Besides Walker Jenkins, Who is the Twins' Top Prospect?

[Cody Christie]

Image courtesy of Rob Thompson, St. Paul Saints (photo of Emmanuel Rodriguez)

Walker Jenkins sits comfortably at the top of the Minnesota Twins prospect hierarchy. That part of the conversation is easy. The harder debate begins immediately after him. The Twins system has several legitimate candidates for the No. 2 spot, and each brings a very different profile, risk level, and timeline.

This is not a ranking meant to dismiss any of the names below. Instead, it highlights how close this group really is and why the Twins are fortunate to have multiple paths forward. Still, prospect lists force choices, and the question remains simple. Who should be considered the Twins' top prospect behind Jenkins?

SS Kaelen Culpepper
The case for Culpepper starts with how much he changed the conversation in one season. After entering the year as more of a solid but unspectacular infielder, Culpepper broke out across High A and Double A, with a 138 wRC+. He showed that he can remain at shortstop, while also tapping into more power than most evaluators expected. The bat speed improved, the physicality showed up, and suddenly, he looked like a potential everyday infielder with impact.

Why is he number two? Because Culpepper checks the hardest box. He can play shortstop. That alone carries enormous value, especially when paired with a bat that drives the ball to all fields. He does not need to sell out for pull-side power to do damage, and the extra-base hits came naturally as his strength developed.

Why shouldn't he be number two? The swing remains fairly flat, which limits the ceiling of his in-game power. It might still be enough, but it likely caps him short of true middle-of-the-order production. There are also lingering questions about his long-term defensive home. If he ends up at third base, the offensive expectations rise considerably, and he will need to keep hitting (including tapping into that power) to justify the move.

C Eduardo Tait
Tait is the most exciting catching prospect the Twins have had in a long time. That puts him firmly in this conversation. He was also the highest-ranked prospect Minnesota acquired in the Jhoan Duran trade, signaling how highly the organization views his potential.

Why is he number two? Catching prospects with real offensive upside are rare, and Tait has that. He shows power, confidence, and leadership behind the plate. If everything clicks, he profiles as an everyday catcher who can hit in the middle of a lineup, something the Twins have been chasing for years.

Why shouldn't he be number two? The margin for error is thin. There is nowhere else for Tait to go defensively if he cannot stick behind the plate. His aggressive approach leads to chasing pitches out of the zone, and that tendency will be tested as he climbs the ladder. He is also far from Target Field, and long developmental paths come with risk.

OF Emmanuel Rodriguez
Rodriguez might have the loudest tools of anyone in the system, when he is healthy. That qualifier matters, and he’s on a path to impact the Twins’ roster in 2026.

Why is he number two? When he is on the field, he controls the strike zone at an elite level. He draws walks, hits for power to all fields, and can handle all three outfield spots. In the corners, he is even above-average defensively. Few prospects in the minors combine patience and power the way Rodriguez does.

Why shouldn't he be number two? Availability matters. Injuries have followed him throughout his professional career. Over the past five years, he has played more than 65 games only once. The passivity that fuels his walk totals also leads to a high strikeout rate, and when paired with durability concerns, it creates real risk.

SP Connor Prielipp
Pitching prospects often live in a separate category, but Prielipp forced his way back into this discussion in 2025.

Why is he number two? Prielipp worked 82 2/3 innings last season and climbed all the way to Triple-A St. Paul. The stuff is undeniable. If he sticks as a starter, he has the arsenal to become a playoff-caliber arm, something every organization covets.

Why shouldn't he be number two? The biggest question is his role. Internally, opinions vary on whether Prielipp ultimately fits best in the rotation or the bullpen. His injury history also looms large. Last season marked the first time he had thrown more than 25 innings since 2019. Betting on health and a starting role at the same time is a risky proposition.

So Who Is Number Two?
If forced to choose today, Culpepper likely gets the nod. The combination of proximity, defensive value, and offensive growth gives him the highest probability of becoming an everyday contributor. That said, this is a fluid debate. Tait offers rare upside at catcher, Rodriguez brings star potential if healthy, and Prielipp could change the entire picture with one dominant stretch.

Behind Jenkins, the Twins do not have a clear answer. Instead, they have options, and that is a very good problem to have.

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Who would you rank number two in the Twins’ system? Leave a comment and start the discussion.

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[dxpavelka]

I don't really care who is number 2.  Just want to see all of them here and succeeding in the next  three years and see all of them (except Tait) get significant big league exposure this season since there may well not be a season in 2027 and I don't want to be sitting here two years hence and without these guys having seen the bigs. 

[JD-TWINS]

On TOO short of a sampling, I’m hoping Gabriel Gonzalez hitting continues from ‘25 into the future and he becomes a core piece of the line-up over next couple seasons!

[bunsen82]

For me Gabriel Gonzalez is our #2 prospect.   He has the best hit tool currently of anyone in the Twins minor league system.  He had a .329/.395/.513 slash line across 3 levels (utterly ridiculous).   He does not play an elite position or have above average defense,  but that bat will play at the MLB level and will likely lead him to some all star appearances.    

If anyone was at Wichita in late July to early August - you had Jenkins, Culpepper and Gonzalez stacked in the lineup.   Some will say Culpepper struggled wore down a bit which is true.  But at that point Culpepper no longer had the protection of the other 2.  When those 3 were on together they were steamrolling teams.   Gonzalez showed he wasn't slowing down at AAA either,  although we do need to see a bit more power.  

 

[arby58]

I agree with Culpepper at number two IF he can handle MLB SS. I predict he starts at St. Paul and, IF all goes well, he is headed to Target field after the All Star break. My bet is Prielipp breaks camp out of the bullpen - they've been signalling that for a while now, and given his injury history, it makes sense. That said, a relief pitcher isn't going to be your number two prospect. Tait is a long ways away. IF he isn't on the injured list, Emma is most likely of the everyday prospects to break camp as a corner outfielder/CF when Buxton needs a break. He's a far better athlete than Gonzalez, and this team needs athleticism. If this comes to pass, the Twins are going to deal some of their surplus of corner outfielders (don't expect much in return, unless they deal Wallner, which I doubt). I'd expect Wallner to get a lot of time at DH and they trust Bell to handle 1B on a semi-regular basis.

[miracleb]

Prielipp is not part of the conversation.  He hasn't necessarily proven himself in AA let alone AAA.  I'd feel different about him as a prospect if he had those numbers as a 22 year old.  Have injuries been devastating to his career....yes!  Do I like pushing him up thru the minors faster than others with the same "numbers".....yes!  But right now, as things are shaping up (best case,) he is a solid, middle innings, reliever.  If that is your #2 prospect.....stick a fork in........

[Drtwins]

My pick would be Emma, best career milb numbers of the group and can fill in at a premier position, with Gabby close behind. Culpepper does play SS which is huge, but his career year batting was still below Emma and Gabby’s milb career averages. 

[TJSweens]

Culpepper as #2 seems right. His defense last year was a revelation. Everything I have read indicates the Twins are more than satisfied that he can stick at SS long term. Great approach at the plate. I think the whole launch angle debate is over rated. 

Tait sounds good, but he is too far away to worry about it.

E-Rod concerns me because of health and strikeouts. Seems like a little Julien in him, who would rather look at strike 3 than try to foul that close pitch off to keep his AB Alive.

Prielipp is only in the conversation as a starter. There is no debate about he is better suited. A move to the pen is predicated on need and getting Prielipp to the majors sooner. In my opinion, that strategy in short sighted. Especially when the Twins are not going to contend this year.

[bunsen82]

How about this - I would not be suprised at all if Priellip, Hill, Quick or Soto are in the slot for the #2 or #1 slot by the end of the year.   

[Dman]

It is Culpepper for me as well.  Given what he did last year he seems like a solid player all around with a chance to be a great hitter.  Could be plus defense and offense as a super important position.

It is impressive to be 18 and at High A with a solid batting line.  That being said there is a fair bit of chase in his game and he needs more defensive refinement, but as things stand today he certainly has a claim to number 2.  We'll know more after this year as he'll either improve or stall out there with his current approach.

Emma has good power and great patience but his in zone swing and miss makes me very nervous.  He has been hurt a lot and we haven't seen many full seasons from him.  He also doesn't seem to have a super high ceiling as defender in center. He is more established than the other two as a hitter, but he could have a really hard time moving to MLB with his current approach.

Instead of Prielipp who is older I would have Hill as a potential number 2.  He had elite K rates and made it to high A as 19 year old.  He also is a lefty which is valuable and his stuff looks like it could be elite.  Hard to say this early, but with being so dominant so young he could be number 2 if you squint.

[Nashvilletwin]

Whomever the Twins draft at #3 this year.

Otherwise its a toss up among Culpepper, ERod and Gonzalez and it doesn’t much matter the order. Ideally we see all three plus Jenkins this year at Target field.

[TwinsDr2021]

49 minutes ago, bunsen82 said:

How about this - I would not be suprised at all if Priellip, Hill, Quick or Soto are in the slot for the #2 or #1 slot by the end of the year.   

Prielipp is 25, and will start next year at age 26, not sure if at that age you are really a prospect anymore. Doesn't mean he won't be great but not sure how many prospects go into there age 26 season with rookie of the year eligibility. IMO if he isn't pitching in MN at some point this year things haven't went well and isn't likely he would be a top prospect going into next year. But totally agree on the rest.

[bunsen82]

1 minute ago, TwinsDr2021 said:

Prielipp is 25, and will start next year at age 26, not sure if at that age you are really a prospect anymore. Doesn't mean he won't be great but not sure how many prospects go into there age 26 season with rookie of the year eligibility. IMO if he isn't pitching in MN at some point this year things haven't went well and isn't likely he would be a top prospect going into next year. But totally agree on the rest.

Priellip is an odd case do to injuries not talent.   If he is looking like a #1 type pitcher, he could easily be one of our top 2 prospects.    

[Eris]

On Culpepper. College players selected in the first round are expected to rise quickly in the minors. Those who do not (see Aaron Sabato) likely will not have a successful MLB career. 
 

On E. Rodriguez. I’m estimating that he will have a strikeout rate in the mid 30s when he gets to the big leagues. I expect the first several years in the big leagues to be brutal. Call me old school but I don’t see how this is going to work unless he can get his strike out rate down to about 25%. (Miguel Sano’s K rate was 36% with BB of 12%)

[rdehring]

Interesting piece, thanks.

Don't understand all the talk about Prielipp not being ranked as highly because he will likely be in the bullpen this year.  The Twins have a need and he hasn't pitched a lot of innings, so the bullpen makes sense.  If memory serves, the Twins had a very good lefty who also began his career pitching out of the pen before moving into the rotation and winning several Cy Youngs.  Why can't this be the path for Prielipp?

[TwinsDr2021]

10 minutes ago, bunsen82 said:

Priellip is an odd case do to injuries not talent.   If he is looking like a #1 type pitcher, he could easily be one of our top 2 prospects.    

If he is looking like a #1 (which I hope he is) why would he be pitching in the minors?

[bunsen82]

2 minutes ago, TwinsDr2021 said:

If he is looking like a #1 (which I hope he is) why would he be pitching in the minors?

With what we have ahead of him - and the fact he has only pitched 1 season in the last 5 seasons,  I could see them leave him at AAA get his bearings right for a 2027 start.    

Remember we have Ryan, Lopez, Ober, SWR, Bradley Abel, Festa and Matthews who likely deserve a shot and a chance before Priellip.   

[tony&rodney]

In the next few weeks publications will roll out their Top 100 Prospects lists. The Twins will have 3-4 players on most lists, but only three seem to be consensus picks. Jenkins, Rodriguez, and Culpepper will find a spot on most lists. I'm expecting both Connor Prielipp and Gabriel Gonzalez to fit in on the back end of a few lists. Three prospects among the Top 100 doesn't seem to be much evidence of a top farm system lending legitimacy to those who put the Twins in the middle ten of MLB teams as far as prospects.

The last several years I have watched a ton of minor league baseball, too much. The names discussed here are all possible to push up behind Walker Jenkins.

Emmanuel Rodriguez is a concern due to his inability to avoid injury, but if he can stay healthy he belongs in the lineup. His athleticism and competitive streak makes comparisons to guys like Julien silly. E is ready. I would put him behind Jenkins.

Gabriel Gonzalez made more improvements last season than any player in the organization. He is not a good defensive player but looked as good as or better than Wallner or Larnach in the outfield. The guy can hit and he plays with a certain chip on his shoulder with some wicked swings at times. The Twins will make him force his way on to the roster but don't bet against him. 

Kaelen Culpepper needs a little more time I think. He was fantastic last summer for Wichita. He may be pushing for a lineup position by July. His defense is better right now than anyone the Twins put at 2B, 3B, or SS. Kaelen plays an athletic game and really improved at driving the ball last summer.

A major concern of mine is how the Twins front office evaluates and decides who plays where for their MLB team. I understand that many support the current roster configuration but I'm unable to understand how so many DH's fit on any one roster. Both Jenkins and Rodriguez would immediately improve the defense but I'm afraid the front office will find reasons to put Josh Bell at first base and Matt Wallner in right field. It becomes difficult to be a Twins fan as the front office collects players that cannot fill positions at the AAA level as the offseason moves along. I'm not too concerned about Kreidler, Gray, Outman, etc. because they are similar to Fitzgerald and Keirsey Jr. I would prefer some drastic attempts at change via a couple of trades, but it isn't looking like that is in the cards.

[Rod Carews Birthday]

Ranking prospects (or teams for that matter) is a fun activity but the reality is that all of these players have a 1st to 100th percentile range of outcomes.  So, all things being equal, this ranking is reasonable.  However, someone in this group is likely to have an 80th percentile career and someone will have a 20th percentile career, and for the most part, that will determine their ultimate value to the Twins (or some other team if we trade them).  I think the most important statement is that there are several players that can make a claim to being #2 in the pecking order, plus a few more that weren’t mentioned in the article.  That’s ultimately a good sign for the team if we can get all of these guys to perform in the majors. 

[Elliot]

Availability, potential, and production.  Three measuring sticks that apply.

Availability – applies at all levels; if you are not able to be on the field you are of very limited value.  As much as I love Buxton as player, rooting for him has been difficult due to the amount of “out of sight, out of mind” involved.  Matt Canterino is the cautionary tale.  Jenkins, Rodriguez, and Prielipp all get dinged on this one.

Potential – everything is potential until it becomes production. The closer you get to MLB, the less potential should be the driver. However, potntial is intriging. We are still talking about the potential of Lewis, Lee, Keaschal, Wallner, and a number of the young major league pitchers. We even talk about the potential of a full season from Buxton.  Matt Canterino is a pitcher of extremely high potential and extremely low availability; resulting in an extremely SSS.  Culpepper is the one of the five who is probably gets dinged a bit since the story with him has been that he seems to be performing above expectations or potential. The coming year is crucial for Culpepper. He needs to show that last year was not an anomaly.

Production – production is king. A player who has great potential, is available and able to be on the field, should result in on-field production.  Edouard Julien is a good example of a player who was never seen as “high potential” but was available and rewarded the Twins with a season that was far above what was expected in terms of production. However, he was seen as lower potential for a reason, and apparently some of those observations have become the current narrative.

My rankings.

1. Jenkins – extremely high potential, questionable availability, iffy production due to availability issue.
2. Culpepper – performing above initial potential assessment, high availability, high production. Bonus for positional value.
3. Tait – high potential, high availability, not eyepopping production. I am a sucker for potential.  Bonus for positional value.
4. Rodriguez – very high potential, low availability, iffy production.  Still love the potential, but it would be nice to see some production before he gets called up.
5. Prielipp – Canterino is too recent a memory to get very excited about Prielipp.

Marek Houston is my sleeper pick to surprise and get to the bigs sooner than expected. Once the Twins realize that Lee is not an MLB SS, and that none of the assortment of backup utility players they have accumulated is worthy of a starting SS spot, Houston could be the choice. This is closely tied to Culpepper who would likely be the first option to replace Lee. But if he is unavailable for some reason, Houston’s defense would be a joy to watch.

[GNess]

2 hours ago, bunsen82 said:

For me Gabriel Gonzalez is our #2 prospect.   He has the best hit tool currently of anyone in the Twins minor league system.  He had a .329/.395/.513 slash line across 3 levels (utterly ridiculous).   He does not play an elite position or have above average defense,  but that bat will play at the MLB level and will likely lead him to some all star appearances.    

If anyone was at Wichita in late July to early August - you had Jenkins, Culpepper and Gonzalez stacked in the lineup.   Some will say Culpepper struggled wore down a bit which is true.  But at that point Culpepper no longer had the protection of the other 2.  When those 3 were on together they were steamrolling teams.   Gonzalez showed he wasn't slowing down at AAA either,  although we do need to see a bit more power.  

 

Good argument for Gonzalez being among the top Twins prospects. He has shown production while even Jenkins' status is more about his traits. 

[tony&rodney]

9 minutes ago, Elliot said:

Marek Houston is my sleeper pick to surprise and get to the bigs sooner than expected.

I will be quite interested in watching Houston this coming season. I read about his defense on TD and wonder if the people lauding his glove have watched him at least two dozen times. I only saw Houston play a half dozen games via milb.com. (I don't put much stock in curated video clips that highlight players. I prefer to see them in action and watching in person, very difficult to impractical, is even better. When watching in person I feel it takes a dozen games to see what one needs to see to fairly evaluate a player.) He looked fine defensively but not especially noteworthy. Houston looked totally overmatched at the plate in almost every plate appearance. Now, I do not consider my minimal experience worth making any judgment of Marek Houston on any facet of his game. The views were too incomplete to even make a call of any sort of his talent going forward. Additionally, I believe that it can be quite difficult for a player signing out of college to play their best baseball in August and September if you remember that their college workouts began the previous September; it is a long season. Thus I'm taking a wait and see approach and hoping to see the best of Marek Houston this summer. I'm hoping that the prediction of Houston being a fast rising prospect comes true. We shall see.

[TJSweens]

1 hour ago, TwinsDr2021 said:

Prielipp is 25, and will start next year at age 26, not sure if at that age you are really a prospect anymore. Doesn't mean he won't be great but not sure how many prospects go into there age 26 season with rookie of the year eligibility. IMO if he isn't pitching in MN at some point this year things haven't went well and isn't likely he would be a top prospect going into next year. But totally agree on the rest.

Prielipp just turned 25 on January 10 and that's how old he will be all season. His elbow surgery set his time line back. I would guess that in his second year back his secondary pitches will be sharper and his pitch count and innings can be stretched. He could appear as a starter this year.

[TopGunn#22]

If the timeline "WHEN" a player could make their MLB debut with the Twins is the primary consideration as to who should be the Twins #2 prospect behind Walker Jenkins, I'm on board with the guys being listed.  If the timeline is not the primary consideration, to me it's Tait if he stays at Catcher.  

Otherwise, my sneaky pick for #2 would be LH SP Dasan Hill.  So far, he doesn't have the injury bug of Connor Prielipp and I like his potential.  I have to admit I am VERY intrigued with the possibility of him in a future Twins rotation.  He kind of reminds me of Jim Merritt/Dave Boswell when they first came up from a youth/potential standpoint.   

[mikelink45]

rankingss are interesting but don't mean anything. Just keep pushing prospects forward!  Need and opportunity are more important than ranks

[TwinsDr2021]

3 hours ago, bunsen82 said:

With what we have ahead of him - and the fact he has only pitched 1 season in the last 5 seasons,  I could see them leave him at AAA get his bearings right for a 2027 start.    

Remember we have Ryan, Lopez, Ober, SWR, Bradley Abel, Festa and Matthews who likely deserve a shot and a chance before Priellip.   

Good to hear the Twins roster is so good that they can have a pitcher in the minors at age 25 that looks like and is pitching like future top of the rotation starter. If he is pitching that well, there sure be no problem jumping any of those guys not pitching that well. So yes there is a chance that those 8 are so good that Prielipp doesn't get a chance, but being honest how many times has something like that happened in Twins history? I also understand they will be limiting his innings this year and that is probably easier to do in the minors, but at what cost to the major league team. 

[bunsen82]

Just now, TwinsDr2021 said:

Good to hear the Twins roster is so good that they can have a pitcher in the minors at age 25 that looks like and is pitching like future top of the rotation starter. If he is pitching that well, there sure be no problem jumping any of those guys not pitching that well. So yes there is a chance that those 8 are so good that Prielipp doesn't get a chance, but being honest how many times has something like that happened in Twins history? I also understand they will be limiting his innings this year and that is probably easier to do in the minors, but at what cost to the major league team. 

Ummm,  not sure if serious or not.  You asked me why,  I gave you an answer.  If Priellip shows the stuff he may or may not pitch enough innings to get off of the Prospect lists.   

All I know is he has the stuff to be a legit high end starter.  I tend to rank players differently than the lists that come out.  I have Gonzalez, Mendez and   Soto higher than they are ranked.   

We have 4 players that I could see as #1 or #2 options,  thats the point I was making so not sure why we are going down this rabbit hole.  

[twinstalker]

I think Dasan Hill is their #2 prospect in terms of true possible impact.  EmRod won't hit, Culpepper will be average at best.  Gonzalez isn't athletic enough.  Prielipp will be a reliever.

The prospect gods probably rank Hill's upside as a #3 starter, but I think that's his floor (read the rest of the sentence) if everything goes right for him.  I think he could be a 2 and probably will be a 4/5/6 if he makes it.

There's talk of EmRod's high upside, but that's foolish.  He won't ever hit enough to have anything but a relatively low upside.  People throw around the term and use it for a guy who can hit batting practice HRs.  That's not upside  They use it for a guy who has wicked bat speed or exit velocities but can't hit the ball squarely vs the type of pitches he'll see.  That's not upside. 

Upside is a guy like Keaschall who squares up everything and doesn't strike out but doesn't have great exit velocities because his body is not yet going to help provide them.  A guy who will get stronger.  When he starts sending the ball over the fence Dozier-style, that's reaching his upside.

So it comes down to Hill and Culpepper, and Culpepper probably has a limit of average.  I'd say Hill.

[Maybe Next Year]

I've gotta laugh at most of the posts on this site. A few years back everybody was singing the praises of Lewis and Lee and now, after just a few years under a horsecrap manager everybody is giving up on them. Let's play them every day and keep their place in the batting order consistent and see what happens. Good grief! Once again all those analytics are replacing common sense. Oh my, bat angle at contact is 2* too high. Putting the ball in play but not being rewarded with hits is absolutely horrible. Over and over things are being analyzed way too much. Enough of the nonsense. 

[dxpavelka]

14 hours ago, rdehring said:

Interesting piece, thanks.

Don't understand all the talk about Prielipp not being ranked as highly because he will likely be in the bullpen this year.  The Twins have a need and he hasn't pitched a lot of innings, so the bullpen makes sense.  If memory serves, the Twins had a very good lefty who also began his career pitching out of the pen before moving into the rotation and winning several Cy Youngs.  Why can't this be the path for Prielipp?

Santana is NOT a really good comp.  By the time he was Prielipp's age he had four years in the big leagues and in that age 25 season won the first of those Cy Youngs.