We’ve got quite a few MLB prospects from right here in Southwest Florida that you should be keeping an eye on.Leading off is Twins 2025 first-round pick Marek Houston, a Venice High alum who played at Hammond Stadium in high school and with the Fort Myers Mighty Mussels.The talent was undeniable, and he only played 12 games there before being promoted to High-A.Marek had a productive spring, going 2-4 in the spring breakout game against the Phillies, and as he heads back to Cedar Rapids, he’s locked in on making it to a big-league lineup.Marek Houston said, “Right now, just kind of be the best I can be going into the season and then working my way up, getting better, and playing some good baseball, hopefully work my way up and get to the big leagues as fast as I can. That’s kind of my goal.”Let’s talk about another talented prospect generating plenty of hype; Blue Jays pitcher Johnny King.The Naples High product was selected in the third round of the 2024 MLB Draft, and since then, he’s climbed the team’s prospect rankings, currently sitting at #4 according to MiLB.com.Like Marek, King also impressed in the breakout game, and you can expect to find him playing in Dunedin as he works his way up.Our third prospect to watch is Alex Freeland, who was a graduate of Mariner High School and was third round pick before making his MLB debut late last season.The Los Angeles Dodgers recently optioned Hyeseong Kim to Triple-A, which clears the way for Freeland on the Opening Day roster.And how about one more Los Angeles Dodger?Fort Myers High alum Zachary Root was selected by the champs as the 40th overall pick in the 2025 MLB Draft.He is currently ranked as the team’s #13 prospect, and as the theme has been, he had a stellar performance in the spring breakout game.We can expect to see Zach get promoted from the ACL Dodgers early this season.Don’t sleep on these prospects! Pretty soon they could become household names, and not just here in Southwest Florida!DOWNLOAD the free Gulf Coast News app for your latest news and alerts on breaking news, weather, sports, entertainment, and more on your phone or tablet. And check out the Very Local Gulf Coast app to stream news, entertainment and original programming on your TV.
We’ve got quite a few MLB prospects from right here in Southwest Florida that you should be keeping an eye on.
Leading off is Twins 2025 first-round pick Marek Houston, a Venice High alum who played at Hammond Stadium in high school and with the Fort Myers Mighty Mussels.
The talent was undeniable, and he only played 12 games there before being promoted to High-A.
Marek had a productive spring, going 2-4 in the spring breakout game against the Phillies, and as he heads back to Cedar Rapids, he’s locked in on making it to a big-league lineup.
Marek Houston said, “Right now, just kind of be the best I can be going into the season and then working my way up, getting better, and playing some good baseball, hopefully work my way up and get to the big leagues as fast as I can. That’s kind of my goal.”
Let’s talk about another talented prospect generating plenty of hype; Blue Jays pitcher Johnny King.
The Naples High product was selected in the third round of the 2024 MLB Draft, and since then, he’s climbed the team’s prospect rankings, currently sitting at #4 according to MiLB.com.
Like Marek, King also impressed in the breakout game, and you can expect to find him playing in Dunedin as he works his way up.
Our third prospect to watch is Alex Freeland, who was a graduate of Mariner High School and was third round pick before making his MLB debut late last season.
The Los Angeles Dodgers recently optioned Hyeseong Kim to Triple-A, which clears the way for Freeland on the Opening Day roster.
And how about one more Los Angeles Dodger?
Fort Myers High alum Zachary Root was selected by the champs as the 40th overall pick in the 2025 MLB Draft.
He is currently ranked as the team’s #13 prospect, and as the theme has been, he had a stellar performance in the spring breakout game.
We can expect to see Zach get promoted from the ACL Dodgers early this season.
Don’t sleep on these prospects! Pretty soon they could become household names, and not just here in Southwest Florida!
DOWNLOAD the free Gulf Coast News app for your latest news and alerts on breaking news, weather, sports, entertainment, and more on your phone or tablet. And check out the Very Local Gulf Coast app to stream news, entertainment and original programming on your TV.