Last season, the Twins youth movement made waves in the majors and helped drive them through a playoff run, and this season a second youth movement is taking shape.
The Twins have called up some of their top prospects with David Festa being the first and getting some great experience before being sent back down to Triple-A. Following Festa was Brooks Lee, who has taken the league by storm so far.
However, one might think with the Twins calling up two of their top prospects they are depleting their farm system, but it’s still strong, and one of those minor leaguers had an eye-catching debut in his recent rehab assignment.
Connor Prielipp took an important step toward getting back on track
Connor Prielipp returned to the mound on July 12 and reminded everyone of the potential he once showed. The Twins were cautious with him in his first rehab assignment, only allowing him to pitch two innings.In those innings, he gave up one hit, struck out six, and didn’t give up a run.
It's been a rocky journey for Prielipp up to this point. He dazzled scouts while at the University of Alabama early, throwing 21 innings without giving up a run in his freshman year. Despite that early promise, Prielipp struggled to stay healthy while at Alabama. That didn't stop the Twins from taking a chance on him, selecting the left-hander in the second round of the 2022 draft.
Since being selected by the Twins, he only had the chance to pitch twice before being shut down to repair his UCL.
FCL Twins 5, FCL Red Sox 2.
— Alabama Pro Updates (@BamaProUpdates) July 12, 2024
Connor Prielipp (ND) – 2 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 0 BB, 6 K, 1 HBP.
Prielipp started a rehab assignment today.
This most recent performance -- a bouceback in every sense -- should have fans excited as the 23-year-old has so much promise.
Prielipp was once a top prospect in the Twins organization but has fallen in the rankings due to his injuries and now sits at 16. He was in the same draft as Lee so if Prielipp can stay healthy, the 2022 draft could go down as one of the best in Twins history.
It will probably be a while before Prielipp makes it to the majors, but the sky is the limit for the southpaw. He has shown in college and the minor leagues that he has MLB stuff and could be dominant for the Twins in the future.
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