Who Will The Minnesota Twins Pick In MLB Draft 2026? A Deep Dive
Who Will The Minnesota Twins Pick In MLB Draft 2026? A Deep Dive
A deep dive into who the Minnesota Twins could select with the No. 3 pick in the 2026 MLB Draft and how it fits their roster direction.
The times, they are a-changing, as one famous Minnesota singer once said, and the question for the Minnesota Twins is just how much more change is going to come before the MLB Draft in July.
The Twins essentially have a new owner this year. They’ll have a new team president, and there’s a new manager, Derek Shelton, in the dugout. But the star center fielder is still there. The rotation that was so good in 2023 and helped them win 82 games in 2024 is pretty much intact after a 70-win 2025 campaign.
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To say that the Twins are at a fork in the road with this roster is an understatement. On one hand, they won just 70 games in 2025. On the other hand, they have a roster that could win the American League Central if healthy.
This fork will play a big part in what the Twins may do with the No. 3 pick in the 2026 MLB Draft in July.
According to The Athletic, the Twins have the 21st-ranked farm system in baseball, but others say it's among the best. The club has four players in the MLB Top 100 prospects. That includes former No. 5 pick in 2023, Walker Jenkins, who is the No. 14-ranked prospect at MLB Pipeline. He’s No. 5 at Baseball America. Still, the farm system could certainly use a shot of prospects.
That’s where the MLB Draft and a potential quick rebuild could come into play. No team has the potential to rebuild the farm system and suffer a painful but short rebuild like the Twins could. Outfielder Byron Buxton, 32, was an All-Star in 2025 and received MVP votes. He’s under contract for three more seasons and, despite his injury history, will certainly draw trade interest.
So could former All-Star Pablo López, who is under contract through 2027 and is 29. So could another pitcher, Joe Ryan, who is under team control through 2028. Bailey Ober, yet another hurler who was great in 2022, 2023 and 2024 before a tough 2025, could also yield a trade return.
Those four players, though, could also be the backbone of a team that may chase a pennant if Josh Bell clicks, Royce Lewis plays a full season and if the aforementioned Jenkins, 20, debuts and is as good as advertised.
If the Twins are hitting a reset — and my sympathies to Shelton (the former Pirates manager) if that happens — the Twins would gladly take another prep prospect like they did with Lewis in 2017 at No. 1 and Jenkins in 2023.
Or perhaps they take a college player who could help them compete, if not by 2027 then certainly, in a best-case scenario, by 2028. At No. 3 in the draft, there are options at both levels, especially after trading Carlos Correa at the break a year ago.
Here’s a look at who the Twins could take at No. 3.
What The Minnesota Twins Roster Has Now
Much of the Twins roster seems in flux after the already named players. The Twins list eight players on their rotation depth chart. Taj Bradley came to Minnesota at the deadline last year for Griffin Jax, and the 24-year-old former big-time prospect had mixed results. Simeon Woods Richardson, the big prize in the 2021 José Berríos trade, has potential after a solid first two seasons.
The bullpen has Taylor Rogers and Justin Topa, but it is clearly the biggest question mark on the team.
Lewis, the former No. 1 overall pick, was a breakout star in 2023, his rookie year, when he hit 15 home runs in 58 games for the Twins. But he’s hit just 29 home runs in 188 games over the last two years and batted .233 and .237 in those seasons.
The strength of the Twins appears to be the rotation, and the club is hoping to hit just enough.
What The Minnesota Twins Farm System Looks Like
The Athletic has them as one of the 10 worst at No. 21. Baseball America has them at 12 and MLB had the Twins at No. 2 last August. The Athletic’s Keith Law cites the health of their top prospects as why they are ranked low, but there’s clearly talent there.
And it could be talent ready to debut.
Jenkins didn’t stand out in Triple-A, but he made it to Triple-A as a 20-year-old. He’ll be old enough to buy a beer just as pitchers and catchers report to spring training. Former Kansas State standout Kaelen Culpepper, who played in the College Baseball Series in 2024, is the No. 52-ranked prospect in baseball at MLB Pipeline and will strive to debut this season, while Emmanuel Rodriguez is the No. 74-ranked prospect and, at 22, is expected to debut this season for the Twins after being added to the 40-man roster.
Eduardo Tait, MLB’s No. 65-ranked prospect at catcher, is 19 and a year or two away.
Who Will The Minnesota Twins Take In The 2026 MLB Draft?
In the first FloBaseball mock draft, Grady Emerson, the Texas prep phenom from Fort Worth, is Minnesota-bound, and if Emerson is available at No. 3, there’s no way the Twins pass on him.
It would be quite the gift.
Emerson is considered as good as, and possibly better than, the overwhelming top prospect in the draft, Roch Cholowsky of UCLA. No matter what, though, this draft appears destined to see three straight shortstops go off the board in the first three picks.
Alabama shortstop Justin LeBron, who we have at No. 2 to the Rays, is destined to be a Twin based on prospect rankings, and a system can never have enough shortstops — a position that produces, many times, more third basemen, second basemen, center fielders and corner outfielders than actual MLB shortstops.
The Twins are no stranger to drafting and signing below slot value. It’s why Hunter Greene pitches for the Cincinnati Reds and not the Minnesota Twins. The last top-five pick, Jenkins, was signed above slot value at more than $7 million.
The four best prospects on the FloBaseball Top 100 composite rankings are shortstops, and outfielder Derek Curiel is the best at his position. Liam Peterson, the No. 7 prospect, is the top pitcher.
Will Culpepper’s season have an impact on the Twins taking a shortstop? I don’t think so. It likely has more to do with Royce Lewis’ season at third base. Culpepper plays shortstop now, but he could easily be moved elsewhere in the infield.
The prediction here defies destiny. The Twins have four everyday players in the top 100 of their system.
My pick here is Coastal Carolina pitcher Cameron Flukey.
The 6-foot-6, 205-pound right-hander had a 3.28 ERA in 101.2 innings as a sophomore. He throws as hard as 98 mph. He’s the highest-rated draft-eligible pitcher at Baseball America, and he’s No. 9 at MLB Pipeline. Because the Twins have so many tradeable pitchers to restock the farm system as a whole, they may crave a top pitcher who could be drafted under slot value at No. 3.
2026 Shriners Children’s Baseball Showdown
Feb. 13, 2026
- 12:00 PM ET: Oklahoma vs. Texas Tech
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Feb. 14, 2026
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Feb. 15, 2026
- 11:30 AM ET: Vanderbilt vs. Oklahoma St
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Feb. 13, 2026
- 4:00 PM ET: Michigan vs. Oregon St
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Feb. 14, 2026
- 4:00 PM ET: Arizona vs. Oregon St
- 8:00 PM ET: Michigan vs. Stanford
Feb. 15, 2026
- 2:00 PM ET: Stanford vs. Oregon St
- 6:00 PM ET: Arizona vs. Michigan
Feb. 16, 2026
- 2:00 PM ET: Michigan vs. Oregon St
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Feb. 20, 2026
- 12:00 PM ET: Michigan vs. Florida St
- 4:00 PM ET: Nebraska vs. Louisville
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Feb. 21, 2026
- 12:00 PM ET: Louisville vs. Michigan
- 4:00 PM ET: Florida St vs. Auburn
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Feb. 22, 2026
- 11:30 AM ET: Auburn vs. Louisville
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Feb. 27, 2026
- 12:00 PM ET: Arizona St vs. Mississippi St
- 4:00 PM ET: UCLA vs. Tennessee
- 8:00 PM ET: Virginia Tech vs. Texas A&M
Feb. 28, 2026
- 12:00 PM ET: Tennessee vs. Arizona St
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- 8:00 PM ET: Texas A&M vs. UCLA
Mar. 1, 2026
- 11:30 AM ET: Virginia Tech vs. Tennessee
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When Is The 2026 MLB Draft?
The MLB Draft begins the Sunday of MLB All-Star Week, which is being held in Philadelphia from July 11-July 14.
2026 MLB Draft Order
- Chicago White Sox
- Tampa Bay Rays
- Minnesota Twins
- San Francisco Giants
- Pittsburgh Pirates
- Kansas City Royals
- Baltimore Orioles
- Oakland Athletics
- Atlanta Braves
- Colorado Rockies
- Washington Nationals
- Los Angeles Angels
- St. Louis Cardinals
- Miami Marlins
- Arizona Diamondbacks
- Texas Rangers
- Houston Astros
- Cincinnati Reds
- Cleveland Guardians
- Boston Red Sox
- San Diego Padres
- Detroit Tigers
- Chicago Cubs
- Seattle Mariners
- Milwaukee Brewers
The 2026 MLB Draft Top 100 Prospects
Rank Name Position Age School Commitment
1 Roch Cholowsky SS 20 UCLA --
2 Grady Emerson SS 17 Fort Worth Christian Texas
3 Justin Lebron SS 21 Alabama --
4 Jacob Lombard SS 18 Gulliver Prep Miami
5 Derek Curiel OF 20 LSU --
6 Tyler Spangler SS 18 De La Salle Stanford
7 Liam Peterson RHP 20 Florida --
8 Sawyer Strosnider OF 20 TCU --
9 Cameron Flukey RHP 20 Coastal Carolina --
10 Drew Burress OF 21 Georgia Tech --
11 AJ Gracia OF 21 Virginia --
12 Carson Bolemon LHP 18 Southside Christian Wake Forest
13 Gio Rojas LHP 18 Stoneman Douglas Miami
14 Ace Reese 3B 20 Mississippi State --
15 Jackson Flora RHP 20 UC Santa Barbara --
16 Chris Hacopian SS 21 Texas A&M --
17 Eric Becker SS 20 Virginia --
18 Tyler Bell SS 20 Kentucky --
19 Vahn Lackey C 20 Georgia Tech --
20 Logan Schmidt LHP 17 Ganesha LSU
21 Coleman Borthwick RHP 17 South Walton Auburn
22 Caden Sorrell OF 20 Texas A&M --
23 Blake Bowen OF 17 JSerra Oregon State
24 Chris Rembert 2B 20 Auburn --
25 Jensen Hirschkorn RHP 17 Kingsburg LSU
26 Gavin Grahovac 3B 20 Texas A&M --
27 Brady Harris OF 17 Trinity Christian Florida
28 Trevor Condon OF 17 Etowah Tennessee
29 Aiden Ruiz SS 18 The Stony Brook Vanderbilt
30 Gabe Gaeckle RHP 21 Arkansas --
31 Eric Booth OF 17 Oak Gove Vanderbilt
32 Kaden Waechter RHP 18 Jesuit Florida State
33 Caden Bogenpohl OF 20 Missouri State --
34 Will Brick C 17 Christian Brothers Mississippi State
35 Joseph Contreras RHP 17 Blessed Trinity Vanderbilt
36 Tegan Kuhns RHP 20 Tennessee --
37 Zion Rose OF 20 Louisville --
38 Savion Sims RHP 18 Prestonwood Christian Oklahoma
39 Maddox Molony SS 21 Oregon --
40 Joey Volchko RHP 20 Georgia --
41 Jarren Advincula 2B 20 Georgia Tech --
42 Cole Carlon LHP 20 Arizona State --
43 Chase Brunson OF 20 TCU --
44 Rocco Maniscalco SS 16 Oxford Mississippi State
45 Ryder Helfrick C 20 Arkansas --
46 Tommy LaPour RHP 20 TCU --
47 Ryan Lynch RHP 20 North Carolina --
48 Cole Koeninger SS/RHP 18 Keller Tennessee
49 Beau Peterson 3B 18 Mill Valley Texas
50 Landon Thome 2B/3B 18 Nazareth Academy Florida State
51 Lucas Moore OF 20 Louisville --
52 Daniel Cuvet 3B 20 Miami --
53 Denton Lord RHP 18 South Walton --
54 Kevin Roberts OF 17 Jackson Prep Florida
55 James Clark SS 18 St. John Bosco Princeton
56 Connor Comeau SS/3B 17 Anderson Texas A&M
57 Andrew Costello C 18 Cathedral Prep Wake Forest
58 Trey Rangel RHP 18 The Colony Texas
59 Jake McCoy LHP 20 South Carolina --
60 Keon Johnson SS 17 First Presbyterian --
61 Eli Herst RHP 17 Seattle Academy Vanderbilt
62 Henry Ford OF 21 Tennessee --
63 Blake Bryant RHP 18 Citizen Christian Clemson
64 Jason DeCaro RHP 19 North Carolina --
65 Gavin Gallaher 3B 21 North Carolina --
66 Archer Horn SS 17 St. Ignatius Stanford
67 Trey Beard LHP 21 Florida Atlantic --
68 Cooper Sides RHP 18 Orange Lutheran LSU
69 Sean Duncan LHP 17 Terry Fox (Canada) Vanderbilt
70 Hunter Dietz LHP 20 Arkansas --
71 Ethan Bass SS 18 Glenbrook North Wake Forest
72 Noah Wilson OF 18 McCallie Vanderbilt
73 Carson Tinney C 20 Texas --
74 Shane Sdao LHP 22 Texas A&M --
75 Aidan Knaak RHP 21 Clemson --
76 Owen Kramkowski RHP 20 Arizona --
77 Kade Lewis 1B 20 Wake Forest --
78 Gary Morse RHP 18 Orange Lutheran Tennessee
79 Tre Broussard OF 20 Houston --
80 Jorvorskie Lane OF 17 Grapevine Arkansas
81 Matt Ponatoski SS 17 Moeller Kentucky
82 Jake Brown OF 20 LSU --
83 Malachi Washington OF 17 Parkview LSU
84 Logan Hughes OF 20 Texas Tech --
85 Steven Milam SS/2B 21 LSU --
86 Brady Ballinger 1B 20 Kansas --
87 Blake Morningstar RHP 20 Wake Forest --
88 Ethan Kleinschmit LHP 20 Oregon State --
89 Brett Renfrow RHP 20 Virginia Tech --
90 Will Yow SS 18 St. Anne's-Belfield Virginia
91 Ricky Ojeda LHP 20 UC Irvine --
92 Dominic Santarelli 1B 18 St. Joseph --
93 Andrew Williamson OF 20 Central Florida --
94 Wilson Andersen RHP 17 Jesuit Mississippi State
95 Jason Amalbert SS 18 DePaul Oklahoma
96 Ethan Norby LHP 20 East Carolina --
97 Cade Townsend RHP 20 Mississippi --
98 Alex Hernandez 2B/OF 20 Georgia Tech --
99 Wes Mendes LHP 21 Florida State --
100 Cole Prosek 3B 18 Magnolia Heights Mississippi
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