With the Minnesota Twins gearing up for Grapefruit League action down in Fort Myers, Florida, baseball is nearly upon us. Before the action gets underway, we have to go through prospect season.
We have already seen how Baseball America and Keith Law view the system. A collection that ranks as one of the best in the sport, it's nice to see individual names honored. While one outlet or another may be higher on the group, ESPN's list takes things up a notch.
Among those that have insight into prospect development, Kiley McDaniel (ESPN) has a unique perspective. Not only was he previously a lead prospect writer at FanGraphs , but he has worked for multiple big league organizations as well. Now pushing out ESPN's top 100, he dotes on multiple Twins talents this year.
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| Rank |
Name |
Position |
Level |
Age |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9th |
Walker Jenkins |
OF |
Triple-A |
20 |
| 38th |
C |
Single-A |
19 |
|
| 54th |
LHP |
Triple-A |
25 |
|
| 79th |
Kaelen Culpepper |
SS |
Double-A |
23 |
| 94th |
Charlie Soto |
RHP |
Single-A |
20 |
Source: ESPN
Of course it's not a shock to see Walker Jenkins in the top ten. He's easily among the best prospects in the sport, and he'll have a chance to be a superstar when reaching the highest level. Of course Jenkins has dealt with injuries , but McDaniel sees him as a Kyle Tucker or J.D. Drew type.
He is one of the best prospects in the minors in the batter's box — a 55- or 60-grade hitter with an excellent approach and 60-grade raw power that he gets to in-game quite effectively who also can take an extra bag with his 55- or 60-grade speed.
In 84 games on the farm last season, Jenkins batted .286/.399/.451 with 10 homers and 17 stolen bases. He is a true five-too talent, and if he can remain on the field he will be an absolute star.
Injuries have sapped plenty of promising Twins prospects in recent seasons, and it would be great to see Jenkins turn the page and distance himself from that future.
While Jenkins is a given to be on any top 100 prospect list, Eduardo Tait and Connor Prielipp have been more polarizing. The former was the key return in the Jhoan Duran trade . The latter possesses significant upside, but has a lengthy injury history.
Tait was the headliner in the Jhoan Duran trade with the Phillies at the deadline and offers the big tools and upside you'd want to justify moving a player like Duran.
He has plus-plus arm strength and raw power potential from the left side, but some refinement is needed to reach his potential. Tait's arm strength doesn't show up in his caught stealing numbers because of inconsistent mechanics/accuracy and while he has the tools to be an average receiver, he needs to clean up his footwork.
It's this sort of assessment that makes a prospect like Tait polarizing. He is so young and still needs to develop. If he can continue to grow behind the plate, and become more choosy at it , he'll be every bit the player Minnesota hoped they were getting from Philadelphia .
Prielipp, depending on his command, innings count, or team need, could excel in any role, with an above-average fastball, easily plus slider and an above-average changeup.
McDaniel called Prielipp a potential number two starter, and an impactful arm anywhere. His 4.03 ERA last season wasn't reflective of the stuff, and most importantly he threw 82 2/3 innings. It sounds like the Minnesota Twins will keep using him as a starter for now, but a quicker path to the big leagues may exist in the bullpen.
Also of note, Kaelen Culpepper is fourth amongst MN Twins prospects on McDaniel's list. He's got a shot to be an early call-up for Derek Shelton if Brooks Lee doesn't come out strong. Culpepper is a plus defender with speed. The bat ( .289/.375/.469 in 2025 ) has been better than expected, and that continuing would further raise his stock.
If there is a surprise for McDaniel's selections, it's that Emmanuel Rodriguez is nowhere to be see. The Triple-A outfielder could be the first promoted to the majors this season. He's had plenty of injury issues, but there's an explosive bat waiting to be unleashed.
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