It’s time to look back at the Saints’ final homestand of the year and get some first-hand looks at the top prospects in the Twins and Guardians farm systems. Read up on how top prospects are finishing their seasons with just a week left in the Triple-A season.
Notable Dynasty Performances in St. Paul
Twins Triple-A Hitters Who Are Standing Out
Hitter 1: Walker Jenkins
Stats from the last two weeks: .327AVG | .377 OBP | .551 SLG | 2 HR | 5 RBI | 1 SB | 26.4K% | 7.5 BB%
The Twins’ prodigal prospect was promoted up to Triple-A on August 24, and at just 20 years old, Walker Jenkins is making his mark at a level where he’s four years younger than the average age of competition. Jenkins had a slow start in his first week with St. Paul, going only 1-for-20, with his lone hit being a double. Since then, Jenkins has been one of the two best bats in the Saints lineup, with six of his 16 hits going for extra bases.
While Jenkins is adjusting to the new level of competition filled with some major league-caliber arms, it’s an experience he’s been itching to have all his life. It has come with challenges, as it would for any 20-year-old in Triple-A, but Jenkins is responding well to those challenges.
“Man, honestly, I think it’s just settling down mentally,” said Jenkins on his adjustments. “Just know that, all right, these guys may have had big league time, but a lot of the guys I faced this year at Double-A and a lot of other levels, they’re going to be there as well. And frankly, a lot of guys have had the same stuff, and I think it’s more of a mental thing when you go up and see this guy’s got 10 years under… of big league time. No. You just got to settle down, go up there, and it’s the same game. Nothing changes. That’s been the main thing for me, just mentally.”
Jenkins is the prodigal prospect who is providing the most hope for the Twins to not have as dismal a season in 2026. He’s the player any dynasty manager in need of outfield help will want to have on their radar for the 2026 season. But don’t expect Jenkins to break camp with the Twins and be in the big leagues on Opening Day; he’ll likely spend a few weeks in Triple-A and not be rushed up to the majors. But he won’t be kept down for too long, as Jenkins will make his MLB debut by Memorial Day at the very latest.
Hitter 2: Gabriel Gonzalez
Stats from the last two weeks: .326 AVG | .467 OBP | .543 SLG | 2 HR | 5 RBI | 4 SB | 24.5 K% | 6.1 BB%
Gabriel Gonzalez hasn’t missed a beat since he was promoted from Double-A Wichita and joined the Saints lineup on August 1. Amidst a 12-game losing streak, Gonzalez was the Saints’ most consistent hitter in their lineup, racking up base hits and providing a couple of home runs.
Gonzalez hasn’t lost any of his stride he had from Double-A following his promotion to St. Paul. He owns a .315/.362/.508 slash line with six home runs, 21 RBI, and a 123 wRC+ over that stretch. While some players need to make adjustments against the competition, that hasn’t been the case for Gonzalez, who has remained consistent in his work from Double-A to Triple-A.
“I haven’t changed anything,” Gonzalez said via teammate Erasmo Ramírez, who translated on his behalf. “Everything is just keeping the routine, working on what I was working on in Wichita, and be sure to just be consistent with it. And so far it’s been working, so that’s what I’ve been keeping doing, just keep working the same way I was working in Wichita.”
Gonzalez owns a .329/.397/.515 slash line on the season between three minor league levels. He’s making a case as the best contact hitter in the Twins minor League system, one that is very depleted with strong contact hitters. If Gonzalez can keep up his contact skills in 2026, he can provide a much-needed potency for their major league lineup.
Visiting Guardians Hitters Grabbing the Attention
Hitter 1: Johnathan Rodríguez
Stats from the last two weeks: .317 AVG | .451 OBP | .394 SLG | 5 HR | 15 RBI | 0 SB | 11.8 K% | 17.6 BB%
If any one player in the Columbus Clippers lineup tormented the Saints and helped ensure they’d have their losing streak reach 12 games, it was Johnathan Rodríguez. Rodriguez has had two stints with the Guardians this year, and hasn’t performed well at the major league level, putting up a .167/.214/.303 slash line in 70 plate appearances.
Since Rodriguez was last sent down on August 2, he has been a terrifying hitter for opponents to face, as he’s put up a .298/.383/.534 slash line with eight home runs, 29 RBI, and a .917 OPS in 149 plate appearances. Most of the power for Rodriguez has come in the last week, which has been a big help in securing the Clippers a 4-2 series win over the Saints.
The Guardians have had a time developing outfielders in the last five years outside of Steven Kwan. Rodriguez is another in a long line of strong minor league hitters who cannot find that same success in the majors. If this current stint is a sign of things improving for the better, then maybe Rodriguez will be able to break the curse they have faced in recent years and finally have some stability in their outfield depth.
Notable Pitching Performances in St. Paul
Pitcher 1: Andrew Morris
Morris missed a significant chunk of time this year due to a forearm strain that put him on the IL in late June. He returned to the Saints rotation in August, slowly building his workload with each start. During his last time out, Morris went a full six innings to start the homestand against the Clippers, allowing only three hits, two walks, and two runs that went unearned while striking out just two. The results aren’t perfect, but what’s more important for Morris is finishing the season healthy and completing as many innings as he can in a start.
“I think there’s always more to improve on,” said Morris. “I think you can always improve on execution, especially execution of the sweeper, and just getting that in a good spot. I think there’s always a lot more I can do in terms of sequencing guys and learning how to read swings and stuff like that.”
The season hasn’t been perfect for the Twins farmhand, as his missed time on the field has more than likely delayed his MLB debut until next season. But Morris is not dwelling too much on that. As long as he can finish this season strong, he could make the Twins Opening Day roster out of camp, most likely in the bullpen. He’s still accumulated strong stats on the year, posting a 3.80 ERA in 85.1 innings while striking out 83, and walking only 27 batters.
Morris will be a big name to follow in the Twins’ big league camp next spring training. His effective fastball and sweeper work well as a starter, but could be even more dominant in the bullpen if he does end up being moved there full-time.
Other Dynasty Storylines to Follow
Twins catcher Christian Vázquez will join the Saints on a rehab assignment in Memphis this week. Vázquez has been out since August 2 due to an infection, which has since healed. He is expected to DH Thursday night and catch two games over the weekend.
Emmanuel Rodriguez is day-to-day after he was hit by a pitch in the elbow during the Saints’ final home game on Sunday. He was able to move it just fine and had ice on it postgame, but given his lengthy injury history, the Saints are playing it safe, not rushing him back to the lineup.
