With the Minnesota Twins charging down the final stretch, fans want to see Walker Jenkins. The Twins’ No. 1 prospect has mastered the Triple-A level and when Austin Martin went on the injured list with a hamstring injury, many saw it as the chance for the fifth overall pick in the 2023 draft to make his major league debut.
But instead, the Twins went with Alex Jackson. The journeyman catcher, who was designated for assignment the week before, has Twins fans seeing red believing that Jackson has taken Jenkins’s roster spot as they sit in sole possession of the final Wild Card spot in the American League entering Thursday.
But Jackson isn’t taking a spot as much as he’s filling a role that Jenkins can’t and it may represent the Twins’ philosophy as they head down the stretch.
Carrying Alex Jackson gives the Twins insurance down the stretch
Having a third catcher on the roster feels like a waste and reminds fans of Ron Gardenhire’s tenure in the 2000s. While Joe Mauer and Mike Redmond were on the roster, Gardenhire kept a third catcher in case of emergency as Mauer frequently served as a designated hitter.
This feels like a case of fearing the worst-case outcome, but it allowed Gardenhire to make aggressive moves at the end of games with pinch-hitters and pinch-runners. It also allowed Gardenhire to rest either player during the final months of the season and allowed him to use platoon bats to give his team the best available matchup.
Both of these factors are baked into the Twins' current decision. Every game is going to count as Minnesota is part of a six-team race for the final Wild Card spot and one move could be the difference between playing in October and spending it on their couch and The Athletic’s Dan Hayes noted it played a big role in Wednesday’s victory.
“Because [Twins manager Derek Shelton] knew there was still a catcher on the bench, Shelton opted to use Ryan Jeffers as a pinch hitter during a game-winning rally even though he knew the Braves would likely intentionally walk Jeffers. Shelton immediately replaced Jeffers with pinch runner Ryan Kreidler, because he still had Jackson available if Victor Caratini needed to come out of Wednesday’s victory.”
Again, it feels like fearing for the worst and Kreidler only reached second base as a pinch runner. But because the move featured an established veteran like Jeffers as opposed to a rookie like Jenkins, the Braves didn’t take their chances, giving Brooks Lee the opportunity to drive in the final run of the game on an RBI single.
While Jackson didn’t get into the game, Shelton still told Hayes and the rest of the Twins reporters that he made an impact and it’s something that Jenkins may not do as the 26th player.
The Twins have a good problem that’s keeping Walker Jenkins in the minors
Still, Twins fans would say that Jenkins could have made an even bigger impact in the batter’s box. Hitting .292/.389/.475 with seven homers, 20 RBI and 13 stolen bases in 63 games with the Saints this season, Jenkins has hit .316/.385/.546 with six homers and 12 RBI in 39 games since returning from a shoulder injury on June 23. He also represents a major upgrade over Martin (hitting .208/.417/.358 with a homer and three RBI since the All-Star break) and Alan Roden (.230/.310/.279 with 10 RBI).
But while Jenkins has performed well enough for a call-up, there isn’t anywhere to play him. Trevor Larnach and Byron Buxton are locked into two outfield spots and while Luke Keaschall has struggled defensively, his bat warrants playing time, hitting .333/.438/.512 with five homers, 12 RBI and two stolen bases since July 1 (38 games).
Even if the plan is to move Keaschall to designated hitter, there’s a domino effect. The Twins could move Josh Bell out of the DH role to make room for Keaschall, but his bat also demands a spot, hitting .354/.425/.585 with four homers and 14 RBI over his last 17 games. While he could play first base, the Twins have only used him there for 20 games this season and he posted a minus-4 in 33 games last season as a first baseman with the Washington Nationals.
That would also throw a wrench into Royce Lewis’s playing time and potentially move him to second base. But Kody Clemens has also been playing well and it would possibly compromise a defense that has been a high-wire act all season long.
Fans may not love it, but this is the best lineup that gives the Twins a chance to make the playoffs and it may take an injury to Larnach or Buxton to get Jenkins up there. Even if that happens, it could torpedo the Twins postseason hopes, making any call up at this point a chance to reinforce options rather than an impact player.
The Twins can’t keep Jenkins in St. Paul forever and there is an outside chance they make the move ahead of September call-ups. But for a team with no margin for error, having insurance makes more sense and it’s why Jackson is in the majors while Jenkins is waiting for his call.
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