Should the Twins develop him as a starter? Should they move him to the bullpen, putting him on the fast track to Target Field?
Based on recent comments made by Twins general manager Jeremy Zoll, it seems as though we may have our answer. The first-year GM shared that the organization plans to have Prielipp follow a college-like schedule.
“A once-a-week schedule keeps him really routine-oriented,” Zoll said. “He’ll have some shorter outings in the early going, and we’ll build up some workload to get his feet under him…”
Our own Jamie Cameron pointed out that isn’t actually a unique approach to pitching in the minor leagues.
Many teams utilize a six-man rotation, resulting (since the four full-season levels all operate on six-day schedules with Mondays off) in their starters pitching once a week.
Yes, Prielipp was the Opening Day starter for the Double-A Wichita Wind Surge.
In his lone outing, the southpaw got two quick outs before allowing the next four batters to reach, resulting in a 1-0 deficit. He’d put the side down in order in the second inning, before being lifted after hitting the leadoff hitter in the third.
Prielipp’s final line was 2 innings, 2 hits, 2 earned runs, one walk, two hit batters, and three strikeouts. He’s currently projected to make his second start Saturday against the Athletics’ Double-A affiliate.
To this point, everything that’s been presented to us suggests that Prielipp is going to get a shot at building up as a starter.
However, Twins president of baseball and business operations Derek Falvey suggested they’re not pigeonholing themselves to that plan.
“[Prielipp] may be the best lefthander we’ve ever drafted … his profile, internally, has evolved into more of a hard-throwing lefty reliever,” Falvey said.
It’s rare for the Twins front office to show their cards making Falvey’s statement especially noteworthy. Moreover, he specifically pointed out that their view on Prielipp has evolved “internally.”
You don’t have to read the tea leaves too much to understand that the Twins project Prielipp to impact the big-league bullpen someday. That day may be sooner, rather than later.
While the Twins don’t necessarily have a need in the bullpen right now (don’t let the first 10 games of the season dissuade you from that), they’ll make room for one of the most electric arms in the minors.
Right now, Prielipp basically has a three-pitch mix of plus pitches, but it’s his slider in particular that is considered one of the best pitches of any prospect in baseball.
Aside from the globs of talent Prielipp has, the Twins’ bullpen isn’t particularly deep from the left side.
After Danny Coulombe, the only other southpaw reliever on the 40-man roster is Kody Funderburk. Both of them are fine mid-to-low leverage options, but adding Prielipp would give the Twins yet another high-leverage option, to go along with Jhoan Duran, Griffin Jax, and Cole Sands.
All that said, we can’t put the cart before the horse.
With only 30 professional innings across two-plus seasons, the primary goal needs to be Prielipp getting into a familiar routine that allows him to stay healthy.
If he can prove to handle 3-4 innings per outing in the early going, then comes the discussion of what’s next. For now, keep an eye out for highlights of the lefty carving up Double-A hitters.
