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Defense-First Prospect Eyes Top Minor League Award
22 Sep
Summary
- Marek Houston, a 2025 first-round pick, is a finalist for Minor League Defensive Player of the Year.
- Houston achieved a .952 fielding percentage at shortstop across Double-A and High-A minor leagues.
- He is the first Twins prospect eligible for the award since Noah Miller in 2023.
Marek Houston, a standout shortstop drafted by the Minnesota Twins in 2025, is a finalist for the 2026 Minor League Defensive Player of the Year award. The 22-year-old has lived up to his billing as a defense-first prospect since turning professional.
Houston spent most of his recent minor league season at Double-A Wichita. He recorded a .952 fielding percentage across nearly 1,000 innings at shortstop. This included just 11 errors in 60 games at the Double-A level and 19 total errors across both Double-A and High-A.
His strong defensive performance, coupled with a .312 batting average and an .847 OPS in 2026, suggests he could reach the Major Leagues as early as next season. Minor league awards are scheduled to be announced on September 28th. If Houston claims the Defensive Player of the Year title, he will be the first Twins prospect to achieve this feat since Noah Miller in 2023.
