Twins' top prospect Walker Jenkins, who is ranked No. 14 on MLB Pipeline's Top 100 Baseball Prospects list, wasted no time making an impact during his first spring training with the big-league squad. During the 4th inning of the Twins' 10-3 victory against the Minnesota Gophers on Friday, Jenkins, an outfielder, pinch-hit for left fielder Alan Roden and delivered an RBI hustle-double to increase Minnesota's lead to 7-0. Jenkins replaced Emmanuel Rodríguez in center field for the rest of the seven-inning game.
Walker Jenkins adds on in his spring debut 🤩 pic.twitter.com/fUF0Rv2NJT
— Minnesota Twins (@Twins) February 21, 2026
Jenkins' swing in that at-bat gave many Twins fans and media members flashbacks to watching arguably the best player in franchise history: Hall of Fame catcher Joe Mauer.
Twins' top prospect Walker Jenkins' swing reminds fans of Hall of Fame catcher Joe Mauer
There is some Mauer-ness in Walker Jenkins' swing...
— LaVelle E. Neal III (@LaVelleNeal) February 21, 2026
Watch this video of Mauer doing legendary things with the bat, and you'll see the similarities between his swing and Jenkins'.
Is Jenkins the next Joe Mauer? Probably not. That's a lot of pressure to put on any prospect, no matter how highly-regarded they are. But if your swing is getting compared to one of the best hitters in Twins history's and you're ranked as the 14th-best prospect in baseball, there's a good chance you're going to have a great career.
Twins fans can't wait to see more of Walker Jenkins
With this year being Jenkins' first time in big-league camp, Twins fans will get the chance to watch their favorite team's top prospect more than ever. And with star center fielder Byron Buxton set to join Team USA for the 2026 World Baseball Classic soon, Jenkins should get plenty of reps in center field this spring.
Jenkins, 21, will most likely begin the regular season with Triple-A St. Paul, but he'll likely get the call to the majors sometime during the first half of the season as long as he starts the 2026 campaign strong.
If it hadn't been for injuries, Jenkins, whom the Twins selected out of high school in the first round (5th overall) of the 2023 MLB Draft, may have made his MLB debut by now. The Twins' top prospect played two games for the Wind Surge last season before landing on the injured list with a sprained left ankle, which kept him sidelined until he began a rehab assignment on June 3. Additionally, Jenkins missed over a month during the 2024 campaign due to a left hamstring strain.
Jenkins slashed .309/.426/.487 with seven home runs in 52 games for Double-A Wichita last season before being promoted to Triple-A St. Paul. He struggled a bit with the Saints, hitting just .242/.324/.396 in 102 plate appearances, but he likely just needed time to adjust to Triple-A pitching. If Jenkins has a strong spring training, Minnesota may even consider having the star prospect make its Opening Day roster.