The Twins didn’t stop at one catcher in the 2026 MLB Draft. After taking Vahn Lackey with the third overall pick, Minnesota went right back to the position and grabbed Texas catcher Carson Tinney at No. 43.
That second pick says plenty about how the organization views Tinney. This wasn’t a hedge. It was a bet - on the bat, on the makeup, and on the idea that there’s more catching talent in there than he showed in college.
If that approach feels familiar, it should. Minnesota has done this before with Ryan Jeffers.
Jeffers came into pro ball with real questions about whether he could hold up behind the plate. The offensive profile, though, was never the issue.
In three college seasons, he hit .323/.445/.620 for a 1.064 OPS, and he topped a 1.000 OPS in each of those years. What he didn’t have was a long track record of catching instruction, so the Twins had to build him up defensively after drafting him.
They did, and he turned into a dependable big league catcher without giving up the offensive value that made him such an appealing pick in the first place.
Tinney arrives with a very similar kind of resume. He spent his first two seasons at Notre Dame before transferring to Texas, where he became one of the country’s most dangerous hitters.
Over three collegiate seasons, he posted a .326/.478/.688 line with a 1.165 OPS and 42 home runs. He finished with 22 homers in his final college season alone.
Minnesota assistant general manager Sean Johnson said the club didn’t go into that range with a catcher target locked in. The board simply lined up in Tinney’s favor.
"So, we had stacked the board the way we liked it. When we got to that range, Carson was definitely in play. And I think I say it every year, every scouting director says it, we're gonna take the best guy available."
"And so that was, that rings true. We thought he was the best position player on the board.
We think we can turn him into a real catcher at the big-league level. He's got tremendous makeup, desire.
He hasn't caught, really, his whole life. So, there's some stuff to unlock there for sure."
That’s the same basic formula the Twins used with Jeffers: don’t treat the player as finished, and don’t ignore the upside of the glove just because the bat is ahead of schedule.
Johnson also pointed to Tinney’s offense as more than just raw power. The Twins see a hitter who can do damage in a lot of ways.
"And then offensively, the guy did as much damage with the ball as almost anybody in the draft. You know, he's, he hit in a great lineup at Texas this year.
Hits the ball extremely hard. Takes great at-bats.
Really, really nice walk rate to kind of support. He's not just a power first guy."
"But when he hits it, he hits the ball extremely hard. And a really good foundation to catch. He can really throw."
That blend of patience, power, and arm strength is why Minnesota believes Tinney can grow into an everyday player. The defensive side is the part the Twins think they can still shape.
For them, the makeup matters just as much as the tools.
"We think we can do even more with his receiving,” said Johnson. “And again, like the makeup is the thing you're going to get into there once again. He's going to work at all the things that RPD is going to offer him once he signs."
The Jeffers comparison came up quickly, and Johnson didn’t run from it, even if he stopped short of drawing a direct line between the two players.
"They're somewhat similar. I think we had similar thoughts on Ryan.
I don't like to compare the two of them directly. But Ryan needed… some work with his receiving.
We thought his swing was in a good spot."
"So, you can immediately kind of connect the two together in that way. But both had really good makeups, really good leaders on their team, carried their clubs, different leagues, obviously.
So, I think we have similar feelings there. But I think as far as Carson's concerned, we think we can turn him into a real catcher."
That’s the heart of the pick. The Twins see Tinney as another offense-first college catcher with the right attitude and enough defensive room to grow into something more. Jeffers already proved that path can work in Minnesota.
Tinney still has a long road ahead, and nothing about catcher development is guaranteed. But the blueprint is sitting right there in the organization’s recent history.
The Twins have already turned one bat-first college catcher into a productive major league regular. Now they’re trying to do it again.
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