Twins Prospect Hot Sheet: Walker Jenkins’ Imminent MLB Debut

[Cody Christie]

Image courtesy of Rob Thompson, St. Paul Saints

The minor league season is entering its final few weeks, and the clock is ticking for the Minnesota Twins. With September approaching, the organization will soon have to determine which prospects have done enough to earn a promotion or potentially contribute at the big-league level.

The timing is especially important with questions remaining on the Twins' roster. A strong finish won't guarantee a call-up, but it can certainly change the conversation as Minnesota looks toward the final weeks of the season and beyond. Here's a look at three Twins prospects who are hitting the hot button at the right time.

RHP Ryan Gallagher – St. Paul Saints

How He Got Here: Gallagher had originally put himself on the prospect map at Santa Barbara, where he earned Big West Conference Freshman of the Year honors in 2022. His sophomore season never happened, however, as Tommy John surgery forced him to miss the entire campaign.

Gallagher returned stronger than ever. He posted a 2.22 ERA while leading all Division I pitchers with a remarkable 0.84 WHIP. That performance was enough for the Cubs to select him in the sixth round of the 2024 MLB Draft.

He earned a promotion from High-A to Double-A during his first full professional season before the Cubs included him in the deal that sent Willi Castro to Chicago. Gallagher finished the 2025 season with Double-A Wichita and continued working his way through the Twins' system in 2026.

Hitting the Hot Button: Gallagher delivered one of his best starts of the season Wednesday against Louisville. He allowed just one run on three hits over six innings, walking one batter while striking out a season-high nine. It was the type of outing that shows why the Twins remain intrigued by his potential.

The transition to Triple-A hasn't been easy. After earning a promotion at the end of April, Gallagher posted a 7.44 ERA while allowing opponents to produce a .944 OPS across his first 13 appearances at the level. Those numbers weren't exactly screaming for another promotion.

Lately, though, things have started to click. Over his last four starts, Gallagher owns a 2.49 ERA while holding opponents to a .578 OPS. The strikeout-heavy performance against Louisville is another encouraging sign that the right-hander is beginning to find his footing against more advanced hitters. There is still work to do, but Gallagher's recent stretch is exactly what the Twins want to see from a young pitcher adjusting to Triple-A.

OF Walker Jenkins – St. Paul Saints

How He Got Here: There aren't many prospects in the Twins organization who have generated as much excitement (or frustration over missed time) as Jenkins. Minnesota selected the North Carolina high school product fifth overall in the 2023 MLB Draft. He is currently Twins Daily’s No. 1 prospect and a consensus top-20 prospect overall in baseball.

When Jenkins has been on the field, he's largely looked the part. During his age-21 season, he reached Triple-A and owns a career .863 OPS in the minor leagues. The biggest obstacle has been keeping him on the field. Even with those interruptions, Jenkins still produced at the upper levels of the organization. Last season, he posted a 135 wRC+, ranking third among Twins minor leaguers with at least 350 plate appearances.

Hitting the Hot Button: Now Jenkins is healthy, and he's starting to look like the prospect Twins fans have been waiting to see. Jenkins played in six games for St. Paul last week, going 10-for-28 (.357) with a double, a triple, two home runs, and two RBI. He also recorded his first professional two-homer game Thursday against Louisville.

That performance came during an impressive stretch since his return from injury on June 23. Over 32 games during that span, Jenkins is hitting .297/.357/.516 with 17 extra-base hits. That's a .873 OPS while facing the most advanced pitching he's encountered in the minor leagues. The power is showing up. The extra-base hits are piling up. Most importantly, Jenkins is getting consistent playing time. He should be in a Twins uniform in the coming weeks. 

RHP Merit Jones – Fort Myers Mighty Mussels/Cedar Rapids Kernels

How He Got Here: Jones took a considerably different route to the Twins organization. Minnesota selected the right-hander in the 14th round of the 2025 MLB Draft out of the University of Utah. His collegiate numbers weren't particularly eye-popping, as he finished his three seasons with a 6.73 ERA and 1.72 WHIP.

But there were signs of something more. Jones played in the MLB Draft League during the summer he was drafted and posted a 2.14 ERA with a 0.81 WHIP over 21 innings.  Minnesota sent Jones to Fort Myers to begin the 2026 season. He has since turned that opportunity into one of the more impressive pitching performances in the organization's lower levels.

Hitting the Hot Button: Jones was named the Florida State League Pitcher of the Month for July. He posted a ridiculous 0.73 ERA with 30 strikeouts over 24 2/3 innings. Across six appearances, including three starts, Jones went 3-0 while allowing just two earned runs. He led the league in innings pitched, ERA, and wins. He also ranked second in strikeouts and strikeouts per nine innings, posting a 10.95 K/9. And the scoreless streak was even more impressive.

Jones didn't allow an earned run during his final four appearances of the month, covering 18 innings. During that stretch, he went 16 consecutive innings without allowing any run, earned or unearned. Jones continued the run into August. Including his August 2 outing, he went 19 innings between earned runs allowed, the fourth-longest streak in modern franchise history. For a 14th-round pick who entered the season with plenty to prove, that's quite a way to introduce yourself.

The Twins will have to make some decisions soon. The minor league season is winding down, and there are only so many games remaining for prospects to continue building their cases. Gallagher is showing that he can handle the challenges of Triple-A after a difficult introduction to the level. Jones has been one of the most dominant pitchers in the lower levels of the organization.

Then there's Jenkins. He might be the most important prospect in the entire organization, and his recent performance suggests that his next challenge should come at Target Field rather than CHS Field. Jenkins has already demonstrated that he can hit. Now he's demonstrating that he can stay on the field and produce consistently. The Twins may not need to wait much longer.

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[ashbury]

I'll confess I had minimal expectations for Gallagher when he was acquired.  I must have blurred him and Sam Armstrong together when looking at what we traded for.  I took a look at the game logs and the 4-game stretch of good results might be the real thing, translating to something approximating an average major league arm at this stage in his still-young career.  Could be a nice trade over time.