How Kaelen Culpepper Can Keep Forcing the Issue in 2026

[Cody Christie]

Image courtesy of William Parmeter (Photo of Kaelen Culpepper)

Some prospects move because an organization believes it is time, while others move because the player leaves them little choice. Kaelen Culpepper spent his first full professional season doing everything possible to fall into the latter category, and the Twins are more than happy to let him keep applying that pressure.

“It was Kaelen’s first full season, and he had an awesome year,” Twins general manager Jeremy Zoll told FanGraphs of the 23-year-old shortstop, whom the Twins drafted 21st overall in 2024 out of Kansas State University. “He was between High-A and Double-A, and we couldn’t have asked for it go much better. We’re really pleased. He had the opportunity to go to the Futures Game.”

Culpepper’s 2025 season reads like the blueprint for a breakout. Between Cedar Rapids and Wichita, he slashed .289/.375/.469 (.844) with 20 home runs, 25 steals, and a 133 wRC+ across 517 plate appearances. He was named the Twins’ minor league player of the year, emerged as a consensus top-100 prospect, and finished the season as one of the most productive hitters in the system. Even more impressive, he did it while making the jump to Double-A, a level that has a reputation for exposing weaknesses. Culpepper never blinked.

“I don’t really look at it as there being a big jump,” Culpepper told MLB's Matthew Leach late in the season, after his promotion. “I mean, there is the age gap and stuff like that. The competition here is pristine. Guys are more polished, more mature. But when it comes to the skill gap, it’s pretty similar. It’s still baseball. Baseball is hard. It’s not meant to be easy. If it was, everybody would do it. But I just look at it as two leagues, big leagues and the Minor Leagues.”

That mindset shows up every time he steps in the box. Culpepper has hit at every stop, from college to wood-bat leagues to his first taste of pro ball. In 2025, the power that some evaluators questioned before the draft arrived in force, even as he maintained his ability to hit for average and control the strike zone. He walked 50 times and struck out just 90 times, a better ratio than many expected, especially given his aggressive approach.

There is still refinement ahead. Culpepper can be prone to chasing off-speed pitches out of the zone, and his groundball rate was the third highest in the system. Yet reaching the 20-homer mark while keeping the ball on the ground that often hints at more power to come if he can elevate with more consistency. That is the kind of problem teams love to have.

Following his professional debut in 2024, Culpepper made a conscious effort to get better. He worked to add bat speed, and according to a club official, he did just that, boosting his swing speed by about 3 miles per hour and maintaining it throughout the season.

“He’s confident in his abilities and also willing to work hard, and I think those are two traits that are going to take guys a long way,” said Bryce Berg, the organization’s minor league hitting coordinator, in Leach's article.

The offensive performance alone would be enough to push a player up the ladder, but Culpepper has also given the Twins plenty to think about defensively. He has primarily played shortstop, where reviews of his range, instincts, and arm have been encouraging. At the same time, the organization has begun expanding his versatility.

“He’s primarily playing shortstop, but he’s also getting some early work at second base and third base, as well as a little bit of game exposure at both spots,” Zoll told FanGraphs. “We’ll continue to let that play out as we get through spring training and into the season. We’ll figure it out exactly in terms of placement and proximity. We always kind of let the player dictate that with his performance, but he’s put just about as much pressure on us in terms of us wanting to keep moving him, and keeping him challenged.”

That flexibility only raises Culpepper’s value. His arm would play comfortably at third base, and his instincts and hands give him a chance to remain at shortstop longer than some initially believed. Wherever he ultimately lands, the bat profiles as an above-average regular with legitimate All-Star upside.

For 2026, the question is less about whether Culpepper is ready for a challenge and more about how quickly the Twins choose to escalate it. He has yet to face Triple-A pitching and has played just 139 minor league games, but if he keeps hitting the way he has, a big league debut at some point this season is far from unrealistic.

Culpepper understands there is still work to do, especially when it comes to pitch selection.

“Hitters hit, you know what I mean?” Culpepper told MLB.com. “I consider myself a hitter. A very good hitter. So I’m always going to want to hit pitches a little off the plate, so I’m going to chase a little bit. It’s OK to chase as long as you’re not chasing too much. Sometimes I find myself chasing a little too much, and I’ve got to get back to being patient, seeing the ball deep, trusting my hands.”

The Twins are confident that balance will come.

“It’s a special combination of confidence, and I think that comes from a level of preparedness, and then openness to feedback and improving,” said Twins director of player development Drew MacPhail. “That’s a rare combo, that I think he has both in an incredibly healthy amount.”

Ultimately, Culpepper’s path will be determined the same way it has been so far. He will keep hitting, keep adjusting, and keep forcing the organization to respond. If 2025 was any indication, the pressure will only increase in 2026.

What should the Twins expect from Culpepper this season? Leave a comment and start the discussion. 

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[Fatbat]

Great article! He has talent and what seems like relentless pursuit of greatness. Not everyone has that drive. 
The varsity needs that kind of guy at SS as Lee seems to lack the athleticism to stick there and be a viable  big league bat. Lee might just make a great utility player but he is slow. If he can’t find the pop in his bat, he wont last long. 
With a hot start to ‘26, Culpepper could be a fast call up when an injury occurs. They always do. 

[ashbury]

1 hour ago, Cody Christie said:

“I don’t really look at it as there being a big jump, ...  I just look at it as two leagues, big leagues and the Minor Leagues.”

...

“Hitters hit, you know what I mean?” Culpepper told MLB.com. “I consider myself a hitter. A very good hitter."

These quotes sure sound a lot like Royce Lewis back in the day.  Confidence is good.  2025 went exactly as he and the team hoped.  Maybe Culpepper will be one of those lucky players who never encounters adversity.  We can hope, for his sake and for the Twins' sake.

[Yoke]

If he can get off to a hot start and get called up, that moves Lee to more of a utility spot, and I think upgrades the overall lineup.

 

Lee seems solid at other spots, but a bit out of place at SS. If he’s there once a week to give Culpepper a day off, and at 2B and 3B the other days, it’ll be good for the Twins.

[Nashvilletwin]

Yes, a really good article.  Thank you.

He very well could be our starting SS later this season and certainly in ‘27.  However, ideally Houston’s bat gets good enough that we utilize his D at SS in ‘28.  If Lewis can figure things out, Culpepper could slide to 2B and, please Lord, Keaschall is our long-term raking 1B.

I and a lot of Twins fans would be very enthusiastic post the strike to embrace that infield.  

[bean5302]

Three Twins prospects last year in AA. Two forced their way into AAA and struggled immediately. The third ended the year in AA.

Tanner Schobel
Walker Jenkins
Kaelyn Culpepper

 
   

If Culpepper is the savior and next guaranteed big ticket, he should really be hitting more like Walker Jenkins in AA, and less like being indistinguishable from Tanner Schobel. Culepper had a really great season and far exceeded expectations from a lot of prospect scouts, but this site is way too bullish on him being ready right now or likely before 2027 IMHO.

[DataNerd]

1 hour ago, Nashvilletwin said:

Yes, a really good article.  Thank you.

He very well could be our starting SS later this season and certainly in ‘27.  However, ideally Houston’s bat gets good enough that we utilize his D at SS in ‘28.  If Lewis can figure things out, Culpepper could slide to 2B and, please Lord, Keaschall is our long-term raking 1B.

I and a lot of Twins fans would be very enthusiastic post the strike to embrace that infield.  

Generally agree, but Keaschall is too fast to waste at 1st.  I know his arm is somewhere between bad and terrible, but he had an 85th percentile sprint speed which should more than make up for it in LF.

[rv78]

I find it interesting that Zoll wants him to start playing 2B and 3B. Is he telling us that they are starting to think Culpepper can't handle SS or just want him to be another one of their utility guys that play average defense anywhere instead of superb defense at one position? Comparing Brooks Lee when he was in the minors, he played a total of 17 games at 2B and 3B with the vast majority of time spent at SS. Looks like they are leading Culpepper down the same path. Lewis was moved from SS. Seems Lee also needs to move from SS and now Culpepper isn't a big league SS? Zoll also wants Keaschall to play some of the time in the outfield? Does the team really need every new young hitter to be able to play anywhere thus making them a jack of all trades instead of a master of one? Sounds like a solid recipe to continue to be average instead of really good.

[AceWrigley]

2 hours ago, bean5302 said:

If Culpepper is the savior and next guaranteed big ticket, he should really be hitting more like Walker Jenkins in AA, and less like being indistinguishable from Tanner Schobel. Culepper had a really great season and far exceeded expectations from a lot of prospect scouts, but this site is way too bullish on him being ready right now or likely before 2027 IMHO.

I think the article was more about Culpepper making himself ready for some possible Major League experience in 2026, not so much being a savior or big ticket player.

[AceWrigley]

21 minutes ago, rv78 said:

I find it interesting that Zoll wants him to start playing 2B and 3B. Is he telling us that they are starting to think Culpepper can't handle SS or just want him to be another one of their utility guys that play average defense anywhere instead of superb defense at one position? Comparing Brooks Lee when he was in the minors, he played a total of 17 games at 2B and 3B with the vast majority of time spent at SS. Looks like they are leading Culpepper down the same path. Lewis was moved from SS. Seems Lee also needs to move from SS and now Culpepper isn't a big league SS? Zoll also wants Keaschall to play some of the time in the outfield? Does the team really need every new young hitter to be able to play anywhere thus making them a jack of all trades instead of a master of one? Sounds like a solid recipe to continue to be average instead of really good.

I think the experience they are giving Culpepper at 2B and 3B is more about gaining some comfort at those positions in case he is needed there more than moving him off the shortstop position.

[weitz41]

I may be a little more tempered with any prospect that rolls through A+ and does well in AA. It's not personal to Culpepper. We've just had to many Miranda's or Julien's oh late. WAY to high of expectations for anyone to may be able to fulfill.  People seem to think Lee is a wash because he didn't have and OPS+ or a DRS they like in his 1st full season. Check Buxton's OPS+ maybe Kent Hrbek's DPS for their 1st 400 Ab's.  Just relax their 1st 400 ab may not determine their career.

Sure, I want Culpepper to be a rookie of the year candidate. But I'd settle for a Twins Hall of Fame candidate. ;) Or just a good player that gets to Minn when he's ready

[Patzky]

6 hours ago, ashbury said:

These quotes sure sound a lot like Royce Lewis back in the day.  Confidence is good.  2025 went exactly as he and the team hoped.  Maybe Culpepper will be one of those lucky players who never encounters adversity.  We can hope, for his sake and for the Twins' sake.

So long as he doesn't "Doesn't Do Slumps" we're golden.

[Nashvilletwin]

3 hours ago, DataNerd said:

Generally agree, but Keaschall is too fast to waste at 1st.  I know his arm is somewhere between bad and terrible, but he had an 85th percentile sprint speed which should more than make up for it in LF.

Ideally the pattern is full in the OF with our future trio of Jenkins, ERod and Gonzalez.  All of those three are better  overall defensive OF alternatives inclusive of speed and arm.  But who knows.  

[DocBauer]

I'm not as down on Lee at SS as some. I like his hands. And while not a great athlete, he seems to make a smooth, quick transition and can throw decently off balance. But being solid...with room to improve...he's just never going to be the athlete that Culpepper is. 

Lee could still improve at SS and probably will. And hopefully, he will transform to a .270 hitter with a .330-ish OB% and produce 30+ Dbls while continuing to provide HR power in the teens. But K-Pepper simply has more potential offensively and defensively. 

Ideally, he stays healthy and continues on his quality trajectory and is ready by mid season. That changes the depth and versatility of the INF. Does K-Pepper take over SS? Does he debut as a fill-in at first? Regardless, I see him at SS at some point and Lee becoming a valuable utility INF who should be able to also contribute as a 1B. He'd probably play almost daily between 4 different spots.

While Houston might provide elite defense in a couple of years, I'm only concerned with 1 prospect at a time. And right now, that's Culpepper hopefully on the fast track to improve the team defense, offense, and depth 

[DocBauer]

5 hours ago, DataNerd said:

Generally agree, but Keaschall is too fast to waste at 1st.  I know his arm is somewhere between bad and terrible, but he had an 85th percentile sprint speed which should more than make up for it in LF.

Welcome to Twins Daily!

I am going to disagree with your take on Keaschall, however. While I want him to stick at 2B...and would stop all this talk about playing the OF for 2026...if his best position turns out to be 1B, I'm OK with that.

Carew was never a great fielder, but he fit better at 1B and had an amazing career. All Star, Gold Glover, and Silver Slugger Darin Erstad played CF for the Angels, but also saw time at 1B. Ditto for Cody Bellinger. In recent Twins history Arraez provided a unique skill set without much power or any speed as a top of the order hitter. 

So when I look at what the OF and INF could/should soon look like for the next few seasons, I can see 1B being a good landing spot for Keaschall if he just can't get the mechanics down at 2B. Not saying he can't or won't, but having his bat and pop and speed at 1B would be fine for me if that's what seems to make the most sense.

[mluebker]

Sure, get him some exposure at 2B and 3B, but maybe not turn him into another utility guy because he can hit. If he looks good at shortstop, strive to make him the best shortstop he can be. The Twins could use one. (And ditto for Keaschall at second.)

[AlLagoon]

Age old question: how many shortstops do you need to spend a high draft pick on to find a winner?

From Levi Michael to Marek Houston, and Lee, Culpepper, Lewis in between.

Sheesh, draft a pitcher.

[Fatbat]

3 hours ago, DocBauer said:

While Houston might provide elite defense in a couple of years, I'm only concerned with 1 prospect at a time. And right now, that's Culpepper hopefully on the fast track to improve the team defense, offense, and depth 

All Houston has to do is find his bat and he will be one year behind K.pepper. We could be having this same conversation one year from now with Houston and Winokur. They both need to improve their bats while they are already polished defensively.  We have such a stacked farm system that its not going to be possible to deal with just one prospect at a time. 
Im not saying every prospect is going to make it but we have had so many misses and now it seems like our drafting and development have improved to where the prospects we have, are going to be knocking down the door very soon. 

[rv78]

7 hours ago, Fatbat said:

All Houston has to do is find his bat and he will be one year behind K.pepper. We could be having this same conversation one year from now with Houston and Winokur. They both need to improve their bats while they are already polished defensively.  We have such a stacked farm system that its not going to be possible to deal with just one prospect at a time. 
Im not saying every prospect is going to make it but we have had so many misses and now it seems like our drafting and development have improved to where the prospects we have, are going to be knocking down the door very soon. 

Only time will tell if the drafting and development have improved. The list of guys like Miranda, Julien, Lewis, Lee raked in the minors just like the new crop of youngsters you are talking about only to have them miss or just be disappointing so far. Let's not count our chickens before they hatch.

[beckmt]

I think down the line moving Lee to 2B seems to be where this is going.   Keaschall moves to 1B when Culpepper comes up and sticks.  That works for me.  Unless we find a bullpen this seems to be more of a let's find out what we have thing than a true contention position this year. 

[arby58]

18 hours ago, Nashvilletwin said:

Yes, a really good article.  Thank you.

He very well could be our starting SS later this season and certainly in ‘27.  However, ideally Houston’s bat gets good enough that we utilize his D at SS in ‘28.  If Lewis can figure things out, Culpepper could slide to 2B and, please Lord, Keaschall is our long-term raking 1B.

I and a lot of Twins fans would be very enthusiastic post the strike to embrace that infield.  

I doubt Houston will hit enough to become a regular MLB SS. I don't understand the fascination with Keaschall at first base. He's only played 13 games there in the minors and MLB - far more at 2B and the outfield. Besides, his bat profiles better in those positions than 1B.

[Otaknam]

Another excellent article, Cody. Hopefully, Culpepper forces their hand this year with a great start to 2026. Sorry, but nit picking here as a former teacher. Instead of writing “at some point this season is far from unrealistic.”, why not just write “is realistic”? It makes the same point without feeling overstated. 

[bean5302]

16 hours ago, AceWrigley said:

I think the article was more about Culpepper making himself ready for some possible Major League experience in 2026, not so much being a savior or big ticket player.

and my comment had a lot more to do with the general perception of Culpepper around the site than this article in specific. Culpepper is presumed to be ready for the challenge and it's on the Twins to promote him fast enough is how I read it.

The downvotes on my comment are enought to solidify my point IMHO. Culepper is already annointed as the next guaranteed SS superstar around these parts. He's an exciting prospect who has really turned some heads, but the way he's being projected is way too aggressive.

His production at AA was not exceptional, he was not "great" he was "good" with Culpepper being the 59th ranked AA player with 200+ PA in terms of wRC+.

Culpepper probably needs another full year of MiLB time to polish his game a bit and prove he's ready for the big show in AAA.

[Linus]

4 minutes ago, Otaknam said:

Another excellent article, Cody. Hopefully, Culpepper forces their hand this year with a great start to 2026. Sorry, but nit picking here as a former teacher. Instead of writing “at some point this season is far from unrealistic.”, why not just write “is realistic”? It makes the same point without feeling overstated. 

College Freshman comp for me was getting papers back with red ink all over them saying “not needed, unnecessary, too wordy”. It’s basically the only thing I learned in that class. 

[Linus]

5 minutes ago, bean5302 said:

and my comment had a lot more to do with the general perception of Culpepper around the site than this article in specific. Culpepper is presumed to be ready for the challenge and it's on the Twins to promote him fast enough is how I read it.

The downvotes on my comment are enought to solidify my point IMHO. Culepper is already annointed as the next guaranteed SS superstar around these parts. He's an exciting prospect who has really turned some heads, but the way he's being projected is way too aggressive.

His production at AA was not exceptional, he was not "great" he was "good" with Culpepper being the 59th ranked AA player with 200+ PA in terms of wRC+.

Culpepper probably needs another full year of MiLB time to polish his game a bit and prove he's ready for the big show in AAA.

Agree. I get it - prospects provide hope and are fun to dream but most fans are pretty unrealistic about prospects and their likelihood of success. Regarding Culpepper specifically he is an important prospect for the Twins. If he can be a bona fide big league SS he will solve a huge problem. But it’s important to remember he has two more levels to clear with the bat and with the glove and that won’t be easy. 

[TwinsDr2021]

24 minutes ago, bean5302 said:

and my comment had a lot more to do with the general perception of Culpepper around the site than this article in specific. Culpepper is presumed to be ready for the challenge and it's on the Twins to promote him fast enough is how I read it.

The downvotes on my comment are enought to solidify my point IMHO. Culepper is already annointed as the next guaranteed SS superstar around these parts. He's an exciting prospect who has really turned some heads, but the way he's being projected is way too aggressive.

His production at AA was not exceptional, he was not "great" he was "good" with Culpepper being the 59th ranked AA player with 200+ PA in terms of wRC+.

Culpepper probably needs another full year of MiLB time to polish his game a bit and prove he's ready for the big show in AAA.

IMO, the hope is he isn't another Miranda, Julien, Larnach, etc.... and if he isn't up this year (age 23 season) it is likely he falls into the mid 20 something young guy they are still trying to figure out when he gets on the wrong side of 25. And with the way the 26 season is looking, I would rather get him and sooner than later and see if he is somebody they can count on in the future and hitting his stride in his prime, not trying to figure it out in his prime. Like pretty much everybody else on the roster. 

[Patzky]

52 minutes ago, Linus said:

College Freshman comp for me was getting papers back with red ink all over them saying “not needed, unnecessary, too wordy”. It’s basically the only thing I learned in that class. 

If Twitter was a thing then, the word count issue would be nil

[LeatherAntenna]

21 hours ago, ashbury said:

These quotes sure sound a lot like Royce Lewis back in the day.  Confidence is good.  2025 went exactly as he and the team hoped.  Maybe Culpepper will be one of those lucky players who never encounters adversity.  We can hope, for his sake and for the Twins' sake.

Thought the same about Lewis.  I sure hope I don’t hear him say ‘’I don’t do slumps.’’

[bean5302]

56 minutes ago, TwinsDr2021 said:

IMO, the hope is he isn't another Miranda, Julien, Larnach, etc.... and if he isn't up this year (age 23 season) it is likely he falls into the mid 20 something young guy they are still trying to figure out when he gets on the wrong side of 25. And with the way the 26 season is looking, I would rather get him and sooner than later and see if he is somebody they can count on in the future and hitting his stride in his prime, not trying to figure it out in his prime. Like pretty much everybody else on the roster. 

Larnach has been a success. Now with over 4 years of service time, he's made a career in MLB. Though he never materialized as a start player or even a guy you'd really want starting, his floor has been established as a "placeholder" type guy who is good enough to carry on the roster for cheap who won't be a black hole. That's still good.

Miranda and Julien are part of a concerning trend with this team. Prospects who break out, then never recover after a sophomore slump. The one year wonders happen quite a bit in MLB, but the Twins don't seem to have anybody who doesn't fall off the map after a year. Wallner and Lewis need a bounce back badly.

In any case, Culpepper has a long way to go to reach Julien/Miranda levels. Since Culpepper just turned 23 a few days ago, and he's not even rule 5 eligible until after the 2027 season, there's no urgency on him. If he earns it, he earns it, but that's a big step away.

[Fire Dan Gladden]

1 hour ago, bean5302 said:

and my comment had a lot more to do with the general perception of Culpepper around the site than this article in specific. Culpepper is presumed to be ready for the challenge and it's on the Twins to promote him fast enough is how I read it.

The downvotes on my comment are enought to solidify my point IMHO. Culepper is already annointed as the next guaranteed SS superstar around these parts. He's an exciting prospect who has really turned some heads, but the way he's being projected is way too aggressive.

His production at AA was not exceptional, he was not "great" he was "good" with Culpepper being the 59th ranked AA player with 200+ PA in terms of wRC+.

Culpepper probably needs another full year of MiLB time to polish his game a bit and prove he's ready for the big show in AAA.

Every organization's fans overrate their team's prospects.  It happens here ad nauseum.

The Twins are traditionally slow with their non-pitching prospects. I expect things to be extremely slow with the upcoming labor strife in 2027. Unless this team is making a solid run at the playoffs, I do not expect to see Culpepper, Jenkins, or any of their other top prospects called up this year, regardless of how they perform in MiLB. They will not waste any potential clock time.