Wait Is Over, 15th Best Minor League Prospect, Emmanuel Rodriguez, Promoted To Saints, Pitcher Jarret Whorff Also Called Up

ST. PAUL, MN (September 2, 2024) - There have been several highly-anticipated debuts for Saints’ players since the 2021 season: David Festa, Brooks Lee, Royce Lewis, Zebby Matthews, and Jose Miranda, to name a few. This year there has been a player roaming the Texas League outfields that Saints and Twins fans have waited to see in St. Paul: Emmanuel Rodriguez. That wait is finally over, as Rodriguez was transferred to the Saints’ roster on Monday.

Rodriguez, 21, is rated the Twins’ #3 prospect by both MLB Pipeline and Baseball America and the 21st-best prospect in baseball by MLB Pipeline and the 15th-best by Baseball America. He has played 40 games this season, split between Double-A Wichita and on a minor league rehab assignment with the FCL Twins and Fort Myers Mighty Mussels. In 37 games with the Wind Surge, Rodriguez hit .298/.479/.621 with a 1.100 OPS. He was placed on the Double-A 7-Day Injured List on June 7 and played two minor league rehab games on July 6 and July 8 before another shutdown. He returned to action on August 30 with Fort Myers, going 0-for-3 with a walk. Prior to his stint on the Injured List, Rodriguez led the Texas League with 42 walks and 40 runs, ranking second with 22 extra-base hits and tied for seventh with eight home runs.

The Santiago, Dominican Republic native spent the 2023 season with High-A Cedar Rapids, where he hit .240 with a career-high 16 home runs and 55 RBI, in addition to a career-best 20 stolen bases. He was named a MiLB.com Organizational All-Star and a Midwest League Post-Season All-Star. He was named Twins Minor League Player of the Week five times in 2023, most ever for a Twins minor leaguer.

Rodriguez was signed as an international free agent on July 2, 2019, out of the Dominican Republic. He made his professional debut with the FCL Twins in 2021, hitting .214 with 10 home runs and 23 RBI in 37 games.

The Saints also added right-handed pitcher Jarret Whorff on Monday. Whorff, 25, was transferred from Wichita to St. Paul after appearing in 28 games (five starts) between Cedar Rapids and Wichita. On the season, he has a 3-5 record and a 2.84 ERA across the two levels. In 63.1 innings, he has stuck out 62 while walking 25, holding his opponents to a .226 average. Whorff was signed as a minor league free agent on May 8, 2023.

The Saints’ roster now holds the league-maximum 28 players, with 15 pitchers and 13 position players, five on the Injured List and one Major League Rehab assignment.