2025 MLB 1st Round Mock Draft
July 10, 2025 - Written by Brayden Zielke
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1. Washington Nationals: Ethan Holliday, SS/3B, Stillwater HS (OK), (No. 1)
There are many different reasonable directions the Nationals go here, but I think they keep it simple and take Ethan Holliday, who has been seen as most likely to go 1st overall for quite awhile. Holliday played SS in High School, but many experts believe he projects as a 3rd Baseman. He has amazing power with 30+ home run potential, if not higher, and has a large frame, standing at 6’4”. If Holliday goes 1st overall, he and his brother Jackson will make history as the first set of brothers to both be drafted 1st overall.
2. Los Angeles Angels: Kade Anderson, LHP, LSU, (No. 2)
Kade Anderson is widely considered to be the best college pitcher in this draft class. Anderson has 4 great pitches and is coming off a really strong end to his season, throwing 2 amazing games in the College World Series, including a complete game shut-out in Game 1 of the Finals, winning himself the College World Series Most Outstanding Player award. While I am slightly concerned about a few of Anderson’s starts this season, I love how he continued to pitch well throughout the season and didn’t let it shake his confidence. With the Angels quick call up strategy, it is likely we see their first round pick within the next year, regardless of whether or not they draft Anderson.
3. Seattle Mariners: Seth Hernandez, RHP, Corona HS (CA), (No. 3)
Going into the Draft Lottery, the Mariners had the second-to-last odds to land a lottery pick. Regardless of your opinion on the legitimacy of the lottery, the Mariners have received a gift. While they could use this on a college player who is closer to being MLB ready, I believe that they will take a risk and draft Hernandez, who I believe has the highest ceiling in the draft. Taking a High School pitcher is always super chancy, but Hernandez has an elite fastball and 3 other great pitches. He projects as an elite major league starter if he can stay healthy throughout his development.
4. Colorado Rockies: Eli Willits, SS, Fort Cobb-Broxton HS (OK), (No. 5)
Eli Willits, the son of former Angels Outfielder and Yankees Coach Reggie Willits, has been climbing up draft boards recently. Willits possesses strong hitting ability from both sides of the plate. Despite a lack of raw power, he could probably manage 15-20 home runs while playing at Coors Field for half the season. He also won’t turn 18 until December, which will be very enticing to any team looking his way.
5. St. Louis Cardinals: Jamie Arnold, LHP, Florida State, (No. 4)
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Arnold is a very polished lefty who has had heavy comparisons to Chris Sale, mainly due to his arm slot and his heavy usage of his fastball and slider. Arnold also uses a Changeup, but it’s not a very important pitch in his repertoire. Arnold could be one of the first players on this list to make his MLB debut and could make an impact in the Cardinals rotation very soon.
6. Pittsburgh Pirates: Aiva Arquette, SS, Oregon State, (No. 6)
If Willits is off the board at 6, I don’t really see the Pirates taking anyone else. Arquette is tall and powerful and has soft hands at Shortstop. It’s also quite possible that Arquette gets snagged by the Mariners at pick 3.
7. Miami Marlins: Billy Carlson, SS, Corona HS (CA), (No. 7)
Billy Carlson and Seth Hernandez have an opportunity to be the first pair of High School teammates to be taken in the Top 10. Carlson is an elite defender at Shortstop but isn’t as highly touted on his skills as a hitter. Carlson has the defensive skills to be one of baseball’s best at Shortstop, and he could definitely make a massive impact at the highest level if he can improve his hitting.
8. Toronto Blue Jays: Ike Irish, OF/C, Auburn, (No. 11)
Although Irish was a catcher at Auburn, the wide belief is that he will transition to Outfield full time after being drafted. He has a very powerful swing and is considered by some to be the best all around offensive player in this draft. Toronto would be thrilled to pick up Irish if he is still on the board at pick 8.
9. Cincinnati Reds: Kyson Witherspoon, RHP, Oklahoma, (No. 10)
Witherspoon isn’t talked about as much as he deserves. He posted a 2.65 ERA, which ranked 2nd best in the SEC, along with an 11.75 K/9. Witherspoon’s 5 pitch repertoire creates a lot of swing and misses. Cincy loves taking right-handed college pitchers in the first round, and Witherspoon is the best in that category.
10. Chicago White Sox: Liam Doyle, LHP, Tennessee, (No. 8)
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Doyle has been mocked really high as of late, but a lot of teams and experts seem to believe that he has too much reliever risk. After trading Crochet, who Doyle resembles, it wouldn’t be surprising if the White Sox gravitated towards a lefty pitcher who can progress quickly. Doyle’s fastball is arguably the best pitch in the entire class, but the rest of his pitches aren’t anything special. I personally believe that he won’t last as a starter at the major league level.
11. Athletics: Gavin Kilen: 2B, Tennessee, (No. 21)
The Athletics have taken college hitters with 6 of their last 8 first picks, and Kilen seems like exactly the kind of player they would be drawn towards. Kilen has great bat-to-ball skills and has thoroughly improved his power. He also walked more than he struck out this season.
12. Texas Rangers: JoJo Parker, SS, Purvis HS (MS), (No. 9)
The Rangers haven’t taken a High Schooler since they took Cole Winn 15th overall out of Orange Lutheran HS back in 2018, but I do think they will heavily consider Parker if he is still available at 12. Parker projects as more of a 2nd or 3rd baseman and has a nice lefty swing and some solid power.
13. San Francisco Giants: Kayson Cunningham, SS/2B, Johnson HS (TX), (No. 10)
Cunningham has amazing bat control and has solid arm strength, despite many scouts believing that he will be a full-time 2nd baseman. His bat control should help him hit more home runs, despite having below-average power.
14. Tampa Bay Rays: Marek Houston, SS, Wake Forest, (No. 15)
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Houston is one of my favorite prospects in this draft class. He is coming off a season in which he hit .354 with 15 home runs, 66 RBIs, and 19 stolen bases. He possesses quickness, speed, arm-strength, and smooth hands at shortstop. I wouldn’t be surprised if he goes off the board earlier, but I have him falling to the Rays in this draft.
15. Boston Red Sox: Brendan Summerhill, OF, Arizona, (No. 16)
Summerhill is a batting average and fielding first outfielder who is often compared to Jake McCarthy. Summerhill walked more than he struck out during his college career and is a reliable and versatile fielder, projecting as a center fielder.
16. Minnesota Twins: Steele Hall, SS, Hewitt-Trussville HS (AL), (No. 12)
Draft evaluators are absolutely in love with Hall’s twitchiness and fielding ability at shortstop. While Hall does need to work on his swing choices and his power, he has the fielding tools to make a long term impact at the Major League level.
17. Chicago Cubs: Tyler Bremner, RHP, UC Santa Barbara, (No. 18)
Bremner was mocked as a Top 5 pick after a dominant sophomore campaign. Despite not having as great of a season, I think Bremner is a lock to be a Top 25 pick. Bremner’s durability and his slider are both concerns, but his dominant fastball and changeup are helping keep him ranked highly.
18. Arizona Diamondbacks: Daniel Pierce, SS, Mill Creek HS (GA), (No. 13)
Because this draft class has 7 high school shortstops ranked inside the top 15, I feel like one has to fall. In this mock, it just happens to be Pierce. Pierce is scrappy and hits the ball to all parts of the field with great control and recognition of the strike zone. Many teams in the mid-late first round would love to draft him if he falls their way.
19. Baltimore Orioles: Jace LaViolette, OF, Texas A&M, (No. 20)
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LaViolette was seen as a potential 1st overall pick after an amazing sophomore season. However, his junior campaign didn’t go as planned. Pretty much all of his stats got worse and he struck out in 25.19% of his plate appearances. However, the power is undeniable and that should be enough for him to be taken in this range.
20. Milwaukee Brewers: Slater de Brun, OF, Summit HS (OR), (No. 24)
If the Brewers miss out on LaViolette, I think they pivot to de Brun at pick 20. Slater de Brun utilizes his abilities well, hitting for average and using his speed on the basepaths as well as in the outfield. Despite an initial lack of power, de Brun added some strength this spring and can drive the ball well.
21. Houston Astros: Devin Taylor, OF, Indiana, (No. 30)
Taylor is probably my favorite prospect in the entire class. He does everything well on the offensive side of the ball. During 3 seasons at Indiana, he hit .350 with 54 home runs, 179 RBIs, and an OPS of 1.130 in only 169 games. Taylor has gotten more patient at the plate and racked up more walks than strikeouts during his college career. His defense is nothing special though. Many mock drafts don’t even have him as a 1st round pick, which I think is insane.
22. Atlanta Braves: Gage Wood, RHP, Arkansas, (No. 23)
Gage Wood is a very interesting prospect. He only started 10 games this year and only has 13 career starts in college. He has had shoulder issues throughout his high school and college career and has a college ERA of 4.33. Wood shined bright during the College World Series, throwing a 19 strikeout no hitter against Murray State. This flash of potential could be enough to get himself drafted inside the Top 25.
23. Kansas City Royals: Kruz Schoolcraft, LHP/1B, Sunset HS (OR), (No. 19)
The Royals love drafting southpaws, so why not another one. Schoolcraft stands at 6’8” at 18 years old and is both an amazing pitcher and hitter. Many scouts prefer him on the mound, but it is tough to say where exactly on the diamond he will end up.
24. Detroit Tigers: Wehiwa Aloy, SS, Arkansas, (No. 17)
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The Tigers would be thrilled to get Aloy if he falls this far. Aloy has great power for a shortstop and is an all around solid hitter, hitting .332 with 49 home runs in 3 college seasons. He can move to 2nd base if his speed at shortstop becomes a problem, but I don’t really see it becoming an issue if he does have to move.
25. San Diego Padres: Ethan Conrad, OF, Wake Forest, (No. 28)
Conrad transferred from Marist to Wake Forest for his junior season and did not disappoint. Despite only playing in 21 games, he dominated, hitting .372 with 7 home runs and 27 RBIs, along with 18 walks. His season ended early due to shoulder surgery, but I believe that he did more than enough in his college career to justify his ranking.
26. Philadelphia Phillies: Sean Gamble, 2B/OF, IMG Academy (FL), (No. 27)
Gamble is a versatile and dependable fielder who has scouts of where he should play at the next level. He plays both CF and 2B and could realistically play either. He is also a quality hitter who is skilled at barreling up the ball and hitting the ball to all fields.
27. Cleveland Guardians: Anthony Eyanson, RHP, LSU, (No. 40)
Eyanson had a great sophomore season at UC San Diego before transferring to LSU, where he had a 3.00 ERA in 20 games (18 starts). He had 11.75 k/9 at LSU and was pretty reliable this season.
28. Kansas City Royals: Cam Cannarella, OF, Clemson, (No. 36)
29. Arizona Diamondbacks: Andrew Fischer, 1B/3B, Tennessee, (No. 29)
30. Baltimore Orioles: Gavin Fien, 3B, Great Oak HS (CA), (No. 22)
31. Baltimore Orioles: Riley Quick, RHP, Alabama, (No. 38)
32. Milwaukee Brewers: Xavier Neyens, 3B, Mount Vernon HS (WA), (No. 25)
33. Boston Red Sox: Josh Hammond, 3B, Wesleyan Christian HS (NC), (No. 26)
34. Detroit Tigers: Caden Bodine, C, Coastal Carolina, (No. 32)
35. Seattle Mariners: Mason Neville, OF, Oregon, (No. 35)
36. Minnesota Twins: Luke Stevenson, C, North Carolina, (No. 33)
37. Tampa Bay Rays: Matthew Fisher, RHP, Memorial HS (IN), (No. 46)
38. New York Mets: Zach Root, LHP, Arkansas, (No. 42)
39. New York Yankees: Max Belyeu, OF, Texas, (No. 34)
40. Los Angeles Dodgers: Quentin Young, 3B/OF, Oaks Christian HS (CA), (No. 37)
41. Los Angeles Dodgers: JB Middleton, RHP, Southern Mississippi, (No. 41)
42. Tampa Bay Rays: Brandon Compton, OF, Arizona State, (No. 47)
43. Miami Marlins: Patrick Forbes, RHP, Louisville, (No. 31)
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