Hendry Mendez spent 2026 in an unfamiliar spot: around the Minnesota Twins’ roster all season, but never getting a day in the majors.
For a 22-year-old who reached Triple-A for the first time in May, that part wasn’t the surprise. The Twins kept him on the 40-man roster after a strong 2025 and protected him from the Rule 5 Draft last winter, banking on the left-handed hitter’s bat. And early on, that bet looked smart.
Mendez opened the year with plenty of noise at the plate. In 52 games between Wichita and St.
Paul, he hit .308/.405/.485 with eight home runs, 40 RBI, a 12.9% walk rate and a 16.4% strikeout rate. He was named #MNTwins Minor League Player of the Month in May, and the hot start rolled right into June.
He also showed the kind of pop Minnesota has wanted to see more often, including a two-run blast to center on June 3 that gave him his fourth homer of the year and extended his on-base streak to 23 games at Triple-A.
Then the season turned. A left shoulder impingement sent him to the IL in June, and when he came back on June 26, the rhythm changed.
The Saints’ outfield got crowded, his playing time shrank, and the production cooled. From his return through the end of the year, Mendez hit .250/.338/.369 with four home runs, 23 RBI, an 11.2% walk rate and a 17.1% strikeout rate over 50 games.
Saints hitting coach Shawn Schlecter said the shift in workload became part of the challenge.
“I think he went through a little bit of a struggle as we saw the influx of outfielders be promoted or come back from the big leagues,” Saints hitting coach Shawn Schlecter said regarding Mendez. “I think for him, seeing that difference in playing time was something he had to work through and mature through. It’s something he’s had to get used to as a prospect, as he’s basically played every day in his minor league experience.”
Mendez, speaking through teammate Marco Raya, said the adjustment meant staying ready without the benefit of regular games.
“[I’m] just getting as many game-like reps as I possibly can when I’m not playing and when those other outfielders have been out there,” Mendez said through teammate Marco Raya, who interpreted on his behalf. “It’s not the same getting game reps in outside of the game, but just working in the cage whenever I can and get ready for when my name is called.”
Even with the uneven second half, the work showed up in a different way. Mendez set a pro career high with 12 home runs this season, a number that reflects the power growth the Twins have been hoping to coax out of a hitter whose game has long leaned on opposite-field contact.
“He’s done a good job working through some stuff to the credit of his work ethic,” said Schlechter. “He’s just a really skilled hitter, and he has the ability to put the bat on the ball. He typically makes good decisions, and we’ve seen him tap into some power, so really excited that he’s part of our team and has stepped in the right direction.”
The Twins still view the next step as a bigger power ceiling, with the hope that Mendez can eventually settle into the 15-20 home run range in the majors. For his part, he’s keeping the focus simple: get on base.
“I always just try to think of opportunity when I’m playing to get on base and don’t necessarily think about the homers,” Mendez said. “But I know I have pretty good strength and that I am a strong guy, so I don’t really think too much about what I need to do to hit a home run. I’m more so thinking about the contact and let my swing do its thing whenever I do get good contact.”
He says the swing feels good heading into the offseason. The bigger project now is defense, especially in the corner outfield spots, where he’ll head back to the Dominican Republic to work on becoming more agile and sharpening the basics.
“Just closing the gaps a little bit better and closing my glove position whenever I’m attacking the ball and trying to make a catch,” Mendez said. “My glove position is a little bit - it needs work on it. So those are two things I’m looking forward to work on this off-season.”
Mendez believes he has a better shot at the majors in 2027, and the path is pretty clear: stay healthy, keep the bat steady, and show more with the glove. He knows the hitting has given him a real foundation. Now he wants the rest of his game to catch up.
“I’ve felt really good overall this year,” he said. “I’ve felt really good in the [batter’s] box, a little more comfortable offensively than defensively, and I feel I had a good year in the box. Moving into the off-season, I’m really looking forward to working on the defensive side of things in the outfield to get more reps and get ready for next year.”
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