The Minnesota Twins are going into a season where they will be relying on young players. The Twins might raise their payroll, which they should do when adding to their pitching staff, but it's time for the Twins to turn to the kids.

This presents an opportunity for the Twins to make their lineup more dynamic and look stronger and likely improve their defense, something the Twins' higher-ups were discussing after the season ended.

The Youth Movement in the Twin Cities

At the end of August, the Twins began to call up prospects. Walker Jenkins was first, and Emmanuel Rodriguez followed a few weeks later. They got some seasoning at the MLB level in games that counted for just one thing: development of prospects.

Even though postseason hopes for the Twins were all but dead going into September, the games that Jenkins and Rodriguez played were extremely valuable because they got to adjust to big-league life.

Jenkins got 93 plate appearances in the month-plus he played and posted a 92 wRC+ with four home runs and 10 RBIs. Jenkins really struggled for most of his stint, but as he got more games under his belt, he picked up the production. He finished the season 19-for-40 (.475) with three home runs and four RBIs after Sept. 17, a span of 10 games.

That stretch should have given a glimpse to the Twins and their fans of what could be coming for Jenkins in the future. It should be a no-brainer that Jenkins gets a spot when camp breaks for opening day, if healthy. He was the Twins' top prospect and deserves the runway to perform. If it doesn't work, he could always be re-optioned, but that chance should be provided to him.

Rodriguez got 48 plate appearances and started his career with a bang, hitting a home run in his first MLB game. Overall, the numbers were not that great. He posted a 69 wRC+ with two home runs and five RBIs. His 13 games is not enough of a sample size to draw any drastic conclusions one way or another, but Rodriguez has hit solidly through his minor-league career.

Given the weak free agent class on the offense side of the ball, the Twins should be more invested in their prospects and spend in other areas, rather than spend on improving the outfield. Rodriguez should get similar treatment to what Jenkins will get, which is a chance to prosper. If it does not work, the team can choose to option him down, but the first step should be giving Rodriguez a chance to perform at the MLB level.