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It is time to unleash the prospects.
The Minnesota Twins keep waiting for a turnaround that has not arrived.
Minnesota dropped Sunday's series finale to Kansas City, has lost seven of its last ten games, and sits at 30-37 in the first season under new manager Derek Shelton.
Nobody expected this roster to contend in 2026, but the hope was that the young core would take a real step forward over the summer.
Instead, the offense has disappeared for long stretches while the most exciting players in the organization keep putting up numbers across the river in St. Paul.
Shortstop Kaelen Culpepper has made the loudest case.
The 23-year-old, taken 21st overall out of Kansas State in 2024, leads Triple-A St. Paul with 14 home runs and recently carried a 12-game hitting streak in which he batted .347.
He was named the organization's Minor League Player of the Year in 2025 and has handled the jump to Triple-A without slowing down.
The Twins have already cleared a path for him by moving Brooks Lee to third base and cycling veterans like Orlando Arcia and Ryan Kreidler through shortstop, none of whom figure into the long-term plan.
Culpepper told the Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder this spring that he is "ready to get to the big stage and really take off, elevate the game."
The numbers say he already has.
Walker Jenkins, the No. 12 prospect in baseball, was hitting .297 with a .430 on-base percentage at St. Paul before a shoulder injury suffered crashing into the outfield wall sidelined him in early May.
The 21-year-old is expected back soon, and there is little reason to put him through a long minor league tune-up when the big league outfield needs help right away.
Emmanuel Rodriguez is the complicated one, since a thumb ligament injury could keep him out deep into the summer, but his power remains rare.
His 118.3 mph max exit velocity this season ranks among the hardest-hit balls in all of professional baseball.
Minnesota sits 6.5 games behind Cleveland in the AL Central, and the warning signs go beyond the standings.
Byron Buxton is banged up again after crashing into the wall against the Royals, the rotation has thinned out with Pablo Lopez done for the year and Kendry Rojas dealing with an elbow problem, and an 8-0 shutout loss to the White Sox last week showed how flat the offense can look.
A club carrying a 4.60 staff ERA was never going to climb out of this hole with the same group.
The new era is already here, whether or not the front office calls it that.
Culpepper should be in Minnesota soon, with Jenkins right behind him once he is healthy.
Rodriguez can join them later this year.
The Twins might as well find out what their future looks like.
Continue reading...
The Minnesota Twins keep waiting for a turnaround that has not arrived.
Minnesota dropped Sunday's series finale to Kansas City, has lost seven of its last ten games, and sits at 30-37 in the first season under new manager Derek Shelton.
Nobody expected this roster to contend in 2026, but the hope was that the young core would take a real step forward over the summer.
Instead, the offense has disappeared for long stretches while the most exciting players in the organization keep putting up numbers across the river in St. Paul.
Culpepper Has Nothing Left to Prove
Shortstop Kaelen Culpepper has made the loudest case.
The 23-year-old, taken 21st overall out of Kansas State in 2024, leads Triple-A St. Paul with 14 home runs and recently carried a 12-game hitting streak in which he batted .347.
He was named the organization's Minor League Player of the Year in 2025 and has handled the jump to Triple-A without slowing down.
The Twins have already cleared a path for him by moving Brooks Lee to third base and cycling veterans like Orlando Arcia and Ryan Kreidler through shortstop, none of whom figure into the long-term plan.
Culpepper told the Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder this spring that he is "ready to get to the big stage and really take off, elevate the game."
The numbers say he already has.
Jenkins and Rodriguez
Walker Jenkins, the No. 12 prospect in baseball, was hitting .297 with a .430 on-base percentage at St. Paul before a shoulder injury suffered crashing into the outfield wall sidelined him in early May.
The 21-year-old is expected back soon, and there is little reason to put him through a long minor league tune-up when the big league outfield needs help right away.
Emmanuel Rodriguez is the complicated one, since a thumb ligament injury could keep him out deep into the summer, but his power remains rare.
His 118.3 mph max exit velocity this season ranks among the hardest-hit balls in all of professional baseball.
The Season Is Telling Them Something
Minnesota sits 6.5 games behind Cleveland in the AL Central, and the warning signs go beyond the standings.
Byron Buxton is banged up again after crashing into the wall against the Royals, the rotation has thinned out with Pablo Lopez done for the year and Kendry Rojas dealing with an elbow problem, and an 8-0 shutout loss to the White Sox last week showed how flat the offense can look.
A club carrying a 4.60 staff ERA was never going to climb out of this hole with the same group.
The new era is already here, whether or not the front office calls it that.
Culpepper should be in Minnesota soon, with Jenkins right behind him once he is healthy.
Rodriguez can join them later this year.
The Twins might as well find out what their future looks like.
Continue reading...
