Red Sox Predicted To Bring 21-Year-Old Shortstop Prodigy To Boston

The Boston Red Sox have killed the Major League Baseball Draft this decade.

Marcelo Mayer. Roman Anthony. Kristian Campbell. Kyle Teel and Braden Montgomery. All of these players were high draft picks for the Red Sox, and whether they're still around or were included in a blockbuster trade, they played a huge role in moving the organization forward.

In just over 24 hours, we'll know who's poised to join that lineage next.

The 2025 MLB Amateur Draft begins Sunday at 6 p.m. EST in Atlanta, Ga. The Red Sox will hold the 15th pick, and it will be interesting to see if they continue their trend of position players, as they've used their first round pick on one every year since 2017.

On Friday, Bleacher Report's Joel Reuter predicted that the Red Sox would go back to the well for a college bat: Wake Forest University standout Marek Houston.

"The Red Sox took the best college hitter on the board in 2023 (Kyle Teel) and 2024 (Braden Montgomery), then traded them both to the White Sox in the Garrett Crochet deal, so don't be surprised if they return to that demographic this year," Reuter wrote.

"Marek Houston won the starting shortstop job at Wake Forest as a freshman thanks to his standout defense, and while his glove remains one of the best in the class, he now has an offensive game to match. He hit .354/.458/.597 with 14 doubles, 15 home runs, 66 RBI and 19 steals in 61 games this spring."

Houston's well-rounded profile would give the Red Sox a lot to be excited about, especially as they enter an era in which most of the position player mix is locked in place for many years to come. Anyone they pick will need to be malleable to fit whatever roster need pops up, because it might well be the only hole to plug.

Other names that have floated around as frequent fits for the Red Sox include University of Tennessee infielder Gavin Kilen and California high school infielder Gavin Fien.

Will the 21-year-old don a Boston cap on stage Sunday night? It's nearly time to find out.