Walker Jenkins: Twins 2025 Minor League Player Of The Year
Walker Jenkins, who turns 21 in February, was the first Twins prospect promoted above Double-A during his age-20 season in a decade.
Adding to the degree of difficulty, Jenkins missed two months at the beginning of the season because of a high ankle sprain in his left foot.
But once Jenkins settled into playing every day at Double-A Wichita, the Twins’ player development staff saw he was too talented for the level. He hit .309 with a .912 OPS in 52 games there, adding seven home runs and 11 stolen bases.
“He killed it at Double-A, and a lot of the underlying markers were really encouraging,” Twins GM Jeremy Zoll said. “We wanted to make sure we gave him a challenge of Triple-A to end the year, give him a taste of that before he starts there next year.”
Jenkins, who has a lefty swing reminiscent of Hall of Famer Joe Mauer, posted a .286/.399/.451 slash line in 84 total games, mostly for Wichita and Triple-A St. Paul.
He showed improvement in different areas this year. He has one of the best contact rates in the organization, and he worked on taking more aggressive swings early in counts.
After hitting a combined nine homers over the last two seasons, Jenkins hit 10 this year. He had seven homers and 11 doubles in his final 44 games, which Jenkins partially attributed to better health.
“He’s super strong,” Zoll said. “He has the frame. For him, specifically, it was one of those things where it was like, ‘We’re not going to worry about (power) too much.’ He has a great hit tool. We don’t need to get too cute on trying to remake his swing or change his mechanics.”
Jenkins, who missed two months last year with a hamstring strain, said this is the first time in a couple years he’s played without reservations. He had no concerns about aggravating a soft-tissue injury. It showed up in his defense, too.
“He’s probably exceeded our expectations in center field,” Zoll said. “His defensive instincts and his speed plays well out there.”
SHORT NOTES
— Gabriel Gonzalez, a 21-year-old outfielder, started the season in High-A and moved all the way to Triple-A after he hit .329 with a .909 OPS. He ranked second among all minor leaguers with 38 doubles and sixth with 159 hits.
— Outfielder Hendry Mendez, acquired from the Phillies in the Harrison Bader trade, will report to the Arizona Fall League to gain experience at first base. “We want to make sure he can get as many game opportunities to give him another option as he keeps ascending through the system,” Zoll said. Mendez hit .299/.399/.439 with 11 homers and 62 RBIs in 118 games at Double-A.
