With a reworked swing and his same dogged approach, former first-round draft pick Trevor Larnach is making an everyday impact for the Twins

In the world of professional baseball – or any sport for that matter – success is rarely linear and very few careers exemplify that more than Trevor Larnach’s. Larnach is a player defined by not only talent, but also grit, determination and resilience. From early collegiate struggles to injury setbacks, from early big-league struggles to reinventing his swing at the highest level, Larnach’s path has been a case study of overcoming obstacles and adapting to circumstances. And yet through every challenge, every up and every down, he has evolved as a person and a player, earning his keep as an imperative piece of the Minnesota Twins.

Beaver Beginnings

Larnach attended College Park High School in Pleasant Hill, California, where he exhibited a natural talent for baseball, leading him to be selected by the San Diego Padres in the 40th round of the 2015 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft. Larnach opted to not sign with the Padres and instead attended Oregon State University, where he played three years with the Beavers. Despite a rough freshman year in which he appeared in 28 games and slashed just .157/.271/.276, with eight hits in 51 at-bats, Larnach didn’t let a singular stagnant year stop him or even slow him down; instead, he showcased a resilient, dedicated ballplayer, a trend that has been seen throughout his entire career. During his sophomore year in 2018, Larnach found his footing again. He appeared in 60 games, posting a .303 batting average with 16 doubles, three home runs, 48 RBI and 32 runs scored, and he didn’t stop there.

In his junior year, Trevor improved once again, batting .348 with 19 doubles, one triple, 77 RBI, 72 runs scored and a staggering 19 home runs in 68 games to earn Pac-12 All-Conference honors. His 19 homers ranked first on the eventual national champions by far, with the next highest being 2019’s first overall draft pick, Baltimore Orioles catcher Adley Rutschman, who had nine. During Game 2 of the 2018 College World Series, Oregon State was tied with the Arkansas Razorbacks 3-3 in the top of the ninth inning with two outs, when Larnach hit a two-run homer to give OSU a 5-3 lead. When asked about his game-winning hit, Larnach said, “I just said ‘get going, get going,’ and it went. From there, I don’t really remember.” OSU went on to take that game, as well as a 5-0 shutout in Game 3, giving Oregon State the title of 2018 College World Series Champions. Larnach was named to the All-Tournament team alongside four of his teammates, including Rutschman.

First Round's On Me

The Twins selected Larnach with the 20th overall pick in the first round of the 2018 MLB Draft. “He’s clearly an advanced bat,” Twins President, Baseball & Business Operations Derek Falvey said of the then-21-year-old left-hander. “He’s shown that off at the [College] World Series. I’m sure he can handle just about any level we put him at. We just want to put him in a place we think is most beneficial for his success. It’s not that he can’t pull the ball; he just uses the left-center field gap really well,” Falvey said. “I think that’s a really good sign for a young hitter. Pulling the ball comes a little later sometimes. The ability to drive the ball the other way, that’s something not all guys can do. It’s exciting to think what he can do once he gets there.”

Larnach signed with the Twins on July 5, 2018, and made his professional debut with the Rookie-level Elizabethton Twins on July 18, before being promoted to the Low-A Cedar Rapids Kernels less than a month later. He played 42 games between the two teams, alongside current Twins teammates Ryan Jeffers, Royce Lewis and DaShawn Keirsey Jr., slashing .303/.390/.500.

Larnach entered the 2019 season rated as the fifth-best prospect in the Twins system by both Baseball America and MLB.com. He continued his ascent as he split the year between the High-A Fort Myers Mighty Mussels and the then-Minnesota-affiliated Double-A Pensacola Blue Wahoos, playing in 127 games and posting a .309 batting average with 30 doubles, one triple, 13 home runs and 66 RBI, earning Florida State League Most Valuable Player Honors, as well as being named to both the Midseason and Postseason All-Star teams.

“Baseball is a game of failures, so if you fail it’s just part of the game,” Larnach told MiLB.com at the time. “You just have to keep grinding through it and keep doing what you do best and just stick with your process. When you do that, things are going to happen naturally. So, I’m just in my constant routine and trying to do all the things I need to do, stay healthy and keep plugging away.” Additionally, Larnach was named FSL Player of the Week in early June and MiLB.com FSL Player of the Month in May, before being honored with the 2019 Sherry Robertson Award as the Twins Minor League Player of the Year.

Hello Big Leagues

In 2021, Larnach earned a non-roster invite to Twins spring training. He played three games with the Triple-A St. Paul Saints before having his contract selected and being added to the 40-man roster on May 7. He made his major league debut the next day as the starting leftfielder for the Twins against the Detroit Tigers. Despite a 7-3 loss that game and Larnach going 0-for-4, he continued to bend and not break, another testament to his persistence despite any unsteady beginnings. Over the course of the 2021 season, Larnach appeared in 79 big league games, batting .223 with 12 doubles, seven home runs and 28 RBI. Despite flashes of potential, Larnach also faced challenges, including a high strikeout rate of 34.6 percent, underlining areas for improvement.

The 2022 season proved to be yet another obstacle for Larnach to overcome. He underwent a bilateral surgical repair to address a core muscle strain suffered in June, sidelining him for the rest of the season. Before the setback, Larnach had appeared in 51 of Minnesota’s 74 games, settling in as the primary leftfielder and slashing .231/.306/.406 with 13 doubles, five home runs and 18 RBI in 160 at-bats. “He’s another guy that’s really tough to take out of a lineup, for him to acknowledge any injury,” manager Rocco Baldelli said at the time. “He just does not do that. So, for him to mention it, even in the first place, is kind of a big deal. We checked him out and realized there’s something here, there’s really something that we need to avoid putting him out there with.” The setback was a major hurdle but gave Larnach yet another opportunity to prove his grit and determination for the game, as he focused on rehabilitation and recovery to be ready for the 2023 season.

And recover he did. Returning to the diamond in 2023, Larnach made the Twins’ Opening Day roster for the first time, batting fourth in the lineup on March 30 at Kansas City and going 2-for-4 with one RBI and one run scored. In his first five games with Minnesota, he hit .421 (8-for-19) with one triple, one home run, five RBI, four runs scored and a 1.206 OPS.

That early burst would only replicate itself in spots, however. Larnach split the season between the Twins and St. Paul, spending five separate stints in the big leagues. He slashed.213/.311/.415, with 18 extra-base hits and eight home runs (including his first career grand slam on September 30 at Colorado) in 58 games with the Twins, while posting a .271/.384/.504 mark with 15 home runs, 47 RBI and 56 runs scored in 72 games with the Saints.

Breakthrough In The Bigs

The following season was a critical year of growth. Larnach, equipped with a revamped swing, started 2024 on an injury rehabilitation assignment with Low-A Fort Myers, before being recalled by the Twins for good on April 16. He went on to record a .259/.338/.434 stat line in 112 games, with major league career highs in doubles (17), home runs (15) and RBI (52), often serving as a bright spot in a season that brought the Twins a multitude of offensive struggles down the stretch. He massively improved his patience at the plate, bringing his strikeout rate down to a near-league average of 22.3 percent, and excelled in the clutch, producing a .344/.396/.544 slash line with runners in scoring position and a .371/.421/.657 mark with RISP and two outs.

“I always believed in myself,” Larnach said. “To have the validation of playing, producing and sticking – most importantly – you feel like you are on the right track. All those years of failure, suffering and grinding, actually meant something.”

Now in 2025, Larnach appeared in all but three of Minnesota’s first 71 games through June 15. Before the season, Baldelli saw Larnach as a crucial cog in the machine. “He filled a great spot in our group last year. He was someone from the left side of the plate that would put the ball in play when we needed him to,” Baldelli said. “He does a little bit of everything. He hits the ball hard. He can put some balls in the seats, which is still something that you’re looking for from your team. But he had a nice change of approach in the way he took to his pregame work, what he was trying to accomplish. He saw the ball really deep on a regular basis and he benefitted from it. We are going to have pretty high aspirations for him and he’s worked hard defensively, too, to put himself in a spot where he can go out there and play the outfield for us and we know he can hold his own.”

Just Getting Started

Heading into the Twins’ series opener in Cincinnati on June 17, Larnach ranked second on the team in games played (68), runs (36), hits (63) and home runs (10), while he was third in RBI (32). He continually showcases his active and strong contributions to the Twins’ efforts both offensively and defensively. Early in the season, Larnach stated he didn’t want to be a platoon player, he wanted a permanent spot on the Twins’ 26-man roster.

“That’s the challenge that I want. That’s the challenge that I work for.” Larnach said. “Obviously, I have to do my job, but I’m planning in every way to do that. I’m taking another leap forward and [bouncing] off what I did last year, just continuing to learn, grow and help guys out.”

Trevor Larnach’s journey to find his place in the big leagues reflects the trials and tribulations in the story of a professional athlete, underlining the importance of perseverance and adaptability in the face of adversity. His career with the Twins is a testament to his dedication and love for the game of baseball, demonstrating resilience and a commitment to improve every single day. He serves as an inspiration to aspiring athletes and fans as a reminder of the unpredictable but ultimately rewarding nature of the path to success.