Keep an eye on these 3 prospects for 2026

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.

No Twins fan has to be reminded that the 2025 Trade Deadline brought a massive shakeup to the club’s roster. But it also brought a huge talent infusion to the farm system, evidenced by MLB Pipeline’s rating of the Minnesota system as No. 2 in baseball in its last rankings.

Here’s a look at three prospects with a chance to make an impact on the 2026 roster.

OF Walker Jenkins

If you follow prospects at all, you’ve heard of Jenkins. He’s the Twins' No. 1 prospect, No. 10 overall, a 20-year-old with an all-around skill set who has produced everywhere he’s been.

That doesn’t mean he’ll break camp with the big club, though. Jenkins played only 23 games at Triple-A and still has fewer than 900 professional plate appearances. He’s remarkably mature for his age, and he has all the markers you’d like to see in a future star: athleticism, plate discipline, defensive acumen and bat-to-ball skill. But he’s still very early in his baseball journey.

Still, it’s very easy to envision Jenkins making his way onto the Major League roster before next summer is out.

Quote: “Obviously, I’d love to be there as soon as I can. But I’ve said this before, when I get called up, I don’t want to be bouncing back and forth. I’d rather be in the Minor Leagues a week too long than go up there a week too soon. If I’m able to, I’d love to do it this year. I think at the beginning of Spring Training, [I will] do everything I can to try to break camp with the team. But if they don’t think I’m ready, and I start off here, I’m going to do everything I can to get there as soon as I can from here.” -- Jenkins

OF Gabriel Gonzalez

A year ago, it would’ve been hard to envision Gonzalez (No. 8 prospect) being on this list. After he was acquired in the Jorge Polanco trade, he scuffled in 2024, falling from a Top 100 overall prospect to No. 18 in the Twins' system.

Changing organizations and dealing with a back injury made for challenging circumstances, and though Gonzalez wasn’t overmatched at High-A Cedar Rapids, he didn’t hit like he had previously. But in 2025, he very much hit his way back into the picture.

Beginning the year with a repeat engagement at Cedar Rapids, Gonzalez hit his way all the way to Triple-A. He posted a .329/.395/.513 line across three levels, with an eye-popping 38 doubles.

Though he’s not yet 22, Gonzalez is entering his sixth season of pro ball, so he will need to be added to the 40-man roster this offseason, and he’ll be in Major League camp.

Gonzalez is not a speedster or a great defender, though he’s considered to have a plus arm. But as the old baseball adage goes: If you hit, they’ll find a place for you. Gonzalez hits, and depending on what the Twins’ offseason looks like, they could find a place for him sooner rather than later.

Quote: “There was never any doubt on our end about Gaby’s ability to hit. I think it was just a combination of getting healthy, getting more comfortable, and understanding what that challenge looks like going into year 21.” -- Drew MacPhail, Twins director of player development

SS Kaelen Culpepper

Culpepper (No. 2 prospect, No. 52 overall) probably has the longest odds of these three players to crack the big league roster out of camp, or even in the first few months of the season. But everything about his career so far suggests that he’s not going to be waiting in the Minors for long.

It’s unfair to Culpepper to suggest he could have a 2026 season that recalls Luke Keaschall’s '25 campaign, but it’s also hard to ignore the parallels. They were both high Draft picks as polished college hitters with impressive all-around skill sets. They both held their own in a brief taste of pro ball the year they were drafted, then absolutely raked at High-A and Double-A in their first full seasons.

Does that mean Culpepper will be in the Majors in April? Of course not. But he’s handled every challenge thrown his way. He draws high marks for his approach to the game and he fits the athletic profile that the Twins seem to be moving toward.

Quote: “He’s just got an incredible feel to hit. He controls the zone incredibly well. Really impressive bat-to-ball ability, while also taking free passes when they’re offered to him. ... And he pairs that with impressive power, too. So he really has, of the three most important skills, I think he’s above average in all three of those.” -- MacPhail