Twins have signed shortstop Marik Houstonreport Jim Callis of MLB.com. Houston was just selected as the 16th pick in last week’s draft. His $4,497,500 signing bonus is lower than the $4,929,600 slot value of the draft pick.
Houston, 21, has played for Wake Forest for the past three years. The pre-drawing rankings of MLB Pipeline, American Baseball, ESPN, Fangraphs and track and field Keith Law all brought Houston to the 14-26th level.
All sockets praise his defense. The bigger problem seems to be what he can do with the bat, where his contact is better than his power. He showed some progress in the latter category as his home run totals ranged from four to eight from eight out of four seasons, then improved by 15 in three seasons with the Demon Deacon. However, even a jump on the power may require an asterisk. “As Wake Forest plays in the shoebox, this power is a fantasy, and 11 of Houston’s 15 home runs are at home,” the law writes, “most are wall-type scissors that would double or eliminate on a typical court.”
Twins have Carlos Correa Now in shortstop, there are many others who can hold positions in the major league roster. Like many clubs, there are some notable shortstop prospects in the system to consider future plans. Houston seems to be keeping the position locked based on his defense, although he might play a utility role if he doesn’t have enough hits and becomes routine.
Image by Saul Young, image
