Road to 2026 Contention: Clearing the Kody Clemens Bar

[Cody Schoenmann]

Image courtesy of © Matt Blewett-Imagn Images

Following the July fire sale wherein they parted ways with 11 players from their 26-man roster, your 2025 Twins have endured the fifth-worst record in baseball, winning just 14 of their last 39 games. Times are dire in the land of 10,000 lakes, and those still following the club closely are either paid to do so or pure masochists—and if you are, that's fine. Twins Daily does not kink shame. [Ed. note: We also acknowledge the existence of overlap between those two groups of watchers.]

That being the case, much of Twins Territory is understandably uninterested in discussing its hometown club, let alone its ability to contend for the postseason in the future. Yet, there is reason to believe Minnesota could again blossom into postseason contenders, potentially as soon as next season. Yes, I understand that making this statement could seem fabulistic. My reputation will likely be irreparably tarnished, and I understand if I'm accused of being nothing more than a Pohlad shill. That said, Minnesota does have a clear pathway toward contention, and that track will run through the position player group performing at a higher standard.

Now, you may be asking yourself, "What exactly do you mean by 'better'?" In reply, I offer the following: Minnesota's 2026 position player group must clear "The Kody Clemens Bar." No, I'm not pitching an idea for a Forest Lake rooftop bar owned and operated by Roger Clemens. Instead, I propose that it be the minimum level of performance deemed acceptable by Twins decision-makers.

Since Aug. 1, Clemens has generated an 84 wRC+ (16% below league average) over 137 plate appearances. If one were to exclude the 29-year-old's three-home-run performance against the Arizona Diamondbacks this past Sunday, they would notice that he had a well below league-average 49 wRC+ over 128 plate appearances. Now, it would be malpractice to ignore his best game because it's narratively inconvenient. Yet, it should be noted that he had performed like one of the worst hitters in baseball for over two months, making his newfound role as a productive veteran presence and overall cog in the lineup a product of circumstance—and arguably, a farce.

Given his career averages and largely lackluster performance with Minnesota this season, Clemens should be viewed as a fringe major leaguer who would have been a candidate to be released from the 40-man roster this upcoming offseason if he were part of a winning organization. Yet, given that he resides on this iteration of the Minnesota Twins, there's probably room for him on next season's 26-man roster. If they are to return to contention, it would mean Clemens would need to revert to being an end-of-the-bench utility player, instead of being a platoon-proof lineup regular.

There are currently five qualified Twins position players who have performed better than Clemens since the trade deadline:

• Austin Martin - 132 wRC+ over 128 plate appearances
• Luke Keaschall - 130 wRC+ over 152 plate appearances
• Matt Wallner - 119 wRC+ over 134 plate appearances
• Trevor Larnach - 118 wRC+ over 133 plate appearances
• Royce Lewis - 89 wRC+ over 155 plate appearances

Byron Buxton (130 wRC+ over 121 plate appearances) and Ryan Jeffers (116 wRC+ over 121 plate appearances) have not generated enough plate appearances since Aug. 1 to reach qualified status. Yet, they have performed well since the deadline, hovering near their career norms. These seven players (including Lewis, who has also performed poorly) have solidified themselves as lineup cogs for next season. They should continue performing at similar rates, meaning Minnesota's position group could rebound from this season's lackluster performance with the acquisition or ascension of three above-average contributors who clear "The Kody Clemens Bar."

Rostering Buxton (center field), Keaschall (second base/designated hitter), Martin (outfield), Larnach (corner outfield/designated hitter), Wallner (right field/designated hitter), Jeffers (catcher), and Lewis (third base) means Minnesota's most glaring positions of weakness this offseason will be first base and shortstop.

Clemens could enter next season as the club's starting first baseman. Still, as mentioned earlier, team decision-makers need to aim higher if they want to return to contender status. Former top prospect Brooks Lee has ingrained himself as the club's starting shortstop. Yet, given his lackluster performance at the plate (71 wRC+ over 151 plate appearances) and questionable defense at the position, the club would be wise to enter next season with Lee in a diminished bench role, alongside Clemens—or in Triple-A.

Possessing no viable primary first base options in the high minors, Minnesota would be wise to invest the majority of its offseason spending in a starting-caliber player at the position, like Josh Naylor, Rhys Hoskins, or Wilmer Flores. The club could also scour the trade market, pursuing a young, cost-controlled long-term option, which could be wise given that the team appears to be prioritizing its long-term ability to compete.

If Minnesota were to move on from Lee as the full-time shortstop, top prospect Kaelen Culpepper is the most likely candidate to succeed him. Yet, given the 22-year-old prospect hasn't played a game above Double-A, team decision-makers would be wise to continue developing him in the high minors for a significant portion of next season. This summer's first-round selection, Marek Houston, could also blossom into a long-term solution at the position. However, he is currently in High-A and is not expected to reach the majors until 2027, provided he continues to perform well in Minnesota's minor-league system.

A one-year placeholder free agency acquisition like Miguel Rojas or (gulp!) Isiah Kiner-Falefa could make sense for Minnesota. If they can do no better than them, though, they ought to continue starting Lee at the position instead. If the club were to move Lee off the position and back into a utility infield role, they would need to make a priority acquisition of a short- to medium-term solution, such as Nick Allen, one of the premier defensive shortstops in baseball, or ragged-edged but toolsy prospect Jordan Lawlar of the Diamondbacks.

Regardless, Minnesota presently rosters seven position players who clear "The Kody Clemens Bar." Top outfield prospects Walker Jenkins, Emmanuel Rodriguez, and Gabriel Gonzalez could also make their major-league debuts early next season. If that occurs, the Twins would possess nine to 10 players who clear the threshold, making them an offensive unit that could complement what could be a plus pitching staff on the road back to contending in the AL.

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[Brett]

I’m fine with this as long as we add a “Cole Sands bar” to the bullpen.

[mikelink45]

For the three prospects to prosper we either have to trade or move Larnach and wallner to first base and DH or trade them for pitching. And I do agree with the idea that Clemens is not the solution for the future but I fear that the team may think otherwise. 

You can add Julian and Gaspar to that list. Those are the type of players that fill the rosters of last place teams. Everything has to move forward if we're going to have any hope in the future. 

[TL]

It’s great to see 6 players with > 100 wRC+ since the deadline, plus Lee and Lewis who for some reason I continue to think can be average and above average respectively. Larnach already looked like a release/trade candidate before Martin got up here and started hitting - now it looks even more certain that Martin can take over in left. Put Jenkins in right, move Wallner to DH and add a first baseman and we have a chance!

[SarasotaBill]

Your idea is to bench Lee after one year in MLB, with no immediate replacements in the system, and with next year as a development year (spoiler alert: Twins are not contending for the playoffs next year). Even Buxton struggled is his first year in MLB.

Let's use 2026 as a year to evaluate the development and potential of present players and players coming up from AAA.

The bar should be: is the player developing (improving) and does he have the potential to be above average starter in the major leagues. 

[rv78]

If you are going to relegate certain players like a Kody Clemens as the bar or to the bench you first have to remove Falvey, who considers adding these types of players in the first place instead of spending the money on players that actual make the team better, and second, remove Rocco who considers them integral parts of the team that require more at bats than they deserve. Without doing that, nothing will change.

[Whitey333]

Just another in a long line of what ifs.  What if the players play up to and beyond their potential.  What if the prospects come up and do great?  Hope and over-hype.  That's the Twiins philosophy.  Don't sell good baseball.  Just keep selling hope and hype.  Why would you dump Lee after basically one season?  For Kulpepper?  Come on.  There's several players that should be dumped before Lee including Royce Lewis.  They are miles from contending anytime soon.

[MinnInPa]

27 minutes ago, SarasotaBill said:

Your idea is to bench Lee after one year in MLB, with no immediate replacements in the system, and with next year as a development year (spoiler alert: Twins are not contending for the playoffs next year). Even Buxton struggled is his first year in MLB.

Let's use 2026 as a year to evaluate the development and potential of present players and players coming up from AAA.

The bar should be: is the player developing (improving) and does he have the potential to be above average starter in the major leagues. 

agreed Lee is here to stay next year at SS..and i'd luv to see Jenkins and Gonzales in the OF instead of Larnach and Wallner... only hope at 1B is a splash free agent signing..along with a set up man and closer. + giving Lewis one more prove it year..if not .he's gone

[mluebker]

No more one-year rentals. There are too many other slots that need to be filled before the Twins are going to be legitimate contenders again. So better to find longer-term solutions to fill those (bullpen) and see how the new kids perform before looking for upgrades. Leave Lee and Clemens where they are until changes at first and short actually could put them over the top, not so they could improve from fifth worst in MLB to only sixth or seventh worst. Besides, Clemens is fun to watch and regardless of his other stats, he hits home runs and drives in runs. 

[srlarson]

ok..this group has to realize....Matt Wallner is not an MLB caliber player.....he is hitting .202....plays terrible defense...he needs to go away....and we need major league hitters.....

[Ex-Iowegian]

Not defending Clemens by any stretch, but his stats over the entire season are right there with Wallner’s. Yet Moose gets a pass?
It is baffling that a guy that was dfa’d by another team, comes here and is at or above team ‘average’ (depending on which stat is chosen). Blows my mind….

[Parfigliano]

11 minutes ago, Ex-Iowegian said:

Not defending Clemens by any stretch, but his stats over the entire season are right there with Walner’s. Yet Moose gets a pass?
It is baffling that a guy that was dfa’d by another team, comes here and is at or above team ‘average’ (depending on which stat is chosen). Blows my mind….

Shows "team average" in TC isn't very productive.

[Doctor Gast]

We have been in contention for many years. The main problem that kept us from fulfilling those dreams is Falvey. His failure to see some of our weaknesses as strengths (so he doesn't add), some of our strengths as weaknesses (so he replaces them with inferior) & his delusion of grandeur. He is never wrong, so he has to find scapegoats to place the blame. Therefore, everything that is done is only cosmetic & sometimes makes it worse. Now, basically laying the blame on the players (yes, the players were disappointing, but we have to ask, why?)  The sell-off has completely gutted our team (especially the BP). How can you even fathom that this roster with Falvey at the helm can possibly do anything more than compete with CWS for the cellar? If Falvey can't put together a competing team with a '23 core, how can he do anything with a broken one? 

I believe in our players; it'd be very difficult to find a SS better than Lee (looking in-house, trade, or God forbid FA). Miranda, a very good pure hitter) has been our best option at 1B for the last couple of years & should have been preserved, developed & encouraged to be our 1Bman. IMO, we shouldn't have looked outside the system. But now Miranda looks broken, so maybe now we need to look outside the system. IMO, Clemens has proven to me he deserves to be on the roster, but before we go outside the system again, I'd like to give one of our guys a shot there. Maybe Lewis, Wallner, Keaschall, Larnach or Fedko, 1st. 

If Falvey is replaced with someone who knows what he's doing, even then, it's difficult for me to see that he'd be able to undo all the damage that has been done for '26.

[Omardog]

Get real.  The only way the Twins even dream about contending is when the miserable Pohlads sell the team.  Memo to the Pohlads:  PLEASE GET OUT NOW.

[old nurse]

21 minutes ago, Ex-Iowegian said:

Not defending Clemens by any stretch, but his stats over the entire season are right there with Wallner’s. Yet Moose gets a pass?
It is baffling that a guy that was dfa’d by another team, comes here and is at or above team ‘average’ (depending on which stat is chosen). Blows my mind….

Brent Rooker was let go, see what happened to him.   Bader was not good for either New York team. Now look at him. The flip side is Gasper

[stringer bell]

46 minutes ago, Whitey333 said:

There's several players that should be dumped before Lee including Royce Lewis.  They are miles from contending anytime soon.

Lewis has not had a good season, but he's been a far better player than Lee by just about every measure. He's still only 26 and has been healthy for the last half of the season and his defense is more than satisfactory at third base. I'm not saying the club should be built around him, but I think he has showed enough to be the Twins' starting 3B in 2026.

On the position player side, having Clemens and Lee as regulars to start 2026 wouldn't be optimal, but I think they are major league players with pedigree (lee) and some performance (Clemens). In Clemens' case, he has performed at roughly league average for 100 games with the Twins (1.1 WAR), not what you want for a starting first baseman, but pretty good for a bench player, particularly one who can cover both corners in the outfield as well as first and second base. Lee's been a better defender as a shortstop and he's displayed some pop. As a starter the Twins would need more, but this version of Lee wouldn't be a bad backup and there are reasons to expect improvement next year. 

[old nurse]

1 hour ago, Whitey333 said:

Just another in a long line of what ifs.  What if the players play up to and beyond their potential.  What if the prospects come up and do great?  Hope and over-hype.  That's the Twiins philosophy.  Don't sell good baseball.  Just keep selling hope and hype.  Why would you dump Lee after basically one season?  For Kulpepper?  Come on.  There's several players that should be dumped before Lee including Royce Lewis.  They are miles from contending anytime soon.

About 30 of the teams sell what if. About 30 teams have hype. The Dodgers hyped a return to the World Series. 

[stringer bell]

4 minutes ago, old nurse said:

Brent Rooker was let go, see what happened to him.   Bader was not good for either New York team. Now look at him. The flip side is Gasper

Gasper? I don't think the Twins thought they were trading for an All-Star or even a regular when they acquired him. I think the thought was perhaps he could be a third catcher and pinch hitter with some ability to cover other positions. He obviously hasn't hit but it wasn't like the Twins were acquiring a star.

[TwinsDr2021]

1 hour ago, SarasotaBill said:

Let's use 2026 as a year to evaluate the development and potential of present players and players coming up from AAA.

You are probably correct, but I am done with waiting for this FO. We have been waiting since 17 and have been told the next two years are the Twins window ever since. 

[old nurse]

5 minutes ago, stringer bell said:

Gasper? I don't think the Twins thought they were trading for an All-Star or even a regular when they acquired him. I think the thought was perhaps he could be a third catcher and pinch hitter with some ability to cover other positions. He obviously hasn't hit but it wasn't like the Twins were acquiring a star.

Did you even read what I was responding to? Players change teams and sometimes reach their ceiling. Rooker, Bader and even Clemens fit that description so it is not unreasonable to have players let go (traded for nothing, not resigned) do well later.  This being Twins Daily, I thought I should include the other side of the DFA for a good reason example so somebody wouldn’t have there what about. Sorry that the flip side was an ambiguous term for you.  

[Riverbrian]

I think the "Kody Clemens bar" is a good way to put it. 

The rest of the article... I'm not sure that I agree with it. 

When Kody was acquired... I was against it and I wasn't thrilled with the Bride signing either. Nothing personal against Kody or Jonah but it really really bothered me that the Twins turned to a couple of April DFA's from the Marlins and Phillies instead of reaching into their farm system. The management team placing more faith in MLB cast off's over their own development system was what bugged the hell out of me.

If I could go back in time to April using hindsight... I think I would still be bugged by his signing because of what it says about our development. However... Clemens has shown me some things that makes me happy he is here and I don't mind him at all. If he gets a roster spot at a couple of million in his first year of arb. We could do worse.  

1. 19 Home Runs in 310 AB's is nothing to sneeze at. If you take out Ryan Fitzgerald's small sample of 2 Home Runs in 27 AB's. Only Buxton, Wallner and Clemens have AB/HR ratio's below 20. 14.29, 15.04 and 16.00 respectively. Everybody else on the roster needs at least 11 more AB's on average to generate a home run. Lewis and Larnach are #4 and #5 at 27.75 and 29.69. I realize that power isn't everything and the team does need to transition to a more diversified roster but power still has a role to play and we currently have 3 guys who are at least playing a power hitter role. If this team can find 13 players better... we will be in decent shape... I think Clemens serves as a good bar to try and clear. 

2. This is his first year getting significant playing time. I know we live in a world of instant gratification and many will be impatient. Some players get the opportunity in a big dose and some get spoon fed. Cody was spoon fed 127, 148 and 120 plate appearances over his first three years for a total of 395 scattered plate appearances. That ain't much... it's a lot of waiting for a game here and there. This year he got his first big dose with nearly as many plate appearances this year as the three years prior. And he didn't completely trip and fall on his face... no matter how ping pong ball streaky he was. There were a handful of games that he won by himself. If this team can find 13 players better... we will be in decent shape... I think Clemens serves as a good bar to try and clear.     

3. He plays the game hard and he can play multiple positions decently. I like watching him play, he takes the extra base, he busts his ass out there. He's not a defensive mess at any of the positions he's played including OF. He looks like someone who is trying to win a job, wherever he can win it. If we can find 13 better players... we will be in pretty good shape. Clemens serves as a good bar to try and clear. 

4. I can think of 8 players on the current 28 man roster that he has clearly out played this season. If this team can find 13 players better... we will be in decent shape... I think Clemens serves as a good bar to try and clear. 

Again... I was against the acquisition at the time and I guess I still am but... now that he is here... he has my full throated support.

I think Clemens serves as a good bar to try and clear. 

 

[jmlease1]

It's not that hard to forecast a quick return to contention, but it presumes the franchise won't have the knees cut out from under it again by ownership. There's a reason that many are predicting Lopez & Ryan get dealt in the offseason, and anyone who has been following the team certainly fears it. And if that happens, the rotation will be in the same position as the lineup: potential is there, but many question marks remain. With the bullpen needing a full-on rebuild, arguments for a quick return to contention are hard to swallow when there are likely real questions about the lineup, the defense, the rotation, and the bullpen. That's...too many questions.

Just looking at the lineup, I do think they should be looking at the potential of Larnach or Wallner to play 1B; neither are good defenders in the OF and the offseason is the right time to ask a player to learn a new position. The best hitting prospects in the high minors for the Twins right now are all in the OF, and you still have Roden lurking. (while I'm unimpressed with him so far, giving up on him this quickly is likely a mistake, no matter how tempted I am) But absent injury and a clean sweep in the dugout and front office, they won't get the opportunity absent injury if Larnach, Wallner, and Martin are all on the roster with Roden if a position move isn't made and/or a trade/non-tender. We've seen enough to feel confident that they'll manipulate service time (Jenkins), use injury excuses (Rodriguez), and "need" to hold on to depth (Gonzalez) to keep the prospects in AAA to start the season...and once the season starts they'll stick with vets even if they go past their sell date on production.

Kody Clemens isn't a bad guy by all accounts: he works hard, hustles, and happily plays wherever he's asked. But I agree with the basic premise here that someone like Clemens can't be a regular if you expect to be any good. We need both a higher ceiling and a higher floor.

Adding a right-handed bat with some thump to play 1B/DH shouldn't be that hard, or even that expensive, but I have zero confidence that ownership will authorize sufficient payroll. Beyond that, since I expect ownership to mandate trading Lopez & Ryan (and the front office to cover for them and pretend it's a "baseball move"), I would bet this front office would be much more likely to spend what little salary space they'll claw out of this on a retread veteran starter to try and patch the hole they've created, and go dumpster-diving for 1B again, while hunting the waiver wire for relievers while they churn the in-house starters who can't make the leap into the bullpen.

There's a path back, including having a solid lineup, but it requires an ownership that cares about the on-field product and the fans, and we don't have that. After missing the playoffs like this in 4 of the last 5, we should be looking at significant changes in all levels: front office, manager/coaching staff, roster. Seems highly unlikely with this ownership, which sadly we are stuck with for a while longer.

Too many holes right now and not enough money or will to fix them, IMHO.

[Linus]

So this lineup is deficient in scoring runs, fielding and baserunning. Yet many people want all of these players to return. I don’t get it. 

[Mahoning]

I grew up a Cleveland Indians fan in the 1960s, and I can remember a TV announcer once saying, "If only Max Alvis has the season he is capable of . . . ." The problem was that that's exactly what he did, every year. He wasn't capable of being a star, and so he wasn't a star. And that's the problem with this article. You can't win without stars, and who on that list is capable of being a star? Maybe Keaschall. Above average is helpful, and darn good, but that's where it gets you as a team -- above average. At best, a quickly-dispatched wild car team. 

[old nurse]

11 minutes ago, Riverbrian said:

I think the "Kody Clemens bar" is a good way to put it. 

The rest of the article... I'm not sure that I agree with it. 

When Kody was acquired... I was against it and I wasn't thrilled with the Bride signing either. Nothing personal against Kody or Jonah but it really really bothered me that the Twins turned to a couple of April DFA's from the Marlins and Phillies instead of reaching into their farm system. The management team placing more faith in MLB cast off's over their own development system was what bugged the hell out of me.

If I could go back in time to April using hindsight... I think I would still be bugged by his signing because of what it says about our development. However... Clemens has shown me some things that makes me happy he is here and I don't mind him at all. If he gets a roster spot at a couple of million in his first year of arb. We could do worse.  

1. 19 Home Runs in 310 AB's is nothing to sneeze at. If you take out Ryan Fitzgerald's small sample of 2 Home Runs in 27 AB's. Only Buxton, Wallner and Clemens have AB/HR ratio's below 20. 14.29, 15.04 and 16.00 respectively. Everybody else on the roster needs at least 11 more AB's on average to generate a home run. Lewis and Larnach are #4 and #5 at 27.75 and 29.69. I realize that power isn't everything and the team does need to transition to a more diversified roster but power still has a role to play and we currently have 3 guys who are at least playing a power hitter role. If this team can find 13 players better... we will be in decent shape... I think Clemens serves as a good bar to try and clear. 

2. This is his first year getting significant playing time. I know we live in a world of instant gratification and many will be impatient. Some players get the opportunity in a big dose and some get spoon fed. Cody was spoon fed 127, 148 and 120 plate appearances over his first three years for a total of 395 scattered plate appearances. That ain't much... it's a lot of waiting for a game here and there. This year he got his first big dose with nearly as many plate appearances this year as the three years prior. And he didn't completely trip and fall on his face... no matter how ping pong ball streaky he was. There were a handful of games that he won by himself. If this team can find 13 players better... we will be in decent shape... I think Clemens serves as a good bar to try and clear.     

3. He plays the game hard and he can play multiple positions decently. I like watching him play, he takes the extra base, he busts his ass out there. He's not a defensive mess at any of the positions he's played including OF. He looks like someone who is trying to win a job, wherever he can win it. If we can find 13 better players... we will be in pretty good shape. Clemens serves as a good bar to try and clear. 

4. I can think of 8 players on the current 28 man roster that he has clearly out played this season. If this team can find 13 players better... we will be in decent shape... I think Clemens serves as a good bar to try and clear. 

Again... I was against the acquisition at the time and I guess I still am but... now that he is here... he has my full throated support.

I think Clemens serves as a good bar to try and clear. 

 

Didn’t you know that you were supposed to pick a small sample size to illuminate your point  You should have used Clemens first month’ stats as  because the bar would be higherTthe OP was just using the last month and a half’s stats 

[Riverbrian]

8 minutes ago, old nurse said:

Didn’t you know that you were supposed to pick a small sample size to illuminate your point  You should have used Clemens first month’ stats as  because the bar would be higherTthe OP was just using the last month and a half’s stats 

Back when I was a teenager growing up in Salem Massachusetts. 

I felt guilty after I burned my first witch.

I came to the conclusion that one seizure in front of others is not enough to measure properly for determination nor is one instance of someone flying around on a broom.     

[Ex-Iowegian]

45 minutes ago, old nurse said:

Brent Rooker was let go, see what happened to him.   Bader was not good for either New York team. Now look at him. The flip side is Gasper

I get your point, but Rooker was traded, and Bader was granted free agency. Maybe they didn’t see him as being worth the 10 plus million.

To me, that is different than being dfa’d. 
Good things can happen, of course, but I think it’s more of an outlier when considering how many players get ‘fired’.

I guess it’s about where the bar should be. The Twins haven’t been good at placing any bar, for just about any aspect of professional baseball, for an awfully long time.

[D.C Twins]

(Narrator's Voice) The Twins will NOT contend in 2026

[GNess]

I understand that the theme here was position players. Maybe I missed something, but how can the Twins hope to contend without a decent bullpen? 

The premise that the Twins will have a "plus staff" is at best questionable.. (Are we certain the FO won't trade Ryan and/or Lopez?)

Which current members of the BP can likely be counted upon in high leverage situations? 

 

[old nurse]

55 minutes ago, Ex-Iowegian said:

I get your point, but Rooker was traded, and Bader was granted free agency. Maybe they didn’t see him as being worth the 10 plus million.

To me, that is different than being dfa’d. 
Good things can happen, of course, but I think it’s more of an outlier when considering how many players get ‘fired’.

I guess it’s about where the bar should be. The Twins haven’t been good at placing any bar, for just about any aspect of professional baseball, for an awfully long time.

It is an outlier, but not such an outlier the clubs don’t pick up the DFA people. If you look, you will find the clubs do have out liars. Milwaukee has Isaac Collins, their outfielder who has put up over 2 WAR