The 2025 MLB draft is upon us. This year’s event will be held at The Coca-Cola Roxy in The Battery Atlanta, an entertainment center adjacent to Truist Park, the home of the Atlanta Braves.
The talk of the draft is the abundance of prep shortstops. College arms will be circled at the top. Two sets of twins are drawing buzz in The A, the likes of which we haven’t seen since the Kaine and D-Roc. JoJo and Jacob Parker are talented preps committed to Mississippi State. Kyson and Malachi Witherspoon are impressive college pitchers from Oklahoma. Will there be a package deal involved with an organization?
There’s a right-handed prep pitcher that has a case to be taken No. 1 overall, but some would say that’s ludacris. There’s never been a high school righty taken in that spot.
The Baltimore Orioles hold four picks in the top 37 and five in the first 58 slots. Could the Orioles be considered the Dirty Birds of Day 1?
It’s another summer with teams and fans pouring faith into high school and college performers, with hopes of changing the course of a franchise for the better. As they say at The Varsity in Atlanta, Georgia, What’ll Ya Have?
1. Nationals: Kade Anderson, LHP, LSU
With the first pick in the 2025 MLB draft, the Nationals will take the Most Outstanding Player from the College World Series. Anderson is thriving off an excellent 2025 season, which resulted in a College World Series championship. The left-hander shoved in the spring and capped off a phenomenal campaign by shoving in the postseason. Anderson’s performance in the SEC Tournament was an impressive side note, but his outing on college baseball’s biggest stage is the lasting impression.
It feels like the top college arm will be gone in the first two slots. Anderson lands at the top in this mock. He sports a solid pitch mix with room to grow. The southpaw is a safe bet to be a middle-of-rotation starter but could have an even higher ceiling with an upgrade to what’s already a solid fastball.
2. Angels: Liam Doyle, LHP, Tennessee
Doyle was a Golden Spikes Finalist and won SEC Pitcher of the Year honors during his lone season at Tennessee. It’s the best fastball in the class, and the southpaw also flashes some off-speed at times. He has a good feel for the splitter. The Angels love college guys that can move fast. Doyle fits that mold.
3. Mariners: Seth Hernandez, RHP, Corona (Cailf.) HS
Hernandez boasts an impressive frame at 6-foot-4 and the arm is in elite company. It’s a repeatable delivery with strong command of a mid-90s fastball and curveball. His favorite offering is the changeup. Despite the demographic risk, the Mariners buy the makeup and ceiling.
4. Rockies: Ethan Holiday, SS, Stillwater (Okla.) HS
Holiday is certainly in the mix to go No. 1 overall. If not, the talented prep likely begins his career in the same mountains as his father, Matt, did. Holliday is our top prospect on the board for the 2025 MLB draft. The bloodlines are strong and the tools are profound. The Nationals and the Rockies are mentioned the most.
5. Cardinals: Eli Willits, SS, Fort Cobb-Broxton (Oka.) HS
Willits may be the most polished prep in the class. He is a sure-handed fielder with a plus hit tool. The power may be capped a bit, but his speed on the bases and athleticism in the dirt make him stand out as a safe bet to move through the levels of pro ball fairly quickly. The switch-hitter will instantly give the Red Birds a boost on the farm as a productive infielder.
6. Pirates: Aiva Arquette, SS, Oregon State
Arquette is a 6-foot-4, 220-pound infielder that stands as the best college option for the left side in this class. He posted in the NCAA Tournament with the Beavers and flashed on the Cape last summer. Arquette is the safest college bat to go in the top 10. He’ll join former Oregon State star, Travis Bazanna, in that regard. Arquette may not go No.1 like Bazanna, but top 5 is certainly in play.
7. Marlins: Ike Irish, OF/C, Auburn
The Marlins cut a deal and land a big fish from the SEC. Irish is regarded as one of the best overall hitters out of the college class and has a couple of different paths defensively. Some teams believe in the potential behind home plate, but his athleticism and arm will provide a route to corner outfield. Miami is catching a deal for the bat here and will push the savings down to picks 43 and 46.
8. Blue Jays: Jamie Arnold, LHP, Florida State
It sounds like Toronto’s preference comes from the mound. There should be solid options here, whether Hernandez falls or a college arm fits the mold. Arnold heads from the Florida panhandle to north of the border in this mock. The lefty from Florida State offers perhaps the most unique arm slot in the draft. He has a low release while sporting a fastball, slider and changeup. Arnold led the ACC in K-BB% with a 26.2 percent clip across 84 1/3 innings in 2025.
9. Reds: JoJo Parker, SS, Purvis (Miss.) HS
The first shoe to drop in the race to see which pair of twins signs first in the draft lands in Cincinnati. Parker has a ton of buzz that’s been circulating for months. His performance at the MLB Draft Combine tipped the scales for movement in the first round. Scouts believe in the hit tool form the left side, with room to gain more power with the all-fields approach. Parker will have a path for shortstop, with second base or outfield being a solid fall-back option. The Reds are buying the bat. Will they gain even more power with brother Jacob later in the draft?
10. White Sox: Billy Carlson, SS, Corona (Calif.) HS
Right behind Holliday in the prep class lies Carlson, a right-hander that flashes impressive arm strength from the mound and the left side of the infield. Carlson carries a solid hit tool, with plus-speed and athleticism into July’s draft. His services in pro ball will be showcased on the left side of the infield instead of the mound.
11. Athletics: Gavin Kilen, INF, Tennessee
Kilen is among the best hitters in the college class. From Louisville to Tennessee, Kilen produced at a high level while changing his approach. He went from a free-swinging plan to a more selective strategy all while hitting .330 or better each of the last two seasons. He walked seven times as a full-time starter for the Cardinals in 2024, compared to 30 during his tenure with the Vols. Kilen hit nine home runs in his first two seasons in college but launched 15 in his only year with the Volunteers in 2025. The left-handed bat will find footing in the middle infield. Kilen can handle the six hole, but will likely get the most run at second base in pro ball.
12. Rangers: Kyson Witherspoon, RHP, Oklahoma
The Rangers have gone the college route in the first round for six straight years. That doesn’t change in this mock, as Texas grabs a power arm from the SEC. Witherspoon showcased consistency across 95 innings for the Sooners. His 1.01 WHIP was among the league’s best. Witherspoon can hold mid-90s and grab more. The righty has a wide pitch mix, and it’s reasonable to believe one of the breaking balls, along with the cutter, can carry him into the top of a rotation in due time.
13. Giants: Marek Houston, SS, Wake Forest
Houston is the best defender in the college class. He carries a solid hit tool, that has seen steady growth across his career at Wake Forest. There’s concerns about the power in pro ball, but Houston’s lasting impression with the bat was loud in the NCAA Tournament. He launched one home run out of right-center field in Lindsey Nelson Stadium at 113 mph exit velocity and into the wind. With Buster Posey’s first selection in the MLB draft, he takes a premium defender that has a feel for the game on both sides of the baseball.
14. Rays: Tyler Bremner, RHP, UCSB
The Rays could lean into the strength of this class and go for a prep infielder, but there’s a ton of value with Bremner and Tampa Bay loves arms. It’s a plus changeup and fastball combo, with the off-speed being the calling card. The Rays could easily nurture Bremner into a right-hander with solid breakers, to boot. If Tampa goes the alternative route, look for Daniel Pierce or Steele Hall.
15. Red Sox: Gavin Fien, 3B, Great Oak HS (Calif.)
There was a period of time where Fien was considered the best hitter in the prep class after a stellar junior campaign. His stock dropped a bit after this spring, but there’s still buzz in the industry about carrying the overall hit tool into the top half of the first round. Fien’s bat speed and arm are the best traits. Boston gets back to the prep demographic for the first round after going the college route the past two years. Fien could easily rank among the top prospects in the organization fairly quickly with the impending graduation of Roman Anthony and Marcelo Mayer.
16. Twins: Steele Hall, SS, Hewitt-Trussville (Ala.)
Hall carries the best speed grade in the class. The Tennessee commit also receives solid evaluations at the plate. Hall is a 17-year-old that reclassified for the current cycle. He’s destined to stick at shortstop and has plenty of room to grow on what’s already a solid resume with the bat.
17. Cubs: Wewiha Aloy, SS, Arkansas
Aloy will join the likes of Jaxon Wiggins, Christian Franklin and Casey Opitz as former Razorbacks in the Cubs farm system. The power-hitting shortstop flashes his glove and arm on the diamond, although more polishing is needed defensively. It’s tremendous upside in the dirt. Likewise, there are holes with swing-and-miss at the plate but the above average power is what Chicago is looking to parlay with the defensive skill.
18. Diamondbacks: Brendan Summerhill, OF, Arizona
Summerhill is in the same class as Kilen as far as pure hitting ability. He played right field in 2025, but manned the middle in 2024. Summerhill has good enough arm strength for either spot with athleticism, to boot. The Snakes are buying one of the best hit tools from the left side in this class.
19. Orioles: Xavier Neyens, 3B, Mount Vernon (Wa.)
Here come the Orioles. It’s their draft and we’re just mocking it. The O’s now hold four picks in the top 37 after trading for a Comp-A slot. They also hold pick No. 58. It goes without saying, Baltimore can go a variety of ways starting with this slot. Do they give a solid college option a hair cut and pull down a prep or two? Or do they go over-slot for a high school bat that will be negotiating with teams ahead of this selection? Neyens could be in the mix with teams in the teens. The power and arm strength are both undeniable. The Orioles won’t pass up the opportunity to purchase. Fien could also be an option.
20. Brewers: Caden Bodine, C, Coastal Carolina
The bat-to-ball skills are supreme with the catcher from Conway. Bodine played an integral part in helping the Chanticleers to the College World Series finals. The switch-hitting backstop batted .318 with a 1.96 BB/K in 2025. The Brewers have a tendency to take college at the top, so there’s plenty of viable options here. Look for Gage Wood, Luke Stevenson or Summerhill (if he’s here) as well.
21. Astros: Gage Wood, RHP, Arkansas
Wood quickly entered first round consensus after his strong close down the stretch, en route to a complete gate no-hitter in the College World Series. The right-hander notched 19 strikeouts against Murray State, capping off a 2025 campaign that began with a slow ramp-up after a shoulder injury. Astros go a little off script here and grab some tremendous upside from the mound.
22. Braves: Daniel Pierce, SS, Mill Creek (Ga.)
Pierce started to draw a ton of attention as a sophomore at Mill Creek, hitting .434 with four home runs and 16 doubles. The shortstop performed at a high level for four years in 6A, right in the thick of the Southeast’s hot bed for high school baseball. The hit tool, along with speed and defensive prowess will land Pierce in the first round. There’s lots of talk of him being selected in the teens.
23. Royals: Josh Hammond, 3B, Wesleyan Christian (NC)
Hammond is an impressive prospect from the both the mound and the box. But the righty flashes at the hot corner as well. Fielding-wise, it’s probably the best arm in the prep class. With strong hit tools to accommodate, Hammond draws some Austin Riley comps.
24. Tigers: Slater de Brun, Summit HS (Ore.)
With this selection, Detroit plucks a grinder out of the Pacific Northwest. At 5-foot-10, de Brun is a bulldog with an impressive combination of run and hit tools. His path is likely center field, but has fallback options for second base or corner outfield. Josh Hammond, Sean Gamble or Kayson Cunningham could also be options. The Tigers seem to be hunting the younger upside in the class.
25. Padres: Sean Gamble, 2B/OF, IMG Academy (Fla.)
It wouldn’t be an MLB draft without A.J. Preller looking for prep options at the top. With a very polished approach at the plate, Gamble is an intriguing option for Preller and Company. There’s questions about defensive placement, but no concerns that Gamble will carve out a role up the middle in pro ball. It may not be flashy upside for San Diego, but the Vanderbilt commit has all the traits to become a productive performer for the Friars.
26. Phillies: Ethan Conrad, OF, Wake Forest
Conrad only logged 30 at-bats for the Deamon Deacons before a shoulder injury shut his season down in 2025. Before his time in Winston-Salem, Conrad crushed the competition in the MAAC with Marist. The lefty also performed exceptionally well on The Cape last summer. At 6-foot-3, Conrad boasts a sturdy frame with athleticism. It’s average-to-above tools across the board and the Phillies pick up a ton of upside with kid from nearby Saugerties, New York.
27. Guardians: Devin Taylor, OF, Indiana
Historically speaking, Cleveland covets left-handed bats. Taylor fits that mold with an acumen for finding the barrel more often than most. Taylor hit .350 with 54 home runs across 655 at-bats during his three seasons with the Hoosiers. There’s defensive questions, as the outfielder is likely destined for left field in pro ball. But the Guardians won’t pass up the barrel rate. Tennessee’s Andrew Fischer would also be a good fit.
MLB Draft Top 43 Supplemental Mock
28. Royals (PPI): Jace Laviollette, Texas A&M (MLB Draft Prospect Promotional Incentive)
29. Diamondbacks: JB Middleton, RHP, Southern Mississippi (Start of compensation)
30. Orioles: Andrew Fischer, CINF, Tennessee
31. Orioles: Jaden Fauske, OF, Nazareth Academy (Ill.)
32. Brewers: Nick Becker, SS, Don Bosco Prep (NJ)
33. Red Sox: Anthony Eyanson, RHP, LSU (MLB Draft Comp-A begins)
34. Tigers: Cam Cannarella, OF, Clemson
35. Mariners: Patrick Forbes, RHP, Louisville
36. Twins: Luke Stevenson, C, North Carolina
37. Orioles: Dean Curley, INF, Tennessee
38. Mets: AJ Russell, RHP, Tennessee
39. Yankees: Alex Lodise, SS, Florida State
40. Dodgers: Quentin Young, OF, Oaks Christian (Calif.)
41. Dodgers: Jack Bauer, Lincoln-Way East (Ill.)
42. Rays: Dax Kilby, SS, Newnan (Ga.)
43. Marlins: Tate Southisene, SS, Basic (NV)
This concludes the first version of my 2025 MLB draft mock draft. For more draft content check out the rest of our mocks and profiles. Stay tuned for more updates, as there’s sure to be waves of information and potential surprises as we draw closer to Sunday’s MLB draft.
