Jenkins showing his maturity as he waits for hits to start dropping

MINNEAPOLIS – The start to Walker Jenkins' Major League career is not going how he expected.

The Twins’ top prospect, and baseball’s 14th overall per MLB Pipeline, has been on a major skid. He’s 0-for-16 in his past five games and has only four hits in 53 plate appearances entering Tuesday night’s game against the Yankees at Target Field.

“I just feel like I’m competing my butt off and just not having [anything] to show for it right now, and just not winning ABs that I feel like I’m used to winning,” said Jenkins. “But it’s still like it’s one of those things; I don’t feel overmatched. I feel like I’m more beating myself and trying to not go 10-for-10 with 10 home runs in one at-bat.”

“The challenge of coming to this level is something that none of us can really comprehend until you do it,” said Twins manager Derek Shelton. “I think the one thing Walker has done really well, and I commend him on, and I guaran-damn-tee you at 21 I couldn’t have done it: He’s maintained the exact same attitude.”

Adjustment periods at a new level are not unfamiliar territory for Jenkins. In his first week of games at Triple-A St. Paul last August, Jenkins was 1-for-20. He finished the 2024 season going 4-for-25 after being promoted to Double-A Wichita.

When any player struggles in the Majors, everything is more magnified. But in Jenkins’ case, the mental struggles that could come with it are much smaller within his head.

“Mentally I have been, throughout my Minor League career, in a much worse headspace than I am now. It’s one of those things that, like I said, I’m taking swings that I want to take. I’ve had really solid plate discipline. I’m just missing some of my pitches,” Jenkins said.

With Jenkins keeping things even-keeled in his head and in his body language in this slump, neither his teammates nor coaches have any drop of concern that the hits won’t begin to arrive soon. And when they do, they’ll come in bunches.

“He definitely doesn’t act like a 21-year-old; it’s crazy,” said Josh Bell. “We talked amongst the clubhouse about how we weren’t ready for the big leagues at 21, and he is. Obviously, the results haven’t been there. But his mindset and his attack plan, we talk about what he sees up there, and he’s so much more advanced than I was.”

“He's 40 at-bats into his big league career,” said Twins hitting coach Keith Beauregard. “He's smart, never any panic. We believe in him. He believes in himself. As long as you've got that self belief, it will take you very far in this game. We know he has the skill to back that up.”

The Twins had Jenkins sitting against Yankees left-hander Max Fried on Tuesday night. But with another lefty scheduled on the mound Wednesday in Carlos Rodón, the possibility exists for Jenkins to get any opportunity to end the hitless streak.

“I’m not going to keep hitting a buck whatever, .100 for the rest of my career. I’m going to figure it out. It’s just in the moment, I’m trying to make sure I don’t try to do too much,” Jenkins said.