Look for these 3 prospects to make an impact with Twins in '25

MINNEAPOLIS -- It remains to be seen what level of leeway the Twins’ front office will have to address their roster needs via free agency this offseason, but regardless of those factors, a team like the Twins will necessarily have to lean on its farm system as the driver of long-term success.

The Twins have done their part to build a robust pipeline of prospects that have risen to the Major Leagues over the last few seasons, to varying degrees of success.

Matt Wallner looks to be on track to be the most consistent early success story of this wave, while others like Edouard Julien, Brooks Lee and even Royce Lewis have had their ups and downs in adjusting to the Majors -- and before them, Alex Kirilloff and Trevor Larnach have had their share of challenges.

On the pitching side, Bailey Ober has been the club’s biggest success story, with the likes of David Festa, Simeon Woods Richardson and Zebby Matthews looking to establish themselves as the Twins’ pitching pipeline continues to whir behind them to give the organization even more viable options at the big-league level.

Who next could be on the radar to impact the team in 2025? Let’s take a look.

OF Emmanuel Rodriguez (Twins' No. 2 prospect/ MLB No. 29)

Rodriguez might well have been in position to impact the big league team towards the end of the 2024 season had his campaign not been derailed three times by a lingering and recurring thumb injury that limited him to 47 games in his first chance to impact the high Minors.

Already on the 40-man roster, the 21-year-old has always shown plate discipline well beyond his years, and that continued as he hit .280/.459/.567 for a 1.026 OPS in those 47 games, primarily spanning stints with Double-A Wichita and Triple-A St. Paul.

His return from the first and second of his thumb injuries was again halted after seven games with another thumb flare-up that sidelined him for good on Sept. 2. The Twins last indicated an offseason procedure may be on the table for Rodriguez, but he should be in position to start ‘25 in Triple-A, with a possible opening in a corner-outfield spot created by Max Kepler’s departure.

“Usually, you would think for a left-handed hitter -- if you get jammed a lot or otherwise and you have that type of pain in your thumb -- it's usually your top thumb,” president of baseball operations Derek Falvey said. “His is [the] bottom hand, outside, which is just a weird location to have that kind of soreness.”

INF/OF Luke Keaschall (No. 3/ No. 63)

The Twins were plenty excited about Keaschall entering his first full season of professional baseball, and he delivered on all counts by hitting .303/.420/.483 for a .903 OPS across High-A Cedar Rapids and Wichita while playing both second base and center field.

Only 22 and viewed as a possible quick riser due to the advanced approach he carried as a second-round pick out of Arizona State, Keaschall was the first member of the Twins’ 2023 Draft class to reach the high Minors.

The only thing that stopped Keaschall was the Tommy John surgery he underwent in August -- something the Twins knew he’d eventually need -- with the timing meant to put Keaschall in position to have a full Spring Training in ‘25. Whether he eventually starts the campaign in Double-A or Triple-A, he seems poised to impact the big league roster in short order.

“We just want to make sure he gets off to another great start next year,” Falvey said in August, before Keaschall had the procedure.

RHP Andrew Morris (No. 6)

This was the year of Festa and Matthews in terms of pitching prospects with helium, but Morris was right behind them as the guy who appeared to be next in line if needed, finishing a spectacular season in Triple-A St. Paul after posting a 2.37 ERA in 26 appearances across High-A, Double-A and Triple-A.

Morris was said to be a buzzy trade target for potential partners at the Deadline, and he’s exactly in the mold of what the Twins look for in their pitching development: He limits his walks and he keeps opponents inside the ballpark, having allowed only 10 homers in 218 1/3 career Minor League innings.

Look for the 23-year-old to show up sometime in ‘25, when starting depth is needed.