Exploring Twins Prospects Who Can Provide a Potential Right-Handed Power Bat

[Cody Christie]

Image courtesy of Rob Thompson, St. Paul Saints (photo of Gabriel Gonzalez)

For much of the past several seasons, the Twins have leaned heavily on left-handed power at the big league level, particularly in the outfield corners. That trend is not slowing down anytime soon. Minnesota’s current roster includes bats like Matt Wallner, Trevor Larnach, and James Outman, all of whom must produce next season after mixed results in 2025. Waiting in the wings is Emmanuel Rodriguez, one of the top prospects in baseball, and even the organization’s crown jewel, Walker Jenkins, swings it left-handed.

There is nothing inherently wrong with that profile, especially when the power plays from the strong side of the platoon. Still, roster balance matters. Late-inning matchups, division rivals stacking left-handed relievers, and simple lineup construction all become trickier when the offense leans too far in one direction. In an offseason where payroll flexibility could be limited, the Twins may need to look inward rather than shopping for an external right-handed bat.

Fortunately, the farm system does offer a few intriguing options. None is a sure thing, but each brings some level of right-side power that could help reshape the lineup as soon as next season.

Gabriel Gonzalez (Twins Daily No. 9 Ranked Prospect)
Gonzalez is already on the 40-man roster, and that alone puts him squarely in the conversation. After a breakout season, he finished the year at Triple-A and forced the organization to take a long look at how close he really is. The 21-year-old hit .329/.395/.513 (.908) with a 148 wRC+ with a 14.5 K%. Gonzalez brings a compact swing with surprising pop and has shown the ability to drive the ball to all fields with 38 doubles and 15 homers in 123 games last season. While he is not a pure slugger in the traditional sense, the power is real enough to matter, especially when paired with his improving approach.

The question with Gonzalez has always been defensive home and ultimate ceiling. Last season, he split time between left and right field. Even so, a right-handed bat who can hold his own in the corners and punish mistakes is valuable, particularly when he is already positioned to contribute without additional roster maneuvering. He will start the year at Triple-A but should make his MLB debut in the first half.

Kala'i Rosario
If the Twins are looking for raw power, Rosario might be the loudest answer. He landed back on the radar in a big way this season, and the power is hard to ignore. Rosario crushed 11 home runs in August alone and finished with 25 on the year to lead the Double-A Texas League. In 130 games, he hit .256/.358/.487 (.844) with a 131 wRC+ and a 12.6 BB%. Even with those totals, Minnesota left him unprotected from the Rule 5 Draft, and 29 other teams passed him over.  

There is swing and miss in his game (27.5 K% in 2025), and it will always be part of the package. Still, Rosario balances that with a willingness to take walks and a clear understanding of his damage zones. He will play most of 2026 at age 23, which is a crucial context point. He faced older pitchers in 84.5% of his plate appearances last season. He is young for his level, still learning, and already producing elite power numbers. If the contact rate improves even marginally, the upside is significant.

Kyler Fedko (Twins Daily No. 18 Prospect)
Fedko is not always mentioned alongside the louder names in the system, but he remains an interesting sleeper. He reached Triple-A last season as a 25-year-old and combined for 28 homers, a 130 wRC+, and a 21.2 K%. He brings athleticism, sneaky pop, and the kind of versatility the Twins tend to value. Last season, he played all three outfield positions and spent some time at first base.  

What Fedko offers is balance. He is a right-handed hitter who can impact the ball without being a one-dimensional slugger. Many wouldn’t consider him a top prospect because of his age. However, player development is rarely linear, and Fedko can provide big-league value. If the Twins are prioritizing lineup flexibility and defensive versatility, Fedko could carve out a role faster than expected.

Ricardo Olivar
Olivar is the furthest away of the group, but the upside is intriguing enough to mention. Last season, he played the entire season at Double-A, posting a 114 wRC+ and a 12.0 BB%. He flashes power potential and has shown the ability to control the strike zone as he climbs the organizational ladder. Minnesota also continues to use him as a catcher, a position with few long-term prospects in the organization.

For an organization that may need internal solutions, Olivar represents the longer-term bet. The other names on this list will likely reach the big leagues before him, but a hot start to the 2026 campaign could force him back into the team’s long-term plans. He is not likely to impact the major league roster immediately, but his right-side power potential is something to keep an eye on as the system evolves.

The Twins may not solve their lineup imbalance overnight, but the answers do not have to come from outside the organization. With a system that quietly features multiple right-handed power bats at different stages, Minnesota has options. The next step is figuring out which one is ready to seize the opportunity.

Which name stands out as an impact right-handed bat? Who has the highest upside? Leave a comment and start the discussion. 

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[TopGunn#22]

The jump for Gabe Gonzalez last year was exciting.  If he has a solid spring training and gets off to a good start at St. Paul, he could crack the Twins lineup faster than any of us expected a year ago.  

I tend to forget that Rosario is just 23 years old.  He finished the year at AA so I'm not sure if the plan is to leave him there to begin 2026 or promote him to St. Paul to start the year.  I can see why nobody picked him up in the Rule 5 draft.  He's 23 and hasn't risen above AA.  But I'm glad he's back in our system and interested to see how he does once he's at St. Paul.

While Gonzalez is the clear #1 for interest and excitement, I'm really intrigued with Fedko, and I'm not sure why it appears the Twins are NOT.  Yes, he's 25 years old, but his apparent defensive flexibility (playing all 3 OF positions and 1B) as well as the numbers he put up at AAA St. Paul got MY attention.  For a team craving some kind of RH hitting (in fact, ANY kind of consistent hitting) in a corner OF position or 1B is puzzling to me.  He must have huge holes in his swing, and while he plays 4 positions, maybe he's just sub-par at each of them.  But it will be really interesting to me to see what the Twins do if Fedko continues to punish the baseball at St. Paul and our offense continues to fizzle.

Olivar is interesting primarily if he can stick at Catcher.  He's been a solid hitter, not a great hitter in the minors.  If his defense at Catcher improves to begin the 2026 minor league season and he earns a promotion to AAA, he may make a deadline trade of Jeffers possible.  

[rdehring]

Another cold, snowy morning in Minnesota as the year comes to an end.  Your article brought a bit of enjoyment to my morning, thanks Cody.

Still wondering if GG is for real after his disappointing 2024.  But what a year he had last year.  And he was only 21 when he reached AAA.  So maybe, just maybe he could be a budding star?  Is there any indication he is being considered at first base?  And you have to love his strikeouts, or lack thereof.  I am a believer that the high number of strikeouts the Twins have is something that has to change.

Rosario seems to have been around forever, yet he will be only 23 this year.  And Fedko isn't all that old at 26 should he break in this year.  Recall how worried many were that both would be gone in the Rule-5.  Glad that didn't happen.

Can see any of these guys having a huge spring training and the rest will all be history.  

[Nashvilletwin]

Hope everyone had a joyous Christmas and best wishes to all in the New Year.

Would love to see a significant investment at the big league level this season in our three young top OF prospects: GG, Jenkins, and ERod.

It would be wonderful if GG could develop into a true difference making RH bat by 2028.  Prior to this year’s draft, he’s the only one internally who realistically could be that type of player.

If we really want that difference making RH bat and it’s not GG, then next best option (and they are not mutually exclusive, btw) is to acquire that via a Ryan, Lopez or Buxton trade.

[twinstalker]

One guy who has a chance, three guys who have no chance.  Perhaps this should have been an article on Gonzalez alone.  Or maybe we should include Yunior Severino, wherever he is these days. :-)

I just don't understand why Rosario gets any talk whatsoever.  If his hitting slash were an important part of his evaluation, he wouldn't have been unprotected for Rule V.  All sorts of minor league hitters put up good slashes, and the reason they're not protected is because there are very simple statistics in their profile that near 100% determine they have no chance to hit in MLB.

Quote

There is swing and miss in his game (27.5 K% in 2025), and it will always be part of the package. Still, Rosario balances that with a willingness to take walks and a clear understanding of his damage zones.

Walks don't even remotely balance strikeouts.  Walks are not even necessarily good in the minors, in that they frequently indicate passivity.  The good ones get walks because the pitchers can't strike them out.  So they're not independent good and evil stats. 

I'm not sure what the second part of that 2nd sentence means or implies.  The 27.5% strikeout rate is untenable.  Simply, you cannot have that at AA (second trip there) and expect to ever hit in the majors.  Or do you think MLB pitchers will balance this out by walking him a bunch?  They simply won't, and it should scream to you that walk rate in the minors is very misleading.

Fedko

If you really squint, Fedko might seem like a platoon player, but then maybe you look at his splits and see that he can't hit lefties.

Olivar

Unlike the other two, I've put Olivar in my top 25 prospects at times because he's always hit decently (K rate decent) and could catch.  But he also struggles vs lhp and probably is a cuspish player to begin with.  And it doesn't seem the Twins think he'll be a catcher; at least they're not treating him that way, catching him 40% of the time in 2025.

[bean5302]

Without a doubt my biggest pet peeve in all of analysis for the farm is "young for his level" garbage. If a player is not "young for his level" he's not a prospect at all. Every single legitimate prospect in baseball is "young for their level" by the end of their first full MiLB season.
Borderline prospects are at least a year younger.
Legitimate prospects are at least 2 years younger than their competition.
Top prospects are at least 3-4 years younger than their competition.

Avg age
FCL (rookie ball) a20
A ball (a21)
A+ (a22)
AA (a24)
AAA (a26)

Gonzalez is pretty capped out frame-wise. Solid 110mph max EV in AAA, but nothing plus in the raw power area and his .ISO/history suggests he's maybe a 15 HR full season guy at the MLB level. At age 21 and on the 40 man, I think he's the most likely to see significant action this year and to be able to adapt to produce some power.

Fedko is probably a AAAA player. He's got a couple hiccup seasons as he moved up the levels and that's not normal for a player who is going to be able to adapt to MLB caliber pitching. The 87.6mph EV at AAA at age 25 doesn't project well. He's a non-prospect, but solid MiLB depth guy with an outside shot at getting some emergency injury replacement time in the big show.

Rosario is a non-prospect in my book atm. While he finished the year on a super hot streak, he was only passable from April through July putting up numbers which only would have been impressive at age 19. Only when the calendar transitioned into August did he make any waves on his 2nd major go 'round through AA at age 22. Maybe he can pull a Matt Wallner and turn himself into a legit late blooming threat as he matures, but not a likely outcome. The Twins have log-jamed about 436 corner OF's at AAA like Falvey love, love, loves to do. Leaving him off the 40 and exposing him (while all teams passed over him) shows Rosario isn't viewed as a legit prospect by the Twins so he's unlikely to force anybody out of St. Paul to get playing time.

Olivar hasn't shown plus power. He had an ISO of .148 last year in AA with 13 HR in 407 PA. At age 23 last season, he's only a prospect because he's a catcher.

Basically none of these listed guys are a real power threat at the MLB level next year. If there was a player who I think could add some pop from the right side with an epic start, it's Kaelyn Culpepper.

[chpettit19]

1 hour ago, twinstalker said:

One guy who has a chance, three guys who have no chance.  Perhaps this should have been an article on Gonzalez alone.  Or maybe we should include Yunior Severino, wherever he is these days. :-)

I just don't understand why Rosario gets any talk whatsoever.  If his hitting slash were an important part of his evaluation, he wouldn't have been unprotected for Rule V.  All sorts of minor league hitters put up good slashes, and the reason they're not protected is because there are very simple statistics in their profile that near 100% determine they have no chance to hit in MLB.

Walks don't even remotely balance strikeouts.  Walks are not even necessarily good in the minors, in that they frequently indicate passivity.  The good ones get walks because the pitchers can't strike them out.  So they're not independent good and evil stats. 

I'm not sure what the second part of that 2nd sentence means or implies.  The 27.5% strikeout rate is untenable.  Simply, you cannot have that at AA (second trip there) and expect to ever hit in the majors.  Or do you think MLB pitchers will balance this out by walking him a bunch?  They simply won't, and it should scream to you that walk rate in the minors is very misleading.

Fedko

If you really squint, Fedko might seem like a platoon player, but then maybe you look at his splits and see that he can't hit lefties.

Olivar

Unlike the other two, I've put Olivar in my top 25 prospects at times because he's always hit decently (K rate decent) and could catch.  But he also struggles vs lhp and probably is a cuspish player to begin with.  And it doesn't seem the Twins think he'll be a catcher; at least they're not treating him that way, catching him 40% of the time in 2025.

You keep saying these K numbers are "untenable" over and over and give guys 0% chance to hit in the majors because of it. Have you passed your numbers on to major league teams because they'd love to be able to predict these things with such certainty.

I looked (again) at the top 10 wRC+ qualified hitters in MLB last year. 5 of them had K% over 20% in AA. That's half of the 10 best hitters in baseball with K rates over 20% in AA. What's the cutoff? 25%? Cuz 4 of them had K% over 25% in AA. Including some guy named Judge who I believe has a few trophies at his house for his hitting performance in the majors.

Now I'm no Rosario believer. Don't think he's anything special by any means. Fedko? Dime a dozen. Everyone has a Fedko in their system. But I'd love to see your numbers that so very clearly state Aaron Judge, George Springer, Cal Raleigh, Kyle Schwarber, and Michael Busch have no shot at hitting in the majors because of their AA K%. Judge struck out 28.5% in his first go at AAA, too. Then 23.9% in his second. As a college hitter taken in the first round.

As a matter of fact, all 5 of those guys were college hitters. Judge pick 32 out of Fresno State, George 11th pick out of UConn, Raleigh 90th overall out of FSU, Schwarber 4th overall out of Indiana, and Busch was pick 31 out of UNC. They had 25, 30.9, 29.6, 20.2, and 26.1 K% in AA. Shoot, Michael Busch had a 26.3% K rate his 2nd go round at AA. Then 26 at AAA in his first crack before cutting it to 18.8% in his 2nd chance there. 

Schwarber had a 34.3% K rate at AAA. Pete Alonso joins our party with a 25.9% K rate in AAA. George Springer went 30.9% then 29.7% in his two goes at AA, then 24.2% and 24.6% in AAA. The other 4 hitters in the top 10 were Ohtani who obviously never played in the minors, but his K% in Japan was 27, Juan Soto who essentially completely skipped the upper minors (35 AA PAs at 20% K rate if you care), Ketel Marte who had K rates in the mid-teens and fit your model, and Freddie Freman who was about 12 and 16% for AA and AAA and also passes your K rate test.

But, in summary, Judge, Ohtani, Springer, Raleigh, Schwarber, Alonso, and Busch were 7 of the 10 best hitters in Major League Baseball last year (according to wRC+) and they all had K rates well over 20% at either AA or AAA. Predicting major league success is so much more complicated than you continue to suggest it is. It's why you can't just scout on the numbers. You need way more info than that. Either that or you pass up on a huge number of the elite hitters in baseball.

[terrydactyls]

35 minutes ago, bean5302 said:

Without a doubt my biggest pet peeve in all of analysis for the farm is "young for his level" garbage. If a player is not "young for his level" he's not a prospect at all. Every single legitimate prospect in baseball is "young for their level" by the end of their first full MiLB season.
 

Rosario is a non-prospect in my book atm. While he finished the year on a super hot streak, he was only passable from April through July putting up numbers which only would have been impressive at age 19. 

 

I agree that the "young for his level" reference is stupid.  However, you used the same argument against Rosario being a prospect by saying his 2025 statistics would only be significant if he was just 19 (or "young for his level").  Either/or.  Pick one.

[mnfireman]

I don't know why there are so many articles/posts about the team needing RH bats, the line up, for better or worse is balanced. The team might be a little LH heavy at certain positions, like corner OF, but are RH heavy in the IF and at C.

Anyway, I looked at team splits going back to the Bomba Squad year of 2019, RH batters out HR'd LH batters every year, and only in two seasons was that difference less than 10 HR, 2025 (9) and 2023 (5). Every other season the difference was at least 40 HR, except in 2020 when the difference was 36.

More RH batters isn't necessarily the answer, more consistent PA's from both sides of the plate are. Develop the players the team has into more than three true outcome hitters and the rest should take care of itself, no matter what side they hit from.

[jmlease1]

I'd say GG is the most likely RH bat to emerge as a real MLB option from this group, but you never know how things will evolve. GG had an excellent 2025, and his improved approach was impressive. I'm not terribly concerned about his less than stellar 2024, but that was almost certainly injury related. He was healthy in 2025 and kicked butt. 

Rosario is a fascinating case. He's got loud power and when he gets on a run he's an impressive hitter who did well in 2025. He took a good run in the AFL in 2024 and kept it up all through 2025 to get himself back on track. But he clearly has weaknesses: he's not much of a defender, despite good athleticism, and the K-rates can get scary. But he's also a player who clearly works on his game and has been able to add things from year to year. He went from being a guy who never ran to swiping 32 bags last season. Sure, it's the minors and between catchers still learning the position and pitchers not being good at holding guys on it's easy to run wild, but going from single digit steals to 30+ still says something. (I'm not exactly sure what, but it shouldn't be ignored) Maybe he's a guy who can add to his game in increments? What if he really improves his defense in 2026? I dunno if he'll make it and not getting selected in the Rule 5 suggests the league ain't sure about him either, but he's still something and should be in AAA this year.

(and with Rosario needing to be in AAA is another reason to not keep effin' Outman on the roster: if Fedko, Jenkins, Rodriguez, Roden, Gonzalez, and Rosario are all in AAA that's too many OF to give people reasonable amounts of PT)

[Blyleven2011]

Is Sabato still in the system , just checking ...

We need hitters that can hit and get on base , get crucial hits in a crucial moment to drive in runs , the homeruns will come but the players have proven they cant hit those in a pressure situation , this lineup has failed the past 2 seasons ...

Let's hope there is some help coming from our prospects to help it be a more exciting game ...

Keaschall helped spark the lineup in 2025 , who will it be this up coming season  ???

[old nurse]

Gonzales is on the 40 man roster. The others were all available for the rule 5 draft but not selected. This is their make or break year.  We shall see what happens 

[LA Vikes Fan]

1 hour ago, mnfireman said:

I don't know why there are so many articles/posts about the team needing RH bats, the line up, for better or worse is balanced. The team might be a little LH heavy at certain positions, like corner OF, but are RH heavy in the IF and at C.

Anyway, I looked at team splits going back to the Bomba Squad year of 2019, RH batters out HR'd LH batters every year, and only in two seasons was that difference less than 10 HR, 2025 (9) and 2023 (5). Every other season the difference was at least 40 HR, except in 2020 when the difference was 36.

More RH batters isn't necessarily the answer, more consistent PA's from both sides of the plate are. Develop the players the team has into more than three true outcome hitters and the rest should take care of itself, no matter what side they hot from.

Agreed. This obsession abut RH power is puzzling to me. Jeffers, Buxton, Lewis, and Keaschall all hit from the right side among the everyday players and all have 15-20 HR potential or better. Josh Bell is a switch hitter, pretty good against lefties until last year, and is likely to play 1B or DH 5 days a week. Martin is also RH, and will probably start every day in LF at least to start the season - albeit with no power. In other words, we got plenty of RH bats. What we need is is better hitting overall from pretty much everybody except Buxton. 

The lineup makes the point even more starkly. Where is this mythical RH power hitter going to hit if we want to avoid an almost all RH lineup? Right now, here's the opening day BA - Some combination of Buxton, Martin, and Keaschall (all RH) in spots 1-3, Bell (S) as #4, some combo of Lewis, Jeffers and Wallner in the 5-7 slots, Lee (S)#8, and whoever makes the lineup at either RF, 1B, or DH to go with Wallner and Bell. I think it's Alan Roden to start the season in RF unless we trade for a 1B and leave Wallner in RF instead of moving him to a DH/2 days a week in the OF guy. In short, the likely starters are 2 switch hitters, 5 RHs, and 2 LH IF Roden starts. The two LHs are likely to hit 6 or 7 and 9. If we trade for a RH hitting 1B, it's already 6 RHs in the lineup.   

Another RH hitter isn't what we need. What we need is another 2-3 Good Hitters, no matter from which side they hit. The 2026 Twins are NOT a well balanced lineup looking for a specific piece; they are a lineup 2-3 cards short of a full deck that needs to find those cards wherever they can. We can worry about perfect construction once we actually have 9 guys who should be in the everyday lineup of a good MLB team.  Right now, we got 3 by my count - Buxton, Bell, and Jeffers, 1 more who could solidify that status this year early in Keaschall, 2 intriguing should bes/may bes in Lewis and Wallner, 1 guy who showed pretty well for about 70 games last year in Martin, and a whole lot of may bes but more likely nots. We don't just need RH power hitters, we need hitters period. Let's either trade for a couple or get our AAA guys like Roden, GG, and even Fedko up here pronto and find out of they can help and if they can't or others fail, get Culpeper, Emma and Jenkins up.

[Linus]

4 minutes ago, LA Vikes Fan said:

Agreed. This obsession abut RH power is puzzling to me. Jeffers, Buxton, Lewis, and Keaschall all hit from the right side among the everyday players and all have 15-20 HR potential or better. Josh Bell is a switch hitter, pretty good against lefties until last year, and is likely to play 1B or DH 5 days a week. Martin is also RH, and will probably start every day in LF at least to start the season - albeit with no power. In other words, we got plenty of RH bats. What we need is is better hitting overall from pretty much everybody except Buxton. 

The lineup makes the point even more starkly. Where is this mythical RH power hitter going to hit if we want to avoid an almost all RH lineup? Right now, here's the opening day BA - Some combination of Buxton, Martin, and Keaschall (all RH) in spots 1-3, Bell (S) as #4, some combo of Lewis, Jeffers and Wallner in the 5-7 slots, Lee (S)#8, and whoever makes the lineup at either RF, 1B, or DH to go with Wallner and Bell. I think it's Alan Roden to start the season in RF unless we trade for a 1B and leave Wallner in RF instead of moving him to a DH/2 days a week in the OF guy. In short, the likely starters are 2 switch hitters, 5 RHs, and 2 LH IF Roden starts. If we trade for a RH hitting 1B, it's already 6 RHs in the lineup.   

Another RH hitter isn't what we need. What we need is another 2-3 Good Hitters, no matter from which side they hit. The 2026 Twins are NOT a well balanced lineup looking for a specific piece; they are a lineup 2-3 cards short of a full deck that needs to find those cards wherever they can. We can worry about perfect construction once we actually have 9 guys who should be in the everyday lineup of a good MLB team.  Right now, we got 3 by my count - Buxton, Bell, and Jeffers, 1 more who could solidly that status this year early in Keaschall, 2 intriguing should bes/maybes in Lewis and Wallner, 1 guy who showed well for about 70 games last year in Martin, and a whole lot of maybe but more likely nots. We don't just need RH power hitters, we need hitters period. 

This. I don’t care if they hit standing on their heads I just want guys that hit. We need several. 

[gman]

I'd like to see Gonzalez get some major league play this year instead of languishing at the 3A. The team needs bats and they really need to find out if these kids WILL HIT at the major league level.

[mikelink45]

As I read this I wonder who the next Brent Rooker is.  Players get tags that stick with them too long.  It is about opportunity.

[bunsen82]

If we were doing a true article -  

1. Kaelen Culpepper (SS/3B) - 25+ Home run potential with a good hit tool.  He looks extremely solid.  

2. Gabriel Gonzalez ( -  I love his bat the best of anyone in the system not named Jenkins.   He just doesn't provide the defensive versatility the a Culpepper or Jenkins does. 

3.  Billy Amick (1st/3rd) -  .310/418/.455 slash line at A+ is very very good.  Now he was outmatched in fall ball.  He was playing against players at higher levels - and he still somehow managed to get an OBP of nearly .300.  he may struggle as he moves up - but he has 30+ homer potential.   I felt his hit tool was much better than anticipated.  Had I told you when we drafted him he would hit .310 in Cedar Rapids this year I would say 99% of the people would have laughed.  

[jmlease1]

1 hour ago, LA Vikes Fan said:

Agreed. This obsession abut RH power is puzzling to me. Jeffers, Buxton, Lewis, and Keaschall all hit from the right side among the everyday players and all have 15-20 HR potential or better. Josh Bell is a switch hitter, pretty good against lefties until last year, and is likely to play 1B or DH 5 days a week. Martin is also RH, and will probably start every day in LF at least to start the season - albeit with no power. In other words, we got plenty of RH bats. What we need is is better hitting overall from pretty much everybody except Buxton. 

The lineup makes the point even more starkly. Where is this mythical RH power hitter going to hit if we want to avoid an almost all RH lineup? Right now, here's the opening day BA - Some combination of Buxton, Martin, and Keaschall (all RH) in spots 1-3, Bell (S) as #4, some combo of Lewis, Jeffers and Wallner in the 5-7 slots, Lee (S)#8, and whoever makes the lineup at either RF, 1B, or DH to go with Wallner and Bell. I think it's Alan Roden to start the season in RF unless we trade for a 1B and leave Wallner in RF instead of moving him to a DH/2 days a week in the OF guy. In short, the likely starters are 2 switch hitters, 5 RHs, and 2 LH IF Roden starts. The two LHs are likely to hit 6 or 7 and 9. If we trade for a RH hitting 1B, it's already 6 RHs in the lineup.   

Another RH hitter isn't what we need. What we need is another 2-3 Good Hitters, no matter from which side they hit. The 2026 Twins are NOT a well balanced lineup looking for a specific piece; they are a lineup 2-3 cards short of a full deck that needs to find those cards wherever they can. We can worry about perfect construction once we actually have 9 guys who should be in the everyday lineup of a good MLB team.  Right now, we got 3 by my count - Buxton, Bell, and Jeffers, 1 more who could solidify that status this year early in Keaschall, 2 intriguing should bes/may bes in Lewis and Wallner, 1 guy who showed pretty well for about 70 games last year in Martin, and a whole lot of may bes but more likely nots. We don't just need RH power hitters, we need hitters period. Let's either trade for a couple or get our AAA guys like Roden, GG, and even Fedko up here pronto and find out of they can help and if they can't or others fail, get Culpeper, Emma and Jenkins up.

Because we've been terribly vulnerable to LHP in recent years? Because RH hitters typically have less egregious splits than LH hitters? Because a bunch of our top hitting prospects hit LH?

It's reasonable to be concerned. I like Martin, but he won't hit for any real power and we still don't know if last season is reflective of his ability or he'll fumble it in 2026. Jeffers might not be here in a year and while he hits well for a catcher, when he slides to DH he's not lighting the world on fire lately. Keaschall has never played a full season. Buxton is the only real proven RH hitter we have, and people are trying to sell him off too.

[bean5302]

4 hours ago, terrydactyls said:

I agree that the "young for his level" reference is stupid.  However, you used the same argument against Rosario being a prospect by saying his 2025 statistics would only be significant if he was just 19 (or "young for his level").  Either/or.  Pick one.

"Young for his level" as a generic statement used to pretend an experienced, multi-year professional still has potential because they're barely younger than the average minor league baseball roster filler guy is one thing. 

A 19 year old excelling at AA has multiple aspects to it. First, they're many years younger than their competition, not a year or two, second, they have little professional baseball experience. A 19 year old having an above average performance first full MiLB season in AA would be exceptional, especially finishing the way Rosario did.

Context matters.

[arby58]

5 hours ago, jmlease1 said:

I'd say GG is the most likely RH bat to emerge as a real MLB option from this group, but you never know how things will evolve. GG had an excellent 2025, and his improved approach was impressive. I'm not terribly concerned about his less than stellar 2024, but that was almost certainly injury related. He was healthy in 2025 and kicked butt. 

He did - and the slugging percentage was similar from A+ to AA to AAA.  Pretty impressive for 5'11" and 165 pounds.

[Fatbat]

Didn’t Brent Rooker have a few issues in his swing and development?  All the guys that say this guy cant& that guy wont ever are just silly guesses as to how someone’s career might go.  Sit back and be patient. All these guys are way to young to count out. They all could be MLB regulars, all stars or AAAA wash outs. Might even get an HOF’r from this group. We don’t know yet. 

[Nashvilletwin]

All my fellow TDers referring to Rooker must keep in mind that Rooker developed into not only an above average major leaguer but also an All Star after he left the Twins organization.

The sad truth is the Twins have not internally developed a position player of that calibre since Arraez and Jeffers - that’s a long time ago and essentially before Falvey and Rocco.

Sure, the manager has been changed, but, until proven otherwise, there is little to suggest that any of the four prospects highlighted in this article have a strong probability of developing into an every day major leaguer.  Hope that’s wrong, especially about Gonzalez.

Hate to be Debbie Downer, but just keeping things real.  The track record is what the track record is.   

[Russ]

Not much thump in the lefthanded hitters

[terrydactyls]

7 hours ago, bean5302 said:

"Young for his level" as a generic statement used to pretend an experienced, multi-year professional still has potential because they're barely younger than the average minor league baseball roster filler guy is one thing. 

A 19 year old excelling at AA has multiple aspects to it. First, they're many years younger than their competition, not a year or two, second, they have little professional baseball experience. A 19 year old having an above average performance first full MiLB season in AA would be exceptional, especially finishing the way Rosario did.

Context matters.

That is a very good non-answer.   You are applying two definitions to a single phrase.  That is not proving your point.  I think I actually agree with everything you said, but I'm not sure because of your phraseology.

[High heat]

It should tell you all you need to know about Fedko when he wasn’t called up last season.  This organization has zero faith in you. 
 

Rosario has a bit of Brent Rooker in him.  Light tower power without much else for tools but slight adjustment to make enough contact can make him a very good big leaguer.  More likely he is a Kyle Garlick tho but could carve out a big leaguer career if he mashes lefties like Garlick did.

 

Olivar I think his only hope is if he can develop as a catcher where his bat looks pretty good if he can get to average MLB defensive catcher.  Thats a long way out as it sounds but he does have the athletic tools and defensive development as a catcher isn’t linear.  
 

Gabriel Gonzalez is probably the only real RH option.  If he keep enough power and plate discipline he could be a very good big leaguer.  He is the only guy on this list that will for sure get a solid run in the big leagues. I could see the other 3 never making it to the big leagues. 

[Riverbrian]

13 hours ago, Fatbat said:

Didn’t Brent Rooker have a few issues in his swing and development?  All the guys that say this guy cant& that guy wont ever are just silly guesses as to how someone’s career might go.  Sit back and be patient. All these guys are way to young to count out. They all could be MLB regulars, all stars or AAAA wash outs. Might even get an HOF’r from this group. We don’t know yet. 

The front office doesn't know either. The future for all players is TBD,

Coaches get paid to do something and I've always assumed they are paid to improve players. So as long as players can get better this means that stats are the past not the future. 

If players CAN'T get better. Just fire the coaches, analysts, all support staff because they are not necessary. We can just look at the numbers of a 22 year old in Wichita and stamp no chance on their forehead. 

I'm not a fan of pre-determination. 
 

 

[TwinsDr2021]

13 hours ago, Fatbat said:

Didn’t Brent Rooker have a few issues in his swing and development?  All the guys that say this guy cant& that guy wont ever are just silly guesses as to how someone’s career might go.  Sit back and be patient. All these guys are way to young to count out. They all could be MLB regulars, all stars or AAAA wash outs. Might even get an HOF’r from this group. We don’t know yet. 

How many Brent Rooker type players can you name in the last 5,10,25 years? Then compare that list to the group of baseball players that came up much earlier (say age 23 and before) and yes the young fail (or fail to live up to expectations) at a high rate as well. But when you have 1 of 30 jobs in the world which odds are you going to play? 

There are two ways to find out if guys like Rooker and/or Fedko's of the world are actually any good, one is to suck so bad you have to give them a chance, and the other is to fill your team with well above average MLB players and fill holes with the older non-prospects and see what they can do, and if they don't do well right away you move onto the next guy.

[JD-TWINS]

21 hours ago, jmlease1 said:

I'd say GG is the most likely RH bat to emerge as a real MLB option from this group, but you never know how things will evolve. GG had an excellent 2025, and his improved approach was impressive. I'm not terribly concerned about his less than stellar 2024, but that was almost certainly injury related. He was healthy in 2025 and kicked butt. 

Rosario is a fascinating case. He's got loud power and when he gets on a run he's an impressive hitter who did well in 2025. He took a good run in the AFL in 2024 and kept it up all through 2025 to get himself back on track. But he clearly has weaknesses: he's not much of a defender, despite good athleticism, and the K-rates can get scary. But he's also a player who clearly works on his game and has been able to add things from year to year. He went from being a guy who never ran to swiping 32 bags last season. Sure, it's the minors and between catchers still learning the position and pitchers not being good at holding guys on it's easy to run wild, but going from single digit steals to 30+ still says something. (I'm not exactly sure what, but it shouldn't be ignored) Maybe he's a guy who can add to his game in increments? What if he really improves his defense in 2026? I dunno if he'll make it and not getting selected in the Rule 5 suggests the league ain't sure about him either, but he's still something and should be in AAA this year.

(and with Rosario needing to be in AAA is another reason to not keep effin' Outman on the roster: if Fedko, Jenkins, Rodriguez, Roden, Gonzalez, and Rosario are all in AAA that's too many OF to give people reasonable amounts of PT)

What suggests effin’ Roden is any better or projects to be any better than Outman? To me, both were fliers by the organization. Outman for the inevitably injured Stewart & Roden as a sweetener in the trade focussed on Rojas.

Gonzalez seems to be the only realistic option from above for MLB in 2026.

[JD-TWINS]

2 hours ago, Riverbrian said:

The front office doesn't know either. The future for all players is TBD,

Coaches get paid to do something and I've always assumed they are paid to improve players. So as long as players can get better this means that stats are the past not the future. 

If players CAN'T get better. Just fire the coaches, analysts, all support staff because they are not necessary. We can just look at the numbers of a 22 year old in Wichita and stamp no chance on their forehead. 

I'm not a fan of pre-determination. 
 

 

Giving up on guys too soon happens and has been happening forever in baseball. Holding on to hope and trying to fix guys or let them “develop” is equally as common. Cubs traded Lou Brock as an example.

However, at some point decisions need to be made on guys that have played 3-6 years past high school because every year there’s an influx of new bodies. Talent evaluators - coaches - competition within the Team’s organization, these all play into the process of weeding out guys that are not or not likely to produce going forward. Can’t just hang on to everyone so nobody can ever say you made a mistake……..not realistic.

 

 

[jmlease1]

18 minutes ago, JD-TWINS said:

What suggests effin’ Roden is any better or projects to be any better than Outman? To me, both were fliers by the organization. Outman for the inevitably injured Stewart & Roden as a sweetener in the trade focussed on Rojas.

Gonzalez seems to be the only realistic option from above for MLB in 2026.

He's younger and has less of a track record of failure in MLB? Seems to be better defensively at this point? Roden might turn out to be a quad-A player, but he's barely played in MLB and it's not at all unusual for a rookie to suck in their first taste of MLB competition. He might not make it, but he also has options remaining, so it's not a situation where the team has to decide whether to essentially cut him if he's not performing from the jump, which is part of the problem with Outman: if he's on the roster in March we might be stuck with him longer as the old sunk cost fallacy comes into play again.

GG is a better fit for the roster in some ways, but again with guys like Larnach on the roster the Twins need a legit backup CF. Right now we've got Wallner, Larnach, Outman, Martin, and Buxton as the OF and dropping Outman for GG means that Martin is the backup CF, which is...less optimal.