Hendry Mendez Deserves to Be Part of Twins’ September Callup Conversation

As we approach the final month of the major-league regular season, many teams bring up some of their top prospects for quick looks and for needed boosts in playoff races. September callups allow teams to add two more players to their rosters, going from 26 to 28 players, and a lot of the conversations around the Twins’ organization lately have been focused on two outfielders: Walker Jenkins and Emmanuel Rodriguez.

They’re two of the best prospects in the organization. Both are right on the doorstep of the major leagues, and it feels like only a matter of time before the Twins give each of them an opportunity. But there’s another outfielder who doesn’t get mentioned nearly enough, in my opinion, and he’s in a very similar spot. It’s Hendry Mendez.

The Harrison Bader trade at last summer’s trade deadline continues to look good. Mendez has done nothing but hit the ball since being acquired from the Phillies—so much so that he’s climbed directly behind Rodriguez in Twins Daily’s prospect rankings. Across 356 plate appearances between Double-A and Triple-A this year, Mendez is slashing .290/.383/.454. When you compare his Triple-A numbers specifically to those of Jenkins and Rodriguez, you might be surprised by just how well Mendez stacks up.

His extra-base hit production isn’t quite as high, largely because of Mendez’s 52% ground-ball rate. He isn’t going to provide the same raw power that Rodriguez can, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t plenty to like about his offensive profile. Mendez is getting on base at a higher clip than Jenkins, and his hard-hit rate is also about four percentage points higher. The biggest difference, though, might be his ability to consistently put the bat on the baseball.

Rodriguez’s overall contact rate is at just 65% (a major concern, but one for another time). Mendez’s contact rate is up at 82%. That gives Mendez a very different offensive profile from Rodriguez. He may not have the same ceiling in terms of power, but there is considerably less swing-and-miss in his game. That could be valuable for the Twins as they try to figure out what their outfield should look like over the next few seasons. Mendez is also already on the 40-man roster, meaning the Twins face no major friction if they decide to promote him. Even after making the jump from Double-A to Triple-A, he’s continued to produce and put good swings on the ball and post impressive numbers.

There’s no reason Mendez has to be viewed as a direct alternative to Jenkins or Rodriguez. The Twins could theoretically bring up multiple young outfielders, especially if they want to use September as an opportunity to get a better look at the players who could be part of the playoff window they hope is opening this season. Each of the three prospects would bring very different things to the table.

Jenkins offers the highest overall prospect pedigree, but isn’t on the 40-man and could be stuck in St. Paul for the rest of the year. Rodriguez brings some of the most impressive raw power in the organization, and Mendez brings a more contact-oriented approach with the ability to get on base and consistently make hard contact. That diversity could actually make Mendez an even more interesting piece of the puzzle.

The Twins have many decisions to make in their outfield moving forward. Some veterans are likely to be moved, with a wave of prospects getting closer and closer to the major leagues. It's all but guaranteed the outfield will shift to a much younger group in the near future. Jenkins and Rodriguez will probably be at the center of those conversations, but Mendez should be part of them, too.

I don’t think the Twins need to rush Mendez to the major leagues, and I wouldn’t argue that he needs to be prioritized over Jenkins or Rodriguez. But if the organization is looking for another young hitter to get a taste of the majors in September, there’s a compelling case to give Mendez a chance.

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