3 Things Walker Jenkins Must Do to Develop Into Baseball’s Best Prospect in 2025

[Cody Christie]

Walker Jenkins is already considered one of baseball’s top prospects. Here’s what he must do in 2025 to separate himself from his peers and claim the title of baseball’s best prospect.

Image courtesy of William Parmeter (Photo of Walker Jenkins)

Walker Jenkins is one of the most hyped prospects in Minnesota Twins history, with many believing he is a player with the tools to become a cornerstone piece of the franchise. However, the journey from first-round draft pick to the game’s best prospect is fraught with challenges. For Jenkins, it will take focused development in three key areas to maximize his immense potential: developing usable power, proving he can stick in center field, and, perhaps most importantly, staying healthy.

Develop More Usable Power
Jenkins entered professional baseball with a sweet left-handed swing and the promise of offensive impact. Still, questions remain about how much of his raw power will translate to game situations. Some comparisons exist between Jenkins’ swing and that of Joe Mauer, a name that resonates deeply with Twins fans. While Mauer’s swing was built for elite contact and gap power, his one notable limitation was a lack of consistent home run production. Could Jenkins’ ceiling face a similar cap?

Jenkins has a slightly smaller frame than Mauer, but there is room for him to continue to add strength. His bat speed and leverage suggest significant power potential. However, tapping into that potential at the highest levels requires more than just physicality. Jenkins must refine his approach at the plate, particularly in generating backspin and attacking pitches in the heart of the zone. Last season, his Barrel%, 90th% EV, and Hard Hit % were in the 61st percentile or lower. There is room for those numbers to improve significantly with a low pull percentage (21st percentile) and an even lower percentage of pulled fastballs (17.3%, 13th percentile). He might unlock more extra-base hit potential if he can pull the ball with authority.

A key focus for Jenkins will be adjusting to advanced pitching, especially as he faces better velocity and secondary offerings. While his early professional track record showed a hitter capable of making loud contact, his development in the minors will determine whether his raw power can evolve into the type of game-changing tool that sets him apart.

Prove He Can Stick in Center Field
There’s no denying that Jenkins’ bat will dictate much of his future value, but his ability to handle the rigors of center field is a close second. Jenkins has all the tools to stick at the position with above-average speed, plus instincts and a strong arm. Last season, Jenkins played 35 games in center field and 45 at DH. Some of those lineup decisions were based on him returning from an early season injury. However, questions linger about whether his physical profile will ultimately lead him to a corner outfield spot.

Center field is demanding, and Jenkins must prove he can cover ground effectively as he continues to grow into his frame. He’s already seen time in the corners, where his plus arm and offensive profile are natural fits. The Twins should resist the temptation to permanently move him off center field unless absolutely necessary. Minnesota has moved some top prospects from shortstop to utility roles in recent years, which might be a flaw in their development process. Keeping him in center, even as a part-time option, significantly enhances his long-term value and gives Minnesota flexibility with their roster construction.

The Twins have had success grooming athletic center fielders with a lineage stretching from Byron Buxton to Denard Span and Torii Hunter. Jenkins must consistently show he can handle the position’s physical and mental demands. If he can do that while continuing to refine his offensive game, he’ll cement himself as a rare five-tool talent.

Stay Healthy
For all the promise Jenkins brings, staying on the field might be his biggest hurdle. Early in his professional career, injuries have already been a concern. A quad strain slowed him down and caused him to miss six weeks at the start of the 2024 season. Twins fans are all too familiar with how injuries have derailed top prospects, as players like Byron Buxton, Miguel Sano, and Royce Lewis have all faced significant setbacks.

“Being injured somewhat hindered the way I like to play,” Jenkins said at TwinsFest. “I had to be able to manage my body, and I wasn't able to go what I felt like was full throttle all the time.”

For Jenkins, durability will be paramount if he hopes to reach his potential. Part of this will involve building strength and flexibility to minimize soft-tissue injuries. He's incorporated swimming into his offseason routine. It will also mean learning to manage his workload, especially as the grind of professional baseball intensifies. Jenkins’ combination of size and athleticism puts him at risk for wear-and-tear injuries, so proactive measures, including conditioning and recovery protocols, will be critical.

If Jenkins can stay healthy, he’ll have the opportunity to log the at-bats and repetitions he needs to refine his skills. Availability is a skill in its own right, and for a player with his tools, simply staying on the field could be the difference between being an excellent prospect and becoming baseball’s best.

Jenkins has the potential to be a generational talent, but the road to becoming the best prospect in baseball is anything but guaranteed. By focusing on developing more usable power, proving his ability to stick in center field, and maintaining his health, Jenkins can position himself as one of the brightest young stars in the game. If he can rise to the challenge in these areas, Twins fans may soon have another homegrown superstar to cheer for at Target Field.

Will Jenkins be ranked as baseball’s best prospect at this point next season? Where does he need to improve the most? Leave a comment and start the discussion. 

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[LambchoP]

Hopefully he can stay healthy and put together a full breakout season, maybe getting a call up to AAA which would leave him battling for a spot on the big league roster in 2026 :) As long as the Twins don't screw up his swing like they did with Austin Martin trying to change him into a strikeout prone home runs hitter.

[twinzcynic]

I think the most important thing besides staying healthy: don't buy in to the three true outcomes philosophy of the organization, but rather find a private coach that plays to his naturals strengths as a hitter.

[rdehring]

Interesting, Cody.

Personally, I don't care about his prospect status.  What I care about is that he arrives at Target Field as soon as possible and is the best player on the field for a long, long time.  Hopefully, that arrival is late this year.

[UK Twin]

Well his mindset is in the right place - he's said he's aiming to play MLB this year.  I think as a top prospect you have to have that self-confidence. Will be very keen to see how he gets on in Spring Training and then AAA. I'm fairly certain he won't spend much time at AA at all.

[nicksaviking]

54 minutes ago, twinzcynic said:

I think the most important thing besides staying healthy: don't buy in to the three true outcomes philosophy of the organization, but rather find a private coach that plays to his naturals strengths as a hitter.

This is an old complaint that people won't drop for some reason. Three true outcome hitters hasn't been the Twins philosophy in two years. They were 9th in the league in K% last year.

In fact, the Twins like clockwork seem to change their offensive philosophy every two or three years to adjust to present issues. It doesn't always work out, but they aren't rigidly stubborn about doing most things a specific way any longer.

The one thing Jenkins MUST do is be able to hit left handed pitching, because the one thing we know the manager IS stubbornly rigid about is platooning young lefties.

[Blyleven2011]

When I first seen that Cody  mentioned he needs to hit for power  , first thought was Mauer  , he had one season of power in 2009 ( 29 homers )  , he never hit more than 16 Homer's in another season  ...

Everyone loved Mauer and yes his inability to smack the homers  irritated some , let Jenkins do what Jenkins does and that is hit to all fields and find the gaps  , his power to hit homers will come if he chooses it to , kirby puckett was a singles hitter and then found power and had a great shortened career ...

Again I will reiterate  , this team is not a homerun hitting team  , this team doesn't even have a 100 rbi player or 100 run scorer  , when are people going to get past this  ...

Rbi's and runs matter , get on base matters ,  clutch hitters matter , and yes a 3 run homer is possibly a game changer  ...

Get on base by walk , error by other team , double and triples matter and so do clutch homers , but we don't have those clutch homers , we have solo homerun guys , rbis tell you that ...

The metrics aren't all that there cracked up to be ...

[chpettit19]

2 hours ago, LambchoP said:

Hopefully he can stay healthy and put together a full breakout season, maybe getting a call up to AAA which would leave him battling for a spot on the big league roster in 2026 :) As long as the Twins don't screw up his swing like they did with Austin Martin trying to change him into a strikeout prone home runs hitter.

The Twins didn't try to turn Martin into a "strikeout prone home runs hitter," they tried to turn him into pre-2024 Bo Bichette. Which is a .290-.300 hitter with 20+ HRs. Instead of being a .290-.300 hitter with 5 HRs. They tried to do what the Guardians did with Steven Kwan last year. Teach him to look for balls to pull for power early in the count before going back to his normal approach with 1 or 2 strikes. Which lead to a .290 hitter with 14 HRs instead of a .300 hitter with 5. The Twins tried to turn Austin Martin into a .290-.300 hitter with 15-20 HRs. I don't get why people think that was a poor strategy. He just couldn't make the adjustment so is doing things his old way now and struggling to have an MLB career because of it.

Jenkins already has the ability to pull the ball for power so they don't need to teach him that, just refine it. Hopefully he's able to earn a September call up this year and an opening day gig in 2026. 

[miracleb]

21 minutes ago, Blyleven2011 said:

When I first seen that Cody  mentioned he needs to hit for power  , first thought was Mauer  , he had one season of power in 2009 ( 29 homers )  , he never hit more than 16 Homer's in another season  ...

Everyone loved Mauer and yes his inability to smack the homers  irritated some , let Jenkins do what Jenkins does and that is hit to all fields and find the gaps  , his power to hit homers will come if he chooses it to , kirby puckett was a singles hitter and then found power and had a great shortened career ...

Again I will reiterate  , this team is not a homerun hitting team  , this team doesn't even have a 100 rbi player or 100 run scorer  , when are people going to get past this  ...

Rbi's and runs matter , get on base matters ,  clutch hitters matter , and yes a 3 run homer is possibly a game changer  ...

Get on base by walk , error by other team , double and triples matter and so do clutch homers , but we don't have those clutch homers , we have solo homerun guys , rbis tell you that ...

The metrics aren't all that there cracked up to be ...

Mauer's 29 HR season has to be a top-5 all-time best timing for a baseball contract!

[tony&rodney]

Refinement, repetitions, practice, and adaptation is the easy answer but health is first.

[Fatbat]

Like others state, does it matter where he is in the prospect rankings? Where he needs to be is at Target field. Because of his hard work during his childhood, he will get a shot in the show soon. He just works that damn hard. His metrics are beyond solid.  At AA when he hits .3/4/5 and ups his barrel rate, he will be moved to AAA. Rinse and repeat and he will make his debut.  When?  When he is ready. July 15th ‘25 is probably the sooner/later betting line. 

[Linus]

4 hours ago, chpettit19 said:

The Twins didn't try to turn Martin into a "strikeout prone home runs hitter," they tried to turn him into pre-2024 Bo Bichette. Which is a .290-.300 hitter with 20+ HRs. Instead of being a .290-.300 hitter with 5 HRs. They tried to do what the Guardians did with Steven Kwan last year. Teach him to look for balls to pull for power early in the count before going back to his normal approach with 1 or 2 strikes. Which lead to a .290 hitter with 14 HRs instead of a .300 hitter with 5. The Twins tried to turn Austin Martin into a .290-.300 hitter with 15-20 HRs. I don't get why people think that was a poor strategy. He just couldn't make the adjustment so is doing things his old way now and struggling to have an MLB career because of it.

Jenkins already has the ability to pull the ball for power so they don't need to teach him that, just refine it. Hopefully he's able to earn a September call up this year and an opening day gig in 2026. 

It was well worth the attempt.  If Martin had been able to add more power his hitting profile would have changed dramatically.  Pitchers would have to pitch him more carefully which in turn would likely mean more walks and a higher OBP.  With no power big league pitchers go right after him as they are relatively safe to do so.  This means fewer walks and a lower OBP which is really what he needs to bring to the table.

[nicksaviking]

4 hours ago, Linus said:

It was well worth the attempt.  If Martin had been able to add more power his hitting profile would have changed dramatically.  Pitchers would have to pitch him more carefully which in turn would likely mean more walks and a higher OBP.  With no power big league pitchers go right after him as they are relatively safe to do so.  This means fewer walks and a lower OBP which is really what he needs to bring to the table.

Right, pitchers don't fear slap hitters any more than they fear giving up a walk. Minor nuisance, not game-ending fear, unless it's one of the three times all year that it's the bottom of the 9th with the bases loaded.

[ashbury]

10 hours ago, Blyleven2011 said:

this team doesn't even have a 100 rbi player or 100 run scorer  , when are people going to get past this  ...

Rbi's and runs matter , get on base matters ,  clutch hitters matter , and yes a 3 run homer is possibly a game changer  ...

There were 12 MLB players last year who scored 100 runs.  It's not the norm for a team to have one.

Of those 12 prolific run-scorers, the lowest number of Plate Appearances was 682. The closest our Twins had to that was utility guy Willi Castro at 635 and then Carlos Santana at 595. The dropoff in PA was steep after that, with Ryan Jeffers at #3 with 465. (The Yankees alone had 4 guys with more PA than our Castro, and a fifth guy almost.)

The Twins' run scoring, slightly above average overall in tenth place in the majors, was spread around due to injuries and minor league demotions.

If individual stats are your thing, the first order of business is getting their best players playing a full season.  Those individual stats and honors will come.

[Blyleven2011]

1 minute ago, ashbury said:

There were 12 MLB players last year who scored 100 runs.  It's not the norm for a team to have one.

Of those 12 prolific run-scorers, the lowest number of Plate Appearances was 682. The closest to that was utility guy Willi Castro at 635 and then Carlos Santana at 595. The dropoff in PA was steep after that, with Ryan Jeffers at #3 with 465. (The Yankees alone had 4 guys with more PA than our Castro, and a fifth guy almost.)

The Twins' run scoring, slightly above average overall in tenth place in the majors, was spread around due to injuries and minor league demotions.

If individual stats are your thing, the first order of business is getting their best players playing a full season.  Those individual stats and honors will come.

I wish those stats would come , that means the player was productive one way or the other , clutch hitting  and staying healthy is a must  and speed stealing bases or just a hit and run , you responded on another thread of mine , ) if the players would hit to all fields  they would get better pitches to hit ) ...

[ashbury]

8 minutes ago, Blyleven2011 said:

I wish those stats would come , that means the player was productive one way or the other , clutch hitting  and staying healthy is a must  and speed stealing bases or just a hit and run , you responded on another thread of mine , ) if the players would hit to all fields  they would get better pitches to hit ) ...

Yes, there is a lot of circularity to the analysis.  Getting sent down to AAA, as Wallner managed to do, presents a real handicap toward getting the RBIs. (The missed time of course, but also the poor performance while he was up for this first stint. Once he was back up, his RBI rate was pretty good.) 

Hit well, stay healthy, take your chances on the counting stats at season's end.  Not exactly a revolutionary recipe for success, eh?

[Blyleven2011]

5 minutes ago, ashbury said:

Yes, there is a lot of circularity to the analysis.  Getting sent down to AAA, as Wallner managed to do, presents a real handicap toward getting the RBIs. (The missed time of course, but also the poor performance while he was up for this first stint. Once he was back up, his RBI rate was pretty good.) 

Hit well, stay healthy, take your chances on the counting stats at season's end.  Not exactly a revolutionary recipe for success, eh?

Remember Miranda's first rookie season  , didn't he lead the twins in rbis with 70 something  and it wasn't a full season  , Lewis was on a tear and would have led the team had he started the team out of spring training and then injured in September before the 2023 playoffs , he was something to watch and I hope  he gets his complete MOJO back ( stamina,  discipline and his health ) ...

[nicksaviking]

1 hour ago, Blyleven2011 said:

Remember Miranda's first rookie season  , didn't he lead the twins in rbis with 70 something  and it wasn't a full season  , Lewis was on a tear and would have led the team had he started the team out of spring training and then injured in September before the 2023 playoffs , he was something to watch and I hope  he gets his complete MOJO back ( stamina,  discipline and his health ) ...

Well if the Twins are platooning 66%-77% of their batting order, what does it matter if one guy is getting 100 RBI or two or more guys are getting it combined? It's the same ratio.

Not an argument for platooning, just an argument against counting stats.

[dxpavelka]

Not buying the "moving guys from shortstop is a flaw in their development process" nonsense.  If guys were capable of being big league shortstops they'd stay there.  At least until they got to the big leagues and proved they weren't capable of staying.

 

[dxpavelka]

43 minutes ago, nicksaviking said:

Well if the Twins are platooning 66%-77% of their batting order, what does it matter if one guy is getting 100 RBI or two or more guys are getting it combined? It's the same ratio.

Not an argument for platooning, just an argument against counting stats.

You can argue all day against counting stats but at the end of the day if a guy is performing he's gonna get the counting stats.  Give me the guys with the hits, runs and RBI and you can take whoever you want from the rest and mine are gonna beat yours more often than not.

[Bodie]

7 hours ago, nicksaviking said:

Well if the Twins are platooning 66%-77% of their batting order, what does it matter if one guy is getting 100 RBI or two or more guys are getting it combined? It's the same ratio.

Not an argument for platooning, just an argument against counting stats.

It is not the same thing!

When you use two roster spots to get one player's stats, you are, by definition, shortening your bench.  And when those platoon player's both stink defensively (say 2B) you have the bad defense, lack of ability to hit against same handed pitching, and in the end,some truly bad baseball stemming from horrid roster construction. 

 

An old football adage says if you have a quarterback controversy, you don't have a quarterback.  If you are platooning a majority of your "starters", you have a quarterback controversy.  And no, this isn't a Joe Montana/Steve Young type question, but much closer to a Steve Montana/Joe Young question!

[chpettit19]

10 hours ago, dxpavelka said:

You can argue all day against counting stats but at the end of the day if a guy is performing he's gonna get the counting stats.  Give me the guys with the hits, runs and RBI and you can take whoever you want from the rest and mine are gonna beat yours more often than not.

So, I get Mookie Betts (has had 3 100 RBI seasons in 11 seasons), Shohei Ohtani (2 100 RBI seasons in 7 years), Jose Altuve (never had a 100 RBI season in 14 seasons), Acuna Jr (2 100 RBI seasons in 7 seasons), Soto (3 100 RBI seasons in 7 seasons), Judge (3 100 RBI seasons in 9 seasons), Yordan Alvarez (1 100 RBI season in 6 years), Ketel Marte (never had a 100 RBI season in 10 seasons), and Francisco Lindor (1 100 RBI season in 10 seasons)? I'll take my chances with those guys against whatever guys you want to take.

Seasons with 100 runs in a season for that list:
Betts: 6 of 11
Ohtani: 3 of 7
Altuve: 4 of 14
Acuna: 2 of 7
Soto: 3 of 7
Judge: 3 of 9
Alvarez: 0 of 6
Marte: 0 if 10
Lindor: 4 of 10

What are our criteria here? Cuz I just listed off 9 of the best hitters on the planet and only Mookie Betts has scored more than 100 runs or driven in more than 100 runs more than half of his seasons. 

[saviking]

I understand how excited everyone is to see Jenkins debute, but we must remember he won't even turn 20 until 3 weeks. The last thing I want is for him to come up too early. 

Let's wait and see how he performs in spring training and AA first ..

[nicksaviking]

13 hours ago, dxpavelka said:

You can argue all day against counting stats but at the end of the day if a guy is performing he's gonna get the counting stats.  Give me the guys with the hits, runs and RBI and you can take whoever you want from the rest and mine are gonna beat yours more often than not.

No, he's not on this roster. Matt Wallner might rack up 40 HR and 100 RBI if he played 150 games, But there is zero amount of performance he could demonstrate to let Rocco Baldelli let him play 150 games. Doesn't matter, he's a lefty, he's going to get platooned and pinch hit for. 

[tony&rodney]

3 hours ago, nicksaviking said:

No, he's not on this roster. Matt Wallner might rack up 40 HR and 100 RBI if he played 150 games, But there is zero amount of performance he could demonstrate to let Rocco Baldelli let him play 150 games. Doesn't matter, he's a lefty, he's going to get platooned and pinch hit for. 

Hope. Faith. Have faith in the possibility of change and hope it works. The Twins have a shot if some things change. If not, tune into watching Bobby Witt Jr. and the minor league games.

[Fezig]

On 1/30/2025 at 10:49 AM, Blyleven2011 said:

When I first seen that Cody  mentioned he needs to hit for power  , first thought was Mauer  , he had one season of power in 2009 ( 29 homers )  , he never hit more than 16 Homer's in another season  ...

Everyone loved Mauer and yes his inability to smack the homers  irritated some , let Jenkins do what Jenkins does and that is hit to all fields and find the gaps  , his power to hit homers will come if he chooses it to , kirby puckett was a singles hitter and then found power and had a great shortened career ...

Again I will reiterate  , this team is not a homerun hitting team  , this team doesn't even have a 100 rbi player or 100 run scorer  , when are people going to get past this  ...

Rbi's and runs matter , get on base matters ,  clutch hitters matter , and yes a 3 run homer is possibly a game changer  ...

Get on base by walk , error by other team , double and triples matter and so do clutch homers , but we don't have those clutch homers , we have solo homerun guys , rbis tell you that ...

The metrics aren't all that there cracked up to be ...

Couldn't agree more with this. It seems to me you're saying the Mgr needs to fit his mentality around the players he has instead of the players need to change their mentality to what the Mgr wants. 

This isn't related to your comment but to the story regarding Mauer: "his one notable limitation was a lack of consistent home run production". Mauer had one more limitation. Pulling the ball. I don't know the stats but I'd bet 80% of his pulls were nothing more than a rolling 4-3 put out. Walker will need to learn how to turn on a ball.

[mnfireman]

Concerning 100 runs scored and 100 RBI, last season the Twins lead-off spot scored 102 runs, the number 2 spot scored 99 runs, and the number 3 spot scored 98 runs; no other spot in the line-up scored more than 79 runs.

The number 2 spot had 101 RBI and the number 3 spot had 99 RBI; no other spot in the line-up had more than 84 RBI.

Expecting one player on this team, given this manager's propensity to platoon and adjust the line-up based on pitcher handedness, to have either is a pipe dream. And yes, I do realize that injuries may have stopped some players from coming close to one or the other (Correa was actually on pace to do both).

[Parfigliano]

On 1/30/2025 at 10:12 AM, miracleb said:

Mauer's 29 HR season has to be a top-5 all-time best timing for a baseball contract!

Amazing coincidence wasn't it.

[twinstalker]

Well, if Jenkins can stay in CF and mostly maintain his hit tool while developing big power, he's in the Hall of Fame.

I'm more worried right now that he stays healthy.