MLB Insider Way High on Minnesota Twins’ Young Talent

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Minnesota Twins
Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports

The Minnesota Twins’ active roster is packed with internally developed talent. Manager Rocco Baldelli will also coach some of the best young prospects in the game over the coming years. Knowing where the farm system ranks, it makes sense to see a few young talents fare well amongst their peers.

Royce Lewis among MLB’s top 25-year-olds

Royce Lewis was the first overall pick for the Minnesota Twins in the 2017 Major League Baseball Draft. He made his big league debut in 2022. When on the field, Lewis has consistently been one of the best players on the roster.

In 124 career MLB games, he’s slashing .286/.345/.550 with 32 homers and 97 RBI. That’s a .895 OPS for those counting. Recently, ESPN MLB insider Kiley McDaniel ranked Royce 4th among all 25-year-olds across the league, behind only Vlad Guerrero Jr, Fernando Tatis Jr and Hunter Greene, who was drafted one spot behind Lewis in 2019.

Birth Year: 1999

  1. Vladimir Guerrero Jr – 1B – Toronto Blue Jays
  2. Fernando Tatis Jr – RF – San Diego Padres
  3. Hunter Greene – RHP – Cincinnati Reds
  4. Royce Lewis – SS – Minnesota Twins
  5. Garrett Crochet – LHP – Chicago White Sox

Guerrero, Tatis and Greene are a clear top three for this group, and they stay in the same order as they did last year. That’s not something you will see often in these rankings (and a big reason this exercise becomes less entertaining for players older than 25). Lewis has trouble staying healthy but is still showing star potential when on the field, while Crochet went from busted prospect to front-line starter during a disaster of a year for the White Sox organization as a whole.

Kiley McDaniel on Minnesota Twins Royce Lewis (ESPN)

Related: MLB Expert Believes This is the Minnesota Twins Greatest Asset, Come October

Lewis has provided some of the biggest home run moments for the Twins over the past couple of seasons. He is still settling in to the regular routine as a big leaguer. With a healthy Carlos Correa next to him on the infield, Minnesota’s lineup may be among the most feared in baseball.

What about the Minnesota Twins prospects?

The second annual version of McDaniel’s exercise has him ranking the best players at every age from 16 to 25. Starting with the eldest, there are a couple of Minnesota Twins prospects that show up as well. With a top five farm system, it’s not a surprise to see them.

  • 2003: Emmanuel Rodriguez (OF – 5th among 21 year olds) – E-Rod trails a trio of players already in the big leagues (Jackson Holliday, Jackson Merril, and Junior Caminero). Rays shortstop Carson Williams is the only other player ahead of him. Injuries have kept him to just 37 games this season, but the Twins outfield prospect owns a 1.100 OPS at Double-A.
  • 2005: Walker Jenkins (OF – 1st among 19 year olds) – It’s not shocking that a top five prospect in the sport would head up this group. Jenkins finished with a 3-for-5 game on Wednesday and is batting .289 with an .837 OPS at High-A.

The Twins have been limited from a financial aspect over the course of this year. That remains likely to be true as they transition into a new era of broadcasts in 2025. How much can be extracted from internal development will be the key to sustaining a winning environment.

Related: Twins Pondering a Position Change for Royce Lewis?

Minnesota has experienced more than a few big league debuts this season, and there are more impact additions to come in the not-too-distant future.

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