If a player wasn’t anchored down to the Minnesota Twins’ roster, the front office made every effort to move them at the MLB trade deadline. The two notable exceptions were Byron Buxton, as Buxton has no interest in leaving the Twins, and Joe Ryan, considering there wasn’t enough time for a deal to be worked out with the Boston Red Sox. In the post-Carlos Correa era of the Twins’ 2025 season, there isn’t much to be excited about, but Luke Keaschall is providing a glimpse into what the future may look like.
Keaschall was one of the Twins’ top prospects heading into the season, but after making his Major League debut on April 18, Keaschall suffered a forearm fracture a week later that placed his run with the Major League team on pause.
Keaschall returned to the Twins on August 5 and has become the top storyline for the Twins team in the early stages of a rebuild. Through his first 48 plate appearances with the Twins, Keaschall is slashing .415/.500/.707 with 2 home runs and a 234 wRC+. Adding to the success story that has been his run at the Major League level, Keaschall hit a two-run walk-off home run for the Twins against the Kansas City Royals on Sunday afternoon.
Luke Keaschall #WALKOFF homer!
The @Twins win it in the 11th! pic.twitter.com/zEmFEWVk7C
— MLB (@MLB) August 10, 2025
Twins fans find silver lining in Luke Keaschall’s emergence after deadline blow
For better or worse, the development of players like Keaschall has taken center stage for the Twins moving forward. The impending sale of the Twins likely limits any external move the front office will make this offseason. In other words, if the Twins plan on returning to contention in 2026, the key will be the development of their farm system. Keaschall’s electric start to his Major League career is a step in that direction.
2026 is expected to be an important season for the prospects at the top of the Twins’ farm system. Emmanuel Rodriguez and Walker Jenkins figure to be in line to make their Major League debut within the next calendar year. Rodriguez may even get a look before the end of this season. Of course, Mick Abel, the pitching prospect added from the Phillies in the Jhoan Duran trade, figures to be an important piece to the 2026 puzzle as well.
