Opening Day is almost here, and all eyes are on the future this week with the updated release of MLB Pipeline's top prospects for each team.
All winter long lists of the top prospects at each position have been getting released, with the cherry on top being the official look at each team's Top 30 players in the farm system. Back in 2022 both Joe Ryan and Royce Lewis were naemd two of the Twins' Top 5 prospects in that year's list and each have become major pieces of the MLB roster.
This year's list is a reminder of how bright the future is. Walker Jenkins tops the list, but he's joined by three other prospects who make an appearance at both the top of the Twins list and rank in the Top 100 across all of baseball.
MLB Pipeline reveals Top 30 Minnesota Twins prospects for 2024
There aren't a ton of surprises at the top of the list, as we've long known who the Twins best prospects are. One name likely making its last appearance on this list is Brooks Lee, who is expected to get called up at some point this season.
If all goes well, Lee will be someone who sticks to the MLB roster the same way Edouard Julien and Royce Lewis did last season.
David Festa is close to being in that category as well. He's yet to make his debut but he continues to be a young pitcher that many people have circled as someone who could follow in the footsteps of Bailey Ober and Louie Varland.
You can check out the whole list here, but the Top 10 looks absolutely phenomenal:
Player | Position | ETA |
|---|---|---|
1. Walker Jenkins | OF | 2026 |
2. Brooks Lee | 2B/SS | 2024 |
3. Emmanuel Rodriguez | OF | 2025 |
4. Gabriel Gonzalez | OF | 2026 |
5. David Festa | RHP | 2024 |
6. Marco Raya | RHP | 2025 |
7. Charlee Soto | RHP | 2027 |
8. Luke Keaschall | 2B/OF | 2025 |
9. C.J. Culpeper | RHP | 2026 |
10. Tanner Schobel | 2B/3B | 2025 |
Aside from Lee and Festa, who are getting some good facetime at Spring Training, the future for Minnesota is incredibly bright. The Top 5 guys have gotten plenty of hype, but Twins fans should start familiarizing themselves with guys like Charlee Soto and Marco Raya who are looking to be impactful pieces in the youth movement's third wave.
Soto was a top draft pick last year, and won fans over the minute he started crying tears of joy after the Twins drafted him. He has the longest timeline of the team's top prospects but it's notable that he's already knocking on the door of being a Top 5 guy and we've barely seen much of him yet.
C.J. Culpepper is similar in that regard, as he's another hard throwing pitching prospect who will soon work his way into the conversation to being part of the bullpen. We're still a few years away from that, and he won't be passing over Festa or Raya, but he's a prospect to keep an eye on.
Another slant to this is how valuable the Twins farm system is in terms of potential trades. Gabriel Gonzalez was talked about as a trade chip almost as soon as he was mentioned as part of the return for Jorge Polanco, and he might still be someone who sweetens a deal for a top player.
It's a perfect spot for Minnesota to be in, as the team doesn't have to sell on any of its prospects and could very well field a deeply talented and young team for the rest of the decade. Time will tell how things ultimately pan out, but the future no doubt looks incredibly bright beyond the hope that this season brings on the MLB level.