Brandon Winokur Stats & Scouting Report

AB	428
AVG	.255
OBP	.328
SLG	.451
HR	18

Full name Brandon Winokur
Born 12/16/2004 in Huntington Beach, CA
Profile Ht.: 6'5" / Wt.: 210 / Bats: R / Throws: R
School Edison HS, Huntington Beach, Calif.
Drafted in the 3rd round (82nd overall) by the Minnesota Twins in 2023 (signed for $1,500,000).

View Draft Report

School: Edison HS, Huntington Beach, Calif. Source: HS

Commit/Drafted: UCLA
Age At Draft: 18.6
BA Grade:50/Extreme
Tools:Hit: 40. Power: 55. Run: 55. Field: 55. Arm: 60.

A Perfect Game All-America Game selection last summer, Winokur has some of the best tools in the draft class and starred in multiple roles for Edison (Huntington Beach, Calif.) High. He hit .365 with nine home runs as the Chargers’ top hitter this spring and also had three saves and 21 strikeouts in 11.1 innings as their closer. Winokur has a tall, lean 6-foot-5, 218-pound frame with lots of room for projection. He generates plus raw power with his natural strength and leverage and frequently puts on shows in batting practice. He is a coordinated runner with above-average speed despite his lanky build and has plus arm strength that helped him reach 95-96 mph on the mound. He played shortstop for his high school team but projects to move to the outfield in pro ball, where his speed and athleticism give him a chance to be an above-average center fielder or a plus defender in the corners. Winkour’s main concern is how much he’ll hit. His swing gets long and loopy at times and he does most of his damage against mediocre stuff. He struggles to catch up to 90-plus mph fastballs and constantly tinkers with his stance and setup. Winokur has flashed the ability to be short and direct to the ball, leading to hope he can be a fringe-average hitter with pro instruction. He is committed to UCLA but projects to be drafted early on the draft’s second day if he makes himself signable.

Top Rankings

Organization Prospect Rankings

BA Grade/Risk: 55/Extreme.

Track Record: Winokur is one of the more athletic players in baseball, but he may not be the most impressive athlete in his immediate family. His younger brother Ben is a freshman middle blocker at Loyola after being a Volleyball Magazine high school all-American. His mother was a hurdler at UC Irvine. His father was an all-conference decathlete at San Francisco State. Drafted by the Twins in the third round in 2023, Winokur’s power was hidden by the suppressive Florida State League. His .434 slugging percentage for Low-A Fort Myers ranked third-best in the league.

Scouting Report: Winokur is a strong, 6-foot-5, long-levered hitter, which brings with it the strengths and weaknesses one would expect. He hits the ball hard, but he also swings and misses a lot. If anything, Winokur’s .249 batting average—the FSL hit .229—and his 28% strikeout rate attest to his survival skills. At times, he’s short to the ball, but at other times he can get long in his swing and less connected to his lower half. Winokur’s extra-tall frame may not fit best at shortstop, but he was better there than expected. He was fringe-average. His plus arm would fit well as a potentially above-average third baseman and he has the plus speed—he’ll turn in 70-grade run times at his best—to also be a rangy center fielder. He played all three positions for Fort Myers, and the Twins are in no rush to settle on which will be his best position.

The Future: Winokur had an impressive first full pro season, but he remains a high-variance prospect who could end up as a star or a career minor leaguer. His athleticism, power and defensive value give him star potential, but his long levers and strikeout issues could derail him. The hope is that he can be an Oneil Cruz-type player, where highlight plays and strikeouts are both part of the package.

Scouting Grades: Hit: 40 | Power: 65 | Run: 60 | Field: 55 | Arm: 60.
BA Grade: 50/Extreme

Track Record: Winokur was one of the more interesting draft prospects on the West Coast. If you liked him, his athletic lanky build and present power made him an alluring future right fielder or third baseman. If you didn’t, you worried that inconsistencies in his swing and his struggles to catch up to top-notch fastballs could lead to too many strikeouts. The Twins were willing to gamble on Winokur’s potential and spent $1.5 million to buy him out of his UCLA commitment.

Scouting Report: The Twins’ selections of Walker Jenkins and Luke Keaschall were viewed as some of the safest picks in the draft at their respective positions. In righthander Charlee Soto and Winokur, the Twins also took some big swings at the top of the draft. Winokur had some of the best raw power in the draft class, but there are plenty of scouts who think he’ll have to simplify his swing and tone down a lot of early movement and a big leg kick to get to his 25+ home run potential. The Twins played Winokur nearly equally between center field and shortstop in his debut. Very few believe he’ll stay at shortstop for long, and as he fills out he’s most likely a right fielder or third baseman. His plus arm works at either spot, and his athleticism and quickness could help him stick in the dirt.

The Future: Winokur showed the power and strikeouts that were expected in his brief pro debut with nine extra-base hits and a 32% strikeout rate. He’s got a chance to develop into one of the best prospects in the Twins’ system, but it will take a lot of work in the batting cage to get there.

Scouting Grades Hit: 40 | Power: 55 | Run: 55 | Field: 55 | Arm: 60

Draft Prospects

School: Edison HS, Huntington Beach, Calif. Source: HS

Commit/Drafted: UCLA
Age At Draft: 18.6
BA Grade:50/Extreme
Tools:Hit: 40. Power: 55. Run: 55. Field: 55. Arm: 60.

A Perfect Game All-America Game selection last summer, Winokur has some of the best tools in the draft class and starred in multiple roles for Edison (Huntington Beach, Calif.) High. He hit .365 with nine home runs as the Chargers’ top hitter this spring and also had three saves and 21 strikeouts in 11.1 innings as their closer. Winokur has a tall, lean 6-foot-5, 218-pound frame with lots of room for projection. He generates plus raw power with his natural strength and leverage and frequently puts on shows in batting practice. He is a coordinated runner with above-average speed despite his lanky build and has plus arm strength that helped him reach 95-96 mph on the mound. He played shortstop for his high school team but projects to move to the outfield in pro ball, where his speed and athleticism give him a chance to be an above-average center fielder or a plus defender in the corners. Winkour’s main concern is how much he’ll hit. His swing gets long and loopy at times and he does most of his damage against mediocre stuff. He struggles to catch up to 90-plus mph fastballs and constantly tinkers with his stance and setup. Winokur has flashed the ability to be short and direct to the ball, leading to hope he can be a fringe-average hitter with pro instruction. He is committed to UCLA but projects to be drafted early on the draft’s second day if he makes himself signable.

Career Transactions

Fort Myers Mighty Mussels activated OF Brandon Winokur from the 7-day injured list.
Fort Myers Mighty Mussels placed OF Brandon Winokur on the 7-day injured list.
OF Brandon Winokur assigned to Fort Myers Mighty Mussels from FCL Twins.
OF Brandon Winokur assigned to FCL Twins.
Minnesota Twins signed OF Brandon Winokur.