The Minnesota Twins may have lost to the Los Angeles Angels at Angel Stadium on Thursday, but one swing from center fielder Walker Jenkins is nonetheless a major positive to take away from the game. At this point, it's probably best the Twins lose as much as possible to boost their draft lottery odds, anyway.
With the Angels leading 3-1 with two outs in the top of the ninth inning, Jenkins turned on a 100.9 mph fastball from Ben Joyce for a game-tying two-run home run.
Down to the Twins last out, Walker Jenkins ties it with a homer! pic.twitter.com/3vvIb4tbeT
— MLB (@MLB) September 18, 2026
It marked Jenkins' first career home run off an actual pitcher. He hit his first career home run off Detroit Tigers utilityman Zach McKinstry in a blowout win late last month.
According to MLB.com's Sarah Langs, Joyce's 100.9 mph fastball was the second-fastest pitch a Twins player has homered off of since tracking began in 2008. Now-Angels manager Kurt Suzuki has the record with a home run off a 102.6 mph pitch in 2016.
Jenkins' homer could be exactly what the struggling outfielder needed. Jenkins, 21, had an outstanding night at the plate, going 3-for-4 with his homer and two singles. Entering the game, the center fielder held a rough .143/.250/.306 (58 wRC+) slash line over his first 57 career plate appearances.
Getting MLB experience right now is the best thing for Twins' Walker Jenkins
With the CBA set to expire on Dec. 1, nearly everyone around the league anticipates a lockout, as the owners want a salary structure and the players don't. If the lockout cancels regular-season games, only players off 40-man rosters can participate.
While it would be nice if Jenkins could play for the St. Paul Saints if a lockout extends into the regular season, getting MLB experience right now could be the best thing for the young outfielder. Also, when the Twins called up Jenkins, they were still in postseason contention. Unfortunately, they are now seven games out of the final Wild Card spot with just nine games remaining.
Jenkins has typically needed time to adjust after every promotion. Getting experience right now could be exactly what he needs to have a strong first full season in the big leagues. Angels star Mike Trout had a poor .672 OPS over 40 games in his first big-league season, and he's now a no-doubt future Hall of Famer. I'm not saying that Twins fans should expect Jenkins to be as good as Trout. I'm just saying that fans shouldn't worry about his rough start to his career.
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