Twins Prospect Retrospective: OF DaShawn Keirsey, Jr

[Seth Stohs]

Twins Daily has learned that DaShawn Keirsey, Jr. has been promoted to the big leagues, and is expected to join the Minnesota Twins in Tampa on Thursday morning before the series finale. Let’s look back at his career to date, and what tools and skills he can bring to the table. 

Image courtesy of Rob Thompson, St. Paul Saints

On Sept. 1, when MLB rosters could be expanded from 26 to 28, the Minnesota Twins called up RHP Diego Castillo and Utilityman Michael Helman. Castillo pitched once and was optioned to make room for Louie Varland. 

We were all excited for Michael Helman to finally get this opportunity after overcoming several injuries.

At the same time, I noted my disappointment for outfielder DaShawn Keirsey. 

But here we are, just days later, and Keirsey has received The Call. He will be joining the Twins this morning in Tampa and then head with the team to Kansas City. 

Tools and Skills
Normally a Prospect Retrospective would start with a player’s background and what brought him to the big leagues. However, I want to start with what skills DaShawn Keirsey possesses and how they can help the Twins. 

Keirsey’s best tools are his speed and his defense. No one in the organization, with the possible exception of a healthy Will Holland, is faster than Keirsey. Obviously that speed helps him on defense. Keirsey has spent a lot of time at all three outfield positions over the past couple of years, but he is at his best manning center field. 

He throws left-handed, and I’d place his arm at average or slightly above average. However, he generally has a very accurate arm. 

Offensively, when he has been healthy, he has performed. In the minor leagues, he has been a top of the order hitter, though in some lineups with the Saints he has hit third or fourth. A quick look at his 2024 numbers shows that he does a very nice job filling out the stat line. In 103 games with the Saints, he has hit .292/.362/.477 (839) with 20 doubles, seven triples, and 14 home runs. He drove in 75 runs and scored 69 runs. On the bases, he was 36-for-43 in stolen base attempts. 

Keirsey bats left-handed. This season, he has walked in 9.7% of his plate appearances and struck out 23.0% of the time. That has been pretty consistent the past three seasons which have been spent in Double-A and Triple-A. 

Over the past three seasons, he has been really good at using the entire field. He pulls the ball about 36% of the time, hits the ball to center about 26% of the time, and he hits the ball the other way about 38% of the time. 

As for power, the 27-year-old Keirsey is listed at 6-1, 195 pounds. He is fast and looks fairly thin. However, he is strong and does have the ability to drive the ball, mostly to the gaps, but he does have more power than you think. That said, a full season might yield 12-15 home runs in the big leagues. 

So how can he help the Twins down the stretch? It’s easy to say that he can be a speed and defense guy, a pinch-runner and defensive replacement. And he certainly can do that. However, with his defense in center and with the offense that he has posted, he can fit a center field platoon with Austin Martin or someone else in center field. Really all the things that you would say that Michael Helman can do, DaShawn Keirsey can do, just left-handed. 

So why haven’t we seen him in the big leagues to this point? It’s all about opportunity. And I know that sounds a little cliche, but it’s also true. He wasn’t added to the 40-man roster last November, and he went unpicked in the Rule 5 draft. He bats left handed. So do Max Kepler, Alex Kirilloff, Trevor Larnach, and Matt Wallner, and All Star Willi Castro is a switch hitter. The club has paid Byron Buxton, and they acquired Manuel Margot before the season started to provide right-handed bats. When Buxton got hurt, the team turned to Austin Martin. When Manuel Margot got hurt last week, they turned to Michael Helman. 

What can DaShawn Keirsey be long-term for the Twins (or other teams)? I feel like saying that he would fit the “fourth outfielder” definition is almost limiting. In the right situation with the right organization, he could get an extended look and be a 130 game guy. In the Twins organization, as it is right now, he really fills out the skill set needed to succeed in that role. And, with Rocco Baldelli at the helm, he does a nice job of keeping his bench players fresh. 

Max Kepler is a free agent after the season. Alex Kirilloff’s prospects in the Twins organization are uncertain. We’d like to think that Larnach and Wallner can be the team’s corner outfield for the next decade, and Buxton has another five years on his contract extension. So with the Twins, Keirsey (and Martin and Helman, etc.) can fill platoon roles and part time gigs. 

And with his background and story and injury history, and probably his fair share of doubters, any role in the big leagues probably sounds really good to Keirsey, and his family. 

The Background 
I’m going to keep this fairly short. Keirsey has been on a couple of podcasts with me that I will include in this article. In the Twins Spotlight episode, we talked for a good 45 minutes about his background and goals and such. In mid-2023, when he was still in Wichita, I wrote an article calling him the Twins most underrated prospect. With the article, we had a quick 20 minute interview at that time to talk about his improvements and such. You’ll certainly want to watch those. 

The Twins 2018 draft has been a solid one to this point. Trevor Larnach was the team’s top pick out of Oregon State. In the second round, they selected catcher Ryan Jeffers from UNCW. They selected Cole Sands out of Florida State in the fifth round, and Josh Winder out of Virginia Military Institute in the seventh round. Lefty Kody Funderburk was their 15th round pick out of Dallas Baptist. Michael Helman was the team’s 11th round pick out of Texas A&M. Others still in the organization yet to debut are C/1B Chris Williams who is the Home Run King in St. Paul. He was the team’s 8th round pick that year from Clemson. Finally, RHP Regi Grace was the team’s 10th round pick out of high school in Mississippi. 

The Twins didn’t have a third-round pick that year after signing veteran Josh Donaldson to a nine-digit contract that offseason. In the fourth round, they selected DaShawn Keirsey, Jr., out of the University of Utah.

Born and raised in San Diego, California, Keirsey attended Helix Charter School. You might have heard of some of their alumni. 

• Football: Reggie Bush, Alex Smith and literally a dozen more. . 
• Basketball: Bill Walton graduated in 1970.
• Actor: Dennis Hopper graduated in 1954.
• Twins fans may remember that long-time prospect Jake Reed (5th round, 2014) went to Helix before heading to play baseball at the University of Oregon. 

At Helix, Keirsey was an all-league and all-county wide receiver in football. However, it was on the baseball diamond that his future would be. 

After high school, he went to the University of Utah where he was first-team All-Pac 12 and a Freshman All American. He played in 54 games and hit .293/.349/.358 (.707( with nine doubles and 11 steals.  

As a sophomore, he played in 50 games and hit .327/.388/.461 (.848) with 10 doubles, five triples, and three home runs.  However, in a late-May home game, Keirsey was in center field when a ball was hit over his head. 

The next spring, Keirsey told the Salt Lake Tribune, “At Smith’s Ballpark, center field is 420 [feet]. You don’t really, especially in games, see people hit the ball over the center field wall at this level. I just remember thinking, with the trajectory of the ball, I thought it was going to have a chance. In the back of my mind, I knew I was going to collide with the wall some way, but I thought it was going to be like a jump into the wall. I didn’t think it would be, obviously, the way it happened.” 

 

He hit the wall. The wall did not move. Keirsey was on the ground for 30 minutes before being taken off in an ambulance. The diagnosis? Keirsey had a dislocated hip and a fractured hip. Instead of playing in a top college wood bat league, or even just doing things on the southern California beaches he had his whole life. Instead, he was working on things like being able to walk again and swinging a bat without it hurting. 

When you see how bad the injury was, it’s incredible to find out that he was ready on Opening Day of 2018. And not only was he simply able to play, he contributed huge offensive numbers. In 50 games, he hit .386/.440/.609 (1.049) with 23 doubles, five triples and four home runs. 

The Twins drafted him in the fourth round and were very excited about his athleticism and upside. He went to Elizabethton and hit .301 in 26 games there. 

In 2019, he went to Cedar Rapids, but missed so much time with leg injuries. He played in just 36 games. Especially with the completely lost season of 2020, it had to be frustrating. He went back to the Kernels in 2021 and was limited to just 45 games with more leg injuries. He hit just .199, but he did have four doubles, four triples and seven home runs. He also stole 10 bases.  

Since 2022, Keirsey has been relatively healthy. That season, he played 121 games in Wichita. He hit .271/.329/.395 (.724) with 26 doubles, three triples and seven homers. He also stole 42 bases in 49 attempts. 

He returned to the Wind Surge in 2023. In 91 games, he hit .305/.363/.488 (.850) with 17 doubles, five triples, and 13 homers. He finished the season in St. Paul where he hit .264/.375/.364 (.739) with a double, three triples, and two homers. Combined, he had 39 steals in 44 attempts. 

There was some concern that Keirsey might be lost in the Rule 5 draft last year, but he went unselected. This offseason, Keirsey would have become a free agent had he not been added to the Twins 40-man roster. He could have stayed in the organization, but I certainly wouldn’t have blamed him had he gone elsewhere.

How He Got His Shot
As previously noted, Keirsey wasn't the team's first choice when rosters expanded. He wasn't even the second. Finally, though, with Kepler hitting the injured list, the door is open for him. Presumably, since Byron Buxton is also being reevaluated after feeling discomfort during his latest rehab appearance, Keirsey is especially welcome as a solid defensive center fielder, but his immediate value is in replacing Kepler on the roster. That might mean only sparing starts, but he does round out the outfield defense nicely, especially in center and against right-handed pitchers.

For much, much more Twins Daily content on DaShawn Keirsey, click here to see articles in which he has been tagged. There are a full four pages of articles linked. 

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[MMMordabito]

Congratulations to Keirsey!

Looking forward to seeing him run around in the OF.  The play out there has left a lot to be desired with Buck and Kep both on the mend.

[CCHOF5yearstoolate]

Finally! Excited to see what he can do at the plate and should be a nice boost to the OF defense. 

[LambchoP]

Yes, finally! I like the fact he can play a  TRUE center field. He could also be a nice spark plug at the top of our lineup. We hardly have any guys that threaten to steal on this team, it'd be nice to see them set Keirsey loose on the base paths. I'm glad he finally got the call as he's more than earned it. I think he can really help our team defensively especially, but with the bat and his speed as well. He's also probably auditioning for the 4rth OF job next year. With a starting OF of Larnach, Buxton and Wallner, we're going to need a true CF to back up Buxton. Keirsey, Helman, E Rodriguez, Rosario and Martin should all be competing for outfield playing time. If any of these younger prospects look to be ready for major league action, I think Martin is expendable. No power and shoddy defense. I say if we can get anything for him in a trade, we go for it and give his at bats to a prospect with a higher ceiling.

[jccracraft]

I've been looking forward to this guy getting a chance for awhile. I like Martin, but he has not adjusted defensively to the OF. Margot obviously terrible. Castro to me, while solid and valuable, is not an everyday player. Only negative about this is that Keirsey bats lefty, which we have an abundance of. I hope he gets some ABs.

[chpettit19]

I assume he isn't starting because he got in late and it's a day game? I guess I can buy into that. If it were a night game I'd be a little more cranky that they're starting Martin in CF instead of an actual CFer.

But congrats to Keirsey. With how Kepler's been hitting lately it feels like a pretty realistic chance that he can fill in those shoes pretty decently. Good defense with unknown offense is pretty much who Kepler has been his entire career. Hoping Keirsey gets a good number of PAs over the next 10 days and we can see what he can do. It's his chance to earn a Major League job in 2025, whether it's with the Twins or somewhere else. Excited to see him work.

[CRF]

Geez...what took so long? Get him up here and give him a look!

[DocBauer]

I remembered him being a 4th round pick as well as all his injuries. But I had somewhat forgotten just how good that draft was for the Twins overall.

While different players...LH vs RH, OF vs UTILITY...Keirsey and Helman are very similar players in regard to early injuries and covid holding back their development, and being solid, all around hitters with pop/power and speed.

I fully understand that neither is overly young and that neither getting an opportunity means they are going to suddenly step forward as major parts of the team going forward. But you never know until a prospect is given a viable chance what they might become. The opportunity hasn't been optimum for these two until now. But opportunity is mow available to them. I hope they get a real shot and both take advantage of it. 

It only takes a small squint to see roster opportunities in 2025 for both if they take advantage of the situation presented to them.

[mikelink45]

I am delighted.  I hope he is fantastic - I know we could have used his defense over the last month.  

[DJL44]

1 hour ago, LambchoP said:

He could also be a nice spark plug at the top of our lineup.

I'm expecting he'll be batting at the bottom of the lineup.

He should be the best fielding CF on the roster. Castro can go back to 2B where he is the best fielding option at that position. Lewis back to 3B. 

I am expecting an upgrade over having injured Max Kepler in the lineup.

[DJL44]

Nevermind

[JD-TWINS]

Kiersey up until Kepler’s ready & Helman up until Buxton is ready……..,nice to have reasonable depth guys!!! Hope they both can contribute.

[Rosterman]

Hate to throw a rookie into the valuable centerfield slot in playoff contention, but let's see what he can do. Bat him low in the order to start. We need better defenders out there than what we have.

Interesting about Wallner and Larnach setting us for the next x-years (along with Buxton). The Twins need to make some decisions as the decadde progresses. Jenkins and Rodrihuez are on the cusp. They have to sort out where to play Keaschall amongst other infielders that are promising. Including rotation arms, the Twins will be the Guardians when moving players as they get expensive.

Congrats to Kiersey!

[RpR]

2 hours ago, CCHOF5yearstoolate said:

Finally! Excited to see what he can do at the plate and should be a nice boost to the OF defense. 

Hopefully.

[RpR]

1 hour ago, JD-TWINS said:

Kiersey up until Kepler’s ready & Helman up until Buxton is ready……..,nice to have reasonable depth guys!!! Hope they both can contribute.

Some of the AAA boys come up firing on all cylinders, before pitchers adjust; I Hope Kiersey Jr. is one of those who has a longer streak of excellent play.

[LA Vikes Fan]

Congratulations to Keirsey on getting this opportunity. A real opportunity may be right in front of him. Who is going to play CF now that Buxton's hip problem has reactivated and he is out for at least another week or two, perhaps longer? It looks like Margot won't be back anytime soon and can't play centerfield anyway.. The choices are Castro and Martin. Castro is hitting.154/.254/.308 (.562) over the last 30 games and even worse over the last 15 games if that's possible. Castro is completely gassed and needs at least a week where he only plays a couple of games. Martin is a little better at.284/.361/.365 (.726) over the last 30, but he has no power and has tailed off over the last 10 games or so.

I'm hopeful and would love to see Rocco lean into youth and play a platoon of Keirsey and Martin in CF every day. I would put Willie C on the bench for at least a couple of days and then slowly work him back in, primarily at 2B with some time at SS. Brooks Lee has been an adventure in short and he's not hitting much either. Play Wallner and Larnach most every day with a little Helman mixed in as the corner outfielders and play Lewis, Santana, and Miranda as the 3B/1B/DH most every day. Our chances of winning the division are now pretty small, and the teams behind us playing just as poorly as we are so our chances of falling out of playoff position are getting smaller by the day. Besides, even if we make the playoffs with this lineup we are not going anywhere. Let's use this time to get a jump on next season and give these guys some experience. Many of us agitated for the removal of some of the vets so that the young guys can play. I know we were thinking about Margot and Farmer, not Buxton and Correa.  Still, we should take advantage of this opportunity.

This team is really going to have trouble scoring runs for a while with a lineup that every night is going to feature at least 3-4 players who have spent time in the minor leagues the season. Still, it's what we got and we gotta roll with it. Glue Farmer to the bench as an occasional pinch-hitter and late inning defensive replacement at 2B, platoon Keirsey and Martin in CF, and use this opportunity to get maximum ABs for Wallner, Larnach, Miranda, Julien, Keirsey, Martin, and Helman (in that order). Let's at least find out what we got for next year as we slowly but surely implode through September.

 

[RpR]

1 hour ago, LA VIkes Fan said:

Glue Farmer to the bench as an occasional pinch-hitter and late inning defensive replacement at 2B, platoon Keirsey and Martin in CF, and use this opportunity to get maximum ABs for Wallner, Larnach, Miranda, Julien, Keirsey, Martin, and Helman (in that order). Let's at least find out what we got for next year as we slowly but surely implode through September.

 

This is  a team vying for a place in the Postseason , not AAA learning.

Do that and Postseason will just be another dream.

[cmoss84]

Jake Cave on steroids! Let's go!!!!

[Doctor Gast]

It might take a little while before he gets over his nerves but Keirsey will settle in as our 2nd best CFer behind Buxton. His speed will be very valuable for the Twins on the base paths (which the Twins kinda suck). He has raked in AAA let's see how that translates into MLB. It's a pity that he hadn't been up earlier when Wallner & Julien were sent down, Kiriloff got hurt & Kepler was streaky. offensively we could have used his LH bat, Since Correa, Buxton, Lee & Lewis hurt for a good part of the season, his glove in CF would have helped. His speed could always help on the bases. Castro is due for a break finally & Keirsey can give him that. He's finally here so congratulations Keirsey & wish you the best in the MLB. I'm kinda excited to see how he does.

[Shaitan]

Never give up, kids.

[RpR]

3 hours ago, Doctor Gast said:

It might take a little while before he gets over his nerves but Keirsey will settle in as our 2nd best CFer behind Buxton. His speed will be very valuable for the Twins on the base paths (which the Twins kinda suck). He has raked in AAA let's see how that translates into MLB. It's a pity that he hadn't been up earlier when Wallner & Julien were sent down, Kiriloff got hurt & Kepler was streaky. offensively we could have used his LH bat, Since Correa, Buxton, Lee & Lewis hurt for a good part of the season, his glove in CF would have helped. His speed could always help on the bases. Castro is due for a break finally & Keirsey can give him that. He's finally here so congratulations Keirsey & wish you the best in the MLB. I'm kinda excited to see how he does.

Yep, just like Andrew Stevenson did,

[Paul Walerius]

11 hours ago, LambchoP said:

Yes, finally! I like the fact he can play a  TRUE center field. He could also be a nice spark plug at the top of our lineup. We hardly have any guys that threaten to steal on this team, it'd be nice to see them set Keirsey loose on the base paths. I'm glad he finally got the call as he's more than earned it. I think he can really help our team defensively especially, but with the bat and his speed as well. He's also probably auditioning for the 4rth OF job next year. With a starting OF of Larnach, Buxton and Wallner, we're going to need a true CF to back up Buxton. Keirsey, Helman, E Rodriguez, Rosario and Martin should all be competing for outfield playing time. If any of these younger prospects look to be ready for major league action, I think Martin is expendable. No power and shoddy defense. I say if we can get anything for him in a trade, we go for it and give his at bats to a prospect with a higher ceiling.

 Twins have guys who can steal, they just don't send them.  Martin is a right-handed bat he probably will be around a while.  

[DJL44]

12 hours ago, RpR said:

Yep, just like Andrew Stevenson did,

Keirsey Jr will be thrilled to play 273 major league games like Andrew Stevenson.

[gman]

Getting to the bigs obviously is not easy so good luck and best wishes for Keirsey and any rookie making their first appearance.