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Prospects rarely develop at the same rate, and the path is almost never linear. Twins fans have seen that with everyone from Joe Mauer to Byron Buxton and Miguel Sano. Rocco Baldelli was not around for the development of those three, but he has a front row seat for Royce Lewis, Edouard Julien, Matt Wallner, and Louie Varland.
None of those four players began the 2023 regular season on the Twins 26-man roster. Varland isn’t currently on it, and has pitched just 56 major-league innings this year. That said, each of them now have contributed in substantial ways, and that taking place during a run toward the postseason has been huge.
Edouard Julien stepped in early this year when Jorge Polanco went down with injury for Minnesota. He came up in April and immediately posted a .720 OPS across his first eight big league games. A month later, he was recalled, and he hasn’t gone back since. Julien has an .875 OPS for Minnesota across 72 games since his last recall, and he’s been the regular starter at second base. Polanco was bumped off the starting spot, and Julien has consistently hit atop the lineup with a strong on-base prowess.
Minnesota saw just a glimpse of Royce Lewis last year before a fluke knee injury ended his season. He has dealt with plenty of setbacks during his professional career, but he has continued to prove doubters wrong. With concerns about his swing being too long on the farm, his leg kick has been muted, and his production has taken off. In just 37 games this year, Lewis has a 1.2 fWAR, which puts him on an all-star trajectory over the course of a full season. He owns an .858 OPS and has blasted seven homers. Moving to third to accommodate of Carlos Correa playing shortstop, he could find himself in centerfield for 2024.
The cry for Matt Wallner grew loud this summer. With Max Kepler getting off to a slow start, and Joey Gallo never got going, there was a desire to see the slugger tearing up St. Paul. As a Minnesota-native, Wallner has the benefit of playing in front of familiar faces on a nightly basis. He forced his way into the action with incredible Triple-A numbers, and he has continued to do big things for Minnesota. There was an 18-game cameo last year, but in 47 games for the Twins this season, the lefty owns a .229/.336/.496 slash line. He has hit for power, destroyed right-handed pitching, and played a solid corner outfield.
Varland may be the overlooked name here, but has doubled the five starts he made a year ago. He has been snake-bit by the home run ball in 2023, but has shown better results at Triple-A. Although the Twins starting rotation is strong, the bullpen will need to be supplemented during the postseason and Varland should find himself in that mix. Pablo Lopez and Sonny Gray are guarantees to start, but from there it may be all hands on deck. Joe Ryan and Bailey Ober could use the help of Dallas Keuchel and Varland alongside them. Kenta Maeda has previously worked in relief, and could factor in similarly as well.
For players like Lewis and Wallner, production should be expected given their draft position. That doesn’t guarantee success through development, but the investment and belief in their abilities is substantial. For guys like Julien and Varland, Day 3 draft picks, Minnesota has established some very big come-ups with regards to their big league success.
Due in part to the performances of players like Gunnar Henderson, Luke Raley, and Josh Jung, Minnesota won’t have a rookie of the year winner. None of the Twins players have had enough of a runway to generate the same level of production. However, in their experience this year, each has shown an ability to be counted on as an established regular going forward.
The more Derek Falvey and Thad Levine can churn out quality big leaguers prior to arbitration, the better the organization can supplement the roster as a whole. With four players producing to this caliber, it’s fair to wonder if Minnesota has ever had a group so talented come into the league together at the same time.
The Twins should remain near the top of the AL Central for years to come, but just how far they push the competition will largely lie on the shoulders of this group. Starting things off as well as they have, it’s anyone’s guess what the end result may be.
Looking back at previous Twins rookie classes, with notable years being 1982, 1999, and 2004, what are some groups that would contend with this foursome for you? Have we ever seen this many players step up immediately, together, and make an impact?
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