Alan Roden Has Tapped Into His Upside This Spring

Fort Myers – Alan Roden is off to a hot start to his spring training after a lackluster start to his Minnesota Twins tenure.

Roden played in only 12 games before suffering a thumb sprain in mid-August, which required season-ending surgery. Roden was only 6-for-40 with a home run before his 2025 season ended. Still, he was around the major-league club every day and spent the off-season working out at Target Field.

“That was huge,” Roden said on his off-season at Target Field. “Trying to get familiar is a big thing for me; it is for everyone, but I would say for me specifically, just getting comfortable and trying to get familiar is always helpful, especially for me.”

The Toronto Blue Jays took Roden in the third round of the 2022 MLB Draft. He had only played in 43 major-league games before they traded him and Kendry Rojas for Louis Varland and Ty France at the deadline. Trades are part of the game, but his injury limited Roden's adjustment time.

Alan Roden got off to a slow start in the majors. He had a .191/.261/.294 slash line, 5.2% walk rate, 24.2% strikeout rate, just two home runs, and nine RBI. However, his Triple-A numbers from 2025 give a glimpse into the hitter he can become in Minnesota.

With Triple-A Buffalo, Roden hit .331/.423/.496 three home runs. He had 18 RBI, walked 11.3% of the time, and had a 9.2% strikeout rate over 142 plate appearances. If Roden hits like that in the majors, then he will be able to get plenty of playing time in Minnesota’s outfield this upcoming season.

“I think it’s a lot of trying to learn, not dwell on it obviously, try to find bright points where they are,” he said. “Obviously, taking a deep dive into that and making some adjustments mentally and physically on that. I’m feeling okay about it so far, feeling good about it so far.”

Alan Roden is battling for a spot in a crowded outfield overloaded with left-handed hitters. Only two of the five left-handed hitting outfielders are likely to make the Opening Day roster between him, Matt Wallner, Trevor Larnach, James Outman, and Emmanuel Rodriguez.

Roden has been productive this spring. He’s 7-for-14 in five games, with a grand slam against the Atlanta Braves.

But as anyone knows, spring training stats are not going to be the deciding factor on whether a player makes an Opening Day roster.

“I think everyone, every hitter at least, and probably pitchers, too, kind of has to play a game with themselves trying not to get too panicked or freaked out about the good or the bad this early in spring,” he said. “If it’s especially good, there’s still a long time until the season, so you don’t want to peak too early. And if it’s especially bad, you’ll hear it a lot as nothing’s bad right now.

“Just trying to have competitive at-bats, see as many pitches as possible, and just kind of get those competitive juices flowing and getting ready to play. That these spring training games are trying to really hone in on trying to be ready to play for the season.”

Among the other left-handed hitting outfielders, Roden has a bit of an upper hand with his ability to play all three outfield positions. But he also has two option years remaining, which makes him a likely candidate to start the season at Triple-A.

No matter where he starts his season, Alan Roden will be a versatile outfielder for the Twins. Even if he doesn’t get a major-league opportunity immediately, getting frequent starts with the Saints will help him to produce consistently. By the middle of the summer, fans can likely expect him to be a regular at the top of the Twins lineup, setting the stage for the heart of the order to do some damage.

“I think I’ll play around a little bit, move around. I think that’s something I would like to pride myself in is versatility in the outfield,” Roden said. “I’m able to play all three positions out there if necessary, that’s something I want. I’m going to play wherever they put me in the lineup, and I think that’s the plan.”