Kaelen Culpepper leads group of Kansas State baseball players selected in MLB Draft
Kaelen Culpepper became one of the earliest picks in Kansas State baseball history when the Minnesota Twins selected him in the first round of the MLB Draft.
The Twins chose Culpepper with the 21st overall pick, which makes him the first K-State positional player to ever be taken in the first round. He was also able to match Jordan Wicks, who was picked at No. 21 by the Chicago Cubs in the 2021 MLB Draft, as the earliest draft pick to play for the Wildcats.
“When you look back at the journey that I’ve been through, all those hard times and all the adversity, I’ve been through it. It just means so much,” Culpepper said in an interview with ESPN following his selection. “This is all the result of it.”
Culpepper will move up to the professional ranks after starring as a shortstop for several years with the Wildcats.
He played particularly well this past season, as he established himself as one of the best hitters in all of college baseball with 59 RBI, 80 hits and 11 home runs. Those numbers went along with a team-high batting average of .328 and a slugging percentage of .574.
In the NCAA Tournament, he really picked up his game and led the Wildcats to a championship at the Fayetteville Regional. He was named MVP of the regional after going 9 for 19 with two home runs.
Culpepper is originally from Memphis, but he matured into a star player after he moved to Manhattan.
“We are so happy for Kaelan,” K-State head coach Pete Hughes said in a statement. “He has earned every bit of his good fortune. He embodies the K-State way. He has been a first-round person, student and teammate since he stepped foot in Manhattan. I know I speak for our entire program when I say that it’s been a privilege to be a part of his journey.”
The Wildcats have produced at least one pick in 20 of the last 21 MLB Drafts.
Three more K-State players got drafted in the later rounds.
The San Diego Padres selected relief pitcher Tyson Neighbors with the 118th overall pick, making him a fourth-round selection.
In the fifth round, K-State pitcher Jackson Wentworth was selected by the Blue Jays. Toronto used the 158th overall pick to take him.
Second baseman Brady Day was selected in the 10th round with the No. 312 overall pick by the Philadelphia Phillies.
This story was originally published July 15, 2024 at 11:07 AM with the headline "Kaelen Culpepper leads group of Kansas State baseball players selected in MLB Draft."