Who Is the No. 3 Hitter of the Future for the Minnesota Twins?

[Nick Nelson]

Image courtesy of Matt Blewett, Troy Taormina-Imagn Images, Brady Boehm

When you think of the great teams in Twins history, you quickly think of outstanding and iconic hitters who anchored the lineup from the three-hole: Tony Oliva in 1965. Kirby Puckett in 1987 and 1991. Joe Mauer in 2006. Nelson Cruz in 2019. 

In the modern MLB landscape, the distinction of a No. 3 hitter as beacon of the lineup has diminished, with managers increasingly plugging their best bats second or even leadoff (e.g. Byron Buxton). But across the league, the third spot in the order is still home to the game's best offensive players on balance. It produced the highest OPS of any lineup spot this past season, at .780, and that was true in 2024 as well.

The lack of a standout No. 3 hitter has become a signature shortcoming for Minnesota. In 2025, the third spot in their order produced a lower OPS (.656) than any other, including ninth, which was typically occupied by the likes of Christian Vázquez, DaShawn Keirsey Jr. and James Outman. It's an astonishing stat that's almost hard to believe, but really gets to the root of how broken this lineup was. 

As Derek Shelton takes over the Twins, one of his first priorities will be sorting out the offense and figuring out who's actually going to carry this lineup forward. I'd be surprised if he messed around with Buxton's role as leadoff man, given how well that was working, and either way, Buxton is 32. Somebody needs to emerge and headline the next generation of the Twins offense. Who's it going to be?

Here are five candidates for the short (and long?) term.

Trevor Larnach
I know, not the most exciting name. I lead with Larnach because he is the incumbent and de facto choice; he topped the 2025 Twins in three-hole appearances with 26. That's not a high number, and it reflects the constant churn of Rocco Baldelli's lineups — which I think says as much about his options as his managing style. Twelve different players appeared as No. 3 hitter.

Larnach led the pack, and he also led the Twins in starts as No. 2 hitter, while ranking second in starts at leadoff and cleanup. No Minnesota hitter was written into the top four spots of the lineup more. 

Was this a big reason for the offense's letdown, given how Larnach languished? Yeah. But it does say something about his esteem as an offensive talent.

With a new manager aboard and a directive for "fast-paced baseball" in place, the lumbering Larnach could be on his way out. But, the whole idea of this refresh in leadership is to wash away last season's disappointment, and rejuvenate the talent that's already in place. Why not him? A longtime hitting specialist like Shelton can surely see the raw ability of Larnach, who flashed impressively in 2024.

If he does stick around, I could easily envision Larnach as the No. 3 hitter on Opening Day. He'd be one of the most experienced and highly paid hitters on the team. But I can't imagine he'll have a strong grip on the job.

Luke Keaschall
When you bat .302 with an .827 OPS through your first 207 plate appearances in the majors, at age 23, you're going to be in the conversation for batting third. He might be, at this moment, the odds-on favorite for most appearances as No. 3 hitter in 2026.

Unfortunately, Twins fans know better than to assume a successful rookie season will carry forward. Keaschall's plate approach and speed are not in doubt, but his power is, and he's already had a hard time staying healthy. If he can't add more pop, he probably profiles better as a No. 1 or 2 hitter, which is hardly a knock. The question becomes: who's gonna drive him in?

Royce Lewis
Lewis has the power you want from a No. 3 hitter. The problem is, these days he offers little else. Eighteen doubles and 13 home runs in 403 plate appearances isn't bad, albeit not amazing, but Lewis's lack of patience and consistency led to a .237 average and .283 on-base percentage. He was well below average as a hitter, but everyone knows his track record. 

At his peak Lewis was the prototype for a No. 3 hitter, and he fulfilled the duty admirably in the 2023 playoffs when he lifted the Twins lineup in the ALDS. It's been a long time since we've seen that form but he's only 26, and surely more determined than ever to get his career back on track.  The idea of Royce locking back in, batting third behind Buxton and Keaschall, is something you can really dream on for 2026.

On September 28th, the final day of this past season, Lewis hit third for the Twins, his first appearance in that spot since May 21st. Maybe a statement of some kind? They know how important it is to hype him up and build his confidence. I'll be fascinated to see Shelton's approach with Lewis, assuming he's not traded.

Brooks Lee
The Twins would surely love for Lee to be occupying the No. 3 spot regularly. In theory, he's a switch-hitter who can make contact and slash the ball everywhere with 20-HR power, a born run producer and ignitor. In practice, though, he's been a light-hitting, replacement-level infielder prone to lengthy production slumps, and best suited for the bottom of the lineup. 

He's been unable to break through so far in 189 major-league games, but Lee turns just 25 in February and has plenty of time to figure things out, especially with the Twins taking a step back competitively. I would be surprised to see him hitting near the top of the lineup next April, barring an overwhelming spring, but he'll have a quick path to prime time if he can find what's missing in his offensive game. The vision for Lee as a multi-year lineup centerpiece is fading, but it's not gone.

Walker Jenkins
If all goes according to plan, Jenkins will be the guy. THE guy. He's one of the top hitting prospects in the minors, and he's on the precipice of major-league readiness after reaching Triple-A in 2025. I don't think it's out of the question that he's batting third for the Twins on Opening Day next year but that certainly isn't the expectation right now. More likely he'll start back with the Saints with a midseason ETA.

Whenever he arrives, Jenkins will be angling to bat third. He's got all the tools to become a premier offensive player, and in many ways, the premise of a return to relevance for the Twins hinges on him being The One. He exhibited all the traits this past season, cruising through three levels while slashing .286/.399/.451 in 84 games. Not to jinx anything, but this has been a Mauer-esque ascent thus far.

We'll see if Jenkins can unlock at least a fraction of the awesome potential he's shown. If not, the Twins will need some of the above players to lead the charge ... or, they'll perhaps have to pivot and pin their hopes on whichever player they take at the top of next year's draft.

By and large, great teams have great No. 3 hitters. That's clearly been the case in this franchise's history. So, which hitter is going to catalyze the next great Twins team? As Shelton and the front office aim to steer the franchise back to a better place, it's one of the main questions they need to answer. Luckily, they do have some legitimate candidates to work with.

Who'd I miss? Arguments can be made for Matt Wallner, Emmanuel Rodriguez, Gabriel Gonzalez, Kaelen Culpepper and others. Let us know who you think will be the star hitter on the next exceptional Minnesota Twins team.

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[DJL44]

Free agent first baseman

[Cory Engelhardt]

Perfect world, with everyone healthy and playing at least at their 75th percentile, I'd have Keaschall in the #2 spot, Buxton in the #4 spot and then see who is the best fit between Jenkins and Lewis for the #3 and #5 spots. I'd love it if Lewis could be the #5 hitter and Jenkins #3. Hopefully everyone has good health.

As far as leadoff, I'm HOPEFUL that the walk rates that Alan Roden has shown in AAA can translate, but otherwise leadoff will be a separate question after that.

[Cory Engelhardt]

13 minutes ago, DJL44 said:

Free agent first baseman

If I am playing mlb the show, I am signing Josh Naylor and putting him there.

I don't see him wanting to sign here, or even the Twins spending enough.

Who is this mysterious free agent 1b you speak of? And why is this free agent a better fit than a healthy Royce Lewis?

[D.C Twins]

An article about the 3 hitter which includes the names Outman, Keirsey, Vasquez, Larnach, and Lee in any context shows you just how far away the Twins are from being competitive. 

If it is not Jenkins in the near future, the Twins are even further away that we think.

I'm OK with poor result this year if they LET THE PROSPECTS PLAY!  But no retreads, or never-were/will be taking ABs (ahem... Outman) 

 

[chpettit19]

If we're just talking 3 hole it's a little difficult to predict because some of it will come down to the makeup of the rest of the lineup. Righty-Lefty alternating spots can effect who they put 2 vs 3, as an example. If Keaschall, Jenkins, and Lewis are their best hitters in 2027 or 2028 that may lead to a different 3-hole hitter than if it's Jenkins, Tait, and Gonzalez. 

I'm not so worried about the 3-hole specifically as I am being able to get 5 legitimate MLB top of the lineup hitters in place. It's been their struggle for a very long time. Kepler types having to hit in the top 5 of the order instead of the bottom 4 is why they've struggled.

The order they end up in doesn't concern me nearly as much as having guys legitimately worthy of hitting at the top of an MLB lineup every day.

[Rod Carews Birthday]

There isn’t really a great answer in the short term unless some players really step forward.  Two thoughts.  One thought would be to mess with Buxton batting leadoff, replacing him with Luke Keaschall, and moving him to batting third.  The problem that presents would be losing the spark he provides with the occasional leadoff home run.  The other thought is, if Larnach is an OK option, why not Wallner — yes, slightly less OBP, but overall a better hitter.  The chief complaint this year was that Wallner didn’t drive in enough runs for all of his power.  Batting #3 would likely change that if the hitters in the first two spots do their job. 

[Major League Ready]

I am much more concerned about them putting together a deep lineup.  Larnach is simply not a solution.  He needs to be traded so that his playing time can be given to someone with more upside as a complete player.  Lewis and Lee were well below average and should be treated as suspect.  If they get it together, great but the Twins need to find a number of other potential solutions.

Keascall and Buxton are the only two players that deserve to be in the top of a MLB lineup.  They need new blood.  Jenkins, Culpepper, and Rodriquez are really key.  Those three have the potential to put this team back on the map.  Martin and Gonzalez could help too and they might hit enough to be near the top of the order.

[TopGunn#22]

As the previous posters have alluded to, there really isn't an easy answer to this question, especially when compared to a less analytical era when your best "pure" hitter was your #3.  Oliva, Puckett, Mauer.  Or in terms of other teams, Clemente, Mays, Aaron.  It's more like chpettit19 put it.  The goal should be to find 5 legitimate big league hitters to fill spots #1-#5.

That said, I would certainly be in the camp of have Keaschall be my leadoff hitter for 2026 and dropping Buxton to #3.  Now, that means they still need to have someone who could still be a solid #2 hitter.  Royce Lewis is of course the most obvious hope for a #3 hitter for 2026.  If he can ever come close to replicating what he did for a stretch in 2023, he's unquestionably our #3 or #4 hitter.  But he has to be healthy and focused to have a chance.

That brings us to the most obvious possibility:  Walker Jenkins.  And if, for the near future, you have some combination of Keaschall and Buxton hitting #1 & #2 then the next combination is something along the lines of Jenkins/Lewis in some kind of #3/#4 alignment.  

Guys like Larnach, Lee and Wallner will never be true #3 hitters in the classic concept of one.  Not in their Wildest Dreams.

And as Nick alluded to at the very end of his piece, if the Twins are fortunate enough to luck into the #1 overall pick and they take UCLA Shortstop Roch Cholowsky, they add another young guy that profiles as THAT kind of a hitter.  

[LA Vikes Fan]

Based on last yer's results, particularly in the second half, you have to think that the first 3 hitters in next year's lineup are some combination of Buxton, Keaschall, and Martin. Why Martin? Because playing every day starting in August he had a .282 BA with a .374 OBP and 11 steals in 15 attempts in 181 ABs.  No power. I know some of you don't like him for reasons that don't make a lot of sense to me IF he plays LF, where he got better as his playing time increased. Classic leadoff hitter profile. Still, we may not want to mess with Buxton since he did so well leading off but maybe he does fine more towards the middle of the order if he's prepped for it. It would be nice to get his power behind guys like Martin (.374 OBP) and Keaschall (.382 OBP in 182 ABs).   

If you did the lineup just based on their production last year, it seems like it would be Martin, Keaschall, Buxton, LH power hitter (Wallner? Larnach?) Jeffers/Lewis in some order, Lee and pray for rain. An obvious alternative would be to hit Martin 9, move Keaschall and Buxton up, and have a LH hitter in the 3 hole, but I don't think we currently have that LH hitter unless a guy comes up or in as a FA to hit there.   

 

[Patzky]

35 minutes ago, Rod Carews Birthday said:

There isn’t really a great answer in the short term unless some players really step forward.  Two thoughts.  One thought would be to mess with Buxton batting leadoff, replacing him with Luke Keaschall, and moving him to batting third.  The problem that presents would be losing the spark he provides with the occasional leadoff home run.  The other thought is, if Larnach is an OK option, why not Wallner — yes, slightly less OBP, but overall a better hitter.  The chief complaint this year was that Wallner didn’t drive in enough runs for all of his power.  Batting #3 would likely change that if the hitters in the first two spots do their job. 

Larnach won't be here so having him in the conversation is a non starter. Nobody has mentioned Jeffers either for a reason, the K bugaboo was a real thing with runners on in 2025.

If no solid adds are in the coffers for us Royce Lewis seems the better option from the choices given. Gaby Gonzalez? Maybe. Buck has thrived leading off of late. Seems silly to mess with what worked unless it's a whole different 2026 we see from him.

Buxton-Keashcall-Gonzalez

Lewis-Jeffers-Lee

Wallner-Clemens- Roden

Excited? I'm not. Get a different catcher and hell bat 6-7. Get a bat first 1B and he hits 3-4. Jenkins or Culpeper maybe bat second and drop everyone else.

 

[sun]

My favorite would be Luke Keaschall. He doesn't need to own the position since it can be switched to someone who is hotter at the moment. But he seems to be the best pure hitter with a .382 OBP and knows how to draw a lot of BB's. And hopefully he wouldn't be a rally killer by hitting into double plays. The #2 hitter needs to know how to bunt and the #4 hitter would need to hit the potential long ball & sac flies. I don't trust any current prospect to be #3. That would be awefuly wishful thinking.

[jmlease1]

Personally, I'd have Buxton do it, unless he adamant about leading off. Have either Austin Martin or Keaschall lead off and drop Buck into the 3 spot where his power plays a little more with ducks on the pond.

To me the bigger problem with the lineup is the lack of a LH/SH option to be confident in to drop in the 2 hole; right now the best option might be Brooks Lee, who hasn't hit enough for the job, and is slow enough that he might bounce into a lot of DPs unless we stay super-mondo-aggressive on the basepaths. (Now, Walker Jenkins could solve this problem quickly, but I suspect he won't get an Opening Day job, nor will the Twins drop him in the top half of the order right away.)

Without signing anyone, here's where I'd land on the batting order:

1. Martin
2. Lee (if he takes a step forward. ugh.)
3. Buxton
4. Wallner
5. Keaschall
6. Clemens
7. Lewis
8. Roden (if he takes a step forward. ugh)
9. Jeffers

I could also see flopping Roden & Lee easily, and if you're comfortable stacking 3 RH batters, dropping Keaschall in the #2 hole is fine (I would then move Lewis ahead of Clemens in the 5 hole; prefer to avoid back-to-back lefties). But Buxton anchoring the lineup from the 3 spot makes the most sense to me right now. Writing out a batting order certainly does...clarify Twins hitting needs. Because right now you'd need Martin to be for real, Lee to improve significantly, Wallner to bounce back, Clemens to be more consistent, Lewis to bounce back, and Roden to improve significantly to have a quality lineup. That's a lot of ifs, and Jules don't want to hear about no MFing ifs! But with Buck in the #3 spot, the top half of the lineup could be pretty credible.

If Buxton doesn't want to leave the leadoff spot and pushes back, Keaschall is probably the next best option, for now.

[Maybe Next Year]

If Shelton manages the same way Baldelli did there is no need to wonder who the #3 hitter is because the batting order changes almost every day.  There is no consistency - it's all based on analytics. Seems like Shelton is in the same mindset based on his use of over 150 different lineups per season.

[Nick Nelson]

22 minutes ago, Maybe Next Year said:

If Shelton manages the same way Baldelli did there is no need to wonder who the #3 hitter is because the batting order changes almost every day.  There is no consistency - it's all based on analytics. Seems like Shelton is in the same mindset based on his use of over 150 different lineups per season.

I mentioned this in the article briefly, but I think it's sort of a misperception. Yes, Rocco did juggle lineups a lot (which is very common practice among  all MLB managers these days) but the lack of a regular #3 hitter was more of a personnel issue than a matter of personal philosophy. No one on this team (sans Buxton) deserved to be hitting third!

Nelson Cruz was pretty much the everyday #3 hitter the whole time he was here.

[darin617]

Pete Alonzo.

[jmlease1]

1 hour ago, Maybe Next Year said:

If Shelton manages the same way Baldelli did there is no need to wonder who the #3 hitter is because the batting order changes almost every day.  There is no consistency - it's all based on analytics. Seems like Shelton is in the same mindset based on his use of over 150 different lineups per season.

when you have too many players that should be platooning, and players in prolonged slumps, then you're going to see a lot more lineup shuffling. Add in injuries and that's the way it goes. Or would you prefer to go back to the Gardy days when he'd bat the 2B in the 2-hole regardless of who it was?

[old nurse]

Larnach is not a superior hitter in any given year in the majors unless he was a catcher. That is why he is a non tender candidate. It is likely he will be tendered because of the uncertainty of the prospects, the lack of production inSSS of Roden, a lack of faith Martin is the player he was in September, and the belief they can fix Outman

Jenkins did not thrive in 100 PA in St Paul, it may take him a while to learn. It has been the first level he has been tested.   Gonzales on the other hand in his 150 PA did do well. 

Lee in this off season needs to work on speed. Faster feet, faster hands. The standby line of development is not linear comes to mind. So does the Peter Principle. 

It would be reasonable to think that the Twins looked at all of the footage and metrics of his good run of hitting versus what he has done since.  Maybe his off season hitting coach will tell him the same things the Twins have told him. There was a report on this site that Lewis refused to change what he was doing. If he does not change there will not be a 3 spot for him.

The default then is Keaschall. 

[old nurse]

3 hours ago, D.C Twins said:

An article about the 3 hitter which includes the names Outman, Keirsey, Vasquez, Larnach, and Lee in any context shows you just how far away the Twins are from being competitive. 

If it is not Jenkins in the near future, the Twins are even further away that we think.

I'm OK with poor result this year if they LET THE PROSPECTS PLAY!  But no retreads, or never-were/will be taking ABs (ahem... Outman) 

 

Where is the article that mentions Vasquez, Kiersay or Outman as a number 3 hitter? Was it in the Just for Fun section?

[DJL44]

3 hours ago, Cory Engelhardt said:

Who is this mysterious free agent 1b you speak of? And why is this free agent a better fit than a healthy Royce Lewis?

There are several free agent 1B options who hit at least as well as Larnach and will cost about as much as Larnach.
 

Royce Lewis needs to play 3B - they don’t have a better option defensively at third.

[Cory Engelhardt]

6 minutes ago, DJL44 said:

There are several free agent 1B options who hit at least as well as Larnach and will cost about as much as Larnach.
 

Royce Lewis needs to play 3B - they don’t have a better option defensively at third.

I just meant, I think if Lewis can be healthy and hitting closer to what he was in 2023 in to early 2024, he is our #3 hitter. I didn't mean he shouldn't play 3B. He actually was pretty decent there for most of 2025 when he came back. I just wouldn't necessarily put Ryan O'Hearn in the #3 spot ahead of Lewis IF Lewis is right. That's what I meant.

[sweetmusicviola16]

Mickey Gasper

[farmerguychris]

9 minutes ago, sweetmusicviola16 said:

Mickey Gasper

You surely said that with sarcasm, but I wouldn't be surprised if he's our opening day 1st baseman.  He's already on the team (they value depth) and he's making the minimum salary (most importantly).  This would be a very bad outcome for us, but I think more possible than we want to admit.

[DJL44]

5 minutes ago, farmerguychris said:

You surely said that with sarcasm, but I wouldn't be surprised if he's our opening day 1st baseman.  He's already on the team (they value depth) and he's making the minimum salary (most importantly).  This would be a very bad outcome for us, but I think more possible than we want to admit.

That would be a good way to win the “most profitable franchise” award

[sweetmusicviola16]

6 minutes ago, farmerguychris said:

You surely said that with sarcasm, but I wouldn't be surprised if he's our opening day 1st baseman.  He's already on the team (they value depth) and he's making the minimum salary (most importantly).  This would be a very bad outcome for us, but I think more possible than we want to admit.

Yes 100% sarcasm. Oh gosh no, please not Gasper.

[Craig Arko]

10 minutes ago, Bigfork Twins Guy said:

IMO the best #3 hitter was Paul Molitor.  He had a great eye and bat to ball skills with some power.

We currently do not have that kind of player, but the closest one for me is Luke K.  If Royce could cut down on the strikeouts and get back to his 2023 version, then he'd be OK for me.

I am out on Wallner as I feel he K's too much for that position in the batting order.

Well, healthy Tony O. was mighty fine, too. But for 2026, I go with Buxton.

[old nurse]

53 minutes ago, Craig Arko said:

Well, healthy Tony O. was mighty fine, too. But for 2026, I go with Buxton.

Tony might still be able to hit the ball as well as many of the current Twins but I don’t think he could walk fast enough to get to first base in time. Hr would truly be a 3 outcome hitter 

[tarheeltwinsfan]

7 hours ago, LA Vikes Fan said:

Based on last yer's results, particularly in the second half, you have to think that the first 3 hitters in next year's lineup are some combination of Buxton, Keaschall, and Martin. Why Martin? Because playing every day starting in August he had a .282 BA with a .374 OBP and 11 steals in 15 attempts in 181 ABs.  No power. I know some of you don't like him for reasons that don't make a lot of sense to me IF he plays LF, where he got better as his playing time increased. Classic leadoff hitter profile. Still, we may not want to mess with Buxton since he did so well leading off but maybe he does fine more towards the middle of the order if he's prepped for it. It would be nice to get his power behind guys like Martin (.374 OBP) and Keaschall (.382 OBP in 182 ABs).   

If you did the lineup just based on their production last year, it seems like it would be Martin, Keaschall, Buxton, LH power hitter (Wallner? Larnach?) Jeffers/Lewis in some order, Lee and pray for rain. An obvious alternative would be to hit Martin 9, move Keaschall and Buxton up, and have a LH hitter in the 3 hole, but I don't think we currently have that LH hitter unless a guy comes up or in as a FA to hit there.   

 

I like Martin at #9 , followed by Buck and Keaschall and Wallner, until Jenkins can take over #3 spot by July.

[Doc Lenz]

5 hours ago, sweetmusicviola16 said:

Mickey Gasper

Finally someone else who recognizes Hall of Fame talent 

[Riverbrian]

11 hours ago, chpettit19 said:

If we're just talking 3 hole it's a little difficult to predict because some of it will come down to the makeup of the rest of the lineup. Righty-Lefty alternating spots can effect who they put 2 vs 3, as an example. If Keaschall, Jenkins, and Lewis are their best hitters in 2027 or 2028 that may lead to a different 3-hole hitter than if it's Jenkins, Tait, and Gonzalez. 

I'm not so worried about the 3-hole specifically as I am being able to get 5 legitimate MLB top of the lineup hitters in place. It's been their struggle for a very long time. Kepler types having to hit in the top 5 of the order instead of the bottom 4 is why they've struggled.

The order they end up in doesn't concern me nearly as much as having guys legitimately worthy of hitting at the top of an MLB lineup every day.

Exactly...

Who hits in the 3 hole? It doesn't matter to me. He will get more AB's than the 4,5,6,7,8 and 9 spots in the order. That means... whoever it is... it should be someone with legit top of the order talent. 

Who is it? That ain't the real concern. 

It's the lack of talent for consideration.

Sundance... It's the fall that will kill ya.