There’s a reason the Twins’ 2027 lineup still feels like a moving target: plenty of the roster is up in the air, but a handful of names are already staring at near-certain roles. If you’re trying to sketch out next spring’s everyday group, the list gets a lot shorter once you start applying the “beyond a reasonable doubt” test.
The cleanest place to start is in the infield with Brooks Lee. He may not have the flashiest ceiling of the bunch, but he looks awfully safe.
Lee turned in a league-average season at the plate, finishing with a .728 OPS and a career-high 24 home runs, and he settled in nicely after moving off shortstop and over to third base. In about 100 games there, he posted 6 outs above average.
That combination - a bat that holds its own and defense that helps instead of hurts - makes him a strong bet to be in the Opening Day mix. The one wrinkle is that he could end up at second base if the Twins add a third-base-only option, which is why he’s being treated as a general infielder rather than locked to one spot.
Shortstop looks even more settled, and that belongs to Kaelen Culpepper. He’s still rookie-eligible next year after 128 plate appearances, and he hit .274/.328/.393 in that stretch.
Culpepper showed enough with the bat to get fans interested, and there isn’t anyone pressing hard enough behind him to knock him out of the job right now. There were some moments that reminded people why his defense at short has drawn skepticism, but the overall package was good enough to keep him planted there.
A slump or a prospect surge could change the picture, but the safest expectation is that he’s the Opening Day shortstop.
Then there’s Byron Buxton, which almost feels too obvious to even label. If he’s healthy, he’s in center field.
That’s the story. He’s coming off labrum repair, so the health question is real, but the role itself isn’t.
When Buxton is available, he plays, and center field is still his spot until further notice.
Walker Jenkins also makes the cut, even after a rough introduction to the majors. The Twins’ No. 1 prospect started his big league career 4-for-45, which made the early read a little uneasy, but he finished with a much better final 10-game stretch, hitting .385/.400/.615.
That late surge kept him firmly in the picture for next season. The open question is where he fits.
The Twins could use him in right or left field depending on the rest of the corner-outfield mix, and he played center in the majors only because Buxton was sidelined. If Buxton is out again, Jenkins is the most likely stand-in.
The last name on the list is Luke Keaschall, though the position is less certain than the bat. He’s likely to be the leadoff hitter, even if nobody can say with confidence where he’ll stand defensively.
Corner outfield, designated hitter, maybe even first base - the exact spot is still a guess. What isn’t a guess is his place at the top of the order.
After a rough start in 2026, Keaschall recovered to finish at .282/.374/.407, production that was about 20% better than league average. He also showed more power as the season went on, which only strengthens the case for him to be penciled in next year.
That leaves plenty unresolved. This group was built with right-handed pitching in mind, so the picture against lefties could look different, especially in the outfield.
Austin Martin started hot in 2026 but hit just .164 in the second half when he was mostly facing lefties. Gabriel Gonzalez and Aaron Sabato could be part of the conversation too, though the Twins didn’t show much interest in giving them regular run late in the season.
Catcher is just as unsettled. Victor Caratini is under contract for next season, and it would be a surprise if the Twins cut him or found a trade partner willing to absorb the $10 million he’s owed after he barely played enough late in 2026 to qualify as a second catcher.
Even so, there’s still reasonable doubt that he’ll be the everyday answer. The Twins could bring back Ryan Jeffers on a qualifying offer or chase another catcher in free agency who would clear Caratini’s bar.
For now, though, the five clearest names are Brooks Lee, Kaelen Culpepper, Walker Jenkins, Byron Buxton, and Luke Keaschall. The rest of the lineup? That part is still wide open.
In Other News...
Ryan Jeffers Just Made The Twins Offseason Feel More Emotional
Ryan Jeffers may have turned in one of his most memorable nights in a Twins uniform at just the right time, helping Minnesota beat the Texas Rangers with two hits, a walk and an RBI. The performance fit the kind of steady, all-around value he has brought behind the plate and in the lineup, which is why his status now carries more weight than a single game usually would.
After the win, Jeffers shared an emotional moment with owner Tom Pohlad, then declined to get into what comes next as he heads into free agency. The Twins are expected to extend a one-year qualifying offer, and the fact that there was deadline interest from teams such as the Tampa Bay Rays and New York Yankees only adds another layer to an offseason that suddenly feels a lot more personal. [Read more 🡒]
Twins Bullpen Overhaul Could Hinge On One Costly Free Agent
With several key relievers moved out of the picture, the Twins are heading into the offseason with a clear bullpen need and a willingness at the top of the organization to address it. Ownership has signaled it is prepared to invest aggressively in the relief corps, and that kind of commitment could shape how the front office approaches a market that is likely to be thin on impact arms.
One name to watch is David Bednar, a proven closer who also comes with a familiar connection to manager Derek Shelton from their time together. For a club that has already made the first steps of a bullpen overhaul, a pursuit like that would send a strong message about how seriously it plans to rebuild the late innings, even if landing him may come at a steep price. [Read more 🡒]
Twins Kept Their Leadership Core Now The Pressure Shifts To Payroll
The Twins have settled at least one major piece of their offseason picture, with owner Tom Pohlad saying in a press conference that general manager Jeremy Zoll and manager Derek Shelton will stay in place. Pohlad said the three are philosophically aligned going forward, and Zoll will continue to steer baseball operations with several assistants around him, giving the club continuity at the top as it looks to reset for next season.
There is still work to do on the roster side, though, and Pohlad did not soften the message there. Minnesota also moved on from pitching coach Pete Maki and assistant pitching coach Luis Ramirez while keeping the rest of the staff for the 2027 season, and the bigger challenge now is financial as much as structural, with Pohlad acknowledging the need to raise payroll if the Twins want a better chance to be competitive next year. [Read more 🡒]