School: Parkview High School; Class: Senior
Position: SS; B/T: R/R
Height: 6-2; Weight: 190
Previously Drafted: N/A
College Commitment: Mississippi State University
| Hit | Power | SB | Patience | Glove | Overall |
| 45 | 55 | 40 | 50 | 50 | 45 |
Background: A star on the diamond and the gridiron during his time at Parkview High School. Houck, who stands a solid 6-foot-2 and 190 pounds, was a three-star rated pro-style quarterback according to Rivals and 247Sports. Some of the colleges recruiting the potential first round shortstop as a quarterback include: Arkansas, East Carolina, Georgia Tech, and Houston, among others. He finished his football career with more than 6,200 yards passing, 66 touchdowns, and 31 interceptions.
But it’s his work on the infield grass that’s brought a lot of attention to the Georgia star.
Houck struggled through his freshman season with the Panthers, hitting a lowly .200/.346/.250 with a double in only 20 COVID-limited games. His production at the plate, though, took several leaps forward the following year as he mashed .400/.458/.672 with eight doubles, four triples, and six homeruns.
And – once again – he raised the bar during his junior campaign as he slugged .412/.531/.912 with 10 doubles, one triple, and 15 dingers.
This season, in his Georgia Gatorade Player of the Year winning campaign, Houck mashed .487/.589/.587 with 14 doubles, three triples, and eight long balls.
Scouting Report: Effortless swing with a lot of natural loft. Short, quick to the ball with above-average, not plus bat speed. Defensively, he’s solid at shortstop, though likely moves to the hot corner in the minor leagues. Good speed, not great. There’s some room left on his frame to add muscle and weight. Above-average power. The largest question surrounding Houck is the hit tool. He punched out 21 times in 151 plate appearances as senior – or about 14%.
Ceiling: 1.5-win player
Risk: Moderate
Grade: First / Second Round
