FORT MYERS, Fla. -- There is still hope to be found on social media these days. For evidence, check out the Twins¡¯ Player Development accounts, search for anything involving Connor Prielipp and enjoy the show.
On Feb. 15, the club shared that the 24-year-old left-hander had already touched 98 mph in live batting practices. On March 7, it reported he had faced eight batters and struck out seven of them. On March 14, it noted that he tossed three scoreless innings while serving up one hit and fanning seven in a Minor League spring game against the Red Sox.
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In many cases, spring backfield work is kept quiet, save a few fans and media members who trek away from the Major League stadium. Nothing about Minnesota¡¯s No. 5 prospect has been quiet this spring.
¡°He¡¯s been unbelievable,¡± Twins director of player development Drew MacPhail said. ¡°I wish I was more articulate or had a better word to describe it, but I think unbelievable, incredible -- those do the trick.¡±
The 2022 second-rounder already generated plenty of intrigue heading into the 2025 season before the results started rolling in.
Prielipp underwent Tommy John surgery in 2021 that kept him off the mound in his final spring at Alabama. Two years later, he needed an internal brace procedure after experiencing additional elbow woes in the Twins' system. He returned to the Minor Leagues last July with rehab stints in the Florida Complex and Florida State leagues before joining High-A Cedar Rapids. He struck out 32 batters and held opponents to a .176 average over 19 1/3 innings while showing decent stuff in the Midwest League.
That arsenal has taken another jump as he gets farther from his second surgery. After spending much of the offseason (minus the dead period) at the Twins¡¯ facility in Fort Myers, Prielipp has raised his max velo to 99 mph. He¡¯s sitting 96-97 mph, according to MacPhail, after only touching the latter mark in 2024. His plus slider has also hit another gear with one 93 mph breaker being ¡°one of the most disgusting pitches I¡¯ve ever seen,¡± in MacPhail¡¯s eyes. His changeup also continues to draw raves for its separation and deception after earning plus grades in the offseason.
All of that is exciting and intriguing, but as much as the Twins are pumping the tires of their top pitching prospect, they know they have to tap on the brakes too, at least in terms of workload. MacPhail noted that Prielipp will likely be on the ¡°Marco Raya plan,¡± named for the Twins' No. 6 prospect who was slow-rolled with no more than four innings or 60 pitches in any of his first 12 outings with Double-A Wichita in '24. That may be subject to change based on how Prielipp specifically looks in March, April and May, but the name of the game is clear: patience.
¡°We just want to be really conservative with the kid,¡± MacPhail said. ¡°He has not pitched a lot of innings in his career, obviously coming off his second surgery, and he's not going to be needed by the big league club in April. We want to make sure that we get him off to a really good start and that he finishes better than he started.¡±
An upper-90s fastball, a wicked slider and a plus changeup -- that¡¯s the type of stuff that not only increases your prospect stock but puts you in the Major League conversation by the second half (talk about ¡°finishing better¡±). That¡¯s if the arsenal, and even more importantly Prielipp¡¯s health, hold. Even so, it¡¯s an intriguing future to consider. Then again, the present is pretty good too.
¡°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. Fridays are must-watch backfield action in Fort Myers.¡±
Something new: Kyle DeBarge
The Twins went with collegiate shortstops with their first two picks of the '24 Draft, first taking Kansas State¡¯s Kaelen Culpepper (No. 4) at No. 21 and then Louisiana-Lafayette¡¯s Kyle DeBarge (No. 12) at No. 33 (the pick they were given as compensation for losing qualified free agent Sonny Gray to free agency).
Culpepper, who missed Spring Breakout because of a hamstring injury, is expected to stay at the six to begin his first full season. DeBarge, however, may move around the diamond more. Specifically, he could see some time in center field, MacPhail said.
Showing versatility isn¡¯t entirely new for the 5-foot-9 prospect. DeBarge played a lot of third base for Falmouth in the Cape Cod League in 2023 and got the bulk of his looks at second with Single-A Fort Myers after the Draft last year. He played four innings of one game in left field, but the Twins would like to see how his athleticism -- specifically his plus speed and arm strength -- plays up the middle.
¡°He can really, really run,¡± MacPhail said, ¡°I salivate over the guys that can play center and short. If you can do both those things, you¡¯re going to help teams win, you're going to make a lot of money, and you're going to be a really valuable baseball player.¡±
Something new II: Ben Ross
This was too good to pass up mentioning in a separate ¡°Something new¡± entry.
Ross is going to throw a knuckleball.
Yes, this is the same organization that helped Cory Lewis develop maybe the fastest knuckleball in history (it reaches the mid-80s) and it has another knuckleballer working his way up in Devin Kirby. And yes, Ross is a position player by trade.
The story goes that team president Derek Falvey wondered in passing whether there were more knuckleballers to be found among the Twins¡¯ hitting prospects. The player development group -- knowing the pitching coordinators had already dived deep into the mad science of the knuckler -- started talking to position players across the organization to see if there was a fit, and Ross appeared to be one. The 2022 fifth-rounder debuted on the mound in the Arizona Fall League last year and pitched one inning, giving up two earned runs on three hits and two walks while floating in some high-60s knucklers and 78-84 mph fastballs.
To be clear, Ross isn¡¯t giving up his day job. The Twins still expect to him play shortstop and outfield, but after hitting just .212 with a .626 OPS in 124 games for Wichita last summer, the 23-year-old prospect could use any additional avenues to Minneapolis to his advantage.
¡°The idea is this is a guy that could be a fifth infielder or fourth outfielder -- or maybe even more than that -- and then also stick on a roster by also being able to pitch,¡± MacPhail said. ¡°That is something super valuable in today's game with the pitching restrictions.¡±
Breakout prospect: Khadim Diaw
After spending seven figures on each of its first four picks last summer, Minnesota went for an underslot deal by taking Loyola Marymount catcher Diaw (No. 30) in the third round, signing him for $597,500. Don¡¯t let that overshadow what the 21-year-old has already shown on the pro side, however.
Diaw sported a .374 on-base percentage over 24 games with Fort Myers after signing, showing off limited chase rates while handling pitches inside the zone well. He¡¯s also more athletic than many catchers with his average speed (compared to other position players) and decent arm strength. He¡¯s posted pop times in the 1.8-1.9 range this spring, adding to the belief in his movements behind the plate, and the Twins are hopeful they can put that athleticism to use in several ways in Diaw¡¯s first full season.
¡°He controlled the zone really well, and he can also play center field,¡± said MacPhail. ¡°Now is he going to be a catcher/center fielder when he¡¯s in the big leagues? Probably not. But the fact that he can play center field and has those pop times and he controls the plate, I think he can pop on the radar early as a big-time prospect for us.¡±