Let’s Hear About Four Prominent Minnesota Twins Prospects

On December 28, Sunday Notes led with a look at how seven of the nine position players projected to start for the Minnesota Twins this coming season were drafted by the club in either the first or second round. (The column also cited homegrown numbers for several other organizations.) Twins president of baseball operations Derek Falvey was quoted extensively within the piece, offering perspective on how the current roster came together.

Today we’ll hear from Twins GM Jeremy Zoll, as well as from Falvey, on a quartet of first- and second-round picks who have yet to reach Minnesota. One is a middle infielder, three are pitchers, and all rank among the team’s top prospects. I asked about each of them when the executives met with members of the media during the Winter Meetings.

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“It was Kaelen’s first full season, and he had an awesome year,” Zoll said of 23-year-old shortstop Kaelen Culpepper, whom the Twins drafted 21st overall in 2024 out of Kansas State University. “He was between High-A and Double-A, and we couldn’t have asked for it go much better. We’re really pleased. He had the opportunity to go to the Futures Game.

“He’s primarily playing shortstop, but he’s also getting some early work at second base and third base, as well as a little bit of game exposure at both spots. We’ll continue to let that play out as we get through spring training and into the season. We’ll figure it out exactly in terms of placement and proximity. We always kind of let the player dictate that with his performance, but he’s put just about as much pressure on us [as anyone] in terms of us wanting to keep moving him, and keeping him challenged.”

Culpepper slashed .289/.375/.469 with 20 home runs and a 133 wRC+ in 517 plate appearances between High-A Cedar Rapids and Double-A Wichita.

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“Good question,” Zoll replied when asked about the possibility that the Twins would fast-track 21-year-old right-hander Riley Quick, whom they selected 36th overall this past summer out of the University of Alabama. “We had him throwing down in Fort Myers, post-draft, so we need to get him incorporated into affiliated ball and into a full season. But we’re really excited about Riley. We were really pumped that he was available at that spot — we weren’t sure he was even going to be there — but we want to let him settle in, and we’ll go from there.”

“I’ll add to that,” interjected Falvey. “With where the draft is now in the calendar year, especially with those college pitchers who have thrown a decent amount, it’s hard for them to ramp back up. So, that first year is kind of an introduction to pro ball. The next year is when we have to see, ‘What does the season look like?’ It’s made the track on that a little different than maybe it’s been before. We’re not going to rush any of those guys; we’re going to make sure they get a good foundation.”

As Zoll noted, Quick didn’t pitch for an affiliate after being drafted and signed by the Twins. He logged a 3.92 ERA, a 3.49 FIP, and a 25.9% strikeout rate in his junior year at Alabama.

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“We’re excited about Dasan,” Zoll said of 20-year-old southpaw Dasan Hill, who was drafted 69th overall in 2024 out of Grapevine High School in Texas. “He did a really nice job of missing bats. His changeup came along really well. He had an incredibly high swing-and-miss [rate] on that pitch. The breaking balls were a project in spring training, and they kept getting better and better as the year went along. Easy velo from the left side, and it looks like it’s going to be a full four-pitch mix.

“We’re excited to keep pushing him. We challenged him in High-A at the end of the year. He knows that he has to be in the zone a little bit more. That will be a big thing for him, getting ahead of hitters and staying ahead a little bit more. He has a really bright future. His body is projectable and will keep filling out.”

“He’s 19 and just getting started,” Falvey added. “The changeup is really, really good — it’s a weapon pitch — but like [Zoll] said, there is a lot of maturation coming with this kid. There’s not just understanding how to pitch, but also his body and physicality.”

Hill debuted professionally this past summer and put up a 3.19 ERA, a 3.35 FIP, and a 31.1% strikeout rate over 62 innings between Low-A Fort Myers and High-A Cedar Rapids.

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“We feel that Connor took a really good step forward this year, getting in as many innings under his belt as he did,” Zoll said of 24-year-old left-hander Connor Prielipp, who was drafted 48th overall in 2022 out of the University of Alabama. “We’re excited to get him into our early program in Fort Myers and work on finishing developing his mix. That early spring training will be informative as we try to map things out for the year, figuring out what’s best for him, and for us.”

“The biggest thing was just getting him to collect the innings,” said Zoll, replying to a followup question from The Athletic’s Dan Hayes. “Obviously, we worked really hard to manage his workload. We wanted to get him through the whole year. The innings were pretty short for the first half. We kept trying to find a way to get him to five or six innings, and for one reason or another he had an inning he just couldn’t get out of. But then [for him] to end the season on a high note, actually eclipsing those marks a couple of times, was really encouraging.

“The ability to use all three of his pitches… with us wanting [him] to explore a fourth, he started to tinker with a sinker at the end of the season, as well. There are a couple of different tweaks — now that he’s been able to collect a full season — that we can start to try to push a little bit further, to see what happens.”

Prielipp posted a 4.03 ERA, a 3.54 FIP, and a 27.0% strikeout rate over 82 2/3 innings between Double-A Wichita and Triple-A St. Paul.