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<span>The Minnesota Twins parted ways with nearly a dozen veteran players at the trade deadline last year, and haven’t significantly replaced that lost experience. Team leadership has publicly committed to building through their farm system, a system recently ranked as one of baseball’s most underrated by a <a href="https://www.mlb.com/milb/news/front-office-executives-poll-for-farm-systems-2026?t=mlb-pipeline-coverage" rel="external">survey of MLB front office executives</a>.</span>If the Twins are serious about developing from within, they’ll need to give some of their prospects a real shot at making the Opening Day roster. Beyond established prospects Walker Jenkins and Emmanuel Rodriguez—who reached Triple-A last year but face a crowded outfield—several other players could break camp with the big-league club.
The current Twins roster doesn’t necessarily need another left-handed outfielder. What they *do* need are reliable relief pitchers and right-handed bats. With that in mind, here are five players who haven’t yet debuted in the majors but could make a strong case for a spot in spring training.
Connor Prielipp
Service-clock manipulation often prevents teams from promoting rookies early in the season, hoping to gain an extra year of control. However, that’s less of a concern for Prielipp, who recently turned 25. Even if he performs well and remains in the majors, he’d still be under team control through age 30.
Among the arms currently in camp, Prielipp is arguably Minnesota’s best relief option, barring any injury setbacks. His fastball/slider combination from the left side is truly formidable—potentially the best, or at least the highest-upside, in the bullpen. Could Prielipp step into a high-leverage role immediately, similar to John Duran in 2022? It’s certainly within the realm of possibility, and if he’s healthy, there’s little reason to keep him in the minors.
Marco Raya
Raya struggled as a starter in Triple-A last year, but both he and the Twins organization appear ready to embrace a transition to a relief role, a shift that team executive Derek Falvey has hinted at. In shorter stints, Raya can maximize his effort and fully utilize his impressive slider, potentially becoming a dominant force. He’s viewed as a key piece of the bullpen rebuild.
That transformation won’t happen overnight. Raya possesses the raw talent, but needs to consistently harness it and control his emotions. However, if he’s throwing strikes and displaying velocity in spring training, a gamble on his potential in a currently thin relief corps could pay off.
John Klein
A true dark horse candidate. Many Twins fans likely hadn’t heard of Klein before he was added to the 40-man roster in November, following a strong season in the minors where the 6-foot-5 righty significantly improved his arsenal and recorded 128 strikeouts over 106 innings in the high minors.
He only pitched 25 innings at Triple-A, but Klein will turn 24 in April and has the potential to become a valuable bullpen addition. His five-pitch mix could be streamlined, and his presence on the 40-man roster gives him an advantage over other prospects who would need to be added.
Gabriel Gonzalez
Let’s shift gears to address another critical need: right-handed hitting. The Twins have a surplus of left-handed corner bats, including Trevor Larnach, Matt Wallner, Kody Clemens, Alan Roden, and James Outman, but lack right-handed options to provide balance.
Austin Martin hasn’t yet established himself as a consistent offensive threat. A recent minor-league signing, Eric Wagaman, is currently the likely candidate for a platoon role, but he doesn’t generate much excitement and has minor-league options. Gonzalez showing out in spring training and earning a spot on the Opening Day roster would be a welcome surprise.
If the Twins are seeking genuine right-handed power and a weapon against left-handed pitching, Gonzalez, even at just 22 years old, might be their best bet. Last year, he excelled at three levels of the minors, slashing .368/.430/.592 against lefties and finishing with an .862 OPS in 150 plate appearances at Triple-A.
The biggest hurdle is consistent playing time. The Twins won’t likely use him in a true platoon role, starting only a couple of times per week. For Gonzalez to have a chance, playing time will need to open up.
Kyler Fedko
Fedko could be considered a slightly less risky version of Gonzalez. The underlying concept is similar. Promoting him to the majors would be less of a leap, as Fedko is 26 and no longer a developmental project. As a result, the Twins would likely be more comfortable using him in a part-time role.
Despite posting a strong .855 OPS at Triple-A last year, Fedko didn’t convince the Twins to promote him late in the season or add him to the 40-man roster. He went unselected in the Rule 5 draft, suggesting other teams weren’t particularly impressed either. However, he remains a prospect to watch—ranked 18th on Twins Daily’s list and 33rd on Aaron Gleeman’s latest ranking—with a skill set that could address the club’s short-term needs.
Who am I missing? Which dark horse prospect do you think will make his MLB debut on Opening Day? Share your thoughts in the comments.
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