The Twins on Thursday selected an outfielder Matt Wallner and it’s okay Travis Adams to Triple-A St. Utilityman Ryan Kreidler and the right hand Zebby Matthews remembered in their place.
It is the first time in more than two years that Wallner has been elected. He was Minnesota’s Opening Day right fielder the past two seasons and has handled the majority of the playing time at the position (although he has often been screened). Wallner has 70 range power from the left side of the plate but strikes out too often to make the most of it.
That hasn’t stopped him from being productive in the past. From 2023-25, Wallner posted a heartbreaking .231/.345/.493 batting line with 49 homers in 907 plate appearances. He walked at a 10.8% clip but struck out 31.9% of his plate appearances. The Minnesota native (Forest Lake) averaged just under 92 mph off the bat with a slugging rate of just over 48%. He’s not the best outfielder, but the slug-heavy approach was strong enough to earn him nearly five wins over 255 innings pitched, per FanGraphs and Baseball-Reference.
The 2026 season was a disaster, however. Wallner appeared in 33 games and posted a .167/.259/.292 slash. His strikeout rate has already risen to 39.3%. His walk rate dropped to a career low 7.4%.
In the past month, Wallner has just seven hits in 67 trips to the plate (58 at-bats), and he hasn’t touched the ball when he’s made contact. He’s averaging just 88.4 mph at bats this season, and over the past 30 days that number has dropped to 85.4 mph. His 28.6% strikeout rate in that span ranked 221st out of 250 players with at least 60 plate appearances – not what a team wants from a slugging corner outfielder, who needs a lot of hits to break up a mediocre career.
If Wallner spends at least 20 days in St. Paul, will fire the final of his three-year minor league option. That’s especially notable given that Wallner is also set to reach the lemon for the first time this winter. If he continues at this bad rate or simply ends his season whenever he returns, the Twins will have a decision to make. Wallner won’t break the bank in his first trip through the arb process, but he’s had enough power in his pre-arb position to make a few million dollars or so. Given that he will be out of minor league expenses in an organization with many top corner outfield prospects, Wallner’s standing within his hometown organization appears to be on the line.
The Twins have 2023 No. 5 general pick Walker Jenkins at the end of the majors. Jenkins is currently ranked as the No. 4 prospect in the entire game, according to Baseball America. He hasn’t hit for power in Triple-A this year but is slashing .256/.396/.389 with 19 to 18 walks. There’s reason to think more power is on tap, too. Jenkins averaged 91.5 mph at bat and topped out at 112 mph. Most of his games have been played in the cold Midwest climate so far, but temperatures are starting to rise as summer approaches. Jenkins has been sidelined since May 3 with a shoulder injury that hit the outfield wall, but there are still indications that he will be sidelined for an extended period of time.
Minnesota is also 23 years old Emmanuel Rodríguez beyond St. He’s not as well regarded as Wallner but sits at 38th in BA’s latest update of the top-100. Had Rodríguez been healthy, he might have gotten the call to replace Wallner. He is currently out with a strained left hand but was slashing .247/.417/.506 with a whopping 21.3% walk rate in 108 appearances. That’s not just an early surprise, it’s a small sample either. Rodríguez has walked an impressive 21.6% of his plate appearances, including 21.4% of his 350 total plate appearances from Triple-A. He’s incredibly hittable (30% career) has raw power and speed and good field defense. He can be the poster boy for a true three-pointer while providing value on the bases and in the glove.
Even more than these expectations, the Twins are available in the corner of the outfield. Trevor Larnach he’s having a great back-to-back season, or he’s like Wallner in many ways. He is the best player ever drafted and looked at with a very strong record that does not contact at all in 2026. Austin Martin stepped up as usual in the outfield and hit .300/.405/.385 with two homers, 17 steals and as many walks as 306 plate appearances last season.
Minnesota also added a 26-year-old Alan Roden from the Jays last year Louis Varland trade. Out with a shoulder injury at St. Paul, however, has been cracking Triple-A and could get a real look if he can return this summer. Hope Gabriel Gonzalez he had a down year in 2024, bounced back in a big 2025 and was added to the 40-man roster, and now he’s struggled again to start the 2026 season. He just turned 22 in January, so some struggles in his first full season in Triple-A aren’t surprising. They just promote Henry Mendez (received last year Harrison Bader trade) to Triple-A after a big start in Double-A. He is hitting .306/.400/.486 overall.
Suffice it to say that the twins are in for a treat Byron Buxton in the corners. That depth makes Wallner’s offensive performance even more problematic for the 28-year-old slugger. The Twins will try to get him back on track in St. Louis. Paul at the moment, but there are many small options breathing down his neck.
Matthews’ return is notable here as well. He’s a top 100 prospect who’s been a hitter in Triple-A of late (2.67 ERA, 28-to-7 K/BB average over his past five starts/27 innings) who will get another chance in the rotation due to injury. Minnesota lost Pablo López (UCL surgery) and David Festa (shoulder impingement) before the season starts. Mick Abel (elbow/triceps swelling) and good discharge Hello Bradley (pectoral swelling) currently on IL for 15 days. Matthews hasn’t found success in parts of the past two major league seasons, but he’s 25 years old and now has another chance to show he can stick in the majors with a good idea. Simeon Woods Richardson He has struggled, so even if Bradley and Abel get healthy, there could be room for Matthews to move forward.
