The Twins closed out a 77-85 season with a reminder of where they’re trying to go, and it came in a small but telling moment after Sunday’s finale. Ryan Jeffers, standing on the mound after the last out, waited as the players filed through the usual postgame high-five line. When rookie center fielder Walker Jenkins, the club’s top-rated prospect, reached out for a high five, Jeffers pulled him into a hug instead.
It was the kind of scene that fit this year’s final stretch: the Twins trying to bridge what they’ve been and what they hope to become.
The season ended with disappointment, especially after a rough two-month run following the trade deadline knocked them out of the postseason picture. There is also uncertainty hanging over next year, with an impending lockout as Major League Baseball owners pursue a salary cap. Even so, the Twins believe they leave this season with a sturdier base than the one they started with.
“Definitely some good things I’ll take away and build upon, but I just wish we could be playing for something right now and keep going,” All-Star pitcher Joe Ryan said. “Felt like it was pretty close.”
That feeling of being close came after a year that opened with modest expectations. The roster had been stripped down from a 2025 trade deadline fire sale, and the club kept its payroll at $109 million, the lowest in a decade. Then the highest-paid player on the roster, All-Star pitcher Pablo López, went down with a season-ending elbow injury on the first spring training workout.
Minnesota also stumbled right out of the gate, losing four of its first five games. Even the first home game was pushed back by a downtown power outage. But by the end of the season, the group looked more settled.
Jeffers, who is set to become a free agent, said the group gave him reason to believe in what comes next.
“This was a really exciting and talented group that can make a lot of noise with the right additions,” said Jeffers, who will become a free agent. “I’m excited for all my guys in there for what’s to come.”
In Other News...
Twins Top Young Outfielder Faces Another Frustrating Setback
Walker Jenkins first taste of the majors this season was supposed to be a meaningful step in the Twins long-term plan, but his progress now hits another difficult pause. The young outfielder is scheduled to have surgery to remove bone chips and spurs from his right elbow, a setback that comes after he appeared in 26 games and gave Minnesota a look at one of its most important prospects.
Zebby Matthews is facing a separate issue after being diagnosed with a flexor pronator strain, and the club plans to treat it conservatively. Both players are being projected for a return in 2027, which underscores how far away this development is for a Twins team that had hoped to keep stacking young talent on the roster and in the rotation. [Read more 🡒]
Royce Lewis Suddenly Has More Than One Twins Problem
Royce Lewis has spent the past three seasons fighting to look like the middle-of-the-order force the Twins have long hoped he could become, but the offensive numbers have not matched the reputation. That gap has started to create a different kind of conversation around him in Minnesota, one that goes beyond health and timing and into whether the club may eventually have to weigh his place in the roster picture against the value he still carries.
Marek Houston has added another layer to that discussion. The shortstop prospect has been performing well in the minors and is moving closer to an MLB debut, which gives the Twins another potential in-house option at a position that could force some shuffling. For Lewis, the issue is no longer just getting back on track at the plate. It is also whether the organizations next move at shortstop changes the way it views his future. [Read more 🡒]
Former Twins Star Loses Latest Postseason Chance At Worst Time
Luis Arraez will not be part of the Phillies National League Wild Card Series roster after a left ankle sprain took him out at the worst possible moment. The former Twins infielder had settled in well in Philadelphia after being traded there during the 2026 season, putting together a strong year and giving the club another steady contact hitter heading into October.
Instead, utilityman Otto Kemp will take Arraezs place on the roster, leaving the Phillies to adjust their postseason plans without one of their more reliable bats. For Minnesota fans, its another reminder of how quickly a familiar name can be pulled out of the spotlight, with Arraezs latest playoff opportunity slipping away before the series even begins. [Read more 🡒]