Underrated: Matt Wallner
Drafted as a first-round Competitive Balance pick in 2019, Matt Wallner was one of thousands of minor leaguers who missed a crucial year of development when the 2020 minor league season was canceled. He is now 27 and has yet to have a full-season opportunity in the bigs, spending 2024 bouncing between AAA and MLB. However, last season’s second half proved that he is far from a Quad-A player.
Wallner seemed to solidify a spot in the Twins’ corner outfield and DH mix in the second half of 2023, posting an .854 OPS driven by good patience and solid pop. The 2024 season started rough, though, as he slashed .080/.273/.240 in the first 13 games. Minnesota, desperate to pull themselves out of a team-wide poor start, demoted him and he lingered in AAA until early July.
When he returned, he made sure it was for good, slashing .282/.386/.559 for a .945 OPS the rest of the way. He still struck out plenty, but he hit the ball with authority and in the air. Though his walk rate was league-average, his on-base skills have been boosted the past two years by being a ball magnet. Through a combined 151 games, he was hit by a pitch 29 times in 2023 and 2024.
Once without a specific position, he now appears to be the Twins’ everyday right fielder, though he’ll likely sit against southpaws fairly often. His only productive MLB time so far has occurred from July onward, but there’s no reason to think the cold bothers him — he is a local Minnesotan after all. With more experience under his belt, don’t be surprised to see Matt Wallner extend his 2024 second half excellence over a full season.