If not for hip/glute injuries costing him about half of June and most of July, Culpepper would have taken over as the Twins' shortstop earlier this season. As is, he had to wait until Aug. 7, but he's made the most of his time since, hitting .340/.382/.480 with two homers in 55 plate appearances.
Culpepper, the 21st overall pick in the 2024 draft, was brought up after hitting .271/.367/.478 with 14 homers and 17 steals in 74 games for Triple-A St. Paul. In spite of that impressive line, he didn't draw much initial interest in shallow leagues, probably in part because he was going to be hitting at the bottom of the lineup for a mediocre offense. And that is an issue; through 14 games, Culpepper has totaled four RBI and six runs scored even with his impressive start. But he already has a case for moving up to the top third of the order. Culpepper offers above average bat speed and solid plate discipline. He might not have superstar potential, but he has a good chance of becoming an above average regular for a long time.
⚾️ Baseball is back! MLB returns to NBC and Peacock in 2026! In addition to becoming the exclusive home of Sunday Night Baseball, NBC Sports will broadcast MLB Sunday Leadoff, "Opening Day" and Labor Day primetime games, the first round of the MLB Draft, the entire Wild Card round of the postseason, and much more.
To make an impact in mixed leagues in the short term, Culpepper probably will need to do some running. He's quite capable, having gone 46-for-54 stealing bases in 213 career minor league games. With the stakes higher and the pitchers typically better at holding runners close, it often takes time for prospects to become comfortable trying steals in major league games. If Culpepper doesn't get there this year, he'll probably remain a fringe option. Still, he has a higher ceiling than he gets credit for.
I didn't expect to be writing about Bassitt this week, but then, I didn't think Bassitt would come out firing 94-mph sinkers Tuesday against the Cardinals. In 6 2/3 innings of one-run ball, he averaged 93.4 mph with the pitch. That's his highest mark since one start in May 2024. He hasn't regularly been in that territory since 2022. Maybe it'll turn out to be a fluke, but he was also better than his season average in his first two starts back from back surgery. He averaged 92.2 mph in those outings, which is higher than he's typically been since 2024.
#games #probably
Culpepper, the 21st overall pick in the 2024 draft, was brought up after hitting .271/.367/.478 with 14 homers and 17 steals in 74 games for Triple-A St. Paul. In spite of that impressive line, he didn't draw much initial interest in shallow leagues, probably in part because he was going to be hitting at the bottom of the lineup for a mediocre offense. And that is an issue; through 14 games, Culpepper has totaled four RBI and six runs scored even with his impressive start. But he already has a case for moving up to the top third of the order. Culpepper offers above average bat speed and solid plate discipline. He might not have superstar potential, but he has a good chance of becoming an above average regular for a long time.
⚾️ Baseball is back! MLB returns to NBC and Peacock in 2026! In addition to becoming the exclusive home of Sunday Night Baseball, NBC Sports will broadcast MLB Sunday Leadoff, "Opening Day" and Labor Day primetime games, the first round of the MLB Draft, the entire Wild Card round of the postseason, and much more.
To make an impact in mixed leagues in the short term, Culpepper probably will need to do some running. He's quite capable, having gone 46-for-54 stealing bases in 213 career minor league games. With the stakes higher and the pitchers typically better at holding runners close, it often takes time for prospects to become comfortable trying steals in major league games. If Culpepper doesn't get there this year, he'll probably remain a fringe option. Still, he has a higher ceiling than he gets credit for.
I didn't expect to be writing about Bassitt this week, but then, I didn't think Bassitt would come out firing 94-mph sinkers Tuesday against the Cardinals. In 6 2/3 innings of one-run ball, he averaged 93.4 mph with the pitch. That's his highest mark since one start in May 2024. He hasn't regularly been in that territory since 2022. Maybe it'll turn out to be a fluke, but he was also better than his season average in his first two starts back from back surgery. He averaged 92.2 mph in those outings, which is higher than he's typically been since 2024.
#games #probably
2 months ago
