The Twins finally gave fans a look at one of their top young talents on Friday, but the bigger question hanging over the organization is still unanswered: who comes next?
Kaelen Culpepper, the club’s No. 3 prospect, got the call and didn’t waste any time making noise. He homered in his second major league at-bat against Brewers left-hander Shane Drohan, then reached base three times in his second career game.
It was exactly the kind of fast start the Twins were hoping for. And even with Culpepper in the majors, the spotlight quickly shifts to two other names fans have been waiting on all season.
Walker Jenkins, the Twins’ No. 1 prospect, and Emmanuel Rodriguez, ranked No. 6, are both knocking on the door. They share a lot of the same traits: both are left-handed outfielders, both can move around the outfield, and both have handled Triple-A well. But if you’re trying to figure out which one gets the first crack in Minnesota, Rodriguez looks like the safer bet.
The reasons are pretty straightforward. Rodriguez is two years older than Jenkins and has more professional experience.
His career Triple-A OPS is 62 points higher than Jenkins’, which matters when you’re weighing who looks more ready right now. He’s also out of minor league options, so this is his last shot this season to get major league reps before the Twins are forced into a decision.
If the plan is to keep him in the organization beyond this year, it makes sense to get him some runway before he’s needed in a bigger role.
There’s another big advantage working in Rodriguez’s favor: he’s already on the 40-man roster. That means the Twins can select his contract and bring him up without having to shuffle the roster first.
Jenkins doesn’t have that luxury. To get him to the majors now, the Twins would have to open a spot, whether by moving someone to the 60-day injured list or removing another player from the 40-man roster altogether.
Rodriguez’s Triple-A production makes the case even stronger. Across 84 games with the St.
Paul Saints, he’s carrying a .423 on-base percentage. The contact questions are still there, but he draws enough walks to help cover for that.
And the power is unmistakable. Rodriguez hit a 117.1 mph home run in April, setting the record for the hardest-hit ball ever by a Twins player, then topped himself ten days later with a 118.3 mph homer.
That kind of raw pop is rare.
Health has always been the main concern with Rodriguez, and that hasn’t changed. He has dealt with more than his share of injuries, and he’s just now back in the St.
Paul lineup after a UCL tear in his thumb. But he is healthy at the moment, and if he stays that way, the call-up could come soon.
Jenkins, though, is making his own push. Since returning from an AC joint sprain on June 13, he has been excellent.
In 158 plate appearances, he’s hitting .326 with a .380 on-base percentage, 20 extra-base hits and six stolen bases in seven tries. He’s doing it all at 21 years old, and at times he’s looked like he’s too good for Triple-A.
That’s exactly what the Twins want to see from a player with his ranking.
Even so, Jenkins has a couple of things working against him that Rodriguez doesn’t. The roster spot issue is the obvious one, but there’s also the uncertainty around upcoming CBA talks.
With the possibility that the 2027 season could be delayed, the Twins have to think carefully about whether adding Jenkins to the 40-man roster now could cost him development time if a lockout hits next spring. That alone probably wouldn’t keep him in St.
Paul if the Twins believed he was ready, but it’s part of the calculation.
In a perfect world for Minnesota, both Rodriguez and Jenkins get their chance this season, and the 2027 season moves forward normally. That would give the Twins two more young pieces in the big leagues and give both players valuable experience. But if the question is who arrives first, Rodriguez has the cleaner path.
It isn’t necessarily about who’s better. It’s about timing, roster status and how the pieces fit right now.
Rodriguez is older, more seasoned, already on the 40-man and producing at a high level in Triple-A. Jenkins may still be the organization’s top prospect for a reason, and if he keeps hitting like this, it won’t be easy to leave him down much longer.
For the moment, though, Rodriguez looks like the one most likely to get the call first.
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