Red Sox Predicted To Acquire Wake Forest Star With No. 15 MLB Draft Pick

The Boston Red Sox have some important business to attend to on Sunday, and for once, we're not talking about extending their current winning streak.

Winners of nine straight, the Red Sox will bring fantastic vibes into the All-Star break, especially if they can nail down a sweep against the Tampa Bay Rays. Hours after that game ends, though, they'll have to quickly shift their focus.

The first three rounds of the Major League Baseball Draft go down on Sunday evening, beginning at 6 p.m. EST. The Red Sox hold the 15th overall pick, so that's where much of the focus will be throughout the day--nailing down which top prospect is on his way to Boston.

The experts are getting their last mocks in, and MLB.com's Jonathan Mayo recently weighed in on who he believes the Red Sox will take: Wake Forest University shortstop Marek Houston, a 6-foot-3, 205-pounder who bats and throws from the right side.

"This is another team contemplating whether to go in the arm or bat direction, and they could tilt toward the mound if (Kyson) Witherspoon is around. If not, Houston might lead the way among the college hitters like (Brendan) Summerhill or (Wehiwa) Aloy, with (Tyler) Bremner in play should the desire for a pitcher win the day," Mayo wrote.

MLB.com has Houston ranked as the 15th-best prospect in the draft class, so it's altogether appropriate that he should land in the same draft slot with a team in Boston that has taken a college position player in each of the last two drafts. Here's an excerpt from their pre-draft scouting report:

"Houston earns solid-to-plus grades for his quickness and arm strength, and some evaluators will go even higher than that on his ability to play shortstop. He has smooth actions and plenty of range to both sides and should be a high-quality defender at the big league level. Should he not hit enough to merit an everyday role, he has the tools to play almost anywhere on the diamond as a utilityman.

"In his first two college seasons, the righty-swinging Houston had a contact-over-impact mentality and projected as an average hitter with below-average power. Now that he has added muscle and sold out for power, he may find 12-15 homers per season while providing less in the way of batting average. His speed plays better in the field than it does on the bases."

Boston's infield has less certainty moving forward than their outfield, so it makes sense to grab another smooth fielder that can play shortstop in the event Marcelo Mayer winds up sticking at second or third.

Will Houston don a Boston cap at the end of the evening? We don't have to wait long for an answer.