A scouting report on the Cedar Rapids Kernels pitching rotation

CEDAR RAPIDS — The Minnesota Twins have a reputation for being able to find major league pitchers in later rounds of the annual Major League Baseball Draft.

Generally, the Twins have taken some college guys who have a trait or two they like, train them to throw with more velocity or develop other pitches that move them up the minor league ladder and hopefully to the bigs.

The Cedar Rapids Kernels have been the beneficiaries of that recently. Cory Lewis, for instance, was a ninth-round pick in 2022 who pitched wonderfully for last season’s Midwest League championship team, using a knuckleball, of all things, as part of his arsenal.

In that same draft, the Twins selected Andrew Morris in the fourth round, Zebby Matthews in the eighth and C.J. Culpepper in the 13th round, all considered among the top 20 prospects in the Minnesota farm system. They comprise half of a six-man starting rotation for the Kernels, who begin the 2024 season Friday, Saturday and Sunday at Beloit.

They’ll be joined by Christian MacLeod, John Klein and Darren Bowen in a rotation that could be very good. Jonas Levin, who teams with Argenis Arguello as C.R.’s pitching coaches this season, was asked to discuss this six pack and give scouting reports on them.

The order of the rotation is Morris, Klein, MacLeod, Bowen, Matthews and Culpepper.

Andrew Morris

Morris went 8-2 with a 2.88 earned run average in 18 appearances at low-A Fort Myers and Cedar Rapids last season.

“A little bit deceptive from the higher (over the top) arm slot,” Levin said. “The high velo from the high slot has definitely been a big piece. His thing has been improving the offspeed stuff as well. He’s working on some new shapes right now. But like Zebby, he’s in the strike zone all the time.”

John Klein

Klein was signed as a non-drafted free agent out of Iowa Central Community College. He pitched at three levels last season, including making one start for the Kernels.

“Obviously being a junior college (signee), he is a little bit younger than some of the other ones,” Lovin said of the 21 year old. “Similar to Zebby and Andrew, pitch shapes are a big thing for him. He has added a new cutter/slider this offseason. Then it’s just continuing to fill up the strike zone. He had good walk rates in low-A and high-A, but our organization tends to have higher standards (with that). I’m continuing to preach to him filling up the strike zone with what he has.”

Christian MacLeod

MacLeod, the only lefty here, was a fifth-round pick in 2021 out of Mississippi State who missed the entire 2022 season after undergoing Tommy John elbow surgery. He went 5-2, 4.13 last season for the Kernels in 15 appearances, 14 starts.

“He’s really interesting to me,” Lovin said. “It’s almost like, and this is obviously a high-praise comp, but it’s almost like a Clayton Kershaw. He’s a lefty with a carry fastball. We added it at the end of last year, but there’s a little slider/cutter pitch, too. And he has really refined it in the offseason. He’s throwing it harder, and it’ll be a really good pitch for him.”

Zebby Matthews

Matthews had eight good appearances for Fort Myers last season before getting the promotion to C.R. He went 4-2 with a 4.59 ERA in 14 outings, 13 starts for the Kernels.

“His biggest thing has been just improving his offspeed pitches,” Lovin said. “He made some really good strides in spring training, something I was just talking about with one of our coordinators today. That was a big focus for him, and as long as he is throwing his new pitches in the strike zone, he’s going to be in a good spot. A command master, for sure.”

C.J. Culpepper

Culpepper made 21 starts last season, splitting time with Fort Myers and Cedar Rapids. He mostly was a reliever in college.

“His velo jumped (to the mid 90s) when he signed him,” Lovin said. “The pitch shapes are really good. He’s got six pitches, and they’re all nasty. I think for C.J. it’s just learning who he is as a pitcher. How to utilize those six pitches to each side of the plate the best he can. He’s just a different pitcher than he was in college. A lower-90s guy, didn’t have as many pitches, so he’s had to learn how to pitch with his new stuff and figure out what best plays off of each other.”

Darren Bowen

Bowen was acquired in the offseason from the Seattle organization in a trade that sent big league (and former Kernels) second baseman Jorge Polanco to the Mariners. He’s from NCAA Division II North Carolina-Pembroke.

“He’s interesting, man,” Lovin said. “He’s been up to 97 in spring training. Tall, lanky kid. He needs to learn how his body moves to produce velocity on the mound. But the pitch shapes are there already. He’s already got really nasty stuff, it’s just continuing to hone in on his delivery, really.”

The Kernels’ home opener is Tuesday night against Dayton.

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