The Twins’ 2027 picture already has four young names stamped on it, and each one points to a different job. Walker Jenkins, Emmanuel Rodriguez, Kaelen Culpepper and Kendry Rojas all reached the majors in 2026, and all four could be in the mix for meaningful roles next season.
Jenkins looks like the most likely to become a regular piece of the lineup, but not in center field for long. He spent the final month there, yet Byron Buxton is expected back from hip surgery, and MLB.com reported that the Twins hope Jenkins can slide into a corner when Buxton returns. If he settles into left or right, he could become a major part of the 2027 offense.
Before that happens, Jenkins has a few boxes to check. He is scheduled for a procedure to remove bone chips and a bone spur from his right elbow, and the team expects him to be fully available for 2027.
He also needs to turn a mixed first month at the plate into something more stable. The late-season flashes were enough to get Minnesota’s attention, but not enough to lock down an everyday job.
Rodriguez offers a different kind of outfield option. He homered in his first big league plate appearance and showed range in the outfield during September, giving the Twins another candidate for corner-outfield work.
If Jenkins takes one corner and Trevor Larnach’s role shrinks or shifts, Rodriguez could be in line for serious time in the other spot. Minnesota also has Luke Keaschall, Alan Roden and additional outfield choices, so the club still has to sort out how those at-bats get divided.
The big issue with Rodriguez is availability. A torn ligament in his left thumb cost him nearly three months in 2026.
Once he returned, he hit .284/.433/.544 across three minor league levels, but his Major League look was short. Staying healthy and making consistent contact against big league pitching will decide whether he turns that brief September taste into a real role.
Culpepper has the clearest path of the group. He finished the season as Minnesota’s top shortstop option on the depth chart, and Brooks Lee moved mostly to third base after Culpepper’s August promotion. A mild hamstring strain slowed him in September, though the Twins brought him back for the final weekend.
Now the challenge is simpler to state and harder to pull off: keep the shortstop job over a full season. His early offense was encouraging, but 2026 gave the Twins only a small sample. He can head into camp with a strong case to start, while still needing to prove that both his glove and bat can handle everyday duty at a demanding position.
Rojas has a lane too, and it comes out of the bullpen. The left-hander made 12 appearances, including four starts, for Minnesota in 2026.
With A.J. Minter and Taylor Rogers headed toward free agency and Anthony Banda expected to miss roughly the first half of 2027, Rojas could be in the conversation for left-handed relief work.
His ability to get more than three outs at a time gives the Twins another way to deploy him.
Command is the hurdle there. Rojas struck out 34 batters but walked 22 in 29 2/3 Major League innings, and Minnesota optioned him to Triple-A in August.
Better strike throwing would give his stuff a chance to play in a more dependable bullpen role. If not, the Twins may still view him as a starter they continue to develop.
For now, Jenkins, Rodriguez, Culpepper and Rojas have all crossed into the majors. The next step is more specific: two outfield spots, shortstop and left-handed relief. Those are real openings, and spring training will show how close each one is to being claimed.
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