Putting the Twins prospects in order of most likely to have an impact as rookies in 2024
The Minnesota Twins rookie class of the previous season was perhaps the best in team history thanks to the record-breaking productivity of the hitting trio of Royce Lewis, Matt Wallner, and Eddie Julien. Louie Varland, who filled a variety of positions, also greatly aided the pitching staff.
It would be unrealistic to expect rookies to have nearly the same impact in 2024, but the Twins have a new group of strong prospects, including some long-term building stones, set to enter the major league mix this season.
The ten prospects I believe have the best chance of contributing to the Twins as rookies in 2024 are listed here.
(Note: Players who have played in the majors for at least 50 innings or 150 at-bats are no longer considered prospects or rookies and are not listed here.)
1. 3B/2B Brooks Lee
Brooks Lee is a consensus top-100 prospect twenty months after being selected in the top-10, and his impressive spring training showing has reinforced the notion that he is almost major league ready.
The only questions left are when and where. In order to be ready for whichever path opens up in the Twins infield, Lee, 23, spent the last season at Triple A. This spring, he has been getting reps at three different positions.
Playing for his father, Larry Lee, at Cal Poly, Lee won the Big West Conference Player of the Year twice in a row.
The Twins have aggressively marketed the switch-hitting shortstop. By batting, he’s proven himself up to the challenge.In 156 games, he batted 281/.355/.459 with 20 home runs, 68 extra-base hits overall, 72 walks, and 111 strikeouts. He has also been a camp favorite this spring.
Although Lee possesses the skill set to be a very fine third baseman and is a decent defensive shortstop, Lewis and Carlos Correa will likely cover the left side of the infield for the foreseeable future, so Lee might wind up at second base.
He is scheduled to make his debut in the middle of the season, but if Correa, Lewis, Julien, Carlos Santana, or Alex Kirilloff get hurt, he might show up earlier. Lee is about to make it into the major leagues.
2. David Festa, S.P.
The Twins’ prospects of needing to rely heavily on David Festa to start a lot of games in 2024 are increased by Anthony DeSclafani being their only seasoned rotation signing this summer.
Festa, a 2021 Seton Hall product selected in the 13th round, has advanced significantly. He now owns significant velocity and 239 strikeouts in 204 1/3 innings, making him a prospect that is on the verge of being ranked in the top 100.
Festa, a 6-foot-6 right-hander, combines a strong changeup and a slider with his mid-90s fastball, though his control still needs improvement after he walked 4.1 batters per nine innings the previous season.
For the time being, he fits the profile of a mid-rotation starter, but if the 24-year-old can continue to throw strikes and improve his changeup to become a dependable weapon against left-handed batters, he may be able to do more.
Due to DeSclafani’s elbow injury, Varland is now starting in DeSclafani’s place in the rotation, forcing the Twins to make an earlier than anticipated trip to the minor leagues.
With just three Triple-A starts under his credit, that might propel Festa as high as No. 6 on the opening rotation depth chart of the season, almost guaranteeing him more big-league experience. He might be a permanent staple in the rotation.
3. OF/2B Austin Martin
With the acquisition of experienced outfielder Manuel Margot, Austin Martin’s opportunity to make the Opening Day roster closed, but he is still expected to play a significant part for the Twins this season.
After suffering an elbow injury in the first half of the previous season, Martin finished strong, hitting 300/.428/.473 in his final 44 games for Triple-A St. Paul. Martin is a reliable defensive option at left field, center field, and second base.
Martin may never live up to the hype because his power hasn’t increased as much as anticipated since he was the top prospect in the Jose Berríos deal and the fifth pick in the 2020 draft.
But his combination of speed, fielding dexterity, bat-to-ball ability, and plate discipline should make him a reliable regular or elite utilityman. Martin has played in 242 high-minor games and has an on-base percentage of.390 with 64 steals.
Martin may mesh well with the Twins in a number of ways in 2024. In the event that Byron Buxton or Margot are hurt, he can frequently play center field.
He can bat in the outfield corners as a right-handed platoon bat. If Julien is out and Lee isn’t deemed ready, he can fill in at second base.
He can also move quickly, covering the ground all over the field. Martin will be featured frequently this season.
4. The RP Kody Funderburk
Kody Funderburk was expected to stay in the Opening Day bullpen following the trade for Miami Marlins left-hander Steven Okert in mid-February.
However, due to a hamstring ailment, it is more likely that the 27-year-old rookie will start as a second southpaw.
Funder Burk, who was a mediocre Double-A starter, switched to the bullpen full-time last year and entered the major leagues four months later.
After pitching 61 high-minor innings with a 2.36 ERA and 89 strikeouts, Funderburk more than held his own in 19 innings with the Twins.
He has the potential to be more than just a lefty-on-lefty specialist because he can hit both lefties and righties with a redesigned low-80s slider and get grounders and occasional whiffs with a low-90s cutter and sinker.
5. Richardson, Simeon Woods, SP
Simeon Woods Richardson was acquired along with Martin in the Berríos trade, but his prospect rating declined last season due to poor velocity. At Triple A, he pitched too frequently at 88–90 mph rather than his top 92–94 mph.
He only recorded 7.6 strikeouts per nine innings and gave up 171 base runners in 113 2/3 innings. After performing poorly during the Twins’ April 22 spot start, he was not called up again.
With some technical tweaks, Woods Richardson has looked like a completely different pitcher this spring, regaining his velocity and positioning himself to be a depth reliever later in the season.
If his fastball velocity returns, SWR, who is still only 23 years old, has the excellent changeup to be a valuable big-league starter. However, he needs to sustain it for months rather than weeks.
6. 1B/3B Yunior Severino
Junior Severino was added to the 40-man roster after leading the minor leagues with 35 home runs the previous season, but the Twins aren’t yet certain the 25-year-old is a part of their long-term plans.
After signing as a second baseman, Severino has fallen to the bottom of the defensive range, and his alarmingly high strikeout percentage should raise concerns. In the previous two Rule 5 drafts, he was left unprotected and was not selected.
However, a switch-hitting slugger who has blasted 43 home runs in 157 games against Double-A and Triple-A pitchers is hard to ignore.
Severino is merely a backup option at third base and second base, but his power would definitely fit in as a designated hitter, and he is a respectable first baseman.
You should keep an eye on him in case Santana ages or if Kirilloff and Jose Miranda sustain injuries once more.
7. Camargo Jair, C.
Having only needed two catchers the previous season, Minnesota was the only American League team. As a result, Air Camargo played his entire 2023 season with the Saints, hitting.259/.323/.503 with 21 home runs in 90 games while stranding 25% of runners on stolen-base attempts.
The 24-year-old was placed third on the depth chart behind veterans Ryan Jeffers and Christian Vázquez, but that secured him a berth on the 40-man roster.
Camargo should at least make his big-league debut this year because it’s likely that the Twins will need a third catcher at some point.
However, unless something goes wrong (like a trade or injury), he doesn’t have a clear route to regular playing time.
Camargo has struggled with plate discipline throughout his career, but his 20 home run potential and strong arm allow him to be viewed as a capable backup catcher with room to grow.
Canterino, Matt, and SP
Since being selected in the second round of the 2019 MLB Draft, Matt Canterino’s growth has been regularly stalled by injuries, limiting him to 85 innings. Currently, a shoulder strain has delayed his recovery from Tommy John surgery.
The 26-year-old showed early in camp that he still possesses his high-octane raw stuff, and if he stays healthy for even a few months, the Twins will be tempted to call him up.
9. Brent Headrick, S.P.
Brent Headrick, who started 75 innings for the Twins last season as a Triple-A starter and made 14 low-leverage relief appearances, is expected to play an equally up-and-down role this year.
The 26-year-old left-hander’s slider has shown promise as a bat-missing weapon, but he lacks the velocity in his fastball to be successful without developing better control. He can also devour innings.
10. OF Emmanuel Rodriguez
It’s true that this is a long shot.2025 is a more likely ETA because Emmanuel Rodriguez just turned 21 and hasn’t even participated in a Double-A game.
However, he’s also a top-100 prospect with enormous upside who combines above-average speed, 30-yard run power, and outstanding discipline.
Should he perform well enough to be promoted to Triple-A in the middle of the season, he could be able to push his way into the Twins’ postseason plans.
