Twins To Select Kaelen Culpepper For MLB Debut

Twins shortstop prospect Kaelen Culpepper is heading to the big leagues. The infielder is expected to join the team for an upcoming series in Milwaukee. JD Cameron of Just Baseball Media was the first to report the call-up.

Minnesota has a full 40-man roster, so there will need to be a corresponding move to add Culpepper. The team doesn’t have an obvious candidate for the 60-day IL, which means a player is likely getting bumped off the roster.

Culpepper is the consensus No. 2 prospect in the Twins’ system behind only outfielder Walker Jenkins. MLB Pipeline ranked the shortstop at No. 29 in its top 100 prospects list. Eric Longenhagen and Brendan Gawlowski of FanGraphs had Culpepper ranked 34th among all prospects in late July.

Minnesota took Culpepper with the 21st overall pick in the 2024 draft. He’s moved quickly through the system and hit at every level. After playing 59 games at Double-A to close 2025, the 23-year-old began this season at Triple-A. Culpepper has posted a 116 wRC+ with 14 home runs and 17 stolen bases in 74 games with St. Paul. He’s mostly played shortstop, but also spent time at second and third base.

Culpepper could’ve been with the Twins much earlier if it weren’t for a glute injury that sidelined him in mid-June. The infielder tried to come back from the issue after two weeks on the IL. He played in two late-June games, only to go right back on the injured list. Culpepper struggled once he returned to the Saints’ lineup in late July, but has since heated up in August. He went 7-for-21 with four extra-base hits in five games this month.

The Twins make the move to call up Culpepper during a critical stretch. The team has dropped four of five matchups to fall a half-game out of the final AL Wild Card spot. Minnesota heads to Milwaukee to start a challenging run that includes two division leaders (Brewers, Braves) and a pair of potential playoff teams (Phillies, Padres).

Culpepper should step into near-everyday work at shortstop. The club moved Brooks Lee to third base earlier in the season, seemingly clearing a spot for its top infield prospect. Veteran Ryan Kreidler has handled shortstop recently. He’s done a capable job with the glove, but provides next to nothing at the plate. Kreidler has a .443 OPS since the start of July. Even if Culpepper takes time to adjust to playing at the highest level, he’s likely to be an offensive upgrade immediately.