Twins’ 2022 Draft Class Is Becoming a Big-League Success Story

When players hear their names called during the MLB Draft, the dream is obvious. Everyone wants to reach the major leagues, but the reality is that only a small percentage of players from any draft class eventually make it to the highest level.

Zebby Matthews remembers being reminded of that reality shortly after the Minnesota Twins selected him in the eighth round of the 2022 MLB Draft out of Western Carolina.

“I don't know the numbers on how many guys in a draft class each year make it to the big leagues, but they told us there was a slim chance that a lot of us would make it, which I think kind of scared some of us,” Matthews said. “Some were like, ‘It's going to be me.’”

Four years later, that draft class has done considerably better than those odds might have suggested. The Twins have had five members of their 2022 draft class on the big-league roster in recent weeks, with Ben Ross being demoted to Triple-A St. Paul to make room for Emmanuel Rodriguez. That puts an impressive number of players from one draft class together at the major-league level.

Each player took a different path to get there, but they now share something that few draft classes get to experience. They get to work alongside teammates who went through the same draft process and spent the last four years trying to reach the same destination.

3B Brooks Lee– First Round

Lee was the Twins’ first selection in the 2022 draft, going No. 8 overall out of Cal Poly. He was viewed as one of the more advanced college hitters in the class, and his progression through the organization reflected that reputation.

Unlike several of his fellow 2022 draftees, Lee did not spend much time playing alongside them in the lower levels of the system. He began his first full professional season with Double-A Wichita and continued moving quickly through the organization.

Lee reached the majors during the 2024 season and has since become part of Minnesota’s long-term plans in the infield. His path was different from many members of the class, but he now finds himself sharing a big-league clubhouse with players who were selected several rounds after him.

LHP Connor Prielipp– Second Round

Prielipp was one of the most talented pitchers available when Minnesota selected him in the second round. His path to the majors, however, was slowed by injuries. Those setbacks limited him to only 30 combined innings during the 2023 and 2024 seasons. For a young pitcher trying to establish himself in professional baseball, losing that much development time could have been a major obstacle.

The players from his draft class never seemed particularly concerned about whether Prielipp would eventually make it. His talent was obvious, and once he was healthy, there was an expectation that he would not need an extended stay in the minor leagues. That belief became reality when Prielipp finally reached Minnesota this season.

RHP Andrew Morris– Fourth Round

Morris was selected in the fourth round out of Texas Tech, and his professional development included plenty of time alongside other members of the 2022 class. He and Matthews were teammates at High-A Cedar Rapids during the 2023 Midwest League playoffs. That Kernels team went on to win the league championship, giving the two pitchers an early shared accomplishment in their professional careers.

Now they have another shared experience: pitching for the Twins.

“What was cool is I got called up and then a couple days later [Prielipp] got called up,” Morris said. “He was my roommate after the draft. It's just cool to think about how far we've come. Getting to be up here and getting to go to work with him every day is pretty cool.”

Morris' journey has seen him shift from starter to reliever, but it has put him in position to contribute to Minnesota's pitching staff at the biggest level.

UTL Ben Ross– Fifth Round

Ross was Minnesota's fifth-round selection in 2022 out of Notre Dame. He developed into a versatile infield option while working his way through the organization. His path has included stops alongside several other members of this draft class, eventually leading to his major-league debut.

Ross recently found himself sharing the big-league clubhouse with four other players from his draft class. His latest stint with Minnesota ended when the Twins needed to make room for Rodriguez, sending Ross back to Triple-A. Still, his arrival at the major-league level is another indication of the depth produced by Minnesota's 2022 draft.

RHP Zebby Matthews– Eighth Round

Matthews might have had the longest odds of the group. An eighth-round pick from Western Carolina, he was not one of the players expected to reach the majors quickly. Instead, he steadily worked his way through the Twins' system and became one of the organization's more intriguing pitching prospects.

Matthews shared the field with Morris at Cedar Rapids during the 2023 championship run. Now, the two are teammates in Minnesota. His story also gives additional meaning to the comment he heard shortly after being drafted. Someone had warned the group that only a small percentage would ultimately reach the majors. Matthews proved to be one of those players who did.

A Class That Took Different Paths

One of the most interesting aspects of Minnesota's 2022 draft class is how differently its members reached the majors. Lee was already playing at Double-A during his first full professional season. Prielipp's development was interrupted by injuries. Morris and Matthews developed together at Cedar Rapids. Ross steadily climbed through the organization before earning his opportunity. There was no single blueprint. There was, however, a common destination.

Morris, Matthews and Prielipp all spent significant portions of their development together, while Lee and Ross took different routes through the system. The result is an unusually large group of players from one draft class now getting an opportunity to contribute at the major-league level.

The 2022 class isn't finished producing players, either. Tanner Schobel and C.J. Culpepper are among the members of the class currently at Triple-A St. Paul who could potentially contribute to Minnesota's roster in 2027. That makes it possible that the Twins could eventually have even more members of the class together at the highest level.

The MLB Draft is always a numbers game. Hundreds of players are selected each year, but only a fraction reach the majors, and an even smaller percentage establish themselves as meaningful contributors.

Minnesota's 2022 class has already beaten those odds. Lee, Prielipp, Morris, Ross and Matthews have taken vastly different routes, but all have reached the major leagues within four years of being drafted. More importantly, several remain candidates to play meaningful roles for the Twins beyond this season.

For the players who made it to Minnesota, there is something special about looking across the clubhouse and seeing familiar faces from that first summer in professional baseball. They remember the warning. They remember the uncertainty. And now they get to experience something that seemed like a distant possibility when they were drafted: going to work together in the major leagues. The Twins' 2022 draft class may not have arrived at the same time, but it has arrived together.

What stands out about this specific draft class? What can the Twins expect from this group in the future? Leave a comment and start the discussion.

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