With Spring Training just around the corner, it is officially MLB prospect list season. Last year, we saw the Minnesota Twins promote for and the graduate multiple top prospects, most notably Brooks Lee and David Festa . This season, both guys are expected to play key roles for manager Rocco Baldelli.
The Twins will need some combination of up-and-coming youngsters like Lee, Festa, Matt Wallner and Royce Lewis to produce. Because they are handcuffed by self-imposed financial restrictions , Minnesota's front office can't substantially improve their major league roster through free agency or trade.
Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images
Baseball America is the first major outlet to drop their top 100 prospects list for 2025. The Minnesota Twins remain well-represented, landing FOURplayers in the top 100. Most impressive is how many prospects the Twins have near the top of the list. They have THREEin the top 50, TWOin the top 20 and ONE— 2023 No. 5 overall MLB Draft pick Walker Jenkins — in the top 5.
As will be the case for all prospect lists this season, Minnesota Twins star teenager Walker Jenkins paces the group. He trails only Roki Sasaki, Roman Anthony, Jackson Jobe , and Kristian Campbell . Despite an injury-plagued start last season, he finished the year at Double-A.
High-A HR No. 1 for Walker Jenkins!
MLB's No. 4 prospect ( @Twins ) rockets this one out in a hurry for the @CRKernels .
Watch LIVE: https://t.co/aKtGFgX9NB pic.twitter.com/UwtrkBaqht— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) August 24, 2024
Jenkins owned a .282/.394/.439 slash line during his first full professional season. He is capable of holding down centerfield, but could grow into more of a corner spot. He has will grow into more power but his six home runs in 82 games. The stolen base ability is a mixture of speed and instincts as he swiped 17 bags in 20 attempts.
"Jenkins was one of the most celebrated prospects as an amateur and still shows a tremendously high ceiling, albeit after a year hamstrung by injuries. He has the upside of a five-tool player, especially if he can add a bit more impact to his contact as he grows into his body."
If you're looking for the Twins next superstar, the conversation begins and ends with Jenkins. It's unlikely he makes his big league debut in 2025, but there's also no reason to bet against him either. Ultimately, Walker Jenkins should be a mainstay on the 2026 Minnesota Twins roster and the ceiling is uncapped.
Related: Minnesota Twins Top Prospect Rankings (2025 ed.)
There's an outside chance that Emmanuel Rodriguez could make the Minnesota Twins Opening Day roster. That would be much more likely if he were right handed, but the lefty has a smooth stroke and advanced process at the plate.
Derek Falvey has already begun to talk abou t his potential with the Twins this season. Rodriguez will be at Triple-A to provide immediate insurance for the likes of both Matt Wallner and Trevor Larnach .
"Rodriguez has plenty of high-end tools and a nearly unparalleled ceiling if everything clicks. He knows the strike zone better than most umpires and hits the ball extraordinarily hard, but can be beaten by quality pitches in the strike zone and runs high strikeout rates as a result. His offensive game will profile at any spot in the outfield, especially if he can improve his zone-contact rate."
After slipping from 46th to 53rd on Baseball America's pre-season ranking last year, Rodriguez turned in a strong 2024 campaign. His .280/.459/.567 slash line came in just a total of 47 games. He suffered multiple hand injuries and did have offseason surgery .
Emmanuel Rodriguez with an inside-the-park GRAND SLAM for his first Triple-A HR⚡️ #MNTwins pic.twitter.com/UBhAGY7z5A
— Twins Player Development (@TwinsPlayerDev) September 8, 2024
Related: Minnesota Twins Top Prospects to Keep an Eye on in 2025
Now fully healthy and ready to go, there is an immense power player here. Rodriguez has 44 home runs in 230 minor league games. He takes a ton of walks and can occasionally steal a base as well. Look for an early season big league debut.
One of the more exciting developmental success stories for the Twins, Keaschall has flown up prospect rankings. MLB Pipeline recently called Keaschall the third best prospect at second base heading into 2025.
Despite playing with a torn UCL last year, Keaschall slashed .303/.420/.483 across 102 games between Single and Double-A. He took Brooks Lee 's spot in the Futures Game and should be good to go for 2025.
"The Twins unearthed a gem in the second round of the 2023 draft. Keaschall came out blazing in 2024, hitting .300 with good power, strong bat-to-ball skills and discipline as he reached Double-A. Only an elbow injury that required Tommy John surgery in August slowed his ascent."
Keaschall has easy power and launched 15 home runs while adding 21 doubles last year. He controls the zone well and doesn't do too much. He's a solid defender at second base, but began to work at first base last season and could help Minnesota there this year.
Baseball America also highlighted Keaschall as a top 100 riser. It's possible he won't be eligible for the list next season if he exhausts rookie thresholds. He also could inch into the top 25.
Luke Keaschall, the No. 54 prospect in MLB by @BaseballAmerica , launched his third HR in four days 💣
2-for-6
HR (105 mph)
2 RBI
His 2024 ranks amongst Double-A Texas League players (min. 200 PA):
OBP – 1st (.407)🥇
OPS – 2nd (.886)🥈
wOBA – 1st (.385)🥇 #MNTwins pic.twitter.com/uda0hlusG3— Twins Player Development (@TwinsPlayerDev) July 28, 2024
Related: Exclusive: Twins Top Prospect Opens Up About Torn UCL That Eventually Ended His Season
Although Keaschall didn't reach Triple-A in 2024, his season ended to time up the surgery timeline for a fresh 2025. Expect a stop at St. Paul before an eventual debut at Target Field this summer.
Minnesota watched Zebby Matthews blitz the system last season and he was ultimately called upon to make starts down the stretch run during a division race. That experience should benefit him greatly this year, even though he'll likely begin at Triple-A.
Minor league pitch data said that Twins starter Zebby Matthews had three above-average pitches for stuff and five he could locate well. That's porting over today, great debut. pic.twitter.com/yT5ddePIuG
— Eno Sarris (@enosarris) August 14, 2024
Matthews took nine turns for the Twins and turned in a 6.69 ERA with 43 strikeouts in 37 2/3 innings. The 11 home runs were certainly his bugaboo, but he allowed just seven of them in 97 minor league innings .
"Matthews got a late-season taste of the big leagues when Minnesota needed starting pitching help. He could use a better out pitch, but his control, command and solid arsenal make him a pretty safe bet to be a No. 4 starter in the major leagues."
The real stunner for Matthews is his stinginess when it comes to free passes. He carried a 114/7 K/BB in the minors and backed it up with a 43/11 K/BB at the big league level.
Related: 2025 Minnesota Twins Minor League Coaching Staff Revealed
The Twins need Matthews to continue missing bats and avoiding walks, but he may need to be less picky around the zone in order to find his ideal out pitch. Expect him to double the innings total he provided for Minnesota a year ago.
