From Deactown to Minneapolis...Marek Houston Drafted as the No. 16 Overall Pick
The past few MLB Draft Day broadcasts have been very entertaining for those who don the Old Gold & Black of "Mother So Dear." The 2025 MLB Draft followed a similar story.
With the sixteenth pick in the 2025 MLB Draft, the Minnesota Twins drafted the Deacs' beloved shortstop Marek Houston. It was no surprise that the Twins took one of the best shortstops in this year's class.
Houston is almost undoubtedly the best defensive shortstop in the draft class; however, some would argue that his bat has gotten more and more dangerous and could prove to make a big difference in Minneapolis.
Over the past three years, Houston grew from a flashy glove at short to a true five-tool player. His freshman year at the plate was one that left Deacon fans in question whether or not the freshman could ever turn into a threat behind the plate.
A five-tool player excels in five distinct areas of the game: contact hitting, power hitting, speed and baserunning skill, fielding ability, and arm strength.
Fielding ability and arm strength were never a doubt for the Nokomis, Florida ball player. Houston came to Winston-Salem with golden glove caliber at shortstop. His speed has come to torch opposing catchers into his third year of college baseball as he stole 19 bases this past season.
The true question about the Demon Deacon shortstop is: Can he do enough to contribute at the plate?
Over the past two seasons, Houston has proved doubters wrong. He grew as a contact hitter with his average climbing from year one to year two and to year three. In his final year as a Diamond Deac, Marek finished with 27 multihit games, which proves his ability to hit for contact.
He finished his junior year campaign tied with Jack Winnay for the season lead in Home Runs with 15 bombs on the year. He will continue to pack on muscle in his early professional years in the minor leagues. Analysts predict that Houston could contribute up to 15 home runs a year at Target Field.
Like current shortstop Carlos Correa, Houston has a serious potential to get on base frequently at the highest level of baseball. His eye for the zone has grown immensely in his time in Deactown. In 2025, Houston walked 46 times and had an on-base percentage of .458, which is an appealing statistic to many front offices. If Carlos Correa is the last shortstop to play in Minnesota before Marek gets there, Houston will have some huge shoes to fill.
However, the Demon Deacon has never been afraid of a challenge like that. He has the potential to be a major player for the Twins organization, and Jeremy Zoll and company in the Twins front office surely put the house on that wager. Demon Deacons fans probably would also send the house on the wager that Houston will be a big-time contributor in the Majors.
With Houston's getting drafted, Wake Forest fans and alumni get to root for yet another Pro Deac as Houston climbs to the Major League level. He hopes to join former teammates Nick Kurtz and Chase Burns on the fast track to the Show.
Thank you to Marek for the incredible moments and the personality that he brought to Winston-Salem. He will surely be missed on and off the field. Demon Deacon fans near and far will be in your corner for many years to come!
Learn more about the new Wake Forest Demon Deacons On SI site.
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Ryder is a Junior at Wake Forest University in North Carolina. He is studying Accountancy but has a passion for college athletics. He serves as the Treasurer of the Old Gold and Black, Wake Forest’s Student-Run newspaper. He has also served as a play-by-play analyst for his high school’s football and basketball games.