Twins Promote Top Pitching Prospect Connor Prielipp
The Twins introduced Wednesday that they’ve recalled high pitching prospect Connor Prielipp from Triple-A St. Paul. He’ll make his main league debut tonight, beginning their street recreation towards the Mets. Infielder/outfielder Ryan Kreidler was optioned to Triple-A in his place.
Prielipp, 25, was the No. 48 total draft select of Alabama again in 2022. He’s a consensus top-five prospect within the Twins’ system who at the moment sits 81st on Baseball America’s rating of the game’s high 100 prospects. The 6’2″ southpaw has begun his 2026 season with 16 2/3 frames, a 2.30 ERA and an enormous 34.9% strikeout charge in Triple-A, however his 12.7% stroll charge is clearly larger than Minnesota would like.
Health troubles have plagued Prielipp so far in his profession. He dominated when wholesome sufficient to take the mound at Alabama however required Tommy John surgical procedure early in his sophomore season. On stuff alone, he may’ve been a first-round expertise, however the damage considerations and the pandemic-impacted 2020 season restricted him to solely seven begins in his NCAA profession. I’ve posted preposterous numbers in that point: a 0.96 ERA with 45.6% strikeout charge towards a 6.8% stroll charge.
Durability considerations have carried over into Prielipp’s professional profession. Renewed elbow troubles in 2023 prompted an inner brace process to as soon as once more restore his left ulnar collateral ligament. He pitched simply 30 innings in his first two professional seasons mixed however in 2025 tossed a career-high 82 2/3 frames with a 27% strikeout charge and eight.5% stroll charge.
Prielipp has labored off a four-pitch combine in 2026, sitting 95.7 mph on his four-seamer — up from the 94.8 mph he averaged in his return from surgical procedure final yr. He’s largely shelved his sinker this season however included a brand new curveball that sits within the 82-83 mph vary. Prielipp additionally has a slider and changeup within the higher 80s. All three of his fastball, slider and changeup drew plus grades in Baseball America’s scouting report (60 every on the 20-80 scale). FanGraphs touted the slider as a plus-plus (70) pitch on final season’s scouting report.
Minnesota’s rotation bumped into bother as quickly as pitchers and catchers stories. Right-hander Pablo Lopez skilled discomfort in his first bullpen session this spring and wound up requiring UCL surgical procedure that’ll price him the whole season. David Festaa former top-100 prospect who was within the rotation combine this spring, suffered a shoulder damage and has but to pitch in 2026. Right-hander Mick Abela former first-round decide and high prospect acquired within the commerce sending Jhoan Duran to the Phillies final summer time, he received a rotation spot in camp however simply hit the injured checklist because of elbow irritation. He’d simply rattled off 13 shutout frames with a 16-to-3 Okay/BB ratio throughout his previous two begins.
With these accidents impacting the employees, the Twins have Joe Ryan, Bailey Ober, Simeon Woods Richardson and breakout candidate Taj Bradley within the rotation in the intervening time. Prielipp will get not less than one crack at forcing his means into the combination, and it is believable that he may get a pair appears if he impresses in tonight’s debut. There’s no formal timeline on Abel’s restoration but, however Dan Hayes of The Athletic reports that his MRI outcomes have been a best-case situation: solely delicate irritation and no structural injury. Abel will miss not less than two begins. Even if he solely requires a minimal stint, Woods Richardson has been hit onerous within the early-going and might be a bullpen candidate if Prielipp and Abel outpitch him. (Woods Richardson is out of minor league choices and thus can not merely be despatched to Triple-A to get again on monitor.)
The timing of Prielipp’s promotion takes him out of the operating for any PPI consideration. He’s additionally been known as up late sufficient within the season that his solely viable path to a full yr of main league service could be a top-two end in American League Rookie of the Year voting. Barring that, he’ll be controllable by way of not less than the 2032 season. If Prielipp is up for good, he’d be on tempo for Super Two standing, making him arbitration eligible 4 instances slightly than three (starting after the 2028 season). However, he is within the first of three minor league choice years, so he is hardly a lock to stay within the majors for good from this level ahead.
Regardless, Prielipp joins a crop of controllable younger arms who can provide Twins followers some hope even amid the chaos brewing from final July’s hearth sale, an possession restructuring and the latest departure of president of baseball operations Derek Falvey. Prielipp, Bradley, Abel, Kendry Rojas (known as up yesterday), Dasan Hill (one other top-100 arm down in Triple-A) and not too long ago recalled righty Andrew Morris are all at or on the cusp of the MLB degree. Festa and fellow right-hander Zebby Matthews (at the moment in Triple-A) have been each top-100 abilities previous to their debuts however have but to determine themselves. Bradley is managed by way of 2029. The others are all managed by way of 2030 or later. The complete group is 25 or youthful, except for Festa, who turned 26 a month in the past.
