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Over the years, the Minnesota Twins have developed an impressive list of prospects who arrived in the big leagues with sky-high expectations. From hometown heroes to international sensations, the hype around these players has shaped the franchise's identity and captured the hearts of Twins Territory. Baseball America was the first national outlet to rank prospects in 1990, and coverage of the minor leagues has expanded significantly since that time. Earlier this week, we recapped the sixth- through 10th-best prospects the team has had (according to those national rankings) in the decades since. Today, we'll finish the countdown with the top five.
5. Royce Lewis (2017 - 1st Overall Pick)
Top-100 Peak: 5
Being selected first overall comes with lofty expectations, and Lewis lived up to the hype right away, with a solid .788 OPS in his professional debut. That made him a consensus top prospect. His stock rose even higher after an impressive 2018 season, wherein he posted an .803 OPS across Low-A and High-A. He struggled in 2019 (.661 OPS), however, before the 2020 minor-league season was canceled.
Injuries threatened to derail his career, but he’s persevered, showing flashes of brilliance at the big-league level. Over the last three seasons, he has been limited to an average of fewer than 70 games per season. There are still high hopes for Lewis to put it all together at the big-league level and reach his lofty prospect projections.
4. Miguel Sanó (Signed in 2009 as an International Free Agent)
Top-100 Peak: 4
Sanó may not have fully met expectations, but he undoubtedly ranks among the best prospects in Twins history. He appeared on national top-100 prospect lists for five straight offseasons, earning top-15 rankings multiple times. With his light-tower power and a .932 OPS in the minors, Sanó was a prospect who captured attention even before he signed with Minnesota.
His MLB career was marked by inconsistency, but his raw power remains his defining asset. He currently ranks 12th in franchise history in home runs. His .491 slugging percentage is second only to Harmon Killebrew in team history.
3. Walker Jenkins (2023 - 5th Overall Pick)
Top-100 Peak: 2
Jenkins is the latest in the Twins’ line of elite prospects, and the buzz around him is palpable. Scouts rave about his advanced hit tool, left-handed power, and all-around athleticism. In 2024, he hit .282/.394/.439, with 32 extra-base hits in 82 games while making it from Low-A to Double-A. The only thing to slow him down during the 2024 campaign was a leg injury after slamming into the wall in his first game of the season.
It’s early, but Jenkins could develop into a cornerstone player, much like Joe Mauer and Byron Buxton before him. The Twins are betting big on his superstar ceiling. He will enter the 2025 season as a consensus top-5 prospect, with some lists ranking him as high as second with Washington’s Dylan Crews or Boston’s Roman Anthony being ahead of him. There is a chance that he debuts during the 2025 campaign, while only being 20 years old.
2. Byron Buxton (2012 - 2nd Overall Pick)
Top-100 Peak: 1
Buxton's five-tool talent was evident early in his professional career, earning him the top spot on all three major national prospect rankings heading into the 2014 season. While some rankings later dropped him to second behind Chicago's Kris Bryant, Buxton competed for attention among a stacked group of prospects, including Carlos Correa, Francisco Lindor, Corey Seager, and Lucas Giolito.
Buxton was billed as a five-tool superstar with game-changing speed and power. His minor-league highlights felt almost superhuman, earning comparisons to Mike Trout. Injuries have tempered his production in the majors, but his Gold Glove defense, electric baserunning, and 2022 All-Star campaign are testaments to his immense talent. Few prospects have generated as much excitement as Buxton.
1. Joe Mauer (2001 - 1st Overall Pick)
Top-100 Peak: 1
When the Twins selected Mauer with the first overall pick in 2001, he quickly became regarded as one of baseball’s top prospects. Baseball America ranked him seventh heading into the 2002 season, and he later claimed the top spot in back-to-back offseasons. He is the only player in Twins history to achieve that distinction. Mauer went on to have a remarkable career and is widely considered one of the greatest players in franchise history.
The quintessential hometown hero, Joe Mauer was the crown jewel of the 2001 MLB Draft. A St. Paul native, Mauer’s hitting ability was considered generational, and he fulfilled every ounce of his potential. He became a six-time All-Star, three-time batting champion, and 2009 AL MVP while redefining the catcher position. His combination of elite bat-to-ball skills, defensive prowess, and quiet leadership made him the gold standard for Twins prospects.
The Twins’ farm system has produced an impressive legacy of players who have defined the franchise’s highs and lows. While some prospects fulfilled their potential, others fell short, but all of them carried the weight of expectations and hope for the future. Walker Jenkins could be the next player to write his chapter in this storied lineage of Twins prospects.
What do you think of the rankings? Did your favorite prospect make the list? 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!
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