Kyle DeBarge's Glove Proves Golden

[Seth Stohs]

Image courtesy of Malamut Photography (photos of Kyle DeBarge)

Kyle DeBarge had a successful first full season of professional baseball. The 22-year-old was the 33rd overall pick in July 2024 draft out of Louisiana-Lafayette. 

Recently, Twins Daily named him as the Twins Minor League All Star at second base. On Sunday, he was named a 2025 Rawlings Minor League Gold Glove winner for his work at second base. 

Drafted as a shortstop approximately a dozen picks after the Twins selected shortstop Kaelen Culpepper, DeBarge smoothly made the transition to the other side of the infield. In 73 games at second base, he had just six errors. From the eye test, he appears capable of making all the plays at second base. He charges the ball well. He's very good on the backhand side. He has a strong arm and knows where to be. No surprise since he has been a shortstop most of his playing days. 

As impressive, he played 24 games at shortstop without committing an error. He played 17 games in center field without an error. 

Even while moving around a bit defensively, he remained consistent with the glove. He also filled out a stat line quite well with his bat. In 121 games, he hit .237/.347/.362 (.709) with 23 doubles, five triples and eight home runs. In addition, he led the organization with 66 stolen bases in 74 attempts. 

The most recent Twins prospect to win a minor-league Gold Glove was 2023 when Kernels shortstop Noah Miller won the award. In 2019, outfielder Mark Contreras won a minor-league Gold Glove. A couple of years earlier, Max Murphy received a Gold Glove as well. 

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[Dman]

I had no idea DeBarge was that good defensively.  If he can get that hit tool going he could be a really valuable weapon all around the field.  Congrats on an award that is hard earned and a needed skillset in this system.

[nclahammer]

Saw him play a couple of times last year and he seems to be a good kid who plays the game the right way...lots of hustle.   DeBarge's 66 stolen bases were the most in Minnesota Twins franchise history since Chuck Knoblauch swiped 62 in 1997.   You'd have to go all the way back to the 1913 Washington Senators to find a player in the franchise's ranks with more steals in a single season, Clyde Milan with 75 in 1913.  Congrats on the gold glove Kyle!

[Fatbat]

That kid is gonna be in the show at some point.  Its nice to see us drafting D over hit tool finally. 

[Doctor Wu]

7 hours ago, Dman said:

I had no idea DeBarge was that good defensively.  If he can get that hit tools going he could be a really valuable weapon all around the field.  Congrats on an award that is hard earned and a needed skillset in this system.

I didn't realize he was that good with the glove either. The thing that popped out this past season, obviously, was all the stolen bases. Good glove, good speed, and his hitting skills seem above average too. I hope he continues to impress us. 

[rv78]

Sounds like he could be a late inning defensive backup or pinch runner. I'm just not sold on low average hitters that show some power. This organization has been stuck on that model for too long. At least he knows how to play defense and steal bases. The biggest question you have to ask yourself is.... Will the Twins be smart enough to know how to use him if he ever makes it to the bigs? 

[Doctor Gast]

Congratulations to DeBarge! He's one prospect that we don't hear much about. Why is that? He doesn't hit HRs. Defense isn't sexy to Falvey. But that's where we are really hurting. A SS or 2Bman who has a lot of range, good instincts, good glove & a 2Bman that has a good DP pivot is essential. But no, it's their bat that counts! The shift ban has been intact for years. So why do the Twins still think that they can still hide bad gloves at 2B, therefore?

We want our DHs, 1Bmen & cOfers to go crazy in driving in runs, especially in the clutch. Why aren't we more critical about their bats? We have to focus on developing our bats there & not worry that up the middle has to carry the load offensively. That said, I believe that DeBarge can carry his weight offensively.

[FlyingFinn]

13 minutes ago, rv78 said:

Sounds like he could be a late inning defensive backup or pinch runner. I'm just not sold on low average hitters that show some power. This organization has been stuck on that model for too long.

I have to disagree. The Twins model player has lacked speed and the ability to play good defense. DeBarge is kind the opposite of that. He is a gold glover who steals a lot of bases. For him, the OBP is probably a lot more important than batting average. Getting on 1st base will often give him a decent chance to get to 2nd with a steal.

As with others, I had no clue he was Gold Glove caliber. That moves him up my rankings.

[Hubie29]

I loved his hit back in the '80's called Rhythm of the Night. Quite a performer. 

[rdehring]

WOW.  Didn't have a clue he was this good defensively.  Knew about the speed, but not the glove.

Should he hit last year's numbers for the Twins with 50+/- steals and gold glove level D at second base and you have a player who would be in my lineup.  Every day. 

[old nurse]

1 hour ago, FlyingFinn said:

I have to disagree. The Twins model player has lacked speed and the ability to play good defense. DeBarge is kind the opposite of that. He is a gold glover who steals a lot of bases. For him, the OBP is probably a lot more important than batting average. Getting on 1st base will often give him a decent chance to get to 2nd with a steal.

As with others, I had no clue he was Gold Glove caliber. That moves him up my rankings.

I don’t think anyone in recent history has drawn enough walks and HBP to offset at poor BA

[old nurse]

1 hour ago, Doctor Gast said:

Congratulations to DeBarge! He's one prospect that we don't hear much about. Why is that? He doesn't hit HRs. Defense isn't sexy to Falvey. But that's where we are really hurting. A SS or 2Bman who has a lot of range, good instincts, good glove & a 2Bman that has a good DP pivot is essential. But no, it's their bat that counts! The shift ban has been intact for years. So why do the Twins still think that they can still hide bad gloves at 2B, therefore?

We want our DHs, 1Bmen & cOfers to go crazy in driving in runs, especially in the clutch. Why aren't we more critical about their bats? We have to focus on developing our bats there & not worry that up the middle has to carry the load offensively. That said, I believe that DeBarge can carry his weight offensively.

When you realize 2 of the top offensive were in the WS you will know why they look at batting first. 

[Doctor Gast]

16 minutes ago, old nurse said:

When you realize 2 of the top offensive were in the WS you will know why they look at batting first. 

You missed the point.

[DJL44]

1 hour ago, rv78 said:

Sounds like he could be a late inning defensive backup or pinch runner. I'm just not sold on low average hitters that show some power. This organization has been stuck on that model for too long. At least he knows how to play defense and steal bases. The biggest question you have to ask yourself is.... Will the Twins be smart enough to know how to use him if he ever makes it to the bigs? 

DeBarge is a low average hitter without much power. He can hit doubles and stretch a few into triples with his speed. He needs to hit about .277 instead of .237.

[DJL44]

deleted

[rv78]

16 minutes ago, DJL44 said:

No mention of the other Twins gold glover. Ty France came into the season as a below average defensive first baseman and the Twins developed him into the gold glove winner at first base.

That must be the reason why Falvey traded him away. He saw he was just too good defensively.

[Nashvilletwin]

Another talented young player to keep an eye on for the Twins post CBA, new owners renaissance beginning in 2028.

BTW, even in a home run mentality league/team, it’s incredibly valuable to have a player who can pinch run to steal a base AND play superior defense the next inning. That’s literally gold for any team. 

[Senior Softball Guy]

Two top echelon tools can play at the MLB level. Remember Arraez had one top level tool and did alright.

[Jeff K]

3 hours ago, FlyingFinn said:

I have to disagree. The Twins model player has lacked speed and the ability to play good defense. DeBarge is kind the opposite of that. He is a gold glover who steals a lot of bases. For him, the OBP is probably a lot more important than batting average. Getting on 1st base will often give him a decent chance to get to 2nd with a steal.

As with others, I had no clue he was Gold Glove caliber. That moves him up my rankings.

I agree with FlyingFinn.  His OBP is pretty good, obviously, if he can bump his batting average up another 20 points, that would be helpful.  What a nice change it would be if the Twins were excellent defensively up the middle.

[jmlease1]

4 hours ago, Doctor Gast said:

Congratulations to DeBarge! He's one prospect that we don't hear much about. Why is that? He doesn't hit HRs. Defense isn't sexy to Falvey. But that's where we are really hurting. A SS or 2Bman who has a lot of range, good instincts, good glove & a 2Bman that has a good DP pivot is essential. But no, it's their bat that counts! The shift ban has been intact for years. So why do the Twins still think that they can still hide bad gloves at 2B, therefore?

We want our DHs, 1Bmen & cOfers to go crazy in driving in runs, especially in the clutch. Why aren't we more critical about their bats? We have to focus on developing our bats there & not worry that up the middle has to carry the load offensively. That said, I believe that DeBarge can carry his weight offensively.

I'm calling BS on this one: DeBarge was certainly talked about plenty around here, especially with the gaudy stolen base numbers. But go ahead, keep pushing your narrative that Falvey doesn't care about defense in the face of picking DeBarge in 2024 and Marek Houston in 2025. Is DeBarge going to make any national prospect lists? Doubtful, because stolen bases and superior defense in A-ball isn't enough.

The bat does count, and DeBarge's needs to improve or his speed and skills on the bases won't matter. He had a very fast start in Cedar Rapids and then lost all pop in his bat with long stretches where he simply couldn't make nearly enough contact either.

I'm thrilled his defense has been better than advertised and he's got a couple of tools in the bag, but right now he's likely to start back in Cedar Rapids rather than move up to AA until he shows he can get overwhelmed by the pitching down there, even with his glove glittering.

[DocBauer]

The recent drafts haven't ignored power. Far from it. But there's also been a nice mix of athleticism/speed and more contact approach as well as defensive projection.

Like most here, I didn't realize how good his glove was. So congratulations on his GG award.

He doesn't have power, but it appears he's got enough pop in his bat to keep pitchers honest at least. The ability over 1 1/2 MILB seasons to keep his OB% 100+ points above his AVG tells me there's a solid eye, a solid approach, and the ability to raise his actual BA. 

He'll still be 22yo until July of next year, despite 1 1/2 years of pro ball. Does he begin 2026 at CR again? IDK. A lot of development can happen between now and the begining of next season. But he wouldnt be old for A+ ball by any means. The glove is there, the speed is there, a good eye/approach is there.

Schobel looked good early, then looked bad, then had a great 2025 and got promoted to AAA just in time to get hurt. If that injury doesn't happen, we might be talking about him as a possible utility option for the 2026 Twins roster. DeBarge has similar positional flexibility, possibly a better glove, and seemingly more speed and SB ability. And if DeAndrade can stay healthy for a full season, we might be looking at a collection of quality utility men come 2027. Don't sleep on any of the 3. And they all bring something different to the table. But don't sleep on DeBarge because the BA hasn't come around yet. His comp might just be a better version of Martin, who took a step forward last year.

[strumdatjag]

It’s been decades since “Disco” Dan Ford and Pitcher Anthony DeSclafani during his mostly injured Twins tenure was called “Disco”.  
But, in honor of the late 70s group DeBarge, this prospect is hereby dubbed Kyle “Disco” DeBarge, 

[bean5302]

When I was looking at his play (mostly through metrics) I think DeBarge was holding his own at SS so it's pretty natural he plays up at 2B. Great news for him to win a Gold Glove! When it comes to scouting reports, nothing is inaccurate as defensive grades, haha. It's so difficult to separate how a player looks while fielding vs. how a player actually performs while fielding.

 

[ashbury]

On 11/3/2025 at 6:18 AM, old nurse said:

I don’t think anyone in recent history has drawn enough walks and HBP to offset at poor BA

Depending on what you mean by "offset," Twins fan-favorite Joey Gallo made a career of that - an OBP that was around league-average on a sub-.200 BA. platform  Of course, he could draw the walks because of his HR power. Kyle Schwarber has had a similar profile at times.

Jesse Winker, Tommy Pham, and Mark Canha are less-powerful batters who have at times achieved very good OBP with below-average BA.  But maybe those aren't quite the "poor" BA you have in mind.

Your overall point is sound, but baseball is a very large tent and words like "anyone" are likely to turn up funny cases.

[old nurse]

22 hours ago, ashbury said:

Depending on what you mean by "offset," Twins fan-favorite Joey Gallo made a career of that - an OBP that was around league-average on a sub-.200 BA. platform  Of course, he could draw the walks because of his HR power. Kyle Schwarber has had a similar profile at times.

Jesse Winker, Tommy Pham, and Mark Canha are less-powerful batters who have at times achieved very good OBP with below-average BA.  But maybe those aren't quite the "poor" BA you have in mind.

Your overall point is sound, but baseball is a very large tent and words like "anyone" are likely to turn up funny cases.

Yes anyone should have been very few, but it is irresistible to see what can come back.. Gallo was an interesting case for the Twins.  Many players do not do well playing in NY. The Twins hoped he was one of them. They tried and failed.  Bader came here after failing in NY and did well. You just never know. DeBarge is still in the low levels. Pitching isn’t as good. Everyone is trying to refine their game.. DeBarge will need to hit better because the walk rate will go down . See Julian’s numbers.