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Minnesota Twins Could Soon Have Baseball’s Best Prospect
Jonah Hinebaugh/Naples Daily News/USA Today Network-Florida / USA TODAY NETWORK

Minnesota Twins Could Soon Have Baseball’s Best Prospect

Originally posted on Minnesota Sports Fan
By Ted Schwerzler  |  Last updated Sep 7, 2024 10:33 PM ET

The Minnesota Twins have promoted plenty prospects to the big leagues this season. Brooks Lee will soon surpass his rookie status. Although he was a top prospect for the organization coming into the season, the one of the best farm systems may soon have the best prospect in the sport.

MLB Insider is all in on Minnesota Twins prospect Walker Jenkins

Multiple recent updates to prospect rankings have had the Minnesota Twins farm system flying up the charts. With a handful of top 100 prospects, their future couldn’t be brighter. That’s probably a good thing for an ownership group not keen on spending money. Their next great superstar is Walker Jenkins, and The Athletic’s Jim Bowden is all in.

“It was difficult to decide whether Walker Jenkins should be above or behind Clark because they are two completely different players. Clark is known for his speed, defense and ability to get on base while Jenkins has ridiculous upper-deck loft power to the pull side but also line-drive power to all fields. He’s an above-average base runner as well with strong baseball instincts. He’s batted .293/.399/.468 with more walks (48) than strikeouts (40) across three minor-league levels this season, collecting 30 extra-base hits despite missing six weeks with a hamstring injury.“

Jim Bowden on Walker Jenkins (The Athletic)

Bowden ranked Jenkins third on his recent top 50 prospects update. He also noted a willingness to put him ahead of Detroit Tigers prospect Max Clark (as most rankings have done). Bowden’s list is very interesting, and as he notes, much different than most other lists. Anyone having made a big league debut is also excluded. Among national lists, Bowden’s won’t be held in the same regard. That doesn’t change what the placement of Jenkins is suggestive of.

The reality is that Jenkins is within a calendar year of flirting with a number one overall prospect in baseball ranking. Tampa Bay’s Junior Caminero topped Baseball America’s list after starting the year as a top 10-15 player across multiple rankings. That same rise is plausible for Jenkins, especially if he starts strong at High-A or Double-A in 2025.

Minnesota hasn’t had a prospect tough these heights since Byron Buxton. Jenkins is a different type of player, and while defense is a plus for him, his offensive abilities could be superstar level.

Emmanuel Rodriguez joins Jenkins as Bowden’s favorite Twins

It’s not just Jenkins that carries the top of the Twins system either. Emmanuel Rodriguez would be the top prospect in more than half of the organizations across the sport. It’s more likely that he finds his home as a corner outfielder, but he possesses strong athleticism and a great approach. Bowden ranked him 22nd on his list.

“Last season at High A, Emmanuel Rodriguez reached base at a .400 clip with 16 home runs and 20 stolen bases. Despite missing time for thumb and wrist injuries, he’s continued that success this year, slashing .279/.463/.579 with eight homers and nine steals in 42 games, mostly at Double A. The Twins promoted Rodriguez to Triple A earlier this week.“

Jim Bowden on Emmanuel Rodriguez (The Athletic)

Rodriguez was recently promoted to Triple-A. He ripped his first home run on Saturday night, and it was of the grand variety. His approach leans into taking counts deep. Sometimes that results in strikeouts, but his discipline at the dish has helped to rack up walks and generate a .422 OBP across 226 professional games.

There’s an outside chance that Minnesota may need to call upon Rodriguez in the final weeks of the season should Byron Buxton not return. He is already on the 40-man roster and has a more complete profile than the recently promoted DaShawn Keirsey Jr. The more likely outcome is that he debuts with the Twins at some point next summer.

Minnesota being able to pair a duo at the top of their system like Jenkins and Rodriguez is truly impressive.

This article first appeared on Minnesota Sports Fan and was syndicated with permission.

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