Even the most die-hard Minnesota Twins fans can turn on a Twins spring training game and not recognize a large portion of the players on the field.
As spring training winds down, here are some lesser-known Twins prospects who have impressed with their performances this spring:
Catcher/outfielder Jeferson Morales
In 16 at-bats this spring, Morales, 25, is slashing .438/.550/.750 with one home run and two RBIs.
Morales was signed by the Twins to a minor league contract in Oct. 2016 and re-signed with the organization in Dec. 2023.
Last season, Morales, who at the time hadn’t played above High-A ball, started the season in Double-A, putting together a .278/.356/.431 slash line in 371 plate appearances before earning a promotion to the Triple-A St. Paul Saints. With the Saints, Morales hit an outstanding .359/.433/.585 in 60 plate appearances.
Ryan Jeffers and Christian Vasquez will likely see the majority of the time behind the plate for Minnesota this season. Still, Morales’ performance in spring ball and the past couple of seasons at the minor league level provides the team with another potential option at the backstop.
Outfielder Allan Cerda
The Twins signed Cerda to a minor league deal this offseason. This spring, he has six hits, including a home run and three doubles in 13 at-bats.
The 25-year-old outfielder spent most of 2018-24 in the Cincinnati Reds organization before joining the San Francisco Giants minor league system at the end of last season.
Cerda isn’t a stranger to performing at a high level come springtime, reaching base at a .407 clip and clobbering three home runs in 27 spring training plate appearances from 2022-24.
Despite his strong spring showings, the former Red has battled with injuries and consistency the past couple of seasons. His ability to reach base is his strong suit, as he has a .360 on-base percentage across 1,641 minor league appearances.
Left-handed pitcher Samuel Perez
Another 25-year-old impressing in his first spring camp with the Twins, Perez has given Minnesota three shutout innings and five strikeouts this spring.
Perez signed a minor league contract with the Twins in 2021 after starting his professional baseball career with the Los Angeles Angels organization from 2018-20. Across 285 minor league innings, the lefty reliever has a 2.40 ERA and a 4.35 K/BB ratio.
Danny Coulombe and Kody Funderburk look to be the Twins’ go-to lefties out of the bullpen this season, but struggles and/or injuries could lead to Perez seeing Major League innings this season.
Right-handed pitcher Andrew Morris
Morris, drafted out of Texas Tech in 2022, is the Twins’ No. 9 prospect, according to MLB.com. He started last season in High-A and ended the year at the Triple-A level, pitching to a 2.37 ERA and striking out 133 in 133 innings. The former Red Raider hasn’t allowed a run in seven innings this spring.
With minimal minor league experience, Morris will probably stay in Triple-A to start the 2025 season, but if he continues his dominance this year, he should see the major leagues before October.
Infielder Mickey Gasper
Generally, a prospect isn't 29 years old, but that’s what Minnesota has in Gasper. The Twins acquired Gasper from the Boston Red Sox for left-handed reliever Jovani Moran in December.
Despite going hitless in 18 at-bats at the major league level last season, Gasper has hit .346/.455/.500 this spring training. He has mostly played at catcher and first base in the minor leagues but has primarily been playing at second base, a position with a lot of uncertainty for Minnesota, this spring training.
With a career .392 on-base percentage across six minor league seasons, Gasper has a plausible chance of cracking the Twins’ opening-day roster.