Ranking the Best Draft Classes in Twins History

Every MLB organization enters each draft cycle hoping to uncover multiple players who can provide value at the big league level. Some classes fall short of expectations, while others produce waves of talent that impact the roster for years.

The Twins are hoping that some of the team’s recent draft classes can eventually join these rankings. Prospects like Walker Jenkins, Kaelen Culpepper, and Marek Houston are working their way through the system, but it will take time before their draft group can be properly evaluated. For now, these five classes stand out as the best in franchise history.

5. 2002 MLB Draft
Key Picks: Denard Span (28.0 rWAR), Jesse Crain (11.4), Pat Neshek (10.6), Adam Lind (12.8- Didn’t Sign)
This group stands out for its role in supporting multiple division-winning teams during the 2000s. Span, the club’s first round selection, spent 11 seasons in the majors and five with Minnesota. His best season came in 2012, when he posted a 4.9 rWAR and an OPS+ of 104. Among first-round position players from that class, Span leads in career rWAR.

Crain developed into a reliable late-inning reliever, delivering several strong seasons out of the bullpen. He posted multiple years with a WPA above 1.0, including a standout 3.0 WPA campaign in 2005. Neshek became a fan favorite thanks to his unique sidearm delivery. His best season with the Twins came in 2007 when he produced a 2.7 WPA. He went on to enjoy a long career after leaving Minnesota, including multiple All-Star appearances.

4. 1994 MLB Draft
Key Picks: Corey Koskie (24.6 rWAR), A.J. Pierzynski (23.7), Todd Walker (10.5), Travis Miller (1.3)
Finding Koskie in the 26th round remains one of the best draft steals in team history. Selected 715th overall, he developed into a cornerstone player and compiled 22.1 rWAR with a 116 OPS+ across seven seasons in Minnesota. His 2001 season, worth 6.3 rWAR, earned him down-ballot MVP consideration and helped cement his place in the Twins Hall of Fame.

Pierzynski remains one of the more polarizing figures in franchise history. He played six seasons with the Twins and made the All-Star team in 2002. His trade to San Francisco brought back Joe Nathan, Francisco Liriano, and Boof Bonser in one of the most impactful deals the franchise has made. He later won a World Series in 2005 and played 19 seasons overall.

Walker, the eighth overall pick, showed flashes of his potential during a 12-year career but never fully put everything together at the major league level.

3. 2012 MLB Draft
Key Picks: Byron Buxton (30.2 rWAR), Jose Berrios (17.1), Taylor Rogers (7.8), JT Chargois (3.9), Tyler Duffey (1.8)
This class still has a chance to climb even higher as its players continue adding to their resumes. Byron Buxton, selected second overall, has developed into one of the most dynamic players in baseball when healthy. Coming off the best season of his career and an All-Star appearance, he has delivered on the immense upside that made him such a highly regarded prospect.

Berrios entered the draft with questions about his size but emerged as a multi-time All-Star. He provided significant value to the Twins before being traded for Austin Martin and Simeon Woods Richardson.

Rogers reinvented himself after struggling as a starter, becoming an All-Star closer and one of the better bullpen arms in the league. Reaching 10 years of service time is an impressive milestone for an 11th-round pick. Chargois and Duffey both contributed multiple seasons of above-average pitching, rounding out a deep and productive class.

2. 1991 MLB Draft
Key Picks: Brad Radke (45.3 rWAR), LaTroy Hawkins (17.8), Matt Lawton (15.2), Scott Stahoviak (1.0)
This class is notable for overcoming a miss at the top. Third overall pick Dave McCarty did not pan out, but the Twins made up for it with outstanding selections later in the draft.

Radke, taken in the eighth round, became one of the most reliable starters in franchise history. He finished third in Cy Young voting in 1997 and anchored the rotation for over a decade. Hawkins initially struggled as a starter before thriving in a bullpen role. He went on to pitch 21 seasons in the majors and delivered some of his best performances in Minnesota, including a 4.1 WPA season in 2003. He now returns to the organization as the bullpen coach.

Lawton became a two-time All-Star and was a more highly regarded prospect compared to others from this class. His 1998 season, highlighted by a 123 OPS+ and 3.9 rWAR, stands out as his peak.

1. 1989 MLB Draft
Key Picks: Chuck Knoblauch (44.6 rWAR), Scott Erickson (24.8), Denny Neagle (22.4), Mike Trombley (9.1), Marty Cordova (7.7)
This class played a direct role in delivering a World Series title in 1991. Knoblauch was a central figure in that run, earning Rookie of the Year honors and establishing himself as one of the best second basemen in franchise history. His accomplishments in Minnesota include four All-Star selections, two Silver Sluggers, and a Gold Glove.

Erickson was a key member of the championship rotation and finished second in Cy Young voting in 1991. Though injuries impacted his long-term trajectory, his early contributions were significant.

Neagle provided value later in his career, though much of it came after his time with the Twins following a trade prior to the 1992 season. Trombley developed into a dependable reliever over nine seasons with Minnesota, while Cordova captured Rookie of the Year honors in 1995 with a strong debut season.

Draft success is rarely measured in a single year. It takes time for players to develop, reach the majors, and establish themselves. These five classes not only produced impact talent but also helped define key eras of Twins baseball, from the early 1990s championship core to the competitive teams of the 2000s and beyond.

The next great class may already be in the system. It just needs time to prove it belongs alongside these groups.

What other draft classes should be considered? Leave a comment and start the discussion.

Are you interested in Twins history? Then check out the Minnesota Twins Players Project, a community-driven project to discover and collect great information on every player to wear a Twins uniform!