2025 MLB Mock Draft 3.0: First-Round Pick Predictions For Every Team

1. Nationals — Ethan Holliday, SS, Stillwater (Okla.) HS

Range: 1-3

Holliday is the player most consistently mentioned when teams picking a bit behind the Nationals are asked who they don’t expect to have a chance at. He’s had a strong offensive season, has earned positive reviews for his work on the defensive side and boasts some of the biggest overall upside in the class. 

My understanding is the Nationals still have a huge pool of names in consideration at this stage. Seth Hernandez, Eli Willits and Aiva Arquette might be the headliners, but the group also seems to include nearly the entire top college pitching tier—Jamie Arnold, Kyson Witherspoon, Liam Doyle and Tyler Bremner. That also includes Jace LaViolette, though Arquette still has a lot more buzz at the top and seems to be holding as the top college bat in the class. 

2. Angels — Aiva Arquette, SS, Oregon State

Range: 2-4

Essentially all of the college names at the top of the board are being linked to the Angels. If the team wants a bat, Arquette would be the best available and the player most equipped to hop onto the Angels’ rapid prospect promotion schedule. They are also linked to Jace LaViolette, Jamie Arnold, Liam Doyle, Kade Anderson, Kyson Witherspoon and Tyler Bremner. It would be unsurprising to see the Angels hunt a deal here and pitch their short path to the majors as a nice chip to get it done. 

3. Mariners — Seth Hernandez, RHP, Corona (Calif.) HS

Range: 1-3

Increasingly, Hernandez is being discussed as the best pure talent in the class, though he comes with all the usual caveats of coming with a scary demographic and longer ETA. He’s posted all spring and has a more well-rounded arsenal than any of his college peers with more pure upside to dream on. The Mariners have scouted him hard like every team in this range, but some in the industry wonder if Seattle wants to grab a bat at this spot. Eli Willits and Jace LaViolette would be the best available in that case, though both Ethan Holliday and Aiva Arquette should be in the mix if available.

4. Rockies — Liam Doyle, LHP, Tennessee

Range: 4-10

The Rockies are in on basically all of the names discussed so far in the mock, though some wonder whether or not they would pull the trigger on Eli Willits this high. Colorado has tended to draft players with a lot more physicality and size than Willits (listed at 6-foot-1, 175 pounds) provides, but he also might just be the most well-rounded player in the class and an absolute gamer. Doyle has been the most dominant pitcher in the SEC this season and is a real fit here, as is Jace LaViolette. I think the Rockies would be all over both Seth Hernandez and Ethan Holliday if they fell here. 

5. Cardinals — Jamie Arnold, LHP, LSU

Range: 2-5

Jace LaViolette gets linked to a number of teams in this range, but I wonder if the Cardinals’ preference for in-zone contact skills would make them one of the teams more skeptical of his profile. Getting a shot at Jamie Arnold might have seemed less likely for the Cardinals previously than it does now. He is the safest college starter in the class given his stuff, strike-throwing and track record, but he hasn’t been quite as electric this year as he was as a sophomore. 

6. Pirates — Eli Willits, SS, Fort Cobb-Broxton (Okla.) HS

Range: 6-8

If Willits gets this far down the board, he shouldn’t last much longer, and I think the Pirates are one of the teams really on him. Any of the college pitchers available should be in play based purely on talent. The Pirates have done a great job developing arms but might want to continue adding bats to the system. Pittsburgh gets linked to a lot of intriguing sleeper-type prep hitters for some of their later picks.

7. Marlins — Kyson Witherspoon, RHP, Oklahoma

Range: 7-13

Witherspoon continues to go out and post at a high level week after week. Teams love his ability to hold his velocity deep into games, and he’s taken a real step forward this spring with a deeper arsenal and much better strike-throwing. He gets significant top 10 buzz that starts all the way at the top with the Nationals. 

8. Blue Jays — Kade Anderson, LHP, LSU

Range: 8-16

Anderson has pitched his way solidly into the top tier of college arms in the class and could fight with Liam Doyle and Jamie Arnold to be the first lefty off the board. Anderson left his most recent start after 5.2 innings and 109 total pitches with a left wrist cramp, but there doesn’t seem to be a huge amount of concern about it at the moment. 

9. Reds — Jace LaViolette, OF, Texas A&M

Range: 7-9

LaViolette should be in play throughout the top 10, but there’s still some thought in the industry that he could slide towards this 9-11 range because of swing-and-miss concerns. In two recent weekend series, he had a slow handful of games against Texas and LSU, going 2-for-21 (.095) with nine strikeouts and four walks before bouncing back against Missouri last weekend.

10. White Sox — Billy Carlson, SS, Corona (Calif.) HS

Range: 6-10

The bulk of this wave of high school shortstops from 10-14 have a chance to go inside the first 10 picks, but more helium has gone towards the college pitchers in recent days. The college arms will have the advantage of pitching in high-profile matchups in postseason play, while the high school season is wrapping up around the country. Carlson doesn’t seem to be in the same Ethan Holliday/Eli Willits tier, but he’s not far off and boasts the best glove in the class. 

11. Athletics — JoJo Parker, SS, Purvis (Miss.) HS

Range: 11-22

Parker keeps moving up and up and up. He’s been climbing all spring, and it’s to the point where teams might be looking at him vs. Kayson Cunningham as the best pure hitter in the class. He’s continued to get huge scouting crowds. Yes, he has more risk to move off of shortstop than the other prep shortstops in this range, but he’s the one lefthanded bat and might have the loudest hit/power combination of the group. 

12. Rangers — Steele Hall, SS, Hewitt-Trussville (Ala.) HS

Range: 12-14

Hall is going to draw plenty of comparisons to Kellon Lindsey from the 2024 class, but he’ll be nearly a full year younger on draft day and doesn’t turn 18 until a week after the draft. Hall is probably the best pure athlete of the first-round high school shortstops, with at least 70-grade running ability and slick defensive actions to pair with developing hitting chops.

13. Giants — Kayson Cunningham, SS, Johnson HS, San Antonio

Range: 11-13

Cunningham should have a decent floor in this year’s class because his track record as a pure hitter is excellent. He’s the Kevin McGonigle of this year’s class and teams who want to be confident in a pure hit tool won’t have many players more appealing than him, regardless of his risk to slide from shortstop to second base in pro ball. 

14. Rays — Daniel Pierce, SS, Mill Creek HS, Hoschton, Ga.

Range: 14-18

On the high school side, the two players who are getting the most helium seem to be JoJo Parker and Daniel Pierce. Teams in the 10-15 range seem to be all over both players. Pierce is an excellent shortstop defender with a huge arm strength, and he’s added more power this spring. 

15. Red Sox — Luke Stevenson, C, North Carolina

Range: 15-17

The top three college catchers in the class seem to shuffle weekly. It’s difficult to pin down the order, and I’m not sure there’s a real consensus. Some teams will favor one or another depending on their preferences and ideas of what they can do best in player development. Stevenson is perhaps the most well-rounded of the group (which also includes Ike Irish and Caden Bodine) and pairs strong defense with raw power and on-base skills, though he has never hit above .300 in college.

16. Twins — Ike Irish, C, Auburn

Range: 16-31

Irish is the most impressive offensive catcher in this trio of college backstops, but he’s also the least likely to stick behind the plate in the long term. The teams highest on Irish will either have the most confidence in his ability to stick at the position or simply think his hit/power combination is loud enough to profile just fine in an outfield corner or at first base. He’s dealt with some injury hiccups but is in the midst of a career year and is dominating conference competition. I think he could easily sneak inside the top 10 picks. 

17. Cubs — Brendan Summerhill, OF, Arizona 

Range: 17-35

Summerhill missed a chunk of time this spring with a fractured right hand, but he’s back in the lineup for Arizona and increasingly being discussed as one of the more impressive pure hitters in the college class. He’s still hitting over .400 and has a well-rounded profile with solid-average tools across the board led by his strong approach and contact skills.

18. Diamondbacks — Marek Houston, SS, Wake Forest

Range: 5-18

Houston surged out of the gate and was being discussed as a potential top 10 pick. He’s cooled off in recent weeks, and his overall offensive line in ACC play isn’t quite as impressive as what he was doing in the non-conference slate. In 17 games since April 8, he has just four extra-base hits. Still, Houston’s contact ability and excellent defensive work at shortstop should give him a solid floor in the draft. Arizona has liked this sort of profile in the past. 

19. Orioles — Ethan Conrad, OF, Wake Forest

Range: 19-32

Conrad is one of the biggest wild cards of the first round because of his season-ending shoulder surgery. At the end of the day when teams line up his resume and toolset compared to other college bats in the class, I think he’ll come out looking pretty good. He’s always hit, he’s physical, he has loud power and speed tools, he has wood bat track record and was performing at an excellent clip in his 21 games with Wake Forest after transferring from Marist. The Orioles haven’t taken a pitcher with a top 60 pick since 2018. 

20. Brewers — Tyler Bremner, RHP, UC Santa Barbara

Range: 9-20

Bremner feels like one of the most volatile profiles in the class. There are teams picking in the teens who believe he’s more in play behind them and teams at the top of the draft who seem to be still scouting him for their first pick. Bremner’s season has been disappointing for most scouts and more inconsistent than they’d like for a tier-one arm. At the end of the day, his stuff looks just as good as a year ago, and he is as good a strike-thrower as any of his peers in the college class. He’s racked up 10+ strikeouts in five of his last six games. This does feel like the most pessimistic of outcomes for Bremner on draft day.

21. Astros — Xavier Neyens, 3B, Mount Vernon (Wash.) HS

Range: 19-21

Like Bremner, Neyens has come to be a polarizing prospect throughout the industry. Proponents will point to Ethan Holliday and say that there’s not much difference between his power, on-base skills and future defensive home questions as Neyens. Skeptics will hone in on the swing-and-miss tendencies and prefer a more high-probability, up-the-middle defensive profile (like one of the many shortstops in the 10-20 range). Ultimately, Neyens’ power upside feels too good for him to slip too far, but it does sound like he’s closer to 30 than 1 right now.

22. Braves — Riley Quick, RHP, Alabama

Range: 22-34

If there’s a pitcher who could easily join the top tier of college arms by the end of the season, it’s Quick. He brings physicality (6-foot-6, 255 pounds) that really can’t be found with any of the other first-round college arms as well as massive arm talent. He’s averaged 96.5 mph with his fastball and has had a few loud outings in recent weeks including a nine-strikeout game vs. Vanderbilt. 

23. Royals — Wehiwa Aloy, SS, Arkansas

Range: 23-26

Aloy started his career at Sacramento State then moved to Arkansas in 2024 where he struggled a bit with the bat. Scouts have been impressed with the improvements he’s made offensively in his second tour of baseball’s best conference. There are some miss concerns, but he’s having a career year, hitting for average and power while also displaying the athleticism and tools to give himself a chance to stick at shortstop. That athleticism and the edge in defensive profile he’ll have over some of his peers in this range could push him even further up the board.

24. Tigers — Kruz Schoolcraft, LHP, Sunset HS, Portland, Ore.

Range: 12-24

Schoolcraft’s spring season has been a bit inconsistent, with his velocity fluctuating from outing to outing and scouts having to circle back to get looks at his breaking ball. That could cause him to slip a bit. For a high school pitcher to go in the top of the first round, teams really want him to post week in and week out. That could see the monstrous 6-foot-8 lefty sliding into the 20s, where his upside potential might start to get too exciting to pass on.

25. Padres — Sean Gamble, OF, IMG Academy, Bradenton, Fla.

Range: 25-40+

Gamble is an athletic toolshed who has had plenty of heat to see him consistently this spring with IMG Academy. The sense is that Gamble fits pretty safely in the 20s. The high school-hunting Padres are sitting right in the middle of that range and seem to be a good fit for him on talent and team tendency.

26. Phillies — Gavin Fien, 3B, Great Oak HS, Temecula, Calif.

Range: 25-26

Like Schoolcraft, Fien has had an up-and-down spring that is causing some teams to scratch their heads. Fien was arguably the best performer in the high school class throughout the summer circuit, and at this point in the draft, has a strong case for the best hit/power combo available. He’s a right-right high schooler who might be a corner profile, but that was the case for Aidan Miller at the time, as well—that pick has worked out nicely for the Phillies so far. 

27. Guardians — Gavin Kilen, 2B, Tennessee

Range: 27-27

One of the better pure hitters available on the board, Kilen’s profile fits what Cleveland has tended to like with their hitters: someone who makes a lot of contact, controls the zone and limits strikeouts at an up-the-middle position. He’s gotten some playing time at shortstop this spring, though most scouts view him as a second baseman in the long run. 

28. Royals — Caden Bodine, C, Coastal Carolina

Range: 21-28

Like many of the players in this range of the mock, Bodine is polarizing. There are scouts who view him as the best catcher in the class because of his excellent zone-contact skills and receiving, while others would prefer his toolset and power upside in the second or third round. College catchers tend to go at the top of their market because of scarcity (plus a distaste for the high school catching demographic) and perhaps a team with multiple picks like the Royals could make sense. 

29. Diamondbacks — Slater de Brun, OF, Summit HS, Bend, Ore.

Range: 24-29

Teams view de Brun as a similar profile and talent to Slade Caldwell from last year’s class. With Caldwell currently playing well in Low-A, what’s to stop Arizona from doubling down in the demographic after taking Caldwell with the 29th overall pick last year?

30. Orioles — Andrew Fischer, 1B, Tennessee

Range: 30-40+

Fischer is a definite corner-only profile and one who might be first-base only. Still, he has been arguably the most consistent hitter on Tennessee’s team this spring with in-conference numbers that top his teammates Gavin Kilen and Dean Curley. I’d expect Fischer to be a model darling thanks to his low swing rate, excellent on-base skills and big pullside power. In a class with fewer no-doubt college bats, he has a chance to top Blake Burke’s 34th overall selection from a year ago. 

31. Orioles — Dean Curley, SS, Tennessee

Range: 15-31

Curley has been slipping down draft boards in recent weeks, thanks in part to middle-of-the-road offensive performances and maybe more because of his defensive inconsistencies. Throwing in particular has been a real issue for him in recent weeks, which will amplify concerns that already existed at the start of the season. Could he slide out of the first round entirely like we’re projecting here? It sounds like a real possibility. 

32. Brewers — Cam Cannarella, OF, Clemson

Range: 23-32

The Brewers have been fine taking college hitters who have slid with injury questions in the past. Would they again this year? Cannarella’s athleticism, center field defense and track record of hitting with Clemson should make him a slam dunk first-round talent, but concerns over his shoulder health and throwing ability linger. 

33. Red Sox — Brady Ebel, SS, Corona (Calif.) HS

Range: 33-40

Ebel has drawn less buzz than Corona High teammates Seth Hernandez and Billy Carlson this spring, but his well-rounded toolset, size and lefthanded pure hitting ability feel like a decent fit for a Boston team that has nailed their hitters. 

34. Tigers — Josh Hammond, SS/RHP, Wesleyan Christian Academy, High Point, N.C.

Range: 29-34

Hammond has the sort of tools and athleticism that I think this Detroit scouting department would be excited about. There are some similarities you could draw between him and their 2024 first-round pick, Bryce Rainer, though Hammond has less track record as a pure hitter and also might be less likely to stick at shortstop. He’s a fierce competitor with exciting bat speed, power and an obviously-plus arm that gives him a fallback option on the mound. 

35. Mariners — Zach Root, LHP, Arkansas

Range: 35-37

Root is getting some play in the back of the first round and is coming off a dominant outing against Texas and another solid one against LSU. He’s got advanced feel for his secondaries and, while he doesn’t offer huge upside, he’s a fairly safe starting profile with a long track record and above-average control. 

36. Twins — Briggs McKenzie, LHP, Corinth Holders HS, Wendell, N.C.

Range: 28-36

Basically everyone has been in to scout McKenzie heavily this spring. He’s added a bit more firmness to the fastball, has made strides with his changeup and the vast majority of the industry likely sees his high-spin breaking ball as an easy-plus offering. 

37. Rays — Ryan Mitchell, SS, Houston HS, Germantown, Tenn.

Range: 37-40+

It sounds like the Rays could be one of the teams hottest on Mitchell, who is a great athlete who also has a strong feel for the zone and good contact skills. He’s got a handful of first-round grades, though other scouts place him more solidly in the second round. 

38. Mets — Mason Neville, OF, Oregon

Range: 38-40+

Neville has had a tremendous junior season with Oregon and is leading all D-I hitters with 25 home runs. He entered the spring with real questions about his swing decisions but has made strides in that department with a career-best strikeout rate to go with solid speed and a lefthanded-hitting center field profile. 

39. Yankees — Max Belyeu, OF, Texas

Range: 39-40+

If Belyeu were healthy, he would probably be solidly locked into first-round territory. He hasn’t played since March 28 because of a thumb injury, but when healthy, he displayed one of the better hit tools in the class to go with a plus throwing arm in right field. I don’t see a huge difference in this profile and that of Arizona outfielder Brendan Summerhill, who is mocked at No. 17—which perhaps speaks to the lack of separation throughout this year’s class.

40. Dodgers — Patrick Forbes, RHP, Louisville

Range: 36-40

Forbes’ last three outings have seemingly taken him out of first-round consideration, but the Dodgers might be a team that’s happy to scoop up his arm talent and help him find the zone more consistently. When he’s over the plate, his fastball/slider combination is as electric as any pitcher in this class.