FORT MYERS, Fla. -- It went down to the very last day, but the Twins have settled on the 26-man roster that they will take north to Baltimore. Minnesota made its last moves Tuesday, reassigning Orlando Arcia, Trent Baker, Dan Altavilla, and David Bañuelos to Minor League camp and releasing Matt Bowman.
That means that Cody Laweryson gets the last bullpen spot, filling out a group of five right-handers and three lefties. In other late-camp battles, James Outman beat out Alan Roden for the left-handed left field job, and Tristan Gray earned the utility infielder/backup shortstop role over Arcia and Ryan Kreidler.
Here’s a look at the team that, barring any major surprises, will take the field at Camden Yards on Thursday.
Catcher (2): Ryan Jeffers, Victor Caratini
Jeffers will probably start 100 games or so, and both he and Caratini will see time at DH. Alex Jackson will not make the roster, though the Twins do hope to find a way to keep him.
First baseman (1): Josh Bell
Caratini will also play here, sometimes with Bell getting a day off and sometimes with Bell moving to DH. But Bell was signed to be the main man, with the hope that he can upgrade a position that ranked second-to-last in the American League in OPS last season.
Second baseman (1): Luke Keaschall
Keaschall also has seen some time in the outfield, but his primary position for now remains second. Kody Clemens and Gray will see some time here, and on occasion there will be situations where Keaschall gets shifted into the outfield. But he’s the second baseman.
Shortstop (1): Brooks Lee
The Twins have asked Lee to work on agility to improve his defense, and he’ll be hoping for an offensive rebound as well. Gray has won the competition to back him up, beating out Arcia and Kreidler.
Third baseman (1): Royce Lewis
He’s simply one of the most pivotal players on the 2026 Twins. If Lewis can regain his early-career form, or even most of it, he’s a difference-making player. He showed improved defensive chops last season, an encouraging sign that his health is in a good place.
Outfielders (4): Byron Buxton, Matt Wallner, Austin Martin, James Outman
Outman has beaten out Roden in one of the most significant roster battles in camp. He’ll play left field against right-handers with Martin playing against lefties. Wallner is not expected to be platooned in the early going. The Twins have many of their top prospects knocking on the door in case anyone struggles – Walker Jenkins, Emmanuel Rodriguez and Gabriel Gonzalez, as well as Roden, will all be just a few minutes away in St Paul.
DH (1): Trevor Larnach
Larnach creates a bit of a logjam. He probably won’t see much time in the outfield, and Minnesota has other lefty DH options. But despite speculation of a non-tender, followed by trade rumors, he’s still here and will likely serve again as a platoon DH. Jeffers, Bell and perhaps Wallner are also likely to see time here.
Bench/Utility (2): Clemens, Gray
There might not be almost 400 plate appearances for Clemens again, but he was a pleasant surprise, and there will be a role for a player with pop who can credibly play at least four positions. Gray beat out Kreidler and Arcia in part because he’s left-handed. Although the Twins are a lefty-heavy team, they’re more right-handed in the infield with Keaschall and Lewis, and Lee as a switch-hitter who has been better from the right side in the Majors.
Starting pitchers (5): Joe Ryan, Bailey Ober, Taj Bradley, Simeon Woods Richardson, Mick Abel
Abel forced the issue and ultimately won the last starting spot, beating out Zebby Matthews with an exceptional spring. Matthews will start at Triple-A and is the likely recipient of the first call in case of injury or struggles, or just a need to give someone a breather. The Twins play 15 straight days in April, so the first opportunity could come early for Matthews. Ryan is the undisputed ace in the wake of Pablo López’s season-ending injury, while Bradley is an intriguing breakout candidate.
Relief pitchers (8): Justin Topa, Cole Sands, Eric Orze, Zak Kent, Cody Laweryson, Taylor Rogers, Anthony Banda, Kody Funderburk
Even now that the Twins know who they’re taking north, this remains something of an uncertain group. We have the names, but we don’t have the roles. Rogers could see some save chances if it lines up with left-handers for him to face, and Sands and Topa could figure in that mix too. The left side should be strong, but the right-handers bring a lot of questions. Laweryson beat out Altavilla on the last day of camp for the final spot.