Twins announce shortstop Kaelen Culpepper, left-handed pitcher Connor Prielipp as organization's Minor League Players of the Year
While Baseball America named Walker Jenkins as the Twins' Minor League Player of the Year, Minnesota went a different direction in deciding who deserves the honor, naming shortstop Kaelen Culpepper and left-handed pitcher Connor Prielipp as the team's Minor League Players of the Year.
The #MNTwins announced that INF Kaelen Culpepper has been named the 2025 Sherry Robertson Award winner as the Twins minor league Player of the Year & LHP Connor Prielipp has been named the 2025 Jim Rantz Award winner as the Twins minor league Pitcher of the Year. @TwinsPlayerDev
— Dustin Morse (@morsecode) September 23, 2025
Culpepper, whom the Twins selected 21st overall in the 2024 MLB Draft out of Kansas State University, began the season with High-A Cedar Rapids, where he hit .293/.385/.479 (147 wRC+) with nine home runs, 34 RBIs and 15 stolen bases in 247 plate appearances over 54 games before earning a promotion to Double-A Wichita.
Culpepper has continued his success with the Wind Surge, slashing .285/.367/.460 (130 wRC+) with 11 home runs, 30 RBIs and 10 stolen bases in 270 plate appearances over 59 games.
I still can’t get over the sound off the bat of Kaelen Culpepper’s 20th HR…#MNTwins
— Tobey Schulman (@tschulmanreport) September 19, 2025
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If Culpepper continues to dominate minor league pitching, expect to see the Kansas State product in the major leagues at some point next season. As a shortstop, Culpepper likely can play multiple positions if needed.
As for Prielipp, the left-handed pitcher has accumulated the most innings (82 2/3) of his career this season. A second-round pick out of the University of Alabama in 2022, Prielipp accumulated just 28 innings in college due to injuries. Prielipp has also dealt with injuries with the Twins, and the organization has been cautious with the young pitcher, ensuring he doesn't pitch too many innings.
Prielipp, who throws a mid-90s fastball along with a slider and changeup, began the season with Double-A Wichita, posting a 3.65 ERA (3.31 FIP) with a 27% strikeout rate and 6.7% walk rate in 61 2/3 innings across 19 starts before earning a promotion to Triple-A St. Paul on Aug. 16. In five outings (four starts) with the Saints, Prielipp has allowed 12 earned runs on 20 hits and 13 walks over 21 innings.
Like Culpepper, Prielipp will likely make his major league debut at some point in 2026. While the left-handed pitcher has primarily been a starter in the minor leagues, Minnesota may use Prielipp as a reliever next year, considering his lack of innings pitched throughout his career.