Twins No. 4 prospect drills hardest HR in Minnesota's org in nearly 2 years
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Emmanuel Rodriguez has long been known for his exceptional power, a product of elite bat speed and natural strength.
The Twins' No. 4 prospect has put that on display in 74 games across parts of three seasons with Triple-A St. Paul. And now he has made his case as the most powerful Saints player -- ever.
Rodriguez set a franchise record when he walloped a home run that left his bat at 116.6 mph in a 10-6 loss to Lehigh Valley on Saturday at CHS Field. The 439-foot shot was also the hardest-hit roundtripper by any player in the Twins organization in nearly two years, dating back to Matt Wallner's 116.7 mph homer on July 8, 2024.
There was little doubt that the 23-year-old's drive was going to clear the fence after he hammered a hanging slider from Phillies right-hander Ryan Cusick in the fifth inning. The only question was whether it would leave the stadium entirely (which it, of course, did).
MLB's No. 66 prospect is no stranger to thunderous exit velocities. He already has the four hardest-hit balls by anyone in Minnesota's org this year -- including a 451-foot grand slam at 113.6 mph -- and has been doing this for years.
In 2025, Rodriguez's 90th percentile exit velocity (109.1 mph) ranked in the 99th percentile at Triple-A, while his 113.6 mph max EV ranked in the 95th percentile. His hard-hit rate is even up to 50 percent this season, and nobody has recorded a harder hit at Triple-A.
Rodriguez isn't just mashing the ball -- he's delivering strong results. Through 15 games this season, he's slashing .273/.397/.527 with four home runs. And while his strikeout rate remains on the high side (27.9 percent), it's down a few points from his career average, and he more than makes up for it with his prodigious power.
The main thing holding the Dominican Republic native back to date has been his health, as he has averaged just 59 games per season heading into 2026 between knee, abdominal, thumb, hip and oblique issues. Still, many of those injuries were freak accidents and not overly likely to repeat, so there's hope he can shed the injury-prone label and deliver a bounceback season.
Rodriguez has been able to stay on the field this year -- outside of a few games missed due to sickness -- and the results are clear. Few players can slug like Roriguez when they're at the plate.