Connor Prielipp Was Minnesota Twins' Best Story Of 2026

[Cody Pirkl]

Image courtesy of Bruce Kluckhohn-Imagn Images

The Twins approached the 2026 season with a mess of a bullpen, and one of the big storylines in spring training was how they planned to reinforce the group internally as the season unfolded. It made sense, at the time, that Connor Prielipp (who maxed out at 82 innings in 2025 after an injury-riddled career and had elite raw stuff) would be a top candidate to move to the bullpen. That switch never happened. Some 162 games later, Prielipp has the Twins feeling thankful that they stuck with him in the starting rotation.

Health was a major factor coming into 2026. The Twins took him in the second round of the 2022 MLB Draft (when he was coming off Tommy John surgery), and Prielipp was only able to post 30 innings between 2023 and 2024 due to elbow issues. His 82 innings in 2025 were encouraging, but nowhere near enough to make him feel reliable as a full-season starter.

Prielipp finished 2026 with just under 145 innings pitched between Triple-A and the major leagues. His innings were managed carefully at times, and the Twins did sometimes give him extra days' rest and skip the occasional start. Still, he was available for an injury-ravaged MLB rotation all the way to the end of the season. Regardless of performance, Prielipp staying healthy is one of the most positive developments of the Twins’ 2026 season.

 

Speaking of performance, there was plenty of reason to be excited for Prielipp’s future in the rotation. His 4.87 ERA may not be the most exciting, but his peripherals suggest room for regression to an ERA in the high 3s. If he can get a bit luckier stranding runners on base and improve a bit against hitters the third time through the order, his baseline numbers could improve significantly.

Prielipp flashed his raw stuff plenty often in his debut season. His 23.9% strikeout rate was perfectly acceptable, driven by his slider and curveball, both of which posted whiff rates above 30%. The curveball, in particular, is something to watch in 2027, as he began increasing its usage to the point that it was his secondary weapon in September, and was absolutely dominant.

Perhaps the most encouraging thing to tie Prielipp’s 2026 season together was how he finished. He looked to have hit his ceiling in August, as he blew past his career-high innings and posted an ERA over 7.00. Instead of shutting him down, the Twins sent him back out in September, and he posted a 2.36 ERA. He had a slight drop in fastball velocity, but was still averaging a strong 95.5 MPH on the heater at the end of the season.

 

Connor Prielipp's 2026 season was a major win for the organization. His draft selection was always a gamble, and looked like a potential loss after his first few years. Now, he looks like a lock for the 2027 starting rotation, a major development for an organization lacking pitching depth and ravaged by pitching injuries. He has the stuff to be one of the best arms the Twins have developed in some time. After another disappointing Twins season, it’s important to note the positive developments the team came away with. Prielipp is at the very top of that list.

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[Peter Gravett]

Nice piece Cody. I hadn't considered the strong September. Riley Quick could be a similar story a year from now. Promising college pitcher rebounding after early career surgery.

[MackMan]

Coming into this season, I was ready to write Prielipp off like Canterino. Continuous arm injuries tend to take a toll on pitchers. But he proved everyone wrong. He was ready for the big times and showed it in the best way. Yes, his ERA was poor, but that can be improved upon. He showed everyone that he was able for a Major League workload. There were definitely outings where he looked as if no one was going to touch him, but then there were outings where he pulled a Zebby. All learning curves as he gets older and more experience.

[PuckettPond]

He's turning into one of the better LHP in Twins history. Connor hopefully becomes our Left handed Nolan Ryan, throws left punches right. Every world series contender needs a Connor as I predict a big leap in 2027. 

[awmonahan]

He was a great story for sure. Hopefully this is just the beginning, but the big jumps in innings outched always scare me. I don't remember who the writer is for The Athletic, but they have an annual article about potential pitcher injuries based on huge increases in IP. I expect Preilipp will be in it, and will read with fingers and toes crossed. 

[laloesch]

Definitely something positive something positive to build on next season.  Fingers crossed he continues to avoid the injury bug that plagued him earlier in his career.

[arby58]

His was a promising year, and the Twins were correct in keeping him in the starting rotation. That said, Taj Bradley was the best story of 2026. His 2026 is what Connor might aspire to achieve in 2027.

[Whammy]

32 minutes ago, PuckettPond said:

He's turning into one of the better LHP in Twins history. Connor hopefully becomes our Left handed Nolan Ryan, throws left punches right. Every world series contender needs a Connor as I predict a big leap in 2027. 

Curious if you meant JOE Ryan

[TJSweens]

It's reasonable to expect an uptick in command and consistency from his rookie campaign. Prielipp's body and arm were also pushed well beyond anything he had experienced before both in total innings and innings per start. He will be better prepared for the load next year. I think 170+ innings and an era in the low to mid 3's is a real possibility next year.

[Trov]

Having a lefty starter is always valuable.  Even better when they can be a good one.  Twins have not had one really in a long time.