julien and Wallner as well.

I can wait on Lee a little but we will need to see him before the season is done. Hope he keeps hitting the ball in St. Paul. In the meantime... I'd like him to start playing much more at 2B and get Julien work at 1B.  

Ultimately I'd rather they don't sign Rosario and Refsnyder types this off-season. Unless they change style abruptly... they pretty much have to. 

 

 

[JD-TWINS]

1 hour ago, Doctor Gast said:

We know Lee has the glove, and now his bat is exploding so by all means bring him up. Wallner's trouble in the MLB is SOs. Has he mastered that in AAA? Camargo can hit well enough in AAA for a catcher & has the arm. But in his short stint in the MLB, Twins didn't even give him 1 inning for a try behind the plate. What should be his ticket to the MLB is his defense not his bat, I don't think he's there yet. IMO Camargo is only in case of an emergency & muddle through until the other returns. Fortunately, we haven't had any injuries to really test where he's at. (LH) Keirsey is the one I'd really like to have the opportunity to shine but he's not on the 40 man.

He has not mastered the strikeout issue & it is a pretty good assumption that this issue is what’s keeping him from being in LF for big club. He gets to 25% for a handful of games & then 35% for 8 games. He’s always going to K as a power hitter but he needs to trim them some.

I think it’s Lee for Martin - just because it’s “too early” to DFA a guy who is trending up for over a month (Farmer). The hesitation probably stems from Martin not playing poorly - he looks average or better at a minimum.

Camargo is probably just depth for the remainder of the Vazquez deal, through ‘25.

[JD-TWINS]

32 minutes ago, MinnInPa said:

no no no to wallner ....until he cuts down on K's ..hes over 37% and only hitting .242. no help there at all. 2 guys ..obvious #1 is Lee..and then maybe Kiersey if an OF goes down

I think Lee displaces Martin & then he’s in front of Kiersey again…..

[JD-TWINS]

1 hour ago, TwinsDr2021 said:

More reason to get Lee up sooner than later to get him some experience, and probably Julien and Wallner as well.

Lee sounds more than reasonable………..Can still only carry 26 guys at a time - right???

[old nurse]

40 minutes ago, bean5302 said:

Matt Wallner does not need to hit the high inside pitch. 

Was Wallner weak against inside pitches, especially high up? Yep. His final position was super close to the plate = lots of HBP last year. Since his final position in his stance/swing was so close to the plate with his front leg, he was weak to being jammed.

Almost all MLB players have a "hole in their swing." Pitchers aren't accurate to within an inch or two of where they place their pitches. Throwing high/inside = HBP or BBs a lot. It also means missing their spot middle/high, middle/middle and watching Wallner put the ball in the seats.

If a pitcher can perfectly place their pitches, not many MLB hitters are going to be successful against them. Not sure what Wallner's problem was, but it certainly felt "mental" to me.

 

Aaron Judge has a K% this year around 25%. A batting average of .300. Wallner did not. You present a weak argument. 

[jmlease1]

Usually injuries work out the playing time issues, so i expect to see Wallner and/or Lee at least some time in the second half. And I expect a portion of the fan base to hate having Wallner back because of the K's, regardless of what his overall production is.

I do think the twins will need to move on from some of the veterans for 2025 and it would be good if some of the young guys show out again this season to inspire confidence for that path. Potential lineup for 2025: 

• C - Jeffers/Camargo
• 1B - Miranda/Julien
• 2B - Lee
• SS - Correa
• 3B - Lewis
• RF - Wallner
• CF - Buxton
• LF - Martin/Castro
• DH - By committee (Jeffers/Buxton/Miranda/Julien)

that could be a very exciting lineup.

Absent injury, I'm not expecting Camargo until next season, really but I could see him getting a chance to be the catching pair if they can move off Vazquez's contract.

[DJL44]

28 minutes ago, JD-TWINS said:

He has not mastered the strikeout issue & it is a pretty good assumption that this issue is what’s keeping him from being in LF for big club. He gets to 25% for a handful of games & then 35% for 8 games. He’s always going to K as a power hitter but he needs to trim them some.

Wallner still can't hit lefties. He's striking out about 30% of the time vs RHP and 45% vs LHP. Splits are 906 OPS vs RH pitching and 592 OPS vs LHP in AAA.

[Riverbrian]

1 hour ago, Road trip said:

It's probably not too soon anymore.  9 games back of Cleveland, nearly July.

It is possible to both try out some youngsters like Lee and/or Wallner with an eye towards next year, AND still stay in the race for the wildcard.  Frankly, the Twins really need another left-handed bat right now.

Will the FO pursue this route?  I'm losing faith.

They will need to try out youngsters when the injuries occur. They will have no choice. We are healthy now... We won't be in the future. The day is coming and it will be necessary to stay in the race for the wildcard.  

When that day comes... That's when the Lee discussion starts... That's when Wallner walks back in... or Julien walks back in. 

I don't see the Twins moving on from Margot and Farmer so injuries is what will open the door IMO.  

I'd rather see Lee get some more AAA AB's added to his resume but if the time is coming soon... it's coming soon.

However... if you consider that we will have 4 open positions next year to fill and little money to spend... it's important to point out that Lee can only fill one of them.

Lee with 64 AB's at the AAA level leapfrogging Wallner or Julien who we will also need next year isn't ideal in my opinion. 

 

 

   

 

[Fatbat]

4 hours ago, Karbo said:

I believe Lee is the future at 2nd. I'd like to see Julian moved to 1st in St. Paul because He will hit, or at least he has at every level until this year. A platoon of some sort with Julian and Miranda at 1st makes sense to me. Next season will probably loose Kepler, Margot and Santana. Hopefully they can do something about the pen at the trade deadline. If not then, at least in the off season. Next year looks better than this year IMO.

Too early to look at next year but yes, it looks better!! The FO overplayed the safe route by doing the Margo trade.  Lost a gold glove prospect for a rental log jamb. Dumb move. 
just bring up Lee now and if he can’t handle it, bring Julien back up.  Stop losing MLB games because of your pride Rocco et al. 

[RpR]

3 hours ago, Doctor Gast said:

We know Lee has the glove,

He has the glove, where?

In the closet?

 

[Fatbat]

3 hours ago, Riverbrian said:

Farmer should be added to your list. 

Some key players Lewis, Ober, Ryan, Jax will be entering arbitration and getting significant raises.

For Jeffers it's year #2 of Arbitration with a bump coming and Every Day Willi Castro will be in year #3 and a significant bump most likely coming.  

2024 Payroll is around 129 Million

2025 Payroll is currently around 95 Million without Arbitration. The Arb bumps in pay will most likely eat up the majority of that 34 million difference between this year and what is on the books for next year.  

From the current roster... We will be down the 4 position players listed plus Thielbar in the bullpen. 

Unless any one expects a payroll jump... I don't.

Therefore... I see no reason to think the Twins will be fishing in the big fish bay of the free agent lake this off-season.

Therefore... those 4 position players will be filled by players from the farm or once again... cheaper... right handed hitting specialists to fill the Farmer and Margot roles.

Probably a combination of... Because... Left Handed hitters Julien, Kirilloff and Wallner are still the players most likely to fill in from the farm and they require the right handed hitting handcuffs.   

Cheaper Free Agents like Amed Rosario and Rob Refsnyder are the type of free agent I expect to see the Twins Target. 

The Twins may have to shed Kirilloff (out of options) to make it work. Will Brooks Lee be fulltime on opening day? 2B is where he can get that full time work.    

Something like this?  

DH - Julien or Larnach/Lewis

C - Jeffers and Vazquez

1B - Miranda

2B - Lee

3B - Lewis/Rosario

SS - Correa

LF - Castro/Martin

CF - Buxton

RF - Wallner or Larnach/Refsnyder

Just a guess but I'm pretty sure Pete Alonso ain't showing up. I suspect we will need those youngsters to fill roster space and too many of them are left handed so Rosario and Refsnyder types have to take up roster spots. 

I'm sorry is this too soon? I realize that 2024 isn't over yet. You just got me thinking. 

With Erod, Jenkins and Rosario knocking on next years door, its never too soon. Lol 

[JD-TWINS]

1 hour ago, jmlease1 said:

Usually injuries work out the playing time issues, so i expect to see Wallner and/or Lee at least some time in the second half. And I expect a portion of the fan base to hate having Wallner back because of the K's, regardless of what his overall production is.

I do think the twins will need to move on from some of the veterans for 2025 and it would be good if some of the young guys show out again this season to inspire confidence for that path. Potential lineup for 2025: 

• C - Jeffers/Camargo
• 1B - Miranda/Julien
• 2B - Lee
• SS - Correa
• 3B - Lewis
• RF - Wallner
• CF - Buxton
• LF - Martin/Castro
• DH - By committee (Jeffers/Buxton/Miranda/Julien)

that could be a very exciting lineup.

Absent injury, I'm not expecting Camargo until next season, really but I could see him getting a chance to be the catching pair if they can move off Vazquez's contract.

Agreed, the few vets that can be moved on from in ‘25, this action will be pursued.

Kepler - Farmer - Margot - Santana - Thielbar….about $32M in salary at this year’s rates………if he remains stable & fairly productive, it’s possible to re-sign Kepler for 2 yrs. at maybe $13M per year?

You have 11 guys in the mix above for 13 spots.

Gotta believe that there’s no realistic way out of the Vazquez contract/situation……$10M sunk through ‘25. Therefore, I don’t see Camargo on the roster unless there’s an injury, through next season.

Vazquez/Jeffers

Miranda/Kirilloff

Lee/Julien/Correa/Lewis (tough to fit Lee & Julien on same roster as both excel batting LH)

Larnach - Martin - Buxton - Castro - Wallner

As you stated, DH by committee.

That’s roughly $77-$80M in salaries. Buxton/Vazquez/Correa make up around $60M.

Wallner - Kirilloff - Julien all seem to be the most vulnerable for a trade or being at AAA in ‘25…….hoping these guys (at least 2 of them) turn it around next month!!!

[TwinsDr2021]

2 hours ago, JD-TWINS said:

Lee sounds more than reasonable………..Can still only carry 26 guys at a time - right???

If the plan is to count on them next year, then you need to know if you can count on them. I get the 26 man roster issue, but it doesn't seem like smart planning to go into another season counting on 4 guys you don't know if you can count on.

[RpR]

39 minutes ago, JD-TWINS said:

Agreed, the few vets that can be moved on from in ‘25, this action will be pursued.

Kepler - Farmer - Margot - Santana - Thielbar….about $32M in salary at this year’s rates………if he remains stable & fairly productive, it’s possible to re-sign Kepler for 2 yrs. at maybe $13M per year?

You have 11 guys in the mix above for 13 spots.

Gotta believe that there’s no realistic way out of the Vazquez contract/situation……$10M sunk through ‘25. Therefore, I don’t see Camargo on the roster unless there’s an injury, through next season.

Vazquez/Jeffers

Miranda/Kirilloff

Lee/Julien/Correa/Lewis (tough to fit Lee & Julien on same roster as both excel batting LH)

Larnach - Martin - Buxton - Castro - Wallner

As you stated, DH by committee.

That’s roughly $77-$80M in salaries. Buxton/Vazquez/Correa make up around $60M.

Wallner - Kirilloff - Julien all seem to be the most vulnerable for a trade or being at AAA in ‘25…….hoping these guys (at least 2 of them) turn it around next month!!!

Joey Wallner is probably worth looking at again next year; Kirilloff, probably gone, tough career breaks ; Julien, bye-bye Ed.

I would not be surprised if Santana is back next year, they need a 1st baseman who is above average.

[LA Vikes Fan]

Injuries may do this for us, but I strongly agree that we have to get some exposure at the MLB level to current AAA guys who are going to need to be on the 26 man roster next year. The funny thing is I think that's exactly what's happening. I'm actually encouraged by the fact that Martin is up with the Twins and is actually getting some real playing time since I think he is one of the players will need next year, and the fact that they brought Festa up after bringing Varland up to get one start and one long relief appearance. I think we can agree on two fundamental working assumptions (1) next year's payroll isn't likely to go up much other than already built in raises, and (2) at least Margot and Farmer are likely to be gone, with Santana a wildcard a age 39, and Kepler an unknown. In order to know what we have we need to get Martin, Larnach, Mirnada, Lee, Festa, Varland (starter and in the bullpen), Funderburk, Julien, Wallner, and Kirilloff (coming back from injury) a look. Keirsey might also be worth a look. 

As much as we all like to complain here, the ironic thing is the FO is actually be giving these guys a fair shot for the most part. On the pitching side, Varlnad has had 5 starts and 1 long relief appearance, Festa is now getting a start that hopefully becomes 2 or 3 (or more), and Funderburk's had numerous opportunities out of the bullpen. On the lineup side, Miranda is rapidly establishing himself as a fixture on the roster, Martin is back for his second trip and is actually hitting well the second time around, and Larnach is getting regular at bats with decent but not great results., Wallner and Julien both got long looks at the front of the season. They both failed and had to be sent back to AAA. Hopefully they'll get another look but it's not like they haven't had an opportunity, they just failed to take advantage of that opportunity so far this year. Kirilloff's injuries have once again derailed our chance to get a good look and the fact that he is hurt again may tell us what we need to know about our ability to rely on him for next year. Lee hasn't had his chance yet but that's because of injury. I personally think he is the next man up pretty much regardless of who goes down because of Castro's positional flexibility. 

My point here is that I agree that these AAA guys have to have their shot this year. I think it has to be this year because I think we can still compete for a wildcard spot using these young guys and our chances of catching Cleveland this year are not great. The ironic part is I think the FO is doing exactly that; giving all of these guys a fair shot. Maybe my complaints and constant agitation to get people up to the big club is actually misplaced.

 

[DJL44]

2 hours ago, Fatbat said:

Too early to look at next year but yes, it looks better!! The FO overplayed the safe route by doing the Margo trade.  Lost a gold glove prospect for a rental log jamb. Dumb move. 

Fangraphs likes Doncon better than Miller. They aren't the only prospect hounds who think MN got the better part of that deal.

[JD-TWINS]

53 minutes ago, RpR said:

Joey Wallner is probably worth looking at again next year; Kirilloff, probably gone, tough career breaks ; Julien, bye-bye Ed.

I would not be surprised if Santana is back next year, they need a 1st baseman who is above average.

Not a popular thought but if Santana continues to hit through the year…..you’re right, he may be worth another shot at a similar price to this year? He’d be more RH specific than this year……… he would seem to be redundant with Miranda though.

Wallner - Kirilloff - Julien ……I’d expect at least two of them to remain in organization if not all 3. Kirilloff is out of options & is becoming a trade piece as time goes by………going to have to package him with another couple guys to get any type of positive return.

Just to get people thinking, how about Julien - Kirilloff - Headrick  - Gonzales to Toronto for Berrios at the Deadline??

’25 rotation:

Lopez - Berrios - Ryan - Ober - SWR

…..,, with BOTH Paddack & Varland in the Pen from the jump…..Stewart, Jax, Topa, Okert, Funderburk, Alcala

Kepler & Santana & Margot & Thielbar & Farmer (gone) create some serious $$ to spend on an effective & fairly durable starter in Berrios……signed through ‘28 with player options after ‘26.