Twins Working on Another Top Pitching Prospect

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Connor Prielipp
Credit: Gary Cosby Jr. / USA TODAY NETWORK

Through their first seven games of the 2025 MLB season, the 2-5 Minnesota Twins have left plenty to be desired. The starting pitching has been especially disappointing. Pablo Lopez had a rough first outing in St. Louis, as did Bailey Ober. Chris Paddack was rocked by the Chicago White Sox, of all teams. Then on Thursday, Joe Ryan struggled in the Twins’ home opener vs the Houston Astros.

Pitching was supposed to be a strength of this team and depth is going to be key to any success, going forward. They have already DFA’d Randy Dobnak off the 40-man roster, following 5 1/3 innings of one run ball, in relief of Ober, who was yanked in the third inning, after allowing 8 earned runs on 8 hits (2 HR) in just 2 2/3 innings.

After he cleared waivers, Dobnak landed back in St. Paul among a crowded Saints pitching staff, loaded with young talent. The Saints currently have a three-headed monster in their starting rotation, in the form of David Festa, Zebby Matthews, and Andrew Morris, who through 15 combined innings this season have yet to allow a run (9 hits, 12 strikeouts).

Minnesota Twins spring training - 2025
Credit: Jonah Hinebaugh/The News-Press/USA Today Network-Florida / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

They aren’t the only Minnesota Twins affiliate with incredible pitching talent in their rotation, though. Left-handed starter Connor Prielipp — who is starting the 2025 season at at AA-Wichita — could represent a higher upside talent than any of the three Triple-A starters mentioned above.

Connor Prielipp is the next Minnesota Twins prospect to watch for

A 2022 second round pick out of Alabama, Connor Prielipp was drafted into the MN Twins organization with injury concerns, having thrown just 28 total innings in two years on the bump for the Crimson Tide.

Now, four years removed from a Tommy John surgery that required a second “internal brace” procedure in 2023, the 24-year-old Prielipp is catching the attention of many around the organization, including beat reporter Bobby Nightengale (Star Tribune), who watched the 6’2″, 210 lb lefty mow down batters in spring training.

“It was an event when Prielipp pitched in minor league games on Fridays this spring. He racked up swings and misses at a stunning rate…The 6-2, 210-pound lefty struck out seven of the 10 batters he faced in a game against Red Sox prospects, and he struck out six of 14 batters when he pitched versus Atlanta. His pitch mix took a step forward from last year when he totaled 41 strikeouts in 23⅓ innings. His fastball sat at 94-97 mph in his second-to-last outing. He throws a 90-92 mph slider with a very high spin rate, and an 86-88 mph changeup.

The Twins were high on Prielipp’s potential before he entered camp, and his stock only went up over the past month. He’ll start the season at Class AA Wichita as a starting pitcher on a strict pitch count, but don’t rule out an opportunity for him to rise to the Twins bullpen if he keeps pitching well.”

Star Tribune

The Minnesota Twins coaching staff and front office certainly sees Connor Prielipp competing for a starting rotation spot, in the near future. This year though, as he continues his build up to starting-caliber pitch counts, the Tomah, WI native probably won’t throw more than 60 pitches in a game, and he’ll have plenty of rest days in between.

When could we see Connor Prielipp up with the MN Twins?

Depending on how the summer plays out for both Prielipp and the Twins, I could see him temporarily transitioning to a high-octane bullpen arm. Of course, that’s not what Connor or his agent want long term. For MLB pitchers, the money and security goes to starters, not relievers.

Prielipp made just seven starts at High-A Cedar Rapids, in 2024. The results of that small sample size were eye-popping. He struck out 32 batters in just 19 1/3 innings and walked just seven. You don’t often see a lefty with the stuff he has, and that’s what has the Twins so giddy about his upside.

If the Twins opt to fast-track Prielipp, he could be in St. Paul by early-summer. But again, if they put him on a track to the big leagues this season, it’s probably in the bullpen. That may not be a bad thing, though. Whether as a starter or reliever, Prielipp could benefit from seeing live action against big league hitters where the results meant something.

Derek Falvey pitching pipeline coming to fruition…?

Since Derek Falvey was hired by the Minnesota Twins, the front office’s goal has been to develop a pitching pipeline akin to that of the Cleveland Guardians, where Falvey worked from 2008-2016, before being hired to replace Terry Ryan. It took some time, but it appears we could see some fruit of that labor blossom right before our eyes this summer.

Bailey Ober and Simeon Woods Richardson are both development success stories. The Saints rotation is filled with dudes we have already discussed. But we haven’t even touched on Travis Adams, Marco Raya, or Cory Lewis, all of whom have high ceilings at the next level.

At the lower levels, beyond Prielipp, the Twins are incubating even more high-upside talent, like Charlee Soto and Dasan Hill. The Twins are never going to be in a place where they can compete financially for top free agent starting pitchers. That’s why it is so key for them to develop quality arms at a high rate.

Related: Why the MN Twins Chose Not to Trade Chris Paddack… and How it Could Bite Them

Much like we have seen out of Cleveland and Tampa Bay, those pitchers can then be cashed out for more high-end prospects, if they become too good to afford down the line. Of course, all of this pitcher pipeline talk is just that, for now. Talk.

These pitching prospects need to get up to the big leagues, then perform consistently, before we can dub Falvey a pitching talent savant in Minnesota, no matter what he did before he got here. That starts with Joe Ryan and Bailey Ober performing better from here on out. Then, all eyes will turn to the next generation of pitching talent, Connor Prielipp being at the top of the list among them… health permitting.

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