Their performance for the remainder of the season may not only determine their role next year, but whether they’re on the roster at all. There’s also a group of players who, while they haven’t quite reached that point, they’re approaching it very quickly.
For this group, their performance this season and early in 2026 will be significant for their future with the Minnesota Twins organization.
Roden may be the opening day left fielder regardless, as it’s easy to see a scenario in which Trevor Larnach’s arbitration of around $5m is seen as untenable. Roden is a plus defender and easily edges Larnach in that department but lacks even fleeting glimpses of offensive upside so far in his career.
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Acquiring another left-handed hitting outfielder was always questionable, given the team’s already existing logjam in that department. Roden was given a head start down the stretch and will have nothing to show for it.
He’ll have to hit immediately in 2026, or any number of upcoming corner outfield bats from either side of the plate could get their shot.
There is no shortage of candidates to take at-bats away from him if he struggles next season, including Emmanuel Rodriguez, Gabriel Gonzalez, Kyler Fedko, Austin Martin, and potentially even Walker Jenkins eventually.
Unfortunately, an IL trip due to illness interrupted Woods Richardson’s bounce-back from early-season struggles.
While not quite up to the standard he set as a rookie, SWR has performed more than adequately to continue to fill the back end of the rotation. He should still return this season to continue building on his new splitter, which has helped him turn things around. He’s posted a serviceable 4.40 ERA since he began throwing the new pitch on May 14.
Unfortunately for Woods Richardson, the Twins added a wave of competition at the deadline. Mick Abel and Taj Bradley blow him away in the raw stuff department, and we’ll likely see them before the end of the season (or, weekend) in the big-league rotation.
Woods Richardson has to pitch well down the stretch, or his role could be in jeopardy.
Even if the Twins trade away a starter or two this offseason to save some money, they have a glut of rotation depth with plenty of upside. The Twins could look to either trade him or move him to the bullpen shortly if he doesn’t fully cement himself as part of the 2026 rotation.
3B Royce Lewis
The vibes don’t seem great with Lewis, who once looked like one of the core pieces cemented in the Twins lineup. It’s been over a year since we’ve seen consistent production from the Twins third baseman, and his occasional eyebrow-raising quotes pointing to unhappiness with the team are beginning to add up.
At this point, it’s safe to assume that Royce’s frustrations with the team are reciprocated. His .632 OPS since August 1 of 2024 is a huge reason the Twins offense has been so lackluster, and he’s been slid down the lineup recently as he’s failed to show any signs of consistency.
We’re approaching the point where we have to ask whether Lewis is the player we thought he was.
The Twins will likely be asking this very question soon as well. Lewis will have the remainder of 2025 and the beginning of 2026 to turn it around, but the decisions become difficult as players like Kaelen Culpepper approach MLB readiness.
An offense can’t be competitive with a third baseman performing the way Lewis has for the last year, and the repeated headline-worthy quotes are likely getting tiresome on the business end. After once holding a near-untouchable status, Lewis may soon find himself on the verge of being squeezed out of the depth chart.
