How Does Walker Jenkins Stack Up Against the Rest of the 2023 Draft’s Big 5?

[Matthew Taylor]

Image courtesy of Brady Boehm

The Minnesota Twins caught a stroke of luck in December 2022 when the MLB Draft Lottery gave them the fifth overall pick, despite having just the 13th-best odds. It was a monumental leap in a year when the draft class was absolutely loaded at the top.

Five elite prospects headlined the 2023 MLB Draft; players who, in most years, would have each had a case to go first overall. The group: Paul Skenes, Dylan Crews, Max Clark, Wyatt Langford, and Walker Jenkins.

When the dust settled, the Twins left with Jenkins, the North Carolina prep outfielder with a smooth left-handed swing and middle-of-the-order potential. Now, with Jenkins recently promoted to Triple-A, it’s the perfect time to revisit how the “Big 5” have fared so far, and where Jenkins stacks up against them.

1. Paul Skenes — RHP, Pittsburgh Pirates
Skenes was never truly in play for the Twins, but he was the crown jewel of the class. A once-in-a-generation pitching prospect, he went No. 1 overall as expected and has exceeded even the loftiest projections.

After blazing through the minors, Skenes debuted in 2024 and wasted no time: Rookie of the Year, All-Star Game starter, and a third-place Cy Young finish behind a 1.96 ERA in 133 innings. This season, he’s only gotten better—another All-Star nod and a 2.07 ERA across 161 innings. He’s quickly established himself as one of the premier pitchers in baseball.

2. Dylan Crews — OF, Washington Nationals
Crews was viewed as a can’t-miss bat coming out of LSU, where he posted an eye-popping 1.187 OPS. But the transition to pro ball has been bumpy.

He debuted in late 2024 and struggled immediately, finishing with an 81 OPS+ in 132 plate appearances. His sophomore campaign has been worse: a 73 OPS+ in 224 plate appearances, paired with a strikeout rate north of 25%. At 23 years old, Crews still has plenty of time to figure it out, but the “can’t miss” label looks shakier with each passing month.

3. Max Clark — OF, Detroit Tigers
Like Jenkins, Clark was a prep outfielder, drafted just two months apart in age. The Tigers have been patient with his development, and Clark has rewarded them with steady progress.

Ranked ninth overall by MLB Pipeline, Clark has posted an .810 OPS across the minors. Currently in Double-A, he’s holding his own with a .794 OPS in 149 plate appearances. He doesn’t yet show Jenkins’ power, but Clark’s combination of speed, defense, and a polished approach at the plate gives him a strong foundation. It’s fair to expect fans will compare Clark and Jenkins side-by-side for the next decade.

4. Wyatt Langford — OF, Texas Rangers
The other college bat in the Big 5, Langford was expected to move fast, and he delivered. After tearing through the minors, he made the Rangers’ roster out of Spring Training 2024 and produced immediately.

In his rookie season, Langford posted a 114 OPS+ over 134 games. This year, he’s elevated his game with a 127 OPS+ in 113 games, plus 18 stolen bases. Langford already looks like a future All-Star, though his corner-outfield profile makes his upside a bit less premium than Jenkins or Clark.

5. Walker Jenkins — OF, Minnesota Twins
Finally, the Twins’ man. Injuries have been the only speed bump for Jenkins, but even with time missed, he has moved impressively fast through the system.

At every stop, Jenkins has hit and hit well: .862 OPS in High-A, .861 OPS in Double-A (as a teenager, no less), and now the youngest position player in the International League at Triple-A. Jenkins is on track for a 2026 debut. His blend of power, approach, and ability to stick in center field make him a cornerstone-type prospect.

So, How Does Jenkins Stack Up?
When the Twins landed at No. 5, there was a sense they’d simply “take whoever was left.” But as Jenkins’ early career has shown, he’s every bit worthy of belonging in this elite group.

He’s advanced faster than Clark, his high school counterpart. He has the potential to hit like Langford while sticking at a more premium position. Crews’ struggles only highlight how hard the leap to MLB can be, making Jenkins’ smooth progression that much more encouraging. Skenes is in a class of his own, but he was never a realistic option for Minnesota.

In hindsight, the draft lottery was a franchise-altering win for the Twins. At a spot where they weren’t even supposed to sniff the Big 5, they landed a player who now looks like a future middle-of-the-order centerpiece. Landing Jenkins was a massive win for Minnesota, and he’s proving that he wasn’t just the “last man standing”. He’s a legitimate star in the making.

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What do you think? Did the Twins hit the jackpot with Jenkins? How do you see him stacking up against Clark, Langford, and the others from the Big 5? Leave a comment and start the conversation!

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[tony&rodney]

Walker Jenkins is the next great hope. A ton of expectations are riding on his skill set. 

[TNtwins85]

I love how the Twins are pushing him. He’s done the same thing at every level when pushed. I watch and he adjusts the same same way.  He’s struggles right away. Then he adjusts and leans on his immense plate discipline. May not hit well but doesn’t swing at bad pitches. Eventually the singles come with the good AB’s and plate discipline. After a few weeks the singles turn into doubles. Eventually once he’s comfortable the hard hits and homers come. All while keeping the previously stated plate discipline. After a month or two he settles in and the batting line is around .300/.400/.400 usually a bit better but that’s the bottom line. All while being one of the youngest in the league he’s in. A stud!

[HFC]

Nice article.  It would be interesting to see how picks 6-10 are doing, the guys they passed on.

[DannySD]

How would the redraft look? Maybe
Skenes
Langford
Jenkins
Clark
Crews

[Brandon]

Jenkins is half the key to a fast turnaround for the Twins.  If he hits with an .800+ OPS the lineup improves in a hurry.  That allows Larnarch to be DH and all we need is a 1B and for either Lee or Culpepper to produce at SS for the other half of the key to a fast turnaround.  And the lineup is set and Deep.  Santana will be cheep again next year and we will have rookies to try out at 1B too.  

[TL]

As much as I want to believe Buxton will continue to be healthy for the next 3 years, Jenkins also provides the perfect backup CF option, in addition to holding down a corner spot.

[Doctor Gast]

What I saw at the draft prospects rankings it was #1 Crew, #2 Langford, #3 Skenes, #4 Jenkins & #5 Clark. PIT drafted Skenes #1 in hope of slight under-slot. But Skenes turned out to be the best prospect by far.

I like how Jenkins is projecting & the focus is letting him develop as a hitter before the slugging, which limits his Ks.

There is no way that Jenkins's defense dethrones Buxton off CF. Keep him at the cOF until Buxton is gone & let there be competition for CF.

[Twinkies are for eating]

2 hours ago, TNtwins85 said:

I love how the Twins are pushing him. He’s done the same thing at every level when pushed. I watch and he adjusts the same same way.  He’s struggles right away. Then he adjusts and leans on his immense plate discipline. May not hit well but doesn’t swing at bad pitches. Eventually the singles come with the good AB’s and plate discipline. After a few weeks the singles turn into doubles. Eventually once he’s comfortable the hard hits and homers come. All while keeping the previously stated plate discipline. After a month or two he settles in and the batting line is around .300/.400/.400 usually a bit better but that’s the bottom line. All while being one of the youngest in the league he’s in. A stud!

It would be nice if the Twins pushed their pitching prospects this hard. Joe Ryan finally broke out at 29. So if we don’t trade him we will have maybe 4 years of his prime available. 

[awmonahan]

I saw Crews live on Saturday. He's a complete mess right now. Several Ks, one on three pitches, and lots of uncomfortable check swings. It was really ugly. To stand out in that way, in that lineup is hard to do. It looks like the season can't end soon enough for him, and he may already need a change of scenery. 

[SaberNerd]

2 hours ago, HFC said:

Nice article.  It would be interesting to see how picks 6-10 are doing, the guys they passed on.

Jacob Wilson (6th) has been really good for the A's.  Rhett Lowder (7th) looked good last year, but injuries have limited him to 7IP in 25. Blake Mitchell (8th) has been strikeout prone in the low minors but is still a solid prospect. Chase Dollander (9th) is struggling pitching in COL. Noble Meyer (10th) is showing why teams don't like to take HS pitchers high.

Definitely was the right move to just take Jenkins.  Would rather have Wilson right now, but those 5 players were all viewed as roughly the same caliber at the time so nowhere near a safe bet we would have taken Wilson.

[mrguy]

On one hand, this year has been very good for him, but I'd still kind of hold off on saying he's a sure thing next year. He's only got 1 hit in AAA across the 6 games he's been in. A somewhat small sample size still, I know, but he definitely needs to take some more time to adjust to higher level pitching. I still see them having him try out in Spring Training and anything can really happen. Either way, I see him spending at least a month or two in AAA next year to see he can adjust to that level.

[Whitey333]

Same old thing every year.  Always drooling over the next can't miss prospects.  I admit the early returns have been good and he's only 20.  But sorry I have to see him do it consistently at the major league level.  The Twins have screwed up so many of their so called can't miss prospects that I am very skeptical.  They come up here talented and then are stuck with baldelli.  So many of them fizzle out in their mid to upper twenties.  I hope Jenkins does great.  We need him

[h2oface]

Only Pittsburgh and Texas have hit a jackpot. Only MLB performance matters. Age means nothing, except a player is younger or older. Younger is always nice. 

[twinstalker]

I didn't view Crews as "can't-miss."  I viewed him as overrated with a good chance to be mediocre.  My ranking of the five was:

1.  Langford

2. Skenes

3.  Clark

4.  Jenkins

5.  Wilson

Crews I sometimes put 5 when the discussion was simply about the five.  Otherwise Crews was somewhere in the second five.  Gonzalez I absolutely hated, and there were guesses he was going to be a Twin before the lottery.  He won't even make the majors for more than a cup.  I did like Schanuel but was warned he probably the next Casey Kotchman.

[HFC]

8 hours ago, SaberNerd said:

Jacob Wilson (6th) has been really good for the A's.  Rhett Lowder (7th) looked good last year, but injuries have limited him to 7IP in 25. Blake Mitchell (8th) has been strikeout prone in the low minors but is still a solid prospect. Chase Dollander (9th) is struggling pitching in COL. Noble Meyer (10th) is showing why teams don't like to take HS pitchers high.

Definitely was the right move to just take Jenkins.  Would rather have Wilson right now, but those 5 players were all viewed as roughly the same caliber at the time so nowhere near a safe bet we would have taken Wilson.

Since he missed so many games this season I hope he plays in the Arizona Fall League. 

[Fatbat]

13 hours ago, awmonahan said:

I saw Crews live on Saturday. He's a complete mess right now. Several Ks, one on three pitches, and lots of uncomfortable check swings. It was really ugly. To stand out in that way, in that lineup is hard to do. It looks like the season can't end soon enough for him, and he may already need a change of scenery. 

Royce Lewis….type. Crews will find his bat. 

[Fatbat]

I am still wondering how Jenkins fell to 5. Clark’s speed was his calling card and Crews OPS was ridiculous and over rated. I also had Jacob Wilson in my top 5 and expected Dollander to be better than he has been but he does pitch at Coors field. 

[saviking]

Let's see howbhe handles AAA in September. Off to a slow start but hopefully hit stride soon. But this is inly in the context of how soon he debuted in 2026. 

 

[Trov]

I see no point in comparing Skenes pick to the other 4, but the other 4 will long be compared as they are all OF.  2 college 2 HS.  Personally, I like HS bats over college bats for upside, and college arms over HS.  I think Clark and Jenkins will be compared more to each other as both HS and Langford and Crews will be compared. 

So far, it looks like the last taken, making the Twins pick easy, might be the best.  Still too early on all 4, but Crews, the first taken, is looking like the worst.  Clark is moving slowly and nothing to say bust yet, but nothing to say top future star either. Langford has been good, but if he is just corner guy with average just above average offense and average defense his value will be much lower. 

[Otaknam]

23 hours ago, Bigfork Twins Guy said:

If in fact Jenkins arrives next season, the big question is… does Buck move to a corner OF spot or does Jenkins debut there?

Buxton still has elite speed and defense. So I doubt he will need to move anytime soon.

[Brandon]

I think Max was projected to remain in CF and Jenkins was projected to be able to play CF but be elite in the corner OF similar to Kepler.  That is probably why Detroit took Max over Jenkins.