Kaelen Culpepper or Marek Houston: Who Should Be the Twins’ Shortstop of the Future?

[Sam Caulder]

Image courtesy of Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images

The Twins could have an interesting decision to make in the middle infield over the next two seasons. On one side, they have Kaelen Culpepper, their first-round pick in the 2024 MLB Draft, who broke out offensively in his first full season with the organization. On the other, there’s Marek Houston, their 2025 first-round pick and a rapidly rising prospect who has established himself as the best defensive prospect in the Twins’ system. Both players have the athleticism and defensive ability to play shortstop, and both have the potential to become everyday major leaguers. With Houston continuing to climb through the minors and Culpepper already getting his first taste of the majors, who should actually play the position long-term?

There’s a pretty strong case for either player. Houston’s defensive reputation is well-deserved. He has the range, athleticism, instincts and hands to become an elite defender at the major-league level, and his continued offensive development has made him one of the most intriguing prospects in the organization. Culpepper, meanwhile, has already shown that he can handle the position. The 21st overall pick has gotten off to a hot start in the majors, posting a .755 OPS in 111 plate appearances. That’s obviously a small sample, but it’s an encouraging start, particularly considering his offensive development over the past year.

When the Twins drafted Culpepper out of Kansas State, his glove was further along than his bat. He had impressive range, a strong arm and plus speed, giving him the tools to stick at shortstop while his offense developed. That development has started to happen. Culpepper posted a 20/20 season in his first full year in the minors, showing legitimate power and speed potential. If that production carries over to the majors, he could offer something particularly valuable: an above-average offensive profile from the shortstop position.

Given Houston's reputation as the better overall defender, the natural assumption would be to put him at shortstop and move Culpepper elsewhere. After all, shortstop is a premium defensive position, and you generally want your best defender playing there. But I don’t think it’s quite that simple. Culpepper has an important advantage in this particular comparison: his arm. He's looked like an above-league-average defender since reaching the majors, and his arm strength gives him a particularly good chance to remain at shortstop.

If Culpepper and Houston ultimately have similar range and athleticism, I’d rather put the stronger arm at short. Throws from deep in the hole and across the diamond can be difficult even for major-league defenders, making arm strength one of the more important tools at the position. That doesn’t diminish Houston’s defensive ability. It simply means that his skillset could be just as valuable at second base, where his range and athleticism would allow him to cover plenty of ground without putting as much emphasis on his arm.

Culpepper doesn’t have to move simply because Houston is coming. The Twins could keep Culpepper at shortstop and let Houston take over at second, allowing both players to maximize what they do best. Houston might ultimately be the better defender, and if he develops into the elite defender many expect him to become, there will be plenty of arguments for putting him at short. But Culpepper has already demonstrated that he can handle the position, and his stronger arm gives him a compelling case to stay there in the short term. When Houston first comes up, Brooks Lee is still likely to be the team's third baseman, but after just a year or two, it's likely that Lee will move on to another organization, and then Culpepper could slide to the hot corner, while Houston crosses the keystone.

If he becomes an above-average hitter while remaining a capable defender at shortstop, the Twins would be getting a well-rounded player at a premium position. Houston could then bring his defensive ability to second base, where he could become one of the best defenders at the position. That combination could be special.

Culpepper and Houston have the potential to become one of the best young middle-infield tandems in the league, particularly if both reach their respective ceilings. Rather than viewing Houston’s emergence as a reason to move Culpepper, the Twins could view it as an opportunity to put two talented players on the field together.

Of course, there’s still plenty that needs to happen first. Culpepper has been in the majors for all of a month, while Houston still has to finish his development in the minors and prove that his defensive ability will translate against major-league hitters and baserunners. But based on the tools both players currently possess, I think the better fit is fairly clear.

If their range and athleticism are similar, give Culpepper the shortstop job because of his stronger arm. Let Houston’s defensive ability shine at second base. The Twins could have two legitimate long-term middle infielders without either player having to sacrifice his strengths. And if everything breaks right, Culpepper at shortstop and Houston at second could give Minnesota one heck of a young middle infield.

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[bean5302]

Houston has struggled greatly since 8/1. His last 127 plate appearances have been pretty poor. 

.254/.325/.360 OPS .685 wRC+ 77, 7.9% BB, 22.8% K, ISO .105

He should open next year in AA again, and I don't think there's a good chance he makes the team until late 2027 or 2028 at this point.

Houston needs to prove he's ready for MLB before we start deciding if he's going to push Culpepper off SS.

[Twins GFP]

Not a decision that has to be made today.

All things being close, their offense will probably make the decision for them. If both are in a position to provide above average value at shortstop, and positional change is not an option, the situation will work itself out. (IE Pierzynski/Mauer).

[Permanent Twins Fan]

4 minutes ago, bean5302 said:

Houston has struggled greatly since 8/1. His last 127 plate appearances have been pretty poor. 

.254/.325/.360 OPS .685 wRC+ 77, 7.9% BB, 22.8% K, ISO .105

He should open next year in AA again, and I don't think there's a good chance he makes the team until late 2027 or 2028 at this point.

Houston needs to prove he's ready for MLB before we start deciding if he's going to push Culpepper off SS.

He definitely had a bad stretch in there, but he seems to be heating up again. Over the last 7 days (small sample) he is hitting .400 with a 1,120 OPS.

[rdehring]

The good news is that none of us need be concerned with making this decision.  

[chpettit19]

Their range and athleticism are pretty similar, but Houston's hands are noticeably better. That is a real factor, too. Being able to get to the same number of balls is 1 thing, the other is catching them. I believe Houston would catch a higher number of the balls he reaches. And he isn't Keaschall throwing the ball. If Houston hits enough to be an MLBer, he's the SS and Culpepper is the 2B. Houston isn't considered "the best defensive prospect in the system" despite his arm. His arm is part of that. He can let it rip pretty well himself.

Sorry, I'm not putting the "elite defender at the major-league level" at 2B because the other guy has maybe a slightly better arm. And that's all it'd be, slightly better. Houston is the SS if he's a major leaguer, and I don't think it's a particularly close call.

[DJL44]

Is there some sort of hiatus scheduled that I don’t know about? Why is Twins Daily churning through all their offseason articles in September?

[CRF]

This can wait. 

[tony&rodney]

Every time there is an article connected to or even a mention of Marek Houston, I wonder how many times the writer or poster has watched Houston play in baseball games as opposed to watching video or looking at statistics. This is not a negative reaction towards anyone but rather curiosity of how one comes to a position. Thus a question - has the writer or poster watched Marek Houston play in at least 25 games or more credibly 50-100 plus competitions? 

The Twins have suffered from rostering lineups that are routinely less athletic than their opponents in recent years. Attempts have been made to move players around to maximize talents or minimize the damage of their players. Fans are naturally looking for options and Marek Houston, as a former first round draft choice, is a common name forwarded for future lineups. Houston entered pro ball with a reputation as someone who had a good glove but was seen as carrying a weak bat. Because Marek is a big dude and fairly athletic, he has made changes in his swing to become a better bat. In the field Houston has played clean baseball, but outside of Twins territory he doesn't get specific mention for anything special. MLB prospect rankings puts his arm at 55 and his glove at 60, but notably has 27 shortstops rated higher than Houston. Take that with a grain of salt.

I'm not an expert but have watched him play in games more than 50 times. This is notably via milb.com, which is nowhere near as good as seeing a player in person, thus there are definitely shortcomings in my views. I have talked with a few people as well. 

Marek Houston is a smooth shortstop and his main feature is how easily he completes plays. He covers quite a bit of ground and has a good arm, but nobody should expect him to see him show the range or arm of Kaelen Culpepper or for that matter of Brandon Winokur. Houston is clearly a better shortstop than Winokur. Whether Houston would move Culpepper off the position depends on two factors which won't be known for at least a full year or more. The first is whether Houston can hit at the major league level. The second is whether management wants the consistent smooth play of Houston over the better relay throws and range of a Culpepper. Culpepper will make a few more mistakes/errors. 

In sum, Marek Houston is a prospect to watch but one people may need to show some patience with as he develops. This summer Houston displayed a better bat and baserunning than was previously expected. Red Sox prospect, Franklin Arias, had a real breakout as well. Young athletes can improve quite a bit from year to year and another leap in proficiency by Marek Houston from 2026 to 2027 would be an exciting development for the Minnesota Twins and their fans. The article closes with a paragraph that make the most sense. Perhaps Sam has watched quite a bit of minor league baseball and that leads him to his conclusion. I'm not second guessing or questioning anyone on their thoughts but merely wonder how people come to their thoughts.

[Cris E]

Stop with the click bait.   

Seriously, between them there are only 28 MLB games, 74 AAA and 116 AA games.  By the end of the season they may approach 250 games above A ball.  There is utterly no way to know the future of these players yet. 

[Trov]

Without seeing them side by side and comparing I cannot say either will be the better defender.  I would agree if range is equal then arm should be deciding factor.  I recall though when Culpepper was drafted it was his bat that was known, and his defense was the question mark, article say other way around.  Even when drafted, Culpepper was seen as future 3rd due to not being able to stay at SS, but he showed last year he could stay at SS, at least for now.  

Houston was the opposite, drafted as a glove first and bat would need to step up, which at lower levels of minors has done so.  I will agree, we do not know what either will bring long term MLB wise and could shake itself out.  However, assuming both show viable bat and nearly equal defense, then you need to decide which defense, as a whole is better, Houston at SS with Culpepper 2nd/3rd with Lee(assuming he sticks around) the other, or Culpepper at SS and Houston the other.  It is about the net gain for the team.  However, then offense also factors in as well. 

[jmlease1]

It's an interesting question, but one that I will happy with if it becomes a real debate. That's the sort of "problem" I want to have, deciding between two quality players with slightly different skill sets that both belong in the majors is where you hope the franchise is...as opposed to throwing a guy on the roster because there's no one else.

There's a lot of things that we'll need to see more of: how Houston's bat progresses (his glove may be good enough now, but if he doesn't also hit then he's a utility guy), what kind of adjustments Culpepper makes (or is forced to make), etc. 

But the Twins are much better positioned at SS than they were 3 years ago, where we were hoping maybe Lee could stick there and didn't have much else for options. It's been a while since we've had a SS stick with us for 4-5 seasons at the position, and it would be nice to get there again...

[Sam Caulder]

16 minutes ago, Cris E said:

Stop with the click bait.   

Seriously, between them there are only 28 MLB games, 74 AAA and 116 AA games.  By the end of the season they may approach 250 games above A ball.  There is utterly no way to know the future of these players yet. 

With all due respect, Cris, how is this clickbait? I won't argue that it's maybe premature, but the title perfectly explains what's in the article. I don't say this to be rude, and I appreciate you reading. But I'm curious why you feel this is clickbait

[bean5302]

In regard to defense, scouts and talent evaluators are clear. Marek Houston is a dramatic upgrade at SS compared to Kaelen Culpepper.

Houston is expected to be an elite defensive shortstop at the MLB level.

[Coach]

Spring training with an infield of Lee 3B, Houston SS, Culpepper 2B, Clemens at 1B.  Just to see how it plays.  Houston has hit adequate to great wherever he played.  BTW, back in late May Clemens was leading all of baseball in runs saved at 1B.  Maybe he could have been the Twin's threepeat of a gold glove.

[Cris E]

30 minutes ago, Sam Caulder said:

With all due respect, Cris, how is this clickbait? I won't argue that it's maybe premature, but the title perfectly explains what's in the article. I don't say this to be rude, and I appreciate you reading. But I'm curious why you feel this is clickbait

It's premature. There's not enough new data to separate this thread in Sept from one you might have had in March. And that one would have come down to nice glove vs good athlete, let's see how they do at higher levels.  

This is just trying to stir up discussion about something that can't begin to be answered. There's not nearly enough statistical data to make an informed opinion, at least 90% of the people here have never seen Houston play (other than curated clips).

Let me ask you: why was this written now?  What kind of insight were you hoping for?  Do some Low A vs Dominican Summer League next.

[Linus]

I have to agree as pointed out above that Culpepper, when drafted, was more bat first probably ends up at third prospect. He’s done well to change that. His range is better than expected and his arm is a rocket. His hands seem just ok so that is where you Houston is probably better. Bottom line is that Houston has two more big hurdles with the bat: hitting at AAA and the show. 

[PuckettPond]

Houston @ SS moving Culpepper to 2nd base his natural position giving the Twins a great middle infield which Minnesota hasn't had in decades & uplifting the offense. These are 2 very talented players both offensively & defensively. Looking forward to watching them become one of the best tandems in Twins history. Twins need to stop putting square pegs in round holes. 

[LastOnePicked]

34 minutes ago, Sam Caulder said:

With all due respect, Cris, how is this clickbait? I won't argue that it's maybe premature, but the title perfectly explains what's in the article. I don't say this to be rude, and I appreciate you reading. But I'm curious why you feel this is clickbait

It's not clickbait. It's the start of a good discussion. 

What would we rather talk about, this last Tigers series? No thank you.

[tony&rodney]

35 minutes ago, bean5302 said:

In regard to defense, scouts and talent evaluators are clear. Marek Houston is a dramatic upgrade at SS compared to Kaelen Culpepper.

Houston is expected to be an elite defensive shortstop at the MLB level.

Not true at all. There is a difference between publishers, looking over MLB Pipeline and Fangraphs as just two examples. Fangraphs notes the "average" range of Houston. Whatever your favored source, as always, I suggest you watch the games themsleves and see a little bit for yourself. The guys who matter are the coaches and people within the Twins system. 

Houston will never be elite because of his range and arm. Marek has really good hands though. Watch the games and you will see him handle just about any play smoothly. Houston is impressive with his consistency. If ratings impress you, you will note that Brandon Winokur has a higher defensive ceiling/ranking than Marek Houston. Houston is a better shortstop by a fair amount  compared to Winokur but does not have his range or arm. Try to watch Marek Houston play some time.

[Sam Caulder]

23 minutes ago, Cris E said:

It's premature. There's not enough new data to separate this thread in Sept from one you might have had in March. And that one would have come down to nice glove vs good athlete, let's see how they do at higher levels.  

This is just trying to stir up discussion about something that can't begin to be answered. There's not nearly enough statistical data to make an informed opinion, at least 90% of the people here have never seen Houston play (other than curated clips).

Let me ask you: why was this written now?  What kind of insight were you hoping for?  Do some Low A vs Dominican Summer League next.

Well unless I'm missing something, the point of the site is to have discussion. I could've waited until March to write this, but like you said, what would the difference be? With the Twins collapsing again, a lot of writers on this site are starting to turn to 2027, myself included. Culpepper has looked good at short, and I stated my opinion that he should stick there long-term over Houston. That's all this is. Thanks for reading

[Steve Lein]

Not a decision to be made today, as one guy is already on his way to "proving it" in the majors, while the other has only "proven it" so far in Double-A.

However, as someone who has watched them both plenty in the minors, Houston is unquestionably the better overall defender at short. Yes, Culpepper has a great arm, and it's the better of the two, but that's not the only place a difference can be made in how good of a defender you might be at the position (and it's not like Houston has a noodle arm, his is also good).

Houston has as good if not better range. He has much softer hands, and his actions are the quicker and more fluid of the two. 

When you think about timing of fielding a ball, making a throw, and beating runners for the out, it's literal tenths of a second. While Culpepper's throw might travel the distance of the throw slightly faster, if Houston is getting to it a tenth of a second quicker, and releasing the ball a tenth of a second quicker, guess who's ball is reaching first base a tenth of a second quicker?

I don't think arm strength should be a determining factor in any fashion in this debate.

If Houston proves he's ready for the majors, he will move Culpepper off short. At this point in time (Culpepper could make further improvements) I don't think it's all that close of a call. Then there is the idea that the same argument can be made for Culpepper moving to second as is being argued here in regards to Houston. 

[Nashvilletwin]

Assuming they are both on the major league roster, then the answer is obvious: whoever is the best SS. At the moment, that projects to be Houston and it’s not thought to be particularly close.

After Houston rakes with the Saints through the ASG, he gets called up when the major leagues start the strike shortened season. The Twins should start the delayed ‘27 campaign with Lee (3B), Houston (SS), Culpepper (2B) and Clemens/Lewis (platooning at 1B). That’s not a bad infield.  Cheap too.

Add an outfield and primary DH of Keaschall, Jenkins, ERod and Buxton.  Then re-sign Jeffers to a multi year deal.  A core bench of Martin, Caratini, Clemens/Lewis plus one or two others and this team is ready to be competitive immediately while building for a championship run as early as ‘28.  Jeffers and Buxton are the only somewhat expensive position players - the cash is available to build the pitching staff if desired.

It’s not rocket science…..seriously, my three year old grandson could figure this out.  

 

[tarheeltwinsfan]

2 hours ago, rdehring said:

The good news is that none of us need be concerned with making this decision.  

Au contraire...Jeremy Zoll reached out to me yesterday  with Derick Shelton on the line, and asked my opinion about this very matter.  I am not at liberty to divulge any more about this 3-way conversation. 

[tarheeltwinsfan]

26 minutes ago, Steve Lein said:

Not a decision to be made today, as one guy is already on his way to "proving it" in the majors, while the other has only "proven it" so far in Double-A.

However, as someone who has watched them both plenty in the minors, Houston is unquestionably the better overall defender at short. Yes, Culpepper has a great arm, and it's the better of the two, but that's not the only place a difference can be made in how good of a defender you might be at the position (and it's not like Houston has a noodle arm, his is also good).

Houston has as good if not better range. He has much softer hands, and his actions are the quicker and more fluid of the two. 

When you think about timing of fielding a ball, making a throw, and beating runners for the out, it's literal tenths of a second. While Culpepper's throw might travel the distance of the throw slightly faster, if Houston is getting to it a tenth of a second quicker, and releasing the ball a tenth of a second quicker, guess who's ball is reaching first base a tenth of a second quicker?

I don't think arm strength should be a determining factor in any fashion in this debate.

If Houston proves he's ready for the majors, he will move Culpepper off short. At this point in time (Culpepper could make further improvements) I don't think it's all that close of a call. Then there is the idea that the same argument can be made for Culpepper moving to second as is being argued here in regards to Houston. 

That is exactly what I told Jeremy Zoll yesterday. 

[MeleMouth]

11 hours ago, tony&rodney said:

Whether Houston would move Culpepper off the position depends on two factors which won't be known for at least a full year or more. The first is whether Houston can hit at the major league level. The second is whether management wants the consistent smooth play of Houston over the better relay throws and range of a Culpepper. Culpepper will make a few more mistakes/errors. 

There is a third factor, also. Culpepper has the job right now and, just like Houston, his development is not finished. Houston won't have to beat out the Culpepper of today; he'll have to be better than the Culpepper of tomorrow. If Culpepper becomes a plus defensive shortstop with a good bat, there will be good reasons not to change him from his position, unless Houston becomes a superlative defensive shortstop with at least an adequate bat.

[Coach JT]

Put Lewis on  DL and larnach on Dl and call up e-rod and Houston today 

[Kummel]

Too early to say.

[Ruven]

On 9/10/2026 at 10:22 AM, Coach said:

Spring training with an infield of Lee 3B, Houston SS, Culpepper 2B, Clemens at 1B.  Just to see how it plays.  Houston has hit adequate to great wherever he played.  BTW, back in late May Clemens was leading all of baseball in runs saved at 1B.  Maybe he could have been the Twin's threepeat of a gold glove.

Culpepper has a great arm but his footwork is going to lose outs his arm cannot overcome. Move him to second where that arm will play, his range will shine, and once he masters the turn the Twins up the middle with Lackey, Houston, Culpepper, and Jenkins might be among the best. 

[killercarewoliva]

On 9/10/2026 at 9:44 AM, chpettit19 said:

Their range and athleticism are pretty similar, but Houston's hands are noticeably better. That is a real factor, too. Being able to get to the same number of balls is 1 thing, the other is catching them. I believe Houston would catch a higher number of the balls he reaches. And he isn't Keaschall throwing the ball. If Houston hits enough to be an MLBer, he's the SS and Culpepper is the 2B. Houston isn't considered "the best defensive prospect in the system" despite his arm. His arm is part of that. He can let it rip pretty well himself.

Sorry, I'm not putting the "elite defender at the major-league level" at 2B because the other guy has maybe a slightly better arm. And that's all it'd be, slightly better. Houston is the SS if he's a major leaguer, and I don't think it's a particularly close call.

very good reply here. I'm reading this article and I'm stunned by the conversation that culpepper is a great defensive shortstop. I haven't seen that. I'm watching the games. he makes mistakes well. it may be the most mistake-prong position in the game. you're going to see errors but some of it is not Major league ready baseball. nothing about him. I think he's a wonderful young man but from what I read I've never seen Houston play. he is the most elite defensive player in the organization. wow! who wouldn't put him at shortstop just because culpeper's arm is a little bit better. no, you put Houston at shortstop. let him compete with the best offenders in the game of baseball. That's what it sounds like he is so go for it. put Culpeper at second and if brooks lee leaves yeah put him over on 3rd. I think Lee has improved a lot this year. he's so good at third base and his hitting has improved. he's getting a good amount of runs batted in also. wherever you put them, you got all three of those guys on the field. then have an 80 RBI first baseman All sounds good.