19 Questions for 19 Twins Hitting Prospects in 2025

This will be a two-part series: the first on hitters, the second on pitchers. Some of these development steps will seem obvious, others less so. For ease of navigation, prospects have been listed alphabetically.

Billy Amick (3B)
Can he sustain an improved walk rate? Amick posted a solid .763 OPS in an 18-game professional debut. He’s a power-reliant corner infield bat with hit tool risk. He managed an encouraging 15.6 BB% in his brief stint at Fort Myers. If he can keep it up, he raises his floor as a prospect significantly; a higher OBP would mitigate some of his swing-and-miss challenges.

Eduardo Beltre, (OF)
What do contact rates and swing decisions look like Stateside? It’s easy to get carried away with Beltre after his 2024 season. After being one of two marquee signings in the Twins' 2024 international free agent class, he hit .326/.453/.618 in the DSL with 11 home runs and a 177 wRC+ in 43 games. Insane! The reality is that there will be an adjustment to baseball Stateside. Beltre will see a dip in his outputs grounded in declining contact rates and a more stern test of his swing decisions. If he can mitigate the dip, the Twins could be onto something.

Catchers 
Who is next in line? OK, this one is cheating, but I stand by it. The Twins don’t have much in the way of prospect depth at the catcher position. Can one of Khadim Diaw, Noah Cardenas, Andrew Cossetti, et al. take a significant step forward? The 2025 Draft has several catchers with first-round grades (look out for Luke Stevenson, Ike Irish, and Caden Bodine, as all three could move quickly through the minors).

Kyle DeBarge (INF)
Can he get consistent loft with his batted balls? The ‘Sonny Gray’ pick for the Twins at 33rd overall in 2024, DeBarge had a slow start in his pro debut. Despite a .655 OPS in A ball, he showed a discerning eye at the plate, solid swing decisions, and excellent bat-to-ball skills. DeBarge needs to lift the ball more, his average launch angle in 2024 was just 2 degrees. Lift the ball, and prosper.

Daiber De Los Santos, (SS)
Can he rein in the swing-and-miss? De Los Santos (a 2024 international signee) has a ton of exciting tools, including plus raw power (.460 SLG in the DSL in 2024) and plus speed (17 stolen bases in 47 games). He also has significant swing-and-miss concerns. A 31% strikeout rate before playing in the United States is a legitimate orange flag. He’ll need to continue to improve his approach and/or bat-to-ball skills to have a chance in affiliated ball.

Khadim Diaw, C
Can he stick behind the plate? Diaw was a young-for-the-class, defensively raw catching prospect taken by the Twins in the third round in 2024. It’s an offensive profile that’s driven by good bat-to-ball skills. He got off to a nice start in a small sample at Fort Myers (114 wRC+). Diaw shows signs of a good approach at the plate. If he can stick behind the dish, he could be a real find.

Rayne Doncon, INF
Can he keep up the quietly stellar production? Doncon might be the best-kept hitting secret in the Twins system. In 94 games played in 2024 across two levels of A ball, he hit .254/.342/.431, with 11 home runs—good for a 121 wRC+. His walk rate improved (by around 4%), and so did his defense. He's likely to start back at Cedar Rapids and could be one of the fastest risers on industry lists in 2025.

Payton Eeles (INF/OF)
Will the timing line up for him to get a chance with the big-league club? Eeles is now the worst-kept secret in the minors, thanks to some well-deserved acclaim this offseason. A .425 wOBA (155 wRC+) over 111 MiLB games in 2024 is an incredible accomplishment for an undersized, undrafted prospect. It’s great bat-to-ball skills and an exceptional approach at the plate (14.3 BB%, 14.5 K%), with fringy power. Will his exceptional performance meet with exceptional timing, to give him a chance at some run with the big-league team in 2025?

Jaime Ferrer (OF)
Can he rein in (slightly) an aggressive approach? Ferrer is a converted catcher who crushed for Florida State in 2024 (22 home runs, 1.083 OPS). After being taken by the Twins in the fourth round in 2024, Ferrer had a good start at Fort Myers (122 wRC+). He doesn’t walk or strike out much. It’s a slightly hyperaggressive approach, with good contact skills and solid power.

Walker Jenkins (OF)
Is there more power coming? I’m not one to criticize Jenkins for a lack of in-game power in his age-19 season (in which he reached Double A). His 90th-percentile exit velocity was merely average for the level, though. Adding some extra in-game thump is the one remaining question in a well-rounded offensive profile, buoyed by excellent swing decisions and outstanding bat-to-ball skills. Getting to 25-home run power would make Jenkins a superstar. 

Luke Keaschall (INF/OF)
Where is his defensive home? Keaschall has gone from second-round pick to top-75 global prospect in roughly 18 months, hitting everywhere he goes. A slight drop in performance at Double A still brought about a 138 wRC+ (12 BB%, 19 K%, .832 OPS). Keaschall’s throwing was impacted by arm discomfort, which led to his season being cut short by Tommy John surgery. Will he find a home at second base, or is the outfield a more likely defensive home? He has the athleticism for either, the bat will play anywhere.

Caden Kendle (INF)
Will there be any SLG to back up a strong OBP? Kendle was the Twins' fifth-round pick in 2024 in a draft class that had more bats than expected. His offensive profile is carried by a strong approach and excellent hit tool. He got off to a strong start for Fort Myers in 2024 (118 wRC+, .370 OBP). Is there more impact in his bat than his small-sample .090 ISO suggests?

Yasser Mercedes (OF)
What does the adjustment to full-season ball look like? Mercedes is another toolsy international prospect who thrived in 2024 after an injury-shortened 2023 campaign. He crushed the complex league (151 wRC+, .989 OPS) in 2023, but looked overmatched (in a minuscule sample) at Fort Myers to end the year. Can he make the necessary adjustments to thrive instead?

Carson McCusker (1B/OF)
Can he repeat his impressive Double-A performance at Triple A? Carson McCusker stands out in a crowd. He’s 6-foot-8, and another Twins undrafted free agent success story. Despite being relatively old (2025 will be his age-27 season), he’s made his way all the way to Triple-A St. Paul. In 2024, he hit 15 home runs in 98 games at Double A (.846 OPS). The strikeout rate is alarming, but there’s a world where a continuation of his 2024 performance in Triple A and timing meet for him to get a shot with the big-league club. He’ll have to prove it in a larger sample first, though.

Ricardo Olivar (C/OF)
Can he get back to being an extra-base hitting machine after stalling at Double A? Olivar was tearing up the lower levels of the minors (150 wRC+ at High A), but then reached Double-A Wichita and stalled out. In a small 19-game sample, he managed a .623 OPS, with an increase in strikeouts and a decrease in walks. Olivar doesn’t really have a defensive home (he’s not a catcher and he’s a bad outfielder), so he’ll have to continue to mash when he repeats Double A to remain a viable prospect for the Twins.

Dameury Pena (INF)
Will his exceptional bat-to-ball skills stand up to A ball? Pena is a hit-tool-only diminutive infielder international signing (remind you of anyone?). It’s truly outlier bat-to-ball skills, who has struck out 18 times in 279 plate appearances over two professional seasons (6.5 K%). Those are Arraezian numbers, but his batting average fell precipitously even moving from the DSL to the FCL. He’ll have to continue to hit, hit, hit if he’s going to keep advancing.

Emmanuel Rodriguez (OF)
Can he maintain consistent aggressiveness over the heart of the plate? ‘E-Rod’ is a consensus top-25 prospect. His 110-mph 90th-percentile exit velocity last year was the best among any top 100 prospect. His 24.4% walk rate gives him a floor, backed up by above-average speed and better-than-advertised defense. In short, he’s closer to being the Twins' No. 1 prospect than their No. 3. Minnesota has worked with Rodriguez on being aggressive with pitches thrown over the heart of the plate. If he can maintain an optimal swing rate in these zones, he’s going to do damage, no matter how gaudy the strikeout numbers are.

Kala’i Rosario (OF)
Can his SLG overcome his K%? The 2023 AFL home run derby champ and Midwest League MVP had a 2024 to forget, managing just 67 Double-A games in a season cut short by injury. A strikeout rate north of 30% at that level doesn't bode well for a prospect with little defensive value, even with thump in his bat. If Rosario can’t take a step forward defensively, he’s going to need to be an otherworldly masher to overcome the extreme swing-and-miss in his profile.

Brandon Winokur (INF/OF)
Will late-season improvements carry over into High A? Winokur did exceptionally well in his age-19 season, managing a respectable .761 OPS in the tough hitting environment that is the Florida State League. A singular athlete, Winokur hit 14 bombs (36 extra-base hits) to go with 23 stolen bases in a toolsy profile. If Winokur can keep his strikeout rate in check (28% in 2024), he has a chance to be a power/speed profile at a premium defensive position (centerfield).

Which Twins hitting prospect are you most excited to see this offseason? What are other questions facing Twins prospects this season? Feel free to add your own in the comments.

Interested in learning more about the Minnesota Twins' top prospects? Check out our comprehensive top prospects list that includes up-to-date stats, articles and videos about every prospect, scouting reports, and more!