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The Baltimore Orioles are off to a very rough start in 2025. They are 13-22 and slowly losing ground in the American League East division. The Orioles are in last place in the division and sit 7.0 games back from the first-place New York Yankees.
Last season was a different story for the team. The Orioles were able to finish 20 games over .500 and make the playoffs as a wild card team. They were swept in the first round of the postseason, though.
With their early exit in the playoffs last year, the Orioles secured themselves one of the higher draft positions of all the playoff teams. In July, Baltimore will have the 21st pick in the MLB draft.
Jim Callis of MLB.com recently released his first mock draft and he has the Orioles taking one of the best players in the first round, shortstop Marek Houston from Wake Forest University.
Who is Marek Houston?
Houston, as mentioned, is the shortstop for Wake Forest. He is a 6-foot-3, 205 pound true junior. The right-handed hitter is the No. 12 draft prospect according to the MLB Pipeline rankings.
This season for the Demon Deacons, Houston is slashing .346/.457/.574 with 10 home runs, 50 RBI, 50 runs scored and 65 total hits in 48 games played. The top draft prospect has also walked 37 times on the year.
The best part of the Houston's game is his fielding.
Per scouts, the right-hander is believed to be one of the best defensive shortstops in the entire draft. However, he has not done a great job in the field this season, which could be a reason why he is projected to fall in the draft.
The shortstop's fielding percentage is just .938 as he has made 10 total errors for Wake Forest. He made 10 errors all of last season. Still, Houston has the ability to play as a true utilityman at the next level.
At the plate, Houston has 50-grade hitting and 45-grade power. 50 is considered average, which means the shortstop does have some struggles at the plate. But, he has 65 hits this year and has been able to quiet some of those concerns.
Is Marek Houston the Right Choice for the Orioles?
The Orioles are a struggling team this year and their weaknesses are starting to come to light.
One of those weaknesses is their pitching staff, specifically their starting pitching. Baltimore's starters have a 5.77 ERA and they are allowing opponents to hit .283 off them.
With the struggles as a pitching staff, it would make sense for the Orioles to take a college-aged starting pitcher that can make an impact sooner rather than later at the big league level.
Their lineup is full of young hitters, but Baltimore is struggling at the plate. Jackson Holliday, Jordan Westburg and Gunnar Henderson are all in their first few years in the MLB. Those three players seems to have the infield spots locked up.
The Orioles' top prospect list does not contain a lot of infielders that are going to be ready soon. Marek Houston being available at 21 would be the best pick for Baltimore.
For those wanting to see more of Houston, Wake Forest will host Pittsburgh for a three-game series starting Friday night.
More must-reads:
- MLB abandons plans for 2026 London Series
- Dodgers have intriguing plan for Shohei Ohtani — and it just might work
- The 'Switch-hitter single-season HR leaders' quiz
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TODAY'S BEST
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Raiders' Pete Carroll admits disappointing truth about Ashton Jeanty
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