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Twins Promote Top Prospect Walker Jenkins for White Sox Debut

8/28/2026

Summary

Jenkins Debuts

The Minnesota Twins promoted outfielder Walker Jenkins for a debut against the Chicago White Sox.
Byron Buxton’s right hip injury removed him from Tuesday’s game, creating a roster spot.
Jenkins posted a .308/.407/.532 line with 12 homers and 17 steals in 69 Triple-A games.
The Twins trail the White Sox by 6.5 games in the AL Central, four games from the wild-card.

Summary

Pohlad Goes Big

Owner Tom Pohlad declared a “go big or go home” approach in a December interview.
The Twins offered $2 beers at Friday and Saturday home games to boost fan engagement.
Approximately $8 million in salary was added at the deadline, the only major payroll increase.
The Twins kept Ryan Jenkins in Triple-A to protect his service-time for a possible minor-league season.

Summary

Jenkins Signs

Jenkins signed a $7.14 million contract with Minnesota days after turning 18.
MLB Pipeline ranked Jenkins as Minnesota’s No. 1 prospect and the overall No. 15 prospect in baseball.
He earned the Gatorade North Carolina Baseball Player of the Year award in 2022 and 2023.
Jenkins recovered from quad, hamstring, ankle and shoulder injuries before his promotion.
He became the fourth Wilmington-area baseball prospect to reach the major leagues since 2017.

History

Historical Context

Seattle’s 1995 playoff surge, highlighted by Edgar Martínez’s .356 batting average and his walk-off double that clinched the ALDS Game 5, sparked a statewide push that funded a new ballpark and proved a young star could lift attendance. The Twins’ call-up of Walker Jenkins, echoing that strategy, follows owner Tom Pohlad’s effort to energize the fan base.

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Jenkins Debuts

The Minnesota Twins promoted outfielder Walker Jenkins for a debut against the Chicago White Sox.
Byron Buxton’s right hip injury removed him from Tuesday’s game, creating a roster spot.
Jenkins posted a .308/.407/.532 line with 12 homers and 17 steals in 69 Triple-A games.
The Twins trail the White Sox by 6.5 games in the AL Central, four games from the wild-card.

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