Kaelen Culpepper’s first month in the majors has moved fast, and the 23-year-old is making sure the Twins notice him for the right reasons.
Before Sunday night’s game against the Chicago White Sox, Culpepper joked, “The first month has gone by kind of quick,” and the production has backed that up. Since Minnesota selected his contract early last month, he has become one of the club’s most productive position players in his first 100 plate appearances.
That rise was on display Saturday, when Culpepper hit second in the Twins lineup for the first time since his call-up. He said the spot felt familiar after spending plenty of time in the two-hole and leadoff role in the minors: “It was nice, man,” Culpepper said.
“You know what I mean? I hit leadoff and second a lot in the minors.
So being back in the two-hole, it’s kind of, you know, allowed me to reminisce a little bit. But I felt pretty comfortable-felt right at home again.”
He looked the part in Minnesota’s 6-4 comeback win over Chicago, going 2-for-5 with an RBI double in the top of the seventh that added an insurance run. But the bigger picture is even more encouraging. Over those 100 plate appearances, Culpepper is hitting .297/.350/.451 with five doubles, three home runs and a 133 wRC+.
The bat speed is real, and the numbers around it are strong. Culpepper has shown quick hands and solid contact skills, and he says that’s exactly how he wants to be known.
“I just want to be quick in general.” Culpepper said.
“I want the main thing that I’m known for is my hands. I feel like word is getting out pretty nice, but yeah, it’s always been a thing for me.”
That reputation is spreading for a reason. His last two home runs have come off fastball variants in on his hands, including a 93-MPH sinker from West Sacramento Athletics starter J.T. Ginn on August 26.
His swing speed has also jumped off the page, averaging 73.7 MPH. That ranks third on the active roster, behind only Ryan Kreidler at 74 and Royce Lewis at 75.2.
Culpepper’s quickness carries over on the defensive side, too. At shortstop, he has posted 0 Outs Above Average over 203 innings, a meaningful step forward from what Minnesota got earlier in the season from Brooks Lee (-6 OAA) and Tristan Gray (-7 OAA). He isn’t as strong a defender there as Kreidler, who has 2 OAA, but the Twins have reason to believe Culpepper can become a plus shortstop if he keeps stretching his range and relying on his plus arm.
“I played some really good defense in the minors, and I want that to translate," he said. "I know there have been some hiccups up here, but like, I’m young in my career. So, every day I’m working to make those routine plays: make the hard plays look easy.”
He added that the daily work with Ramon Borrego has been central to that progress: “[I’m] working with Ramon [Borrego] every day, man," said the rookie. "I mean, we’re always grinding, working on something new, working on things that I’ve been working on the last year-and-a-half or so.”
The long-term outlook also matters here. Marek Houston is projected to be a better defensive shortstop than Culpepper, but he is not expected to arrive with the parent club until mid- to late 2027 or early 2028, depending on how he handles Triple-A pitching. That leaves Culpepper in position to be Minnesota’s full-time starting shortstop next season, which makes his growth at the spot a major storyline for the Twins.
For now, Culpepper says the focus is simpler: stay healthy and keep taking the field.
“I wanna stay healthy. You know what I mean?
I want to stay on the field. Continue playing every day-producing well," Culpepper said.
"I’m feeling healthy. I haven’t had any issues (with my hip) since I came off the IL, so I’m good, I’m clean.
Just trying to grind it out.”
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