Steve Lein

Twins players who made their debut last year included second baseman Edouard Julien, and pitchers Brent Headrick, Jordan Balazovic, and Kody Funderburk. All those names but Funderburk were detailed in this same column before the start of last season, and that total of four was tied for the lowest of any team in baseball, with the Philadelphia Phillies. It’s crazy to think I’ve now been writing this same column for over 15 years, and that is the lowest number I’ve ever had hit for these predictions! It’s also a good thing, when you think about why that was the case. The Twins won the division after a two-year hiatus, and then took their first playoff series since all the way back in 2002. (Any guesses as to who the Twins players were who made their MLB debut that season? I’ll give one hint: an outfielder who debuted was "one-of-us," just like Matt Wallner.) When it comes to those 2023 debuts, Julien and Funderburk will break camp with the major-league club this year, while Headrick remains on the 40-man roster as available depth in Triple-A. Balazovic was removed from the 40-man over the winter, but will also be back with the St. Paul Saints. With their established and veteran position player roster, it will likely be another year with a lower number of debuts than usual. However, injuries can always throw a wrench into such hopes, and their starting pitching is unlikely to stay as healthy as they did last year, when the Twins had five players make 20 or more starts. Like every season, it is not a question of if a player will make their MLB debut with the Twins, but when, so who are some of the potential Next Minnesota Twins for 2024? ON THE 40-MAN ROSTER As alluded to above, the Twins 40-man roster is full of established players and those who have already had a cup of coffee in the majors, as this section only has five players who are eligible for this list. There may not be a lot of superstar potential here, but there are a few guys who don’t have much left to prove in the minors. Austin Martin (25 years old on Opening Day), IF/OF – Twins Daily’s #7 Prospect (Martin made his debut on 3/30, coming in as a pinch runner. He made his first start on 3/31, going 0-for-3) I’m a big believer in Martin, and thought he was primed for a big comeback season in 2023 on the heels of his stellar performance in the Arizona Fall League the year before. Unfortunately, his campaign last year didn’t really get started until July, as he dealt with an elbow injury that threatened to require Tommy John surgery. I think the Twins made a big mistake in trying to overhaul Martin’s swing, but he got back to what he excels at, which is putting the ball in play and getting on base to cause havoc. While his role is likely a super-utility job in the future, the Twins are known to get a lot of run out of those types, and I love his bat at the top of the batting order alongside Julien--or turning it over to him, as a second leadoff hitter in the 9-hole. Matt Canterino (26), RHP – TD’s #17 Prospect When he’s been able to pitch, Canterino has been a favorite of mine. He’s herky-jerky, high-effort, and high-enthusiasm, and some of those points may play a part in why he’s only pitched 85 total innings as a pro. He also has put up video game-like numbers with a big fastball, wipeout slider, and whatever other weapon he wants to flummox hitters with that day. While he is going to be back on the injured list at Triple-A to start this season, it's not because of the elbow issues he has dealt with in the past, so he’s still on track to make an impact this year. I think the ship has sailed on him being a starter, and they should just unleash him in the bullpen, though I’m not sure yet whether the Twins agree. Yunior Severino (24), 1B/DH – TD’s #16 Prospect Added to the 40-man roster in the offseason after leading all of the minor leagues in home runs last year, Severino brings big power with big swing-and-miss numbers. It's hard to envision where his bat may fit in a Twins lineup, but he did start to transition to first base with the Saints last season, and that may be his best option to break through, as Carlos Santana is on the tail end of his career and Alex Kirilloff has had issues staying healthy. All that said, there are worse options to have waiting in the minors than a bona fide home run king. Jair Camargo (24), C (Camargo made his debut on 4/16, drawing a pinch hit appearance in which he drew a walk, and came around to score a run) Even though you won’t find Camargo’s name on any top prospect lists, you will find him among the leaders in peak exit velocity over on Baseball Savant. If you do enough searching there, you’ll find out he was in the elite category when it came to Barrel % and other hard-hit metrics. He also had the fourth-longest home run in Triple-A, measuring a staggering 486 feet (on June 8, if you care to look it up). My point here is, this is a catcher who hits absolute bombs, a good combination to have waiting in the wings. If you made the trip to spring training earlier in March, you may have seen this in action for yourself. Emmanuel Rodriguez (21), OF – TD’s #3 Prospect The youngest player on this list, Rodríguez enters the 2024 season as a global top-100 prospect, landing in the top 50 in most publications. He lit the Florida State League on fire in 2022 before having his season ended prematurely by a knee injury and showed some rust swinging the bat in 2023. But what didn’t change was his knack for getting on base and showing off his light-tower power. While he might strike out a bit more than you would like to see (29.5%), when paired with his elite walk rate (20.2%) you end up with a .400 OBP and an OPS .161 above the league average. He also got better as the season wore on, shaking off that rust for a .265/.406/.553 batting line over the final two months (.257 above the league-average OPS). He will begin the year in Wichita, and if all goes to plan, he should arrive at CHS Field this summer. TOP PROSPECTS With the likes of Royce Lewis, Edouard Julien, and Matt Wallner now finding themselves established as regulars on the major-league team, the pickings are slim from the top echelon of the Twins pipeline. However, these two guys should see time with the big-league club in 2024, looking to follow in their footsteps. Brooks Lee (23), IF – TD’s #2 Prospect (Lee was called up on July 3rd as Royce Lewis hit the injured list. He went 2-for-4 in his debut that day, driving in one in a 9-2 loss to the Detroit Tigers) Rather than rehash much of what I’d like to say here, I’ll just point you to the Top Prospect article I wrote earlier this offseason, linked above. Lee’s production fell off in Triple-A last year, but there is a reason he remains a consensus top-50 prospect in all of baseball. A plus hitter from both sides of the plate and an unmatched student of the game, Lee should see time in the majors this season, though I’m not sure that happens as early as it did for Julien last year, even if an injury strikes the Twins infield. Lee is not yet on the 40-man roster, so there's a hurdle to clear. David Festa (24), RHP – TD’s #6 Prospect (Festa made his debut on 6/27, starting against the Diamondbacks on the road. He worked five innings, allowing five earned runs on seven hits and a walk, while striking out two, but it was enough to pick up his first win!) The Twins’ pitching depth has already been stressed this spring, with injuries to Jhoan Durán, Anthony DeSclafani, Caleb Thielbar, and Justin Topa. Josh Winder and Matt Canterino will also open the season on the injured list. This pushes Festa a bit higher up the pecking order than anticipated, and with him essentially anchoring the Saints' starting staff, big-league spot-starter opportunities are on the table immediately for the tall right-hander. His fastball averaged 94+ MPH in 2023, and his slider is a swing-and-miss weapon. TRIPLE-A DEPTH Almost every year, a major-league team will need an emergency catcher, a fill-in outfielder, a spot starter, or a fresh arm for a depleted bullpen. While guys like this aren't necessarily on top prospect lists, you never know when an extra body might be needed to cover your needs in a pinch. DaShawn Keirsey (26), OF (Keirsey made his debut on 9/5 against the Rays, coming into the game as a defensive replacement in the 8th inning. He made his fist start on 9/7, and collected his first hit on 9/10) The Twins' fourth-round pick in 2018 took a big step forward in 2023, crushing the Texas League to earn a promotion to St. Paul in August. In his breakout season, he showed that he has speed (39 steals in 44 attempts), is a good defender in the corners or center field, and made strides in the patience (.366 OBP) and power (.455 SLG) departments. Anthony Prato (25), IF/OF I don’t know what to make of Anthony Prato, but if you really squint, you can see a player in the Julien mold, minus a bit of the power from the French-Canadian import. Prato couldn’t hit in Wichita last year, but the Twins promoted him to St. Paul anyway, and then he basically never stopped hitting. Where my Julien comparison really comes from is the .452 OBP he compiled in Triple-A, thanks to 59 walks in 72 games. Maybe Prato just really knows how to take advantage of the Automatic Ball-Strike System. Ryan Jensen (26), RHP A former first-round pick, Jensen was claimed off waivers by the Twins back in January, the fourth such claim a team had made on him this offseason. He finally made it through and was outrighted to St. Paul not long afterward. He is the definition of a reclamation project, needing to hone his control and command, but the Twins like his pure stuff and he misses a lot of bats. DARK HORSES Now we get to some shots in the dark: players who could come out of nowhere to make a surprise debut. They might be a well-known name, but not that far up the ladder at the start of the season (think Randy Dobnak); returning from an injury, such that they may have been forgotten; or have a unique pitch or other ability that could pay off in a big way. Marco Raya (21), RHP – TD’s #5 Prospect I do have an issue with how the Twins have utilized Raya, which is as a starting pitcher who didn’t throw more than four innings or 65 pitches in any game last year. That being said, the results were there, with a sub-1.00 WHIP and 3.00 ERA over 62 2/3 innings. They do need to take the reins off at some point, but even if they don’t in 2024, there is a world wherein Raya emerges as a bullpen option late in the year. Regi Grace (24), RHP Grace was the best relief pitcher I watched in the system while with the Kernels to begin last year, and that sentiment was backed up by his 1.16 ERA, 0.73 WHIP, and 11.6 strikeouts-per-nine-innings pitching line before being promoted. With Wichita, he wasn’t nearly as effective, but I’m chalking that up to the step up in competition and fewer whiffs at his plus slider, which he will need to locate better. Cory Lewis (23), RHP Twins Daily’s Starting Pitcher of the Year in 2023 went 9-4 with a 2.49 ERA with Fort Myers and Cedar Rapids. Yes, he throws a knuckleball, but no, he is not a knuckleball pitcher. The pitch is thrown more as a changeup alternative, sitting in the mid-80s, but it does everything you expect a knuckler to do. I’d like the Twins to push him to Wichita, but even if he’s back with Cedar Rapids, it won’t be for long. Pierson Ohl (24), RHP Known for a sub-90 fastball coming out of college, Ohl has been one of the latest success stories for the Twins' development staff in adding velocity. Now consistently in the 90s, his stuff is playing up thanks to impeccable control (1.3 BB/9IP). He had a 0.95 WHIP in 16 games (14 starts) with Wichita last season. DON’T FORGET ABOUT These are just some of my favorite guys in the system--personal cheeseballs as they say--who deserve consideration if things go off the rails and have been a part of the organization for a while now. Michael Helman (27), IF/OF (Helman made his debut on September 3rd against the Tampa Bay Rays. He batted ninth playing right field, and collected his first MLB hit, a single, in two at-bats.) Was a prime candidate as a utility fill-in heading into the 2023 season, but injuries held him to just 38 games. Has underrated power and stole 40 bases in 45 attempts in 2022. Chris Williams (27), C/1B This guy is my spirit animal, consistently going off on the day I am responsible for the Minor League Report (Tuesday). Has a knack for home run binges, so if the Twins' depth at first base is challenged, he could be a break-glass-in-case-of-emergency option. Cody Laweryson (25), RHP Was lights-out during the 2022 season, in which he finished second in our Relief Pitcher of the Year voting. He didn’t have the same success as the season wore on in Triple-A last year, but can function as a multi-inning reliever in a pinch with his starting experience. The prospects above are just some of those I think we could see in Twins colors at Target Field for the first time this season. When do you think any of them will take the Green Line from St. Paul to Minneapolis? Who will have the debut you are most excited about, and who are some of the prospects you think I may have missed? Let’s play ball! (Twins players who debuted during the 2002 season included: Todd Sears, Mike Ryan, Kevin Frederick, and Rochester, MN native Michael Restovich)

Brooks Lee was, by general acclaim, one of the best hitters available in the 2022 MLB Draft, after spending three years playing for his dad at Cal Poly. The Twins were ecstatic to have him fall to them at eighth overall, and just two years later, he is primed for his debut at Target Field. Age: 22 (DOB: 02/14/2001 – Happy Early Birthday, Brooks!) 2023 Stats (AA/AAA): 125 G, 567 PA, .275/.347/.461, 39 2B, 3 3B, 16 HR, 84 RBI, 7 SB, 9.9% BB, 16.0% K ETA: 2024 2023 Ranking: 1 National Top 100 Rankings: BA: 13 | MLB: 18 | ATH: 31 | BP: 16 What’s To Like Like many of the prospects who rate this highly on team and national lists, Lee had been on the radar of professional scouts since his early teens. He was drafted by the San Francisco Giants in the 35th round coming out of high school, and the only reason he wasn’t taken much, much higher than that (i.e.: the first round), was because of his steadfast commitment to play in college for his dad, Larry Lee, in San Luis Obispo, CA. You would be right to assume that growing up with a dad-cum-coach put Lee on a developmental trajectory few players anywhere are able to match. He not only developed the requisite physical attributes for stardom, but came to understand the game (on a team and a personal level) much deeper than your typical prospect. While he may hold some bias, take it from Larry: “That’s what the great players have. They have that ability to know where they’re supposed to be and know what the pitcher is trying to do," Larry said. "It’s pretty cool to listen to him. He talks like he’s a 20-year big-league veteran. When it comes to baseball, he’s usually the smartest guy in the room; that’s including coaches. I would hire him right now, if it was possible.” Beyond those intangibles, there’s also those physical attributes, and the main one I’m going to point out is that Lee is also a switch-hitter. While they are few and far between these days, Twins fans had been watching a pretty good one for a while now, in Jorge Polanco. While I don’t think Polanco is a perfect comparison to Lee (I’d like to think there is more Mauer than Polanco to the new guy), I do think that’s the type of floor we’re looking at. Lee is capable of hitting a bunch of doubles (Lee finished second in the Texas League with 31 on the season last year, and played 41 fewer games at the level than the guy who hit 33), 20-homer power, and good BABIP from either side of the plate. If you are into local Minnesota ties for your favorite players as well, Lee spent the summer of 2020 playing in the Northwoods League, for the Willmar Stingers. He batted .345/.393./.473 there as a 19-year-old, before breaking out in a big way for his dad’s team the following collegiate season. What’s Left to Work On Lee spent most of his 2023 season with the Wichita Wind Surge, earning a callup to the St. Paul Saints at the beginning of August. In Double A, Lee hit .292/.365/.476 in 87 games, before finishing with a .237/.304/.428 line in 38 games at Triple A. He picked up some power momentum in the final month of the season with St. Paul, slugging .523 in September, but the Twins will want to see that overall line rise quite a bit in a league where the average OPS was nearly .800. The 2023 season also saw Lee struggle a bit more against left-handed pitching than he has probably been used to. He had an .860 OPS as a lefty, versus .603 as a righty. I’ll point out that fewer than 20 percent of his plate appearances came against lefthanders, so perhaps this can just be chalked up to minimal opportunity. But it is something he will want to improve upon. In limited time the year before, his splits favored batting from the right side (.818 OPS as lefty, .935 as righty). There is also the problem of the Twins' major-league roster. Carlos Correa is entrenched at shortstop, Royce Lewis at third base, and now Edouard Julien at second. In the minors thus far, Lee has seen very little exposure to positions other than shortstop. I think Lee absolutely can play shortstop in the majors; he has put questions around that (from me, anyway) to rest. But he also should start being shuffled around the diamond this season just so he doesn’t get thrown into the fire at a position to which he is not accustomed when a need arises. He has the arm to play third, and at second base, he would surely be excellent. What’s Next Lee will find himself back with the St. Paul Saints to start the season, and barring injuries on the major-league roster, he will likely spend the bulk of his time there in 2024. From a player perspective, I don’t see any reason why he couldn’t be an early callup like Julien was last year, especially if he shows his stuff in spring training and hits the ground running back in Triple A. But from a roster perspective, the problem Lee will have is that he is not yet on the 40-man roster. Players like José Miranda, Yunior Severino, and even Austin Martin are likely to get those opportunities before he does. All that said, Lee will play for the Minnesota Twins during the 2024 season. He’s just one step on the ladder away, and has all the talent of a top prospect you make room for when he’s ready. When do you think Brooks Lee will make his major league debut? What are you excited about for his future with the Twins? Join the discussion and comment below!

It seems like Austin Martin's scouting report has changed in significant ways a handful of times in his short pro career. He's survived and advanced, though, and his time is coming. Age: 24 (DOB: 3/23/1999) 2023 Stats: 67 games, 282 PA, .260/.381/.398, 11 2B, 7 HR, 30 RBI, 19 SB, 13.8% BB, 16.3% K ETA: 2024 2023 Ranking: 10 National Top 100 Rankings: BA: NA | MLB: NA | ATH: NR | BP: NA What’s To Like While there is never any guarantee that a highly-drafted player is going to turn into a superstar (or even a major leaguer, if we’re being honest), there is something to be said about why a player was thus regarded. In Martin’s case, heading into the 2020 draft, he was a leader on a team that had won the College World Series and widely thought of as the best pure hitter in the class. He'd hit nearly .400 that junior season in the SEC, as a shortstop. The Toronto Blue Jays selected him at the fifth spot in that year’s shortened draft, and he immediately showed up in the top 25 of national prospect lists. The Blue Jays then pushed him straight to Double A to start his career, and he hit .281/.424/.383 before coming to the Twins in the trade for Jose Berrios. He finished out the season with Wichita, batting .254/.399/.381 in his first 37 games with a new organization. You should notice a couple of things in those batting lines, in that the average and slugging percentage weren’t as high as one might be hoping, and that’s part of the reason he began to fall down those prospect lists. But he also got on base at a clip over .400, so there were still some things to like in his performance. From all reports, the Twins worked hard with Martin to try and unlock some of the power that was perceived to be missing, and you can see that effort going for naught the next year. Martin’s batting average dropped nearly 30 points at the same level, and his slugging sagged even farther, as he clubbed just two home runs in 90 games, ending with a .683 OPS. Even that on-base percentage that you could hang a hat on was no longer in elite territory. Is this who Martin was going to be? I’d suggest an injury to his elbow and getting sent to the Arizona Fall League to make up for missed time set him back on the right trajectory. It was clear the adjustments for power didn’t quite work before he missed a month and a half of the season, and when he came back, he was able to reset. He was fantastic in the AFL, hitting .374/.454/.482 with six doubles and 10 stolen bases, being named to the league’s All-Star team. He also split his time evenly between shortstop and the outfield, showcasing a versatility that would become more pronounced in the following season. He ranked second on his team in OPS at .936, trailing only fellow Twins prospect and breakout AFL star, Edouard Julien. For comparison’s sake, his batting average and OBP were higher than Royce Lewis’s when he took home that league’s MVP award a few years prior. I don’t think the comparisons to Lewis end there, either. What’s Left to Work On Speaking of, he and Lewis have both dealt with some of the same issues coming up through the minors with the Twins. There have been some developmental missteps (perhaps including the team trying to turn him into a hitter he's not destined to be) and some injuries. Martin’s 2023 started with another elbow injury, and the fear going into spring training was that he may have to end it early with Tommy John surgery. Luckily, that wasn’t the case, and he returned to full-time action at the end of June. Upon finishing a bit of a rehab tour in the FCL and with Fort Myers, Martin was promoted to the St. Paul Saints for the start of July and finished out the season healthy. It would be nice if he could remain as such for a full season. With the Saints last year, he hit .263 with an on-base percentage again approaching .400 in 59 games. His best month was August, when his OPS eclipsed 1.000 behind a .460 OBP and four home runs. It’s never going to be the main part of his game, but the power played in that short sample, and he also was a menace on the basepaths, swiping 11 in 13 attempts on the month. If he can continue to get on base like this at the next level, there is a very valuable player here, especially if he's capable of filling in on the grass or dirt on any particular day. While he started to show he could handle multiple positions that fall out in the desert, that was even more apparent with St. Paul last year. He started 33 games at second base, 10 in center field, and 12 in left at Triple A. He will need to continue to be ready at multiple spots if he’s going to crack the major-league lineup, so getting all the exposure he can to different positions will help. What’s Next A good start to his 2024 season means maintaining his solid walk and strikeout rates from the outset back with the Saints. As he heated up last year, those “pure hitter” reports from when he was drafted remained on display. He struck out just 43 times in 59 games with the Saints (17.1%), while drawing 36 walks (14.3%). When he’s going, he’s fully capable of a strong on-base percentage for a leadoff man, or a great one for somebody turning the lineup over. The speed and versatility will also play in ways much different than say, former fan-favorite utility man, Luis Arráez when he was cracking the majors. He may never be that superstar you hope to get with a guy drafted as high as he was (and acquired for a player as important to the franchise as Berríos), but there is no doubt in my mind that Austin Martin will put on a Twins uniform for the first time during the 2024 season. Whether that’s filling in for an injury later in the season, or even earning a spot on the Twins roster as Byron Buxton insurance to break camp like Michael A. Taylor did last year, Martin will be needed. He’s also, theoretically, a ready-made replacement for the likes of Willi Castro and Nick Gordon in a utility role whenever such a need arises. The Twins will hope to turn him from needed to unabashedly wanted in the years ahead. Are you optimistic about Martin’s future with the Twins? What are you looking for out of him during the coming season? Join the discussion and comment below!