Culpepper, Jenkins show Twins' bright future amid current skid

This story was excerpted from Matthew Leach’s Twins Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

MINNEAPOLIS – There’s no getting around the fact that over the past couple of weeks, the Twins’ 2026 fortunes have taken a hit. Their playoff chances have dwindled with one of their longest stretches of subpar play of the season. But their prospects for 2027, 2028 and beyond (pardon the pun)? Those are looking better and better.

Since the beginning of August, Minnesota has seen a pair of extremely auspicious debuts, as first shortstop Kaelen Culpepper and then outfielder Walker Jenkins arrived and have looked very much like they belong in the big leagues. Ranked as the organization’s No. 1 (Jenkins, No. 15 overall) and No. 3 (Culpepper, No. 34 overall) prospects, both youngsters have the kinds of all-around skillsets that get an organization excited.

To wit, they’re currently starting at two of the three most demanding and important defensive positions on the diamond: shortstop and center field. The hope is that sometime soon, Jenkins will slide back over to a corner, since center at Target Field belongs to Byron Buxton, but there’s no hesitation to put the rookie there until Buxton is available again.

“I think the first thing it talks about is their athleticism,” said manager Derek Shelton. “I think we’ve talked probably since the beginning of the year, not only at the Major League level but organizationally, just making sure that we continue to try to get more athletic. … When you’re adding guys like that up the middle and you’re adding athletes, I think we’re continuing to build towards what we ultimately want to be as a position player group.”

In some obvious ways, they’re very different players. Culpepper is a right-handed-hitting infielder with an aggressive approach at the plate. Jenkins is a left-handed-hitting outfielder with a more patient approach. But they both seem to have a calm and confidence that has allowed them to step in and look like they belong, even though they both spent fewer than 300 games in the Minor Leagues before being called up.

And although the big league club has seen its results suffer recently, it’s still squarely in a pennant race, and Jenkins and Culpepper wouldn’t be here if the Twins didn’t believe they could help push the team toward October.

“I think we always want to be really thoughtful on what the right time is on those next steps,” general manager Jeremy Zoll said. “Obviously, [we] went through a lot of discussions with [Culpepper] a few weeks back, and he’s done a really great job hitting the ground running. Spent a lot of time over this last stretch on Walker as well. Whenever you make a move on someone that is as highly touted as Walker, you want to feel like when you make that move, they’re going to be here for good. Again, that kind of factored into all those decisions.”

And you don’t have to look too far to see the next wave of talent that could join Culpepper, Jenkins and Luke Keaschall – a former No. 61 overall prospect and 2025 graduate of the Twins' farm system – at the big league level.

Shortstop Marek Houston (No. 4 in the Twins' system, No. 74 overall), the team’s 2025 first-round pick, has enjoyed a breakout offensive season and seen his standings surge among prospect analysts. Houston has long been considered an exemplary defender, and if his bat matches his glove, he could be a heck of a big leaguer.

Then there’s this year’s top pick, catcher Vahn Lackey (No. 2 prospect for Minnesota and No. 19 overall), who is already at High-A and looking very promising in his first pro season.

They’re all up-the-middle players, all athletic and all intriguing potential pieces of a core that could be very fun to watch, very soon.