Kaelen Culpepper Reflects on the Emotions Behind His Unforgettable MLB Debut

Less than 24 hours removed from an emotional call-up, the young shortstop made his first big-league impact. Kaelen Culpepper’s first 24 hours as a Major Leaguer had just about everything you could expect from a player finally getting the call. Tears in a Triple-A clubhouse, a frantic trip to Milwaukee, a sellout crowd and, eventually, a bucket of mustard and baby powder waiting for him after the game. Somehow, the part that looked the most overwhelming was also the part where Culpepper seemed most comfortable. His first career hit for the Minnesota Twins came in his second at-bat Friday night, and it came after he fell behind Milwaukee left-hander Shane Drohan 0-2. Rather than allowing the count to speed him up, Culpepper went back to the approach that had carried him through Triple-A and into the Twins’ plans. “I mean, I’m just sticking to my approach,” Culpepper said postgame on Twins TV. “Not really letting what happened early in that at-bat dictate what was gonna be the outcome. So I just, you know, trusting myself, trusting my eyes.” That turned into a 390-foot home run to left-center field, cutting Milwaukee’s lead to 4-3 and giving Minnesota the spark it needed
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