One Prospect Who Could Fill a Donovan Solano-Like Role for the Twins

Donovan Solano was a late addition to the Twins roster last spring, signing a one-year, $2-million contract. His value to Minnesota was much greater than that figure, as he played in a career-high 134 games while hitting .282/.369/.391, with 26 doubles, one triple, and five home runs. During his age-35 season, he combpiled 1.7 rWAR, and FanGraphs pegged his value at nearly $10 million. Earlier this winter, reports surfaced that Solano would like to return to the Twins, but that is unlikely to transpire. Instead, the Twins might already have a younger version of Solano on the 40-man roster, ready to take the next step. 

Yunior Severino ranked as one of the top international prospects during the 2016-17 signing period. At the time, he signed with the Braves organization for nearly $2 million and made his professional debut for their rookie league teams in 2017. Following the season, he was one of a handful of prospects declared free agents by Major League Baseball, because the Braves violated rules about recruiting and signing international free agents. Minnesota swooped in and handed Severino a $2.5 million bonus. Since then, his time in the organization has seen mixed performance. 

Severino has steadily climbed the organizational ladder, especially since the minor-league season was lost to the pandemic. In 2021, he split time between Low-A and High-A and hit .273/.372/.430, with 29 doubles and eight home runs in 98 games. His power took a giant leap in 2022, while playing for Cedar Rapids and Wichita. In 83 games, he smacked 19 long balls, and his .907 OPS was a career high. Unfortunately, injuries limited him to fewer than 100 games in back-to-back seasons, but there were signs of life with his bat that impressed evaluators. 

The 2023 season was the true breakout campaign for Severino. He destroyed the ball at Double-A to start the year, hitting .287/.365/.560 with 15 doubles and 24 home runs in 84 games. He was then promoted him to Triple-A in the second half, and continued to hammer the ball with an .832 OPS and 11 more home runs to add to his season total. The switch-hitter combined for 35 home runs, which was tied for the most in all of the minors. No Twins minor leaguer has hit more than 35 home runs in any season since 2000. Following the season, Twins Daily named him the organization’s 2023 Minor League Hitter of the Year.

The front office rewarded Severino’s performance by adding him to the 40-man roster this winter--a more momentous decision than it sounds, given his age and proximity. Brooks Lee and Austin Martin have received plenty of hype regarding their potential roles with the Twins in 2023, but Severino shouldn’t be forgotten. Severino’s splits have been almost identical from both sides of the plate, due to his tremendous bat speed and high exit velocities. In his brief time in Triple-A, he hit six balls at least 101.9 miles per hour from the right side (facing lefties) and 10 at least that hard from the left side. He generated some lift from each side.

Like any power hitter, there are concerns about his strikeout rate, including 173 strikeouts in 120 games last season. However, he was young for both levels last season and faced older pitchers in nearly 84% of his plate appearances.

So, how can Severino fill a Solano-type role for the Twins? Both players have some defensive flexibility, but aren’t considered strong defenders at any position. In 2023, Severino started 64 games at third base, the most of any position. He also played over 125 innings at second base and first base. Solano played all three of those positions for the Twins in 2023. Obviously, their offensive profiles are very different. Solano has a .711 OPS for his MLB career, while Severino’s .832 OPS for his entire professional career has only included minor-league stats to this point. Severino won't hit for average or get on base the way that Solano has, but Severino certainly has much more power in his bat than Solano.

Severino probably isn’t going to start the season with the Twins, but that takes nothing away from his potential long-term value to the team. His power is legitimate, and there are things he can continue to work on at Triple-A. His strikeout numbers were high last year, so returning to a level he knows could help him learn to be more selective at the plate. Defensively, he must prove he won’t be a liability at whatever position the Twins need him to play after he is called up. “Donnie Barrels” was vital for Minnesota last season, and Severino can fill a similar role in the years ahead.

When will Severino make his debut this season? Which defensive position is best for his long-term value? Leave a comment and start the discussion.

Research assistance provided by TruMedia.