Ryan Jeffers Expects To Remain Twins' Primary Catcher In 2026

For a team with as limited a payroll as the Twins have, putting around $15 million into their catcher position has raised some eyebrows and drawn a lot of questions. One of those questions being whether Minnesota will potentially trade Ryan Jeffers, after two acquisitions this winter to bring in catchers. However, when talking about his new teammate on Tuesday, Jeffers seems eager to pick Caratini's baseball brain and, more interestingly, stake his claim to the majority of the playing time.

"Before all that happened, I had conversations (with the team), and they said, 'Hey, this might happen.' It just reassured me that my role as the guy that's going to catch a 100-plus games is not going to change," said Jeffers during Tuesday's Inside Twins. "You know, I'm excited to go back there and get a full season in. Throughout my career, I've split time with a lot of guys, and I'm excited to catch a full workload and also be joined by a guy who's been in the game for eight-plus years, and has a lot of experience, and won a lot of games, and been in some organizations that have played really good baseball. And see what type of knowledge and information he has, just to be a better team."

01/20/26 - Inside Twins featuring Ryan Jeffers https://t.co/Iwt1X132Wj
— Minnesota Twins (@Twins) January 20, 2026

Jeffers recently agreed to a one-year, $6.7 million deal via arbitration this offseason. That comes off a season in which he hit for a .266 average while hitting just nine home runs, down from 21 in 2024, in 464 plate appearances. Meanwhile, Caratini, a nine-year veteran, comes to Minnesota after two seasons in Houston. With the Astros, Caratini hit 20 home runs and slashed .263/.329/.406 in 201 games.

The 28-year-old Twins catcher has previously been the focus of trade speculation, with the Philadelphia Phillies reportedly interested in making a move for Jeffers earlier in January.

Changes for 2026

Heading into the 2026 season, Jeffers will be experiencing two big changes when he takes the field: a new manager and a new challenge system. On the Twins' new manager, Derek Shelton, Jeffers said he's excited about the fresh new voice and the "new energy" the overturned coaching staff has brought in.

"Yeah, I'm really excited," said Jeffers of the new Twins manager. "He seems like a guy that we as players are really going to be able to relate to. He seems like he's going to step into the locker room and not only command the room, but also feel like he fits in. I haven't been around a ton of managers, but you can kind of feel like there is different vibes that each guy gives off. That's just everybody in general. I feel like he's going to be hard; he's going to be hard on us. He's going to push us to be the best. But he's also going to be chill and be able to step back from the baseball side of things and associate with you, and relate to you as a person, and as a player as just one of the guys in the locker room."

Jeffers made his major league debut in 2020 and has, up to this point, played his entire career under now former manager Rocco Baldelli. Following the conclusion of the 2025 season, the Twins parted ways with Baldelli and hired former Twins bench coach Derek Shelton.

The other big change heading into the 2026 season is the new ABS Challenge System that Jeffers will be a key part of for the Twins. The new system gives teams the opportunity to request a quick review of ball-strike calls. Each team will be given two challenges throughout a game, which can only be initiated by a batter, a pitcher, or a catcher.

"First off, we're going to sit down in Spring Training and run through all the probabilities. Get deep in the weeds of the analytics and the statistics of good challenges, bad challenges, when to challenge, and when not to challenge. And we'll get deep into the strategy in Spring Training," Jeffers said when discussing the new system. "But, you know, I think it's going to be something like, 'Hey, if you think you're going to be right, then challenge it.' Whether it's the first inning or third inning, whatever it is, if you think you can win a challenge, go and win a challenge."

Jeffers noted the importance of being able to make a challenge due to the ability to flip a count, which can, in turn change at-bats and potentially a game. It's just another important call Jeffers will have to make throughout a game.

"I think it's going to be like when you're challenging the bases. I think managers are willing to go after it if they believe they got the right answer," said Jeffers.

Changes for 2026

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