The Twins have three consensus top-100 prospects who finished at Double A or higher last season. Here’s how that trio of potential stars can earn the team an extra draft pick over the next few seasons.
Major-league teams have manipulated service time to maintain control over their top prospects for years, often delaying their debuts to gain an extra year before free agency.
However, the latest collective bargaining agreement (CBA) introduced the Prospect Promotion Incentive (PPI) to encourage teams to promote their best young talent on Opening Day.
With multiple top prospects nearing the majors, the Minnesota Twins are positioned to take advantage of this new system—if things break a certain way during spring training.
According to MLB.com, “An MLB club can earn a Draft pick after the first round if a PPI-eligible player accrues one year of service as a rookie and then factors into a major award. That means he either has to win his league’s Rookie of the Year award or place in the top three in MVP or Cy Young voting, prior to qualifying for arbitration.”
So, what teams have benefited from this change? Since its inception, the PPI has seen multiple teams gain an extra draft pick and the bonus pool allotments associated therewith. The Mariners, Orioles, Diamondbacks, and Royals have all benefited from this system.
Julio Rodríguez, Gunnar Henderson, Corbin Carroll, and Bobby Witt Jr. all turned strong seasons into extra picks for their respective teams. It will be interesting to see if those teams can use their PPI picks and turn them into top prospects in future years.
For the 2025 season, MLB Pipeline, Baseball America, and ESPN have identified three Twins prospects as PPI-eligible: outfielder Walker Jenkins, outfielder Emmanuel Rodriguez, and infielder Luke Keaschall.
The Twins have other prospects on these top 100 lists, but a player must appear in two of the three major rankings. Each of the abovementioned trio finished 2024 at Double-A or higher, meaning they could soon be in line for their major-league debuts.
Rodriguez is the closest to the big leagues in the group. He finished last season at Triple-A St. Paul and is on the verge of forcing his way onto the Opening Day roster.
Last season, he hit .280/.459/.567, with 25 extra-base hits in 47 games.
If injuries or an impressive spring create an opportunity, Rodriguez could provide an immediate impact at the MLB level.
His power, plate discipline, and strong defensive skills in center field make him a compelling candidate to break camp with the Twins.
Jenkins, one of the top prospects in baseball, might offer the Twins the best long-term opportunity for a PPI draft pick.
While he is still developing in the minors, a strong 2025 campaign at Double-A and Triple-A could put him in a position to make the Opening Day roster in 2026. In 2024, he hit .282/.394/.439, with more walks (56) than strikeouts (47).
His elite offensive profile, advanced approach, and defensive versatility make him a potential franchise cornerstone. He’s already considered one of baseball’s best prospects but still has room to improve in 2025.
Keaschall is a bit of a wild card, after being the organization’s breakout prospect last season before undergoing Tommy John surgery in August. The team expects him to be ready for spring training, but he won’t be on the Opening Day roster.
In 102 games last season, he hit .303/.420/.483, with 21 doubles and 15 home runs. His bat-to-ball skills and defensive flexibility could make him valuable in future seasons. While he is one of the team’s top prospects, he seems unlikely to be in the AL Rookie of the Year or MVP race in the coming years.
Ultimately, the Twins will prioritize their prospects’ development and the team’s needs over draft incentives. However, the PPI gives them another reason to consider promoting their young stars sooner, rather than later. If Rodriguez or Jenkins makes an immediate impact, the Twins could find themselves with an extra draft pick and more spending power in that market, valuable assets in building sustained success.
