Twins Minor League Report (3/28): Kaelen Culpepper Crushes First AAA Homer; Alan Roden with Another Game-Winning RBI

[Seth Stohs]

Image courtesy of Indianapolis Indians

The Saints played their second game of the 2026 season on Saturday. It was a game with several lead changes, clutch hits, and more firsts. In a game with 16 total runs scored, there were some very good pitching performances. Check out what happened throughout this game. 

TRANSACTIONS
Yesterday, we pointed out the interesting pathway to St. Paul that Matt Bowman and John Brebbia took. Dan Altavilla had a similar path; it just involved a stint with Team Italy in the WBC. 

On Saturday, the Twins announced that they had signed 32-year-old veteran Drew Smith to a minor league deal and assigned him to the Saints. A 2015 third-round pick, he pitched for the Mets each season back to 2018 (with the exception of missing 2019 due to injury). 

SAINTS SENTINEL
St. Paul 9, Indianapolis 7
Box Score
Fast Start in the Second
On Friday, the Saints jumped ahead with three runs in the top of the first. On Saturday, they went 1-2-3. However, in the second inning, Eric Wagaman led off with a single and stole second. After a ground out, Orlando Arcia walked. Ryan Kreidler and Kyler Fedko followed with RBI singles to give the Saints the 2-0 lead. 

Zebby Struggles in 2026 Saints Debut
Zebby Matthews made his first start, and things started OK. Sure, he walked Konnor Griffin and Ronny Simon singled, but he got a fly out and a double play to end that threat. He followed with a 1-2-3 second inning. 

The third inning was a rough one. It started with a solo home run by Dominic Fletcher. With one out, Griffin hit an infield single and stole second. He scored on another Simon single which tied the score. 

In the fourth inning, he began by walking Enmanuel Valdez. Following a sacrifice bunt, Esmerlyn Valdez singled. Fletcher drove in a run on a double. Nine-hitter Alika Williams drove in two more runs to make it 5-2 Indianapolis. However, Matthews responded by striking out Griffin and getting Simon to ground out. 

That concluded his day. He gave up five earned runs on seven hits and two walks. He had just two strikeouts.  

According to Baseball Savant, Matthews threw six different pitches: four-seam fastball (27%), slider (29%), cutter (19%), Splitter (10%), curveball (8%), sinker (7%). His average velocity on the four-seamer was 95.3 (95.7 on the sinker), and his max velo was 96.6. He got just one whiff on his 15 four seamer strikes. Likely, he’s being tasked with finding and being more consistent with those other pitches on another cool, Indiana afternoon.   

Comeback Adults
A 2-0 lead became a 5-2 deficit after four innings, but this team, through two games, has shown a spark, and it’s not just the Top Prospects coming up with big hits. Kyler Fedko led off the top of the fifth inning with a single which was followed by another single by nine-hitter Noah Cardenas. That brought Kaelen Culpepper to the plate, and he didn’t waste any time. On the first pitch he can from Nick Dombkowski, he hit a mammoth home run to the berm beyond the wall in left field to tie the game at five a piece. 

Then in the top of the sixth, Emmanuel Rodriguez and Orlando Arcia got things started with back-to-back singles. A third consecutive single, this one by Kreidler, drove in the sixth run, and Fedko followed with a sacrifice fly to give the Saints a 7-5 lead. 

The Bullpen Got the Job Done
Andrew Bash came in to start the fifth inning for the Saints. He went 2 1/3 innings and gave up no runs on three hits and a walk. Bash was the 30th round pick of the Angels in 2019 out of California Baptist. The Angels released him in May of 2020. When minor league baseball started up again in 2021, Bash was with the Blue Jays. He pitched in their organization through the 2025 season. He made his Triple-A debut for Buffalo back in 2022 with seven games. In 2023, he went 4-1 with a 2.22 ERA over 13 games (9 starts) and 48 2/3 innings. In 2024, he pitched in 27 games (16 starts) and 78 2/3 innings. He was 4-0 with a 2.97 ERA. In 2025, he pitched in 40 games (5 starts) and in 84 innings, he went 6-2 with a 2.57 ERA. As a free agent, he signed with the Twins quickly. 

Dan Altavilla came in on back-to-back days. In this game, he faced two batters and got them both out. 

Trent Baker made his first appearance of the season. He came into the eighth inning with a two-run lead. Things can happen quickly in baseball. The inning started with back-to-back-to-back singles which loaded the bases and brought Konnor Griffin to the plate. Maybe luckily, Baker walked him to make it 7-6, but still no outs. Ronny Simon came up and hit a sacrifice fly to left field to tie the game. However, he really responded well. He struck out The Password (Jhostynxon Garcia) and got a ground out to end the inning with the game still tied. 

We’ll Play Hero, Again
In the top of the ninth, Culpepper worked a one-out walk. Gabriel Gonzalez lined a double to right field. It would appear that the ball was lost in the sun, but if you’re a Twins/Saints fan, that’s OK. Culpepper advanced to third base. 

In the season opener on Friday night, Alan Roden went 1-1 with four walks. He drove in two runs with a first-inning single. Fast-forward to Saturday, and this was definitely a big spot. Roden calmly drilled a double to the gap in left-center field to put the Saints back up by two runs. 

Marco…. Raya. Marco… Raya…
Marco Raya was set up for the ninth inning save situation. His spring training performance wasn’t terribly encouraging as he had some bouts of wildness. However, you could see the immense potential, a big fastball and a sharp slider. 

On Saturday afternoon, Raya was really strong and mixed his pitches well. He threw 19 total pitches and mixed in five different pitches. He threw just three four-seam fastballs including one at 97.0 mph. His most-used pitch was his sweeper. He threw six sweepers, two were called strikes and he got whiffs on three of the other four sweepers. He also threw five curveballs. One was a called strike and two were whiffs. He added one more whiff on one of the two cutters he threw.  

He gave up a double to left-handed Termarr Johnson. Raya got ahead of him 0-2 on a couple of cutters on the inside corner. He then threw him a fastball on the outer part of the plate. Johnson reached his bat out and lined a double down the left-field line. You just tip your cap to the hitter on that one. Raya struck out the other three batters. 

Jenkins Sits,
Kyler Fedko pinch hit for Walker Jenkins in the eighth inning of Friday night’s season opener. That was as planned. On Saturday, he did not play. Also, part of the plan. As a reminder, he injured his hamstring, so they have a plan for how much playing time he will get early in the season. It is likely that he will play on Sunday, maybe even as the DH, and certainly depending upon the weather. 

Multi-Hit Games
The Saints had 12 hits in this game. All nine starters had at least one hit. Alan Roden had two hits and two RBI. Ryan Kreidler was 2-for-3, a walk, and two RBI. Kyler Fedko was 2-for-3 with a sacrifice fly, two RBI, and a stolen base. 

Challenges Can Be Good 
Through the first two games, the Saints have been successful on just one of four challenges (25%). 

BC: Ball Confirmed		Saints Player	3/27	3/28
BOS: Ball Overturned to Strike		Alex Jackson C	2 (1-1, BOS-BC)
SC: Strike Confirmed		Noah Cardenas C		1 (0-1, BC)
SOB: Strike Overturned to Ball		Em. Rodriguez		1 (0-1, SC)

Versatility is Good
The goal of a Triple-A team is to prepare a player to be ready for the big leagues. That means many things from approach to skill development, to self-confidence, to fundamentals and more things. One of those things is having players ready to play a couple of different positions. Sometimes prospects get called up and take over a position. Maybe that’s ideal in some cases. But I would think that most of the time players are promoted to fill a need. So, giving players actual playing time at a variety of positions is important. 

It’s only been two games, and the lineup will look different again on Sunday, but we have already seen players playing multiple positions. Here’s a quick look (again, just two games): 

Saints Players	3/27	3/28	3/29
Walker Jenkins	CF	DNP
Kaelen Culpepper	SS	3B
Gabriel Gonzalez	DH	LF
Emmanuel Rodriguez	RF	CF
Alan Roden	LF	RF
Orlando Arcia	2B	SS
Eric Wagaman	1B	1B
Ryan Kreidler	3B	2B
Alex Jackson	CF	DNP
Kyler Fedko	DNS (CF)	DH
Noah Cardenas	DNP	CF
Tanner Schobel	DNP	DNP
David Banuelos	DNP	DNP
Aaron Sabato	DNP	DNP

WIND SURGE WISDOM 
The Wind Surge season begins on Friday, April 3rd, when they play host to the NW Arkansas Travelers for three games. 

KERNELS CHRONICLE 
The Kernels also begin their 2026 season on Friday. They will host Peoria for three games. 

MIGHTY MATTERS
Fort Myers will also begin their season with a three-game home series. They will host the Clearwater Threshers. 

PLAYERS OF THE DAY
Hitter of the Day  
Alan Roden (St. Paul): 2-for-5, 2B (1), 2 RBI, K (GW RBI). 

Pitcher of the Day 
Marco Raya (St. Paul): 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K, Save (1), 19 pitches, 14 strikes (73.7%)

PROSPECT SUMMARY
Check out the Prospect Tracker for much more on our Twins Top 20 prospects after seeing how they did today.

#1 - OF Walker Jenkins (St. Paul) - DNP (planned day off)
#2 - IF Kaelen Culpepper (St. Paul) - 1-for-4, BB, HR (1), 2 R, 3 RBI, 2 K (played 3B, batted 1st)
#3 - OF Emmanuel Rodriguez (St. Paul) - 1-for-5, R, K (played CF, batted 5th)
#4 - C Eduardo Tait (TBD) - DNP
#5 - LHP Connor Prielipp (St. Paul) - DNP
#6 - LHP Dasan Hill (TBD) - DNP
#7 - OF Gabriel Gonzalez (St. Paul) - 1-for-5, 2B(1), R, K (played LF, batted 2nd)
#8 - LHP Kendry Rojas (St. Paul) - Injured List (hamstring)
#9 - SS Marek Houston (TBD) - DNP
#10 - RHP Charlee Soto (TBD) - Injured List
#11 - RHP Riley Quick (TBD) - DNP
#12 - RHP Andrew Morris (St. Paul) -
#13 - 3B/CF Brandon Winokur (TBD) - DNP
#14 - 3B/SS Quentin Young (TBD) - DNP
#15 - RHP Marco Raya (St. Paul) - 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K, Save (1), 19 pitches, 14 strikes (73.7%)
#16 - OF Hendry Mendez (TBD) - DNP
#17 - 2B/OF Kyle DeBarge (TBD) - DNP
#18 - RHP C.J. Culpepper (TBD) - DNP
#19 - C/OF Khadim Diaw (TBD) - DNP
#20 - RHP James Ellwanger (TBD) - DNP

UPCOMING PROBABLES
Sunday: St. Paul @ Indianapolis (12:35 pm CT) - RHP Andrew Morris 

CURRENT W-L Records
Minnesota Twins: 1-1
St. Paul Saints: 2-0

Please feel free to ask questions about the teams, the rosters, and discuss today’s games, or anything else Twins minor-league related!

View full article

[FlyingFinn]

Never a good sign for a young player to start the season with two DNP's - Schobel and Sabato, unless they have some minor injury.

[Doctor Wu]

Wonderful to have these minor league reports again, complete with videos and analysis. Thank you Seth and gang! I sure hope we can make room for Roden on the MLB roster soon. 

[karcherd]

Culpepper should be playing shortstop, let the vets who are only organizational depth at this point play 3B and 2B.  He is not a utility player at this point let him develop at short.  It is one thing to flip between the corner outfield spots but Culpepper should not be getting moved around.

[jmlease1]

1 hour ago, FlyingFinn said:

Never a good sign for a young player to start the season with two DNP's - Schobel and Sabato, unless they have some minor injury.

neither are significant prospects at this point, but Schobel had a fairly significant injury last season, didn't he?

Love seeing the dinger from Culpepper. Fairly aggressive promotions do not seem to have fazed him at all. It's early, but I didn't think we'd see him at Target Field for more than a cup of coffee this season and I'm starting to revise that opinion.

[TJSweens]

1 hour ago, karcherd said:

Culpepper should be playing shortstop, let the vets who are only organizational depth at this point play 3B and 2B.  He is not a utility player at this point let him develop at short.  It is one thing to flip between the corner outfield spots but Culpepper should not be getting moved around.

Agreed. I watched Culpepper play SS three times in spring training. He is so far ahead of Lee defensively it isn't funny. Leave him at SS. I hate the idea of him forcing his way to the majors and being subjected to these mix and match lineups the Twins seem to love.

[rdehring]

Thanks for another report, Seth.

Should Roden keep hitting like his first few games, when will the Twins be forced to bring him up?  A couple weeks?  Early May?  Later?  Will Culpepper be joining him?

Love this Saints team.  Love'em!

[AceWrigley]

2 hours ago, karcherd said:

Culpepper should be playing shortstop, let the vets who are only organizational depth at this point play 3B and 2B.  He is not a utility player at this point let him develop at short.  It is one thing to flip between the corner outfield spots but Culpepper should not be getting moved around.

Agreed but if Royce Lewis gets hurt and has to miss time is it a terrible thing if Culpepper gets the call because he can play 3B?

[tony&rodney]

Versatility is common across all levels of baseball. Arcia was at shortstop yesterday, which is reasonable since the Twins may see him as an emergency call up to start the season. There were two plays that eluded Arcia. Culpepper makes both of those plays. Nevertheless, Culpepper gets looks at third base, which may be beneficial in the big picture. Since the minor leagues focus is more on development than winning, it doesn't hurt to use a player like Culpepper once per week at third base. At some point (June 1) Arcia will likely be released, leaving Kreidler to serve as the back up shortstop. However, by then, Culpepper could potentially be a Twin. 

Matthews looked like he was pitching with less confidence than we have seen him in the past. I would expect the weather affected him.

Looking forward to watching Morris today. 

[Linus]

14 minutes ago, AceWrigley said:

Agreed but if Royce Lewis gets hurt and has to miss time is it a terrible thing if Culpepper gets the call because he can play 3B?

No but I would move Lee to third and let Culpepper play short in that scenario. 

[mluebker]

13 minutes ago, AceWrigley said:

if Royce Lewis gets hurt and has to miss time is it a terrible thing if Culpepper gets the call because he can play 3B?

Then Brooks Lee can move to third. Culpepper looks like the Twins’ shortstop of the future—no need to try to turn him into another utility player.

[mluebker]

1 minute ago, Linus said:

I would move Lee to third and let Culpepper play short in that scenario. 

Oops, you beat me to it!

[jmlease1]

1 hour ago, mluebker said:

Then Brooks Lee can move to third. Culpepper looks like the Twins’ shortstop of the future—no need to try to turn him into another utility player.

They're not, but they are trying to keep Arcia viable if they need a SS before they think Culpepper is ready. Giving Culpepper a start at 3B once and a while to keep his bat in the lineup and see what he can do there isn't going to hurt him. FFS, half this board has already started scheming Marek Houston into the Twins starting lineup sooner rather than later, so having Culpepper play a little 3B is exactly what he should be doing, right?

[karcherd]

1 hour ago, AceWrigley said:

Agreed but if Royce Lewis gets hurt and has to miss time is it a terrible thing if Culpepper gets the call because he can play 3B?

Lee slides to third and Culpepper plays short in that situation.  Lee should be the utility guy not Culpepper.

[Dman]

Happy to see Raya get off to a good start to the season.  I feel like the more he stays away from his fastball the better.  Breaking stuff has really good movement.  Hopefully he throw them for more strikes.  Really hoping he can be an elite pen arm in time.  Will be interesting to see how things go for him this year out of the pen.

[AceWrigley]

52 minutes ago, karcherd said:

Lee slides to third and Culpepper plays short in that situation.  Lee should be the utility guy not Culpepper.

For pure defensive reasons i agree but the Twins might have an agreement with Lee not to move him around the diamond for now since he is the "starting" shortstop for the time being.

[ashbury]

1 hour ago, AceWrigley said:

but the Twins might have an agreement with Lee not to move him around the diamond for now 

Um, who is paying whose salary?

[AceWrigley]

"Um, who is paying whose salary?"

I didn't mean it that way rather than more giving Lee the confidence at shortstop.

[mluebker]

9 hours ago, jmlease1 said:

Giving Culpepper a start at 3B once in a while to keep his bat in the lineup and see what he can do there isn't going to hurt him.

Dang, there’s always someone talking sense to me!