Marek Houston’s first full pro season gave the Twins plenty to like, but the bat may have been the real eye-opener.
The 2025 first-round pick out of Wake Forest, already viewed by the organization as its best defensive shortstop prospect, backed up that reputation and then some in 2026. He hit .312/.392/.455 with 12 home runs, 28 doubles and 50 stolen bases across 116 games between High-A Cedar Rapids and Double-A Wichita, a line that showed far more offensive punch than the Twins had expected when they drafted him.
That progress didn’t happen by accident. Twins assistant GM Alex Hassan said Houston spent the offseason working on his swing and showed up to spring training ready to tackle the areas the club wanted him to address.
“He did a good job this offseason working on his swing,” Hassan said. “He came into spring training, and there were some things we wanted to address with him that he’s been all-in on. He’s been super coachable.”
The Twins like the defensive package just as much as the numbers. In Fort Myers this spring, Twins infield coach Ramon Borrego worked with Houston on the minor league side of the spring complex and came away convinced the shortstop has a chance to be special if the development keeps going.
Borrego liked the way Houston attacked ground balls, handled the ball with his hands and fired throws across the diamond. He also noticed the poise.
Watching those traits, Borrego told Houston he thought he could become a Gold Glove-caliber player. Borrego said the feeling reminded him of what he saw when he watched Andres Gimenez in Rookie ball.
“We’re really pleased with what we have with him,” said Twins assistant GM Alex Hassan. “A beautiful athlete.
He’s tall. He’s got good range side to side.
He can throw. He’s got good hands.
He has a lot of the physical ingredients that make it really fun to watch him play defense.”
Houston’s offensive gains came with more bat speed, which helped his direct, line-drive swing do more damage to all fields. Even so, the Twins aren’t interested in turning him into a sellout power bat.
“It starts with controlling the strike zone,” Hassan said. “That’s something he does well.
He puts a lot of balls in play. I think that will always be a big and important piece of his skill set, and we don’t want to lose that.”
The organization has also been encouraged by Houston’s feel for the game on both sides of the ball. That overall polish helped fuel a 31-game on-base streak at Double-A, which ended in early August, and left the Twins even more convinced about his makeup.
“We’ve been really impressed with him,” Hassan said. “Really impressed with his makeup and game feel.”
TWINS TIDBITS
Righthander Riley Quick put together one of the stronger pitching seasons in the system, piling up 108 strikeouts in 77.2 innings while moving from Low-A to Double-A. He finished with a 4.29 ERA and issued 46 walks, though the Twins pointed to blister problems as a reason for the elevated walk total.
Righthander Matt Canterino threw one scoreless inning in a rehab appearance for High-A Cedar Rapids on Sept. 2, allowing one walk and striking out one. It marked his first minor league game since July 30, 2022, after elbow and shoulder surgeries.
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