The Twins got a nice outing from a promising prospect.
Connor Prielipp made the wait worth it.
The 25-year-old lefty took the mound for the Minnesota Twins on Wednesday night at Citi Field, making his long-awaited MLB debut against the New York Mets, and he looked every bit like the top pitching prospect the organization has been building for years.
Prielipp went four innings, allowing two earned runs on four hits while striking out six batters and walking none.
He topped out at 97.3 mph and generated seven whiffs with his slider alone.
After giving up a run in the first inning on a pair of base hits, he locked in and retired the next eight batters in a row, flashing composure that stood out just as much as the velocity.
Staying Calm in a Big Moment
"I've been calm my whole life, so it's not really a big problem for me," Prielipp said after the game. "But, yeah, that first inning, the noise, it's loud, it's hard."
The way Prielipp talked about the atmosphere showed where he is mentally.
He was upfront about how loud things felt early on, but he didn't let that overwhelm him once the adrenaline settled.
After working through that rocky first frame, he turned into a completely different pitcher.
A lineup featuring Juan Soto and Francisco Lindor didn't rattle him one bit, which is something the Twins have been hoping to see from their young arms all season.
The road to this debut has been anything but smooth for the former Alabama product.
Prielipp has undergone Tommy John surgery twice, and he threw just 156 innings total between high school and the majors before Wednesday night.
The Twins called him up to fill the rotation spot left by Mick Abel, who landed on the injured list with elbow inflammation.
Prielipp had been pitching well at Triple-A St. Paul, posting a 2.30 ERA with 22 strikeouts in 15 2/3 innings to start the 2026 season.
Can He Stick Around?
The bigger question now is whether Prielipp can carve out a permanent spot in the rotation.
Minnesota sits at 12-12 and in third place in the AL Central, and the pitching staff has been hit hard by injuries all year.
Pablo Lopez is out for the season after UCL surgery, David Festa has yet to pitch, and Abel's timeline remains unclear.
That leaves real room for Prielipp to stick around if he keeps pitching like he did Wednesday.
His five-pitch mix profiles better as a starter than most young arms in the system, and scouts have long graded his slider as one of the best in the minor leagues.
If he can keep the walks in check and build on the confidence from this first outing, there might not be a good reason to send him back down.
Minnesota has surprised a lot of people early in 2026, and Prielipp could be the next young arm that helps them stay competitive as the season rolls on.
The Twins lost 3-2 on Wednesday, but the debut gave the organization plenty to feel good about.