The Twins may have landed a real sleeper in Carson Tinney.
A second-round pick usually doesn’t arrive with much noise, but Tinney - the Texas Longhorns catcher Minnesota took in this year’s draft - is already forcing his way onto the radar. MLB Pipeline’s latest update of the Twins’ top 30 prospects has the 21-year-old sitting at No. 10, and the early indicators are hard to ignore: elite power upside and a strong arm behind the plate.
The production line at Single-A Fort Myers has been uneven in the traditional sense, with Tinney collecting just six hits in 39 at-bats over 12 games. But the damage has come in bunches. Three of those six hits have left the yard, and he has paired that pop with 13 walks, good for a .377 on-base percentage.
Wednesday was the clearest example of what Tinney can do when he gets into one. He homered twice, including a two-run shot in the bottom of the third with 2026 first-round pick Vahn Lackey aboard.
Then he topped it with the kind of swing that turns heads fast: a two-run walk-off home run in the bottom of the ninth with one out and a runner on base, lifting the Mighty Mussels to a 6-5 win. Lackey also scored on that second homer after ripping his first career professional triple.
Tinney may not even be the most heralded catcher Minnesota drafted this year, but he’s making the case that he belongs in the conversation for a big-league future of his own. If Lackey develops into the club’s catcher of the future, Tinney could still carve out a role elsewhere - possibly at first base - or become a valuable trade piece down the line.
That possibility fits into a much bigger picture for the organization. Tinney is Minnesota’s No. 10 prospect overall, but he’s only the No. 4 catching prospect in the system.
Lackey is already ranked No. 2 in the Twins’ system and No. 19 overall by MLB Pipeline. Behind them, the pipeline keeps coming: Eduardo Tait checks in at No. 6 overall, Khadim Diaw at No.
9, Enrique Jimenez at No. 26 and Ricardo Olivar at No. 30.
With Ryan Jeffers slated to hit free agency after the season and Victor Caratini under contract through next season, the Twins appear to have a pretty clean runway at the position. Between Lackey, Tinney, Diaw and Tait, Minnesota has a deep group that could make the transition behind the plate smoother when the time comes. And because there are so many catching prospects in the system, the Twins may also have the flexibility to deal one or two if they need help elsewhere.
In Other News...
Joe Ryan Just Gave Twins Fans Reason To Watch September Closely
Joe Ryans road back from the injured list took a meaningful step this week, and for a Twins club that has spent plenty of time piecing together the back end of the rotation, it was the kind of update worth circling. The right-hander, who has been out with a strained left glute muscle, got back on the mound for the first time since his Aug. 4 outing and worked through a short bullpen session as he continues his recovery.
Derek Shelton called the throwing session encouraging, which is about as much as Minnesota can ask for at this stage. The larger question is still when Ryan will be ready to rejoin the staff, and for now there is no set timetable, leaving his return one of the more closely watched developments as September unfolds. [Read more 🡒]
Twins Playoff Push May Force A Big Walker Jenkins Decision
A series win over the Braves kept Minnesota at 62-65 and still hanging around the AL Central and Wild Card races, which is exactly the kind of late-summer position that forces a front office to weigh upside against patience. The Twins have enough ground to make a run and not enough margin to ignore obvious help, especially with the lineup still looking for a jolt as September approaches.
Walker Jenkins is the name sitting at the center of that decision. The top prospect has handled Triple-A well enough to make the conversation real, and a call-up would give Minnesota another bat with some defensive value if the club decides the playoff chase is worth pushing a prized young player into the mix before it is ready to do so on its own timetable. [Read more 🡒]
Twins May Need To Start Planning For Life After Buxton In Center
Byron Buxton has spent his entire major-league career in center field, and even with the defensive regression that has shown up over the past two seasons, he still looks playable there for Minnesota heading into 2026. The decline has been most noticeable on balls hit laterally and in the value of his arm, which is enough to make the position worth watching more closely than it once was.
Walker Jenkins is the reason that conversation is starting to feel more than theoretical. The top prospect is performing well in Triple-A and is viewed as the organizations center fielder of the future, with 2027 looking like the clearest path for that changeover. For the Twins, the question is no longer whether Buxton can handle the spot right now, but how long they can afford to wait before planning for the next one. [Read more 🡒]