Ranking Minnesota Twins Non-Roster Invites By Their Potential Impact

Invariably it seems like at least one or two non-roster camp invites end up making the Opening Day roster for the Minnesota Twins. Sometimes their impact is massive, like in the case of Willi Castro, who made the roster out of spring training in 2023 after signing a minor-league deal, and has since led the team in plate appearances while ranking second in fWAR. Conversely, sometimes their impact is minimal, like when Daniel Duarte earned a roster spot last year and made two appearances before going down with a season-ending elbow injury. Plenty of times, the outcome ultimately lies somewhere in between.

But as examples such as Castro and Danny Coulombe have illustrated, non-roster invites shouldn't be overlooked, even if they didn't generate enough market demand to receive a guaranteed contract. Minor-league signings are typically players on the fringe of big-league relevance, hoping to establish or reestablish themselves at the highest level as they pursue their dream. Oh, and then there are the really good prospects who get summoned to MLB camp so they can start acclimating because they're seen as close to being ready. You'll find a couple of those on this list too.

Below I've taken a shot at ranking Minnesota's 17 non-roster invites, based on their likelihood of making a meaningful impact for the Twins this year. To be clear, it's not a ranking of who is most likely to make the Opening Day roster because that (as Duarte showed) can be less important than the totality of their contribution, whenever the chance comes.

1. Luke Keaschall, IF: The top prospect in major-league camp, ranking third in the system on Twins Daily's list. Keaschall has sprinted through the minors with a polished, disciplined offensive approach that inspires a lot of confidence, and he's defensively versatile. Almost fully received from last year's elbow surgery, the 22-year-old could be a sneaky big difference-maker for the Twins this year, especially given their offensive depth question marks.

2. Scott Blewett, RHP: Made 12 appearances for the Twins last year after joining on a minor-league deal, and re-upped on the same terms this year. He's been effective when given chances in the majors, posting a 2.22 ERA in 28 innings. Probably first in line for a bullpen look among non-rostered pitchers.

3. Anthony Misiewicz, LHP: He doesn't offer exciting upside, but he's the only left-handed pitcher on this list and one of just three in Twins camp. With Brent Headrick gone, it's Misiewicz and Kody Funderburk behind Coulombe on the depth chart. By definition that gives the 30-year-old pretty good odds. Misiewicz has made 131 appearances in the big leagues.

4. Andrew Morris, RHP: Another highly regarded prospect (No. 6 on our list) getting a taste of MLB camp ahead of a potential 2025 debut. Morris climbed from Single-A to Triple-A last year, posting a 2.37 ERA across 133 innings. He throws strikes, which gives him a leg up over some other prospects in the MLB-readiness conversation, but is probably behind Simeon Woods Richardson, David Festa and Zebby Matthews in line for a crack at the rotation.

5. Mike Ford, 1B/DH: His chances of working into the first base mix took a hit with the Ty France signing, but he's got a decent amount of major-league experience and the Twins could find themselves looking for offense where they can get it this summer. Ford's a long shot to make the roster out of camp but could position himself for a call-up if he hits well at Triple-A.

6. Cory Lewis, RHP: The Twins' 2023 minor-league pitcher of the year is in camp to rub shoulders with the vets as he gets ready to take on the high minors in earnest. An injury limited him to 79 innings last year so building up will be Lewis's primary focus, but he's got the stuff – including a unique mid-80s knuckleball – to get a shot.

7. Huascar Ynoa, RHP: Traded once upon a time by the Twins to the Braves as a teenager, Ynoa returned to Minnesota on a minor-league deal and will compete for a look in the bullpen. He's recorded 128 strikeouts in 122 MLB innings, with a 96 MPH fastball leading his repertoire, but hasn't pitched in the majors since 2022. Ynoa is still only 26 years old and we all know relievers can be late bloomers.

8. Armando Alvarez, IF: A bat-first infielder whose opportunity could come if the Twins find themselves starving for offensive firepower and he's crushing Triple-A, as he did last year when he posted a .967 OPS in the Athletics system. It helps his case that he's shown an ability in the minors to crush left-handed pitching, which is a somewhat rare strength among the Twins' talent.

9. Erasmo Ramírez, RHP: Ramírez joined the Twins just a few days ago, bringing an extensive veteran track record spanning 850 innings in the majors, including 21 last year with the Rays. There's not a lot of upside to be found with the 35-year-old, who has never averaged more than 7.3 K/9 in 13 MLB seasons, but his depth of experience could give him a preferential edge if the Twins are looking for innings. He's a former starter who can provide some length.

10. Yunior Severino, 1B/DH: Severino was removed from the 40-man roster after last season but rejoined the Twins on a minors deal. To find his way back into the team's plans, he is going to need to hit, hit, hit in Triple-A. He has definitely shown the ability to get red-hot but hasn't been able to sustain it over prolonged stretches. The glove is bad enough that he might be a DH-only option in the majors.

11. Alex Speas, RHP: In terms of the potential impact he could make if everything were to click, Speas would be much higher on this list. He's got huge stuff, including a fastball that touches triple digits. But he simply has not been able to throw strikes, at all. He's issued 162 walks in 173 innings in the minors, including 68 BB in 58 IP at Triple-A. Speas would need to show dramatic improvement in strike-throwing ability to get a crack, methinks, but at age 26 it's not out of the question.

12. Randy Dobnak, RHP: Now in the final year of his guaranteed contract, which might be the only thing keeping him around, Dobnak is Triple-A depth and pretty low in the pecking order. He's never been the same since a finger injury derailed his promising career. Unless he can unlock something, the biggest impact he'll be realistically be lined up for is similar to last year: a handful of low-leverage relief outings when the Twins simply need a usable arm.

13. Ryan Jensen, RHP: Somewhat similar to Speas – good arsenal, extremely poor control – except the stuff isn't quite as impressive, which is why the former first-round draft pick has yet to get a look in the big leagues at 27. If he can find the strike zone with any consistency, he could get an opportunity, and from there who knows. Jensen struck out 81 hitters in 56 innings at St. Paul last year, but with 50 walks.

14. Pat Winkel, C: It's tough to imagine a scenario where Winkel sees significant time for the Twins unless their catching depth collapses. But this is hardly unthinkable. The 40-man options behind Ryan Jeffers and Christian Vázquez – Jair Camargo, Diego Cartaya, Mickey Gasper – are complete unknowns as MLB products. Winkel has a solid rep for working with pitchers and is well regarded in the org.

15. Jeferson Morales, UTIL: He's shown intriguing hitting ability in the minors, including an outstanding Triple-A debut last year, but fielding is a big limitation. The 5-foot-8 scrapper is listed as a utilityman mainly because he's not good enough at any position to call it home. That'll make it tough to break through, at least this year, but at 25 he's got time yet to develop and sharpen up.

16. Alex Isola, C: Isola can be barely be considered a catcher anymore – he spent far more time at first base, left field and DH last year – but his ability to don catcher's gear and swing a decent RH bat keeps him on the radar as a useful spring training presence. Hard to envision him finding his way to the majors this season. 

17. Darren McCaughan, RHP: An experienced arm who was seemingly brought in merely to throw innings in St. Paul. The 28-year-old doesn't throw hard and hasn't posted an ERA below 4.55 at any level since 2019, though he does have some major-league experience.