The Minnesota Twins won't play in the postseason this year, but that hasn't stopped outfielder Emmanuel Rodriguez from expressing his excitement. With the Twins leading 10-2 in the top of the seventh inning at Target Field on Friday, Texas Rangers catcher Danny Jansen hit a deep fly ball to left field. Rodriguez went all the way to the wall and made an outstanding leaping catch. After the play, Rodriguez clearly showed his excitement about making the out.
Look how hyped Emmanuel Rodriguez was after making this great catch in a 10-2 game. pic.twitter.com/WbYguNBVan
— Aaron Gleeman (@AaronGleeman) September 26, 2026
The stakes couldn't be lower for the Twins. They are already eliminated from the playoffs and were leading by a whopping eight runs when Rodriguez made the play. Yet, Rodriguez, 23, couldn't help but show his joy. He's clearly having a good time competing at the highest level, no matter the stakes, and it's a breath of fresh air in a Twins season that's featured plenty of disappointment.
The Twins called up Rodriguez for his MLB debut earlier this month. He is Minnesota's No. 5 overall prospect, according to MLB Pipeline. He was the Twins' No. 2 overall prospect last season. Various minor-league injuries likely explain the drop in his prospect stock. He also ranked among MLB Pipeline's top-100 prospects last year.
Rodriguez's overall numbers since being promoted aren't great, as he is slashing just .178/.229/.400 over 13 games after going 5-for-15 over his first four games. He hit a home run in his first career MLB at-bat.
Emmanuel Rodriguez should be part of Twins' 2027 core
Fans shouldn't worry about Rodriguez's cold streak. His .222 batting average on ballsin play suggests he's been unlucky, and his numbers will improve. Thirteen games is a very small sample size. Walker Jenkins needed a few weeks to adjust to big-league pitching, as many players do. Rodriguez is likely in the same boat.
Rodriguez can play all three outfield positions. Next year, the Twins will presumably have four outfielders they will want to work into the lineup regularly: Rodriguez, Jenkins, Byron Buxton and Luke Keaschall. Luckily, the DH position should be open as Josh Bell is set to be a free agent.
Game 2 of the three-game set between the Twins and Rangers at Target Field is scheduled to begin at 3:10 p.m. CDT on Saturday. Inclement weather is possible, so the game could be delayed. Right-hander Bailey Ober is slated to start for Minnesota, and right-hander Nathan Eovaldi will start for Texas. Fans can watch the game on Twins.TV.
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