The Minnesota Twins spent the closing stretch of the season doing what was left to do: taking a long look at their young talent. And one of the biggest winners from that evaluation was shortstop Marek Houston, who surged 17 spots in MLB Pipeline’s final Top 100 Prospects update, climbing from No. 71 to No. 54 overall.
Only St. Louis Cardinals catching prospect Leo Bernal jumped more, moving up 19 places. Houston’s rise tied Baltimore Orioles left-hander Joseph Dzierwa and Washington Nationals infielder Seaver King for the second-biggest gain in the update.
It’s a fitting reward for a first full pro season that answered a lot of the questions hanging over Houston after the Twins took him in the 2025 MLB Draft. Minnesota selected him with the No. 16 overall pick out of Wake Forest last summer, betting on a player whose defense had already made a strong case.
Houston has long been known for his glove. He earned Wake Forest’s starting shortstop job as a freshman because of it, and MLB Pipeline backed that up with a 60 fielding grade, plus above-average marks for his speed and arm.
The real question was the bat. That part now looks a lot more promising.
Across two Minor League levels, the 22-year-old hit .310 with a .390 on-base percentage and .457 slugging percentage. He added 28 doubles, 12 home runs and 59 RBI, showing enough production to quiet plenty of the doubt around his offensive upside.
He also finished the season like a player who was getting stronger, not wearing down. Houston rolled into a 10-game hitting streak and batted .405 over 50 plate appearances, while drawing seven walks and striking out eight times.
That kind of finish only helped his stock. MLB Pipeline noted that if Houston adds more power, he could become a top-50 prospect pretty quickly.
And that idea doesn’t feel far-fetched. He hit 15 home runs with a 1.055 OPS in his final season at Wake Forest, and since joining the Twins he’s continued working on better line-drive angles and more impact at the plate.
Houston has already reached Double-A, which gives him a clear path to keep climbing.
He wasn’t the only Twins prospect to move up in the final Pipeline update. Walker Jenkins went from No. 15 to No. 13 overall. Jenkins remains Minnesota’s No. 1 prospect in the organization, even after reaching the Major Leagues this season.
Minnesota’s current organizational top five lists Jenkins first, followed by Vahn Lackey, Kaelen Culpepper, Houston and Emmanuel Rodriguez.
Several of those names have already appeared on the MLB field, and if Houston keeps trending the way he has, his turn should not be far off.
In Other News...
Twins Farm System Just Put Two Important Names On Notice
Walker Jenkins rise through the Twins system kept moving this season, and the organization made the progress official by naming the young outfielder its Minor League Player of the Year. After a strong minor league campaign and an August call to the majors, Jenkins continued to show why he is viewed as one of the most important pieces in the clubs long-term picture, pairing eye-catching offense in the minors with a promising first taste of big league action.
Adrian Bohorquez also forced his way into the conversation after a season that required him to overcome injuries before settling in and throwing well at both High-A and Double-A. The right-handers work earned him the Twins Minor League Pitcher of the Year honor, and together with Jenkins, he gave the farm system a pair of names that should keep drawing attention as Minnesota looks for more help on the horizon. [Read more 🡒]
Twins Prospect Rankings Reveal A Fast-Changing Race To Target Field
The Twins prospect picture looks a lot different now than it did a year ago, and not just because several of the organizations biggest names have already made the leap to the majors. Walker Jenkins, Kaelen Culpepper and Emmanuel Rodriguez are no longer waiting in the queue, which has reshaped the conversation around who is next in line for Target Field and how much help the system can still provide in the near future.
In the latest rankings, Hendry Mendez and Riley Quick are the clearest risers after strong seasons that boosted their standing, while Eduardo Tait slid despite some encouraging signs in his game. It leaves Minnesota with a farm system that is still producing intrigue, but with the race for the next wave of impact talent changing quickly as evaluators sort out who is truly advancing and who still has more proving to do. [Read more 🡒]
Twins Fans Sent A Clear Message The Team Cant Ignore
The numbers at Target Field told a blunt story this season, and the Twins could not paper over it with giveaways or cheaper ballpark food. Minnesota finished with its lowest full-season attendance at the park, drawing 1,733,203 fans, a drop of 35,525 from a year ago even after the club rolled out promotions designed to make games more appealing and easier on the wallet.
Tom Pohlad has already acknowledged the attendance issues, and the message from the stands is hard to miss: fans want a better product before they fully buy back in. The front office can tweak the experience around the margins, but the real fix, as Pohlad noted, has to come from stronger play on the field if the Twins are going to stop this slide and bring more people back through the gates. [Read more 🡒]