Brandon Winokur Made It to Double-A. What's Next?

[Cody Christie]

Image courtesy of David Malamut (photo of Brandon Winokur)

Every prospect reaches a point where projection gives way to proof. For Brandon Winokur, that next step has arrived. Minnesota promoted the 21-year-old to Double-A Wichita after another intriguing stint at High-A Cedar Rapids. 

It isn't a promotion offered because he has answered every question about his game. Instead, it's an opportunity to answer one of the biggest questions remaining: whether one of the organization's highest-upside athletes can begin turning tantalizing tools into a complete package against upper-level competition. The Twins have always believed Winokur was worth the gamble. Now comes the biggest test of his young professional career.

A Rare Draft Profile

When the Twins selected Winokur in the third round of the 2023 MLB Draft, they weren't drafting a polished high-school hitter. They were betting on traits that simply don't come around very often. At 6-foot-6, Winokur was an unusual shortstop with flashes of all five tools. His size, athleticism, plus arm, power potential, and speed made him one of the more fascinating players in the draft class. Those same tools also came with significant questions about his hit tool and whether he would sign instead of honoring his commitment to Texas Tech.

Minnesota believed enough in the upside to offer him a $1.5-million signing bonus (essentially second-round money) to bring him into the organization. Since then, his professional career has looked much like evaluators expected: equal parts exciting and frustrating.

Flashes of the Ceiling

Winokur's first two full seasons have showcased why the Twins were willing to invest heavily. He's developed into one of the better athletes in the system, while proving he can stay on the infield much longer than many expected. When he was drafted, some scouts believed his size would quickly force a move off shortstop. Instead, his agility, flexibility, and athleticism have allowed him to continue handling the position while also seeing time at third base and all three outfield spots.

That defensive versatility dramatically raises his floor. Offensively, the power-speed combination has been impossible to ignore. Last season, he tied for the Midwest League lead with 17 home runs while stealing 26 bases. Few players in the organization possess that kind of raw power combined with above-average speed. The challenge has never been whether the power exists. It's getting to it consistently.

Throughout his career, Winokur's swing has produced too many pull-side ground balls and opposite-field flares, instead of hard contact in the air. The Twins have worked with him on adjustments designed to help him find the barrel more consistently and unlock the elite raw power that's been evident since high school.

Another Encouraging Season

Returning to High-A in 2026 wasn't the most exciting assignment, but it gave Winokur another opportunity to refine his approach. In 74 games with Cedar Rapids, he hit .252/.362/.421 with 13 doubles, two triples, 10 home runs, and 19 stolen bases in 25 attempts. Perhaps the most encouraging development was his improved plate discipline. His walk rate climbed to 12.6%, more than four percentage points better than last season, showing a more mature approach and improved strike-zone awareness. That's an important step for a hitter whose offensive value depends on getting into favorable counts.

However, the strikeout concerns remain. Winokur struck out in 29.4% of his plate appearances, nearly five percentage points higher than last season. His contact rate remains below 60%, highlighting the biggest obstacle standing between him and becoming an everyday major leaguer. 

Even so, there are reasons for optimism beneath the surface. More than 83% of his plate appearances came against pitchers older than him, but he produced an impressive .836 OPS against those opponents. Considering he spent the year facing more experienced competition, his offensive production becomes a bit more encouraging.

What Double-A Will Reveal

The jump to Double-A is often where prospect dreams become reality, or where flaws become impossible to ignore. For Winokur, it's less about the box score and more about the quality of his at-bats. Texas League pitchers will consistently attack the weaknesses that have followed him throughout his career. Elevated fastballs have given his long levers trouble, while quality breaking balls have exposed inconsistent pitch recognition. Those issues become far more pronounced against experienced upper-level pitchers capable of executing good game plans.

The Twins don't necessarily need him to eliminate strikeouts. Plenty of productive power hitters strike out at high rates. Instead, they need him to prove the contact can reach an acceptable level while continuing to impact the baseball when he does connect. If the swing decisions continue improving and the contact quality remains strong, the rest of his offensive profile starts to look much more realistic.

Even if he never develops into an everyday middle-of-the-order bat, Winokur's athleticism gives him multiple paths to contributing in the majors. He has the defensive versatility to play shortstop, third base, and all three outfield positions, including center field. His arm strength and range make him a legitimate late-inning defensive weapon, and his power against left-handed pitching could eventually carve out a valuable role.

The Next Step

Prospect development is rarely linear, especially for players with Winokur's profile. The Twins knew they were drafting one of the highest-risk, highest-reward players in the 2023 class. Three years later, both sides of that equation remain true. The tools still jump off the field. The athleticism is still exceptional. The power remains among the best in the organization.

Now, Double-A will determine whether the bat is beginning to catch up. If Winokur can make enough contact against more advanced pitching while continuing to control the strike zone, his ceiling becomes much more than an intriguing collection of tools. If the contact issues persist, his future may still be valuable, but likely in a versatile utility role, rather than as an everyday regular. Either way, Wichita represents the most important checkpoint of his professional career, and perhaps the clearest indication yet of what Winokur can ultimately become.

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What does Winokur need to improve at Double-A? Leave a comment and start the discussion.

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[rdehring]

What's next?  Expect he will spend the rest of this season and probably the start of next in Wichita.  Gives him time to work on those issues needing attention.  The kid is what, 21?  Has lots of time to refine his game, because his potential remains off the charts.

[bean5302]

The "kid" has always creeped me out. These are grown adults. Like when Falvey called Kody Clemens a "kid" last year. Gross.

Aside from that, "he's only 21" rings hollow. He was a high school draft pick and this is his 4th year in the system as a professional baseball player a Major League Baseball development program. Experience and age need to be evaluated together. The kind of experience and polishing of talent which happens in MiLB systems is superior to college programs.

Winokur was good enough at Ft. Myers, but he didn't hit at Cedar Rapids across two years. The Twins are technically putting Winokur at SS 1/3 of the time because this front office doesn't care a bit about developing quality defense, he's in a "prove it" phase of his career. If he's able to hold his own at AA, he remains a lower level prospect. If he flops, he falls off the prospect radar.

[Linus]

I like Winokur because he is just a really good athlete. It’s always been about the bat with him and probably always will be. He will be a good fielder wherever he ends up but he has to hit. 

[rdehring]

1 hour ago, bean5302 said:

The "kid" has always creeped me out. These are grown adults. Like when Falvey called Kody Clemens a "kid" last year. Gross.

Aside from that, "he's only 21" rings hollow. He was a high school draft pick and this is his 4th year in the system as a professional baseball player a Major League Baseball development program. Experience and age need to be evaluated together. The kind of experience and polishing of talent which happens in MiLB systems is superior to college programs.

Winokur was good enough at Ft. Myers, but he didn't hit at Cedar Rapids across two years. The Twins are technically putting Winokur at SS 1/3 of the time because this front office doesn't care a bit about developing quality defense, he's in a "prove it" phase of his career. If he's able to hold his own at AA, he remains a lower level prospect. If he flops, he falls off the prospect radar.

Don't know how old you are, bean, and sure didn't want to 'creep you out.'  When you get to my age all these guys are kids.  The oldest of my kids is now her mid-60's, and I sure as heck aren't going to apologize for thinking of her and others as kids.

[Mike Sixel]

Center Field!

[jmlease1]

I would like them to stop playing him at SS. Seems like a waste, since I have a lot of trouble seeing him ever getting any time there if/when he makes it to MLB. 3B or CF are both real options though and would be an excellent result for the Twins, so why not let him focus there? (he obviously has the physical tools to succeed at a corner OF spot or 1B, but I feel pretty confident that he can learn 1B later if that's where they want to shift him.)

Get him off SS for good, keep him focused on being a hitter and developing consistency. Hopefully he can translate all those wonderful tool into production. AA seems like a reasonable spot for him...just not playing SS.

[Mike Sixel]

Just now, jmlease1 said:

I would like them to stop playing him at SS. Seems like a waste, since I have a lot of trouble seeing him ever getting any time there if/when he makes it to MLB. 3B or CF are both real options though and would be an excellent result for the Twins, so why not let him focus there? (he obviously has the physical tools to succeed at a corner OF spot or 1B, but I feel pretty confident that he can learn 1B later if that's where they want to shift him.)

Get him off SS for good, keep him focused on being a hitter and developing consistency. Hopefully he can translate all those wonderful tool into production. AA seems like a reasonable spot for him...just not playing SS.

This. Changing positions is mentally taxing. Stop putting him at short, where he will only ever play if Culpepper and Houston both fail. Which, if that happens, lots of bad things happened. 

[DJL44]

He hits like a utility player. Is that why they keep giving him reps at SS?

[mikelink45]

Just not sure I believe he will make the final steps.  He looks awkward - not a smooth fielder anywhere and to many Ks.  Let's hope he proves me wrong. 

[Jim H]

In your 4th year as a professional, age to level is no longer much of a consideration. His numbers don't suggest he was dominating High A.  Moving him to double A was probably necessary but I agree with several posters, playing him at SS 1/3 of the time makes little sense. That suggests he isn't good  enough to be a full time shortstop. Take advantage of his athleticism and put him in centerfield. Hitting is what he needs to work on. Power isn't very useful if he can't get to it very often in games.

One of the problems with drafting project high school kids is that they are still kinda young when you need to put them on the 40 man roster to protect them from rule 5. He needs to show before then that he is more than a utility player.

[Rosterman]

Wichta as a team is batting a dismal .221. And the majority of the "good" batters have already advance to St. Paul. Not sure what is going on, as the pitching staff ahs an team era of 5.70 even afetr working in that more than 50 unearned runs have crossed the plate. 

[Linus]

3 hours ago, DJL44 said:

He hits like a utility player. Is that why they keep giving him reps at SS?

I believe the reason he is getting time at short is to maximize his asset value. If other teams deem him a legit SS prospect his potential trade value goes up. I don’t have a problem with him playing SS as he has legit SS tools unlike Martin or Q Young. 

[DJL44]

2 hours ago, Jim H said:

One of the problems with drafting project high school kids is that they are still kinda young when you need to put them on the 40 man roster to protect them from rule 5. He needs to show before then that he is more than a utility player.

If he doesn’t show that he is more than a utility player by then there is little chance he gets selected in the rule 5 draft.

[Wedman13]

7 hours ago, bean5302 said:

The "kid" has always creeped me out. These are grown adults. Like when Falvey called Kody Clemens a "kid" last year. Gross.

Aside from that, "he's only 21" rings hollow. He was a high school draft pick and this is his 4th year in the system as a professional baseball player a Major League Baseball development program. Experience and age need to be evaluated together. The kind of experience and polishing of talent which happens in MiLB systems is superior to college programs.

Winokur was good enough at Ft. Myers, but he didn't hit at Cedar Rapids across two years. The Twins are technically putting Winokur at SS 1/3 of the time because this front office doesn't care a bit about developing quality defense, he's in a "prove it" phase of his career. If he's able to hold his own at AA, he remains a lower level prospect. If he flops, he falls off the prospect radar.

Holy negative post on every single level.  If he holds his own in a league where he's 3 yrs younger than others he can only remain a low level prospect?  And MiLB is better at development than college?  Based on???

sorry someone called you a 'kid' at some point and it struck some odd chord, but it's not BW's fault.  I've been called much worse.

[LyleCole]

The kid still has significant potential and is still very young for his level.   He still is a top 10 level prospect in anyone who pays attention book and probably would be across almost every MLB franchise.

The Twins are smart in using him at 3B where is more natural roster fit will be evident.

 

[bean5302]

4 hours ago, Wedman13 said:

Holy negative post on every single level.  If he holds his own in a league where he's 3 yrs younger than others he can only remain a low level prospect?  And MiLB is better at development than college?  Based on???

sorry someone called you a 'kid' at some point and it struck some odd chord, but it's not BW's fault.  I've been called much worse.

Welcome to my ignore list.