Connor Prielipp

Prielipp hasn't been able to stay healthy as he needed Tommy John surgery in 2021 and then needed internal brace surgery on the same elbow last summer. The 48th overall draft pick in 2022 has an easy plus slider and could touch the upper-90s from the left side in short bursts, which could eventually push him to the bullpen. He will be kept on starting pitching path for now. He'll likely be eased back into action at Low-A.

Due to the pandemic in 2020 and Tommy John surgery in 2021, Prielipp was limited to 28 innings during his time at Alabama. In that time, he had a 0.96 ERA, 0.71 WHIP, 45.6 K%, and 6.8 BB%, although most of those innings did not come against high-level competition. Minnesota gave him $1.83 million (slightly over slot) after selecting him with the 48th overall pick last year. The 6-foot-2 southpaw boasts one of the best pitches in the class in his mid-80s slider that can touch 90 mph. He sits in the low-90s with his fastball and has touched 96 mph, and odds are he will sit more in the mid-90s with pro instruction. Prielipp's changeup is a solid third pitch, but he hasn't thrown it much. His stuff was reportedly all the way back in fall instructs, and in a weak pitching class, his combination of stuff, size and handedness stands out.