The Twins are running out of time to treat Walker Jenkins like a future problem.
Minnesota is in the thick of a fight for an American League Wild Card spot, and that makes every roster call feel heavier than it did a couple months ago. The front office is expected to spend the next several days looking outside the organization, especially for help in a bullpen that has struggled all season.
But the most intriguing offensive upgrade might already be in the system, waiting in a St. Paul Saints uniform.
Jenkins has been back at Triple-A for about a month after recovering from the shoulder injury he suffered when he crashed into the outfield wall making a catch. Since then, he has looked like the kind of hitter Minnesota believed it was getting when it took him fifth overall in the 2023 MLB Draft.
The production has been loud. Over the last 28 days, Jenkins has posted a .929 OPS.
In the last week, he’s been even hotter, with a .643 slugging percentage and a 1.055 OPS. And he’s doing it in his age-21 season against International League competition that is more than five years older on average.
At a certain point, there just isn’t much left for him to prove.
Baseball America’s profile this week added another layer to the case for him. The piece highlighted Jenkins’ elite swing decisions and his ability to put the bat on the ball against pitches in the strike zone.
He has only seven whiffs against four-seam fastballs all season, and almost all of those came on elevated pitches above the strike zone. That kind of zone control is rare, especially for someone this young.
Of course, the majors will test him differently. Pitchers won’t keep feeding him fastballs once they see how he handles velocity.
He’ll have to adjust to more breaking balls and off-speed stuff. Even so, the foundation is the kind that usually travels.
He doesn’t chase much, he rarely misses pitches he should hit, and he controls the strike zone in a way that tends to hold up at every level.
The problem for Minnesota is that there doesn’t seem to be an obvious opening.
Byron Buxton came off the injured list earlier this week, and that move sent infielder Tristan Gray back to Triple-A. The Twins are also carrying three catchers after Ryan Jeffers returned from injury. Alex Jackson is out of minor-league options, which is why Minnesota didn’t want to risk losing him on waivers.
That leaves a crowded bench with Victor Caratini, Alex Jackson, Austin Martin, and Alan Roden. Martin and Roden are the only players with minor-league options left, so they’re the easiest names to move if the Twins decide Jenkins should come up. Right now, though, it looks like his path depends on someone else getting hurt.
That shouldn’t be the bar. At this stage of the season, roster spots ought to go to the players earning them, not the ones protected by circumstance.
Martin has not given Minnesota much offense lately, hitting .583 OPS over the last two weeks even while getting used mostly in favorable platoon situations. His versatility still matters, but if the Twins are looking for a jolt in a lineup chasing a playoff spot, Jenkins brings a much higher ceiling.
Putting Jenkins in Martin’s spot wouldn’t fix everything. It would, though, give Minnesota another bat that can change a game instead of just covering innings. Waiting for an injury to create the opening feels too cautious.
If the Twins really view Jenkins as one of the organization’s cornerstone players - and all signs point that way - there’s real value in getting him to the majors before the trade deadline. It would give him time to settle in before September, let the coaching staff see where he fits, and help the front office understand what else still needs to be done.
Minnesota is looking for ways to improve over the next week. External help may get the attention, but one of the club’s most talented players is already close by.
The question isn’t whether Jenkins is ready. It’s whether the Twins are willing to make room for him before the decision gets made for them.
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