{"id":76202,"date":"2025-08-11T09:29:33","date_gmt":"2025-08-11T09:29:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=76202"},"modified":"2025-08-11T09:29:33","modified_gmt":"2025-08-11T09:29:33","slug":"the-next-five-years-at-shortstop-whats-ahead-for-the-minnesota-twins","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=76202","title":{"rendered":"The Next Five Years at Shortstop: What\u2019s Ahead for the Minnesota Twins"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Minnesota said goodbye to Carlos Correa, but the future at shortstop is still in capable hands.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Image courtesy of Ed Bailey, Wichita Wind Surge (photo of Kaelen Culpepper)<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
Carlos Correa\u2019s return to Houston at the trade deadline didn\u2019t 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\u2019t replace Correa\u2019s leadership and postseason resume overnight, they\u2019ve quietly built up a deep pipeline of potential successors at shortstop.<\/p>\n

And if there\u2019s one thing you notice when tracking prospects in this game, it\u2019s this: everyone starts at shortstop<\/p>\n

Even\u00a0Miguel San\u00f3\u00a0was 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\u2019re young. If they can\u2019t stick there, because of size, speed, or arm strength, they get moved down the defensive spectrum. It\u2019s a filtering system, and the Twins have several names working their way through the funnel<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s a look at how Minnesota might line things up at shortstop over the next five years.<\/p>\n

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Will Byron Buxton play 100 or more games in 2025?<\/h3>\n
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2025-2026:\u00a0Brooks Lee<\/a>, The Heir Apparent<\/strong><\/p>\n

Lee\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n

A back injury slowed him earlier this year, but he\u2019s healthy now and should see extended big-league time this fall.<\/p>\n

In 93 games, he has a 78 OPS+ with 10 home runs and 10 doubles. He doesn\u2019t 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.<\/p>\n

Lee likely takes over the reins in 2025 and holds the job through at least 2026.<\/p>\n

That said, there\u2019s always been speculation he\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n

2026-2028:\u00a0Kaelen Culpepper<\/a>, The Top Prospect in Waiting<\/strong><\/p>\n

Culpepper might be one of the most athletic players in the system right now, and that\u2019s one of the reasons the Twins took him in the first round of the 2024 MLB Draft.<\/p>\n

Among the team\u2019s 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\u2019s a strong chance he is the team\u2019s 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.\u00a0Many evaluators have changed their tune\u00a0this 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.<\/p>\n

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2028-2030:\u00a0Marek Houston<\/a>, The Long-Term Bet<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Twins used a first-round pick in 2025 to land Marek Houston, a defense-first college shortstop with a high baseball IQ. He\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n

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<\/p>\n

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A Position in Flux, But Not in Crisis<\/strong><\/p>\n

It\u2019s 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\u2019ll keep developing them.<\/p>\n

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\u2026 was once a shortstop, too<\/p>\n

Who is the team\u2019s best long-term option at shortstop? Leave a comment and start the discussion.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Minnesota said goodbye to Carlos Correa, but the future at shortstop is still in capable hands. 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