Byron Buxton: Keep aging at bay
“Stay on the field” has become a cliched and obvious focus for Buxton, but it’s at least one that feels more achievable coming off his healthiest season in years. Entering his age-31 season, Buck now must contend with a different physical reality: the impacts of aging. His game is highly dependent on running very fast in the outfield and swinging very hard at the plate. These are traits that tend to diminish quickly in one’s 30s — especially when their body has taken a beating over the years.
Jair Camargo: Demonstrate your MLB catching mettle
Camargo has impressed the Twins enough to remain planted on their 40-man roster as the third name on the catching depth chart since the end of the 2023 season. However, at age 25 he has yet to receive any meaningful opportunity to receive in the majors. Is his combination of glove and bat strong enough for an MLB breakthrough? Last year’s poor showing at Triple-A, combined with a 34-to-3 K/BB ratio in winter ball, cast some doubt. Unlike last year, he’s now got some direct competition in the org.
Diego Cartaya: Prove you can outplay Camargo
The Twins seemingly brought in Cartaya, via trade from the Dodgers, with a directive to compete with Camargo for the role of third catcher and heir apparent to Christian Vázquez, who is entering his last year under contract and perhaps not likely to play it out. Cartaya has a much stronger pedigree than Camargo (who was coincidentally also acquired via trade from the Dodgers), but hasn’t performed in the upper minors. He’s got his own issues to sort out on offense and defense, but if Cartaya can gravitate back toward his pre-2023 level, he’ll surpass Camargo in the Twins’ plans.
Willi Castro: Keep dialing up the discipline
We know he’s going to be highly useful defensively. The thing I worry about his bat. When you look at Castro’s offensive metrics you find that he doesn’t do anything especially well, but he’s still managed to be an above-average hitter (103 OPS+) over two seasons with the Twins. The second half last year did provide some cause for concern as he slashed .219/.298/.329 after his All-Star Game appearance. Key to Castro’s first-half success was an 8.3% BB-rate that towered over his previous 5.7% career mark. That figure tailed off in the second half as pitchers started to exploit some tendencies. Castro’s gotta find ways to get on base and he probably won’t have a historical HBP rate to help out.
Carlos Correa: Manage the foot conditions
It’s hard to point to anything else as the primary focus for Correa. If healthy there is just not much question that he’ll perform at a high level — perhaps MVP-caliber if he picks up where he left off. But both of the first two seasons in his current contract were hampered by plantar fasciitis conditions, which can be pesky and recurring. Correa reported during TwinsFest that he was in a “really good spot” physically and hasn’t been limited in his activity as he gears up for spring training.
Payton Eeles: Don’t stop now
He’s the ultimate underdog story and one of the most fun we’ve seen in the Twins system. The 5-foot-5 Eeles was unable to get a D1 offer out of high school, unable to get drafted out of college, and unable to latch on with an MLB organization up until the Twins signed him out of indy ball for $500 last year. Amazingly, the scrappy infielder torched every level of the minors and worked his way up to Triple-A before season’s end, leading the entire Twins system in average, OBP, and slugging. If he keeps playing like this he’s going to make it to the majors at some point and it’s gonna be cool as hell.
Mike Ford: Mash right-handed pitching mercilessly
Signed to a minor-league contract just after New Years, Ford will compete for a stake at first base. The Twins weren’t able to add much of anything to address their offensive question marks, so they could really use a wild-card like this stepping up. Ford has shown enough hitting ability over the years to log 250 games in the majors, and as recently as 2023 he posted a 124 OPS+ for Seattle. If he puts together an impressive spring he could easily find his way into a first base platoon for the Twins, and from there a C.J. Cron 2019 type season is a plausible outcome.
Mickey Gasper: Hold your own defensively
Acquired from Boston in exchange for reliever Jovani Moran, Gasper is an interesting case: a Triple-A star who has yet to record a major-league hit at age 29. While lacking for power, his proven plate discipline and contact ability should give him a decent enough offensive floor, but Gasper’s value will be dictated but what he can bring on defense. Theoretically he offers handy versatility with the ability to play first, second, left, even catcher. Is he actually good at any of these positions? The Twins will now get a first-hand look. If they don’t trust his glove it’s tough to see him getting a shot.
Michael Helman: Show your utility.
Last year in Triple-A, Helman appeared at six different positions (2B/SS/3B/LF/CF/RF). In nine September games in the majors, he appeared at four different spots (3B/LF/CF/RF). Rocco Baldelli and the Twins love flexibility, and that could be Helman’s ticket to an opportunity — especially if Castro were to get traded or injured. But like with Gasper, it’s not so much the theoretical ability to play these various positions that matters; you’ve got to be trusted to play them in the majors. Neither of these guys have really done that yet. With the Twins very much in need of a right-handed outfield bat, the door is open for Helman.
Ryan Jeffers: Find your swing again
Dating back to 2023, Jeffers ranks third among all MLB catchers (700+ PA) in wOBA. And that’s with the massive slump he endured down the stretch last year, when he batted .188 with a .508 OPS in his final 25 games. The 27-year-old is a rare offensive talent at the catcher position, and at his best Jeffers’s bat is such an asset that the progressive defensive decline is almost immaterial. Few teams can viably bat their catcher second or third in the lineup. Can Jeffers get back to that level? He ended the year ice cold so it will be important to find his footing quickly.
Edouard Julien: Rediscover your edgeIn 2023, Julien was a nightmare for opposing pitchers. That was also true for him at every stop in the minors up until that point. He laid off everything outside the zone and was ready to ambush when opponents ventured over the plate. It felt like a pretty safe and sustainable profile, which made it all the more disheartening to watch Julien fall apart in his sophomore season. Suddenly he was the one trapped in a nightmare. This season presents a fresh slate for the 25-year-old. Can he take back control in the batter’s box or will he be on his heels once again? I’m not ready to count out a guy with his offensive track record. Julien figures to get every chance to re-establish himself, given the team’s uncertainty at first and second.
Leave no doubtEven if he balls out during spring training, Keaschall probably won’t have much
of a path to make the Opening Day roster, barring injuries. He looked tremendously polished in the minors last year, even after graduating to Double-A, but he’s coming off elbow surgery and has yet to reach Triple-A. The Twins are undoubtedly eager to get Keaschall’s right-handed bat into the lineup once he proves he’s ready. A scorching first couple months could make the case undeniable for Keaschall, especially if the MLB lineup is in need of a jolt. He’s a sleeper to make a big rookie impact this year.
DaShawn Keirsey Jr.: Capitalize on the moment
Under different circumstances, Keirsey might not even be in position to get a shot. If the Twins had any flexibility to make additions, there’s a good chance they’d go sign a veteran fourth outfielder and he’d find himself as the 40-man roster victim. (Maybe that’s still in the cards.) But as things stand, Minnesota’s financial situation could necessitate putting their faith in Keirsey, who certainly has the tools to be useful in a bench role. He’s one of those fringe guys that could watch his opportunity pass him by if he can’t make the most of it. In the game of baseball, that’s a lot of pressure, but it’s likely the reality for Keirsey: get hot or go home.
Trevor Larnach: Bring it all together
After struggling to break through for three years, Larnach finally found his groove at the plate in 2024, thanks in large part to a massive reduction in strikeout rate. In 112 games he was worth 1.5 fWAR, making him a solid regular. But I still don’t think we’ve seen Larnach in his full form. He was known to be battling a turf toe issue for much of the season, which greatly impacted his running and defense. If he can shake off the injuries, keep the strikeouts in check and play a solid left field, he’s going to be one of the best players on the team.
Brooks Lee: Hit the ball harder
In some ways, Lee’s rookie season was what we were afraid of. His renowned offensive skills were on display — discipline, bat control, and a line-drive swing — but still he couldn’t produce at all. Lee sputtered with the Twins after a hot start and finished with a .585 OPS in 185 plate appearances. The problem was pretty simple: he had no juice. Lee’s average exit velocity of 85.4 MPH was lowest of any Twin with more than 15 at-bats. He struggled to get the ball past the shallow outfield, especially from the right side. Granted, he was getting his first taste of the majors, and dealt with back and shoulder issues during the season. But if we didn’t see him hit the ball with more authority this year, we may need to reassess how we view his ceiling.
Royce Lewis: Complete the marathon
Plagued by injuries and misfortune, Lewis hasn’t been able to get through a full MLB season. Part of me wonders if it’s because he pushes himself so hard — constantly taking ferocious cuts at the plate, going full bore on the base paths and in the field — that his body can’t withstand the toll. This might’ve played into Lewis running completely out of gas in August and September last year. He and the team have clearly been focusing on doing what it takes to stay healthy and strong from start to finish.
Austin Martin: Add some swing speed
Actually, the biggest X-factor for Martin is probably whether he can prove viable as a center fielder, but we’ve covered that. Regardless of how he fares on defense, Martin can make himself much more valuable offensively if he can find a way to put more of a charge into the ball. Last year with the Twins he managed just one homer with a .099 ISO in 250 plate appearances. He barreled only two of the 188 balls he put in play. He’s a very disciplined hitter, with an elite chase rate and above-average K/BB rates, but he’s got to show he can do some damage to be more than a borderline big-leaguer.
Carson McCusker: Clobber Triple-A and await your chance
He’s somewhat of a longshot, but McCusker is on the radar thanks to the Twins’ outfield depth vagueness and his production as a righty bat in the high minors. Standing 6-foot-8, the former indy ball standout slashed .282/.353/.488 with 19 homers between Double-A and Triple-A in 2024, his second year in the Twins system. If he can put up gaudy numbers at St. Paul, and especially if he can make any kind of inroads with his iffy discipline, he’ll be in line to get the call at some point.
Jose Miranda: Elude the slump
He’s not fast.
He’s not patient. He’s probably not going to be much good defensively wherever he ends up. Miranda needs to consistently hit to be valuable. He’s shown his upside at times — last year he was batting .325 with an .888 OPS at the All-Star break — but he hasn’t been able to avoid lapsing into prolonged slumps that render him a liability. Miranda’s OPS dropped 120 points in the second half as he batted .212 with no homers.
He doesn’t need to stay locked in at that absurd level from last June, but we need to see more stability and tenacity from Miranda entering his age-27 season. Projection systems are not bullish on his power.
Emmanuel Rodriguez: Don’t let patience turn to passivity
One of the top Twins prospects is nearly ready for showtime after finishing last season in Triple-A. His skill set is rare and intriguing: top-tier power and off-the-scale plate discipline paired with a ton of swing-and-miss. Never chasing outside the zone while punishing mistakes is a good recipe in the minors but can sometimes be thwarted in the majors.
When you’re taking a lot of borderline pitches and whiffing at a lot of quality strikes, the K’s can mount. We’ve seen that with Julien — who is, in fairness, far less of a special athlete and all-around specimen than Rodriguez, a top-40 prospect in baseball according to MLB Pipeline.
Yunior Severino: Rake relentlessly
He’s no longer on the 40-man roster but still not out of the picture after rejoining the Twins on a minor-league contract. His major offensive drop-off last year dampened his outlook, but Severino is a switch-hitter with big raw power and he’s still only 25. He has shown the ability to go on ridiculous heaters, including last June when he slashed .425/.544/.688 in 103 plate appearances for the Saints, but he needs to show he can sustain high-caliber production since he offers next to nothing on defense.
Christian Vázquez: Muster something offensively
For all the talk about what a burden his salary is, Vázquez is really not that far from being worth the $10 million price tag. He is an excellent defensive catcher who pitchers love working with, and that has underrated value. But he’s got to hit a little bit to be a true asset; the 62 OPS+ over the past two years is not cutting it. Even if he could get back to his previous career baseline of 85, it’d make him a far more impactful player. Vázquez has shown occasional bursts of offensive ability — he posted an .844 OPS in July and August last year — but he’s got to harness it more often, and at 34 that may be a tall task.
Matt Wallner: Cut down the K’s at least modestly
No one is asking Wallner to be a contact hitter. He’s going to swing hard and he’s going to strike out a lot. We just need him to whiff a little bit less often. At the extreme he’s shown through his early time in he majors (34.5%, 6th-highest in MLB) it’s going to be difficult to fulfill his potential as a premier slugger. Reducing that figure even to the 30% range would make a big difference, because when he puts the ball in play it’s a problem. All he really needs to do is counteract regression because with a 138 OPS+ in 169 MLB games he’s already been one of the best hitters in baseball.
