The Minnesota Twins are officially bringing up their top prospect, Walker Jenkins, for this weekend’s series against the Chicago White Sox. That’s big news, right? This move dropped Thursday amidst some serious uncertainty surrounding veteran Byron Buxton’s availability, all thanks to another hip injury.
This Kid Jenkins Is Straight Up Balling
So who is this Walker Jenkins, and why should anyone care? He’s only 21 years old, and this dude has been absolutely tearing it up in Triple-A St. Paul. We’re talking a .308/.407/.532 slash line, a ridiculous 12 home runs, 17 doubles, 28 RBI, and 17 stolen bases in just 307 plate appearances, all while battling his own hamstring and shoulder bumps. And get this: August has been a straight up power surge for him. He’s slashing .411/.488/.795 with 8 dingers and 7 steals just this month! MLB.com ranks him as Minnesota’s No. 1 prospect, and No. 15 overall in the entire league. The Twins snagged him as their 2023 first-round draft pick, fifth overall, out of South Brunswick High in North Carolina. This isn’t just a random call-up either; the kid homered for the third time in his past three Triple-A games, absolutely crushing it.
Buxton’s Hip And The Wild Card Dream
Now, let’s talk about why Jenkins is even getting this shot. It’s all because of Byron Buxton, who at 32 years old, just can’t seem to shake the injury bug. He aggravated his right hip injury in Tuesday’s 4-2 loss to the Athletics. Dude was running, reaching for a hit into the right-center gap in the seventh inning, and it was clear as day he was hurting, favoring that right leg and getting pulled from the game. This season has been a nightmare for Buxton, limiting him to only 93 games thanks to a right hip impingement that has already landed him on the injured list twice. He only played nine games from July 4 to August 13. When he is in the lineup though, he’s a monster: .254/.319/.511 with 25 bombs, 22 doubles, and 46 RBI in 408 plate appearances. Plus, his defense in center field is legit, with 1 Defensive Run Saved and 3 Outs Above Average. The Twins haven’t announced a corresponding move yet, so we don’t know for sure if Buxton is headed back to the IL for a third time, but it’s not looking great.
This call-up is a big swing for the Twins, who are 64-70 and sitting four games back from the American League’s third wild-card spot. Five teams are ahead of them in the standings, including the Cleveland Guardians who are holding that spot at 68-66. They’re 6.5 games behind the White Sox in the AL Central, so the wild card is pretty much their only shot at the postseason. Jenkins is the second top prospect they’ve brought up in August, joining shortstop Kaelen Culpepper. This team is throwing everything they’ve got at this wild card dream.
So, the stage is set for Walker Jenkins this weekend against the White Sox. Can this 21-year-old phenom provide the spark the Twins desperately need as they claw for a wild-card spot? Keep your eyes peeled, because this could be exactly what they need to stay in the postseason hunt. This weekend is gonna be a show!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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