Projecting the Minnesota Twins’ Shortstop Plan for the Next Five Years

[Cody Christie]

Image courtesy of Ed Bailey, Wichita Wind Surge (photo of Kaelen Culpepper)

Carlos Correa’s return to Houston at the trade deadline didn’t just mark the end of a high-profile free-agent signing, it left a gaping hole at one of the most vital defensive positions in baseball. While the Twins can’t replace Correa’s leadership and postseason resume overnight, they’ve quietly built up a deep pipeline of potential successors at shortstop.

And if there’s one thing you notice when tracking prospects in this game, it’s this: everyone starts at shortstop

Even Miguel Sanó was considered a shortstop when the Twins signed him. Teams routinely load their farm systems with athletic shortstops, knowing full well many of them will never sniff the big leagues at that position. Shortstop is where the best players go when they’re young. If they can’t stick there, because of size, speed, or arm strength, they get moved down the defensive spectrum. It’s a filtering system, and the Twins have several names working their way through the funnel

Here’s a look at how Minnesota might line things up at shortstop over the next five years.

2025-2026: Brooks Lee, The Heir Apparent
Lee’s path to Minnesota was methodical. After the Twins took him with the eighth overall pick in the 2022 MLB Draft, he tore through the minors in less than two seasons. A back injury slowed him earlier this year, but he’s healthy now and should see extended big-league time this fall. In 93 games, he has a 78 OPS+ with 10 home runs and 10 doubles. He doesn’t have the defensive chops of Correa (-2 OAA at SS), but he should be able to hold down the position until another prospect steps in to take over the spot. 

Lee likely takes over the reins in 2025 and holds the job through at least 2026. That said, there’s always been speculation he’s better suited for third base or second long-term, depending on how his body ages and how much range he maintains. Still, his bat has always been his calling card, and the Twins will need more offensive output from him over the next two years. 

2026-2028: Kaelen Culpepper, The Top Prospect in Waiting
Culpepper might be one of the most athletic players in the system right now, and that’s one of the reasons the Twins took him in the first round of the 2024 MLB Draft. Among the team’s top prospects, he has seen his stock rise the most this year. In 82 games between High- and Double-A, he is hitting .315/.398/.503 (.901) with 15 homers, 13 doubles, and a 153 wRC+. There’s a strong chance he is the team’s minor league player of the year.  

Culpepper might debut at second or third to get his feet wet, but long-term, he profiles as a potential everyday shortstop. His arm is so good that many believed that he would shift to the hot corner as he got closer to the big leagues. Many evaluators have changed their tune this season and believe he can stick at short. If Lee shifts off the position by 2026 or 2027, Culpepper could grab the job and run with it through the end of the decade. Keep an eye on his strikeout rate and ability to handle velocity up in the zone. If those develop, his ceiling is sky high.

2028-2030: Marek Houston, The Long-Term Bet
The Twins used a first-round pick in 2025 to land Marek Houston, a defense-first college shortstop with a high baseball IQ. He’s the kind of player scouts rave about in quiet tones: advanced footwork, internal clock, great first step, and a smooth, accurate arm. While the bat has a ways to go, there are signs of a quality contact profile and sneaky doubles power.

Houston is years away, but if Culpepper outgrows shortstop or shifts to third base, Houston could step in and become the steady, glove-first answer. He has a solid floor, low flash, but reliable as they come

A Position in Flux, But Not in Crisis
It’s strange to say goodbye to Correa just two and a half years into his massive contract, especially after his postseason heroics and leadership behind the scenes. But the Twins prepared for this. They drafted shortstops. And they’ll keep developing them.

In five years, we might look back and see that Correa was just the bridge between one era of Twins baseball and another. The names may change, but the pipeline is full. And odds are, the guy replacing Correa… was once a shortstop, too

Who is the team’s best long-term option at shortstop? Leave a comment and start the discussion. 

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[terrydactyls]

That video shows great agility at shortstop.  He might be more fun to watch than Correa.  Correa had a cannon arm but not the agility of Houston while he was a Twin.

[ashbury]

53 minutes ago, terrydactyls said:

That video shows great agility at shortstop.  

Great, great attempt, diminished only a little in my own eyes by the sense that the umpire might have gotten a little too excited in the moment and robbed the batter of a single.  😀

[weitz41]

My money is on Culpepper soon and for a long run. Hoping for a Twins Bo Bichette.  Houston's bat will determine if he can surpass Culpepper. I like Lee but not sure he stays at SS long term.

[FlyingFinn]

New ownership, new GM and new manager. I want Culpepper to start for the Twins at SS right out of the gate in 2026.

[TopGunn#22]

It's Culpepper for the soon and foreseeable future.  But imagine the IF defense with Culpepper at 3B and Houston at SS with Lee or Keaschall at 2B (and Lewis at 1B).  Regarding that play by Houston...WOW !!  I'm with Terrydactyls as far as  Houston is concerned.

It was TIME to move on from Correa.  A re-set was needed.  Current leadership (Owners, FO, Manager) had clearly squandered whatever patience or good will they had.  But I will give them credit.  When it came to the eventual "Post Correa" outcome, they have left the Twins in a very favorable position.  

A promotion for Culpepper to St. Paul should either come soon or to begin 2026.  But if he continues to tear it up at AA and then AAA, the new Twins regime shouldn't hesitate to bring him up.  Lee is an O.K. backup at SS but he lacks the athleticism to stick there for long.  Culpepper and Houston are prospects to get excited about.  

[Linus]

Houston is probably a no doubter with the glove but people shouldn’t get too far over their skis - the bat could be a problem. 

[CRF]

Maybe they can trade for that Correa guy with Houston...I heard he's pretty good. 🤪

[sun]

deleted

 

[mikelink45]

Too Soon.  A lot needs to happen and more will happen.  I will just wait and see. 

[Rod Carews Birthday]

“He has a solid floor”

That’s a scary statement to me.  It’s as Charles Barkley says when someone has a great personality.  It means they’re ugly.  That overstates it a little, but someone at the point of being drafted in the first round should really only have superlatives in his description.  

I’m hopeful that between Culpepper and Houston, the future shortstop is in the fold, but they both have plenty left to prove.  

 

[Fatbat]

Nobody talking about Winokur because of his strikeout rate…. I want to see Culpepper in AAA next week. Houston should finish up in Iowa this season. Send him on the express train.  Lets get more athletic guys in the big leagues and put the poor defense behind us. 

[LakesPibble]

Pretty sure the plan is to draft a SS in the 1st round every year to infinity and beyond.

[Wedman13]

This is a great article/opinion.  Thank you for the breath of fresh air!

it won't be popular, but I think Brooks is our guy.

[High heat]

Mark Cuban is going to buy the team and in a bid for his run for MPLS Mayor he is increase payroll to 300 million and we are going to sign the best free agent SS.  
 

I know I need to stop drinking alone on Saturday night!

 

Until new ownership coming I g or Pohlads set a budget/stoppage selling off assets we have no idea.  
 

I would selfishly like to see Culpepper in AAA so I can see the defense at SS for myself.

[DocBauer]

1] LEE is the guy for now. Being a good SS isn't JUST athleticism. It's also a good feel for the game, knowing the hitters, and understanding what the pitcher is throwing on any given pitch. That's where positioning comes in to play. Lee possess those things. Personally, I don't think he's a bad SS. He has good hands and a decent arm. But at some point, the lack of overall range limits him.

I really find it difficult how poor his bat has been. For a guy with the rep of controlling the zone, taking some BB and not K a ton, he just hasn't lived up to what was expected of him. Not even close. Is he trying too hard? I'd like to believe there's still a .270 hitter with a .330 OB% and enough power for 15 HR per season and 30 Dbls. If that hitter is still in there, he's a very nice ballplayer SOMEWHERE. Now, is that 2B or 3B or a super utility INF player who plays almost daily and fills in when guys are hurt for a longer period IDK.

2] CULPEPPER is a better athlete with at least as good of an arm and probably a step up from what is reported and what little I've seen. Now, he's probably not the AMAZING .300 hitter we've seen so far, but it sure looks like he can HIT, offer some discipline, and offer XB power and speed on the basepaths. Until we see him in action at the ML level, who knows. A lot of kids were supposedly really good SS and the. You see them in ML ball and scratch your head. But I honestly haven't heard a single negative word about his defense yet. In fact, it's been just the opposite with everyone stating both his glove and bat are even better than expected or hoped for at this point.

He takes over SS in 2026. But when? Day 1 and just throw him out there? Or with Lee holding things down temporarily, does Culpepper spend a little more time in AAA to just polish up a few things?

SIDEBAR: What to do with Culpepper to begin 2026 has a bigger impact than just who starts at SS. With Lee taking Correa's spot and Castro gone, who is the backup SS if Culpepper ISN'T on the roster immediately? With all due respect to Ryan Fitzgerald...and anybody else chasing their dream...he's on the 26 man at the moment because nobody else can play SS. Unless the Twins give a shot to someone like Eeles over the next 7 weeks and he looks to be a competent ML bat and competent SS fill in, the Twins will need to look outside the organization for a 1yr FA veteran type to help fill a utility role. At least on a temporary basis.

3] HOUSTON was either the #1 or #1A defensive SS in the past draft. That's saying something. Being the starting SS for a program like Wake Forest as a freshman is saying something. Even a few early hilights at A ball Ft Myers that are impressive says something. He's probably a ML SS defensively. The question remains how good his bat is. His showing a solid HIT tool in college that got better every year in a top program says something. The fact that he's always had solid BB/K numbers and a good OB% seem to indate he has bat control and zone recognition. The fact that he can run a bit sure doesn't hurt his potential. 

The question, IMO, is pop/power. I think some ignore the fact that he's 6' 3" and 205lbs. He's not a small guy. And I understand he never really flashed power until last season, and most of his HR came at home in a smaller park. But as a 21yo with good size, solid bat ability, and good athleticism, are we so sure he WON'T produce at least a little pop/power? He absolutely doesn't have to crank out 20 HR! But if he could hit and leg out 30+ Dbls consistently and stoke 12-15 HR he could very valuable offensively as a high end defender.

Unless he pulls off a Keaschall or Culpepper type of 1st full season in 2026 as a 22yo, he's another 2-3yrs away. And that's fine! Culpepper may be entrenched as a STUD SS by then, OR, he might be a really good SS who could be just as good at 3B and .are room for Houston with Lewis moving to 1B as a 28-29yo. 

There is no problem here as long as Culpepper doesn't suddenly flame out. Because if he does, the OK glove of Lee is the guy until Houston hopefully makes it. 

In a recent OP Nick Nelson paints the SS position in a rather gloomy light. He reminds us how many Twins prospects were SS that didn't turn out. That's fair, even though we didn't all agree with him completely or see things quite as dark as he did/does. But let's not forget Sano was a teenager and never expected to stick at SS. Cavoco, Gordon,  and Wander Javier were teenager draft selections or IL teenagers signed. Hardly a strong arguement for proven college players who have already flashed early in their professional careers. Levi Michael? Do we really have to discuss 1 late round college SS in a weak class compared to Culpepper and Houston, and possibly Lee? Aren't all players and draft classes a bit different?

BTW, former teenage, IL signing kids Polanco and Arraez, both SS when signed, turned out pretty well in different ways. And while a HEALTHY Polanco wasn't a great SS, he was OK for a couple of years. And his bat made up for some defensive limitations as well.

So I'm just not doom and gloom until I'm presented with a stormy sky regarding SS. I very much want Lee's bat to become what was EXPECTED so that he can be an OK SS in the temporary and backup in the future while he settles in to a different role on the team. If you recall, very few thought he'd ever STICK at SS at the ML level. And I think Culpepper is the real deal even if he never wins a GG. Does he have to in order to be a quality ML SS? "Paging Mr. Gagne, a Mr. Greg Gagne". 

Next 3-5 years? Lee in the temporary and a valuable utility player or starting 3B or 2B if the bat becomes what we and so many others thought it would be. (Still less than 600 PA!). And Culpepper will be the #1 SS at some point in 2026, and for the next couple/few years AT LEAST.

It's possible that Houston is even better with the glove in 2-3yrs than Culpepper with a decent offensive game to move Culpepper to a different INF spot. NOT a problem. Rather, a luxury.

[twinstalker]

Highly doubt Houston's bat will be enough to be a regular.

[terrydactyls]

Everyone seems so worried about Culpepper and Houston as hitters that they seem to forget that shortstop is primarily a defensive position.  Guys like Mark Belanger played for a decade in Baltimore and had a career batting average of .228.  But he was also a gold glove winner several times and helped the Orioles win a lot of games.  He and Brooks Robinson on the left side of the infield was a thing of beauty.

[IndianaTwin]

15 hours ago, TopGunn#22 said:

It's Culpepper for the soon and foreseeable future.  But imagine the IF defense with Culpepper at 3B and Houston at SS with Lee or Keaschall at 2B (and Lewis at 1B)….

Houston needs to be a fast riser or Lewis needs an extension. The latter is a free agent after 2028. 

[Doctor Wu]

18 hours ago, FlyingFinn said:

I want Culpepper to start for the Twins at SS right out of the gate in 2026.

I'd love to see that. Brooks Lee is okay at shortstop, but thus far his hitting has been a huge disappointment. Can he adjust and improve? You would certainly hope so, but overall he just doesn't excite me or fill me with hope. But Culpepper needs to be in AAA now and then we will see if he is ready to take the next step. But I agree with what the article said: it was time to move on from Correa. Very good player and I'd like to think he was a good influence on players like Lee and Lewis, but we have too many good young players that will be able to handle that position soon, so I think moving Correa may have been the best trade of the whole bunch, even though it was basically a salary dump. I like the clean slate. 

[TL]

17 hours ago, TopGunn#22 said:

It's Culpepper for the soon and foreseeable future.  But imagine the IF defense with Culpepper at 3B and Houston at SS with Lee or Keaschall at 2B (and Lewis at 1B).  Regarding that play by Houston...WOW !!  I'm with Terrydactyls as far as  Houston is concerned.

I was big believer in Lewis to 1B but have to admit he has done well at 3B defensively this year. To me Lee is either a SS or Utility player. Even at his best he’ll have a questionable bat for a corner position. Looking out to 2nd half of next year or ‘27 best case is Culpepper supplants Lee, who becomes utility guy, Lewis at 3B and Keaschall at 2B. Then getting a slugging 1B internally or externally. 

[Fatbat]

How can anyone access a recent draft choice and say his bat wont play in MLB? Houston was a stud at wake forest and in a small sample of games in the fort, he is killin it.  Not smashing HR’s but playing his game, his way. He is a kid. He has over a thousand PA in the last 3 years and he is Mr. Consistency.  He wont by in AAA until maybe late ‘26 but will be there in ‘27 as a 23 yo, he will be primed for a shot at MLB. 
The future infield of Lewis, LK, KC, Lee will have room for Houston.  5 athletes that can play small ball and go yard.  Thats exciting!!

[Elliot]

I am always fascinated by middle infield prospects. Who can stick at SS and who can’t? Much like catcher, I have always leaned toward defense first.  If they can field at an above average level, it doesn’t matter if they can hit. Christian Vasquez has demonstrated that throughout his career as a C. Ozzie Smith and Andrelton Simmons are the two SS examples that come to mind. Although they had seasons where they hit well, their calling card was always defense. There are limits however. The Twins had a AAA SS back in the 2010’s. I think his name was Vielma. I remember reading a spring training report where the writer talked about watching the SS group work out.  Vielma was so far above them in fielding skills it was almost comical to watch the other prospects try to keep up with him defensively in drills. However; he could not hit at all.  I don’t think he ever reached the majors.

The caveat in this is that it is tough to predict how players develop as their bodies change. I remember when the Twins signed both Miguel Sano and Jorge Polanco as SS’s at ages 16 or 17. The  general consensus was that Sano would outgrow SS. The reality was that he outgrew everywhere but DH. The reports on Polanco were that he was ready to play major league level defense the day they signed him, but there were questions if he would ever hit enough. That assessment turned out to be a little backwards. Fortunately, the three main players under consideration for the Twins in 2026 are all college players in their early 20’s and have matured physically.

I am not looking for the next Ozzie Smith for the Twins.  I am also not encouraging going with the second coming of Engelb Vielma. What I do suggest is that the Twins play Lee at SS every day at the major league level, and bump both Culpepper and Houston up one level for the remainder of the year and see how they respond. Then in ST next year have an open competition for the best defensive SS with no offensive expectations. Both Houston and Culpepper are multiyear college players in their early 20’s. There is no reason to think they cannot maintain their defensive skills with a rapid rise to the majors.  Zach Neto with the Angels is a good example. He was drafted in 2022 and was playing good major league SS by April of 2023. The bonus was that he also hit well.

My gut tells me that Lee cannot cut it. His on-field body language just looks like someone who is in over his head. Also, his lack of speed and quickness just seems to point to a position switch. He may need to spend a considerable amount of time at AAA to reset both offensively and at a new position defensively. I think Culpepper is showing too much offensive potential to risk derailing it by rushing him.  Maybe a number of weeks at AAA to close out 2025 sets those concerns aside. Houston was considered the top defensive SS in the draft; and maybe the top defensive player overall. He is my hope if he can hold down the position defensively and develop average offensive skills at the major league level. Time will tell.

[saviking]

1 hour ago, Doctor Wu said:

I'd love to see that. Brooks Lee is okay at shortstop, but thus far his hitting has been a huge disappointment. Can he adjust and improve? You would certainly hope so, but overall he just doesn't excite me or fill me with hope. But Culpepper needs to be in AAA now and then we will see if he is ready to take the next step. But I agree with what the article said: it was time to move on from Correa. Very good player and I'd like to think he was a good influence on players like Lee and Lewis, but we have too many good young players that will be able to handle that position soon, so I think moving Correa may have been the best trade of the whole bunch, even though it was basically a salary dump. I like the clean slate. 

From what Ive noticed is that if you can rake (Culpepper doesn't hit everywhere he goes, he rakes) in AA you can hit in AAA. I agree, get hum up there now. 

[tony&rodney]

Amazing to see Lewis included in discussions as a part of the Twins infield. If you triple his stats from right now (61 games) you get .... pretty much an empty spot in the lineup. There have been a few flashes now and then but the jogging down the line and collapsing legs on swings are not pretty sites. I sure hope the guy heals some day because what we see from Lewis these days is a player who belongs on the IL. After trading away 40% of the roster it seems like the Twins should make an attempt to forge a new identity where every batter runs out, at full speed, every batted ball whether that is a one hopper to the pitcher or a pop up. If a player cannot run, put them on the IL and call up someone who can run. 

Kaelen Culpepper may or may not be ready for a starting gig next season but I hope it is a fair competition for the job in Spring Training. As of today the only Twins who should enter next season as projected starters (provided they are still on the team) are Jeffers and Buxton. Perhaps the next 7 weeks will see a couple of others make their mark and deserve inclusion along with those two guys.

[Major League Ready]

3 hours ago, IndianaTwin said:

Houston needs to be a fast riser or Lewis needs an extension. The latter is a free agent after 2028. 

If Houston is not here by 2029, he won't be good enough to matter.   

[hitterscount]

Quote

 

Neat article..... not sure that the philosophy of drafting SS's in the first round every other year is a good strategy. They have  tried to move around Lewis  and Lee at the major league level with mixed results,..

Watched most games until late June. Lee looked out of place playing 2nd or 3rd base. Just started watching some games the last week and he looks comfortable at SS. I do question his range over time, he is slower than I thought. Cannot recall a SS with as little speed, but he has a solid arm and good glove when he gets to the ball. 

Lewis another SS was injured shortly after being moved to the OF. His defense at 3rd is shaky at times, more concerning is he appears to be regressing at the plate.

Don't or never will see enough of Culpepper or Houston to have any opinion. Can follow BA, but defensive mechanics/metrics are nearly impossible to gauge. 

From 2000 until Falvey was brought in there were only 3 SS's drafted, with mixed results. Basically 1st round picks have a 50 /50 shot of making an impact on the roster. So drafting as many  SS we do doesn't really matter. But just drafting them because they can be moved around seems questionable. 

 

 

[tony&rodney]

11 minutes ago, hitterscount said:

Watched most games until late June. Lee looked out of place playing 2nd or 3rd base. Just started watching some games the last week and he looks comfortable at SS. I do question his range over time, he is slower than I thought. Cannot recall a SS with as little speed, but he has a solid arm and good glove when he gets to the ball. 

Even me, I am a little surprised at how slow Brooks Lee is. He is almost as fast as Ryan Jeffers and Trevor Larnach and he is slower than Carlos Correa. Only Christian Vazquez is slower. Does that push Lee to third base next year? Don't know but we shall see.

[Otaknam]

Obviously, Culpepper is the heir apparent at shortstop, with his combination of slick defense, good arm, and strong offensive numbers. Hopefully, Houston continues to hit and has some power. However, I disagree with other postings about Lewis at third. He is a major disappointment offensively. I don’t know what happened to his swing, bringing memories of how far Miguel Sano fell because he tried to pull everything. Lewis has the same issue and cannot hit a sweeper, or almost anything for that matter. Maybe the future infield has Lee at third, Culpepper at short and Houston at second, though Lee isn’t a sure thing. 

[tony&rodney]

7 minutes ago, Otaknam said:

However, I disagree with other postings about Lewis at third. He is a major disappointment offensively. I don’t know what happened to his swing, bringing memories of how far Miguel Sano fell because he tried to pull everything. Lewis has the same issue and cannot hit a sweeper, or almost anything for that matter.

Yes. I have been writing about Lewis and his struggle often. Naturally I want to see the Royce Lewis that was athletic from 2023. There have been a very few brief tantalizing glimpses of that guy, not many. We have no idea what is wrong. Is it physical? Get him 100% healthy. Does he need a reset? Send him to Ft. Myers. He just looks so painful, whether it is bending to field, throwing, running, or swinging the bat. He actually is doing ok in the field but the general information from watching Lewis is that something is wrong.