The Minnesota Twins announced that they have selected shortstop Marek Houston from Wake Forest University with the 16th overall selection in the first round of the 2025 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft. The 6-foot-3, 205-pound infielder hit .354 (86-for-243) with 14 doubles, 15 home runs, 66 RBI, 46 walks, 19 stolen bases, 61 runs scored, a .458 on-base percentage and a 1.055 OPS in 61 games for the Demon Deacons in 2025, leading the team in hits, runs scored, home runs, RBI and total bases (145), while ranking tied for second in doubles and third in OPS. Over three seasons at Wake Forest, Houston hit .302 (206-for-682) with 35 doubles, two triples, 27 home runs, 134 RBI, 118 walks, 27 stolen bases, 156 runs scored, a .409 on-base percentage and an .887 OPS.
The Nokomis, FL native helped lead Wake Forest to the 2023 College World Series while playing in a program-record 65 games as a freshman. He was also a 2023 All-ACC Academic Team selection and a 2024 Third Team All-ACC selection, after hitting a team-best .326 (72-for-221) with 16 doubles, one triple, eight home runs, 39 RBI, four steals, 38 walks, 57 runs scored and a .949 OPS in 54 games.
This is the 13th time and second-straight year (Kaelen Culpepper in 2024) that the Twins have selected a college infielder with their first overall selection in the First-Year Player Draft; it’s also the fourth time in the last seven drafts and fifth time since 2011. This year marks the third time in Twins history they have had the 16th overall selection in the MLB Amateur Draft, also doing so in 1968 (Alex Rowell) and 1978 (Lenny Faedo). Marek Houston was recommended by Twins scout Ty Dawson.
The Twins also selected right-handed pitcher Riley Quick in Competitive Balance Round A of the opening night of the draft (36th overall) out of the University of Alabama. The 6-foot-6, 255-pounder went 8-3 with a 3.92 ERA (62.0 IP, 27 ER), 24 walks and 70 strikeouts in a team-high-tying 14 starts for Alabama in 2025; after missing most of the 2024 season due to Tommy John surgery, he returned in time for the 2025 season opener. He also earned Second Team All-SEC honors as a starting pitcher, ABCA/Rawlings Second Team All-Southeast Region honors and a spot on the SEC Spring Academic Honor Roll last season. The Trussville, AL native went 10-4 with a 3.72 ERA (87.0 IP, 36 ER), 46 walks and 101 strikeouts in 31 games (15 starts) over parts of three seasons at Alabama. Riley Quick was recommended by Twins scout Hal Hughes.
The Twins selected 6-foot-6, 225-pound shortstop Quentin Young in the second round (54th overall) of the draft out of Oaks Christian High School (CA). Young, 18, hit .381 (32-for-84) with four doubles, 14 home runs, 34 RBI, 32 runs scored, 31 walks, a .555 on-base percentage and a 1.483 OPS in 29 games last season. He also played for USA Baseball’s U18 team in the World Baseball Softball Confederation Baseball World Cup Americas Qualifier in 2024. Young is the nephew of former major leaguers Dmitri Young and Delmon Young, who played for the Twins from 2008-11. Quentin Young was recommended by Twins scout Dylan Tashjian.
The Twins then selected right-handed pitcher James Ellwanger in the third round (88th overall) out of Dallas Baptist University. The 6-foot-4, 205-pounder went 4-2 with a 3.98 ERA (63.1 IP, 28 ER), 39 walks and 95 strikeouts in 16 games (14 starts) for Dallas Baptist in 2025, leading Conference USA in strikeouts and ranking eighth in the nation by averaging 13.55 strikeouts-per-nine innings. James Ellwanger was recommended by Twins scout Trevor Brown.
(info courtesy of Twins)
