Twins Prospect Hot Sheet: Record-Breaking Performances in Fort Myers

[Cody Christie]

Image courtesy of William Parmeter

The minor-league season is entering its final stretch, which means there is little time left for prospects to make an impression. For some players, that can create pressure. For others, it provides an opportunity to finish the season with a flourish.

This week’s Twins Prospect Hot Sheet features three players doing exactly that. Kendry Rojas is continuing to show why Minnesota believes he can be a starting pitcher, while Luis Fragoza has emerged as one of the most productive hitters in the Florida State League. Meanwhile, Merphy Hernandez is turning his speed into a historic season for the Fort Myers Mighty Mussels.

Each prospect is taking a different path, but all three are giving the organization plenty to be excited about.

LHP Kendry Rojas — Saint Paul Saints

How He Got Here: Rojas consistently moved through the Blue Jays system after signing in 2021. He came to the Twins in last season’s trade for Louie Varland, because Minnesota believed in his upside as a starting pitcher. 

The transition was not especially smooth after the trade. Rojas struggled in his first taste of Triple-A, but he was only 22 years old and facing some of the best hitters of his professional career. The second time around has been a different story. Rojas has settled in at Triple-A this season, posting a 3.27 ERA while also helping the Twins in a multi-inning role.

Hitting the Hot Button: For the second time in a week, Rojas got a start against the Iowa Cubs. He danced around small jams through the first three innings, allowing the leadoff hitter to reach on a single in each inning. Rojas stranded two runners in the first and one in each of the next two innings before retiring the side in order in the fourth. 

He finished with four scoreless innings, allowing four hits while walking one and striking out five. He needed only 52 pitches to complete those four innings, throwing 40 for strikes. Even more encouraging, Rojas generated 13 swings and misses on 34 swings.

Since being demoted at the beginning of August, Rojas has started three games and pitched 11 innings while allowing just one earned run. He's struck out 11 while walking only two, holding opposing hitters to a .180/.220/.256 slash line. That's the kind of stretch that can change the conversation surrounding a young pitcher. Rojas is still just 23 years old, and his ability to handle Triple-A hitters while maintaining starting-pitcher upside makes him an intriguing piece of Minnesota’s pitching puzzle.

INF/OF Luis Fragoza — Fort Myers Mighty Mussels

How He Got Here: Fragoza received just $77,500 to sign with the Twins in January 2024. A solid debut in the Dominican Summer League at age 17 (where he posted a .784 OPS) brought him Stateside for the Florida Complex League in 2025. That season was more of a struggle. Fragoza posted a .646 OPS while trying to find consistency at the plate.

He returned to the FCL in 2026 but quickly earned a promotion to full-season Loa-A Fort Myers. Once he arrived with the Mighty Mussels, Fragoza quickly established himself as one of the most dangerous hitters in the lineup.

Hitting the Hot Button: Fragoza was named the Florida State League Player of the Week for the week of August 10, and it's easy to understand why. He led the league with a ridiculous .667/.800/1.583 slash line while producing a 2.383 OPS across five games. He ranked second in the league in home runs (3), walks (7), extra-base hits (5), runs (9), stolen bases (7), and total bases (19) during the week.

Nor was that a mere hot five-game stretch. Fragoza has been one of Fort Myers's best hitters throughout the season. Across 59 games, he leads the Mighty Mussels in batting average (.322), slugging percentage (.607), OPS (1.005), and RBIs (51).

Fragoza has gone from an intriguing international signing to one of the more productive young hitters in the Twins' lower levels. There's still plenty of development ahead, but his offensive performance this season has made him much harder to overlook.

OF Merphy Hernandez — Fort Myers Mighty Mussels

How He Got Here: Hernandez was also part of the Twins' 2024 international signing class. He played 49 games in the Dominican Summer League that year, hitting .276/.390/.417 with 36 stolen bases and 12 extra-base hits. His first full taste of Stateside baseball did not go nearly as smoothly. Hernandez played just 16 games in 2025 and struggled at the plate, posting a .589 OPS.

Minnesota sent him back to the FCL to begin the 2026 season. That decision appears to have paid off. Hernandez posted a .934 OPS in 10 games before earning a promotion to Low-A Fort Myers. Since then, the speed has become one of the defining aspects of his game.

Hitting the Hot Button: Hernandez stole his 40th base of the season earlier this week. That may sound like just another stolen base for one of the organization's fastest players, but it put Hernandez in some pretty impressive company. He became the first Mighty Mussel-era player, dating back to 2020, to reach 40 steals in a season.

Only four players in franchise history (since 1992) had previously reached that mark. The most recent was Ben Revere, who stole 45 bases in 2009. Hernandez isn't just collecting stolen bases, either. He's been swinging a hot bat lately, hitting .368/.429/.500 over his last 11 games with three extra-base hits and 14 stolen bases.

The combination of speed and improved offensive production makes Hernandez an intriguing player to watch as he continues moving through the system. After struggling during his first Stateside opportunity, he's shown significant growth this season.

Rojas, Fragoza, and Hernandez are at very different points in their development, but that's part of what makes this trio so interesting. Rojas is showing that his first Triple-A struggles may have been more about experience than ability. Fragoza has developed into one of the Florida State League's most productive hitters. Hernandez is combining an improving offensive game with game-changing speed and has already put his name in the Fort Myers record book.

None of these players is guaranteed to become a major-league contributor. But each is doing something right now that deserves attention. As the minor-league season winds down, these are exactly the types of performances worth watching.

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What stands out about this trio? Leave a comment and start the discussion.

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[miracleb]

Love these updates!

[Trov]

The international guys neither were in the top 50 list in 2024, which is why neither are on a top 20, but Fargoza is number 27 on MLB rankings of the Twins top 30.  That is higher than the guy they signed for nearly 2 mil.  The international 2024 guys still very young and still has long way to go, but if they were HS drafted kids doing this we would be super happy and thinking Fargoza was a stud. 

It is always so hard to predict these 16/17 year old kids on what they will grow into and develop in pro ball. Good luck to them. 

[FlyingFinn]

Fragoza is listed as INF/OF. If he keeps hitting on his way through the minors, where does he project defensively in the future and is he a plus or minus on defense?

[AceWrigley]

Luis Fragoza has been an offensive force all season and as a right-handed hitter has been tearing up right-handed pitching, a profile that indicates more than just a platoon player as he moves up the ranks.

Merphy Hernandez has some serious wheels and plays a really good centerfield and has a good arm too. If he can continue to get on base at a good clip he will continue to move up also.

If Kendry Rojas can transfer his AAA control into MLB control it will help solidify his being a major league pitcher. We'll have to watch his results as he starts to face hitters the 3rd time through the batting order, if the Twins even let him.

[twinstalker]

3 hours ago, FlyingFinn said:

Fragoza is listed as INF/OF. If he keeps hitting on his way through the minors, where does he project defensively in the future and is he a plus or minus on defense?

He's 1B/COF/DH if he made it to the majors.  The fact we know that much already is a good indication he'll be a DH who can hopefully play 1B.

Also, there are concerns about his contact and chase rates.  I think this is a cross-your-fingers type, and if there is any improvement in his current issue, it probably needs to happen before the end of 2027, at least in my experience.

His age vs level is good, so there's some hope.

[Whammy]

Fragoza now at Cedar Rapids, by the way