C.J. Culpepper Stats & Scouting Report

IP	54.1
ERA	2.65
WHIP	1.380
BB/9	5.0
SO/9	7.5

Full name Christian Joseph Culpepper
Born 11/02/2001 in Upland, CA
Profile Ht.: 6'3" / Wt.: 193 / Bats: R / Throws: R
School California Baptist
Drafted in the 13th round (384th overall) by the Minnesota Twins in 2022 (signed for $125,000).

View Draft Report

The latest pitcher out of rising mid-major California Baptist, Culpepper moved from the bullpen to the rotation this spring and performed well but saw his stuff decline over longer stints. Culpepper's fastball sits 88-90 mph as a starter but ticks up to 91-95 mph in relief. His slider flashes above average out of the bullpen but plays down as a starter. Culpepper is a third-year sophomore and could go back to school to try and prove he can hold his stuff as a starter. Any team drafting him will likely move him back to the bullpen.

Top Rankings

Organization Prospect Rankings

BA Grade/Risk: 50/High.

Track Record: A 13th-round pick out of California Baptist in 2022, Culpepper has blossomed as a Twin like many mid- and late-round college arms before him. He’s added velocity, learned to throw a quality changeup and has gone from a project to a viable back-of-the-rotation starter. He missed much of two months of the 2024 season with a forearm strain, but made it to Double-A Wichita in August and finished by posting a 1.38 ERA and a 14-to-1 strikeout-to-walk ratio in his final three Double-A starts.

Scouting Report: Culpepper sat at 88-90 as a starter at Cal Baptist. Now he sits 93-95 mph and touches 98, but Culpepper’s calling card is his low-80s slider. He throws it more than his fastball, and it generates plenty of swings and misses with its sweep, as it runs off the plate gloveside. He will use a deeper low-80s curve against lefthanded hitters as well as a below-average changeup that gives lefties something to worry about arm-side. Culpepper’s delivery includes a short, reliever-ish arm action and some effort, but he has shown average control.

The Future: Culpepper is yet another of the Twins’ seemingly never-ending array of solid but unspectacular starters. He throws a bit of everything, but that works for him, as it keeps hitters off of his average fastball. Unpredictability is a key part of Culpepper’s success as hitters have to defend the entire strike zone.

Scouting Grades: Fastball: 50 | Curveball: 45 | Slider: 60 | Changeup: 40 | Cutter: 55 | Control: 50.
BA Grade: 50/High

Track Record: Cal Baptist has become somewhat of a pitching factory. The one-time Division II school has produced big leaguers Trevor Oaks and Tyson Miller as well as an array of additional draftees. Culpepper has quickly emerged as a later-round pick after the Twins drafted him in the 13th round in 2022. In college, Culpepper’s stuff dipped when he moved from the bullpen to the rotation, but he showed in his first full season that he is a potential starter. He wore down late in the 2023 season, with 25 of the 40 runs he allowed all year coming in his final 23.2 innings for High-A Cedar Rapids after spending the first half at Low-A Fort Myers.

Scouting Report: Culpepper quickly demonstrated he’s one of the Twins’ best starting pitching prospects thanks to his solid stuff and highly varied repertoire. Culpepper throws both a four-seam and two-seam fastball, a changeup, a cutter, a slider and a curveball. He works inside and out to both lefties and righties with a largely east-west approach. His 93-95 mph four-seamer is an above-average pitch, and his 92-93 two-seamer is nearly as effective because of the way it pairs with his above-average mid-80s slider. His slider runs away from righthanders, while his two-seamer runs in on their hands. His average low-90s cutter doesn’t move a lot, but he throws it for strikes and it just helps further scramble a hitter’s brain. He breaks out his below-average 1-to-7 curveball occasionally, but it often ends below the zone. But because hitters aren’t looking for it, it can surprise a hitter.

The Future: Culpepper has a starter’s array of pitches, and the confidence to keep hitters uncomfortable. There’s nothing in his arsenal to blow big leaguers away, but his ability to mix such a large number of pitches gives him a shot at being a potential no. 4 starter.

Scouting Grades Fastball: 55 | Curveball: 40 | Slider: 55 | Changeup: 45 | Cutter: 50 | Control: 50

Draft Prospects

School: California Baptist Committed/Drafted: Never Drafted
Age At Draft: 20.7
Coming into the 2022 season, Culpepper looked like a sure-bet to be drafted, but his move from the pen to the rotation saw his velocity dip from the 91-95 mph range to 88-90 mph. His secondaries backed up as well. Culpepper remained effective for Cal Baptist, going 5-3, 3.26 with 76 strikeouts and 24 walks in 69 innings, but a team picking the third-year sophomore will most likely be looking to move him back to the bullpen. That’s where his fastball and slider have both flashed above-average in the past.

Career Transactions

Wichita Wind Surge activated RHP C.J. Culpepper from the 60-day injured list.
Wichita Wind Surge sent RHP C.J. Culpepper on a rehab assignment to Fort Myers Mighty Mussels.
Wichita Wind Surge sent RHP C.J. Culpepper on a rehab assignment to Fort Myers Mighty Mussels.
Wichita Wind Surge transferred RHP C.J. Culpepper from the 7-day injured list to the 60-day injured list.
Wichita Wind Surge placed RHP C.J. Culpepper on the 7-day injured list.
RHP C.J. Culpepper assigned to Wichita Wind Surge from Cedar Rapids Kernels.
Cedar Rapids Kernels activated RHP C.J. Culpepper from the 7-day injured list.
Cedar Rapids Kernels placed RHP C.J. Culpepper on the 7-day injured list. Right forearm strain.
Cedar Rapids Kernels activated RHP C.J. Culpepper from the temporarily inactive list.
Cedar Rapids Kernels placed RHP C.J. Culpepper on the temporarily inactive list.
RHP C.J. Culpepper assigned to Cedar Rapids Kernels from Fort Myers Mighty Mussels.
RHP C.J. Culpepper assigned to Cedar Rapids Kernels from Fort Myers Mighty Mussels.
Fort Myers Mighty Mussels activated RHP C.J. Culpepper.
Fort Myers Mighty Mussels activated RHP C.J. Culpepper.
Fort Myers Mighty Mussels transferred RHP C.J. Culpepper to the Development List.
Fort Myers Mighty Mussels transferred RHP C.J. Culpepper to the Development List.
RHP C.J. Culpepper assigned to Fort Myers Mighty Mussels from FCL Twins.