It’s hard not to get excited about Walker Jenkins right now. The Minnesota Twins No. 1 prospect and No. 2 overall prospect according to MLB Pipeline had a strong season at the age of 19 and has big expectations into his second full season of professional baseball.
But can he become the Twins’ best prospect ever? Some are floating out that possibility.
The Athletic’s Aaron Gleeman was the latest to throw superlatives at Jenkins as he compared him to Byron Buxton and Joe Mauer in terms of his upside and prospect status entering the 2025 season.
“Byron Buxton is the only Twins prospect superior to Jenkins in my 19 years of doing this,” Gleeman wrote. “...Jenkins is a consensus top-five prospect before his age-20 season and has a real shot to rank No. 1 this year. They lucked into something special.”
Byron Buxton, Joe Mauer among greatest prospects in Minnesota Twins history
Any comparisons for Jenkins have to start at the top. Joe Mauer and Buxton were the two most recent Twins to earn the label as the top prospect in baseball and both started their path to the major leagues with legendary performances in the minors.
Mauer was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2001 draft and immediately announced his presence by hitting .400/.492/.491 in 32 games with rookie league Elizabethton later that summer. The No. 7 overall prospect in the majors entering the 2002 season, Mauer increased his stock by hitting .302/.393/.392 with four homers and 62 RBI at Low-A Quad Cities and jumped to fourth in 2003 hitting .338/.398/.434 with five homers and 85 RBI between High-A Fort Myers and Double-A New Britain as a 20-year-old.
Mauer became the No. 1 prospect in baseball the following spring and the Twins cleared his path to the majors after trading A.J. Pierzynski to the San Francisco Giants. The rest was history as Mauer embarked on a Hall of Fame career that saw him win three batting titles and the 2009 American League MVP award.
A few years later, the Twins selected Buxton with the second overall pick in the 2012 MLB Draft. While Mauer was elite with his bat and his glove, Buxton was a five-tool prospect, hitting .334/.424/.521 with 12 home runs, 77 RBI and 55 stolen bases between Low-A Cedar Rapids and High-A Fort Myers in 2013.
The campaign vaulted Buxton to the top of Baseball America’s top prospect list ahead of the 2014 season but injuries limited him to 31 games in 2014 before hitting .305/.367/.500 with seven home runs, 45 RBI and 22 stolen bases between Double-A Chattanooga and Triple-A Rochester in 2015.
Buxton’s career has had ups and downs and fans have become frustrated with his durability. But his performance as a prospect was legendary and he still became an All-Star in 2022 while being recognized as one of the best center fielders in baseball heading into this season.
Walker Jenkins earns massive expectations for Minnesota Twins in 2025
So where does this put Jenkins? That depends on how 2025 goes.
Jenkins got off to a slow start in his first professional season after suffering a hamstring injury on Opening Day but recovered to hit .282/.394/.439 with six homers, 58 RBI and 17 stolen bases. While Mauer and Buxton didn’t reach Double-A until age 20, Jenkins did it at 19, appearing in six games with Wichita at the end of last season.
One concern with Jenkins’ rookie season is a lack of power but his contact skills put him on the same plane as Mauer entering his age-20 season. Gleeman also pointed to the fact he had more walks (65) than strikeouts (61) and his speed helped him earn an 85 percent steal rate while giving him the chance to play in center or right field when he arrives in the majors – which could happen as soon as this summer.
“Jenkins has just nine homers so far and his hard-hit metrics lag behind his exceptional contact skills, but the Twins seem confident it’s only a matter of time until his 6-foot-3 frame produces big power,” Gleeman wrote. “He has the speed to handle center field or thrive in right field. And he has the chance to reach the majors in 2025 which would make him the youngest Twins hitter in 45 years.”
If Jenkins shows some power, stays healthy and continues his contact skills, he could push to become the top prospect in baseball when Boston’s Roman Anthony and Washington’s Dylan Crews graduate to the majors. But Jenkins can also become the greatest Twins prospect of all time, which fans can be excited about heading into next year.