Twins can no longer ignore this outfielder if he continues spring training rampage

The outfield battle at Twins camp is all of a sudden an interesting one to watch. Emmanuel Rodriguez has been on fire at the plate in the early going, and all eyes are understandably on top prospect Walker Jenkins, who may just make the majors in 2026 if he continues to develop at a rapid rate.

But, what about Alan Roden? He was the forgotten outfielder coming into spring training, seen as someone who will definitely not make the Opening Day roster. He made some early noise, however, just to get some attention on him.

We are still very much in the early stages of spring training, but Roden has made a big enough imprint to the point that we need to rethink whether he is still an afterthought, or a legitimate candidate to grab a spot on the MLB roster.

Does Alan Roden deserve to be in the conversation of making the Twins' active roster?

Roden, traded to the Twins last season as part of the Louis Varland deal, is batting 6-for-8 in spring games with a home run, four RBIs, two walks, and two runs. That's an .800 on-base percentage, highlighted by a grand slam earlier this week.

Let's not forget that Roden, 26, tore it up last spring with Toronto. He batted .407 with four extra-base hits, six RBIs, six walks, and eight runs scored. Spring training is a proving ground for guys like Roden. You can't take away from him that he's made the most of his opportunity.

He didn't quite get enough reps in the big leagues last year. Across 55 games, he compiled nine extra-base hits, clipping a .191 batting average. He began the 2025 campaign with consistent reps, batting 7-for-his-first-21 (.333) before running into a slump in late April.

All things considered, does Roden deserve to be in the big leagues to begin the 2026 regular season? If he does not cool off, it will be difficult for the Twins to keep him in the minors. But as of right now, Roden should be on every decision-makers' radar. His production is impossible to ignore.