Jersey Johnson
Kaelen Culpepper celebrates his double when making it to second base. Kansas State baseball finished strong with a 3-2 win over Texas Tech on April 28, 2023.
Shortstop Kaelen Culpepper was named the Minnesota Twins Minor League Player of the Year after an outstanding season, which saw him move up in the Twins minor league system.
Culpepper was drafted in the first round of the 2024 MLB draft by the Twins last summer. Being a top-round pick comes with a lot of pressure, but Culpepper has been a big success for the Twins so far.
Over his first full professional season, Culpepper hit for an average of .289, including 20 home runs and 25 stolen bases. The modern era of baseball looks for guys that can hit for power and steal bases, and that is the type of game Culpepper has, which could develop him into one of the stars of the league.
Culpepper also represented the Twins during the MLB All-Star weekend as he was the lone participant from the Twins organization to play in the All-Star Futures Game, a game featuring the best minor league players from all 30 teams.
Due to his big success, Culpepper has jumped up to the number two prospect in the Twins system and the number 52 overall prospect in the minor leagues.
The success of Culpepper should be a surprise to no one, as he was a standout at Kansas State during his time as a Wildcat.
In 2024, Culpepper led K-State to its program’s second Super Regional appearance, hitting .328 on the season while also hitting 11 home runs.
In 2023, Culpepper burst onto the scene for the Wildcats and was rewarded at the end of the season by being selected to the USA Baseball Collegiate National Team. Not only was Culpepper selected to the USA team, but he also shone, leading the team in average, slugging and on-base percentage.
Culpepper finished his career at K-State being one of the most successful baseball athletes in the program’s history. His success led him to be the first Wildcat position player to be drafted in the first round of the MLB draft.
Culpepper finished his season in Double-A with the Wichita Wind Surge, which is locally in Kansas. While it is unclear where Culpepper will start his 2025 season, there is a decent chance he plays in Wichita again for part of next year.
Culpepper is expected to make his debut for the Twins’ major league team in 2027, but with his quick rise and superior talent, his arrival in the big leagues could be sooner rather than later.