This Saturday, the Milwaukee Brewers will face a familiar foe with deep Wisconsin roots when they take on the Minnesota Twins. Standing on the mound for the Twins will be Connor Prielipp, a Tomah High School alumnus who's quickly making a name for himself in the big leagues.
The 25-year-old left-hander is set to make his fifth start for the Twins on May 16 in Minneapolis. So far, Prielipp has posted a solid 1-1 record with a 3.32 ERA, striking out 21 batters over 19 innings while maintaining an impressive 1.00 WHIP. Despite his strong individual performance, the Twins have dropped three of his four starts, thanks in part to defensive errors and bullpen hiccups.
For those unfamiliar with Prielipp's journey, it's a story of resilience. He grew up in Tomah, a town nestled west of Wisconsin Dells near La Crosse—roughly 175 miles from both Milwaukee and Minneapolis. In 2019, he was named Wisconsin's Gatorade Player of the Year and was drafted in the 37th round by the Boston Red Sox, but he chose college instead.
Prielipp headed to Alabama, where his collegiate career was anything but smooth. The 2020 season was cut short by COVID-19, and he underwent Tommy John surgery in 2021 after just a few innings. He didn't pitch at all in 2022, instead focusing on rehab and draft preparation. All told, he logged only 28 innings over seven appearances for the Crimson Tide.
That limited college experience didn't stop the Twins from selecting him in the second round of the 2022 draft. However, his professional career hit another roadblock when he needed a second Tommy John surgery in 2023. He managed nine games in 2024 with a 2.70 ERA across multiple minor league levels, including Advanced Class A. In 2025, he pitched at Double-A (3.65 ERA in 19 starts) and Triple-A (5.14 ERA in five games) before earning a call-up after posting a stellar 2.30 ERA in four Triple-A outings this year.
It's been a while since the Brewers faced a Wisconsin-born pitcher—excluding Milwaukee native Pete Fairbanks, who didn't attend high school in the state. So Saturday's matchup carries extra local flavor. Whether Prielipp can outduel his home-state team remains to be seen, but one thing's for sure: this is a pitcher who's battled back from adversity and is ready to prove himself on the big stage.