The top ten unsigned high school position player prospects from the 2025 draft

As the NIL era kicks into full gear, we might have expected more big name freshmen to reach campus. With the prep position player crop, that does not seem to have been the case as just a couple of day one prospects are heading to school. Brock Sell leads things off to prove Stanford's still got it as one of the premier programs for steering their recruits through from the draft, marking the second straight season they'll bring in a position player in the top 75 draft prospects following Charlie Bates a year ago. It's a heavy SEC list (surprise) grabbing up seven of the top ten spots, but perhaps most surprisingly, zero legacy ACC schools even if we include the three honorable mentions. This list has a little bit of everything between premium multi-sport athletes, lanky, physical catchers, dangerous power bats, and even a red hot two-way player.

Note that this list was compiled based on their ranking on my 2025 draft board (in parentheses) and does not account for fall performance. Specifically looking at you, #10 Nico Partida.

1. OF Brock Sell, Stanford (my rank: #74)
Undrafted. Eligible again in 2028.
With college athletics concentrating in the SEC and Oregon, Southern Cal, and Arizona seemingly emerging as the top all-around athletics programs on the West Coast, Stanford is in a critical spot. They lost two big righties to Georgia as Matt Scott and Joey Volchko transferred across the country, but their reputation for getting premium prospects to campus (such as Scott and Volchko initially) remains intact as they land the top unsigned position player prospect in the country. A year ago, Charlie Bates came in at #2 and hit .270/.320/.416 as a freshman with eyes on bigger and better things in 2026. Brock Sell makes his way in from Stockton to join a very crowded outfield picture as all three starters and even many of the bench options return, but he's advanced enough as a hitter to make a push for playing time right away anyways. He has a simple, whippy left handed swing that generates consistent line drive contact to all fields, showing a long track record of performance everywhere he has gone. He has excellent bat to ball and uses his quick hands to ambush baseballs in all parts of the zone, so ACC pitchers will have their work cut out looking for holes in his swing. Sell lacks physicality at this point and there isn't a ton of projection in his skinny 6'1" frame, but his mechanics are conducive to turning on the ball for fringy power when he needs it. Even if he can't claim playing time right away, he projects as a steady top of the lineup force for the Cardinal and could become a leadoff type at the big league level as well if he keeps ascending. His plus speed and excellent instincts in the outfield will also aid him in his push for playing time, giving him a shot to be a stud center fielder both at the college and pro levels. He has a strong arm as well to make right field a possibility if Ethan Hott remains entrenched in center.

2. OF Alec Blair, Oklahoma (my rank: #88)
Undrafted. Eligible again in 2028.
One of the best athletes in the state of California is making his way to Oklahoma. Alec Blair was not only one of the top baseball prospects in the state but a four star basketball prospect as well that began the season on Porter Moser's squad, earning a few minutes against Saint Francis in the season opener. He wound up leaving the team after just a few games and will focus solely on baseball, where his upside is enormous. In contrast to fellow Californian Brock Sell, Blair is understandably raw on the diamond and may take more time to develop. Listed at 6'6", 195 pounds, he sits somewhat awkwardly in a wide, squatted stance then just flicks the barrel through the zone. He has elite hands that generate above average power already and stands to grow into plus or better power as he streamlines his left handed swing. That swing can get disjointed at times as better pitchers can get him off balance, and jumping to the SEC with Oklahoma will certainly be a steep challenge after a senior season in Northern California that saw him swing and miss more than scouts would have liked. Similarly, he is an above average runner with above average arm strength who needs more refinement in the outfield, looking more like a right fielder until he can get a little cleaner with his reads and routes. Now, all of this could and likely will improve very soon. Blair is an exceptional athlete with massive size and projection, coming with a physical package you just can't teach. Now that he appears to have given up basketball, both sides of his game could take big steps forward with a singular focus. He'll likely always be power over hit but he could be a lineup centerpiece by his sophomore season in Norman. Texas (and now UCLA) outfielder Will Gasparino had a similar (but right handed) profile coming into college and probably represents a median outcome for Blair.

3. SS Lucas Franco, Texas Christian (my rank: #100)
Undrafted. Eligible again in 2028.
TCU got some really strong contributions from its freshmen last year, and this year they have another pair of big names reaching campus in Lucas Franco and Uli Fernsler, who will be on the pitchers list. Franco has a chance to step right into a starting role with the departure of starting shortstop Anthony Silva  (14th round, Guardians) and a wide open competition to backfill his spot in the lineup. Franco has long been a famous name in this class, touting a long track record of performance on the showcase circuit and at home in the Houston area before a bit of a quieter 2025. Listed at 6'3", 180 pounds, he's not ultra physical just yet but he is ultra projectable. At the plate, he gets a ton of hip-shoulder separation in his left handed swing to generate impressive bat speed and help maximize his strength, so as he fills out he has a chance to grow into above average power. For now it plays closer to average, but I don't think it will stay that way for long. He's an advanced hitter that covers the plate well and is unfazed by higher end pitching, though his pure bat to ball has come and gone as he is still working on his barrel accuracy. Stepping up to the Big 12 will be no easy task, but he is the type of player that should be able to adjust sooner rather than later. While he's a fringy runner, Franco moves very well at shortstop and his glove will only help his case to break into the lineup, while his above average arm will be plenty for the left side of the infield. He should be able to claim that shortstop role soon enough, if not right out of the gate as a freshman then likely by his sophomore year. Once in pro ball, he could be pushed to third base by a springier defender, but he has shown scouts nothing to make that call prematurely and for now, he's a shortstop. He'll also be relatively young for an incoming freshman and will play much of his freshman season at eighteen years old.

4. 3B Landon Schaefer, Arkansas (my rank: #105)
Drafted – Phillies, 20th round (#611 overall). Eligible again in 2028.
The Arkansas Razorbacks have done a very nice job of maximizing the talent in their state, with in-state names like Gage Wood (Batesville), Will McEntire (Bryant), Cayden Wallace (Greenbrier), Peyton Pallette (Benton), and Connor Noland (Greenwood) coming to star for the Hogs in recent years. Landon Schaefer hopes to be the next Natural State star in line, joining an Arkansas squad that saw eleven players drafted (of which ten signed), most importantly for Schaefer including starting shortstop Wehiwa Aloy (comp round, Orioles) and third baseman Brent Iredale (7th round, Pirates). As arguably the best right-now impact bat on this list, he has a chance to hit his way into one of those spots right away. Schaefer performed very well in the calendar year leading up to the draft, both on the summer showcase circuit last year and back home in Northwest Arkansas during the spring. Well-proportioned at 6'3", 190 pounds, he combines present strength with more projection coming and already shows above average power. He gets great hip-shoulder separation to channel that strength into useable game power, and as he gets stronger he appears destined for plus power at peak. His performance has been strong in high school, though he did run into some issues against higher-end offspeed stuff and that will require a learning curve in the SEC. Depending on how his pitch recognition comes along, he could hit in the middle of the Razorbacks lineup right away or take a little bit of time to put it together consistently. He's a fairly sound defender at shortstop, though his steady glove may not be enough to carry overall average quickness that keeps him from reaching balls deep in the hole. The Fayetteville native has enough arm to slide over to third base and be successful there, ultimately projecting as a potential middle of the order third baseman in the big leagues if he reaches his peak.

5. C Brayden Jaksa, Oregon (my rank: #106)
Undrafted. Eligible again in 2028.
Last year, Oregon brought in one of the best incoming freshman catchers in the country in Burke-Lee Mabeus and after putting up a strong .385 on-base percentage in a part time role, he's ready to take on a bigger one in 2026. His primary competition behind the plate, Chase Meggers, is off to pro ball (UDFA, Mets), but he'll have a big obstacle coming in the form of Brayden Jaksa. He's a big showcase name that was well-known up and down the West Coast and now has a chance to seize an every day role in one of the top programs in that region. His experience both hitting against and catching high-end pitching on the circuit has helped him develop a pretty solid approach at the plate, while his easy right handed swing helps him channel his long limbs into solid bat to ball as well. Given his 6'5", 215 pound frame, his size and natural leverage help generate above average power even as he just drops the bat head to the ball. As Jaksa packs on additional strength and learns to let loose more at the plate, he could easily grow into plus power in time. He already does a good job of getting the ball up in the air. It can be tougher for lanky catchers to get it done behind the plate but there have been success stories (most notably Joe Mauer, listed at the same 6'5", 225 pounds that Jaksa should easily get to if he puts on ten pounds of good weight). Jaksa for one uses his size well, easily sliding laterally to pitches that miss the plate where stockier catchers may have had to launch off their feet. He also lifts out of the crouch well for his size, and I use the word lift because it describes his motion better than the traditional "popping" out of the crouch. The Bay Area product employs more of a standing up rather than the pop, but he's smooth and quick with it and gets the ball down to second base with strong raw arm strength. That said, there is a lot about his defense that will need work. He moves slowly behind the plate and if the movement isn't natural to him (such as sliding naturally or lifting out of the crouch), he can be late in his reactions and let dirt balls by him or not be on time to frame a pitch properly. While his strong arm can bail him out, his throwing accuracy is not there yet and will need additional cleanup as well. Jaksa's size stands out more than his twitch, which is fine for a catcher, but he has significant work to do in Eugene if he wants to remain there as a pro. He's a fringy runner but could fit in an outfield corner or at first base if Oregon prefers to go with Mabeus as the primary catcher.

6. C Trent Grindlinger, Tennessee (my rank: #118)
Undrafted. Eligible again in 2027.
After pulling in big names like Brock Burke and Dean Curley from the state of California, Tennessee managed to grab another big name from the Golden State in Trent Grindlinger. Grindlinger was a very late flip after Mississippi State head coach Chris Lemonis was fired in late April, ultimately committing to Tennessee in May only for Vols head coach Tony Vitello to leave for the big leagues in October. He brings with him one of the best bat/catcher's mitt combinations in the country, though he'll face stiff competition for innings behind the plate as he battles Bowling Green transfer Garrett Wright and last year's Vols backup catcher Stone Lawless. If any incoming freshman can break through that blockade, it's Grindlinger. In fact, he has already impressed with a strong fall in Knoxville. Listed at 6'2", 195 pounds, he looks the part of a big league catcher with a strong frame, lean muscle, and some projection remaining. He puts good leverage into his right handed swing to show above average power in games, which he should only tap more consistently as he develops. He has performed well on the showcase circuit and against strong Southern California high school pitching, but the transition to SEC pitching is still likely to be a challenge and his approach may take some time to catch up. His strong first impression this fall though may be enough for new head coach Josh Elander to let him work through the growing pains in the lineup rather than on the bench and in the cages. The upside here is a really well-rounded bat that can hit for average and power. Beyond that, Grindlinger is a strong defensive catcher with a smooth, strong arm to gun down runners and relatively polished glovework beyond the typical incoming freshman catcher. While Wright is the projected starter back there, Grindlinger will do what he can to elbow Lawless out of the way for the backup reps and could also see time at DH or at first base. His below average speed may make the outfield tough but if he hits, Elander will find a space for him. He'll want to break into the lineup quickly in any case as he is relatively old for an incoming freshman and will be draft-eligible again as a sophomore in 2027.

7. OF William Patrick, Louisiana State (my rank: #131)
Undrafted. Eligible again in 2027.
LSU stayed in-state to land one of the best athletes in the entire state of Louisiana, bringing in three sport star William Patrick from St. Frederick High School up in Monroe. He's a decorated long jumper who was a regular (and once a winner) at state championship meets who also had Division I interest as both a wide receiver and a defensive back. After toying with the idea of trying to walk on to the football team at LSU, he ultimately will focus on baseball alone for the first time in his life this year. As it goes, LSU's entire starting outfield as well as its most used backup are all returning this year, making for an uphill climb towards playing time, but as he puts it all together there may be no player on the roster with more upside. His elite athleticism translates into plus-plus speed that helps him track down fly balls anywhere in the grass (or block other outfielders from catching them if he wants to draw on his experience as a defensive back, though I wouldn't recommend that) while his plus arm will get the ball back to the infield in a hurry from wherever in the Alex Box outfield he finds himself holding a baseball. He'll understandably need to polish up his reads and routes, but the upside is there for a plus center fielder to replace Chris Stanfield after he exhausts his eligibility and/or gets drafted this year. At the plate, he combines huge bat speed with a lean, strong 6'2" frame that could help him grow into above average or even plus power in time. However, his overall offensive game is pretty raw. He did not see much in terms of high-end pitching up in northern Louisiana, so SEC pitching will be a steep, steep learning curve. He also has not yet learned to effectively channel his bat speed into usable game power. Dropping football and long jumping will help narrow his focus, and many previous star athletes have seen massive gains when doing such. I'm a big believer in strong athleticism playing well on the diamond, and if there is any coaching staff in the country that can turn raw athleticism into baseball success, it's Jay Johnson's staff down in Baton Rouge. Patrick is the type of player to take a few years to put it together, though he did turn 19 before the 2025 draft and will be draft-eligible again as a sophomore in 2027, giving him a bit of a tighter timeline to get things figured out.

8. OF Jacob Parker, Mississippi State (my rank: #138)
Drafted: Diamondbacks, 19th round (#573 overall). Eligible again in 2028.
The Parker twins of Purvis represented the crown jewels of Mississippi State's recruiting class, and while JoJo signed with the Blue Jays for over $6 million at the #8 overall pick, Jacob will bring his big bat to Starkville. He'll be part of nearly a completely new-look Mississippi State roster that features a myriad of transfers coming in with new head coach Brian O'Connor. Standing out on Dudy Noble with his new teammates, he certainly doesn't look like a freshman at an imposing 6'3", 220 pounds that would fit right in on a pro roster. From that big frame, he easily generates plus power to all fields and did so easily against southern Mississippi high school pitching during his time at Purvis. He was a little less consistent on the showcase circuit as he faced better competition. Parker can get out on his front foot at times leaving him susceptible to quality offspeed stuff, which he'll see no shortage of in the SEC, though thus far he has shown the ability to make adjustments. He'll have to continue to step it up coming into Starkville. While he's a big guy whose frame lends itself more to home run power than stolen bases, he's an above average runner who will be a net positive in the Mississippi State outfield with an above average arm as well. He may slow down a bit as he gets into pro ball and his mid to late 20's, but for now, he should play an above average right field or perhaps even center field if they need him there.

9. C Omar Serna, Louisiana State (my rank: #151)
Undrafted. Eligible again in 2028.
From Cade Arrambide to Jared Jones to Brady Neal, LSU gets big name catchers to campus and Omar Serna is next. With last year's starter Luis Hernandez (UDFA, Twins) gone to pro ball, Arrambide appears to be the heir-apparent to the job he'll get stiff competition from the incoming Serna, himself a fellow Houstonian. In fact, his profile even reminds me a bit of Arrambide. His twitchy, explosive right handed swing produces plus power with good rhythm and natural loft. For now, that is his carrying tool. I am less sold on the hit tool, beginning with some bat wrap and ultimately leading to fringy barrel accuracy and below average pitch recognition. He has performed well against fastballs, but like many prep hitters, has not always matched that success against offspeed stuff. Just like fellow LSU recruit William Patrick two spots above him on this list, his transition to SEC pitching will be a stiff one, though he does have the benefit of at least seeing better competition in the Houston area and on the showcase circuit. Behind the plate, he stands out for a plus arm that can play down a bit due to a lack of accuracy. His glovework is a bit choppy and with a 6'2" frame that now carries 245 pounds, he'll need to work to remain mobile enough to block pitches in the dirt from the Tigers' electric pitching staff. If Serna hits his way into the lineup as a freshman, it could be at DH or first base where Ethan Frey and Jared Jones are gone to pro ball. He'll of course have competition at those spots as well from transfers like Trent Caraway (Oregon State), Zach Yorke (Grand Canyon), and Seth Dardar (Kansas State), among quite a few others. It's great to be a school like LSU with all this talent! Ultimately, Serna's ability to adjust to SEC offspeed stuff as well as continued improvement in his defense behind the plate will be his ticket to unleashing his power bat in the LSU lineup.

10. SS/RHP Nico Partida, Texas A&M (my rank: #152)
Undrafted. Eligible again in 2028.
Nico Partida is a great example of why I added the disclaimer at the top of this article that this list is compiled based on the player's pre-draft ranking, not their current status. Nico Partida is coming off one of the most impressive falls in the country, blowing the Texas A&M coaching staff away on both sides of the ball. With the whole left side of the infield and a big chunk of the pitching staff gone to the draft, the door is open for Partida to jump in and seize significant playing time (though star Maryland transfer Chris Hacopian will presumably be taking one of those infield roles). He has always been regarded as an all-around type of hitter, which can be looked at in two different ways. In high school, it was that he lacked a carrying tool at the plate, but after this fall in College Station, it's more evident that he lacks glaring flaws. His short, simple right handed swing helps him make plenty of contact and enabled him to stick to his game plan and shine even against better competition this fall. He's not a power hitter, but there is more than enough thump in the bat to keep pitchers honest and you won't have to worry about empty, singles-driven batting averages from this one. He projects for perhaps 15-20 home runs per season at the big league level should he get there. Defensively, he has shown good hands in the dirt and while some have felt his average athleticism will push him to third base, he has impressed in the dirt this fall. With Hacopian and Ben Royo in tow, A&M does seem more likely to use him at third base, where his toolset does ultimately fit best including his plus arm. Speaking of plus arm, Partida might actually be better as a pitcher. His fastball sits low to mid 90's and was touching 98 this fall with life to eat up bats. In high school he did seem to have better command of the pitch when he stuck closer to that 92-94 range, so we'll see how that holds over a full college season. He shows a loopy curve with nice depth and which he is working to add power to, while his changeup shows great promise in its shape but needs more consistency as he learns to command it. The 6' righty isn't huge but he has tacked on significant physicality as of late and looks like a bulldog out there, and if his offspeed stuff can get more consistent he has a future in the Aggie weekend rotation. Good things are happening in College Station a year after injuries and underperformance seemingly stole a promising 2025 away from them.

Honorable Mentions:
#166 OF Gabe Graulau, South Florida
#167 2B Ethan Moore, Tennessee
#171 SS Carson Brumbaugh, Arkansas

The top five unsigned college prospects returning to school for 2026

Last year was a loud class of returnees headlined by #81 overall pick (and #69 prospect) Ryan Prager. I thought we may begin to see more robust classes of undrafted/unsigned college picks at the time, though this year we returned to a shallower class as most top names put pen to paper and went pro. Out of the thirteen names I listed last year, only Cade Obermueller (2nd round, Phillies) and Colby Shelton (6th round, White Sox) improved their draft stock in 2025 and four went undrafted for a second year in a row. This year's crop will hope for better results and to follow Obermueller's lead.

For the second year in a row, a Texas A&M lefty headlines the list. While Prager's return didn't do much for the Aggies' season in 2025, they'll hope for better results with Shane Sdao in tow. All five names will be returning to or joining SEC teams as college athletics' concentration of talent in the conference grows stronger each year – Sdao and Tre Phelps return to A&M and Georgia, respectively, while Matt Scott, Trent Caraway, and Henry Ford have transferred to Georgia, LSU, and Tennessee from Stanford, Oregon State, and Virginia, respectively. While Sdao returns after surgery wiped out his 2025 season, three of the four other names return after significantly underperforming what had been first round projections entering the season. Only Sdao will be 22 on Opening Day as youth also played a factor on who decided not to go pro just yet.

Note that this list was compiled based on their ranking on my 2025 draft board (in parentheses) and does not account for fall performance.

1. LHP Shane Sdao, Texas A&M (my rank: #101)
Texas A&M fans feared for their season when Shane Sdao went down with Tommy John surgery a year ago, and as it turns out, the fears were completely founded as the team missed the playoffs. As a consolation prize, the Aggies will get him back for a mulligan in 2026 as they load up for another daunting SEC schedule. Sdao has spent two years as a swingman, improving greatly from his freshman 2023 (4.78 ERA, 23.2% K, 7.6% BB) to his sophomore 2024 (2.96 ERA, 28.4% K, 4.6% BB) seasons. The fastball sits in the low 90's and touches 97 in relief, but plays up with flat plane from a low slot. He has an above average slider that dives across the plate and has proven very effective in SEC play, while his changeup is coming along and looks to be average. Working from a three quarters slot, he gets good extension and hitters struggle to pick up his release point. In addition, the Houston-area product has above average command and consistently stays ahead in the count by pounding the strike zone, helping him pitch deeper into games than his slight 6'2" frame would typically allow. The command and three pitch mix gives hope that he could be a starter at least in college ball, though his big league future is likely in the bullpen with his skinny frame and lack of proven durability. Back healthy in 2026, he'll look to provide a veteran presence on a pitching staff that lost five arms to the draft in Justin Lamkin (CBB round, Royals), Myles Patton (7th round, Red Sox), Kaiden Wilson (9th round, Marlins), Ryan Prager (9th round, Guardians), and Luke Jackson (11th round, Rays). That works in detriment to his own draft stock, as he'll turn 23 just two months after the 2026 draft.

2. RHP Matt Scott, Stanford -> Georgia (my rank: #113)
Matt Scott is coming off a very disappointing season at Stanford in which he fell from a projected first round pick to more of a fourth to sixth round projection. Instead of returning to Palo Alto, he and Joey Volchko will make it three high profile righties transferring from Stanford to Georgia in as many years, following Brandt Pancer two years ago. Scott quickly broke into the rotation as a freshman at Stanford and never looked back, making 38 starts over three seasons (in addition to 13 relief appearances) and throwing nearly two hundred innings. His combination of size, stuff, and durability attracted first round projections to start the season, but he struggled to a 6.02 ERA and just a 23% strikeout rate as his stuff proved more hittable in ACC play. The fastball sits in the low to mid 90's and touches 98 at peak with massive riding action from a sky-high release point, though he can come to rely to heavily on it at times. He has a tight slider that can vary in shape, looking above average at its best but flattening out at other times. His splitter has gotten great results in the past, but he has never come to trust it enough to prove it as a potential big league weapon just yet. The stuff lost some of its crispness in 2025 that led to the down year, but upon transferring to Georgia, he had a strong fall and is looking sharper than ever heading into 2026. Listed at 6'7", 245 pounds, he brings massive size that bodes well both for durability and deception. He repeats his delivery fairly well and pounds the strike zone aggressively, though his control has always been ahead of his command so he can get hit over the middle of the plate. If Scott can maintain the strides he's made with his stuff, he should be a reliable SEC starter for a Georgia team that lost ten pitchers to the draft. In fact, 85% of the Bulldogs' innings pitched from last year are gone, including their top nine pitchers by innings. Scott and Volchko, alongside former USC righty Caden Aoki, headline a really nice transfer class on the mound as they all come over from the West Coast. A step forward in command as well for Scott this year could also make him one of the better senior signs available in the 2026 class, one who could fast track to the majors.

3. 3B Trent Caraway, Oregon State -> Louisiana State (my rank: #115)
Trent Caraway has been in the public eye for several years now as a premium prospect, and to this point he remains a highly volatile one whose future is hard to pin down. A star at powerhouse JSerra High School in Southern California, he earned interest in the top 100 interest but ultimately matriculated to Oregon State as the #2 position player prospect to reach campus from the 2023 class. He was one of the oldest incoming freshmen in the country and turned 20 midway through his freshman season, where he got off to a red hot start in 2024 before he broke his finger. Returning healthy in his draft-eligible 2025, he underperformed for much of the season before catching fire in the Corvallis Regional, where he went 9-17 with five home runs in as many games against Saint Mary's, TCU, and Southern Cal. While he had some first round projections before the season, the slump had pushed him back several rounds and the strong regional wasn't enough to make up the difference, so teams did not meet his asking price and instead he'll transfer across the country to join Jay Johnson's squad in Baton Rouge. Caraway can hit, without a doubt. Very physical at 6'2", 205 pounds, he shows plus power to the pull side with the strong wrists and core to muscle balls out of the park. He has pretty solid bat to ball as well and a long track record of hitting dating back to his prep days, albeit at times against younger competition, though his approach has wavered. In Corvallis, he has been chase-happy and rarely forced pitchers into his wheelhouse, causing some of his power to play down and his strikeout rate to spike. Interestingly, sandwiched between his two years at Oregon State was a strong run against excellent competition in the Cape Cod League where he hit .276/.362/.449 with a lower strikeout rate than either of his years with the Beavers. Now in the SEC, he'll again face top competition and it remains to be seen whether his approach plays up as it did on the Cape or down as it did in Corvallis. Caraway's physicality gives way to below average athleticism at third base, where his heavy feet limit his range, but he makes up for it with a steady glove and a strong arm that should work in college ball. In pro ball, it may portend a move to first base or an outfield corner.

4. OF/1B Henry Ford, Virginia -> Tennessee (my rank: #116)
Henry Ford's monstrous two year run at UVA comes to an end as he transfers from Charlottesville to the state of Tennessee for his junior year of school for the second time. A Charlottesville native, he began his high school career locally at St. Anne's Belfield High School but transferred to the powerhouse Baylor School in Chattanooga for his last two years of high school. Returning home for college, picked up Freshman All-American honors in 2024 and continued his success in 2025, ultimately hitting .348/.414/.587 with 28 home runs in 111 games over two seasons. With head coach Brian O'Connor taking the reins at Mississippi State, Ford will head back to Tennessee for his junior year, this time as a collegiate (where he again lost his head coach as Tony Vitello joins the San Francisco Giants). Listed at 6'5", 220 pounds, there's no mistaking what Ford is looking to do in the box. Employing a pull-heavy approach that runs contrary to most Cavalier hitting prospects in the past, he has shown plus power to that side in the past but didn't tap it as much in 2025. The ball jumps off his bat to the opposite field as well, though it will often be on mishits as he looks to go to right. Ford shows above average bat to ball and strikes out much less than the typical 6'5" power hitter, but as a very aggressive hitter, it can almost work against him as he makes too much weak contact on early count pitches that other hitters might take or even swing through to get another shot to hit the ball harder. In Knoxville, he'll look to clean up the approach a little and focus more on doing damage in the zone, where he rarely misses. Going from pitcher-friendly Davenport Field in Charlottesville to hitter-friendly Lindsey Nelson Stadium in Knoxville certainly won't help either. Previously a first baseman, he elevated his profile a bit in 2025 by showing well at multiple outfield positions, though his below average speed may limit him to left field in the long run. Ford had been old for a college sophomore but still didn't turn 21 until after the draft, so he'll still be close to age appropriate for the 2026 class.

5. OF Tre Phelps, Georgia (my rank: #136)
In a year of a lot of turnover for the Georgia Bulldogs roster, Tre Phelps will be an unexpected familiar face to anchor the lineup. He burst onto the scene with a huge freshman season in 2024, where he joined Henry Ford on Freshman All-American lists by hitting .353/.441/.699 with a dozen home runs in 42 games. Like Matt Scott and Trent Caraway above him on this list, he played himself into the first round conversation entering the season, but also like his counterparts above, he couldn't quite match the success in 2025. In 2024, he showed plus bat to ball and ran a minuscule 9.3% strikeout rate while showing off above average power, but that regressed all around in 2025. Always a very aggressive hitter, his approach caught up to him in 2025 as his strikeout rate doubled to 18.9% and pitchers attacked his weaknesses, namely his propensity to chase. Phelps still has the big bat speed that helps him profile for 20+ home runs at the big league level, but he wasn't able to get to it as often in 2025 and made a lot more weak contact. Like the names above him on this list, he'll benefit from a more consistent plan at the plate rather than going up and just whacking at the ball. Returning to Athens should help in that regard and he won't turn 22 until tournament time, making him only a few months older than many of his 2026 draft counterparts. Defensively, Georgia has tried the Atlanta native at quite a few different spots but nothing has stood out to this point, with a likely future at first base or left field unless he improves his fringy athleticism. Phelps is extraordinarily talented and retains high upside if he can put it all together.

2025 MLB Draft Review: Washington Nationals

Full list of draftees

The Nationals picked first overall for the first time since taking Stephen Strasburg and Bryce Harper in back to back drafts in 2009 and 2010, and they did so more or less on the fly after firing General Manager Mike Rizzo shortly before the draft. In Mike DeBartolo's sole draft at the helm, he continued Rizzo's strategy of pouring money into the first several picks before paying pennies to the handful in the back half of day two. In fact, Washington gave $85,000 combined to their five picks from rounds six through ten after giving out five straight bonuses of at least $2 million to start the draft. Preps were the early focus here, with four high schoolers receiving a combined $15.2 million at the top of the draft. Interestingly, DeBartolo heavily favored power bats, grabbing the all time home run leaders at both Mississippi State (Hunter Hines, 70) and Oregon (Jacob Walsh, 59) as well three more guys who came close South Carolina's Ethan Petry (54), Wright State's Boston Smith (51), and Butler's Jack Moroknek (31). Interestingly, Washington also drafted four hulking first basemen in Petry (6'4", 235 pounds), Hines (6'3", 210), Walsh (6'4", 225), and Juan Cruz (6'5", 240), They can't all play, so whoever provides the most thump will be the one to lift himself up to the majors.
Full index of team reviews here. Full rankings here.
Note that the number before a player's name indicates their draft position. For example, "2-50" would indicate that a player was taken in the second round with the fiftieth overall pick.

1-1: SS Eli Willits, Fort Cobb-Broxton HS [OK]

Slot value: $11.08 million. Signing bonus: $8.2 million ($2.88 million below slot value).
My rank: #2. MLB Pipeline: #5. Baseball America: #3.
With their first pick, the Nationals went all-in on a young shortstop from a small town in Oklahoma, and they got him at a big discount. Eli Willits' $8.2 million signing bonus, while the third largest in the class behind Ethan Holliday ($9M, Rockies) and Kade Anderson ($8.8M, Mariners), represented just over the value of the #5 pick and netted the Nationals nearly $3 million in savings, the largest under slot bonus of the entire draft. Willits is a stud and has a chance to grow into a star. The son of former Angels outfielder Reggie Willits, Eli brings the mature feel for the game you'd expect from a coach's son at an extremely young age. Having reclassified up into the 2025 class, he was the age of a high school junior and anywhere from six months to a year and a half younger than the rest of his high school graduating class. Still, he can play with the best of them. He is a switch hitter who repeats a simple operation in the box from both sides of the plate, enabling him to execute his attack plan as consistently as anybody at that age. His accurate barrel shoots line drives around the field and has constantly performed not just against elite competition on the showcase circuit, but against much older elite competition on the showcase circuit. The innate confidence in the box at his age is uncanny. For now, his power plays closer to fringy as he focuses on line drives and hitting for average, but again, he is just seventeen years old (still, as I write this nearly five months after the draft) and has plenty of room and time to grow into his 6'1" frame. The Nationals will move him at his pace, allowing him to grow into his body and learn to elevate the ball more as the power comes. That should help him project for 15-20 home runs per season, perhaps more if he shifts his approach to become power conscious, but the real draw is that he could flirt with .400 on-base percentages at the big league level. With his above average speed, he has a classic leadoff profile with the power to fill that role in today's modern game. Willits plays shortstop and should stick there, with a polished glove and above average arm that help him steadily make all of the plays that come his way. There are four above average or better tools here combined with the baseball IQ to make all of it play up, and the power is coming too. The kid from tiny Fort Cobb, Oklahoma (population 518, some sixty miles southwest of Oklahoma City) should grow into a steady leader that will pace the Nationals for years to come.

2-49: OF Ethan Petry, South Carolina
Slot value: $1.98 million. Signing bonus: $2.09 million ($105,800 above slot value).
My rank: #64. MLB Pipeline: #59. Baseball America: #36.
With millions in potential over slot money to play around with, the Nationals dipped just a little into that pot to bring in one of the best college sluggers of the past couple seasons. Ethan Petry garnered significant draft interest at Cypress Creek High School in the Tampa suburbs, but made it to campus at South Carolina where you could say things went pretty well. He blasted five home runs in his first seven games as a Gamecock and finished his freshman year with 23 while hitting .376/.471/.733 across 63 games and being named Perfect Game's National Freshman of the Year. While he couldn't quite match that success in 2024, he still hit 21 home runs and put up a .471 on-base percentage, then shoulder problems ended his 2025 season early as he finished his South Carolina career with 54 home runs and an impressive .336/.462/.661 slash line over 168 games. Listed at 6'4" and 235 pounds, Petry looks every bit of the slugger he is. Using a no-nonsense operation in the box, he just chucks the barrel at the baseball and sends it soaring, effortlessly showing plus-plus power with elite exit velocities to back up his home run totals. He gets the ball in the air consistently and always seems to be finding the barrel, making for one of the more daunting at bats in the country for pitchers. For that reason, Petry has rarely seen good pitches to hit especially over the last two seasons, helping him run high walk rates despite a propensity to chase. The bat to ball is average, so if he can stay in the strike zone more consistently (which should be easier as pro pitchers give him more to hit), he has a chance to hit for decent averages and strong on-base percentages with all those home runs. In fact, he demolished Cape Cod League pitching in 2024 to the tune of a .360/.480/.760 slash line with 11 home runs in 31 games, so between the Cape and the SEC he is no stranger to elite pitching. Though he was drafted as an outfielder, Petry is a well below average athlete who doesn't run much and will be limited to first base at best, if not to DH later in his career. There is something of a Pete Alonso comp here if he can put it all together and keep the strikeouts down.

3-80: RHP Landon Harmon, East Union HS [MS]
Slot value: $1.01 million. Signing bonus: $2.5 million ($1.49 million above slot value).
My rank: #41. MLB Pipeline: #48. Baseball America: #65.
Two years ago, the Nationals dropped a massive bonus on prep arm Travis Sykora in the third round, which has worked out very well so far. They did it again here with savings from Eli Willits, handing Landon Harmon roughly the value of the #39 pick to sign here at #80 rather than attend Mississippi State. The upside here is hard to match, especially in the third round. This is a profile led by an electric fastball, one that sits in the low to mid 90's and touches 99 at peak with cutting action. While the shape is fairly ordinary, he does come from a low release that puts flat plane on the pitch and helps it zip over bats. He has yet to find much consistency with his breaking stuff, though his slider has flashed plus at its best with nasty late snap and could become a true putaway weapon as he hones his feel for the pitch. His curveball can get slurvy but has the makings of an average pitch. Similarly, his changeup has shown nice run at times, but he can drop his arm and give hitters a better look. Above all, the 6'5" righty is an explosive athlete with one of the more impressive deliveries in the prep class. He moves extremely well on the mound with an elastic delivery that efficiently generates power and will be very conducive to even further strength gains as he fills out that extremely projectable frame. The command is not yet pinpoint, but he stays around the zone pretty well considering how electric his arm is, and he should get to average command as he works up. While far from a finished product, Harmon has exceptional building blocks to develop into a frontline starter at the big league level. The Nationals will move him slowly, fine tuning his offspeed stuff and helping him put on weight to potentially start touching triple digits. Like Willits, he comes from a small town in northeastern Mississippi and should rocket forward in the Nationals' system, much like Sykora.

4-111: RHP Miguel Sime Jr., Poly Prep HS [NY]
Slot value: $687,800. Signing bonus: $2 million ($1.31 million above slot value).
My rank: #92. MLB Pipeline: #86. Baseball America: #88.
With the other half of their savings from Eli Willits, Washington roped in an arm just as electric as Landon Harmon. A Queens native coming from the Brooklyn prep ranks, Miguel Sime completely shut down New York City high school pitching to nearly a comical degree with his blazing fastball. Coming in even harder than Harmon's, it sits mid to upper 90's and set an MLB Draft League record by touching 101 miles per hour. With its riding action, it comes in like a rocket ship and could be an 80 grade pitch when all is said and done. For now, as with Harmon, it's the fastball that carries the profile. His breaking ball is still searching for its identity working between slider and curveball shape, flashing plus at its best with hard bite down but frequently backing up into a fringy offering. He has shown some aptitude for a fading changeup, and while it will need significant refinement, he does have a nice foundation. The 6'4" righty is already extremely physical and clocks in at 235 pounds as an eighteen year old, so while he may lack much projection at this point, the arm strength is already off the charts. Washington will work to help him streamline a delivery that features some effort and head whack and long arm action in the back, which often impacts his command especially inside and outside. There is of course significant reliever risk considering the command and his lack of consistent secondary pitches, but the upside is tremendous as a triple digit flamethrower who has shown flashes of quality secondary stuff. The Nationals will move him slowly and work on one thing at a time as he climbs the rungs. Previously committed to LSU, his $2 million signing bonus roughly fit in with the slot value for Ethan Petry's #49 pick.

5-142: SS Coy James, Davie County HS [NC]
Slot value: $508,900. Signing bonus: $2.5 million ($1.99 million above slot value).
My rank: #69. MLB Pipeline: #94. Baseball America: #49.
The over slot bonuses keep on flowing, and this time Washington went back to the prep shortstop demographic for Coy James. To pry him away from Ole Miss, they hit him with the same $2.5 million signing bonus they gave third rounder Landon Harmon, close to the value of the #39 pick and roughly five times the slot value for the #142 pick. James, for whatever reason, has driven a wide discrepancy in opinions over the course of the draft cycle. He's fairly raw, but the tools are there. The North Carolina native has strong bat to ball that enables him to get to balls all over and outside the zone, shooting line drives with authority to all fields. While he's not huge at a pretty standard 6', 185 pounds, James packs plenty of strength into his skinnier frame to show average power when he stays within himself, with a tight right handed swing that wastes little movement. He can also let loose and turn on the ball for above average power if he chooses to, though he is borrowing from his contact ability when he does that. James does have a relatively aggressive approach at the plate that causes his offensive profile to play down at times, which was the case last summer on the showcase circuit after standing out as a potential first rounder early in his high school career. At this point, there are many directions he could develop in offensively, from an aggressive power-over-hit guy who can crush 20+ home runs per season with low on-base percentages to more of a balanced profile with 10-15 home runs per season and higher batting averages. That would seem to be Jonathan Schoop or Danny Espinosa (offensively) at one end or perhaps a Chris Taylor/Starlin Castro deal on the other. Defensively, opinions are split on James as well. Washington drafted him as a shortstop, though not all scouts agree that he has the quickness to stick at that key position depending on the day they saw him. He has good hands in the dirt and enough arm to make the left side of the infield work, though the profile may fit better at second or third base especially when sharing a draft class with Eli Willits. There are some who like him better in the outfield, where he may end up in a corner. To me, the most likely outcome is that of a bat-first second baseman who relies on power and contact to drive an offensive profile that won't feature a ton of walks.

6-171: C Boston Smith, Wright State
Slot value: $386,700. Signing bonus: $50,000 ($336,700 below slot value).
My rank: unranked. MLB Pipeline: unranked. Baseball America: unranked.
Just about out of bonus pool money, it came time to save and for Washington that began with sixth rounder Boston Smith. Above all else, power is the name of the game here. He has clubbed 45 home runs in 113 games over the past two seasons at Wright State, including smashing the single season Wright State and Horizon League records with 26 home runs in 2025, a total that tied Reds fourth rounder Mason Neville (Oregon) for the NCAA Division I lead. In all, he hit .332/.500/.774 as he led the Raiders to a regional appearance in Nashville. Unsurprisingly, Smith has plus power that plays up in games because he gets on plane with the ball early and builds his swing to launch the ball to the pull side. He primarily works in the air to right field and shoots line drives up the middle, an approach that played extremely well in the Horizon League against admittedly mediocre pitching. A very disciplined hitter, he walked over 20% of the time in 2025 and carried that into the MLB Draft League, where he hit .226/.391/.434 with an 18.8% walk rate with wood bats. The pure bat to ball is below average and pro pitchers will attack Smith inside the strike zone, where he'll have to keep making quality contact as he faces better and better stuff. That will be the primary key in his development. In a really tough early season eleven game stretch of games against Auburn, Miami, Ole Miss, and NC State, he hit .270/.413/.351 with just one home run and a 32.6% strikeout rate. Behind the plate, the Dayton-area product showcases a strong arm that threw out nine of 24 attempted stolen bases in the Draft League. While he was exclusively a catcher for the Raiders this spring, he has seen time all over the field including at shortstop and stole sixteen bases for them this year. In all, Smith brings power, patience, and defensive versatility to the team, but as a senior sign who has not shown a mastery of the all important in-zone contact metric against better pitching, he'll need to clean that aspect of his game up quickly.

10-291: 1B Hunter Hines, Mississippi State
Slot value: $193,800. Signing bonus: $5,000 ($188,800 below slot value).
My rank: unranked. MLB Pipeline: unranked. Baseball America: unranked.
Hunter Hines is a case study in how draft stock can fluctuate. He was not exactly the centerpiece of Mississippi State's 2021 recruiting class, but he burst onto the scene with a huge freshman year in 2022 in which he slashed .300/.393/.600 with 16 home runs for the Rebels, earning Freshman All-American honors from some outlets and making a name for himself in the SEC practically overnight. He blasted 22 more home runs in 2023 and was named First Team All-SEC as a sophomore, then entered his junior season as a potential top-five rounds pick. He hit 16 more home runs, but swing and miss caught up to him and he went undrafted despite ranking well on some boards. Hitting exactly 16 home runs for the third time in four years in 2025, Hines failed to rebuild his draft stock and signed with the Nationals for just $5,000 as a senior sign. In the end, he ended up breaking Rafael Palmeiro's forty year old Mississippi State home run record and finished with 70 bombs and 221 RBI in 228 games. Obviously, the calling card is power. Listed at 6'3", 210 pounds, he looks every bit of it and clobbers baseballs with great force, showing plus power that he has gotten to both in SEC games and with wood bats in the Cape Cod League, where his thirteen regular season home runs in 2023 set the league's single season record. He's a pull hitter that loves to launch the ball in the air, an approach that has worked well for him so far but may start to crack in pro ball. Hines is an aggressive hitter who, despite being a premier power threat and Mississippi State's all time home run record, holds a modest 11.7% career walk rate that admittedly reached a career-high 13.2% in 2025. Still, that is primarily a factor of pitchers not giving him much to hit rather than patience on his part. Hines also has below average bat to ball and has struck out in over a quarter of his at bats over his four years, though again he had modest improvement to 24% in 2025. The Jackson-area native will need significant polish all around his hit tool if he wants to tap that power in pro ball, furthering the gains he's made with discipline outside the zone while making more contact in the zone. He has enough power that he should be able to employ a more contact-oriented approach while still bringing thump, but it's a long way to go for a senior sign who turned 23 at the start of this offseason. He's also a non-athlete who will be limited to first base and potentially DH down the line, a position he'll have to fight off against Ethan Petry and Jacob Walsh in this draft class as well as many others in the Nationals' system. If Hines can clean up his hit tool, he has a chance to be a platoon bat in the mold of Matt Adams at his best.

11-321: OF Jack Moroknek, Butler
Slot value: up to $150,000. Signing bonus: $200,000 ($50,000 against bonus pool).
My rank: unranked. MLB Pipeline: unranked. Baseball America: #396.
You don't see many 22 year olds sign above slot value, but Jack Moroknek has only played two years of college ball and had a transfer commitment to Texas in hand to push up his price. He did not appear in a college game until 2024, when he was already nearly 21 years old, but in the last two seasons he has demolished Big East pitching to the tune of 31 home runs and a .350/.427/.646 slash line over 109 games. He started off the 2025 season red hot, hitting .494/.537/1.037 with a dozen home runs through his first 21 games, and while he couldn't quite maintain that pace, the impression had been made. Moroknek has plus-plus raw power from a violent left handed operation in which he brute forces baseballs into the atmosphere. While power is certainly the calling card, the bat to ball is sneaky here. He is a very aggressive hitter who would not allow Big East pitchers to pitch around him, attacking balls in the shadow zone just outside the strike zone and doing so with success. Despite the chase-heavy approach, he ran a moderate 16.2% strikeout rate and showed the ability to get to balls all around the plate. He was, unsurprisingly, at his best inside the strike zone where he rarely let a strike get by him, doing some of the best damage in the country when pitchers came into his wheelhouse. The Indianapolis-area native has a pull-heavy approach that features an exaggerated step in the bucket, so while it has been no issue at all against Butler's relatively weak schedule, pro pitchers will be more apt to take advantage and draw him out of that wheelhouse. Moroknek's combination of power and bat to ball is nonetheless impressive and gives the new regime plenty to work with, so if he can shore up the approach a little bit, he could seriously outplay his draft position as an everyday lineup option. He has almost exclusively played the corners at Butler and figures to stay that way in pro ball, slotting into left or right field depending on where the Nationals need him.

12-351: LHP Ben Moore, Old Dominion
Slot value: up to $150,000. Signing bonus: $150,000.
My rank: unranked. MLB Pipeline: #237. Baseball America: #243.
Round twelve saw the Nationals pull in a local kid from Frederick County, one who grew up less than ten miles away from current Nationals infielder Trey Lipscomb. A graduate of Linganore High School about nine miles east of Frederick, Ben Moore has had an up and down career at Old Dominion down in Virginia. Immediately a trusted reliever as a freshman, he was lights out as a sophomore in 2024 (2.68 ERA, 0.86 WHIP, 39/11 K/BB) before intriguing scouts with a loud fall ahead of his junior season. A move to the rotation did not go as well as hoped as his ERA ballooned to 6.64 ERA, his WHIP to 1.66, his strikeout rate dropped from 27.7% to 19.1%, and his walk rate jumped from 7.8% to 10.4% in 2025. Still, Washington saw what he could do at his best and wants the talented lefty on their side. Moore sits in the low 90's as a starter and can reach back for 97 in short stints out of the bullpen, coming in with sinking action from a high slot. He works his above average slider around the zone well with nice finish, while his changeup is more of a third pitch. Moore has shown average command on his best days but has lost it on others, especially when trying to stretch out deeper into games, so it probably profiles as fringy right now. The 6'4" lefty is built like a big league starter and does not throw with a lot of effort, aiding his chances at starting, but he'll need to learn to repeat his delivery a bit better and his arm slot does have the tendency to wander, anywhere from straight over the top to low three quarters. While that can be something some amateur pitchers do in order to mess with hitters' sight lines (I'm guilty of it myself, having once finished off a save in a men's league game by dropping to submarine), you don't see it much in pro ball. If Moore can get more consistent with his command and bring his changeup along, he has a chance to be a back-end starter, or in the bullpen he could live in the mid 90's and let his sinker/slider combination go to work.

13-381: RHP Tucker Biven, Louisville
Slot value: up to $150,000. Signing bonus: $150,000.
My rank: unranked. MLB Pipeline: unranked. Baseball America: #347.
Tucker Biven is a big arm to give the Nationals a buy-low opportunity. A three year contributor on the Louisville pitching staff, he has made 63 appearances (nine starts) during his time with the Cardinals and earned stints with the US Collegiate National Team and in the Cape Cod League. The stuff is absolutely there. His fastball sits low 90's as a starter and can touch 97 in short stints, coming in with plenty run and sink to avoid hard contact. He has a hard upper 80's slider that stands out more for its power than its movement, showing the tendency to back up at times but at others looking like a reliable weapon. He adds a curveball and changeup that he uses less, but with the way the ball runs out of his hand, the Nationals should be able to at least help bring the changeup along. The 6'1" righty is very physical and looks the part of a big league pitcher, and while he lacks projection, he should be durable enough to handle a full season in the majors. With a late arm and some effort in his delivery, Biven is more control over command, attacking hitters in the zone to stay ahead in the count rather than pinpointing his pitches to the corners. That led to a concerningly low 17.9% strikeout rate in 2025, often getting hit when he left pitches over the plate and lacking the command or quality offspeed stuff to get too many chases down out of the zone. To develop as a starter, the local Louisville-area native will need to get more consistent with his secondary stuff and deepen the arsenal overall, which in turn will help him miss more bats in the zone. Getting on time with his delivery and sharpening that command a touch would also go a long way. More likely, he looks like a sinker/slider reliever who can sit mid 90's in short stints and provide a quality bullpen arm for Washington.

15-441: 1B Jacob Walsh, Oregon
Slot value: up to $150,000. Signing bonus: $150,000.
My rank: unranked. MLB Pipeline: unranked. Baseball America: unranked.
Jacob Walsh gives the Nationals a third power hitting first baseman. After earning some Freshman All-American looks in 2022, he blasted sixteen, eighteen, and nineteen home runs over the past three seasons. He actually set Oregon's all time home run record halfway through his junior season, then played his senior season and finished with 59, nearly double Tanner Smith's previous record of 31. Additionally, he has improved as a hitter every season, bumping his slash line from .241/.302/.500 as a sophomore to .254/.348/.548 as a junior to .332/.435/.651 this year as a senior. Previously an extremely aggressive hitter, he has toned down his approach to simply moderately aggressive and bumped his walk rate from 7.8% as a freshman to 11.6% as a junior to 13.0% as a senior. Staying in the strike zone has helped him tremendously improve his contact rates, so his strikeout rate had a corresponding drop from 29.4% to 26.2% to 18.1%. That helps him improve from a 30 grade hit tool to more of a 40, which is playable with the power he possesses. Listed at 6'4", 225 pounds, Walsh generates tremendous torque with his left handed swing to lift and launch baseballs deep into the night, stinging line drives at equally impressive rates that might leave opposing first and second basemen getting set a few steps back out of self preservation. Even with his improvement, it's unlikely that Walsh possesses the approach and bat to ball to play every day in the big leagues at a position like first base where the offensive bar is very high, profiling more as a platoon bat that can torch right handed pitchers. I compared Hunter Hines to Matt Adams, and I think a very similar projection applies for Walsh. Unlike Hines and Ethan Petry, the other big swinging first basemen drafted earlier, Walsh is a fairly lithe defender around the bag and should be a net positive there. The Las Vegas native is a pretty good athlete for his size and stole eight bases in 2025, showing the defensive awareness to make numerous impressive plays along the first base wall and dugout during his time in Eugene. At first base, it's all about who provides the most impact in the lineup, but showing a slicker glove than most can only help.

16-471: LHP Levi Huesman, Vanderbilt
Slot value: up to $150,000. Signing bonus: $150,000.
My rank: unranked. MLB Pipeline: unranked. Baseball America: unranked.
A second hometown lefty for this class, Levi Huesman brings a high prospect pedigree that is admittedly short on results. A native of Hanover, Virginia about half an hour north of Richmond, Huesman was the top prospect in the state while at Hanover High School but ultimately headed south to Coastal Carolina rather than go pro. While he quickly earned a prominent role on the Chanticleers pitching staff as a freshman, he proved far too hittable and struggled to a 9.36 ERA and transferred to Vanderbilt. In Nashville, he didn't see the mound much over his two years but improved significantly from his sophomore (6.00 ERA, 21.7% / 16.7% K/BB) to his junior (2.81 ERA, 29.9% / 6.0% K/BB) seasons. Huesman stood out for his flat low 90's fastball as a freshman, though at the time his lack of projection was noted as a minor concern. His velocity has largely remained the same three years later, topping out around 96 in short stints, and it has proven hittable when he falls behind in the count. His slider has become a real weapon, coming in with mid 80's velocity and hard, late sweep to miss a ton of bats, and he uses it liberally. He can also turn it over into a curveball in the mid to upper 70's, but the slider is clearly his bread and butter. As was the case three years ago, his changeup remains a fringier option. At this point, the 6' lefty looks like a full time bullpen option as he has neither started a game nor thrown more than two innings at a time since 2023, pitching just 28 innings combined over the last two seasons. Slight of stature, he'll instead be a slider-heavy lefty in the Nationals organization who can hopefully find more success with his flat fastball in a big league development program. Huesman throws from a low slot and has improved his command significantly during his time in college, so if those command gains hold, he could be a quality lefty option in future Nationals bullpens.

2025 MLB Draft Review: Los Angeles Angels

Full list of draftees

The Angels had a clear draft strategy if a bit unusual. First, they gave fringe-top ten prospect Tyler Bremner the second largest under slot deal of the draft at pick #2, then spread the more than $2.5 million in savings around to nothing less than a hoard of high school pitchers, headlined by third rounder Johnny Slawinski. In fact, LA not only drafted but signed nine preps in total. The focus for those prep pitchers was athleticism, with many multi-sport stars and projection plays among them. Beyond the preps, it was a pitching-focused draft for the Angels as a whole, taking seven arms with their first eight picks and ultimately handing nine of their ten largest bonuses to pitchers. This will be a very interesting draft to look back on in a decade – if Tyler Bremner succeeds as an impact starting pitcher, then it's highway robbery that the Angels could shell out additional millions to prep pitchers. If he doesn't, but more than a couple of these prep picks hit, then it works out too. But there is a lot of pressure on both Bremner and the group prep arms.
Full index of team reviews here. Full rankings here.
Note that the number before a player's name indicates their draft position. For example, "2-50" would indicate that a player was taken in the second round with the fiftieth overall pick.

1-2: RHP Tyler Bremner, UC Santa Barbara
Slot value: $10.25 million. Signing bonus: $7.69 million ($2.56 million below slot value).
My rank: #12. MLB Pipeline: #18. Baseball America: #11.
Tyler Bremner has seen his stock climb up and down on a roller coaster, culminating in one of the more surprising picks of this draft. A hot recruit out of Scripps Ranch High School in suburban San Diego, he made it to campus at UCSB and immediately jumped into a swingman role as a freshman. He took a huge step forward as a sophomore by going 11-1 with a 2.54 ERA, again as a swingman, and established himself as one of the top prospects in the 2025 draft class. Entering his junior year, Bremner and Florida State lefty Jamie Arnold (#11 pick, A's) were considered the top two college pitchers in the country, but Bremner pitched to more "good" than "great" results to start the season, falling towards the middle of the first round as roughly the fifth best college pitcher in the class. Through those first seven starts, he had a 4.24 ERA and just 37 strikeouts in 34 innings (26.2% K rate). However, he turned on the jets starting in April and over his final starts struck out 74 batters in 43.1 innings (43.8% K rate) with a 2.91 ERA, rocketing back closer to the top ten picks by July. Then, the Angels shocked the baseball world by taking him second overall, fully buying into his dynamite second half while taking a massive discount, paying him closer to the slot value of the #6 pick. So who is Tyler Bremner? He has a mid 90's fastball that touches 98 at peak, coming in with big riding life to shoot past bats at the top of the zone. He sharpened up his slider nicely during his time in Santa Barbara but it lacked consistency in 2025, fluctuating between a sweeper and a gyro look, and he didn't throw it as much as he did in 2024. The changeup is his bread and butter, coming in with massive off-the-table drop that hitters struggled mightily with. He could tell them that it's coming, and in fact he can drop his arm a little when he throws it sometimes, and they'll still never hit it. His low release point helps his pitches play up as well, though he doesn't get a ton of extension. The 6'2" righty has a loose, athletic delivery that he repeats well for above average command, pounding the strike zone consistently to pitch deep into games. With his build, delivery, and command, he is a high probability starting pitcher at the next level. What will determine his ultimate ceiling will be whether he can bring the slider along, as he currently projects as a #3 starter unless he can work it back into an above average or better pitch.

2-47: RHP Chase Shores, Louisiana State
Slot value: $2.08 million. Signing bonus: $2.08 million.
My rank: #57. MLB Pipeline: #77. Baseball America: #86.
In some ways, this pick is a little reminiscent of last year's second rounder, Chris Cortez, whom the Angels took 45th in 2025. Chase Shores, like Tyler Bremner, was a highly touted prep prospect who reached campus at LSU. He was electric as a freshman in 2023 and had some scouts pegging him as an early candidate to go first overall in 2025, but went down with Tommy John surgery after just seven appearances and missed the entire 2024 season as well. Returning healthy in 2025, he showed the same big stuff but struggled with command and consistency, losing his spot in the LSU rotation but keeping his stock from falling too far by pitching effectively out of the bullpen. Shores is a massive guy with massive arm strength. Listed at 6'8", 245 pounds, he strikes an imposing presence on the mound and backs it up by running his fastball as high as 102. It normally sits in the mid 90's as a starter and in the upper 90's as a reliever with run and sink that makes it difficult to square up. His slider remains inconsistent, but it flashes plus at its best hard, tight, two-plane snap. His changeup has also taken a step forward in Baton Rouge with nice fade off that running fastball, giving him a deadly three pitch mix when he has everything going right. The command, though, has been fringy at best and he has days where he simply can't get ahead in the count, though he didn't walk any batters over his final five appearances spanning 8.1 innings. Shores holds his velocity deep into starts and has more than enough of what it takes to start, but he'll have to get more consistent with both his secondary stuff and his command in order to get there. If it does all click and he stays healthy, the West Texas native has even more upside than Tyler Bremner, but carries a lot more risk.

3-79: LHP Johnny Slawinski, Johnson City HS [TX]
Slot value: $1.03 million. Signing bonus: $2.5 million ($1.47 million above slot value).
My rank: #61. MLB Pipeline: #68. Baseball America: #78.
Using a massive chunk of their savings from Tyler Bremner, the Angels grabbed high school lefty Johnny Slawinski for more than double his slot value, giving him a bonus roughly in line with the #39 pick here at pick #79 to pull him away from a Texas A&M commitment. While his stuff isn't quite as loud as some of the other names on this list yet, he is as projectable as they come with the ceiling of a frontline starter. The fastball sits low 90's and touches 95 at peak, playing up a bit with riding action. He is still working to tighten up his slider, which can get loopy, but his best ones have late dive that make it look like an above average breaker. He can work it into a truer 12-6 curveball that gets average grades, while his changeup has taken a step forward with nice fade. The 6'3" lefty is a superb athlete that has also excelled on the hardwood, the gridiron, and the track, which translates to a smooth, athletic delivery and nice extension down the mound. He has a ton of projection remaining and could add several ticks of velocity to his fastball while adding power to his whole arsenal, power that will be especially usable given his athleticism. Slawinski also does a great job of staying around the zone, so ultimately we are looking at a four pitch lefty with the athleticism, command, and durability to make it as an impact starter if he reaches his peak. There is a ways to go in that regard but he is already more advanced than the typical small town arm (he grew up in Hill Country about forty miles west of Austin) and has a pretty straightforward, if long, development path. The Angels hefty investment indicates a high degree of confidence he will make those strides and become at least a #2 or #3 starter.

3C-105: RHP Nate Snead, Tennessee
Slot value: $729,600. Signing bonus: $597,500 ($132,100 below slot value).
My rank: #155. MLB Pipeline: #148. Baseball America: #84.
Continuing a run on pitchers, the Angels went chasing velocity again with an under slot signing here as compensation for failing to sign 2024 #81 overall pick Ryan Prager (now with the Guardians). Nate Snead started off at Wichita State, where he immediately became one of the Shockers' most reliable relievers as a freshman, then transferred to Tennessee after one season. He has fulfilled the same role in Knoxville and now will do the same for Los Angeles. Snead throws hard, sitting in the mid to upper 90's with his fastball and touching 101 at peak, though its hard running and sinking action creates more ground balls than it misses bats. By taking just a little bit off, he can throw a hard mid 90's cutter that has proven very effective when located, or he can turn it over further into a true slider in the mid 80's. He offers a hard, short curveball as a change of pace offering and used it more often in 2025 when he didn't feel he could trust his slider, while his firm changeup gives him a fifth pitch but hasn't proven very effective yet. With long arm action and a low three quarters delivery, the 6'2" righty is able to pound the zone effectively but his control is far ahead of his command, meaning his misses are often over the heart of the plate. With that fastball being his only consistent offering, hitters can sit on it and he hasn't missed nearly as many bats as you would hope from a pitcher who throws as hard as he does. In fact, in two years in Knoxville, he has never run a strikeout rate above 19% (for reference, Tyler Bremner grabbed 35.8% in 2025 and Chase Shores got 24.6%). The Angels will need to help Snead bring his offspeed stuff along, perhaps by tightening up the arsenal and focusing on a couple of secondaries, if he wants to be successful missing pro bats. The arm talent is certainly there and you really can't teach 101. The Milwaukee-area native projects as a reliever unless the secondaries come along in a big way and he tightens his command.

4-109: 3B Jake Munroe, Louisville
Slot value: $701,300. Signing bonus: $597,500 ($103,800 below slot value).
My rank: unranked. MLB Pipeline: unranked. Baseball America: #256.
For their first position player, the Angels took a slight discount on Jake Munroe with hopes he can work quickly through the minors and make an impact on their big league lineup. He spent two years at John A. Logan JC in Illinois, then transferred to Louisville where he just kept on hitting. Munroe uses a tight, lightning quick right handed swing to ambush fastballs and breaking balls alike, showing no growing pains jumping from Midwest JuCo pitching to the ACC and hitting .299/.437/.523 in conference play, impressively walking more (16.1%) than he struck out (13.9%) against some of the best pitching he'd ever seen. To that point, he also dominated the Northwoods League, probably the second best summer league out there behind the Cape Cod League, to the tune of a .313/.411/.615 line last summer. He shows fringe-average pop with the ability to turn on and crank balls on the inner half of the plate, playing more as a line drive bat the other way. It's a pretty balanced overall offensive profile that could project for 15 home runs and solid on-base percentages annually. A third baseman for now, Munroe will need to work hard to remain at the hot corner with fringy athleticism and below average speed. If he has to slide to first base, there will be pressure on his right handed bat to continue to grow into more power, though his 6'2", 230 pound frame looks about as filled out as it's going to get. Munroe's track record of hitting everywhere he has gone is extremely impressive and the Angels are banking on that upward trend continuing as he ascends through the pro ranks.

5-140: RHP CJ Gray, Brown HS [NC]
Slot value: $519,100. Signing bonus: $1.25 million ($730,900 above slot value).
My rank: #132. MLB Pipeline: #178. Baseball America: #118.
Dipping again into the massive chunk of change they saved on Tyler Bremner, the Angels were able to hand CJ Gray a large over slot bonus worth close to the value of the #69 pick here at #140, turning him away from an NC State commitment. Gray has a live arm with tons of untapped potential, but he'll need significant development to get there. The fastball sits low to mid 90's and touches 97 with explosive running life, and there should be even more in the tank as he continues to tack on strength. He is still searching for the identity of his slider, showing inconsistent shape that fluctuates from fringy to above average, while his release is actually very conducive to a changeup and he has much better feel in that regard than you'd expect from a multi-sport star. Accordingly, the 6'2" righty is an excellent athlete that starred as A.L. Brown High School's quarterback and earned Division I interest for his skills on the gridiron. While the split focus makes him a bit raw on the mound, that athleticism gives him massive upside and you can see it in the way he moves on the mound. He's explosive, lean, strong, and only getting better. To this point, his delivery remains raw as well, as he struggles to repeat his release point and presently has erratic command. Los Angeles will look to bring him along slowly, hoping that the singular focus on baseball along with standard growth and maturation in the pro system will help him tap into his high potential. Like I said with Nate Snead – you can teach command, you can get secondary stuff more consistent, but you can't teach athleticism and arm talent like Gray has. He could become anything from an impact starting pitcher to a hard throwing reliever.

6-169: RHP Luke LaCourse: Bay City Western HS [MI]
Slot value: $393,700. Signing bonus: $512,500 ($118,800 above slot value).
My rank: unranked. MLB Pipeline: unranked. Baseball America: #213.
Continuing to spend through that bonus pool, Los Angeles went about a round above slot value to sign Luke LaCourse away from a Michigan State commitment. A multi sport star like the other prep arms in this Angels class, LaCourse has the added factor of being a cold weather arm from Central Michigan with presumably far fewer miles on his arm. The fastball velocity is modest, low 90's and touching 94 on his best days but sitting upper 80's on others albeit with big spin rates. His slider is his best pitch, coming in with wicked sweep across the plate and elite spin rates pushing far above the 3,000 RPM threshold. His changeup is a third pitch that will need significant refinement. The 6'3" righty brings present physicality and projection, which combined with athleticism and a cold weather background should help him add significant velocity in the future. LaCourse has tight arm action that helps him really coil on the baseball, especially on his breaking ball, and generate high spin rates across his arsenal. The command needs fine tuning but looks playable on the right day, and regardless the Angels are highly confident they can get him where he needs to be. If LaCourse can stay healthy, add some velocity, and bring his changeup along, he has mid rotation upside albeit with high risk.

12-349: LHP Talon Haley, Lewisburg HS [MS]
Slot value: up to $150,000. Signing bonus: $897,500 ($747,500 against bonus pool).
My rank: #111. MLB Pipeline: #91. Baseball America: #89.
Taking yet another chunk from their copious bonus pool savings, the Angels spent third round money (roughly the value of pick #88) to pull Talon Haley away from a Vanderbilt commitment. Haley has taken a winding road to reach where he is, to say the least. Namely, he survived lymphoma and two Tommy John surgeries all while in high school, then went out and put up a big senior season at Lewisburg High School outside of Memphis. His fastball has average velocity in the low 90's, but he can run it up to 97 in short stints when he reaches back. As he gets farther from the surgeries and the cancer, he should push closer to that peak velocity for longer stints. He gets nice two-plane action on his above average curveball, which already looks like a big league breaking ball, and can turn it over into a solid slider as well. While his changeup may be his fourth best pitch, it too is solid and rounds out a very advanced arsenal. Haley is already very physical, which combined with his simple delivery and deep arsenal, gives him a great chance to remain a starter in pro ball. He repeats his delivery well and pounds the strike zone, and ultimately looks exactly how you'd draw it up for a workhorse starting pitcher. He may not have the ace upside of the other prep arms in this class, but he's a safer bet than all of them and should move the quickest through the minors. He is a year older than most high schoolers and will be 20 years old ahead of his first spring training in 2026, which is understandable.

13-379: LHP Xavier Mitchell, Prestonwood Christian HS [TX]
Slot value: up to $150,000. Signing bonus: $872,500 ($722,500 against bonus pool).
My rank: #161. MLB Pipeline: #168. Baseball America: #114.
Another lefty, Xavier Mitchell is otherwise very different from Talon Haley but signed for similar third round money. His modest fastball currently sits in the low 90's and touches 93 with lots of running life, but more is certainly on the way. His curveball is inconsistent to this point but flashes above average with downward bite, but it can soften up at times. He rounds things out with a nice changeup, giving him three big league pitches to start things out. Mitchell stands out most for his projection as a 6'3" string bean with room to add upwards of fifty pounds of good weight, which could add more than a few ticks of velocity in the coming years. You can never bet on a guy adding 5+ miles per hour, but if anybody can, Mitchell is in great position to do it. He already moves very well on the mound with a loose, athletic delivery that will be conducive to putting the incoming strength to work, and as a lefty, he has a lot going for him if the Angels can pull it out of him. It will take a long time to develop, much like the other non-Haley prep arms in this class, but the reward may well be worth it. The Dallas-area product is old for the class, having turned 19 the day before he was drafted. He had previously been committed to Texas.