Why Retaining Ryan Jeffers Has To Be the Twins' Priority This Offseason

After posting the best season of his career in 2026, Minnesota Twins catcher Ryan Jeffers is set to hit the free agent market this offseason at a pivotal time for the sport.

2026 marked the seventh season of Jeffers’ career, and the catcher took his game a step further in a contract year, despite being sidelined for nearly two months with a left hamate bone fracture. 

In just 92 games played, Jeffers posted a career-high 2.6 fWAR to pair with a 128 wRC+. His offensive numbers nearly paralleled his strong 2023 season at the plate, but some facets of his game saw very intriguing developments this past season, particularly in his plate discipline. 

Jeffers improved his strikeout percentage total to 17.9%, which is a career-high and a significant tally given his previous totals over the years. At the same time, Jeffers posted a career-best walk percentage of 12.5%, which is the second time he reached double-digits in the stat in his career. 

By the end of the season, Jeffers recorded a slash line of .256/.353/.461 to go with an impressive .814 OPS. Though his numbers did see a bit of a dropoff from what they were prior to the injury mid-season, the season marked a notably polished season for Jeffers, who has established himself as one of the game’s best catchers.

For that reason in particular, along with the Twins’ bright outlook with incoming talent, the Twins should prioritize bringing Jeffers back. His season in Minnesota was one to build off of in grand fashion, and there is no better place for him to do so than the organization he has spent his entire career with.

Jeffers will no doubt garner some attention from a handful of contenders who are in the market to improve at catcher, so retaining the 29-year-old will not come easy for the Twins. But the fact of the matter is that it is possible, and the Twins need to continue proving they are looking to win and improve going forward, just as they did at the trade deadline this past season.

After a full offseason of rest, Jeffers’ potential at the plate is considerably high. Prior to his injury, Jeffers had posted a .292/.404/.538 slash line with a .942 OPS in 39 games, elevating his game to heights the Twins had hoped to see from him for some time. 

Although Jeffers’ numbers did drop off when he returned, as he had a .722 OPS in the 53 games he played after his injury, he should be in the Twins’ cards for the future.

Minnesota drafted catcher Vahn Lackey with the No. 3 overall pick in this year’s MLB draft, so the team definitely owns a vision at catcher for the long-term future. But in the short term, the Twins should consider keeping Jeffers in the equation for more consistent production going forward.