Connor Prielipp

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.