Minnesota Twins Boast 4th-Largest Bonus Pool in 2026 MLB Draft

[Jamie Cameron]

Image courtesy of © Tim Heitman-Imagn Images

Bonus pools were announced for the 2026 MLB Draft on Wednesday. The Minnesota Twins are in great shape ahead of July, for what promises to be a class rich in both impact talent and depth. The Twins have the fourth-highest bonus pool total, at $16,929,600, behind only the Pirates, Rays, and White Sox.

Slot values have increased 2.5% from 2025. The Twins' bonus pool is heavily weighted toward the No. 3 overall pick, which comes with a slot value of $9,740,100. In a strong class, Minnesota is likely to have several good options, including prep shortstop Grady Emerson, UC Santa Barbara ace Jackson Flora, or impact college bats like Justin Lebron, Vahn Lackey, or AJ Gracia. Listed below are all 11 of the Twins' slotted picks with their allotted bonus values.

• 1st Round, 3rd pick: $9,740,100
• 2nd Round, 43rd pick: $2,333,200
• Comp B, 74th pick: $1,138,600
• 3rd Round, 79th pick: $1,052,700
• 4th Round, 107th pick: $733,100
• 5th Round, 139th pick: $536,900
• 6th Round, 168th pick: $406,800
• 7th Round, 197th pick: $319,600
• 8th Round, 227th pick: $253,300
• 9th Round, 257th pick: $215,400
• 10th Round, 287th pick: $199,900

Teams can spend up to $150,000 on player bonuses in rounds 11-20, with any amount spent over $150,000 being counted toward their bonus pool. Teams are permitted to spend up to 5% over their total bonus pool, incurring only a tax penalty on the overage.

The total they have to spend can be spread around however they'd like, though, so (for instance) if the wealth of options at No. 3 gives them the leverage to sign someone for $7.7 million instead of $9.7 million, they can use the remainder on one or more of their other picks. Typically, teams at the very top of the draft do at least some of this. Last year, the Mariners saved $700,000 against the slot value of the third pick. Over the last four drafts, the top three picks have delivered their teams an average savings of $937,000. However, when the Twins picked fifth in 2023, they were so happy to have Walker Jenkins fall to them that they signed him for the full slot allotment.

If you were picking for the Twins today, who would you select at number three overall?

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[tarheeltwinsfan]

Tyler Jay (6), Keoni Cavaco (13) or  Kohl Stewart (4) would be my top 3 choices.

[ashbury]

Being so bad as to possess the 4th largest bonus pool isn't something to "boast," per the headline.

[bunsen82]

14 minutes ago, ashbury said:

Being so bad as to possess the 4th largest bonus pool isn't something to "boast," per the headline.

Well they were bad on purpose - so they achieved their goal.  

[Dman]

Right now Vahn Lackey would be my pick.  A possible good to elite Defensive catcher who can hit would be a nice get at three to me.

Does anyone know if Flora is a Skenesian like talent?  If so might be hard to pass on an ace arm as well. 

I still like Emerson too. Could be tough to choose who take at #3. Might come down to who cuts a deal.

 

[Cory Engelhardt]

1 hour ago, ashbury said:

Being so bad as to possess the 4th largest bonus pool isn't something to "boast," per the headline.

They don't have a comp round A pick this year, which would have probably given them the 3rd largest bonus pool. I was expecting more like the 5th largest pool, so 4th is better than expected.

[terrydactyls]

2 hours ago, tarheeltwinsfan said:

Tyler Jay (6), Keoni Cavaco (13) or  Kohl Stewart (4) would be my top 3 choices.

I thought the question was who would you chose with the third of the draft.

[terrydactyls]

30 minutes ago, Dman said:

Right now Vahn Lackey would be my pick.  A possible good to elite Defensive catcher who can hit would be a nice get at three to me.

Does anyone know if Flora is a Skenesian like talent?  If so might be hard to pass on an ace arm as well. 

I still like Emerson too. Could be tough to choose who take at #3. Might come down to who cuts a deal.

 

Or it might come down to who gets picked ahead of the Twins.

[tarheeltwinsfan]

5 hours ago, terrydactyls said:

I thought the question was who would you chose with the third of the draft.

You are correct. I was just reminding all that a top pick is a gamble. My post was a poor attempt at warning not to get too worked up over a third pick. Sorry.

[DataNerd]

7 hours ago, Dman said:

Right now Vahn Lackey would be my pick.  A possible good to elite Defensive catcher who can hit would be a nice get at three to me.

Does anyone know if Flora is a Skenesian like talent?  If so might be hard to pass on an ace arm as well. 

I still like Emerson too. Could be tough to choose who take at #3. Might come down to who cuts a deal.

 

Flora has an elite fastball (not quite the speed that Skenes had, but has better movement for whiffs), similar to Chase Burns who went 2nd overall in 24' and is currently starting for the Reds.

Flora doesn't have a secondary as good as Skenes slider was, and he also isn't nearly as built as Skenes was.  So not at Skenes level, but if he was he wouldn't be making it to #3

[AlwaysinModeration]

9 hours ago, tarheeltwinsfan said:

Tyler Jay (6), Keoni Cavaco (13) or  Kohl Stewart (4) would be my top 3 choices.

Nick Gordon (5) was drafted in the year that heading into the spring, Trea Turner was considered the top overall pick.  He had a ok spring for NC State, but slightly lower BA and OBP and steals than his sophomore year, so he fell to 13.  Aaron Nola was also the best pitcher in college that year for LSU, with lots of strikeouts and basically not walking anyone. 

So, I vote for 1) not drafting the son of a major leaguer out of high school because he has name recognition, and 2) drafting a college player considered the top pick who falls.

If the Twins get a chance at Roch Cholowsky, they should take it.

[tony&rodney]

Best player available. 

A position player who can hit, field, run, and throw - above average in all areas. Someone with a lower K-rate and higher BB-rate too. 

A pitcher with an outstanding frame who has multiple plus pitcher with command and control.

For the #3 pick the Twins should be greedy about obtaining a guy with talent/playable athleticism. 

 

[AlwaysinModeration]

Since this is about the cap, a question and a comment:

1) Would the Twins try to do the “two-for-one strategy of going under at #3 and way over at #43? Say,..$7mm for Grady Emerson and $5mm for Drew Burress?

2) If I recall, the Twins are one of, if not the only, team to never exceed their draft pool.  If Tom Pohlad wants to contend tha things are different, he should be pushed on this - the Twins are voluntarily giving up resources they could use to get better players in the system