Introduction
Walker Clay Jenkins (born February 19, 2005) is an American professional baseball outfielder in the Minnesota Twins organization.
Amateur career
Jenkins attended South Brunswick High School in Southport, North Carolina, where he played baseball. As a junior in 2022, he batted .527 with ten home runs, forty RBIs, 13 doubles and 18 stolen bases. He was named the Gatorade North Carolina Baseball Player of the Year. That summer, he participated in the Prospect Development Pipeline League at the USA Baseball National Training Complex in Cary, North Carolina. He was also selected to play in the High School All-American Game at Dodger Stadium.
Jenkins entered his senior baseball season in 2023 as a top prospect for the upcoming MLB draft. Jenkins finished his senior year with a .480 batting average and 32 runs scored. He committed and signed to play college baseball for the North Carolina Tar Heels baseball team.
Professional career
Jenkins was selected by the Minnesota Twins in the first round, with the fifth overall pick, of the 2023 Major League Baseball draft. On July 25, 2023, Jenkins signed with the Twins for an above-slot deal worth $7.14 million.
Jenkins made his professional debut with the Florida Complex League Twins and was later promoted to the Fort Myers Mighty Mussels. Over 26 games, he batted .362 with three home runs and 22 RBIs.