Twins Prospect Kyle DeBarge Reveals What Drives His All-Out Style

The Minnesota Twins sent second baseman Kyle DeBarge to the Arizona Fall League this year with a simple goal, and so far the plan is working.

DeBarge, the 33rd overall pick in the 2024 Draft, spent all of the 2026 season with Double-A Wichita, where he had a rough year at the plate.

He hit .221 with a .677 OPS, according to MLB.com's Jesse Borek, but he still stole 41 bases, giving him 107 over the past two seasons, the most among Twins minor leaguers.

The Twins wanted DeBarge to find a swing that works and get comfortable with it, per Borek, and the early returns are strong.

Through his game on Monday, he is hitting .386 with a .507 on-base percentage, three home runs and seven stolen bases in 16 games for Salt River.

Monday was one of his best nights yet, with a 3-for-4 game that included two doubles and two RBIs against Scottsdale.

Drew MacPhail, the Twins' director of player development, told MLB.com that DeBarge has found a swing change that blends his contact skills with getting the ball off the ground more, and that the team feels good about where he is.

What stands out most about DeBarge is how hard he plays.

He said he wants to have the dirtiest jersey on the field every day, a style that goes back to his college days at Louisiana-Lafayette, where he was a consensus All-American in 2024, and he told Borek that the intensity comes from wanting to win, even in the minors.

"I want to win more than anybody on the field," DeBarge said. "If I'm developing not to win in the Minor Leagues, and then you get to the big leagues and you expect to win, it's not gonna work out."

That attitude shows up on defense too.

DeBarge won a Minor League Gold Glove at second base in 2025, and this year he also made starts at shortstop, third base and left field with Wichita before seeing a lot of time in center field with Salt River.

Borek noted that manager Derek Shelton used a utility role with several players in 2026, and a player who can handle the infield and outfield with speed gives a staff options.

The Twins are coming off a 77-85 season, and fans already have young players to get excited about at the big-league level.

The front office has also been busy trimming the 40-man roster, which shows there is room for players who can push for a spot.

To me, the bat is the only thing standing between DeBarge and a real chance in the majors.

The speed and the glove are already there, so if the swing change holds up against Double-A and Triple-A pitching next season, he could be the type of energy player Minnesota needs, and the Twins learned this season with pickups like Dean Kremer that one player can change the feel of a roster.

A strong finish in Arizona would not guarantee anything, but it would give DeBarge confidence heading into 2027 and give the Twins a reason to watch him closely in spring training.