Latest news with #MarekHouston
New York Times
2 days ago
- Sport
- New York Times
Twins draft slick-fielding shortstop Marek Houston, then focus on high-upside picks
Wake Forest shortstop Marek Houston is widely considered one of the elite fielders in a shortstop-heavy 2025 MLB Draft class, and the Minnesota Twins are big enough believers in the strides he made offensively this season to select the 21-year-old with the No. 16 pick on Sunday. Even first-round picks drafted as shortstops often wind up sliding down the defensive spectrum to other positions as they face higher-level competition and mature physically. Some recent Twins examples of that include Brooks Lee, Royce Lewis, Nick Gordon, Trevor Plouffe and Michael Cuddyer. Advertisement That's unlikely to be the case with Houston, who is seen as a legit shortstop with the ability to stick there long-term. There are some questions about his offensive upside even after a breakthrough junior season in which Houston hit .354/.458/.597 with 15 homers in 61 games for the Demon Deacons. Keith Law of The Athletic rates Houston as the No. 19 prospect in the class, calling him 'a no-doubt shortstop' and 'a high-floor, lower-ceiling prospect, unless someone foresees more power in his future than I do.' Baseball America (No. 14), (No. 15) and (No. 23) ranked Houston in a similar range, touting his smooth fielding and bat-to-ball skills while generally expressing less enthusiasm about his power potential despite a sturdy 6-foot-3 frame. 'My first two years, I was always known as a shortstop,' Houston said. 'My freshman year, I didn't hit very well, but I was always the guy at shortstop pitchers could count on. I always took pride in that. I think the work I put in this year, and the coaches around me, kind of proved the bat is there.' Twins select Wake Forest SS Marek Houston at 16 — CJ Fogler 🫡 (@cjzero) July 13, 2025 Of course, if Houston is as good defensively as most draft analysts seem to think, with some making the case for him as the best defender in the entire class, there's certainly a path for him to develop into an all-around impact player at a premium position even without substantial power. 'We thought (Houston) was the best college shortstop on the board,' said assistant general manager Sean Johnson, who oversees the draft. 'We've seen him for a long time at Wake Forest and really love to watch him play shortstop. We feel like he's a really good shortstop.' Houston made significant year-over-year improvements offensively while at Wake Forest. After posting a punchless .625 OPS as a freshman in 2023, he boosted it to a .949 OPS as a sophomore and a 1.055 OPS as a junior, with as many walks (46) as strikeouts (46) and 19 steals in 21 tries. Advertisement 'I go into each year thinking about what I can do to get better,' Houston said. 'And that was impacting the ball more than I did the year before. I went into the year trying to gain a little bit more muscle, trying to get a little bit stronger and faster. Hitting-wise, it came together really well.' However, his exit velocities and other batted-ball metrics were somewhat underwhelming, and 11 of his 15 homers this season came at Wake Forest's power-inflating ballpark. But taking a high-contact hitter with a line-drive swing and trying to add power has been part of the Twins' draft approach. 'That's where the value is in really getting to know a player,' Johnson said. 'How they're wired, how they've been training. Knowing he's put on weight since he's been at Wake Forest. (Houston) is a worker who's driven to be a really good player, so we're hoping to carry that forward.' Twins shortstop Carlos Correa is signed through at least 2028. Last year's first-round pick, Kaelen Culpepper, is also a shortstop with a chance to stay there long-term, and he's already thriving at Double A. But there's no such thing as too many good shortstops. It's one of those nice problems to have. 'It's very hard to play everyday big-league shortstop,' Johnson said. 'Very high bar to clear. But we think Marek can do it. He's got great instincts and great reads off the bat. He's got plenty of arm strength. He's got range. All the things you need to stay at short, we think he can do it.' Why not add No. 9? Q is through 6.0 IP for the first time in his career too!@rileyquick12 I #RollTide — Alabama Baseball (@AlabamaBSB) May 3, 2025 With the No. 36 pick awarded by MLB as part of the Competitive Balance Round, the Twins selected University of Alabama right-hander Riley Quick, who flashed upper-90s fastball velocity in an encouraging first season back from Tommy John surgery. Quick is a 6-foot-6, 250-pound former offensive lineman who turned down Division I football offers to play baseball, so his high-octane raw stuff also comes with an intimidating presence on the mound. He posted a 3.92 ERA for Alabama this season, with 70 strikeouts and 24 walks in 62 innings. Advertisement Three drafts ago, the Twins used their second-round choice on left-hander Connor Prielipp, another Alabama starter whose Tommy John surgery knocked him out of the first round after once projecting as a possible top-10 pick. Prielipp is now a healthy top prospect pitching well at Double A. The Twins are no doubt hoping for similar success with Quick, whose raw stuff returned from surgery intact and is among the best in the class. In addition to a mid-90s fastball that topped out at 99 mph, Quick introduced a cutter this season as part of what is now a four-pitch mix. 'I think we're lucky he chose baseball over football,' Johnson said. 'Not all 6-6 guys have the same amount of athleticism. So a guy who is that nimble and big, and coordinated with his delivery, was really appealing. We think there's even more to unlock with the way he uses his pitches.' In rating Quick as the No. 23 prospect in the class, Law notes he might wind up as a reliever but also 'has such a great foundation of arm strength, ability to spin the ball, and a present off-speed weapon in the changeup that he could be a No. 2 starter or better with some mechanical fine-tuning.' First summer look at the So Cal Giants. Quentin Young (2025, Oaks Christian ) taking some hacks#MLBDraft@PG_Scouting @PG_Draft @SoCalGiants — Perfect Game California (@California_PG) June 22, 2025 With their second-round pick, the Twins took California high school slugger Quentin Young at No. 54. Young has big-league connections as the nephew of Dmitri Young, the No. 4 pick in the 1991 draft, and Delmon Young, the No. 1 pick in the 2003 draft who played four seasons for the Twins. Young was technically drafted as a shortstop, but he's a prime example of that not mattering because there's almost no chance the 6-6 teenager stays there for long. He has the athleticism and elite arm strength for third base, but massive raw power is the carrying tool that enticed the Twins. 'His tools are so loud and big,' Johnson said. 'Some of the highest upside in the whole draft. That's probably the highlight of our scouts for the night. We thought he'd be off the board. To be able to get him, our scouts are probably in the room still trying to do gymnastics. Just tremendous upside.' Advertisement With their final Day 1 selection, the Twins used their third-round pick, No. 88, on Dallas Baptist University right-hander James Ellwanger. He racked up 95 strikeouts in 63 1/3 innings this year and topped out at 100 mph, but shaky control and durability concerns may lead to the bullpen eventually. 'Ellwanger is a big-time athlete,' Johnson said. 'He's got one of the better breaking balls on the board. And that's a guy we think we can do more with (developmentally) as well to keep him as a starter long-term.' (Photo of Marek Houston: Saul Young / News Sentinel / USA Today via Imagn Images)
Time of India
05-06-2025
- Sport
- Time of India
Report: Wake Forest's Marek Houston could be Braves' game-changing first-round pick
Report: Wake Forest's Marek Houston could be Braves' game-changing first-round pick (Image via Getty) The 2025 MLB Draft is just around the corner and teams are now finalizing their plans. One of the surprising shifts comes from the Atlanta Braves. A new MLB Pipeline mock draft by expert Jim Callis suggests that the Braves might finally turn their attention to hitting, after years of focusing mostly on pitching talent. Braves may focus on offense after years of pitching picks On Monday, June 3, 2025, Jim Callis released a full mock draft on MLB Pipeline. In this list, he predicted that the Atlanta Braves will pick shortstop Marek Houston from Wake Forest University with the 22nd overall pick. This is big news because the Braves have not picked a position player in the first round since 2019, when they took Shea Langeliers and Braden Shewmake. Since then, Atlanta has mostly gone for pitchers. In the last five years, their top picks were all arms — Jared Shuster in 2020, Ryan Cusick in 2021, Owen Murphy and JR Ritchie in 2022, Hurston Waldrep in 2023, and Cam Caminiti in 2024. Report: Wake Forest's Marek Houston could be Braves' game-changing first-round pick While Shuster was traded to the Chicago White Sox in the Aaron Bummer deal and Cusick went to Oakland Athletics in the Matt Olson trade, the rest are still developing in the Braves' minor league system. This possible move toward offense shows a clear shift in strategy for Atlanta in 2025. Also Read: Tensions Boil As Wake Forest Coach Appears To Yell At Tennessee Star Andrew Fischer Before Home Run Marek Houston's profile stands out as a top college hitter Marek Houston, a shortstop for Wake Forest, had a strong season in 2025. He played 61 games and hit .354 with 14 doubles, 15 home runs, 66 RBIs, and 46 walks. His ability to hit for contact and show more power this season makes him an attractive pick. Houston played well during Wake Forest's run in the NCAA Regionals, adding important hits in key moments. He is known more for his glove, though. According to he has great defensive tools, with a 60 grade fielding score and 55 grade arm. 'He's a smooth shortstop with great instincts and range,' Callis wrote in the mock draft. 'He fits the Braves' model of strong up-the-middle defense.' If Houston is picked before the Braves can draft him, Jim Callis said they might go for Wehiwa Aloy, a powerful shortstop from Arkansas, or high school pitcher Kruz Schoolcraft. The Braves are clearly in need of a good shortstop, and for the first time in years, they may be ready to draft one in the first round.
Associated Press
02-06-2025
- General
- Associated Press
Wake Forest wins 3rd straight elimination game at regional to force deciding game against host Vols
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Wake Forest won its third straight elimination game at the Knoxville Regional, this time on a bases-loaded walk by Jack Winnay for a 7-6 victory over No. 14 national seed Tennessee on Sunday night. Wake Forest (39-21) forced a deciding game on Monday against Tennessee, which is looking for its fifth consecutive super regional appearance. The Vols (45-17) had their 14-game win streak in regionals come to an end. Haiden Leffew (4-1) struck out the side in the top of the ninth inning to give Wake Forest a chance for a walk-off in the bottom half. Matt Scannell led off the ninth with a walk and he scored when Winnay drew a four-pitch walk against Nate Snead. Marek Houston homered in the first and singled up the middle in the ninth for Wake Forest. Javar Williams added a two-run shot in the fourth — the 14th of the regional for the Demon Deacons — for a 6-2 lead. Andrew Fischer and Levi Clark each had a two-run homer for Tennessee to tie it at 6-6. Tennessee reliever Brandon Arvidson allowed five earned runs in 5 1/3 innings, while striking out 12. Snead (4-2) fielded a bunt in the ninth but Kade Lewis reached safely to load the bases for Winnay. Houston also homered in the first game of the day for Wake Forest. ___ AP sports:
Fox Sports
01-06-2025
- Sport
- Fox Sports
Wake Forest heading to Knoxville Regional final after beating Cincinnati 10-3
Associated Press KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Marek Houston went 3 for 5 with a home run and a double and four RBIs, Matthew Dallas pitched 7 2/3 solid innings and Wake Forest eliminated Cincinnati from the Knoxville Regional with a 10-3 victory Sunday. The Demon Deacons (38-21) will play No. 14 national seed Tennessee in the regional final and would have to beat the defending national champion twice to reach super regionals for the second time in three seasons. Cincinnati (33-26), which beat Wake Forest in Friday's regional opener, was held scoreless until the eighth inning. Wake Forest was up 10-0 by then. Austin Hawke and Matt Scannell also went deep for the Demon Deacons, who have homered 12 times over three regional games. Dallas (5-1) allowed three runs on eight hits and a walk and struck out four in his longest outing of the season. Jack Natili had an RBI groundout and Christian Mitchelle hit a two-run double in the eighth for the Bearcats' runs. Wake Forest tagged Cincinnati starter Carson Marsh (3-6) for four runs in 2 1/3 innings. ___ AP sports: recommended
Washington Post
01-06-2025
- General
- Washington Post
Wake Forest heading to Knoxville Regional final after beating Cincinnati 10-3
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Marek Houston went 3 for 5 with a home run and a double and four RBIs, Matthew Dallas pitched 7 2/3 solid innings and Wake Forest eliminated Cincinnati from the Knoxville Regional with a 10-3 victory Sunday. The Demon Deacons (38-21) will play No. 14 national seed Tennessee in the regional final and would have to beat the defending national champion twice to reach super regionals for the second time in three seasons.
