St. Paul – Minnesota Twins Chairperson Tom Pohlad has been present almost every day at Target Field during the Twins' first homestand of the year.
He was all around the ballpark for the home opener on Friday, helped present Byron Buxton with his 2025 Silver Slugger award on Saturday, and gifted Buxton a Rolex watch to celebrate his 10 years of MLB service time on Sunday.
Earlier in the week, before the Twins returned home from Kansas City, Pohlad met with the St. Paul Saints’ players and coaches. It was Pohlad’s first time at CHS Field, and he wanted to ensure he took the opportunity to meet with many of the players who will be playing large roles on the Twins in 2026 and beyond.
“Listen, a lot of those players are going to be an integral part of this organization going forward, Gabby [Gonzalez], Emma [Rodriguez], and Walker [Jenkins],” Pohlad said at Target Field on Friday. “I want those guys to know we’re thinking about them, we’re watching them, and when the time is right, we can’t wait to have them in a Minnesota Twins uniform.”
Pohlad introduced himself to Saints players and coaches during their on-field batting practice on Tuesday afternoon. He spoke with several people collectively but also met one-on-one with a few key people: manager Brian Dinkelman, Jenkins, and shortstop Kaelen Culpepper.
Many Minor League teams, including the Saints, are owned by Diamond Sports Holdings, a private equity group that has acquired majority stakes in over 40 teams since 2021. Because of that, not too many MLB owners take time to visit with their affiliates under DSH’s ownership, which made Pohlad’s visit to the team all the more special to those who met with him.
“I think when someone is taking over an organization, you’re trying to learn all the ins and outs of what’s going on, and how the day-to-day operations run from the Minor Leagues to the Major Leagues,” said Dinkelman on his talk with Pohlad. “So it was a good conversation, I think he’s just trying to learn what’s going on, and how we do things, and how we could help benefit the organization now.”
“I can only speak for myself, but you know, it’s awesome,” Jenkins said. “I think winning and having a good clubhouse and a good environment starts at the top. So him showing up and being present means a lot.”
The conversations weren’t all about baseball, either. Pohlad wanted to get to know his team’s future stars on a personal level, well before they make their MLB debuts.
That stood out most to Culpepper and Jenkins. It showed an effort to make Minnesota a place where they and their family would be welcomed, beyond just their future jobs with the Minnesota Twins.
“To me, it was the first time I was actually standing and talking to him, having a good conversation with him, and stuff, that went well,” Culpepper said. “We were just talking about, it wasn’t really just baseball, it was just how I’m feeling, and family, and all that stuff. But it does feel really good to know that he’s around, and he cares about his guys a lot.”
“I think like, when you have a situation like that or a person that has a status like he has,” said Jenkins. “It’s nice to be able to talk to’em face to face, and realize, ‘Man, they’re human, too.’ They go through the same things we do, and we talked about winning and losing ball. He hates losing, and I’m like, ‘Man, I’m right there with you.’ So you realize these guys are on the same boat we are.”
Pohlad’s visit to CHS Field may be the only one he takes this season. Still, even if it is, the players and coaching staff won't forget that he took the time to show up in the first place. It shows Pohlad has a level of excitement for the talent the Twins will build their roster around in the future. Perhaps he’s willing to extend to keep them here for most, if not all, of their careers.
If Pohlad shows up again, the conversations will always remain open with Dinkelman, Jenkins, Culpepper, and any young prospects or older veterans who want to share in his vision of rebuilding a playoff-caliber team for the long haul.
“That’s exciting when you’ve got the owner of the organization coming around to see the facility and see the guys, and to show his interest here and what could possibly help the big league team in the future,” said Dinkelman. “That means a lot to show that he cares and comes to see how things are going.”
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