Will DaShawn Keirsey Ever Get His Chance with the Minnesota Twins?

[Matthew Taylor]

The longtime Twins farmhand finds himself in a tough spot entering the 2025 season. Despite showcasing elite speed and defense, his path to the majors remains blocked. With limited opportunities at the big-league level, the question is as much about whether he’ll get a real shot as about his talent.

Image courtesy of William Parmeter

When DaShawn Keirsey made his major-league debut with the Minnesota Twins in September, it was a small but meaningful milestone for the former fourth-round draft pick. In six games, Keirsey managed just two hits, but his call-up signaled that the Twins view him as a capable player and a potential piece of their future plans. Keirsey’s scouting report paints the picture of a player with two elite traits: defense and speed. He’s a true center fielder, with range and instincts that would also make him a strong option in the corners.

Twins manager Rocco Baldelli spoke about Keirsey's defense earlier this spring, after he made an incredible running grab to rob extra bases from Yankees prospect Braden Shewmake.

"He’s made a lot of adjustments over the years to make himself into a really relevant and quality young player," Baldelli said. "And that’s from work. He had the raw ability, but he didn’t have the skills. If we’re being honest, a couple of years ago, he didn’t have the skills to do all the wonderful things that he’s doing now. And he worked for it."

His 36 stolen bases last season with the St. Paul Saints also speak to the value of his speed in the offensive side of the game. His presence on the big-league roster could add a dynamic element the Twins currently lack—especially if Byron Buxton, the oft-injured franchise cornerstone, is unavailable for any stretch of the season.

Given Buxton’s injury history, it wouldn’t have been unreasonable for the Twins to enter 2025 with Keirsey as their backup center fielder. He’s a natural platoon option for Buxton, batting left-handed while Buxton swings from the right side. He’s also more than capable of playing alongside Buxton, whether in center (allowing Buxton to shift to a corner outfield spot and spare his legs) or in the spacious left field of Target Field. Keirsey’s speed would also be a weapon off the bench in late-game situations. He believes he's matured in precisely that regard.

"For me, my biggest impact is defensively, and on the basepaths," Keirsey told Twins Daily's John Bonnes. "I used to be a guy who was just fast, and I would just blindly run. Not saying at times I don't [still] let instincts take over, but just being sort of a smarter player and understanding situations."

However, instead of giving Keirsey a shot at the backup role right away, the Twins signed Harrison Bader to a one-year, $6.25-million deal. Bader is widely regarded as one of the best defensive outfielders in baseball, and his presence on the roster significantly narrows Keirsey’s path to the majors.

Beyond Bader, Keirsey also faces competition from utility man Willi Castro and former first-round pick Austin Martin. Castro appeared in 30 games in center field last season and offers additional versatility around the diamond. Meanwhile, Martin, despite struggling in his 40 games in center, has recently received public praise from manager Rocco Baldelli regarding his defensive improvements.

“I think he has real potential in the outfield, to affect the game, to be a defensive star out there,” Baldelli said last week at Twins spring training in Fort Myers. “[Looking] at his jumps, looking at the way he's tracking the ball, closing on the ball, and the more time he has out there, I think he's one of those guys that will keep getting better.”

With Bader, Castro, and Buxton on the roster and Martin likely to receive a call-up before Keirsey in the event of an injury, it’s fair to wonder exactly what role remains for Keirsey in Minnesota. His speed and defense make him an ideal fourth outfielder, and his offensive production in the minors—an .845 OPS with the Saints last year—suggests he could hold his own at the plate. But the sheer number of center field-capable players ahead of him presents a significant challenge. The Twins clearly don't yet believe in the offensive progress he's made over the last two seasons, though Keirsey himself says he's changed the process that underlies those results.

"I think the biggest part of what separates good hitters or great hitters from average hitters, are guys who know the zone," said Keirsey, who acknowledged that that wasn't him when he first reached pro ball. "And not only that, but guys who know themselves. Maybe there's a pitch that's a strike, but maybe I don't handle that pitch too well, so I'm not gonna give in—unless, obviously, there's two strikes."

This evolution has allowed Keirsey to maintain an identical 9.2% walk rate over the last two seasons—in the top two levels of the minors, plus his cameo in Minnesota—to the one he had in his first four years in the system, while trimming his strikeout rate from 24.3% to 22.6%. That, alone, is impressive, given the rising level of competition, but it's also a big part of the explanation for Keirsey's improving power. A more selectively aggressive approach ("I'm still not going up there to walk," he said) has helped him tap into his full suite of tools a bit better.

One of the biggest questions surrounding Keirsey’s situation is the Twins’ decision to bring in Bader. If the team truly believed Keirsey was ready to be a viable backup center fielder, why commit so much money to a player filling that same role? The move suggests that, while the Twins see Keirsey as a potential contributor, they may not view him as a fully trustworthy big-league option.

At nearly 28 years old, Keirsey is no longer a young prospect with unlimited upside. He’s been a steady, productive minor-leaguer, but he likely lacks significant trade value. That puts him in a tough position: too good to be ignored, but perhaps not valued highly enough by the organization to warrant a roster spot over more established options.

Barring an injury to one of the Twins’ outfielders or an outstanding performance in Triple A, Keirsey may find himself in baseball purgatory—good enough to contribute, but without a clear path to the majors. He’s put in the work, refined his game, and has the skill set to make an impact, but in a numbers game, he’s looking like the unlucky loser.

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What do you think? Should the Twins have given Keirsey a real shot at being the team’s fourth outfielder, or did they make the right move by signing Bader? Let us know in the comments!

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[Greglw3]

I just googled "Will DaShawn Keirsey make the Twins out of spring training 2025?" and landed on your article. 

First, I’m a huge Keirsey fan. I also like Austin Martin a lot. Why not find a way to keep them both? That’s a lot of speed!

Very painful to say but if the Twins won’t give him a chance in his prime athletic year of 27 years old, they should set him free to a team that can use him. It would be a LaMonte Wade or Denard Span trade kind of mistake, IMO but it’s not fair to Keirsey.

I noticed in today’s game he has an OBP well over .400 for the spring, has stolen some bases and dazzled with the glove. He’s already dominated AAA. There’s little doubt in my mind that Keirsey is 1 of the 26 best players but they have to give him a chance.

[jorgenswest]

I think they made the right move by signing a veteran. They chose Bader. Keirsey is on the 40 and will get an opportunity this year. He will need to produce better than his minor league wRC+ numbers and range factor numbers suggest. The few times I have seen him play on TV my unskilled eyes tell me he is a major leaguer.

 

[tony&rodney]

3 minutes ago, Greglw3 said:

Very painful to say but if the Twins won’t give him a chance in his prime athletic year of 27 years old, they should set him free to a team that can use him. It would be a LaMonte Wade or Denard Span trade kind of mistake, IMO but it’s not fair to Keirsey.

Agree with this - free Keirsey Jr.

[Danchat]

I don't think he will get that chance here, I believe the front office sees him as a AAAA player who could be an easy DFA to make room on the 40 man at some point in the year. I'd love to see him defy the odds, but I've seen this song and dance with other fringe prospects who looked good at AAA.

[Greglw3]

1 minute ago, jorgenswest said:

I think they made the right move by signing a veteran. They chose Bader. Keirsey is on the 40 and will get an opportunity this year. He will need to produce better than his minor league wRC+ numbers and range factor numbers suggest. The few times I have seen him play on TV my unskilled eyes tell me he is a major leaguer.

 

Your eyes are far more skilled than the unsophisticated, immature and NOT scientifically validated range factor numbers. His wRC+ should not be compared with non-leadoff hitters as the emphasis there is a higher batting average and getting on base. Besides he had 81 RBIs as a leadoff hitter last year. I don’t let any of the new numbers sway me but believe in MLB scouts and the 20-80 grading system for each skill.

[ashbury]

25 minutes ago, Matthew Taylor said:

but he likely lacks significant trade value.

This likely sums it up.  Other teams have scouting and talent-evaluation departments too.  If two or more teams disagreed with the Twins' stance favoring someone costing money like Bader over Keirsey, they would make a competitive trade offer and the Twins likely would accept.

Additionally, being actually "elite" among centerfielders is a very high bar to reach.  It's unclear to me that Keirsey ranks higher than "average" in this realm.

I think it's very likely that most organizations have someone in their high minors with skills similar enough to Keirsey that a trade for anything substantial would be pretty unlikely.  And that in turn makes him a spare part, waiting for an opportunity.  IMO that opportunity will come with the Twins as easily as with some other organization.

 

[jorgenswest]

33 minutes ago, Greglw3 said:

Your eyes are far more skilled than the unsophisticated, immature and NOT scientifically validated range factor numbers. His wRC+ should not be compared with non-leadoff hitters as the emphasis there is a higher batting average and getting on base. Besides he had 81 RBIs as a leadoff hitter last year. I don’t let any of the new numbers sway me but believe in MLB scouts and the 20-80 grading system for each skill.

I hope you are right. Range factor needs a pretty large sample of multiple seasons but his have been consistently mediocre. It honestly could be chance. Maybe balls aren’t hit as often to centerfield when he is playing as opposed to the other center fielders on the team.

Would Cal Stevenson and Andrew Stevenson be fair comparisons? Both are center fielders that lead off and have similar skill profiles.

He didn’t get a 20-80 update on Fangraphs last year and didn’t make the top 43 Twins prospects but he didn’t get mention in the midseason 2024 update

Quote

He’s risen to Triple-A and can still play a good enough center field (his athleticism at the wall is amazing) that he’d be a fine injury replacement.

I can’t find where he has been anything other than “other players of note” in the Twins system beyond his appearance at #38 prior to the 2019 season. My search did not find every update but did find the recent one from mid season 24. I am not cherry picking here and would love to see scouting reports that are more encouraging.

[Richie the Rally Goat]

He’s a lefty on the big side of the platoon and doesn’t hit. His only shot is both Buxton and Bader get hurt, which is a pretty high likelihood of occurring, so look for him around the all-star break

[stringer bell]

I thought I had googled "DaShawn Keirsey sprint speed" last year and apparently I did. Baseball Savant shows his sprint speed at 26.9 (38th percentile) in a small sample. That isn't even average speed, what's up with that?

[Doctor Gast]

You are very accurate, Keirsey is a true CFer & that has a lot of value. That said, he should be ahead of Castro & Martin. And the fact that he's our only true LH CFer he should be the 1st in line to spell (RH) Buxton against RHPs. He's not only very good at defense & base paths, he also a pretty good hitter.

Keirsey doesn't have very good trade value because he hasn't been given the opportunity to really establish himself. He hasn't been given that opportunity because of philosophy (that sucks).  Last season was the perfect time to give Keirsey that opportunity. But instead they got Margot who blocked Keirsey. That decision hurt Keirsey & the Twins very much in many ways. One is not having Keirsey establish himself & increase his value.

Keirsey got that elusive 1st HR out of the way last season so I expect good things from him this season. IMO it's time for the Twins to trust their players who have put in the time & produced. I wish him the very best.

[Doctor Gast]

1 hour ago, Greglw3 said:

I just googled "Will DaShawn Keirsey make the Twins out of spring training 2025?" and landed on your article. 

First, I’m a huge Keirsey fan. I also like Austin Martin a lot. Why not find a way to keep them both? That’s a lot of speed!

Very painful to say but if the Twins won’t give him a chance in his prime athletic year of 27 years old, they should set him free to a team that can use him. It would be a LaMonte Wade or Denard Span trade kind of mistake, IMO but it’s not fair to Keirsey.

I noticed in today’s game he has an OBP well over .400 for the spring, has stolen some bases and dazzled with the glove. He’s already dominated AAA. There’s little doubt in my mind that Keirsey is 1 of the 26 best players but they have to give him a chance.

I'm with you, Greg. The way they set up the OF & the addition of Bader & France will take away playing time from deserving Keirsey, Martin, Larnach & Miranda. Twins shouldn't have committed Martin to the OF but should have given the majority of his ST playing time at 2B & IMO should be on the active roster with Keirsey because the Twins desperately need their talents, now it's too late & maybe neither will make it.

[Jocko87]

This article is a pretty accurate distillation of my opinions of Kiersey watching him for what feels like several years in Wichita. I'm watching Severino, Lee, Keaschall and see this Kiersey guy always in the mix. I look him up and see he's like double the average age for the league. He should be doing things.

But the thing is, he kept doing things. Rocco's quote indicates that he's a late bloomer but the question is how much bloom will he have.

I do like the idea of a late season late game outfield of Bader, Buxton and Kiersey after Kiersey runs for someone. I think that's the role he needs to embrace, Terrance Gore and Jarrod Dyson come to mind. If he shows those abilities at the big league level someone will trade for him. 

It's just so hard to see him carving a role with the current crop of lefthanded outfield options and prospects.

[Greglw3]

2 hours ago, ashbury said:

This likely sums it up.  Other teams have scouting and talent-evaluation departments too.  If two or more teams disagreed with the Twins' stance favoring someone costing money like Bader over Keirsey, they would make a competitive trade offer and the Twins likely would accept.

Additionally, being actually "elite" among centerfielders is a very high bar to reach.  It's unclear to me that Keirsey ranks higher than "average" in this realm.

I think it's very likely that most organizations have someone in their high minors with skills similar enough to Keirsey that a trade for anything substantial would be pretty unlikely.  And that in turn makes him a spare part, waiting for an opportunity.  IMO that opportunity will come with the Twins as easily as with some other organization.

 

"it's unclear to me that Keirsey ranks higher than "average" in this realm."

I don’t think you've seen enough of Keirsey, Jr.

Ask those who know him very, very well as a player like Tom Froemming, Seth Stohs, Aaron Gleeman, John Bonnes, Nick Nelson....I bet a survey of all of the above would yield at lease 3 good to great reviews of Keirsey’s defense.  

[Greglw3]

Google result, not sure the date

.462 OBP in camp, 3 steals and .883 OPS! Hitting against the same pitchers as Wallner.

Does Baseball America hold credibility? Does his camp performance work for him or against him?

[SaberNerd]

With Buxton not being reliable, having a backup CF with 14 career PA is far too risky for me.

[Jocko87]

1 hour ago, Greglw3 said:

"it's unclear to me that Keirsey ranks higher than "average" in this realm."

I don’t think you've seen enough of Keirsey, Jr.

Ask those who know him very, very well as a player like Tom Froemming, Seth Stohs, Aaron Gleeman, John Bonnes, Nick Nelson....I bet a survey of all of the above would yield at lease 3 good to great reviews of Keirsey’s defense.  

I’ve watched him in person as much as anyone and this is a worthy distinction to make. He’s a legit center fielder but he’s not a Buxton, Kiermirer savant level center fielder.  His defense at any outfield spot ranges from excellent in the corners to solid in center.  

As Rocco alluded to, he’s learned a lot lately.  He’s got speed and has learned to play outfield.

He's not as good on defense as Bader, for a comparison.

[DocBauer]

Generally speaking i love what the FO has done. They have actually built a pitching pipeline that looks pretty impressive right now. But they haven't ignored position players. And beyond the top 3 prospects that we all know, there's some very intriguing options coming up.

But the ONE AREA that frustrates the hell out of me is ignoring what might be on hand! The FO discovered a late bloomer like Stewart.  Before his elbow blew out, they found a potential BP steal in Duarte. They found a steal in Castro. But they REFUSE to accept that a 4th round pick that THEY MADE who is a late bloomer isn't worthy despite showing real ability the last couple of seasons. 

I really hope Bader is worth his $6.5M deal. I really do. And the additional $10-15M that ownership have to the the FO is nice. But maybe it would have been better earlier. But it doesn't excuse Falvey or Rocco for being late in giving Keirsey a good, honest look. 

I really like so much of what the current FO has done. But I really wish they would STOP with the floor mantra that they have and be more like the Brewers and look at the upside. Take a chance. When a Margot stinks,  look at a prospect YOU picked and developed.

With Rodriguez and Winoker on the way, a career with the Twins might be brief. Maybe. But who knows what tomorrow brings. I just hate ignoring what's on hand that might be good, even on a short time period.

[TwinsDr2021]

14 hours ago, Doctor Gast said:

 

Keirsey doesn't have very good trade value because he hasn't been given the opportunity to really establish himself. He hasn't been given that opportunity because of philosophy (that sucks).

 

What does this mean hasn't been given a opportunity? as a 21 year old out of college (2018) he put up a .798 OPS in Rookie ball, then in 2019 between Rookie (.584) and A ball he put up a .436 OPS, 2020 happened, then as a 24 year old he started the season in A+ and put up a .730 OPS, As a 25 year old in AA he put up a .724 OPS (I would have called him up at the end of that year), then as a 26 year old he started in AA and put up .850 OPS, and then .739 in AAA.

What screams this dude deserves an opportunity, other than he is a minor league player that we all hope is a real player to save the day, Julien, Miranda, Larnach and others make his numbers look terrible and people on here are ready for them to be gone, Andrew Stevenson put up better numbers and remind me again what country he is playing in?

If this guy was worthy of a spot some team would come calling and offer a trade for him, I suspect other teams understand the position the Twins are in.

[stringer bell]

54 minutes ago, TwinsDr2021 said:

What does this mean hasn't been given a opportunity? as a 21 year old out of college (2018) he put up a .798 OPS in Rookie ball, then in 2019 between Rookie (.584) and A ball he put up a .436 OPS, 2020 happened, then as a 24 year old he started the season in A+ and put up a .730 OPS, As a 25 year old in AA he put up a .724 OPS (I would have called him up at the end of that year), then as a 26 year old he started in AA and put up .850 OPS, and then .739 in AAA.

What screams this dude deserves an opportunity, other than he is a minor league player that we all hope is a real player to save the day, Julien, Miranda, Larnach and others make his numbers look terrible and people on here are ready for them to be gone, Andrew Stevenson put up better numbers and remind me again what country he is playing in?

If this guy was worthy of a spot some team would come calling and offer a trade for him, I suspect other teams understand the position the Twins are in.

Keirsey appears to be a late bloomer, but I have minimal expectations for him. First of all, is he a defensive star? Secondly, does he have superior tools? Since no one answered me earlier, I'll repeat that according to Statcast, Keirsey's sprint speed is 38th percentile. For comparison, in a similar sample size, Mickey Gasper is a tenth of a foot faster than Keirsey's reported sprint speed. Turning balls that Bader and Buxton run down easily into diving catches is where the eye test fails. 

I don't have anything against DaShawn Keirsey Jr. If he is on the team (and he likely will be at some point), I'll absolutely want him to catch every ball, make every throw and hit .300 with power. I just am not convinced he has the goods to be a functional major league outfielder.

[Fire Dan Gladden]

Reading the comments here is like watching an NFL team that has an average level QB.  Everybody roots for the backup thinking he is the second coming.  The backup may even show flashes in limited game action.  However the team knows that the backup will not be able to handle the position long term.

There must be something in Keirsey's game, approach, attitude that is giving the Twins pause about letting Keirsey have an extended MLB run.  Unfortunately we as fans will never really know.

[LambchoP]

I think one reason he hasn't gotten a real shot is because he's a lefty and for whatever reason, Rocco views that as a weakness. From what I've seen of him, he can outhit and be a much better defender than Martin. Plus, he's a legit CF which Martin or Castro isn't. I think he would be very valuable as a defensive sub, pinch runner. He hit 300 in AAA last year and would give us a stolen base threat, something we've lacked for years. Imagine a late game outfield of Bader, Buxton and Keirsey. No balls would drop in that outfield! Free Keirsey!

 

[Otaknam]

If Keirsey batted right handed he would have a clear path as a backup, given his speed and defense. His defense certainly is better than converted infielders to outfielders Martin and Castro. He sure deserves a chance.

[bean5302]

I've compared Keirsey against his center fielder peers in the divisions he's played for RF/9 for years. Same divisions. Same lineups/hitters as other center fielders saw. Keirsey has been low range to high range "mediocre." The good 'ol eye test is always based on a handful of catches and opportunities where fielding metrics are based on every single opportunity, hundreds of them. The fielding metrics don't ignore bad plays or amazing plays because they're pulling for a prospect to be better or worse.

Baldelli made it clear in his statement that Keirsey wasn't close to MLB caliber 2 years ago... at age 26 (already beyond legit prospect age). Keirsey says he's made major adjustments and Baldelli says he sees them. How much of those adjustments are related to Keirsey lacking the ability but being highly polished, I don't know. What I will say is guys transforming from non-prospects into quality MLB players in their late 20s is almost unheard of. What is common is a luck fueled career year (.370 BABIP) or polish making a player look like they're MLB caliber despite lacking the actual ability, and this is why I haven't had faith in Keirsey's out of the blue performance at the plate last year. Anthony Prato anybody?

If Keirsey keeps hitting well in AAA this year, he'll get his shot. Both Buxton and Bader are highly injury prone, Larnach is probably best suited to DH due to his lack of speed, and the Twins are thin at proven quality in the infield which likely sees Castro playing mostly there.

[IndianaTwin]

We talk about the importance of starting pitching depth, because they will use at least 8-12 starters over the course of the year.

Similarly, they have 15 non-catchers on the 40-man roster to cover the 11 non-catching roster spots. They will need more than that. If healthy, he will get a callup at some point. 

[Seansy]

Given our OFers injury history and that Keirsey has options he will be depth at AAA in case of injury. Just needs to keep making adjustments and be ready when he gets his next chance.

[DJL44]

I think Martin is probably ahead of him on the Twins depth chart. Emmanuel Rodriguez should push both of them down in the pecking order soon.

[Greglw3]

 

"it's unclear to me that Keirsey ranks higher than "average" in this realm."

I don’t think you've seen enough of Keirsey, Jr.

Ask those who know him very, very well as a player like Tom Froemming, Seth Stohs, Aaron Gleeman, John Bonnes, Nick Nelson....I bet a survey of all of the above would yield at lease 3 good to great reviews of Keirsey’s defense.  

For the two thumbs downers and the laughing person, from Baseball America, for gosh sakes! DaShawn Keirsey = BEST DEFENSIVE OUTFIELDER in the Twins system!

[Greglw3]

DaShawn Keirsey has won the final spot over Austin Martin.