Twins’ C.J. Culpepper Proves To Be A Fast Learner
Righthander C.J. Culpepper is the sort of prospect who makes scouts doubt their own eyes, and tech experts doubt their own equipment.
“He got on the mound in spring training, and started throwing 95 mile-per-hour four-seamers, touching 97 a few times,” Twins farm director Drew MacPhail said. “Some of our (staff members) thought the radar was hot.”
After all, Culpepper was a 21-year-old drafted in the 13th round in 2022 who had averaged 90 mph throughout his career at California Baptist.
“Adding 5 or 6 miles per hour is borderline unheard-of. It was hard for guys to believe,” MacPhail said. “But it’s real, and C.J. sustained it into his starts.”
It made Culpepper one of the Twins’ biggest surprises in 2023.
The 6-foot-3 righthander opened the season at Low-A Fort Myers, where he struck out 53 in 46.1 innings to earn a midseason promotion to High-A Cedar Rapids, where he didn’t allow a run in his first three starts.
“He put himself on the map as a bona fide prospect, someone who you’ll see start to shoot up prospect lists pretty quickly,” MacPhail said. “He went through our offseason velo program in January.
“I guess you could say he was a fast learner.”
The added velocity wasn’t the only reason for Culpepper’s step forward. He added a sweeper and made improvements to his changeup.
Mix those with that revved-up four-seamer, plus a two-seamer up to 95 mph, and you get a pitcher who allowed just 12 earned runs in his first 14 starts and held opponents to a .188 average through July.
Culpepper seemed to wear down in his final six starts, posting a 6.23 ERA that somewhat obscured how effective his first four months had been. But this time, the Twins weren’t fooled.
“He’s a lanky kid who our scouts projected to fill out, and he really has,” MacPhail said. “He’s added a nutrition component to his program, too, and he’s really bought into our velo tools. It’s impressive.”
