A home run derby suddenly broke out during Tuesday's Triple-A game between the Iowa Cubs and the St. Paul Saints, with 10 balls flying out of CHS Field.
The Saints, the Twins' Triple-A affiliate, supplied six of those home runs, thanks in large part to the efforts of two Top 100 prospects: Emmanuel Rodriguez (No. 64) and Kaelen Culpepper (No. 46).
Those players, who are both among the Twins' top five prospects, each went deep twice Tuesday. Although Culpepper led off with a homer, any conversation about their performances must begin with Rodriguez, who launched a dinger the likes of which we don't see often at any pro level.
His first home run of the day had an exit velocity of 118.3 mph. That's the hardest-hit homer since Statcast tracking began for all Triple-A games in 2023, and there have been only two MLB home runs with a higher exit velocity since the beginning of last season (postseason included): Shohei Ohtani's 120-mph clout on Sept. 2 and Oneil Cruz's record-setting 122.9-mph home run on May 25.
After drilling that line-drive shot in the fifth inning, Rodriguez bashed another solo homer in the seventh inning. The 23-year-old with 60-grade power now has six homers this year in 75 at-bats. That matches his homer total from last season across 208 at-bats.
Culpepper is up to five homers this year after yanking a pitch out to left field to open St. Paul's five-run first inning. He then went the opposite way in the fourth, clearing the high wall in right-center.
Both players were in a mini-slump entering Tuesday; Culpepper had gone hitless in his previous 14 at-bats, while Rodriguez was 1-for-14 over his prior five games. They each ended those short dips with authority.