Brandon Winokur is Developing into the Player the Twins Always Envisioned

[Cody Christie]

Image courtesy of Malamut Photography (photo of Brandon Winokur)

The non-linearity of player development is especially important to remember for someone like Brandon Winokur. Had he honored a college commitment instead of signing professionally, the former high school standout would have only become draft-eligible this summer. Instead, he has already spent parts of four seasons in professional baseball, learning how to transform tremendous athletic gifts into on-field performance.

The Twins believed in that upside when they selected Winokur in the third round of the 2023 MLB Draft. Standing 6-foot-6 and playing shortstop, he was one of the most uncommon athletes available that year. Scouts saw flashes of five-tool ability, but questions surrounding his hit tool and signability caused some organizations to look elsewhere. Minnesota was willing to bet on the upside, signing him for a $1.5 million bonus that reflected the confidence typically reserved for a second-round pick.

Since entering the organization, Winokur has shown both why evaluators were intrigued and why he remains a work in progress. His first two full professional seasons featured stretches of exciting production mixed with understandable growing pains. The numbers did not always jump off the page, but the underlying tools consistently did. Last season with High-A Cedar Rapids, Winokur showcased the rare power-speed combination that makes him such an intriguing prospect. He tied for the Midwest League lead with 17 home runs while stealing 26 bases, giving a glimpse of the impact player he could become.

Power has never been the question. Winokur possesses some of the best raw power in the Twins farm system. The challenge has been accessing it consistently during games. Earlier in his professional career, his swing path often kept him from consistently finding the barrel, resulting in weakly hit balls to the opposite field or ground balls pulled to the left. The focus has been on making mechanical adjustments that allow his natural strength to translate into more authoritative contact.

The results are beginning to show. Through 54 games this season, Winokur owns a .268/.389/.444 slash line with 10 doubles, two triples, and seven home runs. Perhaps even more encouraging is the growth in his approach. After posting an 8.3% walk rate across his first two full seasons, that number has climbed to 14.6% in 2026. His strikeout rate remains elevated, at 30.0%, the highest mark he has posted since rookie ball, but the tradeoff is leading to better overall offensive production.

Last season, Winokur produced a 98 wRC+ with Cedar Rapids, essentially league-average offense. This year, that figure has jumped to 119. His batting average has climbed more than 40 points after hitting .226 across 122 games in 2025. Advanced metrics paint a similarly encouraging picture, with his wOBA rising from .327 to .389.

Much of that improvement stems from the quality of contact he is generating. His line-drive rate has increased dramatically from 19.4% a season ago to 30.9% this year. Instead of relying solely on flashes of athleticism, Winokur is making more consistent hard contact and forcing opposing pitchers to work around him. His slugging average on contact (SLGCON), which is a solid indicator of how a young player's power is playing overall, is up from .536 last season to .698.

The athleticism remains a major part of his profile, as well. When Minnesota drafted him, many evaluators assumed his size would eventually push him off shortstop. His combination of agility and athleticism has allowed him to spend far more time at the position than initially expected. This season, however, the organization has started increasing his workload elsewhere. He has made 24 starts at third base, 12 at shortstop, and another 18 in center field.

That defensive versatility only adds to his value. His plus arm fits naturally at third base, while his speed allows him to cover significant ground in the outfield. As he continues adding strength to his frame, it would not be surprising to see more of his future defensive opportunities come at third base and in the outfield, rather than at shortstop.

The biggest takeaway from Winokur's 2026 season is that progress is becoming visible. He's controlling the strike zone better, driving the ball with more authority, and producing more consistently than he did a year ago. The Twins have always believed there was significant upside hiding beneath the rawness, and this season has provided some of the strongest evidence yet that their evaluation was correct. That progress was recognized recently when Winokur earned Cedar Rapids Kernels Player of the Month honors for May. He led the club and ranked second in the Midwest League with 33 hits during the month, while batting .333 with four home runs, four doubles, and 17 RBI.

There's still work to be done. The strikeouts need to come down, and continued offensive refinement will determine whether he reaches his ceiling. However, it is important to remember that Winokur will spend the entire 2026 season as a 21-year-old. Increasingly, the minor leagues have been compressed, and expectations of prospects' development have been accelerated. Sometimes, that distorts perceptions of players who are taking a perfectly normal amount of time to blossom.

Winokur doesn't even have to be added to the 40-man roster to be shielded from the Rule 5 Draft until next November. For a player who wouldn’t have entered the professional ranks yet had he chosen the college route, the development is arriving right on time. More importantly for the Twins, Winokur is beginning to look a lot like the player they envisioned when they made one of the most ambitious bets of the 2023 draft.

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What stands out about Winokur in 2026? Leave a comment and start the discussion.

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[mikelink45]

I am delighted - my first impressions of Winokur were not that good, but work and dedication mean a lot.  Good luck to him. 

[bean5302]

What a glowing review for a guy who:
1) Is not generating a lot of power (.177 ISO).
2) Is generating almost no well hit fly balls.
3) Is striking out 30.0% of the time in A+
4) Has been entirely moved off SS.

It's not like Winokur is a lost cause, but I don't feel like his changes are exciting right now.

[old nurse]

What stands out is a 30% K rate. 

[strumdatjag]

Marek Houston seems to be the stud SS in Cedar Rapids (over at Winokur) - or am I missing something?? 
Then again, after a few months of James OUTman, I’m encouraged that the Twins have a player named WINokur.  
 

[4twinsJA]

Winokur has really filled out this past year. Agree 3B and OF are most likely, but what about 1B. 6'6" target, power bat, already can field ground balls. I really like his development, may see some time at AA this year.

[DJL44]

He is performing about as well as you would expect a 3rd round pick to perform. 3rd round picks have a 40% chance of appearing in MLB and a 20% chance of playing 3+ seasons 

[tony&rodney]

Winokur has been on my watch list for several years. The athletic talent is there. Tall players often, not a requirement or always, take longer to manage their swing mechanics. The article does a good job of explaining the areas where Winokur has worked to improve and correctly adds the improvements still needed. 

The plate appearances are better but still need further focus and refinement. The swing is shorter and the bat path moving in a positive direction but occasionally Winokur does get long and jumpy still. There are good days and bad days. If you only see him once or twice, it makes sense that one could question his future. Looking merely at statistics, likewise, only gives a partial picture of his qualities and ability to eventually transition to the major leagues. I would say Winokur is still at least two years away but worth the wait and development time. Naturally, one an tell that I may be higher on him than others.

Where I do not question Winokur is in the field. While he will look lackadaisical on the rare occasion (everyone has bad days), the defense is almost always well above average wherever he plays. Recently he made a Witt Jr. relay to nail a runner going for a triple, catching the ball and throwing it all in one lightning quick motion. Winokur has a cannon and he is very accurate. If and when Winokur manages to gain consistent control of his swing to become a threat on offense at a higher level he will fill whatever position is open: shortstop, third base, or centerfield. Whether the tall athletic prospect can make the gains will be well worth watching because a well above average defensive player who steals 25-40 bases and hits a ton of XBH with a .275 BA would be a treat to watch.

[Heiny]

15 minutes ago, 4twinsJA said:

Winokur has really filled out this past year. Agree 3B and OF are most likely, but what about 1B. 6'6" target, power bat, already can field ground balls. I really like his development, may see some time at AA this year.

Agreed.  Who else are we developing at 1B?  Should be an outstanding defensive 1st baseman with developing power.  And height is a bonus.  Could he be the next coming of Hrbek?