Grading Every Player Who Appeared for the Twins in 2026: Position Players

[Nick Nelson]

Image courtesy of Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images

Twenty-four different position players made at least one appearance for the Minnesota Twins in 2026. That includes seven rookies who made their MLB debuts, several long-tenured veterans who might have been reaching the end of the road in this organization, and everything in between. 

The sum result was a losing season, but the offense took meaningful steps forward, and so did the defense over the course of the year. Many faces played a role in helping shaping this year's story, and here we're going to evaluate each one.

Read on to find my grades for all 24 hitters who appeared for the Twins this year, in order of plate appearances.

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Josh Bell (631 PA): B-
Did what he was signed to do, driving in the most runs (96) of any Twins hitter in the past five years. Lack of fielding value and unspectacular overall production mitigated his impact, but Bell mostly delivered as promised on the one-year deal.

Brooks Lee (631 PA): B
After a brutal run at shortstop, he found his defensive home at third base and popped 24 home runs to emerge as one of the Minnesota's steadiest players. Underlying metrics are not promising (.281 xwOBA) and his inability to draw walks remains an issue, but this was undeniably a big step forward for Lee. 

Luke Keaschall (620 PA): B+
Poor defense and a slow start are the only factors keeping him out of the A-grade range. Keaschall was an on-base machine from May 1st forward, slashing .301/.402/.446. Increased power output in the second half was highly encouraging. Also stole 17 bases. 

Kody Clemens (583 PA): A-
He was what the Twins needed him to be, and then some. Led the team with 27 home runs while also leading the American League with seven triples. Proved highly versatile defensively, making 20+ starts at four different positions (1B, 2B, LF, RF) and nine in center field. Authored the greatest moment of the season (walk-off grand slam). Lack of OBP (.298) his only real drawback.

Royce Lewis (509 PA): D+
It feels like the promise of his early days is gone. We saw a flash of dominance during his brief demotion to the minors, and for a brief spell following his return, but Lewis never could harness anything sustainably in the majors, finishing with mediocre production that played worse at first than at third. 

Trevor Larnach (433 PA): B-
One of the Twins' best hitters early on, he faded in the second half. Still finished with a very good 120 OPS+ that ranked third on the team, but that figure overstates his value as a platooned corner outfielder with a bad glove.

Byron Buxton (408 PA): B
A similar story to Larnach except that Buxton was even better in the first half with an even bigger (injury-driven) drop-off in the second half. Buxton's All-Star performance in center field before the hip issues surfaced are enough to earn him a strong grade despite providing almost no value in the last two months.

Victor Caratini (382 PA): D+
Generally very unimpressive. He had one spectacular month (June) but was otherwise close to a zero offensively, with so-so glovework behind the plate. It's telling that when they were fighting to keep their season alive in September, the Twins buried Caratini on the bench. Hopefully better things ahead in Year 2 of the contract as the (gulp) likely starting catcher. 

Ryan Jeffers (369 PA): A-
Missed two months with a fractured hamate and struggled to control the running game defensively. Slumped to the finish line. Outside of that, Jeffers was phenomenal. He was one of the best hitters on the team and among the best-hitting catchers in baseball. Replacing his impact will be a top challenge for the front office this offseason.

Austin Martin (358 PA): C-
Got off to an outstanding start with a .466 OBP and .889 OPS through 35 games, but it was all downhill from there — Martin batted .181 the rest of the way and his role shrunk significantly. Still reasonably effective overall as a platoon player with a .379 OBP against LHP, but limitation to outfield corners holds back his utility. 

Ryan Kreidler (267 PA): C+
Pretty much as advertised. Good glove all over the field, not much bat, although he did surpass offensive expectations by popping seven homers and keeping his OPS in the mid-600s. 

Tristan Gray (188 PA): F
The Twins inexplicably stuck with him for way too long. Exhibited zero standout tools: poor hitting, poor fielding and minimal running speed.

Matt Wallner (135 PA): F
Banished to the minors permanently after slashing .167/.259/.292 with terrible defense and a team-worst WPA in 34 games. It is all but certain that Wallner has reached the end of the line in Minnesota. 

Kaelen Culpepper (128 PA): B
Very solid debut with talent that was plain to see. Showed some real pop including a home run in his first big-league game. Had good and bad moments at shortstop but flashed a big arm. Plate approach needs some work.

Alan Roden (94 PA): B
Much better showing than last year, with a .291/.376/.392 slash line better reflecting the ability shown in his minor-league performance. Still he struggled to find opportunities, which speaks to his conundrum in the Twins outfield as younger and better options pass him by. 

Walker Jenkins (89 PA): B-
Shook off a 4-for-45 start to slash .385/.400/.615 with three homers in his last 10 games. Still finished with a sub-.700 OPS but the adjustments were awesome to see, and Jenkins does look like a legitimate center fielder.

Alex Jackson (73 PA): B
Banked a .309 average and 114 OPS+ despite a very ugly 24-to-2 K/BB ratio. Good defense behind the plate when he had the chance to play. As a third catcher his main function was bench-warming but he's in line for a bigger role next year.

James Outman (70 PA): F
Batted .146 with a .479 OPS before being waived in June. 

Orlando Arcia (50 PA): C
Perfectly adequate when given chances to play, batting .271 with minimal power and patience in 50 plate appearances. 

Emmanuel Rodriguez (48 PA): C+
Showed huge raw power, with a home run in his first MLB at-bat and five extra-base hits in 13 games. Crushed almost everything he made contact with. But the well-established contact concerns are real: 16 strikeouts and surprisingly only three walks. 

Ben Ross (21 PA): D
Batted .190 with 11 strikeouts and no walks in 21 plate appearances during a late-season audition. He did rip a few extra-base hits and ran the bases well while playing all around the infield. Has a chance to carve out an MLB bench role. 

Kyler Fedko (19 PA): F
Barely played during his call-up, going 1-for-16 with eight strikeouts. He was released from the minors in September and quickly signed with Pittsburgh. 

Gabriel Gonzalez (11 PA): C
Made only 11 plate appearances with the Twins, contributing a couple singles and a couple walks. Needs to show he can be trusted defensively, either at first or in an outfield corner.

Aaron Sabato (6 PA): F
It was very cool to see him get an opportunity in September, but not sure how we can give him a passing grade when he we went 0-for-6 with three strikeouts in his handful of MLB at-bats.

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For a losing team, there’s a surprising amount to feel good about here. Keaschall established himself as a foundational piece, Clemens authored a career year, and late arrivals like Culpepper, Jenkins and Rodriguez gave the Twins a tantalizing glimpse of what their next core could look like.

Now comes the hard part. With Buxton coming off major surgery and Lewis potentially on the way out while several young players push for bigger opportunities, the Twins enter the offseason with more offensive talent — but also plenty of decisions about how it all fits together.

Check back tomorrow for my grades on all 32 pitchers who appeared for the Twins this season.

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[Coach Wheels]

First, grading anyome who had less than 100 PA's isn't fair so I have comme.t on those guys.

Bell was exactly who we knew he'd be. He drove in 96 runs and I'd give him a B+. Keaschall had a nice year at the plate but he's a defensive liability. I'lll give him a C.  The rest of the grades seem fair.

[Whitey333]

Well thought out article.  I online head a couple i didnt agree with.  Bell was graded too low.  Especially when you game Buxton a B for only playing half a season again.  I would have gives Bell a B+ and Buxton a c.  But that's just my opinion.  The others i pretty much agree with.  Future could be decent.  But who knows?  They still finished below .500 in a very weak division and american league.

[mikelink45]

Martin is a D  early spring surge and then a wasted place in the lineup.  Time to move on. 

Lewis is a D- based on expectations - he and Wallner were supposed to be batting in the top half of the lineup all year.

Gabriel, Sabato and Ross are incompletes - not enough chances to really prove themselves.  Jenkins turn around shows how important it is to allow for consistent play over a longer period. 

[mike8791]

Can't quarrel with grades too much, but from this list a few things stand out:

1. Keaschall looks like a leadoff hitter for years to come if they can find a suitable position.  Just can't see him as a corner OF with his lack of power.

2.  Bell's 96 ribbies is hard to overlook.  Too many people dismiss him prematurely.  Is there a better DH internally or FA who is as reasonably priced?

3.  You have highlighted the 2 major positions that must be addressed - 1B & C.   This is where Pohlad has to spend money in FA to bolster a lineup sadly lacking #3/4 hitters.

 

[bjorks]

17 minutes ago, mike8791 said:

Can't quarrel with grades too much, but from this list a few things stand out:

1. Keaschall looks like a leadoff hitter for years to come if they can find a suitable position.  Just can't see him as a corner OF with his lack of power.

2.  Bell's 96 ribbies is hard to overlook.  Too many people dismiss him prematurely.  Is there a better DH internally or FA who is as reasonably priced?

3.  You have highlighted the 2 major positions that must be addressed - 1B & C.   This is where Pohlad has to spend money in FA to bolster a lineup sadly lacking #3/4 hitters.

 

And 1B/C FA list is hard to stomach with the exception of maybe Alex Bohm. It would have to be via trade they make improvements. Overpaying Jeffers for a year seems like a no brainer and you keep Jackson and just figure out how to trade Caratini. Cash, a bucket of balls, who cares. The alternative is Caratini or worse as your starter with Jackson backing up. 

[nicksaviking]

Pretty good grades.

But where is Mickey Gasper? Got to be an A- at least.

[MapleGroveTwinsFan]

I would say the grades are fairly close but high for everybody.  Jeffers (who wasn't great defensively) played in one less game than Buxton with basically the same OPS+ and gets an A- and Buxton a B?

I think everybody should be dropped down 1 grade at least and it would be better grades. If Jeffers is an A-, what kind of grade would you give to catchers with better WAR, similar OPS+ and played in 40 to 50 more games(Gabriel Moreno,Drake Baldwin,Liam Hicks)? 

To be honest there really are only 4 guys that deserve a C+ or higher (keashall, Clemens Buxton, and Jeffers), everybody that was more than decent with the bat wasn't any good on defensive (Bell, Larnach), Lee was slightly better than average hitter, and decent at 3B and the rest of the hitter had moments but were below or well below average hitters. There were a few that didn't have enough at bats to be given a fair grade at the major league level, except Outman and Wallner both deserve F's. 

 

[HeresWaldo]

There's a good argument for judging guys based only on what they did instead of worrying about what it means for the future, so do with this what you will. But it's worth noting that the baseball changed a lot mid-season this year. Drag started the season near record highs, then fell off a cliff in early June, and from there on it was a more homer-friendly environment than any recent season except 2019, the year of the home run. Genuinely not trying to be a bummer, but it's worth keeping in mind that some of the second-half power surges we saw from guys hitting wall-scrapers might not mean much for the future. There are others, but in particular I'd keep this in mind for Lee and Keaschall, given the shapes of their seasons and their average home run distances. Both can still be quality players of course, but it's plausible we just saw their career best power months. Inversely, this says something pretty alarming about guys like Royce Lewis who were supposed to have big power but didn't show it even in a 2019-style environment. 

[wesnewy]

16 minutes ago, nicksaviking said:

Pretty good grades.

But where is Mickey Gasper? Got to be an A- at least.

Give him one month to start and he's as good as Ted Williams

[rdehring]

Interesting piece, Nick.  Very interesting, thanks.

Like a few above I don't see any difference between Jeffers and Buxton.  Buxton had a few more at bats, was better defensively and if memory serves, was as good as anyone in the league before his injury.  Both should be either A- or B.  Or is a B+ more appropriate for both?

See you appreciate that Roden had a solid year, although not a lot of big-league at bats.  I see him as a solid big-league player, either with the Twins or someone else.  Just don't know where he fits with the Twins, unless he unpacks the first base glove he had back at Creighton.

Will join those comments that Ross, Sabato and others with less than 25 at bats should be given an incomplete.

[rv78]

1 hour ago, mike8791 said:

Can't quarrel with grades too much, but from this list a few things stand out:

1. Keaschall looks like a leadoff hitter for years to come if they can find a suitable position.  Just can't see him as a corner OF with his lack of power.

2.  Bell's 96 ribbies is hard to overlook.  Too many people dismiss him prematurely.  Is there a better DH internally or FA who is as reasonably priced?

3.  You have highlighted the 2 major positions that must be addressed - 1B & C.   This is where Pohlad has to spend money in FA to bolster a lineup sadly lacking #3/4 hitters.

 

Agree with your #2. Bell had the season they were looking for.... unless they were hoping he'd hold down 1B defensively. Only a fool would have expected that, but we didn't have a true 1B at the start of the season, so you can carry the assumption with that as far as you like. I'd be more than willing to give Bell another 1 year run if they pencil him in at the FULL-TIME DH spot. No more than 1 year though as father-time may start to catch up with him shortly. Unfortunately with the emergence of Jenkins, I can see them giving Buxton the DH spot at least on a 50/50 role or more, splitting time at one of the corner outfield spots. I think Buck's days in CF are all but over, barring injury to Jenkins, and I'm fine with that. Buck will get the first nod at DH, Bell will be an afterthought even though he out RBI'ed Buck by more than double. The Twins are committed to him for 2 more years and DH is getting to be the safest place for him outside of the Doctors Office. Funny how things work with this organization...... They stick with a guy that can't give them a full season based on his ability and not his production yet other players that outproduce him are let go. Happens pretty much every year. Watch.... Bell will be gone and Buxton will give us another half a season in 2027.

[old nurse]

1 hour ago, mike8791 said:

Can't quarrel with grades too much, but from this list a few things stand out:

1. Keaschall looks like a leadoff hitter for years to come if they can find a suitable position.  Just can't see him as a corner OF with his lack of power.

2.  Bell's 96 ribbies is hard to overlook.  Too many people dismiss him prematurely.  Is there a better DH internally or FA who is as reasonably priced?

3.  You have highlighted the 2 major positions that must be addressed - 1B & C.   This is where Pohlad has to spend money in FA to bolster a lineup sadly lacking #3/4 hitters.

 

The list of free agent players is pretty disappointing.  They can spend money, but there isn’t much out there but stopgap players. Player with one good season will get mentioned, with people forgetting the 4-5 bad seasons the player had. Resigning Bell and Jeffers might be their 2 best options

[DJL44]

2 hours ago, Coach Wheels said:

Bell was exactly who we knew he'd be. He drove in 96 runs and I'd give him a B+.

Except he’s a C- level player. They paid for C- production and he gave them what they paid for.

[Twins GFP]

I imagine this comment will not go over well with some individuals...

I think Keaschall's grade might be too high. You give Larnach a B-, but Keaschall gets a B+ for relative similar production over the course of the year. Everyone rails on Larnach for his defensive liabilities, but Keaschall gets a pass? The comparison isn't perfect, but it is closer than most people will admit (especially those who hate Larnach out of principle).

Keaschall going forward will be an interesting watch. He had a strong 2/3 of the year offensively, but IMO his bat is still not enough to be a full-time DH. His defensive liabilities are compounded by the OF prospects pushing for those spots. Unless he can take over 1B, I am not sure where they will hide him.  If he pulls a Lewis and has a poor start to the 2027, his opportunities may evaporate quickly.

[Brandon]

29 RBI in 173 AB is not an F.  maybe a D+ as Gray didn't hit with power or average or on base either.  I wouldn't project this type of production moving forward either.  but you do have to give credit for all of the runs he did drive in with his chances.  

Gonzalez also grades better with plate discipline shown with a few walks in 8 ABs

and that's all the nit picking I have here.  I am excited to see Culpepper, Jenkins and Rodriguez have good solid debuts this year.  Paired with Keaschall, Clemens, Lee, and Buxton is a good large core moving forward.  Add in Houston next year and maybe Clemens becomes our 1B next year at some point.  

back to grades.  The rest of your grades were spot on.  

[Brandon]

9 minutes ago, Twins GFP said:

I imagine this comment will not go over well with some individuals...

I think Keaschall's grade might be too high. You give Larnach a B-, but Keaschall gets a B+ for relative similar production over the course of the year. Everyone rails on Larnach for his defensive liabilities, but Keaschall gets a pass? The comparison isn't perfect, but it is closer than most people will admit (especially those who hate Larnach out of principle).

Keaschall going forward will be an interesting watch. He had a strong 2/3 of the year offensively, but IMO his bat is still not enough to be a full-time DH. His defensive liabilities are compounded by the OF prospects pushing for those spots. Unless he can take over 1B, I am not sure where they will hide him.  If he pulls a Lewis and has a poor start to the 2027, his opportunities may evaporate quickly.

I am sure that with repetition and work, Keaschall will be passable in the OF soon.  Koskie went from awful to gold glove contender and there are many more examples. 

Also your point comparing grades for Keaschall and Larnarch are spot on and I missed that.  

[MapleGroveTwinsFan]

25 minutes ago, Twins GFP said:

I imagine this comment will not go over well with some individuals...

I think Keaschall's grade might be too high. You give Larnach a B-, but Keaschall gets a B+ for relative similar production over the course of the year. Everyone rails on Larnach for his defensive liabilities, but Keaschall gets a pass? The comparison isn't perfect, but it is closer than most people will admit (especially those who hate Larnach out of principle).

Keaschall going forward will be an interesting watch. He had a strong 2/3 of the year offensively, but IMO his bat is still not enough to be a full-time DH. His defensive liabilities are compounded by the OF prospects pushing for those spots. Unless he can take over 1B, I am not sure where they will hide him.  If he pulls a Lewis and has a poor start to the 2027, his opportunities may evaporate quickly.

Keaschall played in 152 games, Larnach 122, both had a OPS+ of 120, both bad defensively, Keaschall 20 SB, Larnach 2.

Keaschall Spilts - OPS vs RHP .800, vs LHP .742

Larnach splits - OPS vs RHP .819, vs LHP .572

I think the games played, stolen bases, and the splits above are more than enough to justify a higher grade, don't you think? 

Larnach will be a great platoon player for some team (the Twins don't really have that position available right now) and Keaschall is an everyday player (albeit without a real position as of now, but teams always find a way for a guy like him on the field)

Edit, that was without even mentioning their age and cost.

[SteveLV]

I am not a Sabato fan, but an F after 6 AB's?  Talk about the proverbial cup of coffee.

You need to add "INC" to your grading system and put Sabato, Gonzalez and Ross in that category.

Rest looks pretty accurate.

[JBK]

Keaschall needs to go to the Arizona Fall League with specific instructions to work on defense and his arm.  You can't throw sidearm from RF.

They made money with Bell.  He outperformed expectations.  Could be offense MVP.

The OF is set for 2027.  Buck should concentrate on 1B and DH.  Save those legs.

[jmlease1]

26 minutes ago, Twins GFP said:

I think Keaschall's grade might be too high. You give Larnach a B-, but Keaschall gets a B+ for relative similar production over the course of the year. Everyone rails on Larnach for his defensive liabilities, but Keaschall gets a pass? The comparison isn't perfect, but it is closer than most people will admit (especially those who hate Larnach out of principle).

Keaschall also adds value on the bases; Larnach's value is entirely in his bat and he's only playable as a platoon guy, since he simply can't hit LHP.

[Patzky]

1 hour ago, rv78 said:

Agree with your #2. Bell had the season they were looking for.... unless they were hoping he'd hold down 1B defensively. Only a fool would have expected that, but we didn't have a true 1B at the start of the season, so you can carry the assumption with that as far as you like. I'd be more than willing to give Bell another 1 year run if they pencil him in at the FULL-TIME DH spot. No more than 1 year though as father-time may start to catch up with him shortly. Unfortunately with the emergence of Jenkins, I can see them giving Buxton the DH spot at least on a 50/50 role or more, splitting time at one of the corner outfield spots. I think Buck's days in CF are all but over, barring injury to Jenkins, and I'm fine with that. Buck will get the first nod at DH, Bell will be an afterthought even though he out RBI'ed Buck by more than double. The Twins are committed to him for 2 more years and DH is getting to be the safest place for him outside of the Doctors Office. Funny how things work with this organization...... They stick with a guy that can't give them a full season based on his ability and not his production yet other players that outproduce him are let go. Happens pretty much every year. Watch.... Bell will be gone and Buxton will give us another half a season in 2027.

Starting Buck at DH every game to hit solo HRs and then PH Bell if someone's on base to clean up RBI.

I'm effing brilliant.

[Patzky]

8 minutes ago, SteveLV said:

I am not a Sabato fan, but an F after 6 AB's?  Talk about the proverbial cup of coffee.

You need to add "INC" to your grading system and put Sabato, Gonzalez and Ross in that category.

Rest looks pretty accurate.

Cup of coffee grounds.

[tarheeltwinsfan]

Bell was not signed to play a defensive position. He should not be rated low just because he played DH. There must be a DH in every game. He was very, very productive as a DH. Also if some players are rated lower because they were unavailable to play due to injuries, then Bell should be rated higher, for playing every day and for being tied with Lee for the most at bats on the team. He was the batter I wanted to see hit in critical situations. He delivered at a high rate with runners on base and with two outs. He should get some credit for being a switch hitter also. Bell's 96 RBI's  were the 5th most in the whole American League ! Then there is the mentoring which he gave to the many younger players. Bell is an A in my book.

[sweetmusicviola16]

46 minutes ago, JBK said:

Keaschall needs to go to the Arizona Fall League with specific instructions to work on defense and his arm.  You can't throw sidearm from RF.

They made money with Bell.  He outperformed expectations.  Could be offense MVP.

The OF is set for 2027.  Buck should concentrate on 1B and DH.  Save those legs.

Clemens actually gets my vote for the Twins MVP this season. Bell would be my 2nd and Jeffers 3rd.

[Patzky]

21 minutes ago, tarheeltwinsfan said:

Bell was not signed to play a defensive position. He should not be rated low just because he played DH. There must be a DH in every game. He was very, very productive as a DH. Also if some players are rated lower because they were unavailable to play due to injuries, then Bell should be rated higher, for playing every day and for being tied with Lee for the most at bats on the team. He was the batter I wanted to see hit in critical situations. He delivered at a high rate with runners on base and with two outs. He should get some credit for being a switch hitter also. Bell's 96 RBI's  were the 5th most in the whole American League ! Then there is the mentoring which he gave to the many younger players. Bell is an A in my book.

I'm pretty sure he'd be delighted to come back and Shelton would be delighted to have him. Gray beards unite!

[MeleMouth]

"Royce Lewis (509 PA): D+
It feels like the promise of his early days is gone. We saw a flash of dominance during his brief demotion to the minors, and for a brief spell following his return, but Lewis never could harness anything sustainably in the majors, finishing with mediocre production that played worse at first than at third." 

 

This is too high. June was his only good month of offense. He was terrible before he was sent down (54 wRC+) and he was terrible for the bulk of his the second half of the season (75 wRC+). He makes about 25 different celebratory gestures and shuffles when hits a home run (25 2B and SS hit more HRs than Lewis, a corner infielder with just a .295 OBP after his return from AAA), but his performance was unacceptable.

When he was at 3B, his defense was terrible. At 1B, he looked like a hockey player who was just learning how to play baseball.

People need to stop giving Royce the benefit of the doubt. His year was terrible. F.

[Nick Nelson]

29 minutes ago, tarheeltwinsfan said:

Bell was not signed to play a defensive position. He should not be rated low just because he played DH. There must be a DH in every game. He was very, very productive as a DH. 

He drove in a lot of runs, and I credit him for that, but really wasn't that productive otherwise. Ranked 14th out of 16 primary designated hitters in wOBA.