With the 2026 MLB Draft set to open Saturday, the Twins are sitting in a spot they haven’t occupied in a while: No. 3 overall. That’s their highest selection since they took Royce Lewis first overall in 2017, and it gives Minnesota a chance to add another premium talent at the top of the board.
Sean Johnson, the Twins’ vice president of amateur scouting and assistant general manager, spoke with KSTP Sports’ Darren “Doogie” Wolfson ahead of the draft. Johnson has held final say in the Twins’ draft room since 2017, and he’s been with the organization since 2002. He was promoted to assistant general manager in January 2025.
A lot of the early buzz has pointed in one direction. In plenty of mock drafts, the Twins are tied to Georgia Tech catcher Vahn Lackey with that No. 3 pick.
Minnesota also has plenty of volume behind that first selection. The Twins own four picks in the top 80 and six in the top 150, along with the fourth-largest bonus pool at $16,929,600.
The draft begins in Philadelphia, the same city hosting Tuesday’s All-Star Game. Rounds 1 through 4 are scheduled for Saturday, with rounds 5 through 20 set for Sunday.
Johnson’s draft record is already all over the Twins’ current 40-man roster. Among the players he’s drafted are pitchers Andrew Morris, Connor Prielipp, Mike Paredes, Bailey Ober, Zebby Matthews, David Festa, Travis Adams, Cole Sands and Kody Funderburk, plus position players Royce Lewis, Brooks Lee, Ryan Jeffers, Matt Wallner, Trevor Larnach and Luke Keaschall. He also played a major role in the Twins’ decision to land Byron Buxton in the 2012 Draft.
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Twins Rotation Relief May Finally Be Taking Shape
The Twins rotation and bullpen picture may be starting to clear at just the right time. Bailey Ober threw a bullpen session as he works back from right elbow inflammation, while catcher Ryan Jeffers and reliever Cole Sands are both moving forward on rehab assignments with Triple-A St. Paul. Those are the kinds of updates Minnesota has been waiting for, especially with the pitching staff and lineup both trying to get healthier in the same stretch.
There was also a small roster shuffle as the club activated Woo-Suk Go and sent Cody Laweryson back to St. Paul. The bigger question now is how quickly the rest of the injured group can follow, because the Twins still have a few important names in various stages of recovery and the timing on each one could shape how they navigate the next few weeks. [Read more 🡒]
Byron Buxton Trade Buzz Is Back And Twins Fans Know Why
Byron Buxtons name keeps popping up in trade chatter anyway, which is hardly new for a player whose talent level tends to draw attention whenever the rumor mill starts spinning. The Twins have made their position clear, with general manager Jeremy Zoll saying the club is not exploring a Buxton trade and does not plan to, while Buxtons contract and service time give him meaningful control over where he goes next.
Still, the speculation has not gone away, even with Buxton publicly saying he does not intend to waive his no-trade clause. Some national lists have continued to include him among possible trade candidates, a reminder that star players with real leverage can still become part of the conversation even when the odds are long and the team insists there is nothing to see here. [Read more 🡒]
Twins Fans Just Got Another Brutal Kaelen Culpepper Delay
Kaelen Culpeppers summer has turned into stop-and-start frustration for the Twins, who have been trying to keep one of their best prospects on the field long enough to build momentum. The first-round pick has shown why the organization is so high on him at Triple-A St. Paul, but injuries have kept interrupting the progress since mid-June, leaving his season in fits and starts instead of the steady climb Minnesota hoped for.
Now Culpepper is back on the seven-day injured list, another unwelcome pause for a player the Twins would love to see finish the year healthy and pushing closer to the majors. It also fits a broader pattern in the system, where Walker Jenkins and Emmanuel Rodriguez have each lost time to injuries too, making every setback feel a little heavier for a club waiting on its top young talent to get rolling at the same time. [Read more 🡒]