Utilityman Tristan Gray was competing for the Twins' backup shortstop role with Ryan Kreidler and Orlando Arcia during spring training. Despite many fans assuming Kreidler would earn the role because he can play outfield, Gray was the one who earned the spot on the 26-man roster.
So far, it looks like the Twins made the right decision to add Gray to the Opening Day roster.
Twins utilityman Tristan Gray having strong start to 2026 season
Gray, 30, earned his first start of the season for the opening-series finale against the Orioles at Camden Yards in Baltimore on Sunday, and he went 2-for-4 with a two-RBI double (which also resulted in a third run) and an RBI single as the Orioles won 8-6.
Gray, whom the Twins acquired from the Boston Red Sox for minor-league catcher Nate Baez in January, also made an impact in his second game with Minnesota, collecting a single and a walk after entering Wednesday’s 13–9 loss to the Kansas City Royals as a pinch-hitter.
Gray then earned the start at shortstop for Thursday's and Friday's victories due to Brooks Lee's illness. Gray probably wants to forget about his performance on Thursday, as he went 0-for-4 with three strikeouts. But he'll never forget what he did on Friday.
Gray hit a game-tying sacrifice fly in the third inning of Friday's matchup with the Tampa Bay Rays at Target Field, making the score 3-3. Then, after Minnesota grabbed a 6-3 lead, Gray put the game on ice by hitting a grand slam, the first of his MLB career, on a high-80s cutter from righty Yoendrys Gómez.
TRISTAN GRAY GRAND SLAM AND THE TWINS BREAK IT OPEN pic.twitter.com/Y4SZ5nnB4M
— Talkin' Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) April 3, 2026
Overall, Gray is slashing .364/.429/.727 (231 OPS+) in 14 plate appearances this season. Yes, it's a small sample size. But it's great to see a performance like that from someone who is expected to be mainly a bench piece and who most would assume won't be with the team for the whole season.
In all likelihood, Gray won't continue to dominate at the plate this season. There's a reason he hasn't appeared in more than 30 games in a season for an MLB team. And, top infield prospect Kaelen Culpepper should be in the majors within a few months, putting Gray's future with Minnesota in jeopardy.
Gray still deserves credit for his hot start to the season. Also, it's not like most expected Kody Clemens to stick with the Twins as long as he has. For all we know, Gray could be a utilityman with the Twins for several seasons.