The Minnesota Twins made it clear they’re trying to make a run at the trade deadline. The American League is wide open and after adding Jeff Hoffman, Dean Kremer and A.J. Minter, the hope is they can catch fire and make a surprising postseason appearance.
But what many didn’t see coming was the Twins lineup going into the gutter. The American League’s highest scoring offense (471 runs) at the All-Star break has hit a wall since they returned to action, owning the fourth-lowest run total (64) in the AL and ranking 26th in baseball in their last 18 games.
With the trade deadline passed, there aren’t many levers the Twins can pull to fix their offense. But the one that should be pulled is calling up their top prospects, Kaelen Culpepper and Walker Jenkins.
The Twins lineup is opening the door for Kaelen Culpepper and Walker Jenkins
According to The Athletic’s Keith Law, Jenkins and Culpepper are ranked first and third respectively among Twins prospects. Both players look deserving of a call up over the final months, but there are several obstacles the Twins are facing including finding an everyday role.
At 21 and 23 years old, Culpepper and Jenkins wouldn’t benefit from a platoon role in the Major Leagues. But it’s not like either player has an insurmountable path to the starting lineup.
Ryan Kreidler has taken over the Twins shortstop position, but his carriage has turned into a pumpkin in the second half, hitting .173/.189/.288 with no homers and two RBI in 18 games since the All-Star Break. While Kreidler’s defense is the main reason he’s in the starting lineup, he also has just one out above average this season according to Baseball Savant, signaling his status as a replacement level player.
Tristan Grey is another player that is standing in Culpepper’s way but he’s hitting .229/.268/.329 with four homers and 29 RBI this season. His struggles on defense have been well-documented and he’s played just twice since Byron Buxton was placed on the injured list with a right hip impingement on July 29.
Kreidler and Grey would likely be the two players with the most to lose if Culpepper is called up. But both are a house of cards due to their performance. Jenkins is staring at a similar situation in the outfield where the Twins are flooded with left handed corner bats, but Trevor Larnach is the only one that’s producing.
Alan Roden was called up on July 7 when Buxton first went on the injured list. But after hitting a walk-off single in his debut, Roden is hitting just .214/.300/.214 with eight RBI in 19 games.
Austin Martin has also played in all 18 games since the All-Star break, but is hitting just .125/.175/.188 with one RBI. Martin’s bat also brings no power to the Twins’ lineup with a career-low .310 slugging percentage in 102 games, which is an area where Minnesota could use an upgrade.
While Buxton is eligible to return on Aug. 8, there is no timetable for him to do so and with the Twins entering Thursday one game, it’s time to show a sense of urgency and calling up both top prospects would do the trick.
The Twins need to call up Kaelen Culpepper and Walker Jenkins before it’s too late
Culpepper entered Thursday hitting .272/.370/.483 with 14 homers, 46 RBI and 17 stolen bases at Triple-A St. Paul. While he spent most of the past two months on the shelf with a glute strain, he’s hit .275/.326/.425 in 10 games since returning, including a pair of doubles on Wednesday against rehabbing Cincinnati Reds starter Nick Lodolo.
Jenkins is also performing well with a .279/.380/.436 batter’s line with four homers, 15 RBI and 10 stolen bases in 54 games with the Saints. While Jenkins may have trouble finding his way into the lineup with Larnach, Buxton and Luke Keaschall the starting three when healthy there should still be a way to give him enough at-bats, especially with Buxton’s return unknown and potentially needing to play more at designated hitter to preserve his hip.
The Twins could counter by saying that both players are not on the 40-man roster and if next year’s lockout is as nasty as some have speculated, keeping them in the minors would allow them to play baseball next season. But it would also be a half-measure for a team that bought at the deadline because their offense was playing well.
This is even more true considering there was a compelling case to sell. Ryan Jeffers will be a free agent at the end of the season, but the Twins are risking getting nothing in return after deciding not to trade him. Joe Ryan also could have brought a haul, but the Twins held on and are now holding their breath that his lower-body issues are nothing serious.
The Twins could also say “at least we tried” and point out that Hoffman and Kremer are not one-year rentals as both arms are under team control this season. But after sending a message that they’re going for a playoff spot at the deadline, it would be a 180 to not call up two players that could solve their issues at the plate.
With another trade no longer an option, the Twins need to get creative and the move should be to call up Jenkins and Culpepper.
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