Keirsey’s scouting report paints the picture of a player with two elite traits: defense and speed. He’s a true center fielder, with range and instincts that would also make him a strong option in the corners.

Twins manager Rocco Baldelli spoke about Keirsey’s defense earlier this spring, after he made an incredible running grab to rob extra bases from Yankees prospect Braden Shewmake.

“He’s made a lot of adjustments over the years to make himself into a really relevant and quality young player,” Baldelli said. “And that’s from work. He had the raw ability, but he didn’t have the skills. If we’re being honest, a couple of years ago, he didn’t have the skills to do all the wonderful things that he’s doing now. And he worked for it.”

His 36 stolen bases last season with the St. Paul Saints also speak to the value of his speed in the offensive side of the game.

His presence on the big-league roster could add a dynamic element the Twins currently lack—especially if Byron Buxton, the oft-injured franchise cornerstone, is unavailable for any stretch of the season.

Given Buxton’s injury history, it wouldn’t have been unreasonable for the Twins to enter 2025 with Keirsey as their backup center fielder.

He’s a natural platoon option for Buxton, batting left-handed while Buxton swings from the right side.

He’s also more than capable of playing alongside Buxton, whether in center (allowing Buxton to shift to a corner outfield spot and spare his legs) or in the spacious left field of Target Field.

Keirsey’s speed would also be a weapon off the bench in late-game situations. He believes he’s matured in precisely that regard.

“For me, my biggest impact is defensively, and on the basepaths,” Keirsey told Twins Daily’s John Bonnes. “I used to be a guy who was just fast, and I would just blindly run. Not saying at times I don’t [still] let instincts take over, but just being sort of a smarter player and understanding situations.”

However, instead of giving Keirsey a shot at the backup role right away, the Twins signed Harrison Bader to a one-year, $6.25-million deal.

Bader is widely regarded as one of the best defensive outfielders in baseball, and his presence on the roster significantly narrows Keirsey’s path to the majors.

Beyond Bader, Keirsey also faces competition from utility man Willi Castro and former first-round pick Austin Martin. Castro appeared in 30 games in center field last season and offers additional versatility around the diamond.

Meanwhile, Martin, despite struggling in his 40 games in center, has recently received public praise from manager Rocco Baldelli regarding his defensive improvements.

“I think he has real potential in the outfield, to affect the game, to be a defensive star out there,” Baldelli said last week at Twins spring training in Fort Myers. “[Looking] at his jumps, looking at the way he’s tracking the ball, closing on the ball, and the more time he has out there, I think he’s one of those guys that will keep getting better.”

With Bader, Castro, and Buxton on the roster and Martin likely to receive a call-up before Keirsey in the event of an injury, it’s fair to wonder exactly what role remains for Keirsey in Minnesota.

His speed and defense make him an ideal fourth outfielder, and his offensive production in the minors—an .845 OPS with the Saints last year—suggests he could hold his own at the plate.

But the sheer number of center field-capable players ahead of him presents a significant challenge.

The Twins clearly don’t yet believe in the offensive progress he’s made over the last two seasons, though Keirsey himself says he’s changed the process that underlies those results.

“I think the biggest part of what separates good hitters or great hitters from average hitters, are guys who know the zone,” said Keirsey, who acknowledged that that wasn’t him when he first reached pro ball. “And not only that, but guys who know themselves. Maybe there’s a pitch that’s a strike, but maybe I don’t handle that pitch too well, so I’m not gonna give in—unless, obviously, there’s two strikes.”

This evolution has allowed Keirsey to maintain an identical 9.2% walk rate over the last two seasons—in the top two levels of the minors, plus his cameo in Minnesota—to the one he had in his first four years in the system, while trimming his strikeout rate from 24.3% to 22.6%.

That, alone, is impressive, given the rising level of competition, but it’s also a big part of the explanation for Keirsey’s improving power.

A more selectively aggressive approach (“I’m still not going up there to walk,” he said) has helped him tap into his full suite of tools a bit better.

One of the biggest questions surrounding Keirsey’s situation is the Twins’ decision to bring in Bader.

If the team truly believed Keirsey was ready to be a viable backup center fielder, why commit so much money to a player filling that same role?

The move suggests that, while the Twins see Keirsey as a potential contributor, they may not view him as a fully trustworthy big-league option.

At nearly 28 years old, Keirsey is no longer a young prospect with unlimited upside. He’s been a steady, productive minor-leaguer, but he likely lacks significant trade value.

That puts him in a tough position: too good to be ignored, but perhaps not valued highly enough by the organization to warrant a roster spot over more established options.

Barring an injury to one of the Twins’ outfielders or an outstanding performance in Triple A, Keirsey may find himself in baseball purgatory—good enough to contribute, but without a clear path to the majors.

He’s put in the work, refined his game, and has the skill set to make an impact, but in a numbers game, he’s looking like the unlucky loser.