Twins Farm System Updates: Breaking Down the Updated Twins Daily Top 20 Prospects List

The baseball season has passed the trade deadline, and the playoff push is in full effect. It's time to look at the shakeups on Twins Daily's latest prospect ranking list. One notable prospect left the organization via trade, and the recent draft picks have gotten some time under their belt, as well, giving us an early glimpse at what they look like as professionals.  

1. Walker Jenkins, OF, AAA (Previously #1)
2. Vahn Lackey, C, A (Previously #2)
3. Kaelen Culpepper, SS, MLB (Previously #3) 
4. Marek Houston, SS, AA (Previously #5)
5. Riley Quick, RHP, AA (Previously #6)
6. Emmanuel Rodriguez, OF, AAA (Previously #5)
7. Hendry Mendez, OF, AAA (Previously #10)
8. Eduardo Tait, C, A+ (Previously #7)
9. Gabriel Gonzalez, OF/1B, AAA (Previously #11)
10. Charlee Soto, RHP, A+ (Previously #12)
11. Carson Tinney, C, A (Previously #13)
12. Brandon Winokur, 3B/CF, AA (Previously #15)
13. Khadim Diaw, C/OF, AA (Previously #14)
14. Ethan Wachsmann, RHP, FCL (Previously #20)
15. Ryan Gallagher, RHP, AAA (Previously #18)
16. Brett Renfrow, RHP, FCL (Previously #16)
17. James Ellwanger, RHP, A (Previously #19)
18. Quentin Young, SS/3B, A (Previously #17)
19. Yasser Mercedes, OF, A+ (Previously Unranked)
20. Enrique Jimenez, C, A+ (Previously Unranked)

In the updated rankings, 18 of the 20 names will look the same, while two new names appear. Room was made for the new names through Kendry Rojas’s graduation from the list. Rojas has now tossed 29 2/3 innings for the Twins while appearing in 12 games, although the left-hander is currently on the IL with the Saints. Dasan Hill left the Twins as the centerpiece of the trade for reliever Jeff Hoffman. Hill was No. 9 on our list before the trade and has joined Toronto’s High-A affiliate. Those subtractions created room for outfielder Yasser Mercedes and catcher Enrique Jimenez to land in the final two spots on the list. 

Top Risers
Right-handed hurler Ethan Wachsmann took the biggest jump (six spots) in this edition of the prospect rankings. He hasn’t even thrown a pitch for a Twins affiliate after being drafted in the 3rd round (79th overall) of this year's draft. As Wachsmann progresses through the Twins system, he'll need to learn to harness great raw tools and a fastball capable of hitting triple digits. Looking at the clay that's there to be molded, it's obvious why Wachsmann is thought highly enough of (at 18 years of age) to make the jump to No. 14. 

Three other prospects jumped three spots from their previous ranking. The highest-ranked of the bunch is outfielder Hendry Mendez, now at No. 7. Mendez has continued to produce at the plate in 63 games since his mid-season promotion to Triple-A St. Paul. The 22-year-old has hit .278/.378/.413 at the highest level of minor-league ball. Mendez is reaching a point where it's simply his batting handedness (left-handed) and primary position (outfield) holding him back from a call-up. 

At No. 12 is third baseman and outfielder Brandon Winokur. After starting the season at High-A, Winokur has now played 30 games at Double-A Wichita, where he's hit .262/.329/.448. Winokur’s offensive output plummeted to begin the month of August, but the 21-year-old has rebounded. He now holds a .706 OPS since the beginning of the month. Hopefully, this is the beginning of the adjustment trend we saw from the right-handed slugger-in-training as he adjusted to Low-A. 

Righty Ryan Gallagher ranks 15th. He had been pitching very well for the Saints until last week. In his two most recent games, Gallagher has allowed five and nine earned runs, respectively. Just before that, however, Gallagher went 5 ⅔ innings, allowed three hits, one earned run, one walk, and struck out seven batters. He held a 2.30 ERA and had 31 strikeouts to eight walks in his first handful of starts coming out of the All-Star break. This was an encouraging development from a rough initial introduction to the Triple-A level. Now, let’s hope that the most recent stretch isn’t a true regression to early-season Gallagher, but rather a blip on the radar. Overall, as a guy who isn’t going to wow with his velocity, Gallagher continues to check boxes and put himself in position to be considered for the major-league roster at some point. 

New Additions:
19. OF Yasser Mercedes, High-A Cedar Rapids Kernels
Mercedes has, from the beginning, profiled as a power hitter. He's had to adjust to each level as he has advanced through the Twins system. After tearing up the DSL, it took Mercedes time to adjust to Low-A competition. To begin this season, Mercedes adjusted just fine, hitting .321/.439/.642, including six home runs and 11 stolen bases. 

Mercedes's bat has cooled again after a promotion to High-A Cedar Rapids. If he follows his normal developmental trajectory, he should rebound in time. What's really boosted Mercedes’s prospect stock is the fact that he's become a much better defensive fielder than was expected. He has moved himself from a projection as a power-hitting corner outfielder to having fringe center field capabilities. At the very least, this more athletic version of him looks like it could translate to above-average defense in a corner. 

A key stat to keep an eye on with Mercedes is his strikeout rate. In Low-A from 2025 to this season (2026), he improved it from 25.1% to 21.4%. In his first go-around at High-A, his strikeout rate has jumped back up to 29.1%. Considering that Mercedes is young for the level, it's an area of growth the Twins will be watching, to see if he can overcome it once again. 

20. C Enrique Jimenez, High-A Cedar Rapids 
After struggling with a finger injury early in the season, Jimenez returned to Low-A Fort Myers and put together a solid stretch. In 11 games, the 20-year-old catcher hit .314/.490/.514 for Fort Myers and earned a promotion to High-A Cedar Rapids. In 24 games there, he's still working to adjust to the new level, hitting .205/.340/.375. 

As a hitter, Jimenez hasn’t displayed great power and looks to be more of a line-drive hitter. Crucially, he commands the zone well and is willing to take walks, as evidenced by a 26.5% walk rate at Low-A and 20.7% across both levels of A ball he has played at this season. 

Defensively, Jimenez has proven to be a decent catcher, but long-term, the stocky catcher may become a candidate to move off the position. That could be even more true, as several catchers across the Twins system have quickly surrounded Jimenez. Considering where Jimenez is in terms of age and level, he has plenty of time to prove that defensive projection wrong and improve his craft behind the plate. The tough break for Jimenez and the Twins is that he looks to be done for the season, after experiencing a significant strain in his left hamstring. His season was cut short, but it's a testament to the progress he made that his prospect status hasn't taken a hit.

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!