Ranking Twins Players Whose Value Has Dropped the Most in 2026

Player value can change quickly in baseball. A strong season can elevate a prospect or veteran into a cornerstone asset, while injuries and prolonged struggles can rapidly alter a player's standing within an organization.

Coming into 2026, the Twins believed they had a roster capable of competing in the American League Central. Several players were viewed as foundational pieces for both the present and future, even if some of the prospect luster had worn away. However, the first few months of the season have significantly changed the outlook for some of those players.

Here are the five Twins whose value has fallen the most since Opening Day.

5. Luke Keaschall

TD Pre-Season Asset Rank: 2

Few players generated more excitement entering the season than Luke Keaschall. After bursting onto the scene during a 49-game rookie campaign, he looked like a future fixture near the top of Minnesota's lineup. Keaschall posted a 129 OPS+ in 2025 while going 14-for-17 on stolen-base attempts, showing the blend of contact skills, on-base ability, and athleticism that made him one of the organization's most valuable assets. Twins Daily ranked him as the club's second-most valuable asset behind only Walker Jenkins.

The 2026 season started about as poorly as possible. Keaschall carried a .542 OPS through the season's first month and struggled to make consistent hard contact. To his credit, he began showing signs of life in June, posting a .790 OPS while continuing to provide value on the bases.

Even with the recent improvement, questions have emerged. Keaschall leads the Twins with 10 stolen bases and posted an on-base percentage of nearly 40% during May, but power production has been almost nonexistent. He has just 12 extra-base hits in 227 at-bats, limiting his offensive impact.

Defensively, the results haven't helped his case either. He owns a -2 Fielding Run Value and -3 Outs Above Average at second base. The long-term outlook remains positive, but his value is no longer at the near-untouchable level it occupied entering the season.

4. Pablo López

TD Pre-Season Asset Rank: 4

The biggest concern surrounding Pablo López entering 2026 was health. Despite being limited to just 14 starts in 2025 because of a right hamstring strain, a right teres major strain, and a right forearm strain, López remained dominant when healthy. He posted a 2.74 ERA, 3.19 FIP, and 1.11 WHIP, giving Minnesota every reason to believe he could once again anchor the rotation.

Instead, disaster struck before the season ever got underway. López suffered a season-ending elbow injury during spring training and eventually underwent Tommy John surgery. He never threw a pitch during the regular season and is not expected back until early 2027.

The injury dramatically altered his value. Not only did the Twins lose one of their best pitchers, but any possibility of a deadline trade vanished. Minnesota now faces uncertainty about which López version will return following surgery and how his contract situation could be affected by upcoming collective bargaining negotiations.

For a player viewed as one of the organization's most valuable assets entering the year, the drop has been substantial.

3. Royce Lewis

TD Pre-Season Asset Rank: 13

The optimism surrounding Royce Lewis this spring felt different than in previous years. New manager Derek Shelton made Lewis a priority shortly after being hired, and the former No. 1 overall pick spent the offseason working with a new swing coach in hopes of rediscovering the offensive form that once made him one of baseball's brightest young stars.

The Twins believed there was still plenty of upside remaining. Instead, Lewis continued a troubling trend that has stretched back nearly two years. Before being demoted to Triple-A St. Paul, Lewis hit just .163/.261/.279 with a 54 wRC+. The struggles were not simply the result of a slow start. Since August of 2024, he has produced a .213/.268/.336 slash line with a 67 wRC+ across 181 major-league games.

The Twins finally made the difficult decision to send him to Triple-A, where he immediately reminded everyone of his talent. Lewis crushed Triple-A pitching, hitting .340 with eight home runs in just 13 games.

That performance earned him another opportunity in Minnesota, but his long-term value is no longer built on potential alone. The final months of 2026 may determine whether Lewis can still be viewed as a cornerstone piece or if his future role becomes much less certain.

2. Matt Wallner

TD Pre-Season Asset Rank: 12

Matt Wallner entered the season with plenty to prove, but there was also reason for optimism.

Although he posted a 111 OPS+ in 2025, it represented a noticeable step backward from the production he delivered in 2023 and 2024. Even so, many believed Wallner could recapture the form that allowed him to average 2.2 rWAR during those two seasons.

Instead, his performance deteriorated even further. Wallner was one of the least productive players in baseball during the season's opening weeks, producing a 53 OPS+ and accumulating -1.3 rWAR in just 34 games. The struggles became severe enough that the Twins followed the same path they used with Lewis, sending him to Triple-A to reset.

The early returns in St. Paul have been encouraging. Wallner owns a .886 OPS with six home runs and six doubles in 22 games. However, the larger trend remains concerning.

Wallner has always been a streaky hitter whose power comes at a high cost, with a high swing-and-miss rate. The issue is that the overall production has now declined for two consecutive seasons. What once looked like a middle-of-the-order bat now comes with considerably more questions.

1. Simeon Woods Richardson

TD Pre-Season Asset Rank: 6

No player on this list has seen his value collapse faster than Simeon Woods Richardson. Entering 2026, Woods Richardson looked like a reliable rotation piece. He wasn't expected to lead the staff, but his performance over the previous two seasons suggested he could comfortably hold down a middle-of-the-rotation role. From 2024-25, he posted a 4.11 ERA, 102 ERA+, and 1.29 WHIP while providing valuable innings.

That stability completely disappeared this season. Woods Richardson struggled from the beginning and never found answers. In 47 2/3 innings with Minnesota, he allowed 41 earned runs while producing a 61 ERA+ and -1.3 rWAR.

The performance became so poor that the Twins designated him for assignment and eventually traded him to Toronto for cash considerations. For a player who entered the season ranked sixth in organizational asset value, ending up off the roster within a few months represents one of the steepest declines imaginable. His value simply could not have fallen much further.

Baseball has a way of humbling even the most optimistic projections. Just a few months ago, these five players represented key pieces of Minnesota's present and future. Some were expected to anchor the rotation, others were viewed as everyday lineup fixtures, and a few were considered among the organization's most valuable assets.

The good news for the Twins is that value can rebound just as quickly as it falls. Keaschall, Lewis, and Wallner still have time to change the narrative before the season ends, while López's long-term outlook will depend on his recovery. Woods Richardson's chapter in Minnesota appears finished, but the others still have opportunities to reclaim some of the value they have lost.

The remainder of the 2026 season could go a long way toward determining whether these declines are temporary setbacks or signs of larger concerns for the organization moving forward.

Should any other players be added to the rankings? How would your rankings look? Leave a comment and start the discussion.