Top prospect Jenkins inching closer to Major League dream

ST. PAUL, Minn. -- Walker Jenkins can do just about everything on a baseball field. All he has to do is stay on the field.

His second full pro season took a while to get going, due to an injury he first suffered in Spring Training. But once he got going, Jenkins has spent the last three-plus months reminding everyone why he’s been ranked as high as the No. 3 prospect in all of baseball. And now he finds himself on the doorstep of the Major Leagues in more ways than one.

Still ranked as the Twins’ No. 1 prospect (now No. 14 overall), the 20-year-old plays his home games less than 10 miles away from Target Field. He’s playing with nearly a dozen teammates who have been in the Majors at some point. It all makes a lifelong dream seem a little more real.

“It does,” he said. “I think it makes it so real seeing some of the guys who’ve been in the locker room. We had Pablo [López] in here [on a rehab assignment]. We had [David] Festa in here. We’ve had so many guys who have been up and down in the big leagues that I’ve already been with in the 2 1/2 weeks I’ve been here. So it’s just kind of surreal, seeing some of those guys come through. You get drafted, you get to see them in Minnesota; these are big leaguers. Now I’m playing with them. So it’s pretty crazy to think about.”

Jenkins’ stint at Triple-A got off to a bit of a slow start, as he went 1-for-20 in his first week at the level. That was as long as the mini-funk lasted. In his second weeklong series with the Saints, Jenkins hit .520 and cranked four extra-base hits, including his first triple and homer at Triple-A.

It can take some players much longer to adjust to a new level, but Jenkins isn’t your typical player. Obviously, there’s the natural talent, but he also has a mindset that seems tailor-made for the constant challenges baseball brings. He relishes the hard times.

“It’s always fun to succeed, but when you’re succeeding, you want to go to the next level,” he said. “You want to continue to succeed and perform. I want to continue to challenge myself. And I think that’s why I love this game. It’s the only game where you can really fail a lot more than you succeed and still be considered a great player. I think that’s why I love it. You can never perfect it. … I love the humility in it, the continued grind and how hard you have to work at it.”

Jenkins will likely be in Major League camp next year. Whether there’s an Opening Day opportunity for him remains to be seen, and will depend not only on his performance but on what the Twins do during this winter’s hot stove season.

He’s done about all he can do to make his case, though. He displays a mature approach at the plate, evidenced by his impressive strikeout and walk rates. He’s a career .300 hitter in the Minor Leagues, a skilled base-stealer and a smooth defender.

“The thing I’ve been most impressed with is the defensive stuff,” said St. Paul manager Toby Gardenhire. “I didn’t realize how good he was on defense. Most of the time when I saw him in Spring Training, he was hurt a little bit. So I didn’t really know how good a defender he is. He’s a legit center fielder. He’s really good.”

The next step is to hit for power, and Jenkins has already shown progress this year. In 52 games at Double-A, Jenkins slugged .487, up from his .439 combined mark at four levels last year. The key is to take confident swings with conviction without trying to force extra bases. It’s harder than it might sound, but he understands the assignment.

“Sometimes last year I would be so caught up in not getting beat, I’d be OK just slapping the ball,” he said. “This year it’s been a little more of, ‘OK, if the pitcher throws this pitch and he gets me on it 0-0, whatever.' I’m OK taking my swing and just missing it or fouling it off. … So I’d say it’s just intentionality that’s been a big thing for me.”