The Minnesota Twins have had some impressive prospects in recent seasons. Joe Mauer, Byron Buxton, Miguel Sano, and Royce Lewis have all been chart topping names. None of them won a Rookie of the Year award, with the now oveseas-headed Sano finishing highest at third.
You have to go back to 1995 in order to find the last Minnesota Twins recipient for Rookie of the Year. The now 56-year-old Marty Cordova bested Garrett Anderson with an .839 OPS and 24 home runs.
Credit: Lou Capozzola-Imagn Images
Walker Jenkins seems like a logical candidate this season given his proximity to the big leagues, and his ceiling. He may not get there fast enough though. That may not be the case for Connor Prielipp.
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Connor Prielipp building MN Twins ROY steam
The Minnesota Twins have an impressive one-two punch in Pablo Lopez and Joe Ryan. Left-handed pitching prospect Connor Prielipp has the stuff to join them if he can stay healthy. Now at Triple-A, prospect insider Kiley McDaniel (ESPN) thinks he could be someone to watch for Rookie of the Year honors.
Keep an eye on Dasan Hill for a possible breakout and also prospect Connor Prielipp as a stealth Rookie of the Year contender if he can get into the rotation in time.
Prielipp ranked 54th on ESPN’s top 100 prospect list. Last season he owned a 4.03 ERA across 82 2/3 innings. While he struggled to the tune of a 5.14 ERA in 21 Triple-A innings, the workload was what mattered.
Prior to last season, Prielipp had pitched just 58 innings since high school. A multitude of different injuries had kept him off the mound. With the state of Minnesota’s bullpen, Prielipp could find a soft landing spot there right from the jump. His ceiling is much higher though.
Last season Prielipp punched out 98 batters in those 82 2/3 innings. His fastball sat around 95 mph and he pairs it with a plus-slider and plus-changeup. He generated nearly a 15% whiff rate last year at Double-A, and can really get in on hitters from the left side.
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As a starter, Prielipp has the chops to be a top-two arm. If Minnesota puts him in the rotation at some point, and there will be opportunities, he could shine and contend for yearly honors. Toronto Blue Jays starter Trey Yesavage is the favorite (+220) while Prielipp is not on the board. That could shift suddenly once the year starts though.
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