Minnesota Twins Minor League Hitter of the Month - June 2026

[Seth Stohs]

Image courtesy of Rob Thompson (Top L to R: Ricardo Olivar, Aaron Sabato, Kaelen Culpepper; Bottom L to R: Kyler Fedko, Ben Ross, Hendry Mendez)

I have been writing up these monthly reports for a good 15-20 years, and I am almost 100% certain that what you'll see below, I have never seen before. 

The Saints offense has been tremendous this season. They are hitting homers at a record-setting pace and scoring a lot of runs. The nice thing is that most everyone is contributing. Guys coming up from Wichita or down from the big leagues are contributing. For now, let's just say that you'll see a few Saints players near the top of this list.

But there were a lot of strong offensive performances this month. Below you will find the Top 5 hitters of the month, including our choice for Twins Minor League Hitter of the Month. But, because there were so many options, I wrote up "The Next Three" Hitters too. There are also eight Honorable Mentions. I'm curious what our readers think and how they would rank the top hitters of the month. There were even a few FCL Twins mentioned in the Honorable Mention section. You could certainly make an argument for one of them being in the Top 8 or 10, but that player had just 13 games played where others played as many as 27 games.  

What a great month for hitters in the Twins minor leagues! Let's get started. Leave feedback in the comments below. 

HONORABLE MENTIONS

• 1B/OF Jaime Ferrer - Cedar Rapids Kernels/Wichita Wind Surge 24 G, 21-88, .239/.337/.477 (.814), 1-2B, 1-3B, 6-HR, 20 RBI, 12 R, 10 BB, 25 K 
• UT Jay Thomason - Cedar Rapids Kernels - 21 G, 15-65, .231/.375/.462 (.837), 2-2B, 2-3B, 3-HR, 9 RBI, 10 R, 15 BB, 21 K 
• C/CF Khadim Diaw - Cedar Rapids Kernels - 26 G, 26-91, .286/.362/.440 (.802), 9-2B, 1-3B, 1-HR, 11 RBI, 18 R, 10BB, 16 K  
• OF Jayson Bass - Fort Myers Mighty Mussels - 22 G, 17-70, .243/.375/.443 (.818), 4-2B, 2-3B, 2 HR, 16 RBI, 12 R, 15 BB, 23 K.
• 2B Dameury Pena - Fort Myers Mighty Mussels - 24 G, 32-103, .311/.393/.350 (.743), 2-2B, 1-3B, - HR, 15 RBI, 17 R, 13 BB, 7 K
• C Miguel Caraballo - FCL Twins - 17 G, 13-48, .271/.400/.500 (.900), 5-2B, 2-HR, 8 RBI, 10 R, 9 BB, 17 K 
• OF Yovanny Duran - FCL Twins - 17 G, 18-61, .295/.371/.508 (.879), 2-2B, 1-3B, 3-HR, 13 RBI, 14 R, 7 BB, 17 K 
• OF Jhomnardo Reyes - FCL Twins - 13 G, 14-37, .378/.511/.892 (1.403), 3-2B, 2-3B, 4-HR, 15 RBI, 12 R, 9 BB, 7 K 

 

THE NEXT THREE HITTERS
Number 8 - OF Yasser Mercedes (21) -Fort Myers Mighty Mussels/Cedar Rapids Kernels
24 G, 24-for-91, .264/.364/.495 (.859) with 7 double, 1 triple, 4 home runs, 21 R, 20 RBI, 15 BB, 23 K
Mercedes has had a career filled with ups and downs, but so far 2024 has been a definite up! No one has ever questioned his athleticism and general talent level. But that hasn’t always translated statistically. While his season started late, Mercedes just looks different on the field. Maybe it’s body language, but he’s playing much more confidently. In 21 games for Fort Myers, he hit .321/.439/.642 (1.081) with four doubles, two triples and six home runs. He’s played in 16 games for Cedar Rapids and is hitting .203/.304/.373 (.677) with four doubles and two homers. More importantly, he doesn’t look overwhelmed. He also has a combined 19 stolen bases.   

Number 7 - 3B/SS/CF Brandon Winokur (21) - Cedar Rapids Kernels
26 G, 33-99, .333/.427/.495 (.922), 4-2B, 4 HR, 17 RBI, 16 R, 15 BB, 25 K.
If only looking at OPS, this is the best month of the former third-round pick’s career. While he has played more third base in 2026, he’s still getting quite a bit of playing time in both center field and at shortstop. He struggled in April, but in May, he took off. Manager Brian Meyer moved him into the leadoff spot for a few games, and he seemed to respond well. He took better at-bats and carried that forward regardless of his spot in the lineup. Could a promotion be coming soon? 

Number 6 - OF Hendry Mendez (22) - Wichita Wind Surge/St. Paul Saints 
23 G, 31-90, .344/.449/.489 (.938), 4-2B, 3-HR, 18 RBI, 17 R, 17 BB, 13 K.
Mendez played two May games in Wichita. He has now played 21 games for the Saints and reached base in all of them. He hits for average. He’s a big guy with power potential. He has a very good eye and has consistently had more walks than strikeouts. 

THE TOP FIVE HITTERS
Number 5 - C Ricardo Olivar (24) - Wichita Wind Surge/St. Paul Saints 
21 G, 24-81, .296/.352/.642 (.994 OPS), 7-2B, 7-HR, 24 RBI, 14 R, 6 BB, 22 K.
Olivar ended the 2024 season with a few weeks in Double-A. He spent the entire 2025 season in Wichita, and that’s where he began the 2026 season as well due to the depth above. In mid-May, Twins catcher Ryan Jeffers swung at a pitch and broke his hamate bone. He will be out for two months. The Twins called up Alex Jackson to the big-leagues, and Olivar finally got his promotion to the Saints.

After not homering for his first 11 games this season in Wichita, he went on a run in which he hit 10 home runs in 13 games. The first five came in April, the next five in May. He went 0-for-4 with three strikeouts in his first Saints game. In his second game, he hit a bloop single to drive in a run. He then drove in runs in five straight games. In his third game, he had two hits. In his fourth game, he hit his first double. In his fifth game, he had a double and hit his first home run. In his sixth game, he hit another home run. At a new level, it has to be a good feeling to start out well and feel like you below.   

Number 4 - IF Kaelen Culpepper (23) - St. Paul Saints 
25 G, 28-100, .280/.407/.540 (.947), 5-2B, 7-HR, 21 RBI, 26 R, 19 BB, 21 K.
There was definitely some adjustment needed for Culpepper as he moved up to Triple-A in 2026. In March/April, he hit .234, but he did hit five home runs. He was much improved and much more consistent in June. He has done a nice job at the top of the Saints lineup. Not only does he know the strike zone pretty well (19 BB) and he puts the ball in play a lot, but he can give the team an early lead with a home run. 

With his offensive tool set, Culpepper can be an instigator, a catalyst at the top of the order. But he’s strong and can drive the ball to all fields. He can be a run producer. In addition, it’s no surprise that he played at a solid college program because he has strong instincts to go with strong fundamentals. 

The Twins are clearly creating a path for Culpepper. Generally speaking, it’s rarely as obvious as the Twins are making it. The first few weeks of the season, he would play three games at shortstop and one each at second base, third base, and DH. He hasn’t played second base since early May. He has not played third base since Royce Lewis was optioned. With that transaction also pushing Brooks Lee from shortstop to third base in the big leagues, there is an opening at shortstop for the Twins. It’s a position that can be filled in the short-term by Orlando Arcia and Ryan Kreidler, but it’s a position that every manager wants to have a guy they put in that spot 155-160 games per season. 

Is Culpepper ready for the big leagues right now? I don’t know. I certainly won’t say that he isn’t. I think he could come up now and hold his own. Personally, I’d like to see him spend another three or four weeks for St. Paul. Continue to do the things he did in May; play solid defense, take quality plate appearances, hit the ball hard, use the whole field. Honestly, just keep playing baseball. Remember, the goal is not to get players to the big leagues fast. It’s to have them ready to stay there when they get there.   

Number 3 - UT Ben Ross (24) - St. Paul Saints 
27 G, 25-88, .284/.452/.523 (.975), 9-2B, 4 HR, 15 RBI, 21 R, 24 BB, 27 K
Ross backed up his April Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Month with a strong first full month at Triple-A. Ross started the season with 16 games in Wichita before ending the month with four games with the Saints. Combined, he hit .365/.460/.676 (1.136) with eight doubles and five home runs. 

He had a little adjustment offensively to the higher level, but maybe the best thing is that for multiple reasons, he has had to be in the lineup every day. His last day off was the last day of April. He’s primarily played center field, followed closely by time at shortstop. He’s also played second base, third base and left field in his time with the Saints. But while his batting average expectedly dropped from .365 to .284, he was able to continue working walks and getting on base. His speed, athleticism, strong defense and ability to take quality plate appearances should continue to get playing time all over the diamond.

Number 2 - OF Kyler Fedko (26) - St. Paul Saints 
22 G, 29-87, .333/.433/.586 (1.019), 8-2B, 1-3B, 4-HR, 18 RBI, 23 R, 14 BB, 17 K.
If you have only followed the Twins and their minor league system the past two seasons, you just might think that Kyler Fedko is the greatest hitter in Twins minor league history. In 2025, he spent about two-thirds of the season at Double-A Wichita and finished the season with 42 games in a Saints uniform. Combined, he hit .258/.367/.487 (.854) with 25 doubles, 28 homers, 82 RBI and 38 stolen bases.   

He earned an invitation to Twins big-league spring training and began the season with the Saints again. In April, playing time was inconsistent with Walker Jenkins and other “prospects” being eased back into the lineup. He hit just .222, but he ended the month with two doubles, a triple, and seven home runs. Since mid-April, he has been in the Saints lineup most every day. As shown above, he hit for average, took walks and got on base, and ended the month with 13 extra base hits. 

The 12th round pick in 2021 out of UConn continues to play solid all-around baseball on defense, on the base paths and at the plate. He continues to wait for an opportunity to get to the big leagues. 

The Twins Minor League Hitter of the Month of May is:
1B Aaron Sabato (26) - St. Paul Saints
25 G, 29-for-93, .312/.402/.699 (1.101), 10-2B, 1-3B, 8-HR, 22 RBI, 17 R, 13 BB, 27 K.

April 23rd was a big day for Aaron Sabato. In the 3 1/2 weeks of the season prior to that date, he was playing about twice per week. Since that date, he has only been out of the Saints lineup twice. What happened on April 23rd? That’s the day that the Twins DFAd Eric Wagaman from the 40-man roster. He was claimed by the Mets.  

May 5th was a big day for Aaron Sabato. That’s the day that the Saints went to Las Vegas for a rare series against a Pacific Coast League team. On that day, he went 4-for-5 with a double, three home runs and seven RBI. The next night, he went 2-for-5 with another home run and two RBI. In the third game of the series, he was 2-for-4 with a double. On Friday, he went 0-for-3 but had two walks… and a stolen base. In the series' fifth game, he went 2-for-5 with a homer and three RBI.   

In his last game in Vegas, he went 0-for-4. A nice, great, powerful week, but then what? Was that it? Well, on May 12th, the Saints played two straight weeks at CHS Field. Sabato went hitless, but he walked twice, starting a 14-game on-base streak. He had at least one hit in 13 straight games. Within that stretch, he had eight doubles and three more home runs. 

In 38 total games this season, the former first-round pick is hitting .289/.366/.622 (.988) with 13 doubles, a triple, and 10 RBI. It will be very interesting to see what the Twins do with Sabato. If not on the 40-man roster following the World Series, he can become a minor-league free agent. If the Twins fall well out of contention, could they look to sell veterans again? Specifically, Josh Bell - playing on a one-year deal - would likely be dealt? Will the Twins brass decide to give him a couple of months in the big leagues to see how he responds? Will he hit for power? Will he put the ball in play? 

That’s for other people to figure out. My job, at least for this article, was simply to write about the top offensive performances in May. For me, Aaron Sabato was the easy choice. 

---

Congratulations to Saints first baseman Aaron Sabato, Twins Daily’s choice for Minor League Hitter of the Month for May of 2026. Feel free to share your thoughts and ask questions. How would you rank the top five hitters in the Twins organization in May?

View full article

[Mike Sixel]

The theory is something is up with the ball in much of the minors, as numbers are up across the board. Even with that, great numbers! Would love to see Fedko up and Outman gone. What's the possible harm? I'd love to see Mendez or GG for Bell also. 

[chpettit19]

15 minutes ago, Mike Sixel said:

The theory is something is up with the ball in much of the minors, as numbers are up across the board. Even with that, great numbers! Would love to see Fedko up and Outman gone. What's the possible harm? I'd love to see Mendez or GG for Bell also. 

They clearly don't believe in Fedko. And as a 26-year-old there's certainly room for doubt. But if you won't even play Outman, what's the harm in giving Fedko some run? When you're moving Kody Clemens to CF to avoid playing someone, it may be time to just move on and at least give some other folks some run. Fedko likely isn't good enough, but why not find out? Give him some run and see what he does. Maybe you have a 4th outfielder on your hands. Maybe you have a platoon OFer on your hands. Maybe he's a late bloomer and things have finally clicked for him and you have a guy who can play everyday. You've clearly decided Outman can't play. Why not try someone else?

Mendez continues to move up my list of prospects I'm most excited for. Kid can flat out put the bat on the ball. Groundball rate is still higher than you'd like, but the LD rate has come up and at some point you just need to look at a guy who puts the barrel on the ball and puts up numbers and say there's something there. Yelich has had a GB rate over 50% for 12 of his 13 seasons and I think he's done alright for himself (needs to be noted that his 1 year under 50% was 2019 when he put up a 174 wRC+). That kid definitely needs to see the majors in 2026 if he doesn't absolutely fall apart. No idea what his future holds defensively, but they need to see the bat this year.

[jmlease1]

41 minutes ago, Mike Sixel said:

The theory is something is up with the ball in much of the minors, as numbers are up across the board. Even with that, great numbers! Would love to see Fedko up and Outman gone. What's the possible harm? I'd love to see Mendez or GG for Bell also. 

I'd definitely rather be taking a look at Fedko over continuing to waste time on Outman. While Bell has disappointed and really had a rotten May, there's little chance the Twins cut bait on him and his salary this early.

Mendez is doing a fine job pushing for time though, and has the advantage of already being on the 40-man.

[mikelink45]

I love this - my disagreement is in the list of honorable mention - if you can't hit 250 in the minors I am not impressed with the hitting.  

Quote

• 1B/OF Jaime Ferrer - Cedar Rapids Kernels/Wichita Wind Surge 24 G, 21-88, .239/.337/.477 (.814), 1-2B, 1-3B, 6-HR, 20 RBI, 12 R, 10 BB, 25 K 
• UT Jay Thomason - Cedar Rapids Kernels - 21 G, 15-65, .231/.375/.462 (.837), 2-2B, 2-3B, 3-HR, 9 RBI, 10 R, 15 BB, 21 K 

Seeing Sabato number one is shocking.  I gave up on him 2 years ago - now I would love to see him replace Bell - why not?

I am also delighted to see Olivar up there.  Jackson and Caratini are not a pair want to see on the team next year. 

It will be interesting to see where Mendez fits in with the Walker/Emma promotions (of course if he stays healthy he has a big advantage). 

Fedko just seems to be in limbo even when the team keeps Outman - My head hurts trying to figure this out. 

What is the major league potential for Ross?  He has the Keaschall, Lee, Culpepper, Gray, Kreidler, Lewis and Marek log jam to work throught so how does he rank in this grouping?

[Dman]

There are a lot of surprises in there.  This might be a long post.

I have been waiting for what feels like forever for Winokur to have a month like this. He has the four other tools just needs the hit tool to work out.  I would love to see a promotion to AA as that level can take some time for most players to move past.

Mendez might be my favorite bat.  It's a great eye and contact, always contact with the ball.  He is tough out for pitchers.  A real pest.  He just needs to find a bit more power. He is young for the level and there is time, but if the Twins are sellers at the deadline would love to get a look at him at the MLB level.

I know some guys do not perform well in cold weather which make April a tough month for stats.  Olivar couldn't hit a basketball in April. It was a ton of swing and miss as well as weak contact. I was shocked to see just how good his May numbers are.  He has always been a solid bat, but not going to get much defensive value from him.  If he keeps this up he looks close to ready even if not on the 40 man.

Culpepper warmed up with the weather as well and has been the same player at pretty much every level. Not much more he can do other than give the Twins another month of this type of production and force their hand to move him up sooner rather than later.

For as good as Culpepper has been Ross has been his equal.  Granted Ross is older, but they almost seem like twins these days in that they both can play short and be plus there defensively and both have solid hit profiles with good power.  Ross can also play in the outfield.  He needs to show he can keep this level of production up the better part of this year to have a chance to get added to the 40 man.  If he does it would be awesome to have a utility guy with his skill set that you could send up and down for the next three years.

Fedko just needs to keep doing what he is doing and keep the pressure on.

Biggest surprise is Sabato at number 1.  I knew he was doing well because I kept seeing if Fedko was going to overtake him for OPS.  Every time Fedko got a double or a HR Sabato did the same.  I'm still not a huge Sabato fan, but I have to say he looks to be in great shape.  He must be working hard on his body because he looks fit and moving about as well as I've seen.  Still I think I'd rather have Fedko on the 40 man instead mainly because of defensive value and versatility.  Would have to look closer at underlying numbers offensively to see if Sabato has better EV's, swing and miss or chase rates to see if I could choose him over Fedko.  At any rate great month for Sabato I hope he keeps it up.

Been watching Reyes, Duran and Carabello as all three have been off to hot starts. I don't know if Reyes can keep this up, but he did have an .800 OPS in the DSL last year and if he does about the same in his first year stateside I'd be happy with that.

Carabello was the catcher we got in the Rule V trade and he seems to be off to repeating his numbers from last year as well.  Small sample sizes on these guys, but it would be nice to find another fast moving high octane Rodriguez type bat at some point again.

[AceWrigley]

8 minutes ago, mikelink45 said:

Seeing Sabato number one is shocking.  I gave up on him 2 years ago - now I would love to see him replace Bell - why not?

Josh Bell hit 3 home runs early in the season, then hit 2 homers May 18th. He has provided no consistency from the middle of the batting order and has a 72 OPS+ for the year, mostly from the DH position. Lets not even mention his glove work.

I get that they paid him to play but if he continues at this level of contribution I'd just as soon see what Aaron Sabato can do.  Why not?

[AceWrigley]

34 minutes ago, mikelink45 said:

Fedko just seems to be in limbo even when the team keeps Outman - My head hurts trying to figure this out.

Kyler Fedko is another Twin's minor leaguer who has shown he deserves a shot at spending some time on the MLB roster. Ben Ross is also putting himself in position for a future call up.

[4twinsJA]

Would like to see some of these position players at AAA get an opportunity with Twins. The top 6 hitters in May are at AAA. Unfortunately only one of the 6 are on 40 man-Mendez, so calling up any of the others would require letting someone else go. Trade Bell soon, has not been a good pickup. Outman is also a candidate for release/trade. Is Wallner done? 

[Mike Sixel]

30 minutes ago, 4twinsJA said:

Would like to see some of these position players at AAA get an opportunity with Twins. The top 6 hitters in May are at AAA. Unfortunately only one of the 6 are on 40 man-Mendez, so calling up any of the others would require letting someone else go. Trade Bell soon, has not been a good pickup. Outman is also a candidate for release/trade. Is Wallner done? 

No one is trading for Bell.