Kaelen
First-round pick, 2026 MLB debutant, and Twins Minor League Player of the Year.
Kaelen Kenneth Culpepper (born December 29, 2002) is an American professional baseball shortstop for the Minnesota Twins of Major League Baseball (MLB). He was selected by the Twins in the first round of the 2024 MLB draft, and made his MLB debut in 2026.
Quick Facts
- Team
- Minnesota Twins
- Position
- Shortstop
- Born
- 29 December 2002
- Birthplace
- Memphis, Tennessee, U.S.
- Bats
- Right
- Debut league
- MLB
- Debut date
- August 7
- Debut year
- 2026
Lore & Background
Culpepper attended Saint Benedict at Auburndale in Cordova, Tennessee. As a senior, he hit .394 with six home runs, 30 runs batted in (RBI) and 13 stolen bases. He committed to Kansas State University to play college baseball. Prior to his freshman season at Kansas State, he played for the Norwich Sea Unicorns of the Futures Collegiate Baseball League in 2021. As a freshman in 2022, he started 48 of 51 games at third base and hit .283/.356/.428 with five home runs and 22 RBI. After the season he played for the Bluefield Ridge Runners. As a sophomore in 2023, Culpepper started 40 games, hitting .325/.423/.576 with 10 home runs and 41 RBI. After the season, he played for the United States national baseball team and in the Cape Cod Baseball League for the Harwich Mariners. Culpepper entered his junior season in 2024 as a top prospect for the upcoming Major League Baseball draft. He moved from third base to shortstop. Culpepper played in 61 games and batted .328 with 11 home runs, 59 RBI, and 17 stolen bases.
Reader's Guide
Culpepper's path to the majors shows a steady climb through the Twins' system. After signing in 2024, he split time between Low-A Fort Myers and High-A Cedar Rapids, hitting .242 with three home runs and 12 RBI in 26 games. In 2025, he opened at Cedar Rapids, earned a mid-June promotion to Double-A Wichita, and was selected for the All-Star Futures Game at Truist Park. Over 113 games between Fort Myers and Cedar Rapids, he hit .289 with 20 home runs, 64 RBI, and 25 stolen bases, earning Twins Minor League Player of the Year honors. He began 2026 at Triple-A St. Paul before being called up on August 7. In his MLB debut against the Milwaukee Brewers, he hit a home run in his second at-bat, helping the Twins rally for an 8–6 win.
Elsewhere in Defiance of the Fall
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