The 2025 trade deadline marked the start of a new era for the Minnesota Twins as they shifted toward a youth movement. The veterans are gone, the young core is in place and the growing pains are showing up in the American League Central standings. Sitting 6.5 games behind the first-place Chicago White Sox, the Twins signaled they were fully leaning into the future.
Following the recent promotion of top infielder Kaelon Culpepper, the Twins officially called up their top organizational prospect, outfielder Walker Jenkins. Selected No. 5 overall in the 2023 MLB Draft out of South Brunswick High School (NC), Jenkins entered the professional ranks as one of the premier prep hit tools in his draft class.
He holds the top spot in the Twins' farm system and ranks No. 15 on MLB Pipeline's Top 100. Jenkins will join a long list of top Twins draft picks to make the major league roster.
With his debut set for Friday night, he joins outfielder Byron Buxton (selected second overall in 2012) and infielder Royce Lewis (selected first overall in 2017). The 6-foot-3 outfielder has been nothing short of productive in the minor leagues. Across 265 games and 997 at-bats, Jenkins has posted a .303 career batting average to go along with 33 home runs, 145 RBIs, 57 stolen bases, and 187 strikeouts.
The Twins have built quite the young core and four of their top-10 prospects could make their debuts within the next two seasons. Alongside Jenkins and Culpepper, the group features 2026 No. 3 overall pick Vahn Lackey and 2025 first-round infielder Marek Houston.
With a youth movement underway, all eyes are on how the long-term vision unfolds for a Twins team chasing both the White Sox and Cleveland Guardians in an unpredictable AL Central.
