During the MLB offseason, Jomboy's "Talkin' Baseball" podcast mainly focuses on teams making relevant moves that most baseball fans care about. Unfortunately, the Twins aren't among those teams.
However, since former Twins third baseman Trevor Plouffe is one of the main voices of the podcast, he will drop some Twins takes every once in a while (and Jake Storiale typically has a snarky, but funny, response when Plouffe brings up his former team).
In the latest episode of Talkin' Baseball, titled "Major Trades & Signings Shaking Up MLB," Plouffe alluded that he has been working with Twins slugger Matt Wallner this offseason.
"I can't tell people what I've been doing with Matt Wallner, but it's good," Plouffe said.
"Sounds gross," Storiale replied.
"Incoming massive season [for Wallner]," Plouffe added.
Trevor Plouffe predicts breakout season for Twins slugger Matt Wallner
Hopefully, Plouffe helps unlock the best version of Wallner. It's unclear exactly what Plouffe has "been doing" with Wallner. Regardless, it's a good sign that the Twins outfielder has been working with a former long-tenured MLB player.
Wallner, 28, regressed at the plate last season, yet was still better than league-average, slashing .202/.311/.464 (110 OPS+) with 22 homers, 16 doubles and 40 RBI in 392 plate appearances across 104 games. He missed about a month and a half due to a left hamstring strain, which may have been a reason for his regression at the plate.
Although he spent 67 games with Triple-A St. Paul in both the 2023 and 2024 seasons, and just 76 MLB games in 2023 and 75 in 2024, Wallner's overall production in the big leagues was better in those two seasons than it was last year. From 2023-24, Wallner posted 4.4 bWAR and a .254/.371/.515 slash line with 27 home runs, 28 doubles, 78 RBI and 68 runs. While his overall production at the plate last season was solid, he needs to return to the 2023-24 version of himself if he wants to be a productive player, since his defense is below average. Last year, he posted -4 Outs Above Average.
We know that when Wallner is at his best, he is an MVP-caliber hitter. He'll likely be the Twins' starting right fielder to begin the 2026 campaign, but he could lose his starting role quickly if he struggles at the plate. Wallner is at the top of the depth chart as of now, but Minnesota has plenty of outfielders in Byron Buxton, Austin Martin, Trevor Larnach (although he may be traded before the season begins), Alan Roden and James Outman. Additionally, top outfield prospects Walker Jenkins and Emmanuel Rodriguez will likely make their MLB debuts in 2026.