The Next Wave Is Near: Five Prospect Decisions That Will Define the Twins in 2026

The Minnesota Twins enter 2026 walking a familiar tightrope between patience and urgency. The major-league roster is competitive but flawed, not nearly dominant enough to mask mistakes. Beneath it, however, the organization has quietly built one of baseball’s deepest and most intriguing farm systems.

That reality changes everything.

This is no longer a franchise scraping for upside. The talent is here—or close. What matters now is timing, development, and decision-making. The choices made in St. Paul, Wichita, Cedar Rapids, Fort Myers, and on draft day will echo at Target Field for years.

These are the five prospect storylines that will shape the Twins organization throughout the 2026 season.

1. Walker Jenkins and the Art of Waiting

Assuming a healthy spring, Walker Jenkins is expected to open 2026 exactly where the Twins want him: Triple-A St. Paul. Comfortable. Challenged. And still waiting.

Jenkins’ 2025 season followed a familiar elite-prospect arc. He dominated Double-A Wichita (154 wRC+) before running into his first real adversity in Triple-A, where that number dropped to 88 across 23 games. The Twins saw enough to believe—but also enough to slow down.

He isn’t on the 40-man roster, and Minnesota’s outfield depth provides natural insulation against rushing him. Emmanuel Rodríguez remains ahead of him on the development curve, and there’s no incentive to force a debut before Jenkins fully settles into Triple-A pitching.

When the call eventually comes, it will feel familiar to Twins fans—reminiscent of the anticipation surrounding Byron Buxton and Royce Lewis. The difference is that this time, the organization appears content to wait for the right moment rather than chase it.

2. A Rebuilt Farm System That Must Now Deliver

The 2025 trade deadline changed the trajectory of the Twins’ system.

Minnesota went from thin to deep in a matter of weeks, adding volume, upside, and balance through a clear-eyed sell-off. Now comes the more difficult phase: proving those evaluations were correct.

Prospects like Eduardo Tait, Kendry Rojas, Mick Abel, Enrique Jimenez, Ryan Gallagher, Sam Armstrong, and Garrett Horn are no longer theoretical assets. They are expected to form the spine of the next competitive Twins roster.

By Opening Day 2026, any adjustment period to a new organization should be over. This season will separate legitimate building blocks from organizational depth—and that distinction will guide future trades, promotions, and extensions.

3. Draft Pressure With the No. 3 Pick

The 2026 MLB Draft could be a franchise-altering moment for Minnesota, as the Twins hold the third overall pick.

UCLA shortstop Roch Cholowsky has emerged as the consensus top talent and is widely expected to go first overall. After that, the draft board becomes volatile. Justin Lebron, along with prep shortstops Grady Emerson and Jacob Lombard, headline a second tier rich with upside and risk.

If Lebron slips to No. 3, the Twins could land a player capable of becoming their top prospect almost immediately. With an already crowded system, Minnesota has the luxury of drafting for ceiling rather than need—a rare and valuable position.

4. Another Deadline Reset May Be Coming

The Twins are not positioned as a clear playoff contender entering 2026.

Josh Bell fills a need but doesn’t shift the franchise’s competitive arc. The bullpen remains fragile, with Cole Sands and Justin Topa currently projected for late-inning roles—an area that feels more provisional than settled.

If Minnesota finds itself under .500 by the trade deadline, another sell-off is very much in play. Joe Ryan, Pablo López, and impending free agents—most notably Ryan Jeffers—could all draw significant interest.

The front office has already shown a willingness to prioritize long-term value over short-term respectability. 2026 may require the same discipline.

5. The Connor Prielipp Question

Perhaps no internal decision looms larger than Connor Prielipp’s role.

For the first time since turning pro, Prielipp stayed healthy in 2025—and the Twins responded cautiously. As a starter, he flashed real promise, but his usage told the real story: only two outings of five innings or more, and never more than 85 pitches.

That restraint speaks volumes.

President of baseball operations Derek Falvey has openly discussed a potential move to the bullpen, and the logic is clear. Prielipp’s stuff could be devastating in high-leverage relief, while his injury history makes extended starter workloads a gamble.

In a system flush with starting pitching, optimizing Prielipp’s impact may be one of the most consequential decisions Minnesota makes all year.

A Franchise Defined by Timing

All five storylines share a single theme: alignment.

The Twins are no longer scrambling to collect talent. They’re deciding when—and how—to deploy it. That’s a very different challenge, and one that requires patience, conviction, and precision.

If Minnesota navigates this season correctly, the next competitive window will feel tangible and close. If it miscalculates, the rebuild risks drifting longer than anyone in the organization wants to admit.

The wave is coming. What the Twins do next will determine whether it crests—or crashes.