Ranking the Next Minnesota Twins Core: Who Makes the Cut?

[Cody Christie]

Image courtesy of Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

A new wave of young players has arrived in Minnesota. The group is headlined by several well-regarded prospects, and all 10 players featured here are 25 or younger. Emmanuel Rodríguez was the latest to debut, following 2023 first-round pick Walker Jenkins and 2024 first-round pick Kaelen Culpepper to the majors within the last six weeks.

The Twins have spent plenty of time discussing what this group could eventually become.

“We’ve spent a lot of time during the offseason, this season, talking about what this prospect group means and how much we think they can help us in the future,” Twins general manager Jeremy Zoll said. “We’re starting to see all that come together.”

That process has accelerated since last year's trade deadline. After moving several established players, the Twins are transitioning toward a new foundation. These young players will have an opportunity to determine whether Minnesota can turn that transition into another competitive roster.

Passing the Torch

The Twins have gone through several waves of young talent over the last decade. The previous group included Royce Lewis, Trevor Larnach, Alex Kirilloff, Ryan Jeffers and Jhoan Duran. Before them came Byron Buxton, Max Kepler, Jorge Polanco, Miguel Sanó, Eddie Rosario and José Berríos.

Some of those players became stars. Others never reached their expected ceilings. A few were eventually traded away as the organization attempted to build around the next group.

Now, that next group is here. Ranking young players is never an exact science. Injuries, development and opportunity can change everything quickly. But when considering talent, future upside and how each player fits into Minnesota's next potential winning team, here's how these 10 players stack up.

10. RHP Mick Abel

Abel's 2026 season was interrupted by arthroscopic surgery on his right elbow, creating some uncertainty heading into next year. He showed flashes of promise in limited opportunities, but the biggest question is what he will look like when he returns. Minnesota still has time to see whether Abel can become a rotation piece or eventually find a different role. For now, the uncertainty surrounding his health puts him at the bottom of this list.

9. RHP Andrew Morris

Morris transitioned into a relief role this season and showed why the Twins could have a long-term bullpen piece on their hands. He was effective for much of the season before showing some fatigue down the stretch. That is understandable considering this was his first full season working primarily as a reliever. The Twins should give Morris an opportunity to establish himself as an important part of next year's bullpen.

8. LHP Kendry Rojas

Rojas has taken an unusual path this season. He has worked as both a starter and a multi-inning bullpen option, giving Minnesota another interesting young arm to work with. The organization continues to view him as a starting pitcher, but his future may ultimately be in the bullpen. His ability to handle multiple innings makes him particularly intriguing. Whether that eventually translates into a rotation spot or a high-leverage relief role remains one of the more interesting questions surrounding his development.

7. LHP Connor Prielipp

Prielipp has already taken a significant step toward establishing himself as a major-league starter. He pitched more than 140 innings between the minors and majors this season, finishing with a 4.87 ERA. That number doesn't completely capture what he accomplished, however, as several of his underlying statistics point toward better results than his surface numbers. The Twins need young starting pitching, and Prielipp has put himself in position to be part of the rotation for multiple seasons.

6. 3B Brooks Lee

Lee's development has taken an interesting turn. After spending much of his professional career at shortstop, he has transitioned to third base and become one of the better defenders at the position. That defensive improvement has helped solidify his place on the roster. Offensively, Lee has hit 24 home runs while posting a 105 OPS+. There is still room for more consistency at the plate, but a 25-year-old infielder who can provide power and strong defense has plenty of value. Lee looks increasingly like a player the Twins can build around.

5. OF Luke Keaschall

Keaschall's season has been a tale of two halves. After struggling early, he has emerged as one of Minnesota's better offensive players. His bat has given the Twins plenty of reasons to believe he can become an important part of the lineup. The defensive picture is less settled. Keaschall's long-term position remains something the organization will have to determine, but a corner-outfield role could eventually make the most sense. If his offensive production continues, the Twins will find a way to get his bat into the lineup.

4. OF Emmanuel Rodríguez

Rodríguez was the last player from this group to make his major-league debut, but he has the type of skill set that could make him one of the most important pieces of the next Twins core. The power stands out immediately. Rodríguez also has the athleticism to play all three outfield positions, giving Minnesota flexibility as the roster develops around him. His path to the majors took longer than some of the other players on this list, but his upside remains considerable. The Twins need impact hitters. Rodríguez has a chance to become one.

3. SS Kaelen Culpepper

Culpepper didn't need much time to show why the Twins selected him in the first round in 2024. He demonstrated the ability to impact the game on both sides of the ball before a hamstring injury interrupted his rookie season. His defensive versatility and offensive potential make him one of the more intriguing young players in the organization. More importantly, the Twins still view him as their shortstop of the future. Culpepper should have every opportunity to open next season as Minnesota's starting shortstop.

2. RHP Taj Bradley

Bradley emerged as one of the biggest developments of the 2026 season. At the beginning of the year, there were legitimate questions about what his future would look like in Minnesota. By the end of the season, he had established himself as the Twins' top starting pitcher. Bradley also reached several milestones that may have seemed difficult to envision when the season began.

Starting pitching is one of the most difficult things to acquire, develop and retain. If Bradley can build on his 2026 performance, Minnesota may have found a legitimate rotation anchor for the next competitive window.

1. OF Walker Jenkins

Jenkins gets the top spot because of the combination of talent, age and upside. The former first-round pick has shown over the last week why evaluators have been so excited about his future. There are tools throughout his game that could eventually make him one of the best players on the roster.

The Twins don't need Jenkins to become a superstar for the organization to have a successful rebuild. But if Minnesota is going to build a team capable of contending for years, having Jenkins become the player his talent suggests he can be would change the entire ceiling of the roster. He needs to be at the heart of the next great Twins lineup.

The Next Twins Core

There are no guarantees with young players. Some will develop into stars. Others will settle into complementary roles, become trade pieces or fail to reach the expectations placed upon them. That's the reality of building a roster around young talent.

But the Twins have something they didn't have a year ago: a clearer look at the players who could become the foundation of their next contender. Jenkins, Bradley, Culpepper, Rodríguez, Keaschall and Lee give Minnesota a group of young position players with different skill sets. Prielipp, Rojas, Morris and Abel give the pitching staff several more potential pieces.

The next step is turning potential into production. If enough of these players reach their ceilings, the Twins could have the foundation of another competitive roster. The organization will spend the next few seasons finding out exactly what this group can become.

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How would you rank Minnesota's under-25 players? Leave a comment and start the discussion.

 

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[PuckettPond]

Those 10 players should give every Twins fan Hope & change for the future. Remember dead weight is bad weight. We can & must do better. Randy Johnson & Nolan Ryan had control issues early in their careers & look how they ended up. Hoffman trade will turnout to be one of the worst trades in Twins history besides the trades they were too afraid to make.

[Whitey333]

Nice article.  Remember prospects are just suspects until they prove themselves.  Then you must have a GM that is willing too mo ve out that dead weight that is sometimes producing but a lot of times is holding back development.  After the curious moves and especially non moves at the trade deadline im pretty convinced Zoll is not the right person for that job.

 

[tucana25]

39 minutes ago, Whitey333 said:

Nice article.  Remember prospects are just suspects until they prove themselves.  Then you must have a GM that is willing too mo ve out that dead weight that is sometimes producing but a lot of times is holding back development.  After the curious moves and especially non moves at the trade deadline im pretty convinced Zoll is not the right person for that job.

 

I didn't really care who is making baseball decisions. Zoll or whomever. 

I am extremely convinced the pohlads are not the right people for their job.

[old nurse]

The Twins don’t need Jenkins to be a superstar player only if 2 other players tap up into that level of play. 

[mikelink45]

That 10 is not good enough.  Sorry, but Culpepper, Jenkins, Prielipp, Keaschall and Bradley are the core and we need more.  At this point Lee is just about replacement level.  Rojas and Abel have proven nothing.  Morris faded - is he burned out for the year or longer?

[LastOnePicked]

6 minutes ago, mikelink45 said:

That 10 is not good enough.  Sorry, but Culpepper, Jenkins, Prielipp, Keaschall and Bradley are the core and we need more.  At this point Lee is just about replacement level.  Rojas and Abel have proven nothing.  Morris faded - is he burned out for the year or longer?

Lee is a little better than replacement value, but I generally agree. There's real talent here, but it's largely unproven talent. Sophomore slumps can be real, and even if these guys play well, most MLB teams have ten players with about this much promise ... if not much more.

Pitching is going to very thin, and defense certainly needs strengthening. I'm not yet convinced that Shelton can get the most out of these guys. It's going to take a whole new system of coaching to elevate the Twins' game. 

[rdehring]

Add me to the list of those who are excited about this group.  Curious about a couple others.  Was Zebby considered and didn't make the cut?  Or has he been around long enough that he wasn't considered? 

Then there is Alan Roden.  What he has done in his inconsistent playing time with the Twins together with his AAA production, I am of the opinion he belongs in major league baseball.  Not saying he beats out anyone in this top 10.  Just saying he is a big leaguer, whether or not that is with the Twins.  Roden and at least one other of the many left-handed hitting outfielders are certainly prospects to be moved, if they don't make the Twins roster next year.  And if moved they should bring back something of value to the Twins.

[SE23]

6 hours ago, mikelink45 said:

That 10 is not good enough.  Sorry, but Culpepper, Jenkins, Prielipp, Keaschall and Bradley are the core and we need more.  At this point Lee is just about replacement level.  Rojas and Abel have proven nothing.  Morris faded - is he burned out for the year or longer?

Lee is a solid big league 3B with some power -- the kind of player you need on your championship roster. He improves a little each year, which is the kind of trajectory everyone wants. Some might argue he would be even better if he gave up switch hitting. No reason he can't hit .265 next year with 30 HR and 90 RBI.

[SE23]

3 hours ago, rdehring said:

Add me to the list of those who are excited about this group.  Curious about a couple others.  Was Zebby considered and didn't make the cut?  Or has he been around long enough that he wasn't considered? 

Then there is Alan Roden.  What he has done in his inconsistent playing time with the Twins together with his AAA production, I am of the opinion he belongs in major league baseball.  Not saying he beats out anyone in this top 10.  Just saying he is a big leaguer, whether or not that is with the Twins.  Roden and at least one other of the many left-handed hitting outfielders are certainly prospects to be moved, if they don't make the Twins roster next year.  And if moved they should bring back something of value to the Twins.

I'm with you on Roden. He looks like he'll find a home in the Big Leagues. What if he could move to 1B next year?

[SE23]

3 minutes ago, SE23 said:

Lee is a solid big league 3B with some power -- the kind of player you need on your championship roster. He improves a little each year, which is the kind of trajectory everyone wants. Some might argue he would be even better if he gave up switch hitting. No reason he can't hit .265 next year with 30 HR and 90 RBI.

One other curious note about Brooks -- he was a MUCH better hitter on the road this season than he was at Target Field.

Road OPS = .865    Home OPS = .589

17 of his 24 HR were hit on the road

BA was .292 in away games, .211 at TF

 

[D.C Twins]

Morris stands out on this list like a sore thumb.... NOT part of the future core in any way shape or form

 

[Andy MacPhail]

IMO, the most important pieces have not arrived yet. When Lackey (C) & Houston (SS) arrive then we can talk about the serious core.

[SE23]

5 minutes ago, Andy MacPhail said:

IMO, the most important pieces have not arrived yet. When Lackey (C) & Houston (SS) arrive then we can talk about the serious core.

Agree on Lackey and Houston. Also need a couple guys in the organization to compete for 1B and DH in 2027 and 2028. Gonzalez? Mendez? Diaw? Kendle? Tinney?

[Andy MacPhail]

9 minutes ago, SE23 said:

Agree on Lackey and Houston. Also need a couple guys in the organization to compete for 1B and DH in 2027 and 2028. Gonzalez? Mendez? Diaw? Kendle? Tinney?

I'd place Keaschal at 1B, DH isn't important part of the core. Many can fill that role. Also as long as Buxton is a Twin, he's part of the core. Whether it's CF, cOF or eventually even DH.

[Elite Benchwarmer]

9 hours ago, mikelink45 said:

That 10 is not good enough.  Sorry, but Culpepper, Jenkins, Prielipp, Keaschall and Bradley are the core and we need more.  At this point Lee is just about replacement level.  Rojas and Abel have proven nothing.  Morris faded - is he burned out for the year or longer?

Brooks Lee is 25 and had the 4th highest bWAR @ 2.5 - that's quite a bit above replacement level.  I think Brooks has more upside (1339 PA).  However, his OBP of 0.300 this year is a problem (0.289 career).