The Minnesota Twins took plenty of heat when they brought up Walker Jenkins, especially after the top prospect stumbled out of the gate with a .142/.250/.306 line and a 58 wRC+ across his first 57 plate appearances. At the time, he wasn’t producing, and Minnesota was staring at elimination. There was also the added wrinkle that once Jenkins was promoted, he would not be able to play minor league baseball next season during the likely MLB lockout.
Now, though, the decision looks a lot smarter.
Minnesota is already out of playoff contention, so Jenkins’ value isn’t tied to a late push. Instead, the payoff is showing up in his bat.
After that rough opening stretch, Jenkins has caught fire, going 11-for-25 with three home runs over his last six games. He launched a solo shot in the seventh inning of Wednesday night’s 3-2 win over the San Francisco Giants at Oracle Park in San Francisco.
Walker Jenkins is now 11-for-24 (.458) with three homers in his last six games. pic.twitter.com/3JyJpQ5uXu
- Aaron Gleeman (@AaronGleeman) September 23, 2026
The surge started with a three-hit night against the Angels on Thursday, and then Jenkins delivered one of the biggest swings of his young career. Trailing by two with two outs in the ninth inning at Angel Stadium in Anaheim, Calif., he hammered a game-tying two-run homer to right-center against the Los Angeles Angels. Minnesota lost in extra innings, but the moment still stood out - it was Jenkins’ first home run off a real pitcher, after his first one came against a position player.
Down to the Twins last out, Walker Jenkins ties it with a homer! pic.twitter.com/3vvIb4tbeT
- MLB (@MLB) September 18, 2026
That’s the part of this promotion the Twins were hoping for all along. It didn’t rescue their season, but it did give Jenkins the kind of big-league reps he needed.
He had to adjust to major league pitching, and doing that now, in a season that’s already lost, makes sense. More important for Minnesota, he suddenly looks like someone who can be in the lineup for a long time.
He’ll still carry rookie eligibility into 2027, which puts him in position to be a serious Rookie of the Year candidate next year.
The biggest question hanging over Jenkins is health. Since Minnesota took him with the fifth overall pick in 2023, he has dealt with injuries to his ankle, hamstring, quad and shoulder.
That track record is impossible to ignore this early in his career. But if he can stay on the field, the talent is clearly there for him to become a star.
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Twins Win Couldnt Hide The Bullpen Concern Fans Know Too Well
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Jeff Hoffman made sure it did not feel comfortable for long. The bullpen again became the source of late tension, and the ninth inning turned messy enough to keep old worries front and center even in a victory. For a Twins team trying to stack wins and build some stability, the finish left a familiar question hanging over the result. [Read more 🡒]