Minnesota Twins Prospect Retrospective: Connor Prielipp

[Nate Palmer]

Connor Prielipp has had much of his early pitching career marred by injury questions marks. Calling into question for most of his career whether he would be durable enough to make it to the majors. In a great turn of events, the left-hander has been on a path in which both his health and performance have made him the Twins' top pitching prospect and given him a much better chance to stick as a starter.

Struggle with Injuries

The native of Tomah, WI, in the heart of cranberry country, took his pitching talents to the University of Alabama out of high school. While his performance in college was phenomenal in his debut, it ended prematurely with the need to go under the knife and undergo Tommy John surgery. Even though the actual gameplay at the college level was limited, Prielipp showed enough potential with his stuff and talent level to be the pick for the Twins in the second round of the 2019 MLB draft. 

As Prielipp started his professional career, the injury issue continued to linger, with the need for an internal brace procedure in 2023. But in 2025, he was finally healthy, and all of baseball could see what his stuff and potential looked like over a full season of work. Spending most of the season at Wichita and ending the season in St. Paul, Prielipp logged 82 ⅔ innings with a 4.03 ERA and 98 strikeouts (10.7 K/9). 

Healthy and Hitting His Stride

His 2025 performance was enough to create even more buzz around Prielipp; not only did the 25-year-old solidify himself as the Twins' top pitching prospect, but he also garnered a fair amount of national attention. Here at Twins Daily, he is ranked as the fifth prospect in the organization. ESPN had Prielipp ranked the highest amongst the national experts at 54th. Those accolades have only seemed to catapult Prielipp into this season, as he has been impressive in St. Paul. 

In 2026, Prielipp has appeared in four games for St. Paul and started three. Over 15 ⅔ innings, he has allowed four runs, striking out 22 and upping his strikeout per nine to 12.6 strikeouts. That performance was accentuated in his most recent start, in which Prielipp went five innings with eight strikeouts, one walk, and one earned run to collect his first win of the season. 

Prielipp’s 2025 success was largely predicated on his use of his slider, 4-seam fastball, and changeup. In 2026, each of those pitches is still an important part of his arsenal, but Prielipp has also employed an effective curveball to the mix, which has sat at an incredible spin rate of 3154 RPMs. Adding that to an already incredible slider-changeup combination has fueled the great numbers early from Prielipp. 

With health currently on his side, Prielipp is getting the chance to prove he can turn into a quality major league starter as he joins the Twins in New York. The Twins willingness to stick with the left-hander as a starter only echoes the confidence that the national prospect experts have shown in him. Almost every pitcher, as they enter the professional ranks, just wants a chance to prove they are a starter before being relegated to a bullpen role. 

At one point this offseason, it looked like Prielipp was going to have to be a backend bullpen arm. Due to a likely self-imposed innings limit to protect the prospect from injury, the Twins may turn him that way if he is effective in the majors. To start with, Prielipp will have a chance to prove that he has the durability to pair with the stuff to be a major league starter. A development that would be the best for both Prielipp the individual and the Twins as an organization.  

 

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[nclahammer]

Love this kid and his nasty stuff.  Saw him pitch for Cedar Rapids and he looked amazing (a man among boys.)    Looks like he's more consistent with his control now, that pops up from time to time.

[Bangkok Twins Fan]

I'm very excited that Prielipp is getting called up to the Twins. Been waiting for this day since they drafted him. Man, I feel nervous and jumpy ... and I'm not the one pitching!. But I'm sure Prielipp is thrilled and pumped up that he's getting this chance to start a game. After battling through the various injuries, plus the inning restrictions, he is finally ready to make his MLB debut. Good luck!

[TJSweens]

Why does every article about Prielipp ultimately steer toward moving him to the pen? He is dominating as a starter in St. Paul. Better move him to the pen. The Twins have 3 lefty relievers. They don't need to move Prielipp to the bullpen. Stay big picture with Prielipp. The rewards will be much greater.

[jmlease1]

The talent has never been in question, only the health. He seems to be staying healthy and feeling good and now is showing he can string together starter's innings. If he flunks out as a starter there's still plenty of time to shift him into the bullpen, but if he translates to MLB like we hope...it'll be a big bonus to the rotation. We've missed not having a LHP in the rotation recently, and it would be great to have one that's a power arm.

Should be fun to see him make his first MLB start. Good luck to him.

[rdehring]

After all the years of dealing with injuries, this young man appears to finally be healthy.  With all the disappointment he and the Twins have had from injury, I pray that he will step on the mound tonight and give the Twins 5 very good innings and never look back.  

With Rojas also on the team, are the Twins looking to piggyback them tonight, Prielipp for 5 and Rojas for 3+?

[Brett]

1 hour ago, rdehring said:

After all the years of dealing with injuries, this young man appears to finally be healthy.  With all the disappointment he and the Twins have had from injury, I pray that he will step on the mound tonight and give the Twins 5 very good innings and never look back.  

With Rojas also on the team, are the Twins looking to piggyback them tonight, Prielipp for 5 and Rojas for 3+?

We can’t possibly be that lucky, but I would absolutely love that.