The Minnesota Twins kick off 2026 spring training at their home facility, Hammond Stadium in Fort Myers, Florida, against the University of Minnesota Golden Gophers on Friday, February 20. Their first game against an MLB opponent is the next day, also at home, against the Boston Red Sox. The Twins’ spring training schedule includes plenty of other exciting games, including a matchup against Team Puerto Rico.
According to Bobby Nightengale of the Minnesota Star Tribune, top prospects Walker Jenkins and Kaelen Culpepper will be in major league camp this spring. Additional, minor leaguers like Aaron Sabato, Kyler Fedko and others will be in major league camp. One forgotten prospect, who the Twins drafted in the fifth round of the 2020 MLB Draft, appears poised to have a strong performance in Fort Myers.
This forgotten lanky prospect, Kala’i Rosario, could make waves during Twins spring training
Rosario, who currently plays corner outfield ranks as the Twins’ No. 29 prospect per MLB Pipeline. After a 2024 season in which he missed more than two months due to an elbow injury, the 23-year-old Hawaii native impressed in his first full season at Double-A Wichita last year, hitting .256/.358/.487 with 25 home runs, 30 doubles, five triples, 83 RBI and 32 stolen bases.
The Twins have a busy outfield that includes Byron Buxton, Matt Wallner, Trevor Larnach, Alan Roden, James Outman and Austin Martin. Luke Keaschall is also expected to play some outfield play next season, and top outfield prospects Jenkins, Emmanuel Rodríguez and Gabriel Gonzalez will likely make their MLB debuts in 2026 or 2027. Right-handed outfielder Kyler Fedko could also reach the major leagues soon. Still, Rosario, who hits from the right side, appears poised to have a strong spring training in 2026 and earn a big league promotion sometime in the next few seasons.
Being a right-handed hitter increases Rosario’s chances of reaching the majors quickly, as Wallner, Larnach, Roden, Outman, Jenkins and Rodríguez all hit from the left side. Rosario, who won the Midwest League MVP in 2023, will soon earn a promotion to the big league. If the Twins feel like they won’t have room for him anytime soon, and the 2026 season goes well, they could package Rosario in a trade to get an established big league player to help their playoff chase. But if the season falls through, which is very likely, the Twins might as well give the Hawaii native a shot on their 26-man roster by the end of the 2026 season as long as he continues to perform well.
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