Top Twins draft pick Kaelen Culpepper visits Target Field, breaks Carlos Correa's bat

First-round draft pick is excited to get to work with the organization.

MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred takes a photo with Kaelen Culpepper after he was drafted by the Minnesota Twins with the 21st pick during the first round of the MLB draft at Cowtown Coliseum in Fort Worth, Texas, on July 14, 2024. / Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

Top Twins draft pick Kaelen Culpepper was at Target Field with his family Friday night, getting the chance to meet Minnesota staff members and players and take in a Twins game against the Chicago White Sox in his future home before heading to Fort Myers, Fla., to begin his pro baseball journey.

Culpepper also got an impromptu batting practice. 

Twins players asked Culpepper, whom Minnesota selected with the No. 21 overall pick in this year’s Major League Baseball draft, if he wanted to hit before the game. That, of course, was a no-brainer.

“I can’t turn that down,” Culpepper said. 

As you can imagine, Culpepper didn't bring a bat along with him, so he got the chance to swing bats of different Twins players. First he was given Royce Lewis's bat, but he was hoping for a bat with a little bit bigger barrel and more grip, so then he was brought Carlos Correa's bat.

Culpepper just as quickly snapped it in two.

“It was like a bright pink bat, and I was swinging good with it,” he said. “And then second swing it just snapped. So now I’m here and I’m in debt to Correa.” 

Correa may have given him a hard time, but broken bat aside, it's clear Culpepper was already making a good impression in the organization. He said the staff and coaches have treated him like family, and he's loved getting the chance to take everything in during his first trip to Minnesota and Target Field.

“I can see myself playing here for a lot of years,” Culpepper said. 

First Culpepper will have to work his way through the Twins system, and he's eager to play wherever he ends up getting assigned. When he does get assigned and Twins fans can get the chance to see the shortstop play, Culpepper said they'll get to see a player who loves the game and loves to work.

“I love to work. My work ethic is insane. I’m grateful for my dad instilling (that) in my brain and my brother being there every step of the way, always working on me wanting to be better than him,” Culpepper said. “I just like to have fun. I want to be the best player I can be. Whatever it takes to win, that’s what I’m gonna do. I’ve always been that way since I started playing baseball at age 3.”