The Twins’ outfield picture is crowded enough to make 2027 sorting feel like a puzzle with too many pieces and not enough clean edges. Byron Buxton is still the anchor, but even he comes with built-in uncertainty after a compromised second half in ’26 and right hip surgery. After that, the rest of the group is jostling for position.
Buxton remains the obvious starting point. When he’s on the field, he’s the club’s biggest presence and, at his best, its best player.
He also strongly prefers center field, and that’s where he’ll play whenever he’s out there. The issue is less about where he fits and more about how often he can stay there.
His return from surgery and the need to manage him over the course of the season both point toward more time at DH next year, even if he’s healthy.
Luke Keaschall looks like a real part of the solution. He made what seems to be a permanent move to the outfield this year, and while the transition wasn’t spotless, he got more comfortable as the season went along.
In limited time in right field, he graded near average at -1 Outs Above Average. His bat makes the rest of the conversation easy: he’s going to be in the lineup somewhere.
Over the final weeks of 2026, he settled in as the right fielder, though a move to left next year would not be a surprise. The Twins also seem likely to keep him mostly in one corner while he continues learning the position.
Walker Jenkins brings a different kind of certainty. The Twins’ No. 1 prospect and No. 13 overall in MLB has a shorter track record than Keaschall, but he’s also expected to be in the lineup almost every day to open the season.
He may sit against some tough lefties, but his brief debut showed enough to make the upside impossible to miss. Jenkins is likely to be the primary backup to Buxton in center and will start in one of the corners when he’s not there.
His arm and experience suggest right field may be the cleaner fit, with Keaschall sliding to left, but the Twins’ two homegrown outfielders look like the main corner options either way.
That leaves Trevor Larnach in a tricky spot. He stayed mostly healthy and put together his best offensive season in a while, yet for the second straight winter he risks getting squeezed.
The club reportedly had a deal lined up to send him to Houston at the Trade Deadline before it fell apart. Larnach is the least dynamic defender of the group and not as athletic as Keaschall.
He prefers the outfield, but DH may be his best home. There’s also a real chance he could be moved for bullpen help.
The roster squeeze doesn’t stop there. The source material points to a 23-year-old who is out of options, which means the Twins can’t simply send him to the minors. That makes Rodriguez a possible trade chip, though he could also hit enough to force his way into the lineup almost every day.
Austin Martin is another piece in the mix. He earned the starting right-field job for a stretch before his bat cooled and his playing time dropped.
Center field seems like a stretch, but he can handle it in a pinch. More likely, he profiles as a platoon partner for Jenkins and a bench option.
So while Buxton still sits at the center of everything, the rest of the outfield is a crowded, shifting group. Keaschall and Jenkins look like the likeliest everyday corner tandem, Buxton will be Buxton as long as his body allows, and the rest of the roster will be fighting to fit around them.
In Other News...
Twins Face A Joe Ryan Decision Fans May Not Expect
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The idea is not without precedent, with Milwaukees decision to deal Freddy Peralta before his final contract year offering a template. Still, the market for pitchers with only one year of control can be tricky, and there is added uncertainty around the 2027 season that could make teams cautious about paying full freight. For the Twins, the question is not just whether Ryan is valuable enough to trade, but whether the timing and return will ever line up in a way that makes sense. [Read more 🡒]
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Hicks career took on a far different shape once he got to New York, where he eventually settled in and produced some of his best years before later stops with the Orioles and Angels. Murphys time in Minnesota was far shorter, and after a brief run with the Twins he moved on to Arizona and later retired after the 2020 season, leaving the trade as one of those old front-office decisions fans still revisit whenever the subject of missed value comes back around. [Read more 🡒]
Twins Face One Catching Problem They Can't Ignore This Offseason
The Twins are heading into the offseason with a familiar roster question, and this one sits right behind the plate. Ryan Jeffers is in free agency after giving Minnesota stability at catcher, while Victor Caratinis uneven season only sharpened the need for a better long-term answer. For a team that has leaned on defense and game-calling in that spot, the priority is clear: find a catcher who can help now without blocking the future.
Minnesota also has to keep one eye on the pipeline, where Vahn Lackey is viewed as a prospect who could arrive in September 2027. That creates a tricky bridge to build, especially if the Twins want to avoid settling for a stopgap that leaves the position vulnerable again a year from now. The front office has some paths to explore, but the real challenge is finding a solution that holds up both this season and beyond. [Read more 🡒]