Twins Top Prospect: Walker Jenkins
(Mark J. Rebilas)-(USA TODAY Sports)
The 2023 draft had some of the most talented prospects the Major League Baseball draft has ever seen, with names like Paul Skenes, Dylan Crews, Wyatt Langford, and Max Clark, to name a few. After receiving the fifth overall pick in the MLB draft, the Minnesota Twins selected Walker Jenkins from South Brunswick High School in North Carolina.
Jenkins is a physical six-foot-three left-handed hitting outfielder. MLB's 2023 draft board ranked Jenkins as the fourth-best prospect and the top-ranked high school player in the 2023 MLB draft. The two-time North Carolina Gatorade player of the year was supposed to play his college ball at the Univeristy of North Carolina, but the 7,144,200 dollar signing bonus led him to sign with the big club.
After signing Jenkins, the organization sent him to start his pro career with the rookie ball team in Fort Meyers, Florida. The 18-year-old made his professional debut on August 3, 2023, against the FCL Rays, wasting no time as Jenkins went two-for-four with a double and a stolen base. Just four days later, in Jenkins's third professional game, Jenkins hit his first professional home run, which happened to as well be his first grand slam. Jenkins would play his last rookie ball game on August 23, 2023, playing 14 games with an impressive slash line of .333/.390/.537 with a pair of home runs and four stolen bases.
The organization then placed Jenkins on their single-A affiliate, the Fort Meyers Mighty Mussles, and with the promotion, Jenkins has only been better. Through 12 games with the Mighty Mussles, Jenkins has been dominant, having a slash line of .392/.446/.608 with a home run and one stolen base. In total, Jenkins played in 26 minor league games between two professional levels, having a batting average of.362, On Base Percentage of .417 and a Slugging Percentage of .571.
(Aaron Gleeman) (Getty Images)
Through 26 games, Jenkins has shown why the Twins selected him with the fifth pick in the draft. As Jenkins ages and plays more professional games, it's hard not to believe this is just the beginning for the 18-year-old star. The Twins may have found the centerpiece for the future of their organization.
