'Out of the blue': Former Dalton standout Houghton signs surprise minor league contract with Minnesota Twins

Daniel Mayes, The Daily Citizen, Dalton, Ga.
·2 min read

Feb. 4—Maddux Houghton thought his baseball playing career might be over.

The former Dalton High School star finished up his time playing at Lipscomb University in Nashville, Tennessee, last spring, and he's been helping out the coaching staff with preparations for this upcoming season.

That's when he got a call.

"I was working with our hitters one day," Houghton said. "Out of the blue, our head coach (Jeff Forehand) told me to come over there for a second.

"He said 'Hold out your phone.' I held it up and I got the call," Houghton said. "It was the Twins inviting me to go to spring training and sign a contract."

After the surprise call, Houghton officially signed a minor league contract with the Minnesota Twins of Major League Baseball.

"I'm super excited and ready to head down there," he said.

Spring training is in Fort Myers, Florida. Houghton will compete with the team during spring training before getting his assignment for which of the team's minor league affiliates he'll play for. Houghton said that will most likely be the Twins' Single-A affiliate, the Fort Myers Mighty Mussels.

Houghton signed with Lipscomb after his 2017 graduation from Dalton High. As an outfielder, Houghton played five years with the Bisons, setting a new program record both for starts (224) and games played (225). During his final season at Lipscomb in 2022, he batted .300 with a .416 on-base percentage, scored a team-high 51 runs and had 63 hits (nine doubles, four triples and five home runs). He was 21-of-25 on stolen bases and registered a .991 fielding percentage.

"I think I had a pretty solid career here at Lipscomb," Houghton said.

After wrapping up the 2022 season, Houghton competed in the MLB Draft League, which serves as a showcase for draft-eligible players.

Houghton went undrafted in the 2022 draft in July.

"I had some interest from pro teams," Houghton said. "No one really offered anything, so, to be honest, I thought my career might be over. It was honestly unbelievable. When something you've worked for your whole life becomes a reality... I honestly can't even describe the feeling."

Houghton was a two-sport standout at Dalton, playing both football and baseball.

"I'm beyond thankful for all the people involved with me, all the way from little league to Dalton Middle to Dalton High," he said.