Lefty prodigy Connor Prielipp down on the farm, but might be on his way to the big city

As we whittle down the time to Opening Day next week, the Minnesota Twins are whittling their active roster, at least its first iteration, into 26-person form.

We won't see left-hander Connor Prielipp walk out to the third-base line for introductions at Busch Stadium on March 27, but sometime this season — August, September, October — we just might see find him warming up in the Target Field bullpen, trying to help the Twins make the playoffs or win a postseason series.

A second-round pick in 2022 not long after Tommy John surgery wiped out his final season at Alabama, along with the likelihood of being picked in the top five or 10 overall, Prielipp needed a revision surgery a year later that implanted an internal brace in his repaired elbow. The surgeries, along with a conservative attitude by the Twins about his rehab, have limited Prielipp to 30 innings in parts of two seasons in the low minors.

Despite a lack of professional experience, and nothing above High-A, a vision of Prielipp reaching the Twins this season is not so far-fetched. Just consider the reactions that he has been getting this spring in the minor-league camp. Thanks to the Twins Player Development accounts on social media, the public can see the huge steps Prielipp, who just turned 24 years old, has been taking.

• Touching 98 mph in live batting practice Feb. 15

• Striking out seven of the eight batters he faced in another live BP session March 7.

• Pitching three scoreless innings and striking out eight Red Sox minor leaguers March 14.

That's a good Twitter account you should follow. Also on Instagram.

Prospect hounds have been watching Prielipp closely, and so has Twins brass. Drew MacPhail, the club's director of player development, has been anything but conservative in his reaction to Prielipp's progress. He told reporter Sam Dykstra of MLB.com that Prielipp has been "unbelievable" in camp so far.

“I wish I was more articulate or had a better word to describe it, but I think unbelievable, incredible -- those do the trick," said MacPhail, a son of former Twins president Andy MacPhail, the architect of two World Series winners in Minnesota.

MacPhail told MLB.com that Prielipp's fastball velocity is sitting 96-97 mph, and his "plus" slider goes about 93, describing it as "one of the most disgusting pitches I’ve ever seen." Prielipp's changeup also draws raves, Dykstra writes.

Prielipp does not make any notable top 100 prospect lists yet, but he's quickly moving up Twins lists. He's ranked as high as fifth, by MLB, and as low as 14th by Keith Law of The Athletic, who fairly says: "I have no idea how much he can pitch this year, or ever, but it's at least No. 2 starter stuff."

Independent Twins analyst Tom Froemming ranks Prielipp 10th — but says he'd be as high as No. 2 if Prielipp remains a starting pitcher in the long term. He certainly will start the season as a starter. But if he were to roll over batters in the minors, a final step to the majors is within his sights. He would make an "unbelievable" addition (to coin a phrase) to Rocco Baldelli's bullpen.

As excited as the Twins are, MacPhail notes that Prielipp will be pitching this season on a slow-rolling plan that allows for no more than four innings or 60 pitches in any of his first 12 outings with Double-A Wichita. Something similar to what they planned for Marco Raya. In addition to staying healthy, Prielipp has to refine his delivery by working on "finishing better."

It's up to Prielipp, along with the elbow gods, to see if he can handle his part. It's also up to the Twins to show improvement in 2025 that includes a playoff trajectory. MacPhail, a fourth generation MLB executive, seems to be under the impression that Prielipp can meet the Twins on the way to a memorable season.

"The way he goes about his business and commands the baseball, it’s like he’s built for it," MacPhail said. “He's been really, really impressive."