Who are the Twins' Next Top 100 Prospects?

The Twins' farm system is in good health, with several top-100 prospects, depending on your list of choice. It's also top-heavy, in a good way: the best of their talent is clustered in the upper minors or has already touched the brass ring that is the majors. Connor Prielipp has looked excellent in his first five big-league starts, while Walker Jenkins, Emmanuel Rodriguez, and Kaelen Culpepper are all playing (or injured) in Lowertown. Who are the next prospects knocking on the door of industry-wide top-100 prospect lists? Let’s dig in.

For the purpose of this thought exercise, I omitted anyone who has appeared on a top-100 prospect list in the last 12 months. That includes Eduardo Tait, Dasan Hill, and Charlee Soto. Here are the next three prospects who could soon garner such consideration. 

Marek Houston, SS, Cedar Rapids
32 G, 149 PA, .295/.358/.417 (.775), 3 HR (9 XBH), 8.1 BB%, 20.1 K%, 8SB (89%), 102 wRC+
Houston was the 16th overall pick in the 2025 draft and entered pro ball with a reputation as a truly exceptional defensive shortstop. The question about his profile has been ‘will he hit’? So far, he’s held serve. It’s been solid, if unspectacular.

After an initial 12-game stretch at Cedar Rapids in 2025 in which he looked tired, Houston returned in 2026, looking much more ready for the challenge. Through 32 games, he’s been a contact-driven league-average hitter. Houston makes good swing decisions. He doesn’t chase much (around 23%) and makes contact frequently. His patient approach hasn’t translated into free passes, though. In college, Houston walked 13-15% of the time. As a pro, it's just 8.1% so far. This is an area of his game that, if improved, would mitigate some of the worries about a dearth of power.

Still, Houston is off to a much better start in 2026. He may never be an impact bat, but the glove is so good, it might not matter. If he continues to be an above-average hitter for the level, he’ll start earning top-100 consideration due to the value of his defense in a premium position.

Yasser Mercedes, OF, Cedar Rapids
26 G, 119 PA, .333/.445/.657 (1.102), 7 HR (16 XBH), 16.8 BB%, 21 K%, 15 SB (88%), 187 wRC+
You know what the Twins could really use? A win on the international market. It’s been pretty barren the past few years, while the Brewers are seemingly unearthing top prospects the world over on a regular basis. Enter Yasser Mercedes, a 21-year-old born in Puerto Rico who was part of the 2022 international free agent class because his family later moved to the Dominican Republic. He's returning to Fort Myers at the beginning of 2026 for his third stint at the level.

It all came together rather quickly this year. Mercedes looked like a different player at Fort Myers, putting up a 107.4 mph EV90 with vastly improved bat-to-ball skills and a much better approach. He’s already stolen 72 bases in his last three campaigns, so there’s another useful facet of his game. Mercedes is a little passive in the zone, so he’ll need to pick his moments to attack pitches he can do damage on, but if his remarkable improvements continue, he’ll be rocketing up lists by midseason.

Riley Quick, RHP, Cedar Rapids
17.2 IP, 1.53 ERA, 2.91 FIP, 40.9 K%, 12.1 BB%
When interviewed immediately after the 2025 draft, Sean Johnson described Riley Quick as ‘a prospect we had a first-round grade on’. So it has proven to be. Quick left his last start at Cedar Rapids with thumb cramps, struggling to throw strikes. That’s about as difficult as his life has been in 18 pro innings to date. He’s already put Fort Myers in the rear-view mirror, and the stuff looks just as dominant at Cedar Rapids.

Quick already has a diverse arsenal. While his fastballs (four-seam and two-seam) aren’t elite shape-wise, they have enough velocity behind them (sitting 96 mph) to be effective in the lower minors. The Twins have ramped up Quick’s cutter usage, and his slider and changeup are both rocking chase rates north of 50%. On top of all this, it’s around seven feet of extension for the 22-year-old. Quick will be in Double-A before the end of the season, at least. If the quality of the strikes remains solid, he’ll continue to fly through the minors and be a top-100 prospect before the end of the season.

Interested in learning more about the Minnesota Twins' top prospects? Check out our comprehensive top prospects list that includes up-to-date stats, articles and videos about every prospect, scouting reports, and more!