The Minnesota Twins boast a healthy major league roster despite their reluctance to spend, positioning them well to compete in the winnable AL Central. Their farm system also appears to possess talent up and down the system. With the selection of Walker Jenkins, this gives their robust farm system a top of the system talent with about as much upside as any prospect from the 2023 draft class and in all of the Minors. Alongside Jenkins, Brooks Lee, who seemed MLB-ready last year, stands poised to make an immediate impact from the jump whether that is at third or second. Emmanuel Rodriguez, though volatile, flashed the potential that makes him one of the most intriguing prospects in all of the minor leagues. With arms like David Festa and Marco Raya, both primed to pitch for the Twins in the upcoming season, the Twins have a pool of close to the majors talent ready to contribute. If you are looking for a sleeper candidate in the system Yasser Mercedes has the tools to break out and has the Twins Player Dev staff to work with those tools. Their mix of upper-level contributors and lower-level prospects ensures a strong pipeline of talent to the big league squad.
About Our Top 30 Lists
Prospects Live, led by its evaluating team, is proud to begin rolling out its annual offseason system reports. The team has meticulously worked on every detail in this list and all future teams, sparing no effort as we combine industry feedback, our live looks, film, and available data to compile each org. We believe this effort has enabled us to present you, the reader, with our best possible list.
We have constructed this list using the Overall Future Potential (OFP) scale. There is no perfect equation for ranking prospects or assigning value to them, but we believe this method is the best possible approach. Every prospect on this list has been graded based on the tried and true 20-80 scouting scale. An 80 is the highest tool and OFP grade on the scale, reserved for MVP-caliber players or tools. Conversely, a 20 is reserved for non-prospects (NPs). A 50 OFP falls in the middle, indicating our evaluators deem this player a future average major league player. Below the 50 OFP tier are the 45s and 40s, comprising a large majority of players on each list. These are specific-role players, such as platoon hitters, utility players, or low-leverage relievers. Above the 50 OFP tier are the 55s and 60s. A 55 represents a future above-average player, and a 60 OFP designation is reserved for future All-Star caliber players.
In addition to the tool grades and OFP, we will also include a 'Risk' associated with each prospect. We use this to better communicate to you, the reader, whether a grade is more aggressive or conservative in nature. The evaluation team has worked painstakingly to apply both the grades and risk components to better illustrate how each individual prospect stacks up in their respective system and in the baseball ecosystem.
This year, we decided to accompany the scouting reports with dynasty commentary on each, as well as quick reference to the player's Top 500 fantasy prospect rank & top 1000 dynasty rank, PLIVE+ metrics and Jordan Rosenblum's peak projections. The PLIVE+ rank noted is the rank among hitters, starters or relievers.
Below you'll find the top 10 players in the system with full reports of the top 5. The full rankings and reports on all top 30 prospects per team will be available on our Patreon at the 55-tier ($5 level) as we publish them. If you're into fantasy baseball, this tier also gets you the dynasty show, the FYPD list, and the MiLB Daily Sheet during the regular season.
Top 10 Team Rank and First 5 Reports for Free Below
1. Walker Jenkins, OF - 60 OFP
Age: 19 Highest Level: A
2023 MLB Draft Rank: 4
Dynasty Prospect Rank: 8
| Hit | Power | Field | Arm | Run | Risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 60 | 60 | 55 | 55 | 55 | High |
Report Arguably the top prep prospect in the 2023 draft, Jenkins looks the part of a five-tool prospect. At 6’3”, 210 pounds, he’s sturdily built with plenty of strength throughout his body and he’s as athletic as they come. Jenkins’ bat has a chance to be truly special, as he has an excellent combination of bat-to-ball skills and burgeoning power from the left side. It’s a beautiful swing with plenty of leverage and bat speed, as well as quality hip/shoulder separation that helps him generate his power, which plays to all fields. His ability to drive the ball to all fields, paired with solid barrel feel and a willingness to show patience at the dish, help give him the high grades he’s earned. In the field, he’s been able to man center field, though as he begins to fill out his frame, a move to right field seems likely. He’s an above average runner with solid routes and he has a chance to be an above average defender in right field. Scouts have raved about his makeup, as well. There are some health questions, as Jenkins did miss time due to a hamate injury in 2022, among other concerns, but if he can stay healthy, Jenkins has a chance to be an extremely good player. - Tyler Jennings
Fantasy Outlook Let us be clear — Jenkins is a fantasy stud in the making. We think there are plenty of .280, 30 HR seasons in his future. He has the rare skill of being a power hitter but limiting whiffs (12 K%, about 9 SwStr% in his pro debut in CPX and Single-A), and that kind of skillset often leads to unlocking more power than thought possible, so 35+ HR isn’t out of the question in his peak seasons. If you include Yoshinobu Yamamoto, we have Jenkins ranked as the fifth overall FYPD prospect and inside our top 15 overall. Arrows are pointing way up and if he continues mashing the way he did in 2023, he’ll be in the bigs by late 2025 as a 21-year-old. - Eddy Almaguer
2. Brooks Lee, SS - 60 OFP
Age: 22 Highest Level: AAA
2023 Pre-season Rank: 1 OFP: 55
Dynasty Prospect Rank: 79
| Hit | Power | Field | Arm | Run | Risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 60 | 50 | 50 | 55 | 40 | Mod |
Report Any scouting report has to start with Lee’s switch-hitting and hit tool. He has a smooth picturesque swing from the left side that is short and compact, whereas the right side is a bit longer. He uses his strong base to maintain balance allowing him to stay back as long as possible. Combine that with easily plus pitch recognition and you have a tough out at the plate. He faced his first real struggle in affiliated ball in Triple-A, but he still showed the underlying skills that add up to a plus hit tool with potential for more depending on his development as a right-handed hitter. He is capable of driving the ball to all fields but gets pull-happy as a righty. He flashes above-average raw power, but he hits the ball into the ground too frequently to project more than average power output at this point. He lacks pure explosiveness but isn’t a station-to-station runner by any means. In the field, his size is expected to push him to third where his arm will be an asset, but his actions and defensive IQ allow him to make up for his range deficits and allow him to play a solid shortstop if he does stay there. Overall, Lee is a prospect who does everything well but lacks the pure explosive athleticism that many desire in a top prospect. Lee projects to be a boring yet impactful piece with room to improve his offensive ceiling with an approach change and lifting the ball more. - Adam Kiel
Fantasy Outlook Lee is a solid all-around player who is better in real life than as a fantasy performer. Lee’s foundation is his hit tool and across Double-A and Triple-A — he accumulated 138 hits in 125 games, good for a .275 average. He also held a 10 BB% which bumped his OBP up to solid .347. It’s worth noting that in the back half of his Double-A stint he had nearly a 1.000 OPS with just a 12 K%. He slowed down a lot at Triple-A, but we’re hopeful he can adjust like he did at the previous level. He should reach the major leagues this coming season and his outlook is probably a solid middle infielder option who will contribute a .350 OBP with 15-18 HR and 6-8 SB. - Greg Hoogkamp
3. Emmanuel Rodriguez, OF - 60 OFP
Age: 21 Highest Level: A+
2023 Pre-season Rank: 3 OFP: 50
Dynasty Prospect Rank: 18
| Hit | Power | Field | Arm | Run | Risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 55 | 60 | 50 | 60 | 55 | Mod |
Report Rodriguez looks to have overcome any lingering effects from his season-ending knee injury in 2022 and posted a very strong follow-up act in 2023, hitting .240/.400/.463 in the Midwest League. He overcame a dreadful start, and through the end of May, he was only hitting .163/.320/.357. From June 1 on he hit an impressive .270/.429/.504 and silenced any of the early concerns anyone may have had about his ability to bounce back. Rodriguez is on the shorter side — we’d bet he’s an inch or two below his listed height — but he’s strong and filled out. The swing is extremely rotational, and when it’s all synced up it’s as appealing as it is quiet, with minimal movement and plus-plus bat speed. The bat speed and the supreme hip rotation allow him to punish baseballs, and make him one of the best power bats in the minor leagues. He has consistently posted high exit velocities and strong walk rates at every level, and in 2023, he was the only qualified hitter in the Midwest League to walk at a greater than 20% clip. He doesn’t expand and is consistently in deep counts due to a stingy swing rate. The approach is borderline passive, which inflates the strikeout and walk rates due to willingly falling behind in counts to find his pitches. He’s the type of hitter you can confidently expect to settle in amongst the top third of even the most competitive teams’ lineups. Defensively he has a plus arm and fits better in a corner where he could even be an above-average defender in his controllable years. He’s an above-average runner and we expect a few seasons with 15-20 steals before tapering down towards the single digits. He is one of the highest-upside bats in all the minor leagues and a 2024 debut is not out of reach here. - Matt Thompson
Fantasy Outlook Our 18th-best prospect, Rodriguez oozes potential, projecting for major power and solid speed at peak, with OBP-friendly walk rates and enough contact skills to party. In March 2023, he was teasing us by launching premium spring training exit velocities against Gerrit Cole. If we’re lucky, we’ll see these things in games that count before long — 2025 is your best bet. Rebuilders: take note. Contenders: if you must move him, aim high. - Jordan Rosenblum
4. Marco Raya, RHP - 55 OFP
Age: 21 Highest Level: AA
2023 Pre-season Rank: 8 OFP: 50
Dynasty Prospect Rank: 248
| Fastball | Curveball | Slider | Changeup | Command | Risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 55 | 50 | 55 | 55 | 60 | Mod |
Report Raya is on the shorter side for a pitcher, being listed at 6'1". And he is also on the skinnier side, mostly consisting of lean muscle, but he moves well. His smaller stature allows his slight drop and drive delivery to play up, and that allows his already above-average fastball to play better as well. His fastball has above-average velocity, and it averages just shy of 18 inches of induced vertical break (IVB). He commands his fastball well, demonstrating the ability to locate it throughout the strike zone. He is confident enough to throw it right down the heart of the zone. His slider has some sweep to it, but it doesn't have a lot of movement. It's very cuttery in shape and action. It is mostly used against right-handed batters, but he will occasionally use it against left-handed batters to jam them. The curveball has improved as it has gained a few miles per hour in velocity. It is effectively used low in the zone and is an offering he uses against batters of both handedness. It pairs well with his fastball, which has a natural rising action. Then, he can throw a curveball low to change the batter's eye level. The changeup shows a classic tumble-and-fade; however, it was rarely used. This is probably due in part to the Twins wanting him to develop his slider and curveball. The team took a step forward this past season, which has only helped him. He has improved his OFP from 50 to 55 due to better command and a stronger curveball. As a result, he is now projected to become a reliable #3 starter. - Rhys White
Fantasy Outlook Raya started his season strong at High-A (3.62 FIP, 23.5 K-BB%) in 33.2 IP and was promoted to Double-A in early July. His results in Wichita were mixed, but it was really two ugly starts that inflated his ERA. The Twins were careful to manage his innings not allowing him to face more than 16 batters in any start. His well-rounded arsenal and above-average stuff give him the potential to be a strikeout asset in dynasty. He should open up 2024 in Double-A and have a chance to move to Triple-A or even the majors if he has success. - Greg Hoogkamp
5. Gabriel Gonzalez, OF - 50 OFP
Age: 20 Highest Level: A+
2023 Pre-season Rank: 7 (SEA) OFP: 50
Dynasty Prospect Rank: 64
| Hit | Power | Field | Arm | Run | Risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 55 | 50 | 45 | 55 | 45 | High |
Report Gabriel Gonzalez has continued to fill out, once viewed as a prospect capable of playing center field and hitting at a high level, but now strictly relegated to a corner outfield position. Gonzalez displays an advanced feel for hitting baseballs hard, although he needs to adjust his swing-plane to add more natural loft to better tap into power in games. He boasts above-average bat speed and plate coverage. However, Gonzalez struggles with chasing borderline pitches and has difficulty handling breaking pitches that break outside the strike zone. This weakness was exposed more regularly by High-A pitchers, particularly in late counts where a pitcher could spot a breaking ball in the zone and watch as it darts out of the zone and collects a swing-and-miss from Gonzalez. Gonzalez's defensive prowess is limited, especially as a below-average corner outfielder. His reads lack crispness, and his below-average speed impacts his jumps. Nonetheless, his arm strength is an asset, delivering above-average throws with plenty of zip, which will allow him to stick in right-field as opposed to left-field. While the offensive expectations for a corner outfielder are high, Gonzalez appears poised to meet them because of his above-average hit tool and chance for more power. - Rhys White
Fantasy Outlook Though Gonzalez ranked 64th on our Top 500, he is still developing. Rhys outlined the major notes the teenaged outfielder will need to address as he tackles the upper-levels of MiLB, most pertinently patience at the plate and a better recognition of breaking balls at the shadow of the zone. Gonzalez’ proclivity for punishing the ball could be made even better, too, with some swing adjustments. These are not game breaking bugs, however, and the above-average hit tool and potential to develop similar (or better) power will keep his stock high – and justifiably so. He is a strong ‘second fiddle’ in your prospect system and a slam-dunk (or should I say home run?) number three. – Drew Wheeler
6. David Festa, RHP - 50 OFP
Age: 24 Highest Level: AAA
2023 Pre-season Rank: 11 OFP: 45
Dynasty Prospect Rank: 166
7. Charlee Soto, RHP - 50 OFP
Age: 18 Highest Level: HS
2023 MLB Draft Rank: 24
Dynasty Prospect Rank: 255
8. Connor Prielipp, LHP - 45 OFP
Age: 24 Highest Level: A+
2023 Pre-season Rank: 5 OFP: 50
Dynasty Prospect Rank: 360
9. Cory Lewis, RHP - 45 OFP
Age: 23 Highest Level: A+
2023 Pre-season Rank: 27 OFP: 40
Dynasty Prospect Rank: 527
10. Tanner Schobel, 2B - 45 OFP
Age: 22 Highest Level: AA
2023 Pre-season Rank: 13 OFP: 45
Dynasty Prospect Rank: 259