Eric Longenhagen at Fangraphs has released his top 100 prospects for 2025, and the Twins have three guys on the list.
All three players are the players you would expect if you follow the Twins prospects and minor league system closely.
Let's take a look at who they are, when we might expect to see them at Target Field, and how they compare to other top prospects in the AL Central.
Walker Jenkins - No. 17
Jenkins was drafted fifth overall in the 2023 draft out of South Brunswick HS in North Carolina. The Twins were a big winner in the first draft lottery that moved them from 13th to the No. 5 pick. Jenkins was part of a group of five players who were seen as a step above the rest of the draft class.
This is lower than other rankings may have Jenkins, but his upside is still very high.
In just two years of professional ball, Jenkins has steadily climbed the minor league ladder, getting his first taste of Double-A at the end of the 2024 season. He has shown he can hit at every level, with a good eye and a below-average strikeout rate. He's mostly played center field, but it appears most pundits expect him to move to a corner, specifically right field, in due time.
There will likely be a lot of comparisons between Jenkins and Max Clark, the Tigers' No. 2 and Longenhagen's No. 34 prospect, largely because Clark was taken fourth overall in 2023, one pick before Jenkins.
A safe MLB debut projection for Jenkins is sometime in 2026, about three years after being drafted. High school prospects don't typically move quicker than that, so that would be a huge success in development if he is making his major league debut at 20 or 21 years old.
Emmanuel Rodriguez - No. 20
It may feel like Rodriguez has been around for a while because he was signed as an international free agent back in July 2019 for $2.5 million. Remember that Rodriguez is still just 21 years old, so while he has been in the Twins system for six years, he is still young in prospect standards.
Rodriguez, like many Twins prospects before him, has struggled with injuries, not playing in more than 99 games in a season since 2021. When healthy, Rodriguez has shown to have huge upside as a hitter, where he hits for some major power (career .932 OPS in the minors), takes a high number of walks (24.4% in 2024) and also strikes out at a pretty high clip (29.7% in 2024).
Health will be a key thing to watch with Rodriguez because if he can stay healthy, he could play at Target Field as early as this coming season, depending on where needs may fall. He has played mostly center field but could possibly move to a corner, with the profile of being a true three-outcome hitter with a strong arm who would do well defensively.
Rodriguez got a taste of Triple-A this past year, so expect to see him there to start the year. Who knows, maybe at Target Field sooner than you might think. For now, you can drive across town and see him at CHS Field.
Luke Keaschall - No. 56
Keaschall was also a 2023 draft pick, taken in the second round and 49th overall out of Arizona State.
He played shortstop in college, but he projects more as a second baseman or outfielder at this point. Keaschall has been a stolen base threat and should continue to be one (34 stolen bases in 133 games played).
He's in big league camp to start Spring Training, which is great news after an elbow injury cost him the last portion of the 2024 season. He is expected to be ready for the start of the season, so expect to see him more at second as well as in the outfield this coming year.
He also got some time at first base last season, so that will be an interesting additional position to add to his repertoire going forward if that is decided upon.
Everyone knows how much the Twins value versatility, and you can use Willi Castro as an example. While we may not see Keaschall at quite that many positions, it might not be too far off once he arrives at Target Field.
Keaschall's bat should be ready for the majors this year, so his versatility will help him get into the lineup either in the infield or the outfield, depending on where the need arises after the season begins.
A Look Around the AL Central in the Top 100
The rest of the AL Central is well represented in Longenhangen's top 100 prospects as well, so lots of young talent on the lookout in the division as well. Including the Twins, the AL Central has 23 of the top 100 prospects in baseball. Cleveland, Detroit, and Chicago have six players a piece and Kansas City has two on this list. The AL Central
Guardians Prospects in the Top 100:
No. 33: 2B Angel Genao - ETA 2027
No. 36: 2B Travis Bazzanna - ETA 2025
No. 53: C Cooper Ingle, ETA 2027
No. 55: OF Chase DeLauter, ETA 2025
No. 67: LHP Parker Messick - ETA 2026
No. 78: 2B Juan Brito - ETA 2025
Tigers Prospects in the Top 100:
No. 9: RHP Jackson Jobe - ETA 2025
No. 34: OF Max Clark - ETA 2027
No. 44: C Thayron Liranzo - ETA 2027
No. 50: C Josue Briceno - ETA 2027
No. 54: SS Kevin McGonigle - ETA 2026
No. 80: RHP Troy Melton - ETA 2026
Royals Prospects in the Top 100:
No. 47: 1B/OF Jac Caglianone - ETA 2026
No. 68: C Carter Jensen - ETA 2027
White Sox Prospects in the Top 100:
No. 18: LHP Noah Schultz - ETA 2026
No. 22: LHP Hagen Smith - ETA 2025
No. 49: C Kyle Teel - ETA 2026
No. 58: SS Colson Montgomery - ETA 2025
No. 90: C Edgar Quero - ETA 2025
No. 94: RHP Grant Taylor - ETA 2026
One thing to remember as a Twins fan is that some players who you may have seen on a top 100 prospects list in the past are no longer eligible because they have had 130 at-bats or 50 innings pitched in the Major Leagues.
The number of players on this list isn't the sole indicator of how bright (or not bright) the future is for a particular team.