Minnesota Twins Top 5 Most Valuable Players and Prospects under 26

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We continue going over the top young stars in the American League Central, this time looking at the best Minnesota Twins players and prospects under 26.

The Minnesota Twins are one of the best teams in baseball this year and are easily the class of the AL Central. They have built a strong roster and a deep farm system, and they show no signs of slowing down any time in the near future.

As we break down the top young players in the division, it’s important that we take a look at the Twins’ top players under the age of 26. We’ve already broken down the top 5 rising stars in the division, and we know who the division’s biggest star under 26 is (looking at you Shane Bieber), but we haven’t gone over the Twins’ top youngsters.

The Twins have plenty of talented players and prospects under the age of 26, but we’re going to focus on ranking the six that are the most valuable for Minnesota. In order to make the list, the player/prospect needs to be 25 or younger. With such simple qualifications, let’s get into it with the honorable mentions.

Minnesota Twins Top 5 under 26: Honorable Mentions

Jhoan Duran, RHP, AA, 22 Years Old

With arguably the most upside of any arm in the system, Jhoan Duran is the number 5 prospect in the Twins system for a reason. He’s still working on his curveball and changeup, but he could be a front of the rotation arm.

Without much talent at the major league level that’s under 26 for the Twins (and in the AL Central), players like Duran will creep onto this list, as Duran does here. He’s still got lots of time to develop and the Twins will wait patiently while he does.

Jordan Balazovic, RHP, AA, 21 Years Old

Just like Duran, Jordan Balazovic is one of the Twins top arms in the system. Probably the sixth most valuable talent the Twins have (right now), just missing the list, but that doesn’t take away from his value.

Balazovic is the No. 97 prospect in all of baseball so he’s got the recognition and the arm. He could become another star along with Duran, making them well worth a mention here.

Luis Arraez of the Minnesota Twins plays second base against the Cleveland Indians. (Photo by Hannah Foslien/Getty Images) /

Minnesota Twins Top 5 under 26: No. 5- Luis Arraez, 2B, MLB, 22 Years Old

For Luis Arraez, if you judge him based on his fantastic 2019, he moves even higher up this list. He had an excellent season last year, hitting .334 and walking more times than he struck out. That’s leadoff hitter potential, a guy to build around.

This year however, he has dropped off of a cliff in his first fourteen games, hitting just .234. Pitchers seem to have figured him out, and he’s facing more shifts than ever. That’s not to say he can’t handle beating them, but it hasn’t been a good start. For the sake of Arraez we’ll hope that this year has just been a fluke.

Randy Dobnak of the Minnesota Twins delivers a pitch against the Kansas City Royals. (Photo by Hannah Foslien/Getty Images) /

Minnesota Twins Top 5 under 26: No. 4-Randy Dobnak, RHP, MLB, 25 years old

Raise your hand if you thought Randy Dobnak would be the Twins’ top pitcher in 2020. Now put your hand down, you liars. Dobnak has turned himself into an indispensable member of the rotation with below average stuff and above average control.

Through four games (and 20 innings), Dobnak has allowed just 2 runs for a 0.90 ERA. He doesn’t strike out a lot of batters (just 11 strikeouts), but he limits damage and gets outs, which is all you can ask from a starter. On top of that, this is his second really good year, as he allowed just five runs in 28 innings in a swingman role in 2019.

He has made it crystal clear that he belongs in this rotation and should be a part of the rotation going forward. Despite having a lower upside than Duran and Balazovic, Dobnak has been fantastic to start his career. The best part? He’s just 25. There’s still more to come for Dobnak.

Trevor Larnach of the Minnesota Twins looks on during an intrasquad game on July 19, 2020. (Photo by Brace Hemmelgarn/Minnesota Twins/Getty Images) /

Minnesota Twins Top 5 under 26 No. 3: Trevor Larnach, AA, 23 years old

We move back into the prospect side of things with Trevor Larnach, the Twins’ third best prospect and a player who would be starting in right field tomorrow if the team wasn’t already loaded with outfield talent.

The No. 91 prospect in all of baseball, Larnach can hit with the best of them, consistently hitting at .295 since he entered the Twins system just two years ago. His smooth lefty swing is fantastic to watch, and he has a bit of power as well, meaning he could easily be a .300 hitter with 20 homers at the major league level.

I was hesitant to put Larnach over Dobnak, as Dobnak is WAY better right now, but Larnach has a massively higher ceiling, giving him the third slot in these rankings over the potential ace Dobnak.

Alex Kirilloff of the Minnesota Twins bats during an intrasquad game at Target Field. (Photo by Brace Hemmelgarn/Minnesota Twins/Getty Images) /

Minnesota Twins Top 5 under 26 No. 2: Alex Kirilloff, AA, 22 years old

As nice of a swing as Larnach has, Alex Kirilloff has an even better one. When healthy, Kirilloff has the ability to be a .300 hitter with plus power, a guy who can hit 25 homers and knock in 100 RBI when he gets to his prime.

This is the potential for Kirilloff. Despite a just above average year last year, Kirilloff could be a middle order of the guy for a decade and a half to come as long as the Twins find a spot for him in an already packed outfield.

If the Twins find a spot for him, Kirilloff will be a multi-time All-Star, without a doubt, but just like Larnach and the guy at the top of our list, the only issue is playing time.

Royce Lewis of the Minnesota Twins bats during an intrasquad game at Target Field in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Brace Hemmelgarn/Minnesota Twins/Getty Images) /

Minnesota Twins Top 5 under 26 No. 1: Royce Lewis, SS, AA, 21 Years Old

The most valuable Twins prospect, the crown jewel of the system, and the most athletic of top prospects, Royce Lewis is the shortstop of the future for the Minnesota Twins. Lewis is incredibly agile, a stellar defender, and is plenty fast.

This leaves only one question: can the bat catch up with the rest of the tools? He’s shown he can be a great hitter, but can he do it consistently? No one can say for sure either way. He’s still so young, but after over 300 minor league games, there are some worrying trends.

He struggles with health and that awkward swing, so there are a lot of questions. With that being said, the Twins still fully expect him to be the star of the Twins of the future. We just have to hope for the best.

Next. Grading the Minnesota Twins’ first trade of the 2020 Season. dark

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