Five Tools, One Question: Where Does Twins Prospect Brandon Winokur Belong?

[Schmoeman5]

On 10/18/2025 at 2:40 PM, tony&rodney said:

After watching Winokur a ton, I agree with Fangraphs that Brandon Winokur is perhaps the most volatile players in all of the minor leagues. The hit could be near Elly De La Cruz territory, the miss is out of baseball by age 26. Winokur has been improving steadily and the next two years will give anyone interested a good look at his chances. Don't bet on Winokur but, really, don't bet against him. 

"Don't bet on Winokur but, really, dont bet against him." So really, just dont bet then. That way you can't be wrong.

[tony&rodney]

3 hours ago, Schmoeman5 said:

"Don't bet on Winokur but, really, dont bet against him." So really, just dont bet then. That way you can't be wrong.

You silly goose. It's not about being right .... or wrong. I never for even a second believe my opinions are facts. In case I used upsetting or triggering words, I shall try again. 

Brandon Winokur is an unknown. His talent and potential are off the charts. It is a mistake  to judge him now on his messy skills. 

Maybe an off the cuff example might help (or not). Whereas guys like Paul Skenes or David Winfield to name two fellows have off the charts talents, they also have off the chart skills. Sandy Koufax had off the chart talent but his skills were years in the making. I'll let statheads look up the data but it seems like he toiled for 5-6 years before his emergence as the best pitcher in baseball. Not a clean example and anyone is free to poke holes or scream objections, but merely an attempt to explain that there are people whose talents are raw and the skills are slow to develop.

[EGFTShaw]

A lot of comments.
A lot of MN Twins, better not get too excited comments. (and if you look at the history, rightfully so)

As anyone who have tortured themselves and read my posts you will notice I tend towards optimism and potential.

EXCEPT, what makes me nervous is not the overall history of MLB with tall athletic guys, (by the many people forget that Dave Winfield was drafted in MLB, NFL, NBA and ABA; unicorn my a$$, this guy was god's gift to Gophers Athletics), but the history of the Twins organization to develop hitters.

But with nothing to lose, I am going to bet on the upside.

I'll save my disappointment for later.

[bean5302]

Winokur is going to look awkward. He's super tall and lanky which is going to make his movement look slow and awkward as his stride length and speed will be dramatically different from your typical 6'0" SS. Being 6'6" tall means he's going to need to stay very low so he can overcome the leverage his height will have in inertia.

I'm glad to see everybody at TD has already slotted every SS prospect in as a future MVP and all that, but it's pretty rare to see them work out in reality. Especially with a team that doesn't know how to coach fundamental defense.

[twinstalker]

Not sure what the fascination is with this guy.  He hasn't shown anything.  At some point one of these bad prospects on the Twins or elsewhere will defy the odds and suddenly get good out of nowhere.  But you can be 99% on any player like this he won't ever be anything...despite hitting well in the Twins AA/AAA parks,  Don't be fooled again.

[tony&rodney]

6 minutes ago, twinstalker said:

Not sure what the fascination is with this guy.  He hasn't shown anything.  At some point one of these bad prospects on the Twins or elsewhere will defy the odds and suddenly get good out of nowhere.  But you can be 99% on any player like this he won't ever be anything...despite hitting well in the Twins AA/AAA parks,  Don't be fooled again.

Can I ask - How many times have you watched Brandon Winokur play baseball? 

"....you can be 99% on any player like this he won't ever be anything...." - from the comment.

Can you name another player you have seen who is arguably the biggest, fastest, strongest, and most coordinated guy in an organization? There just aren't any other players like him in the Twins system.

Winokur is a complete unicorn, one of a kind athlete. His talent is off the charts but his skills have yet to reach the levels expected to move him more than one level per year and Winokur may need to repeat a level too. It is why he is still used as a shortstop, why he gets picked to play in the Arizona Fall League, and why his name is always in the lineup. He didn't receive the highest bonus money but his potential is what all teams drool over and hope to develop. There isn't any hurry and if he never makes it in baseball that doesn't mean he doesn't have the talent or that an organization shouldn't seek to polish that stone. Think Elly De La Cruz. Then again, Cruz has people who don't like him .... go figure.

If you haven't watched Winokur play, treat yourself to a couple dozen of his games via milb.com or go watch him in person several times. If you watch one game you may see a tall gangly kid doing not much or you may see the talent and wonder if he can be pushed up the ladder faster. Winokur is a work in progress. He is young.