Get ready for a homecoming with some serious heat on the mound this Saturday! When the Milwaukee Brewers take on the Minnesota Twins in Minneapolis, they'll be squaring off against a familiar face from the Badger State: Tomah High School alum Connor Prielipp.
The 25-year-old left-hander is set to make his fifth start for the Twins, and he's been turning heads early in his big-league career. Through four starts, Prielipp boasts a sharp 3.32 ERA with 21 strikeouts over 19 innings, along with an impressive 1.00 WHIP. Not bad for a guy who's still finding his footing in the majors.
Of course, baseball is a team sport, and despite Prielipp's solid numbers, the Twins have dropped three of his four outings—thanks in part to defensive miscues and bullpen struggles. But don't let that overshadow the story of a Wisconsin kid living the dream.
Prielipp's journey to the mound hasn't been a straight line. A standout at Tomah High School—located about 175 miles from both Milwaukee and Minneapolis, near the Wisconsin Dells—he was named Wisconsin's Gatorade Player of the Year in 2019. The Boston Red Sox picked him in the 37th round of that year's draft, but Prielipp opted for college instead, heading to Alabama.
His college career was anything but typical. The COVID-19 pandemic cut his 2020 season short, and then Tommy John surgery sidelined him in 2021 after just a few innings. He didn't pitch at all in 2022, focusing on rehab and draft prep. In total, he threw only 28 innings across seven appearances for the Crimson Tide.
Still, the Twins saw enough potential to grab him in the second round of the 2022 draft. But the setbacks weren't over—Prielipp underwent a second Tommy John surgery after joining the organization in 2023. He worked his way back slowly, tossing nine games in 2024 with a 2.70 ERA across multiple minor-league levels. Last season, he split time between Double-A (3.65 ERA in 19 starts) and Triple-A (5.14 ERA in five games). After posting a sparkling 2.30 ERA in four Triple-A outings this year, he finally got the call to the show.
It's been a while since the Brewers faced a Wisconsin-born pitcher—and even longer since they saw one who actually went to high school in the state. (Reliever Pete Fairbanks, who was born in Milwaukee, didn't attend school there.) The last time? Ben Heller, a Whitewater High School product, faced Milwaukee twice during the 2023 season.
So when Prielipp toes the rubber on Saturday, it's more than just another game. It's a chance for a local kid to shine against the team from his home state's biggest city. Whether you're rooting for the Brewers or just love a good underdog story, this is one matchup you won't want to miss.