3 Twins prospects who won't make the Opening Day roster, 2 who still have a chance
The youth movement could get started early this year for the Twins.
Spring Training is in full swing, which means the fringes of the Minnesota Twins roster will start to become increasingly important. Opening Day is in less than a month, and not all of the team's 26-man roster spots are spoken for.
Last year the Twins experienced a youth movement that sparked a run in October that finally ended the miserable 19-year postseason losing streak. That's something which could continue this season with a bevy of prospects who could play key roles.
Before anyone gets mad, it's extremely possible that none of these guys end up making the 26-man roster. There are a lot of mouths to feed and an already limited amount of roster space, but everyone here deserves at least a conversation about how they fit into the Twins' immediate future.
3 Twins prospects who won't make the Opening Day roster, 2 who still have a chance
Yunior Severino, 1B/3B
There's almost no chance that Yunior Severino makes the Opening Day roster, but he's someone who is absolutely worth keeping tabs on as the season progresses. Minnesota added him to the 40-man roster back in November to protect him from the Rule 5 Draft which is a pretty clear indication of how the team views him.
He torched pitchers at Triple-A St. Paul late last year, showing the sort of power that the Twins could use to boost the offense. Severino hit 24 homers in 87 games at Double-A Wichita before moving up to Triple-A where he hit another 11 home runs in 36 games for the Saints.
This one didn't even register on Statcast. We can only assume Yunior Severino's homerun was an estimated 792 feet. Two-run blast to right, his 6th of the season with the Saints and his 30th overall. He becomes just the 8th player in the Minor Leagues to hit 30 home runs this year pic.twitter.com/9tBVcLiRjD
— St. Paul Saints (@StPaulSaints) September 6, 2023
As far as where he might fit, Severino projects as a potential option to platoon at first base if something happens to Alex Kirilloff or Carlos Santana. Don't hold your breath on him getting called up but now would be a great time to get in on the ground floor.
Chances of making Opening Day roster: None, but buy your stock now
Austin Martin, CF/2B
Things looked pretty good for Austin Martin right up until the Twins traded for Manuel Margot. His arrival means that Martin's otherwise clear path the 26-man roster is now a little more complicated than it was a week ago.
It doesn't, however, mean that he doesn't have a shot at making the Opening Day roster.
Martin still provides a ton of value, as he can be part of a centerfield platoon with Byron Buxton and Margot while also being someone who can be plugged into at second base. That last part is of particular importance to his case for earning a roster spot as it means adding depth behind Edouard Julien who might have to spend time at first base depending on how things shake out.
Alex Kirilloff and Carlos Santana should be able to handle things at first, but Kirilloff is coming off surgery and Santana might be more of a DH option heading into the season. Julien was soft launched at first base late last season and there has been talk of him getting reps there this spring. Minnesota needs his bat in the lineup, and Martin could provide a better defensive option while Julien serves as designated hitter.
In that scenario, Martin feels like a really solid option to have at second base. Everything comes down to how well he's able to play in Fort Myers and if he can make a solid enough case for himself.
Chances of making Opening Day roster: Still a decent chance
Brooks Lee, 2B/SS
Hype built pretty quickly for Brooks Lee being part of the 26-man Opening Day roster, which is more of a testament to how he's exceeded expectations at every turn so far in his career.
Lee hasn't yet made his MLB debut but it feels like a certainty that it happens at some point this season. It being on Opening Day seemed like a long shot until Derek Falvey started praising him ahead of Spring Training in a way that suggested he might get fast tracked.
Manuel Margot's arrival slows the pace a bit, as the Twins will need to find a roster spot for him before thinking about one for Lee. Austin Martin also feels like he's further ahead in line that Lee, but we still have a month to see how where the chips fall.
Chances are that Lee's shot at making the Opening Day roster evaporated once Margot entered the picture. His most likely path now seems to be as a replacement for someone the Twins need to place on the IL. That's how Edouard Julien made his debut last season, replacing Joey Gallo early in the season, and he never left the MLB roster after that.
Lofty -- albeit exciting -- expectations that he'll debut on Opening Day seem less likely than they did when everyone reported to camp.
Chances of making Opening Day roster: Slimmer than they initially seemed, but still possible
Emmanuel Rodriguez, OF
So much was made about the possibility of Austin Martin and Brooks Lee getting called up this season that Emmanuel Rodriguez was sort of forgotten about.
Minnesota has four prospects in the Top 100 this year, and E-Rod is No. 3 on that list. Not only that, but he's firmly a Top 50 prospect who is one of the most exciting future outfield options the Twins have in the farm system. Walker Jenkins remains the top guy, but we might not be far off from a future where he's patrolling the outfield alongside Rodriguez.
E-Rod is on track to make his MLB debut much sooner than Jenkins, and is a lowkey dark horse to get the call as soon as this season. He was added to the 40-man roster back in November to protect him from the Rule 5 Draft -- along with Austin Martin and Yunior Severino -- and space for him could open up depending on what happens at the beginning of the year.
Opening Day probably won't be when he makes his debut, but he's someone to keep an eye on. The line of prospects ahead of him is long, with Martin, Brooks Lee, David Festa, and Marco Raya all potentially getting the call before E-Rod does. He fills a huge potential need, though, playing all three outfield positions as well as showing some pretty decent offense.
He still needs to make it to St. Paul before he makes the leap, but it's not crazy to think he plays well enough to be on track to get a call later this summer.
Chances of making Opening Day roster: None
Simeon Woods Richardson, P
Simeon Woods Richardson might be a lot closer to the roster bubble than it may seem. He hasn't been discussed nearly as much as Austin Martin or Brooks Lee, but he's someone with enough experience that he could make a case with a strong spring performance that he deserves a spot as a long reliever.
Minnesota has questions about the starting rotation that Woods Richardson could help answer. Specifically, the Twins need to figure out what the deal is with the No. 5 starter role. Anthony DeSclafani projects to be the guy but pitching depth might be a way that presents a path to the Opening Day roster for Woods Richardson.
He got called up last year but was hardly impressive in the innings he saw. Woods Richardson has fewer than 10 innings of big league work under his belt and a less than ideal 6.52 ERA across two appearances. Despite making his debut back in 2022 he's still viewed as a prospect for the Twins and perhaps the third time is the charm for finally figuring out how to be a meaningful part of the pitching situation.
It seems like a long shot but Woods Richardson deserves more credit than simply being written off before he can attempt to prove himself in Spring Training. That's going to be critical, though, as he's running out of chances but there's enough upside with him that potentially pitching his way into a bullpen role -- or a sixth starter role -- can't be outright dismissed.
Even if he's not on the initial 26-man roster, the likelihood we see Woods Richardson in the majors for a third straight year seems pretty high.
Chances of making Opening Day roster: None
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