Scouting Report

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Scouting grades: Fastball: 60 | Slider: 70 | Changeup: 50 | Control: 55 | Overall: 50 

Gatorade's Wisconsin high school player of the year and the state's top Draft prospect in 2019, Prielipp slid to the Red Sox in the 37th round because of his commitment to Alabama. He immediately became the Crimson Tide's No. 1 starter as a freshman and didn't allow a run while striking out 35 in 21 innings before the coronavirus pandemic ended the 2020 season. He looked like a potential No. 1 overall pick for 2022 before injuring his elbow in his first start as a sophomore, leading to Tommy John surgery last May. He returned to the mound with a bullpen workout in front of more than 100 evaluators in late May and showed that he had fully regained his stuff three weeks later at the Draft Combine. 

Prielipp's slider is one of the most devastating pitches in the college class, sitting in the mid-80s and touching 90 mph with two-plane break that has it drop off the table as it approaches the plate. He also can elicit swings and misses with a low-90s fastball that peaks at 95 mph with run and downhill plane. He has a quick arm and could add more velocity after completing his rehabilitation from elbow reconstruction. 

Prielipp hasn't used his changeup much but shows feel for an 82-85 mph offering with some sink. He pitches with confidence and while he doesn't have the smoothest delivery, he's athletic and locates his pitches where he wants. Assuming a return to full health, he has all the ingredients to become a frontline starter.

Scouting grades: Fastball: 55 | Slider: 60 | Changeup: 50 | Control: 45 | Overall: 40

Prielipp tossed 21 scoreless innings as a freshman at Alabama in the pandemic-shortened 2020 season. Unfortunately, that’s the last time he’s been completely healthy. He needed Tommy John surgery after just three starts in 2021 and didn’t throw a competitive pitch in 2022, though he did participate in the Draft Combine. The Twins rolled the dice on his top-of-the-Draft stuff by taking him in the second round of that summer’s Draft. He managed just two outings in 2023 before the elbow shut him down again and this time he had an internal brace put in to repair the faulty UCL.

While they’ve only seen him briefly in real action, and a little more in instructs and Spring Training, Prielipp has teased with what could be electric stuff. When healthy, he’s had at least two plus pitches in a fastball he was pushing up over 95 mph with the Twins and a slider that was double-plus at its best, with two-plane break and velocities pushing 90 mph. He had also shown decent feel for a lesser-used low-80s changeup. 

With only 34 2/3 total innings from his freshman year of college through 2023 under his belt, it’s hard to extrapolate too much about Prielipp’s control and command, though he’s repeated his delivery well and thrown strikes when he has managed to be on the mound. Getting him on one for an extended period of time is the main goal for the 23-year-old lefty.

Scouting grades: Fastball: 60 | Slider: 70 | Changeup: 50 | Control: 55 | Overall: 50

After looking absolutely dominant in his pandemic-shortened freshman year at Alabama in 2020, it looked like Prielipp had a lane to being a potential top-of-the-Draft pick in 2022. Tommy John surgery in May of his sophomore year changed that, and the right-hander didn’t throw a competitive pitch in 2022. He did make it back for a closely watched bullpen session and then at the Draft Combine, which was enough for the Twins to take him in the second round and sign him for $1.83 million. He was only able to make two outings early in 2023 before being shut down again and having another UCL repair surgery in July, this time having an internal brace put in.

Prielipp has the Twins excited about what he can do if he can put his elbow surgeries behind him. He had thrown during instructs last fall, slowly building up to two-inning stints, and was electric in those outings. His fastball was up over 95 mph and he’s working to add more consistent movement and carry to the pitch. His double-plus slider was perhaps the best single pitch in his college class, a real weapon that can touch 90 mph and features two-plane break. He didn’t throw his changeup much at Alabama, but the Twins were pleased with how solid it looked and the low-80s sinking offspeed pitch could be at least average.

The right-hander doesn’t have a long track record because of the pandemic and his injuries, but he’s repeated his delivery well when he’s been on the mound and thrown strikes. A full, healthy season is the priority, but it’s there’s still hope he can reach his upside as a starter.

Scouting grades: Fastball: 60 | Slider: 70 | Changeup: 50 | Control: 55 | Overall: 50 

Prielipp immediately became Alabama’s No. 1 starter as a freshman and didn't allow a run while striking out 35 in 21 innings before the coronavirus pandemic ended the 2020 season. He looked like a potential No. 1 overall pick for 2022 before injuring his elbow in his first start as a sophomore, leading to Tommy John surgery in May 2021. He returned to the mound with a bullpen workout in front of more than 100 evaluators in late May and showed he had fully regained his stuff three weeks later at the Draft Combine, enough to give the Twins confidence to take him in the second round and go slightly over slot to sign him for $1.83 million.

Prielipp's slider was one of the most devastating pitches in the college class, sitting in the mid-80s and touching 90 mph with two-plane break that enables it to drop off the table as it approaches the plate. He also can elicit swings-and-misses with a low-90s fastball that peaks at 95 mph with run and downhill plane. He has a quick arm and could add more velocity the further removed from his elbow reconstruction he gets. 

Prielipp hasn't used his changeup much but shows feel for an 82- to 85-mph offering with some sink. He pitches with confidence, and while he doesn't have the smoothest delivery, he's athletic and locates his pitches where he wants. Assuming a return to full health, he has all the ingredients to become a frontline starter.

Transactions

Team	Date	Transaction
	07/22/2024	Cedar Rapids Kernels activated LHP Connor Prielipp from the 60-day injured list.
	07/20/2024	Cedar Rapids Kernels sent LHP Connor Prielipp on a rehab assignment to Fort Myers Mighty Mussels.
	07/12/2024	Cedar Rapids Kernels sent LHP Connor Prielipp on a rehab assignment to FCL Twins.
	03/20/2024	Cedar Rapids Kernels placed LHP Connor Prielipp on the 60-day injured list.
	11/06/2023	Cedar Rapids Kernels activated LHP Connor Prielipp.
	07/07/2023	LHP Connor Prielipp roster status changed by Cedar Rapids Kernels.
	06/09/2023	Cedar Rapids Kernels sent LHP Connor Prielipp on a rehab assignment to FCL Twins.
	04/14/2023	Cedar Rapids Kernels placed LHP Connor Prielipp on the 7-day injured list.
	04/03/2023	LHP Connor Prielipp assigned to Cedar Rapids Kernels from FCL Twins.
	08/11/2022	LHP Connor Prielipp assigned to FCL Twins.
	07/26/2022	Minnesota Twins signed LHP Connor Prielipp.
	06/11/2022	LHP Connor Prielipp assigned to College Workout.
	06/11/2022	College Workout activated LHP Connor Prielipp.