FORT WORTH, TEXAS – The first two rounds of the MLB amateur draft were Sunday; rounds 3-10 are today; and rounds 11-20 on Tuesday.
Here are the players chosen by the Twins:
First round, 21st overall
Kaelen Culpepper, SS, Kansas State
Culpepper, a righthanded hitter, hit .328 with 11 homers, 15 doubles, 59 RBI and nearly as many walks (35) as strikeouts (41) in 61 games. He became the second Kansas State player drafted in the first round since 1972. The slot value for the No. 21 pick is $3.93 million.
Listed at 6-foot, 185 pounds, Culpepper has a flatter swing that is more geared toward doubles than homers. His draft stock surged when he had a breakout 2023 season, and he was one of the better performers on USA Baseball’s National Collegiate Team with Larry Lee — Twins infielder Brooks Lee’s dad — as his manager. Baseball America rated Culpepper as the 34th-best player in this draft class.
He said he was “shocked” the Twins took him because he didn’t hear from them much after an hourlong chat at last month’s MLB Draft Combine.
“I know they are a great organization, and they just got a really good baseball player,” said Culpepper, who was one of six first-round picks who attended the draft.
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Compensatory round, 33rd overall
Kyle DeBarge, SS, Louisiana Lafayette
The Twins got the pick as compensation for losing free agent Sonny Gray in free agency.
DeBarge, 5-9 and 175 pounds, is a contact hitter who batted .355 in 62 games this year with 21 homers, 19 doubles and 72 RBI, earning Sun Belt Conference Player of the Year.
Second round, 60th overall
Billy Amick, 3B, Tennessee
The son of NASCAR driver Lyndon Amick, Billy Amick played his first two seasons at Clemson before transferring and helping the Vols win the national title. At 6-1 and 217 pounds, he hit 23 home runs in 65 games with a .306 batting average.
Second round, 69th overall
Dasan Hill, LHP, Grapevine, Texas
Hill, 6-4 and 170, has committed to Dallas Baptist. He led Grapevine to the Texas Class 5A state title and was the Dallas Morning News’ player of the year after striking out 155 batters in 77 innings.
Third round, 96th overall
Khadim Diaw, C-OF, Loyola Marymount
Diaw, 6-1 and 215, went to Notre Dame High School, alma mater of Giancarlo Stanton and Hunter Greene, in Los Angeles. The righthanded hitter has had injury-plagued seasons at Loyola Marymount. In 20 games as a redshirt sophomore he hit .432; in 80 career games, he has 12 home runs.
Fourth round, 126th overall
Jaime Ferrer, OF, Florida State
A 6-2, 219-pound native of Puerto Rico, Ferrer had 22 home runs in 62 games and hit .317 in his junior season with the Seminoles.
Fifth round, 159th overall
Caden Kendle, OF, Cal-Irvine
Kendle was taken in the 10th round last year by St. Louis, but elected to return for his senior season. The 5-11, 200-pounder hit .387 with six home runs in 51 games.