St. Paul – To the average baseball fan, it may not seem all that important that the St. Paul Saints are full of players who all like one another. It’s not a counting stat like home runs, earned runs, or strikeouts.
But the 2026 Saints might have a way to measure that, and it’s helped them to a 46-34 record through their first 80 games. They’ve also been one of the most prolific home run-hitting teams in all of pro baseball, with 142 on the year going into Wednesday night’s game.
Baseball America ranked the Saints as the most talented team in Minor League Baseball entering 2026. Even with injuries, call-ups, and veterans opting out of deals, the talent has remained nearly the same – especially offensively.
“I don’t think people get how many good ballplayers and good men are on this team,” said Twins top prospect Walker Jenkins. “I think that’s one reason that we’ve been finding success, even without me here; they’re just a great group of guys that the clubhouse here is about as good as I’ve been in one since I’ve been in professional baseball.”
Jenkins and fellow top prospects Kaelen Culpepper, Hendry Mendez, and Gabby Gonzalez lead the offense. They also have some players on the fringe of the major leagues like Matt Wallner and Alan Roden, producing offensively, along with under-the-radar names such as Ben Ross, Kala’i Rosario, Aaron Sabato, and Tanner Schobel.
Most of the group has come up the Twins farm system together, which has helped keep the vibes loose and fun. Still, encouragement is the key attribute that’s helping the Saints perform so well. More than any other stat, encouragement has been the most consistent thing from the Saints clubhouse. No matter the results on the field each night, it never goes away.
“Every level I’ve been at, I feel like the vibe is always the same,” said shortstop Kaelen Culpepper.
“Always positive, always good, you can get along with everybody, but I think that’s something that also has to do with the org, too. I mean, everybody in the org is the same way. Everyone is chill: how they recruit, how they sign, how they watch guys. I think they do a really good job of picking out a really good group of guys, and it shows, especially at this level.”
“People enjoy showing up to work every day, so that definitely plays a part in it,” said Saints infielder Tanner Schobel. “When times are tough, it’s not the most fun showing up to work every day, so that can kind of kill a clubhouse a little bit, but times are good right now. So people are enjoying coming into the clubhouse.”
A clubhouse as good as the Saints have right now can sometimes be hard to find, especially in Triple-A. Everyone is a call away from the majors. That can create competition among teammates, whether intentional or not, to earn a major-league roster spot.
The Twins have already called up five players off St. Paul’s active roster. Several more are on the precipice of getting there within the next month or two. But the competitive nature sometimes brewing in a Triple-A clubhouse isn’t present in St. Paul, and it’s made Saints manager Brian Dinkelman proud of how his players have meshed.
“We just have a lot of really good guys in there who encourage each other,” Dinkelman said. “Even if one of them isn’t having the playing time they want, you see them keep pulling for everybody and trying to keep everyone going well.”
“I think whether it’s a guy that’s been in the big leagues or not, when you’re around guys that are going about their work the right way, are positive regardless of the results, and are constantly rooting for you, man,” said Jenkins. “It only rubs off, and it makes me only want to do that even more and just support the guys, whether I get called up, whether he gets called up, whatever it may be.”
That positive encouragement throughout the clubhouse also leads Saints players to spend more time together off the field. They still have a Bible study group that met last season and continues to meet this year. Some players find ways to volunteer in the community each homestand, such as at Feed My Starving Children during the current one. Other players are getting together after Sunday home games before traveling for cookouts.
The correlation of how much these Saints players enjoy one another’s company isn’t just about winning ball games, though. It’s about building lifelong friendships from a place that sees more turnover than any other minor league roster.
“Even when we’re not here, we’re all hanging out together outside the clubhouse, outside the field,” said Schobel. “So I think there’s a correlation there.”
“I think it’s more than just baseball sometimes, and I think that’s one of those things when you’re here,” Jenkins said. “I mean, I spend more time with these guys than I do my wife. They’re your brothers, so it’s like having guys around that you enjoy spending time with and encourage one another is incredible.”
