2025 MLB Draft Review: Chicago White Sox

Full list of draftees

This is a really fun White Sox class with a lot of upside. Spending three of their first four picks and more than a combined $10 million on high school bats (plus another in the eleventh round), Chicago is going all in to build a future high-impact lineup. I had a lot of fun writing about some interesting profiles, from defensive whizzes to hometown picks to two 6'9" pitchers to a former Big Ten quarterback.
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.

1-10: SS Billy Carlson, Corona HS [CA]
Slot value: $6.24 million. Signing bonus: $6.24 million ($2,500 below slot value).
My rank: #11. MLB Pipeline: #7. Baseball America: #9.
Billy Carlson is a really fun prospect to start out the draft with a bang. An ultra-athletic two-way player, he has long been one of the most famous amateur prospects in California and spent his entire senior season right there near the top of the collective draft board. Pitching behind eventual Pirates #6 overall pick Seth Hernandez at Corona High School, Carlson was sitting low 90's and touching 97 while showing a pair of potentially above average offspeed pitches in his curveball and changeup. That's a day one pitching prospect, but it's his bat and glove that brought him here to #10 overall. Hitting from a closed-off stance, he gets nice leverage into his tight right handed swing and is growing into average power. He has a long track record of performance against top arms on the showcase circuit and in Southern California, where his advanced approach and solid bat to ball should make him at least an average hitter as well. Carlson is still growing into his 6'1", 185 pound frame, and while his skinny stature might limit his overall impact projection, he is an explosive athlete that is better learning how to channel that explosiveness into bat speed. There's a chance for 15-20 home runs and .350+ on-base percentages at peak if he can continue to fill out. For as good as his bat is, he's better with the glove. Carlson has excellent body control and plenty of range to not only reach balls all over the left side of the infield, but get himself into a good position to send them back across the diamond for the out. With that plus-plus arm that has reached 97 on the mound combined with the comfort of throwing from multiple angles, there is virtually no throw he can't make, kind of like a Patrick Mahomes playing shortstop. He's an average runner that has worked to get quicker and can post above average run times, but the instincts, coordination, and arm strength all point to a plus defender at one of the most difficult positions on the diamond. All together, this is a high-level athlete that moves in ways that most cannot, one who if developed properly can outplay all of his projections. The full product reminds me a bit of a bigger version of Cardinals shortstop Masyn Winn.

2-44: OF Jaden Fauske, Nazareth HS [IL]
Slot value: $2.22 million. Signing bonus: $3 million ($773,900 above slot value).
My rank: #36. MLB Pipeline: #57. Baseball America: #54.
From Noah Schultz (Aurora) to George Wolkow (Downers Grove) to DJ Gladney (Matteson), it seems like the White Sox are always spending early picks on local Chicago preps and 2025's edition is Jaden Fauske. A native of Willowbrook, about seventeen miles southwest of downtown on the DuPage County line, he played his high school ball at Nazareth Academy in nearby La Grange Park. While he lacks a plus carrying tool, he does a lot not just well, but very well. With a simple left handed swing and a very disciplined approach at the plate, he has a chance to be an above average hitter at the big league level who can put up strong on-base percentages consistently. At the same time, he has started to fill out his strong 6'3" frame and is producing average power for now, but could get to above average as he continues to mature and learns to be more explosive. At ceiling, that is a 25 home run bat with high on-base percentages, one that can hit in the middle of the Chicago lineup for years. Defensively, there are more question marks. He has shown well behind the plate and most evaluators believe he has the glovework to stick as a catcher long term, while his average arm plays up due to a quick, smooth release. However, there are questions whether he actually wants to catch long term. It's the most grueling position on the diamond and a future big league catcher needs to be fully bought into that career path to have a chance. Given that, the White Sox actually drafted him as an outfielder, and that transition has a chance to go a lot better than most catcher to outfield transplants. He is also a strong athlete that runs plenty well enough to cover the requisite ground in a corner outfield spot. With an average arm, he could end up in left field or right field, but he won't be a below average defender out there like many converted catchers. Either way, the bat should play – if he catches, he's a potential first division regular. If he plays outfield, there's more pressure on the bat but he should still play every day and become an impact bat. Fauske did not come cheap, forgoing an LSU commitment to sign closer to the value of the #32 pick here as the White Sox' #44 pick.

3-76: SS Kyle Lodise, Georgia Tech
Slot value: $1.08 million. Signing bonus: $922,500 ($151,800 below slot value).
My rank: #84. MLB Pipeline: #79. Baseball America: #57.
Teams looking at ACC shortstops had two options from the Lodise family, with Florida State's Alex signing with the Braves at the #60 and Georgia Tech's Kyle coming to the White Sox at #76. Kyle began his career at Division II Augusta, where he hit .349 with a .450 on-base percentage and 23 home runs over two seasons. Transferring to power conference baseball at Georgia Tech, he didn't miss a beat with the jump in competition and set a career high with 16 home runs while hitting .329/.429/.667 in 55 games. Lodise, like Jaden Fauske, lacks a carrying tool but is an all-around ballplayer. Undersized at 5'11", he knows himself as a hitter and brings a balanced offensive profile. He generates great leverage into his right handed swing and shows fringe-average power, crushing thirty home runs over the past two seasons, though many of those home runs may become doubles and triples as he switches to wood bats. Lodise is a very advanced hitter with a keen understanding of the strike zone, helping him to a career .442 on-base percentage. Despite playing those first two seasons in D-II, he challenged himself by jumping straight into the elite Cape Cod League last summer and while he didn't provide much impact at the plate, he ran an impressive 20% walk rate against the best pitching he had ever seen. The upside here is that of a .260-.270 hitter with healthy walk rates and 10-15 home runs per season at peak. A plus runner, he moves well around the infield and should have just enough arm strength to stick at shortstop. If he moves to second base, he should be an above average defender there with strong instincts. His most likely projection is that of a utility infielder that will find ways to win, while he could find his way into the every day lineup if he sticks at shortstop and continues to show enough impact at the plate.

4-106: C Landon Hodge, Crespi Carmelite HS [CA]
Slot value: $722,600. Signing bonus: $1.1 million ($374,900 above slot value).
My rank: unranked. MLB Pipeline: #164. Baseball America: #131.
Between Jaden Fauske and Landon Hodge, the White Sox spent more than $4 million on bonuses for formerly LSU-bound catchers (including more than than a million dollars above slot value), something Tigers head coach Jay Johnson may not be so happy about but it certainly bodes well for Chicago's depth at that position. Hodge, whose seven figure bonus was close to the slot value of third rounder Kyle Lodise's #76 overall pick, hails from one of the most delicious sounding high schools in the country and provides a fairly similar profile to Fauske. He's not quite as physical, but he's plenty hitterish in the box with solid bat to ball and an innate ability to keep his hands inside the baseball, helping him use the entire field effectively. While the power isn't quite there yet, there's some projection in his 6'1" frame that should help him tap fringe-average pop as he fills out and learns to turn on the ball a little better. Behind the plate, his athleticism helps his glove and arm play up and White Sox scouts see a twitchy defender who will stick at the toughest position. Rather than airing out his throws, he prefers to throw as hard as he can on a line, allowing the ball to bounce well before the second baseman if need be. Hodge had a very strong spring on both sides of the baseball, showing more consistent performance at the plate while cleaning up his actions behind it, leaving Chicago convinced that his ascent has only begun. The upside here is that of a high on-base catcher who can club 10-15 home runs per season, but high school catchers are notoriously risky.

5-137: RHP Gabe Davis, Oklahoma State
Slot value: $534,400. Signing bonus: $587,500 ($53,100 above slot value).
My rank: #128. MLB Pipeline: #147. Baseball America: #129.
Gabe Davis doesn't come with the most straightforward profile here, but the White Sox see plenty of upside if he is developed right. After struggling command as a freshman at Oklahoma State in 2023, he took moderate steps forward and put together a nice 2024 season as a swingman. Pushing his way into the second round conversation entering 2025, he instead struggled to find any consistency and spent most of the season in the bullpen, where Oklahoma State used him sporadically and his 24.1 innings wound up a career-low. Still, there is tremendous upside here for a fifth round college arm. Davis stands an impressive 6'9", which is apparently how tall you need to be to make 235 pounds look skinny. The arm matches the size, with a mid 90's fastball that can reach triple digits in short stints. He shows a hard slider in the upper 80's with tight snap, while his average changeup rounds out a strong three pitch mix. With his size, Davis is just an average athlete and lacks the admittedly high level of coordination needed to keep such a long body in sync. Still, it's not often you see 6'9" flamethrowers chucking 100, much less those who can add a pair of good secondaries. Davis has a career 13.1% walk rate that will have to come down, while it will also behoove him to find something a little softer in his arsenal as everything now is pretty firm. Unless Chicago has some kind of magic it can work, the Oklahoma City-area product likely ends up in the bullpen, where he can live in the upper 90's and give hitters fits with the unique look he creates.

6-166: SS Colby Shelton, Florida
Slot value: $403,900. Signing bonus: $447,500 ($43,600 above slot value).
My rank: #83. MLB Pipeline: #142. Baseball America: #158.
While Colby Shelton is much more straightforward a prospect than Gabe Davis, he has had just as interesting a path to get to where he is now. A South Carolina native, he attended high school in the Tampa area before embarking to Alabama to begin his college career. After hitting 25 bombs and slashing .300/.419/.729 for the Tide, he was named a Freshman All-American by numerous outlets and wound up transferring to Florida amid Alabama's gambling scandal. Draft eligible as a sophomore in 2024 because he was a full year older than his high school graduating class, swing and miss concerns crept up into his profile and he did not get the bonus offers he desired. Returning to school in 2025 for his age-22 season, he changed his approach dramatically and teams took notice. After blasting 45 home runs over his first two seasons, he hit just seven in 2025. However, his batting average skyrocketed from .254 in 2024 to .377 while his strikeout rate plummeted from 26.4% to just 11.8%. Previously a dead pull hitter, he began using the entire field and became a doubles machine. Always an aggressive hitter, he continues to chase at an alarmingly high rate but the bat to ball is tremendously improved as he has stopped trying to do too much. Meanwhile, he did not sacrifice a lick of barrel force as his exit velocities remain roughly the same, just less in the air and less to the pull side. While the old Colby Shelton profiled for 15-20 home runs per season and low on-base percentages, the new Colby Shelton probably sticks in the teens while posting healthier, batting average-driven on-base percentages at peak. He has played shortstop at Florida, though with average athleticism and arm strength he probably fits better at second or third base in the long run. This has the look of a platoon bat if he can continue to make contact. Despite being a junior, Shelton is the age of a senior sign and will turn 23 in December.

10-286: RHP Daniel Wright, Iowa
Slot value: $195,300. Signing bonus: $7,500 ($187,800 below slot value).
My rank: unranked. MLB Pipeline: unranked. Baseball America: unranked.
Few players in this draft class have had a more roundabout journey than Daniel Wright. A native of Sergeant Bluff, Iowa, a little town just outside of Sioux City in the northwestern portion of the state, baseball wasn't exactly his first sport. In fact, he was an all-state selection in both football and basketball while at Sergeant Bluff-Luton High School and was even a nominee for a McDonald's All-American spot. By my book the only draftee in recent years to attend Wisconsin, which does not have a baseball team, he tried to walk on as a quarterback in 2020 but never got into a game. Deciding to give baseball a shot, he transferred to Iowa Western JC for his sophomore season, he showed well enough on the mound to earn another opportunity at Houston, where he pitched to mixed results in two seasons. He made his home state Iowa Hawkeyes his fourth school in five years come 2025, where he pitched out of the bullpen to slightly better results. Looking at the profile, Chicago is buying the upside rather than the now-product. First of all, the 6'9", 235 pound Gabe Davis is not the biggest player in this White Sox draft class – that would be Wright, who stands the same 6'9" but tips the scales at 245 pounds. This is a massive human being. He sits around 90 with his fastball and grabs a couple ticks higher, though the pitch plays a bit above its velocity with ride and run from a wide, three quarters arm slot. Wright drops in a nice slider that looks average at its best, diving the opposite direction of his fastball. For now, the big righty doesn't always get everything in sync and his long arm swing and lumbering delivery make his command fringy. However, the White Sox see size and three sport athleticism that they can work with, hopefully streamlining his delivery and drawing several more ticks of velocity out of that big right arm. If he can live closer to 94-95, the ride on his fastball could make him a useful reliever. If not, the senior sign (23 on draft day) didn't cost the White Sox too much, just $7,500 as a money-saving tenth round pick.

13-376: C Rylan Galvan, Texas
Slot value: up to $150,000. Signing bonus: $150,000.
My rank: unranked. MLB Pipeline: #176. Baseball America: #237.
Rylan Galvan is a big name get for the White Sox in the thirteenth round, at least relative to most other thirteenth rounders. He teamed with current Astros prospect Garret Guillemette behind the plate as a freshman at Texas in 2023, then took over the starting role in 2024 while taking a big step forward with the bat. 2025 was his best year yet at the plate, and he'll leave Austin with 27 home runs and on-base percentage above .400 over 143 games in burnt orange, not too shabby for a catcher. Strong and sturdy at 6', 215 pounds, Galvan shows plus raw power at peak but typically shows above average exit velocities in games from a big right handed swing. Extremely patient, he ran an impressive 19.7% walk rate in 2025 while chasing at a plus (low) clip. However, his pure bat to ball is below average and he worries teams by missing too many of the hittable pitches he forces pitchers to give him with his patient approach. In order to tap his power in games, he is going to have to find a way to punish more mistakes because he will see fewer and fewer of them no matter how tightly he controls his own zone. Behind the plate, the Corpus Christi-area product has taken strides as well and now projects to stick back there with the glovework, accurate arm, and leadership typically desired among big league backstops. He profiles as a power hitting backup catcher.

15-436: RHP Caedmon Parker, Texas Christian
Slot value: up to $150,000. Signing bonus: $150,000.
My rank: unranked. MLB Pipeline: unranked. Baseball America: #441.
Caedmon Parker has been on the Texas scouting radar for a while. He was a long, lanky high schooler back at The Woodlands Christian outside of Houston earning interest in the top few rounds, but made it to campus at TCU where he earned seven starts in the second half of his true freshman season. After missing the 2023 season with injury, he was solid as a swingman in 2024 but was more hittable as a full time starter in 2025. For Parker, the results have never quite matched the stuff. He sits in the low 90's, regularly reaching back for mid 90's and touching 96 at peak albeit relatively straight. He drops in a nice downer curveball that can look plenty sharp when he rips it right, often grading out as average. His slider in the mid 80's has short sweep but can dive late when he gets it right, and he also adds a changeup for a full four pitch mix. The 6'4" righty has a buttery smooth delivery that screams projection, though after four years in Fort Worth, he has only tacked on a couple of pounds. At this point, having turned 22 in June, you probably expect less projection out of Parker than maybe you did in 2021, but it's there if the White Sox can bulk him up and draw it out of him. Because of this, the velocity remains relatively stagnant from where it was four years ago, if more regularly at the upper end of his velocity range rather than the upper 80's where he used to find himself deeper into starts. Parker has walked exactly twenty batters in each of his three healthy seasons at TCU, but in taking on a larger workload each year has dropped his walk rate from 16.8% (poor) to 13.0% (below average) to 8.8% (average). I still love his loose, athletic delivery, so if the White Sox can help him tack on a little extra weight and bring one of his offspeed pitches a half grade forward, he still has a chance to work his way up as a back-end starting pitcher.

20-586: LHP Andrew Sentlinger, Virginia Tech
Slot value: up to $150,000. Signing bonus: $150,000.
My rank: unranked. MLB Pipeline: unranked. Baseball America: unranked.
Chicago closed out their draft with a risk/reward play, which I always love this late in the draft because the "risk" is your twentieth round pick not working out. So you might as well push the chips in. Andrew Sentlinger was a highly touted recruit coming to Virginia Tech, but making 22 appearances as a freshman in 2023 with a respectable 4.10 ERA and a 27.2% strikeout rate, has barely pitched over the past two seasons as he has struggled with injuries. The stuff is undeniable. He sits in the low 90's and touches 94 at peak, showing high spin rates and big riding life on his fastball to help it play above its velocity. He adds a sharp slider as well, helping him run a respectable 27.3% strikeout rate in 2025 even as he struggled to stay on the mound. Given his lack of extended health, he hasn't had much chance to develop beyond that and remains raw. The 6'2" lefty has a relatively uptempo delivery leading into a high release point, but with the lack of health he has struggled to repeat it. In 52.2 innings, he owns an ugly 17.9% in which his freshman season (15.2%) actually represents a career-best. If the White Sox can find a way to keep him on the mound, though, there is serious potential here. Sentlinger would almost certainly be a reliever, where his fastball/slider combination should tick up and any extended period of health should help his command creep back into the playable range. As a lefty who could chuck high-ride mid 90's in the future, that's a tough at bat.

2025 MLB Draft Review: Athletics

Full list of draftees

I think the A's came away with a really nice draft class here, especially towards the top. Starting with getting arguably the top pitcher in the draft for slot value at pick #11, moving on to some big bats with their next couple of picks, and through a half million dollar starting pitcher that could be pitching in Sacramento next year, I think this is a really strong class especially given the lack of a third round pick after signing Luis Severino. Overall, the A's did not play bonus pool games, never going more than $100K below slot on any pick and really only having second rounder Devin Taylor ($470K above slot) and twelfth rounder Alex Barr ($200K against pool) in the other direction. Out of coincidence, the A's happened to draft the #287, #387, and #487 players on the Baseball America 500.
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.

1-11: LHP Jamie Arnold, Florida State
Slot value: $5.99 million. Signing bonus: $5.99 million.
My rank: #6. MLB Pipeline: #4. Baseball America: #6.
Despite not picking inside the top ten, the A's still picked up one of the top pitching prospects in the class for slot value. In fact, there were times this spring where Jamie Arnold looked like the favorite to go first overall and virtually every draft board still had him safely inside the top ten prospects once the draft rolled around. After an uneven freshman season in 2023, Arnold put himself on the map with an All-American sophomore season in 2024 to vault himself to the top of the class alongside UCSB's Tyler Bremner (now an Angel). He came out of the gate hot, allowing just three baserunners in eleven innings over his first two starts and ultimately allowing more than two runs in just one of his first eleven starts. By season's end, Arnold was part of a quartet of starting pitchers alongside LSU's Kade Anderson (#3, Mariners), Tennessee's Liam Doyle (#5, Cardinals), and Oklahoma's Kyson Witherspoon (#15, Red Sox) considered to be at the top of the class. Many a low slot lefty has been compared to Chris Sale, and Arnold certainly found himself in that category as well. His fastball sits in the low to mid 90's and grabs 97 at peak, not overwhelming velocity for the top of the draft, but it plays up with flat plane and running action from his low slot. He rips off a plus slider that dives across the plate with a foot of sweep. When he has his best stuff, which is honestly most of the time, hitters look absolutely helpless and he can rack up a dozen or more strikeouts on any given night. Arnold is slowly finding his changeup and has gotten better about killing spin and lift while keeping the ball down, giving him the potential for an average or above average cambio down the line. For now, he doesn't command it as well and can bounce it at times, so it plays more like a fringe average pitch. The Tampa native creates a really tough look for hitters coming from a sidearm slot and a release height just four and a half feet off the ground, two full feet lower than some extreme over the top pitchers. Most pitchers with that profile – sidearm lefties up to 97 with a wipeout slider – understandably can get scattered with their command. That is not the case with Arnold, who has never walked more than 27 batters in a season and walked just 5.8% in 2024 before bumping up just slightly to 7.7% in 2025. That pair between bat-missing and strike-throwing ability is hard to find, especially from the left side, and the A's have themselves a potential top of the rotation horse. If there is one drawback in the profile, it could be some slight reliever risk. The 6'1" lefty isn't quite as imposing as some other aces, and right now without a third reliable pitch, he'll really need to hold his command in order to get through the lineup a third time against big league hitters. If the changeup comes along and he maintains his durability (he did throw 190.1 innings, with a sub-3.00 ERA, over his last two seasons in Tallahassee), this is a high-probability impact starting pitcher. If he is forced to the bullpen, the idea of a high octane sidearm lefty with command could be terrifying in short stints.

2-48: OF Devin Taylor, Indiana
Slot value: $2.03 million. Signing bonus: $2.5 million ($468,500 above slot value).
My rank: #38. MLB Pipeline: #30. Baseball America: #34.
Even with a half million over slot bonus closer to the slot value of the #39 pick, this is another great value for the A's. Devin Taylor has been a star since the day he stepped foot on Indiana's campus, earning Big Ten Freshman of the Year honors back in 2023 and improving his performance each season. He starred in the elite Cape Cod League before his junior year, slashing .296/.397/.510 with five home runs in 29 games to establish himself as arguably a top ten prospect in the 2025 draft, right there with Jamie Arnold. I think most outlets had him a bit over-ranked prior to the season and despite putting up his best year yet in 2025, his stock corrected a bit and he found himself here with a signing bonus just outside the first round range. In the end, he finished three years in Bloomington with 54 home runs and a .350/.459/.672 slash line across 169 games. Taylor brings a really nice offensive profile as a power-over-hit type with a long track record of performance. Built like a rock at 6'1", 215 pounds, he channels his impressive strength into a compact left handed swing and excellent feel for the barrel to create a ton of impact. Taylor controls the strike zone pretty well, rarely expanding and bumping up his walk rate from 13.0% in 2024, already a strong number, to 19.3% in 2025. His pure bat to ball is a bit behind, and while he slashed his strikeout rate from 13.3% to 11.2%, concerns still remain especially against quality breaking stuff. He struck out a quarter of the time on the Cape last summer and his best performance in 2025 came against smaller schools, while he hit just .205/.326/.436 against teams that went to the NCAA Tournament. I've long been a bit worried about how his bat would play against pro pitching, though his strong Cape summer does assuage that a bit. The Cincinnati native profiles for 20-25 home runs per season with lower batting averages and healthy walk rates to boost his on-base percentages at the big league level. With Taylor, the bat is the primary selling point because he is a below average defender. He's a fringy runner with below average instincts in the outfield, limiting him to left field in the long run most likely. If he slows down more, he could be come a DH, but the A's likely believe that he can avoid that fate for the first half of his career. Either way, the bat is loud enough that it may not matter.

4-110: OF Gavin Turley, Oregon State
Slot value: $694,600. Signing bonus: $600,000 ($94,600 below slot value).
My rank: #82. MLB Pipeline: #78. Baseball America: #66.
Another pick, another great value. While the A's did not have a third round pick this year due to the signing of Luis Severino, they got a third round talent in Gavin Turley and still stayed under slot value. Turley was a famous high school bat that could have gone in the top couple of rounds in 2022, but he made it to campus at Oregon State and proceeded to embark on an excellent three year career in which he hit .314/.442/.630 with 53 home runs in 170 games. Ironically, those are remarkably similar numbers to Devin Taylor when adjusting for the slightly tougher competition that Turley saw in the Pac-12 and as an independent in 2025. Also like Taylor, 2025 was Turley's best season yet. While Turley has just as much if not more upside than Taylor, he's also a bit more boom or bust. Taylor's power comes from brute strength channeled effectively into a compact left handed swing, while Turley is twenty pounds lighter and generates his with a whippy, explosive right handed swing owing to better athleticism. The end result is better top-end exit velocities, but equal home run output as Taylor squares it up a bit more consistently. Turley is also more of a free swinger whose strikeout rates have remained steadily higher than you'd like and whose contact rates are a bit concerning. He generates so much impact when he connects and torched opponents' pitching to such a degree in 2025 that pitchers often stayed out of the zone, allowing him to run higher walk rates despite the fringy bat to ball and average chase rates. Turley is certainly not the same caliber of prospect, but you could call him somewhat of a discount Dylan Crews with a similar profile if scaled back in a few places (most notably the hit tool). Regardless, Turley is an explosive athlete with a ferocious right handed swing that connected more often than ever in 2025 even if his contact rates remained static and he was caught guessing relatively frequently. He's a better defender than Taylor with above average speed and plus arm strength, giving him a shot to stick in center field if he can improve his instincts off the bat and making him a potential plus right fielder if he slides over. There is a ton of upside here as a potential 25+ home run hitter with middling on-base percentages, though his streaky bat could stand in the way. Turley closely resembles another recent A's draft pick in Colby Thomas.

5-141: RHP Zane Taylor, UNC Wilmington
Slot value: $513,900. Signing bonus: $513,900.
My rank: unranked. MLB Pipeline: #174. Baseball America: #148.
Zane Taylor was on my radar as the draft approached, but ended up on the short list of guys I wanted to get to but ultimately didn't have the time for. He spent three years as a reliable innings eater at UNC Wilmington, but stepped forward in 2025 to put up one of the best statistical seasons in the entire country: 11-2, 1.98 ERA, 0.76 WHIP, 105/11 K/BB in 95.2 innings. The 0.76 WHIP in particular was the best mark in the country by a large margin over second place JB Middleton of Southern Miss (now the Rockies) at 0.85. He sits in the low to mid 90's with his fastball and now reaches 98 at peak, though the pitch stands out more for its velocity than its life. He can cut in the upper 80's, more of a barrel misser than a bat misser, or he can turn it over into a truer curveball to steal strikes. A solid changeup gives him another tool that will work in his favor navigating big league lineups and does not need much development from here. A bit undersized for a "high floor" starting pitcher, he repeats his uptempo delivery very well for plus command that gave him a minuscule 3.0% walk rate in 2025, command that holds for both his fastball and his offspeed stuff. Taylor was already very old for his graduating class from the start, receiving his high school diploma right around his 19th birthday, so he was already 23 more than a month before the draft rolled around. That didn't stop the A's, who as with many other teams saw a nearly big league ready arm who would race through the minors. Indeed, the North Carolina native shot straight to AAA Las Vegas and threw well in his lone start, and he could join the rotation in Sacramento at some point next season. Taylor profiles best as a high probability #4 or #5 starter or long reliever. If he can add some life to his fastball or take a step forward with one of his offspeed pitches, he could reach his ceiling as a #3.

6-170: LHP Grant Richardson, Grand Canyon
Slot value: $390,100. Signing bonus: $400,000 ($9,900 above slot value).
My rank: unranked. MLB Pipeline: unranked. Baseball America: #287.
Not to be confused with current Marlins prospect and former Indiana star Grant Richardson, this Grant Richardson gives the A's a huge arm and potential excellent value coming off injury. He flashed big stuff as a freshman in 2023 then stepped forward in a larger role for Grand Canyon in 2024, but missed the whole 2025 season due to Tommy John surgery. He committed to cross half the country to Ole Miss in 2026, but instead accepted the A's' sixth round offer. He's a two pitch lefty that sits in the low to mid 90's and touches 97, then drops in a sharp, tight slider that misses plenty of bats. The goal in 2025 was going to be bringing along a changeup that functions as a tertiary pitch for now, but he'll have to do that in the A's' system once healthy. The 6'3" lefty is very physical and channels his strength into his power stuff. Working off a deep arm plunge that works into a longer arm action, he extends down the mound well with his lower half but is still learning to repeat his delivery consistently. He's shown fringy command in Phoenix that, like his changeup, he was hoping to fine tune a bit in 2025, and it remains to be seen whether he ever streamlines things enough to get to average. Richardson carries reliever risk due to that command and his lack of a reliable third pitch, but the A's believe the pause in his development only means he's ready to take a big step forward once healthy and develop into a mid-rotation horse. In the bullpen, his fastball should tick more consistently into the mid 90's and his deceptive delivery should give lefties fits.

10-290: RHP Samuel Dutton, Auburn
Slot value: $194,100. Signing bonus: $150,000 ($44,100 below slot value).
My rank: unranked. MLB Pipeline: unranked. Baseball America: #387.
Samuel Dutton has been around a while, but it wasn't until 2025 that he really got a chance to shine. Spending three seasons at LSU, he worked in a variety of different roles but ran an ERA over 6 and never quite settled in. A native of East Alabama, he transferred back closer to home and spent his senior year at Auburn, where he spent the entire season in the rotation and more than doubled his career high in innings. Now, he's sitting in the low 90's and touching 95 with his average fastball, adding a full arsenal of secondary pitches including a get-me-over curveball, a tighter slider, and a solid changeup. Nothing stands out as plus or even as above average, but he has long been a great strike thrower and finished his four year career with a 5.9% walk rate. The 5'11" righty isn't tall but is sturdily built, repeating his delivery well and showing the durability to last a full pro season in the rotation. While he lacks the explosiveness, athleticism, and bat-missing stuff to become an ace, Dutton's command and four pitch mix gives him a chance to be a #5 starter or long reliever at the big league level. Having spent four seasons and appeared in 73 games (31 starts) in the SEC, he has the big game experience as well.

17-500: SS Jared Davis, Virginia Tech
Slot value: up to $150,000. Signing bonus: $100,000.
My rank: unranked. MLB Pipeline: unranked. Baseball America: unranked.
Jared Davis has been around, and now he'll cross the country again. An Orlando native, he started off across the country at Arizona Western JC in Yuma before returning home to play his sophomore season at Florida Southwestern JC, hitting over .320 with an OBP above .410 at both stops. Evidently only playing at schools in the southwestern corner of their respective states, he answered the call when Virginia Tech gave him a Division I opportunity and served as the team's starting second baseman, where he hit more home runs (9) than he had at two years in junior college combined (8). Undersized at 5'9", he packs a lot of punch for his size and has become more adept at pulling the ball in the air, helping him make the most of his modest raw power. The ball jumps off his bat well for a smaller guy and there is reason to believe he could continue to flirt with double digit home runs in the pros. For a hitter jumping from JuCo ball to the ACC, he manages the zone reasonably well and makes solid contact, giving him a chance to be a fringe-average hitter with below average power. Important to note, though, that his performance suffered in conference play where he hit just .220/.313/.450, showing power but seeing his strikeout rate double from 10% to 20%. His arm limits him to the right side of the infield, but he moves well at second base with strong range and some speed. If he can show enough to play short or third in a pinch, he could work his way up as a utility infielder, but a more likely role as a 2B/LF will put a little more pressure on the bat if he wants to become a bench option for the A's.

20-590: RHP Kade Brown, Sacramento State
Slot value: up to $150,000. Signing bonus: $125,000.
My rank: unranked. MLB Pipeline: unranked. Baseball America: #487.
At least for now, Kade Brown gives the A's a hometown product if he can get to the big leagues quick enough. A native of Elk Grove in the southern Sacramento suburbs, he attended the same powerhouse Elk Grove High School that has produced numerous big leaguers including Buck Martinez, J.D. Davis, Rowdy Tellez, Nick Madrigal, Dylan Carlson, and David Hernandez, plus agent Scott Boras. Brown stayed home for college, heading just ten miles up Power Inn Road to play for Sacramento State. There, he blossomed into the Hornets' closer, saving 22 games with a 3.31 ERA and a 103/38 strikeout to walk ratio over two seasons. Brown does not have overpowering stuff, which is contrary to most pure college relief prospects, nor is he a pinpoint command guy, but he gets the job done. The fastball sits around 90 and peaks at about 93, playing up a bit with some life to sneak by bats. The ball dances well out of his hand with a nice, sharp slider that dives under barrels late, while his splitter has equally effective, late drop in the opposite direction. Between those three pitches, he's able to consistently keep hitters off balance as they have a hard time picking up the baseball out of his hand. That stuff played up in the Cape Cod League last summer, when he was a tad hittable but posted a sharp 19/3 strikeout to walk ratio in 15.1 innings. His command is probably fringy, which is tough sledding when you're a reliever throwing 90, so he has to rely on his secondary stuff dancing to remain effective. If the A's can help the 6'6" righty find an extra few ticks of velocity, he can crack it as a junkballing reliever. And if he can get up quickly, he could pitch in his hometown at Sutter Health Park before the team moves to Las Vegas.

2025 MLB Draft Review: Texas Rangers

Full list of draftees

The Rangers went all in on the buy-low model, one the Pirates have executed pretty well in recent drafts. Many of their top picks are coming off uneven springs for a variety of reasons, including injury and performance. Together, it's a high upside class where it feels like any player could be lightning in a bottle. They were another team focusing on size, with all twenty picks coming in at six feet or taller and 17/20 clocking in at 6'2" or taller. Interestingly, Texas went all out in the back half of the draft with several difficult signs, ultimately watching three picks (rounds 13, 14, and 16) walk away unsigned while five other late draft picks signed for above the allotted $150,000.
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.

1-12: SS Gavin Fien, Great Oak HS [CA]
Slot value: $5.75 million. Signing bonus: $4.8 million ($946,800 below slot value).
My rank: #17. MLB Pipeline: #22. Baseball America: #31.
Gavin Fien was going to continue the California to Texas migration wave either way, holding a commitment to the University of Texas in hand before he signed nearly a million dollars below slot value (just over the value of the #17 pick) with the Rangers a few hours north. He's a really interesting prospect that represented one of the more polarizing profiles in this year's draft. Fien put himself on the map with a massive showing on the summer showcase circuit in 2024 in which he hit absolutely everywhere he went, showing zero concern for the elite pitching he saw around the country. He graded out well on the eye test and even better metrically, grabbing a big fat A+ grade for teams that weigh performance heavily in their models for prep bats. However, when he took a step down in competition to face Southern California high school pitching back home in the spring of 2025, the results weren't quite the same as he seemed to play down to the competition. With pitchers scared to throw to him, his approach unraveled a bit as he chased a bit more often than scouts wanted to see or, on the flip side, could look surprised when he actually saw a strike every once in a while. That left evaluators in a bit of a tough spot, though optimists such as the Rangers understand that the pitching he'll see in the pros will much more closely resemble his showcase competition rather than high schoolers who wanted to nibble against arguably the best hitter in the state. Fien is a big, physical kid at a listed 6'3", 200 pounds, and he'll only get bigger. He works with a high handset and drops his hands into a tight right handed swing geared for hard line drives around the field, registering impressive exit velocities that could point to above average, even plus power in time. As stated, he tore through elite showcase pitching last summer and handled premium velocity with ease. While there are some minor questions about offspeed, most prep bats share the same questions. Fien has a chance to develop into an all-around force in the lineup that could hit 20-30 home runs per season with high on-base percentages at peak. He has shown well at third base, with an above average arm combined with relatively smooth glovework and average range to make it work at the hot corner. Given the prodigious bat, the fact that he should stick at third is a bonus.

2-52: RHP AJ Russell, Tennessee
Slot value: $1.85 million. Signing bonus: $2.6 million ($753,300 above slot value).
My rank: #42. MLB Pipeline: #70. Baseball America: #37.
AJ Russell gives the Rangers another arm with a really interesting profile, and he came at a pretty penny with a large over slot bonus that was between the values of the #37 and #38 picks. Russell pitched out of the Tennessee bullpen as a freshman in 2023 and was flatly untouchable, striking out nearly 45% of his opponents with a 0.89 ERA. Transitioning to the rotation in 2024, he blew out his arm after 14.1 innings and surgery was expected to keep him out for much of 2025 as well. He surprised evaluators by returning on February 25th, but didn't appear again for over a month and never completed four innings in the 2025 season as Tennessee handled him cautiously. While the durability is unproven, the arm talent is undeniable. Russell has an elite fastball, sitting in the mid 90's and touching 98 at peak with an outlier combination of riding action and a low release point. The unique fastball shape helps it eat all over the zone, exploding by hitters with a combination of velocity and deceptive shape that will absolutely play at the next level. Beyond that, he is still gaining consistency with his slider but his best can look plus with sweep across the plate, though at this point it probably grades closer to above average overall. His changeup has looked nasty at times, but it's even less consistent than the slider and he struggles to command it, limiting its effectiveness in games. Listed at 6'6", 225 pounds, the Nashville-area product is both presently physical and still projectable with a lanky frame. With an extended run of health and a little more added weight, he could be flirting with triple digits in short order. Combine that with his unicorn fastball, coming from a low three quarters slot and improving secondary stuff, and you have an extremely high upside arm. Russell shows average command that could improve to above average with more consistent health as well. Durability is of course key to his remaining in the rotation, as is continuing to find more consistency with his secondary stuff. In the bullpen, the fastball/slider combination could be untouchable. His youth is another bonus, having just turned 21 shortly before the draft. While there are many question marks in this profile, you can't teach Russell's fastball and that outlier trait earned him a top 40 bonus from the Rangers.

3-84: TWP Josh Owens, Providence HS [TN]
Slot value: $950,100. Signing bonus: $1.1 million ($149,900 above slot value).
My rank: #51. MLB Pipeline: #89. Baseball America: #77.
In 2020, the Rangers surprised the baseball world by drafting a little-known prep outfielder from remote Elizabethton, Tennessee in the second round. With Evan Carter starting to find his footing in the big leagues, the Rangers went back to the same part of Northeast Tennessee just fifteen miles down the road to grab Josh Owens out of Jonesborough, where he too was little known until late in his senior year as he exploded up draft boards. Listed at 6'3", 185 pounds, Owens has projection and tools to dream on and he started to realize his gains in 2025. He has always hit, helping scouts comfortably project him for solid on-base ability in pro baseball with solid bat to ball and approach. While he has been hit over power thus far in his young career, added strength to his tall frame and a smooth, explosive left handed swing has helped the power projections tick up and he could get to average in that regard in short order. There is a really good chance for a well-rounded hitter here, which only projects better when you consider his plus-plus speed that can change games on the bases. The speed has helped him at shortstop where his overall actions are closer to average, though it could make him a plus center fielder if the Rangers choose to let him loose out there. Owens is up to 94 on the mound as well and while that plus arm will most likely serve him on the left side of the infield or in the outfield, the Rangers want to see him pitch as well. He's a sidearmer with a low effort, natural delivery in which he just slings it to the plate. Should he stick on the mound, he'll be able to add velocity naturally without selling out and should work towards average command as well. Still, Owens is much more well known as a hitter and likely winds up in the batters box long term.

4-115: RHP Mason McConnaughey, Nebraska
Slot value: $661,100. Signing bonus: $495,825 ($165,275 below slot value).
My rank: unranked. MLB Pipeline: unranked. Baseball America: #386.
With a bit of a surprise pick, the Rangers went slightly under slot to grab Mason McConnaughey in what they see as a buy-low signing. McConnaughey began his career at Cloud County JC in Kansas, where he impressed local evaluators and transferred to Nebraska after one season. He was excellent as a sophomore in 2024 and impressed evaluators, this time of the draft variety, at fall practice with a shot to push himself into the top couple of rounds. Unfortunately, he fell victim to Tommy John surgery after just three starts, but the Rangers saw enough last fall to still pop him for nearly half a million dollars. The fastball sits low 90's and touches 95 with running action from a relatively low slot, while his above average slider darts under bats late and has a chance to be a game changer at the next level. McConnaughey shows a solid changeup, rounding a strong three pitch mix. Additionally, the 6'3" righty is plenty physical and pounds the strike zone with at least average command, giving him every chance to stick in the rotation as a back-end starting pitcher. Tommy John surgery is routine at this point and shouldn't cloud his future too much, so while he lacks the upside of a guy like AJ Russell, he seems like a safe bet major league starter that only fell due to injury.

5-146: LHP Ben Abeldt, Texas Christian
Slot value: $489,200. Signing bonus: $450,000 ($39,200 below slot value).
My rank: unranked. MLB Pipeline: #205. Baseball America: #291.
Continuing a theme, the Rangers took another injured low slot arm, this time from their own backyard. Ben Abeldt grew up in the far northern Dallas suburb of McKinney, where I used to coach Little League, where he attended McKinney Boyd High School before traveling fifty miles across the Metroplex to TCU. After a strong freshman season in the Horned Frogs bullpen, he became one of the best relievers in college baseball in 2024 with a 1.83 ERA and a sharp 54/16 strikeout to walk ratio over 44.1 innings as a sophomore. Expected to start in 2025, he blew out his elbow alongside Mason McConnaughey (and during AJ Russell's rehab) and missed the entire season with Tommy John surgery, bringing us to today. When healthy, Abeldt is one of the tougher at bats out there, especially against lefties. Setting up on the far first base side of the rubber, he reaches way towards the first base bag for an extreme crossfire, sidearm delivery that puts one of the widest angles on the baseball that you'll find. His fastball sits low 90's and can tickle the mid to upper 90's at peak, while his slider lacks power in the low 80's but sweeps way across the plate. It's an especially tough pitch for lefties, starting behind their backs and diving all the way towards the right handed batters box. He has also begun to show a solid changeup, but he hasn't had much chance to use it yet. The Rangers may hope to run the 6'3" lefty out there as a starter, which could work given his average command and big frame, though some will see the funky delivery as being difficult to repeat more than a few innings at a time. Either way, Abeldt brings a unique, DFW-proud arm to Arlington.

6-175: 3B Jack Wheeler, Morris HS [IL]
Slot value: $374,100. Signing bonus: $525,000 ($150,900 above slot value).
My rank: unranked. MLB Pipeline: unranked. Baseball America: unranked.
The Rangers picked up a third prep bat here in the sixth round, going a bit above slot value to sign Jack Wheeler away from an Illinois commitment, where he would have been one of the Illini's better recruits in recent years. There is not much information out there on Wheeler, but he comes with plenty of upside. Listed at 6'5", he has a long, lean frame with plenty of room to add strength. He has a tight right handed swing that does well getting to balls all over the zone, though he has room to improve getting his A swing off consistently. While he needs to gain weight and get stronger, there is power upside given the frame and he performed extremely well against northern Illinois high school competition in 2025. Wheeler isn't quite quick enough for shortstop and likes to set his feet before he throws, but his plus arm that has been up to 92 on the mound gives him a shot to play third base in the pros. If he can maintain his fringy range, the arm should be enough to make him adequate at the hot corner. Wheeler is a bit old for the class and turned 19 just before the draft in July. He'll move a bit slower but could sneak up as a potential impact bat down the line.

7-205: OF Paxton Kling, Penn State
Slot value: $292,400. Signing bonus: $375,000 ($82,600 above slot value).
My rank: unranked. MLB Pipeline: #162. Baseball America: #264.
Paxton Kling is the rare high-upside, over slot 22 year old draft pick. He would have ranked inside the top one hundred prospects on my 2022 list out of high school in central Pennsylvania, but pulled his name out of the draft to attend LSU alongside a loaded recruiting class. While he showed well in a part time role as a freshman, his bat never fully materialized and he struggled at the plate as a sophomore in 2024. Transferring back home to Penn State, just an hour away from his hometown near Altoona, he put it all together with a massive junior season. Kling has a tight right handed swing with great leverage in his 6'2" frame, producing plus exit velocities at peak and helping him more than double his career home run output from five over his first two seasons at LSU to thirteen in 2025 at Penn State. He also cut his strikeout rate significantly from 24.9% as a sophomore to 16.7% as a junior, showing better hand-eye coordination and feel for the barrel. Kling has always been a relatively disciplined hitter and holds a career .436 on-base percentage, even finishing above .400 in his tough sophomore season. Contact remains the primary concern with the profile, as the Big Ten is a step down in competition from the SEC and it's still unknown how he will handle professional offspeed stuff. His power has consistently played down against more premium arms, and tapping that power will be key to remaining in the lineup. The supplemental tools remain a draw, with plus speed that helps him on the bases and in center field, where he figures to stick with a strong arm. The overall projection here is that of a platoon outfielder that can play all three positions and provide significant value for periods of time when he gets hot. Kling was very old for his graduating class and turned 22 well before the draft, making him more than a year older than fellow junior and Rangers second rounder AJ Russell.

9-265: LHP Owen Proksch, Duke
Slot value: $205,100. Signing bonus: $200,000 ($5,100 below slot value).
My rank: unranked. MLB Pipeline: unranked. Baseball America: #401.
Owen Proksch gives the Rangers a second DFW product in this class. A native of Southlake, he attended powerhouse Southlake Carroll High School that has produced numerous recent major league pitchers including Ross Stripling, Tyler Alexander, John Curtiss, and Michael Mariot. He headed across the country for school and while his first two seasons saw him make 54 appearances for Duke, the numbers didn't tell the story of a future pro pitcher with a 5.28 ERA and a modest 59/36 strikeout to walk ratio in 59.2 innings. Moving to the rotation in 2025, his performance took a step forward as well as he set career bests in ERA (4.68), strikeout rate (31.4%), and walk rate (9.7%), though he also finished second in the ACC by hitting 18 batters (behind only Miami's AJ Ciscar at 20). Proksch works with a fastball around 90 that reaches 94 at peak, but plays up more because of its run and sink rather than its velocity. He adds a sharp two-plane slider that could stand to add a little power, but has the potential to become an above average pitch. A longtime reliever, he doesn't really use his changeup much and will need to bring it along considerably. The 6'3" lefty is ultra physical and clearly has the build to start, while his command has taken a step forward and is now approaching average. He works from a low three quarters slot and hides the ball well with some stabbing action in the back to create some deception, then aggressively attacks hitters in the zone. If the Rangers can bring his changeup along, he could slot in as a back-end starter, but his experience as a fastball/slider lefty reliever from a funky slot could help him move quickly towards the bullpen at Globe Life Field, just fourteen miles south of his hometown.

2025 MLB Draft Review: San Francisco Giants

Full list of draftees

The Giants lacked a second and a fifth round pick after signing Willy Adames, so they used modest savings in the early rounds to pick up another couple of over slot high school arms later in the draft to provide some upside. Rather than focusing on power like many teams, the Giants targeted contact and up the middle defense with their early picks, headlined by two of the best contact hitters in the entire draft with their first two picks. They also continued a theme of raiding the Northeast, and after a third rounder out of Rutgers they picked up not one, not two, but three of their eighteen draft picks from Northeastern University. 
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.

1-13: SS Gavin Kilen, Tennessee
Slot value: $5.52 million. Signing bonus: $5.25 million ($276,800 below slot value).
My rank: #13. MLB Pipeline: #21. Baseball America: #20.
While he may not be the toolsiest player in the first round, Gavin Kilen gives the Giants a legitimate big league bat with a high likelihood of holding down a regular spot in their lineup for years to come. A highly regarded prep prospect in Wisconsin, he could have gone in the top couple of rounds but instead made it to campus at Louisville, where by the time he was a sophomore he had established himself as one of the best pure hitters in the ACC, batting .330 and striking out just 9.4% of the time. He transferred to Tennessee for his junior season and took two separate, big steps forward with the bat to establish himself in the top half of the first round. Kilen is still a pure hitter first and foremost. He has excellent feel for the barrel that enables him to drop his hands to the ball and thwack it around the park, wasting very little movement in his simple, repeatable left handed swing. At Louisville, he was an aggressive hitter that knew he could make contact with most anything thrown his way, so he took advantage and rarely found himself going more than a few pitches into any count. That also meant that he walked just seven times in 54 games as a sophomore. Kilen rectified that in 2025, skyrocketing his walk rate from 3.0% all the way to 12.2% as he slashed his chase rate almost in half. The more patient approach also enabled him to tap his power more frequently, jumping from nine to fifteen home runs in 2025, though he did play in a more hitter-friendly park. Listed under six feet tall, his power is fringy and he'll likely never reach twenty home runs in a major league season, but his increasing ability to impact the ball was a big reason the Giants took him with their first pick. Kilen is an average runner with average defensive acumen, so he'll fit better at second base despite the Giants drafting him as a shortstop. There is a lot of Daniel Murphy in this profile.

3-85: OF Trevor Cohen, Rutgers
Slot value: $935,300. Signing bonus: $847,500 ($87,800 below slot value).
My rank: unranked. MLB Pipeline: unranked. Baseball America: unranked.
This was a big surprise pick to those outside the industry, as Trevor Cohen was not featured on many big public draft boards, but many smart analysts such as Joe Doyle and Brian Recca were all over him. A three year starter at Rutgers, Cohen holds a career .338 batting average and struck out just 62 times in 163 games, good for a ridiculous 8.0% strikeout rate. Those would be elite contact numbers for a player in their draft-eligible junior year, but to hold those numbers across three seasons including as a teenage freshman is absurd. In his draft eligible junior season, he hit .387/.460/.523 with a minuscule 5.5% strikeout rate, including .467/.545/.642 across thirty games in Big Ten play. Suffice to say, Cohen is an elite contact hitter. Listed at 6'1", he plays smaller than that with a crouched, compact stance leading to a compact left handed swing that ropes the ball from gap to gap with elite consistency. He's a patient hitter but makes so much contact that he doesn't often go deep enough in counts to draw walks, though he still walked twice as often (30) as he struck out (15) in 2025. Unsurprisingly, the drawback here is power, as the Jersey Shore product hit just four home runs in 163 games in New Brunswick, topping out with a career-high two in 2025. The swing is simply not geared to get the ball up over the fence, though he does work the gaps well and finished tied for sixth in all of NCAA Division I with 24 doubles in 57 games. There is above average speed in the profile that will give him a chance to play center field in pro ball, which of course helps the bat profile much better given the lack of power. While San Francisco does not have illusions of Cohen becoming a middle of the lineup force, this hefty investment above industry expectations indicates belief that he will provide enough impact to play every day or at least serve in a fourth outfielder role, where his on-base profile could lead to a Jason Tyner-like career. His biggest proponents of course will point to the one-of-a-kind Luis Arraez as well, though Cohen is a better defender.

4-116: SS Lorenzo Meola, Stetson
Slot value: $654,700. Signing bonus: $652,200 ($2,500 below slot value).
My rank: unranked. MLB Pipeline: #183. Baseball America: #130.
Lorenzo Meola is another three year starter coming San Francisco's way. He locked down the shortstop position at Stetson from the get go, then improved each leg of his slash line each year from .283/.372/.422 as a freshman to .297/.393/.487 as a sophomore to .329/.406/.536 as a junior. He's a bit undersized at a listed 5'11", 170 pounds, but grades out well metrically with healthy chase rates, contact rates, and exit velocity data that point to a potential fringe-average hitter with fringe-average power. His simple right handed swing helps him stay on time and tap some modest power, though it's overall limited offensive upside. He struggled in a significant Cape Cod League sample last summer, slashing .162/.260/.279 with nearly a 30% strikeout rate, though scouts were happy with the adjustments he made in 2025. Meola stands out primarily for his glove. He moves well on the dirt, scooping up ground balls to both sides and showing great athleticism going back on flares in shallow left field. With an above average arm, he is certain to stick at shortstop in pro ball and could wind up a plus defender at the premium position. That kind of glove work takes significant pressure off the bat, to the point where he only really has to hit a little to move up the minor league rungs. The ultimate upside here is likely that of a utility infielder who can fill in at second base, shortstop, or third base with a glove that will improve the defense any day he steps out there. If he can get on base and keep finding some moderate impact, he has every day shortstop upside with the shot to reach double digit home runs and hit about .240 or .250 at peak. With his glove, that's plenty.

7-206: RHP Cam Maldonado, Northeastern
Slot value: $289,900. Signing bonus: $287,400 ($2,500 below slot value).
My rank: unranked. MLB Pipeline: #194. Baseball America: #176.
Cam Maldonado has had an up and down college career, which at a smaller school can be tough to overcome, but the Giants believe he is just scratching the surface. He burst onto the scene as a freshman at Northeastern in 2023, when he took home Colonial Athletic Association Rookie of the Year honors and was named a Collegiate Baseball Freshman All-American. However, pitchers adjusted and he slumped for much of the 2024 season, but he turned it around late and continued the hot hitting with a solid run through the elite Cape Cod League (5 HR, .258/.357/.427) over the summer. That success carried over into 2025, where he looked like his hold self again matching the .351 batting average he initially posted while putting up career bests in home runs (15) and on-base percentage (.467). Maldonado has a setup at the plate that reminds me of fellow New Englander Matt Shaw, closing off his stance and channeling all of his power through his back him. That makes him a bit unique in that his best power actually comes to the opposite field rather than to the pull side, with the ability to consistently drive the ball over the right field fence even with wood. He has above average power overall and could potentially get to plus with a strong 6'3" frame and some room to get twitcher in the box. Contact has been up and down, running up to a 25.9% strikeout rate at Northeastern in 2024 and a similar K rate on the Cape, though he dropped it to 18.8% in 2025 as he got more patient at the plate. Still, the pure bat to ball is fringy and he has been particularly susceptible to quality breaking stuff. While he laid off it pretty well in 2025, he's making a jump in competition from the CAA to to pro ball and smart pitchers will continue to attack him with sliders and curveballs. Tapping into that above average power will be more of a challenge. Maldonado is also a plus runner who never stole fewer than 29 bases in a season at Northeastern, giving him a shot to play center field for the Giants. Fringy arm strength would limit him to left if he was pushed off of center, which would put pressure on the hit tool. Overall, the Connecticut native profiles as a fourth outfielder/platoon bat who could be a menace against left handed pitching while holding down center field. If he makes adjustments on offspeed stuff, the power/speed combo could make him an every day player.

9-266: RHP Reid Worley, Cherokee HS [GA]
Slot value: $204,400. Signing bonus: $747,500 ($543,100 above slot value).
My rank: unranked. MLB Pipeline: unranked. Baseball America: #142.
After going below slot value for their first six picks, the Giants cashed in a big chunk of those savings on ninth rounder Reid Worley, who signed for late third round money rather than stay local and attend Kennesaw State. While he has a ways to go to become a big league pitcher, Worley brings the "outlier" traits that teams look for in the draft these days. His fastball sits around 90, living more in the low 90's on his best days and touching 94 at peak, but it's a fringe-average pitch at this point. The real draw is a plus slider with massive spin rates and sharp, deep bend to dive under bats. The spin and movement metrics are hard to find and hard to teach, so San Francisco is jumping on the slider here and hoping the rest will come naturally. There's a changeup, but it's not used often. The North Georgia native uses a low three quarters slot that puts running action on his fastball and creates some flatter plane, though it can cause the slider to pop up out of his hand at times. He attacks the zone well for a high school arm, though his control is ahead of his command and he doesn't hit spots with precision yet. The 6'2" righty has some projection with a taller frame, but he's pretty skinny and needs to tack on significant strength if he wants to throw 150+ innings a year in the majors. Beyond the breaking ball, the Giants believe in Worley's athleticism and the deception created by his lower arm slot to build up the fastball and changeup and become a big league starting pitcher. You can teach the things he needs to work on and you can't teach the thing he does well. Worley is old for a high school draftee, having turned 19 before the draft.

17-506: RHP Luke Mensik, Lincoln-Way Central HS [IL]
Slot value: up to $150,000. Signing bonus: $482,500 ($332,500 against slot value).
My rank: unranked. MLB Pipeline: unranked. Baseball America: unranked.
With the rest of their unused bonus pool money, the Giants handed seventeenth rounder Luke Mensik a fifth round bonus to head west rather than honor a Xavier commitment. Mensik doesn't have the loudest stuff or the most exciting profile, but it's a very balanced package at an extremely young age. Listed at 6'2", 195 pounds, he looks plenty physical right now with more room to tack on good weight. He uses a simple, repeatable delivery to pound the strike zone with above average command for a high school arm, which combined with his build helps him pitch deep into games and hold his stuff. The fastball sits in the low 90's, topping out at 93, but he should unlock another tick or two as he matures. There is very good feel to spin a solid curveball and slider with two distinct looks, which he effectively works in and out to hitters. There is a changeup, too, giving him a full four pitch mix to only add to the starter projections. Mensik is extremely young for the class, having been 17 on draft day whereas fellow over slot high school arm Reid Worley had been 19 despite being part of the same graduating class. You'd be hard pressed to find another 17 year old (now 18) with that kind of polish and balance in his profile and get him for under half a million, so the Giants are banking on modest gains in his stuff helping him reach his ceiling as a back-end starter.

2025 MLB Draft Review: Tampa Bay Rays

Full list of draftees

Unsurprisingly, especially given their two extra picks (giving them five of the first 86), it was a very deep, very strong, and very interesting Tampa Bay Rays draft class this year. Led by a ton of high-end prep talent up top, actually marking four of those first five picks, it's a class that mixes ultra high ceilings with strong, all-around ballplayers. While the draft tends to be a crapshoot, it's a near certainty that at least a handful of these picks turn into meaningful big league contributors in some capacity. While each of the first five picks were position players, the Rays leaned on pitching deeper into the draft and at one point selected ten straight in rounds six through fifteen.
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.

1-14: SS Daniel Pierce, Mill Creek HS [GA]
Slot value: $5.31 million. Signing bonus: $4.31 million ($1 million below slot value).
My rank: #14. MLB Pipeline: #13. Baseball America: #24.
I am a huge fan of this pick, especially given that the Rays picked up Daniel Pierce for a million dollars below the slot value for the #14 pick, just above the slot value of the #20 pick, to pull him from a Georgia commitment. Pierce is a true jack of all trades. He entered his senior season a known commodity as a heady baseball player with a broad set of skills, but showed up in the spring looking bigger, faster, and stronger to suddenly vault himself from a likely third division regular to a potential all-around star. The son of his school's head baseball coach, the baseball IQ still shows up in Pierce's game on both sides of the ball with strong instincts and a hard-nosed, gritty style of play. His loose, rhythmic right handed swing makes plenty of contact to all fields, and now that he has begun to fill out his 6'1" frame, there is increasing authority behind the swing as he works his way towards average power. It will always be a hit over power approach with the potential to post high on-base percentages at the major league level, but now that could come with about 15 home runs annually. If he begins to elevate more, that home run output could creep higher. A great athlete, the Atlanta-area product is a plus runner that makes things happen on the bases and in the field. His hands and playing style work well in the dirt, and he has the arm strength to stick on the left side of the infield. With continued progress, he has a shot to be an average big league shortstop defensively, no small feat given the fierce competition at that position. One minor down side is age, as Pierce turned 19 less than a month after the draft. A career similar to fellow Atlanta product Dansby Swanson may not be too far off, though Pierce has a shot to be a better pure hitter.

CBA-42: OF Brendan Summerhill, Arizona
Slot value: $2.33 million. Signing bonus: $2 million ($333,500 below slot value).
My rank: #21. MLB Pipeline: #16. Baseball America: #22.
While Brendan Summerhill was probably over-ranked by most outlets including on my own list, this remains tremendous value outside of the top forty picks especially given the discount. Summerhill played sparingly as a freshman and showed an advanced bat if also a lack of impact, but lurched forward with a big sophomore season in 2024 before showing very well against top pitching in the Cape Cod League (.286/.358/.441 in 24 games). Heavily considered in the top half of the first round and a potential target for the Rays first pick at #14 entering the season, he actually increased all three legs of his slash line from 2024 to 2025 – .324/.399/.550 to .343/.459/.556 – while dropping his strikeout rate (12.9% to 11.6%) and increasing his walk rate (11.1% to 17.4%). However, a broken hand (I believe from punching a locker) and a subsequent hamstring tweak limited him to 44 games despite Arizona's deep College World Series run and questions around his overall impact weren't quite answered, so he slipped quite a bit farther than many expected him to. Still, Summerhill is a great prospect and at pick #42 represents a much better ballplayer than you would expect to find outside the first round, especially at a discount. His left handed swing is geared for contact and he makes a ton of it, rarely ever whiffing while growing more and more disciplined at the plate. Most guys who run mid 80's contact rates and sub-12% strikeout rates like he does do so with a slappy approach, but Summerhill stands 6'3" and has flashed very solid exit velocities in the past. The power didn't really show up in 2025 and looked below average at times, and the fact that he'll walk away from a career at very hitter-friendly Hi Corbett Field with just 14 home runs in 124 games may point to a guy who will always be contact-over-power. The Rays see the projection in that lanky frame and know what he's capable of when he really gets behind a baseball, and they'll work to mold that ultra-accurate swing to tap more power and possibly outgrow what is currently a 10-15 home run projection and push it closer to 20 annually. The Chicago native is also an above average runner who has shown well in the outfield, with a shot to play center field if he can continue to progress with the glove. There is a chance he is pushed to a corner by a more explosive defender, and given the power questions, center field would certainly look better. Still, the on-base ability and power projection should play for an every day role at any position and if he wound up in left field, he would be above average there to boot. There are a ton of building blocks here and for that reason many still thought he belonged in the first round.

2-53: SS Cooper Flemming, Aliso Niguel HS [CA]
Slot value: $1.8 million. Signing bonus: $2.3 million ($494,000 above slot value).
My rank: #78. MLB Pipeline: #82. Baseball America: #102.
After saving over $1.3 million on their first two picks, the Rays started to use their savings here by paying Cooper Flemming closer to the value of Brendan Summerhill's #42 pick to sign here at #53. Flemming has bounced around a bit, playing at three different Southern California high schools and committing to play across the country at Vanderbilt before Tampa came calling with the paycheck, but he found his home at Aliso Niguel High School in Orange County. Flemming, like Daniel Pierce, has a very well-rounded profile that lacks any glaring holes. He is an advanced hitter with a mature approach that has enabled him to produce virtually everywhere he's been, including against strong competition on the showcase circuit and in Southern California. He hit especially well this spring, prompting some late helium that saw him drafted far ahead of most projections as the Rays believe he's not only the best he's ever been, but setting the stage for sustained, significant progress in the near future. At this point, Flemming is very much a hit over power bat that shows below average pop overall, though he made strong impressions in the spring and looks to have been flashing more fringy pop lately. Listed at 6'3", 190 pounds, he's projectable with room to add more strength, giving him a good shot to reach average power in the end or, if you want to dream, potentially above average power. However, like Pierce, he's old for the class and turned 19 a month after the draft (actually the day after Pierce). The overall projection is a high on-base bat with home run totals in the teens. He has shown solid glovework up the middle and the Rays will likely trot him out at shortstop to start, with a chance to stick there if he can maintain his average speed and get a little more dynamic out there. He tends to load up on his throws a little bit and for that reason may fit better at second or third base, but regardless he should stick on the dirt. Flemming did pitch at times in high school and has run his fastball up to 92, so he has the arm to play the latter.

SUP-67: OF Dean Moss, IMG Academy [FL]
Slot value: $1.29 million. Signing bonus: $2.1 million ($812,100 above slot value).
My rank: #81. MLB Pipeline: #56. Baseball America: #97.
Dean Moss, a product of local powerhouse IMG Academy in Bradenton, is a very interesting prospect. He travelled across the country from his Silicon Valley home to play at IMG, then signed for top-fifty money rather than attend LSU. In addition to moving across the country for high school, he has been a mainstay on the showcase circuit with a toolset and flare that play right into the showcase model. He hits from a wide base with a high handset and significant bat waggle, coiling back onto his back leg before scissoring forward and exploding onto the baseball with huge bat speed. Despite the setup, he has actually been more hit over power in games with an extremely advanced approach at the plate that has helped him remain unfazed by advanced arms. While the extra movement can cause his pure bat to ball to play down when he tries to sell out for power, which was too often earlier in his prep career, he has done a better job of staying within himself lately. Due to his average size (6', 180 pounds), the power does play better when he coils up and tries to turn on it, so going forward it will be about finding a balance. His instincts play up in the outfield as well, where despite average speed he has a shot to play center field. There's still a chance he gets pushed to a corner by a better pure runner, with above average arm strength which could make him an above average right fielder. At this point, his throws can get inaccurate when he tries to load up and sling it, so similarly to his hitting, he'll need to stay within himself. Moss is another old-for-the-class prospect who turned 19 way back in April, making him age appropriate for a college freshman rather than a high school senior. The age should be less of an issue around polish, as he has shown both a polished bat and glove, and more around his ability to add strength to his lean frame. Moss is a great mover with a lot of things going for him, so if he finds balance on both offense and defense rather than selling out his swings and his throws for power, he could be a really dynamic option in Tampa.

3-86: C Taitn Gray, Dallas Center-Grimes HS [IA]
Slot value: $920,800. Signing bonus: $918,300 ($2,500 below slot value).
My rank: #79. MLB Pipeline: #92. Baseball America: #83.
I've never seen "Taitn" as a first name and I reckon I never will again. Taitn Gray signed for slot value here in the third round, which is a tremendous bargain given he had interest as high as the second round and had been committed to Oregon. Already listed at 6'4", 220 pounds, he stands out for not only his physicality but his plus-plus raw power among the best in the entire prep class. A switch hitter, he brings a violent operation with huge bat speed and strength beyond his years to pummel baseballs into a fine powder. Previously a bit of a sleeper coming out of the Des Moines area because he hadn't been seen much on the showcase circuit, tales of his power reached nationwide during his senior spring and he showed very well at both the PBR Super 60 in February and the MLB Draft Combine in June. He still hasn't been seen much against top pitching so his hit tool is a question, though he has performed plenty well in Iowa and there is no reason to think he can't hit high end pitching. However, as a cold weather switch hitting prep catcher, he may have a steeper climb to an average hit tool than most preps through no fault of his own. He's similarly raw behind the plate, where his glovework can be a bit clunky and he lacks the agility of some of the game's premier defensive catchers. He does move well for his large size and could be a solid average corner outfielder, though of course the value is maximized behind the plate. Gray is extremely young for a high school senior and only turned 18 in August, making him more than a year younger than Daniel Pierce and Cooper Flemming and almost sixteen months younger than Dean Moss, all of whom graduated in the same 2025 class. That youth gives the Rays plenty of time to be patient and move him along slowly, and if he takes well to pro development, the hit tool and glove could come along and make him a power hitting big league catcher. It's hard to find catchers who can hit and Gray could be one of the few if he sticks.

4-117: LHP Dominic Fritton, North Carolina State
Slot value: $648,400. Signing bonus: $497,500 ($150,900 below slot value).
My rank: unranked. MLB Pipeline: unranked. Baseball America: #233.
Dominic Fritton is a distinctly Rays pick in that he does not stand out on paper, but brings traits that Tampa can put together into a much better finished product. He has spent three years in the NC State rotation to good but not great results, and after going undrafted in 2024, finds himself as an under slot fourth round selection here. He brings a fastball in the low 90's that touches 96 at peak, playing up with riding life from a low release point that gives it flat plane. He shows a solid slider with some depth and a solid changeup, though he mainly pitches off the fastball. Fritton's athleticism is a selling point. The 6'1" lefty has tremendous lower half extension that helps him drive down the mound and get low while maintaining a traditional arm slot, giving him the rare combination of a low release without the three quarters slot. It's a tough look for hitters especially. from a lefty, that gives the Rays plenty of room to get creative. He shows fringe-average command but has been durable and looks to stick in the rotation as a back-end starter, especially if the Rays can work with his unique release traits to help his average stuff play up farther. Given the higher bonus, it seems Tampa is confident in this path. Otherwise, he could sit in the mid 90's with that same ride and flat plane and focus mainly on the fastball in a relief role. The North Carolina native is a full year older than most juniors, having turned 22 in April.

5-147: OF James Quinn-Irons, George Mason
Slot value: $484,400. Signing bonus: $481,900 ($2,500 below slot value).
My rank: #97. MLB Pipeline: #175. Baseball America: #87.
This is a really fun pick, and a nice bargain and, like Dominic Fritton, he's older than most juniors and was 22 on draft day. A three year starter at George Mason, he has been a one man wrecking crew for the Patriots and is a career .371/.459/.632 hitter with 33 home runs in 148 games. He was at his best in 2025, when he hit a monstrous .419/.523/.734 with 16 home runs in 61 games, earning Atlantic 10 Player of the Year honors and finishing in the top ten nationally in hits (101, 2nd), batting average (.419, 7th), on-base percentage (.523, 9th), RBI (85, 2nd), and doubles (24, 6th). The performance is backed up by the eye test. Quinn-Irons is a hulking 6'5", 230 pounds but moves like a much smaller man. He has plus-plus raw power with elite top-end exit velocities, though the power has played closer to true plus in games. While playing at Mason, he made solid contact with a patient approach and the ability to barrel up most anything in the zone, but it's worth noting that the Patriots did not play a difficult schedule. In his few opportunities against stronger opponents (seven games against ECU, Duke, Maryland, and UNC), he hit a respectable .269/.424/.500 but struck out in a third of his plate appearances, more than double his overall K rate for the season. Now thus far, you might see a 6'5" slugger who OPS'd 1.257 with 16 home runs and assume a certain kind of profile, but there's more here. He's actually a plus runner who stole 36 bases in 61 games, giving him 58 for his career. That speed helps him play a solid center field as well, making the Northern Virginia native a legitimate four tool player. How that fifth tool, namely his ability to make contact and produce against higher level pitching, progresses will tell the story of wether JQI is an impact big leaguer or more of a platoon bat. Given the competition he faced in the A-10, it's hard to do much more than he did.

11-327: RHP Luke Jackson, Texas A&M
Slot value: up to $150,000. Signing bonus: $497,500 ($347,500 against bonus pool).
My rank: unranked. MLB Pipeline: unranked. Baseball America: #437.
This is a big gamble by Tampa, signing Luke Jackson for the exact same bonus as fourth rounder Dominic Fritton despite almost a complete lack of track record. He missed the 2023 season with Tommy John surgery, then pitched just 8.1 innings in 2024 without much success. He earned a more prominent role in the bullpen in 2025, but still ended up with a 5.89 ERA and never quite put it together. Jackson has electric arm talent, sitting in the mid 90's with his fastball and touching 98 in short stints with significant life. He drops in a solid slider to miss bats, then has shown the ability to rip a fading changeup at times as well. To this point, his below average command has held him back evidenced by a 13.2% walk rate over his two seasons in College Station. However, the Rays like that he looked a bit sharper in the Cape Cod League (career 11.3% walk rate over two seasons) and think that with more consistent reps on the mound (he has thrown just 26.2 innings in three years in College Station), he can work closer to average. The 6'2" righty is athletic on the mound and hides the ball well with a crossfire delivery, so any improvement in his command could increase what are currently narrow chances of starting. If the Rays are going to pay him half a million, they must think there is a shot. They'll tinker with his stuff mix and see if they can get a little more out of his electric right arm, and the fallback (and most likely scenario) is a hard throwing reliever the likes of which Tampa seems to crank out on the regular.

17-507: C Brody Donay, Florida
Slot value: up to $150,000. Signing bonus: $150,000.
My rank: unranked. MLB Pipeline: #248. Baseball America: #219.
There is no shortage of baseball talent in Florida, yet Brody Donay is actually the only Sunshine State native to be drafted by the Rays this year. He grew up about thirty miles inland from Tampa in Lakeland, where he played for Lakeland Christian High School and committed to Virginia Tech. He showed well for the Hokies and transferred back closer to home at Florida, where he initially struggled against SEC pitching but cleaned it up for his best year yet in 2025 (18 HR, .303/.418/.646). Listed at 6'5", 235 pounds, he's almost always one of the biggest guys on the field and the profile matches the size. He has plus raw power that has translated into 44 home runs in 145 games over three seasons, tapping it effortlessly with what is often a no-stride operation. He has become much more balanced at the plate over the years and looked like a more complete hitter in 2025, staying within himself effectively and cutting his strikeout rate to a career-low 25.2%, though that is admittedly still a very high number. Donay has always struggled with contact, especially against quality breaking balls, and the progress he made in that department in 2025 is not enough to assuage those concerns. He ran a career 36.4% strikeout rate in two Cape Cod League seasons, though he also blasted ten home runs in 59 games with wood bats and otherwise showed plenty of impact even against elite pitching, highlighting the profile's strengths and weaknesses pretty well. Tampa hopes he can stick behind the plate, where his cannon arm makes up a bit for clunkier glovework that isn't helped by the lanky frame. Florida gave most of its reps to Luke Heyman behind the plate in 2025, and Donay will need a lot of work to stick back there at the pro level. He has the power to profile anywhere on the diamond but given the concerns with swing and miss, keeping that catcher's gear would help take some pressure off the bat. He likely profiles as a first base/bench bat.

UDFA: RHP Trace Phillips, Middle Tennessee State
Slot value: $0. Signing bonus: $629,200 ($629,200 against bonus pool).
My rank: unranked. MLB Pipeline: #206. Baseball America: #190.
When twenty rounds came and went and Trace Phillips didn't hear his name called, it was a foregone conclusion that he would be returning to Middle Tennessee State for his junior season after he had seemingly priced himself out of the draft. However, the Rays failed to sign twentieth rounder Ike Young and found themselves with money left over in their bonus pool. In that case, they turned around and hit Phillips with a surprise offer of mid-fourth round money, the second highest bonus ever given to an undrafted free agent behind Cincinnati's TJ Friedl, which we can all agree worked out pretty well. Phillips carried one of the biggest bats in the Tennessee high school ranks in 2023, then immediately jumped into the Middle Tennessee State lineup as a freshman and slashed .303/.360/.547 with 13 home runs in 2024. An impressive pitcher too, he struggled to a 7.13 ERA in thirteen appearances but intrigued scouts with his arm talent nonetheless. When he showed up for fall practice entering his sophomore year, he blew scouts away with a fastball that had added several ticks of velocity and louder secondary stuff. Unfortunately, his 2025 never fully got off the ground as hand and back injuries limited him to just six starts, though he did nearly double his strikeout rate from 13.2% to 25.4% while slashing his walk rate from 9.3% to 6.0%. Phillips now works with a low to mid 90's fastball that touches 97 at peak, playing best when he can ride it on the top rail. His slider has taken a step forward and looks above average at its best with nice snap, while his fading changeup gives him a third above average pitch. Unlike most arms that see a sudden jolt in velocity, especially ones that deal with injuries at the same time, the Nashville-area native has steadily improved his command and looks above average in that regard. With a projectable 6'3" frame and three above average pitches, he looks every bit like a big league starting pitcher. He'll just need to prove health, which to this point has been hard to come by and a career 6.27 ERA in college doesn't do him any favors. The Rays think he would have rocketed into the top couple of rounds had he been healthy and as a draft eligible sophomore, he was still 20 on draft day.

2025 MLB Draft Review: Boston Red Sox

Full list of draftees

Boston put together a pitching-heavy draft class here that featured eight arms in their first ten picks and 15/21 overall, led by a few power arms that reach the upper 90's and even triple digits. For the second straight year, they scooped up a projected top ten pick in the middle of the first round, while third rounder Anthony Eyanson is exceptional value even considering his over slot bonus. Other than the Eyanson pick, the Red Sox mostly played their bonus pool straight up and stayed at or near slot value for virtually every other pick besides one large over slot bonus to Barrett Morgan in the eleventh round.
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.

1-15: RHP Kyson Witherspoon, Oklahoma
Slot value: $5.11 million. Signing bonus: $5 million ($114,200 below slot value).
My rank: #9. MLB Pipeline: #10. Baseball America: #7.
They're very different pitchers, but this pick feels a lot like Trey Yesavage a year ago. Yesavage felt like the pretty clear cut SP3 in the class and a top half of the first round pick, but fell to #20 for Toronto. Similarly, Kyson Witherspoon firmly had his name in the upper tier of college arms this year and felt like he should have gone in the top dozen or so picks, but fell to the Red Sox at #15 and signed slightly below slot value to boot. Yesavage has had a very successful first full season in the Blue Jays organization, and Witherspoon will hope to follow the same course. Until now, it's been interesting. He and his twin brother Malachi starred at Fletcher High School in the Jacksonville area, where Malachi was considered a top-few rounds prospect and Kyson was considered to be behind him. They both attended Northwest Florida State JC, where Kyson began to pull ahead, then transferred together to Oklahoma after one season. Both found success in Norman, but while Malachi went #62 overall to Detroit, Kyson clearly established himself as the better prospect and finds himself in the first round. It's electric stuff headlined by a mid to upper 90's fastball that reaches 99 with riding and cutting life from a lower release point. He has a pair of tight breaking balls in a power slider and a newer, truer curveball that he added in 2025, with both flashing plus and projecting as at least above average in pro ball. His changeup has been inching forward too and gives him a fourth potentially average pitch, rounding out the arsenal nicely. Unlike most pitchers with upper 90's heaters and power breaking balls, Witherspoon pounds the strike zone and was able to dominate at bats all season long, finishing sixth in NCAA Division I with 124 strikeouts and running a minuscule 5.9% walk rate. The low walk rate was more due to control (pounding the zone) than command (hitting spots), with hitters just getting overwhelmed with his power stuff even inside the strike zone. The 6'2" righty looks durable though his arm action can get a bit funky with some stabbing action in the back, and while his command has been fringy for most of his career, it really took a step forward over the last calendar year. Witherspoon has #2 starter upside with a combination of velocity, feel for spin, and command that can be very difficult to find.

CBA-33: RHP Marcus Phillips, Tennessee
Slot value: $2.9 million. Signing bonus: $2.5 million ($398,300 below slot value).
My rank: #55. MLB Pipeline: #61. Baseball America: #67.
The University of Tennessee has become synonymous with electric arms, and Marcus Phillips is no exception. He spent a year at Iowa Western JC then transferred to Rocky Top, where he struggled to throw strikes as a sophomore reliever then joined the rotation as a junior in 2025. He started the season hot and especially turned heads with a dominant outing against Florida in March but his command backed up a big and by the end of the season his inconsistency lost him favor among Tennessee fans online. The stuff is loud. Phillips' fastball sits in the mid to upper 90's and has reached 101, coming in with some ride and lots of run from an ultra low release point. It is the proverbial "rocket ship" fastball that I pointed out for Diamondbacks comp pick Patrick Forbes, who went four picks ahead of Phillips. The South Dakota native has a bullet slider in the upper 80's that can really tie hitters up with short, tight, late bite, and it's his go-to secondary. While he doesn't use his changeup much yet, it's a very promising pitch that looks above average and should continue to progress as he throws it more in pro ball. It's one of the better three pitch mixes in this entire draft class. The 6'4", 245 pound righty is ultra physical and a strong athlete for his size, but he throws with some effort and has struggled with inconsistent command, leading his stuff to play down when he gets behind in the count and has to come over the heart of the plate. There can be days where Phillips is surrounded by traffic on the bases all game, so first up for Boston will be streamlining his delivery to help him maintain his power stuff while pitching a little more under control. If he can do that, he has a chance to become a #2 or #3 starter, though the command at present could push him to the bullpen. Still, he'll be tickling triple digits there with a pair of nasty secondary pitches,

2C-75: SS Henry Godbout, Virginia
Slot value: $1.09 million. Signing bonus: $1.09 million.
My rank: #94. MLB Pipeline: #72. Baseball America: #80.
Boston's first position player of the class is one of the best pure contact hitters in the country. Henry Godbout is a three year starter at UVA who hit .372/.472/.645 as a sophomore, which put him into second round consideration before a good-not-great junior season pushed him down to the second comp round for the Red Sox. All Godbout does is hit. He has a simple right handed swing that allows him to smack the ball around the field with incredible consistency, using all fields effectively and finding holes with the best of them. Combine that with a strong approach at the plate and you get a guy who has walked (12.4%) far more than he has struck out (8.8%) over the past two seasons while running elite contact rates near 90%. While he has some size to him at 6'2", he's not particularly twitchy and his swing is not geared for power, leading to below average pop that could get to fringe-average at best. That likely means single digit home run totals in most seasons with the potential to peak around 10-15 annually in his prime. Drafted as a shortstop, the lack of twitch probably keeps him at second base long term, where he played all year for UVA. He is an average overall athlete. How far the Brooklyn native goes will be determined by his power, as there is little question that he can put the ball in play consistently even against upper minors and MLB pitching. He'll need to put some impact behind that contact in order to remain productive, which the Red Sox believe he can do even with wood bats. I think Boston would be happy if he reaches something like a Nico Hoerner ceiling.

3-87: RHP Anthony Eyanson, Louisiana State
Slot value: $907,200. Signing bonus: $1.75 million ($842,800 above slot value).
My rank: #44. MLB Pipeline: #40. Baseball America: #32.
Usually it's prep players who are floated down the board for large over slot bonuses, but every year a few college players sneak through. This year it was Anthony Eyanson, who leveraged his youth relative to his class to sign for roughly the slot value of the #54 pick here at #87. Even with the large bonus, it's a great get for Boston given that Eyanson was at times projected as high as the 30's. He began his career at UC San Diego, where he quickly established himself as one of the most projectable arms on the West Coast, then transferred to LSU for his junior year in 2025. The results were excellent despite the jump in competition, and his 152 strikeouts ranked third in NCAA Division I behind only top five picks Kade Anderson (180, Mariners) and Liam Doyle (164, Cardinals). The Southern California native works off a low to mid 90's fastball that reaches 98 at peak, albeit with average movement. Previously known for a sharp downer curve that remains an above average pitch, his sweepier slider has taken a step forward in Baton Rouge and become a true plus out pitch. The changeup is starting to come along as well, giving him a fourth solid pitch to round out the arsenal. Eyanson is a great athlete with a controlled, springy delivery that enables him to hold his stuff deep into starts and remain around the zone. While the command is average, he is aggressive in the zone and does a nice job limiting his walks. Additionally, the 6'2" righty only turns 21 in October, a birthday that would typically put him as a rising college junior rather than one who just completed his junior season. The athleticism and youth make the Red Sox think there is much more in the tank for Eyanson, bringing projection that would typically be found in a high school rather than a college prospect. He now has three years of college performance, including one in the SEC, under his belt even with the projection ahead and has plenty of now stuff. The Red Sox may tinker to find more movement on his fastball but the velocity and feel for spin are big league ready. Eyanson has mid-rotation starter upside.

4-118: SS Mason White, Arizona
Slot value: $642,200. Signing bonus: $642,200.
My rank: #160. MLB Pipeline: #143. Baseball America: #161.
Mason White has a lot of clear strengths and a lot of clear areas for improvement. A three year starter at Arizona, he has reached double digit home runs, batted over .300, and slugged over .600 in each season as one of the better performers to come through Tucson in recent years. 2025 was his best season yet as he hit .327/.412/.689 with 20 home runs across 65 games, all career highs, and a couple huge performances in May (4-4, 2 HR vs West Virginia in the Big 12 Tournament on 5/23 and 4-5, 3 HR against Utah Valley in the Eugene Regional on 5/31) boosted him at the end. I have variously seem him listed between 5'9", 171 pounds (Baseball America) and 5'11", 186 pounds (Arizona website), but regardless of his measurables he is clearly smaller than the prototypical power hitter. Still, the little guy can really swing it with electric hands and bat speed that produce plus raw power regardless. With 49 career home runs and a .636 slugging percentage over 177 games, he's tapping it too, albeit in Arizona's hitter-friendly environment. The swing is geared for launching baseballs to the pull side and that has worked consistently in season, though there are big contact questions. He has hit just .184/.284/.316 with a 28.4% strikeout rate over two seasons and 61 games against top pitching in the Cape Cod League, struggling to tap his power and struggling even more to make contact. The strikeout rates have been high in Tucson as well, though he did cut them from an ugly 30.5% as a sophomore in 2024 to a still high, but more reasonable 21.5% as a junior in 2025. He has a lot of moving parts in his left handed swing with a big leg lift, some barrel tip, and a lot of hand movement, which combined with an ultra aggressive approach can make it hard to avoid racking up whiffs. He will almost certainly need to tone things down in pro ball in order to produce against pro pitching, perhaps sacrificing some power to cut the strikeouts. Meanwhile, the Tucson native has seen time all over the infield and could fit at any position, though shortstop may be a stretch with defensive tools looking closer to average than plus. He profiles as a power hitting utility infielder, though if he can continue making contact there is a ceiling of a Rougned Odor type.

9-268: RHP Jacob Mayers, Louisiana State
Slot value: $203,500. Signing bonus: $190,000 ($13,500 below slot value).
My rank: unranked. MLB Pipeline: unranked. Baseball America: #304.
While CBA pick Marcus Phillips can touch 101 with his fastball, he's not the hardest throwing pitcher in this Red Sox draft class. That would be Jacob Mayers. Mayers began his career at Nicholls State, where he sat low to mid 90's and missed bats in bunches while also walking a ton. His 105 and 106 strikeouts in 2023 and 2024, respectively, both led the Southland Conference, but he also walked 76 batters in 70.2 innings in 2024. LSU loved the arm strength and brought him over, but while he was a starter at Nicholls, his lack of command pushed him to the bullpen in Baton Rouge and he walked 20 batters in 15 innings. He made two starts in the MLB Draft League after the season, striking out a dozen but also walking six more in 6.1 innings. Mayers has massive stuff, to say the least. In longer outings, the fastball sits comfortably in the mid 90's, but he ratchets it up to the upper 90's in short stints and has reached as high as 102. Not only that, but the pitch comes in with huge riding and running action to make it one of the most unhittable fastballs in the entire country. He has a power slider in the upper 80's that gets nice depth when he's on it, while his low 90's splitter is another pitch that can be dastardly when it's located. Problem is, nothing is really ever located. Nearly a decade ago when Riley Pint was one of the top prospects in the 2016 draft, I remember reading his fastballs being referred to as "poorly aimed lightning bolts." I think that is an apt description for Jacob Mayers in 2025. He has true bottom of the scale command, with the baseball exploding out of his hand in a direction that could be anybody's guess. In relief when he's running it up near triple digits and riding it in on right handed hitters, that can be a terrifying at bat when one gets away from him up and in. While his glove arm makes a bit of a roundabout trip down the mound and he coils and uncoils a bit over his front side, it's otherwise a pretty clean delivery and probably more a matter of how electric his stuff is than a lack of body control. The 6'5" righty native leans heavily on the fastball and struggles to command his offspeed stuff (not that he controls the fastball much better), and Boston will want to get him throwing the slider and splitter more often against pro hitters who can catch up to 100 up and in. He's almost certainly a reliever long term, and if the Red Sox can get him to even below average command, he could be a high leverage reliever in the Josh Staumont mold. Having turned 21 just a month before the draft, the Baton Rouge-area native is on the younger side for his class.

10-298: SS Maximus Martin, Kansas State
Slot value: $191,300. Signing bonus: $191,300.
My rank: unranked. MLB Pipeline: #223. Baseball America: #184.
Maximus Martin has had a bit of a winding career, but joining the Red Sox will bring him back to his roots in the Northeast. While inconsistencies kept him out of the top echelon of prospects in 2022, he was a local scout favorite as a New Jersey prep and had some projections as high as the second round, though he probably fit better in the third on talent. Firmly committed to rep his home state at Rutgers, he made it to campus but only stayed for one season as he earned intermittent playing time despite showing solid power and on-base ability. Transferring to Georgia State for the 2024 season, he got to play every day but didn't hit for as much power. Transferring a second time to Kansas State in 2025, he broke out for his best season yet and payed his way back into draft conversations. Martin has gotten noticeably stronger during his time at school(s) and now shows plus raw power that he tapped more than ever with 14 home runs in 2025. The power can play down at times as he can expand the strike zone and doesn't always get his A swing off, which also leads to elevated strikeout rates. Contact and consistency have been a question mark since his prep days and while the production returned with a vengeance in 2025, he did strike out 22.6% of the time and his sub-70% contact rates painted a more concerning picture. It seems that he has frequently had to choose between contact and power throughout his career rather than showing both at the same time, so his development will hinge on finding a balance between the two. Defensively, he has played shortstop and center field in Manhattan and has a shot at either in pro ball, though as he's gotten thicker he may project better at third base or a corner outfield spot. The bat is obviously much more attractive if he can maintain his speed and agility and stick higher up on the defensive totem pole, with a future as a platoon bat more likely if he slips down. The raw ingredients are there for a very solid big league contributor.

11-328: RHP Barrett Morgan, Cowley County JC [KS]
Slot value: up to $150,000. Signing bonus: $500,000 ($350,000 against bonus pool).
My rank: unranked. MLB Pipeline: unranked. Baseball America: unranked.
With some money left over, the Red Sox dropped fifth round money on Barrett Morgan to begin the third phase of the draft to flip him from a Texas A&M commitment. Morgan pitched two years at Cowley JC in southern Kansas, where he served as the Tigers' closer and put up an absurd 2025 in which he struck out 40 of the 82 batters he faced (48.8%) while allowing just one run and four walks over 21.1 innings. He works with a low to mid 90's fastball that touches 97 at peak with angry running and riding life from a high slot, coming in with downward plane. He works in a sharp curveball as well to keep hitters off balance, though it can get inconsistent at times. Morgan pounded the strike zone fearlessly this year and in short bursts, hitters couldn't pick up his stuff. While he has thrown exclusively in relief in Arkansas City, the 6'5" righty has the size, command, and delivery to start long term if he can lengthen his arsenal a bit. He'll need a changeup, which I feel he should be able to work in, and a bit more consistency with his curveball. Already packing 230 pounds on that big frame having turned 20 in March, he looks plenty durable. This is an interesting under the radar pick to follow for Boston.

13-388: 3B Jack Winnay, Wake Forest
Slot value: up to $150,000. Signing bonus: $150,000.
My rank: unranked. MLB Pipeline: unranked. Baseball America: #384.
Jack Winnay gives the Red Sox a local kid in this draft. A native of Newton, a suburb just a few miles west of downtown Boston, he attended Belmont Hill High School in nearby Belmont before heading south to Wake Forest for college. After mostly riding the bench as a freshman, he stepped into an every day role as a sophomore split between first base and the outfield while cracking 35 home runs in 119 games between 2024 and 2025. He excels at getting the ball up in the air to the pull side, a skill teams covet more and more as it directly translates into game power. He controls his quick right handed uppercut well, limiting the strikeouts and controlling the zone fairly well, albeit not perfectly. Together, his approach helps his average raw power play into above average game power, something the Red Sox think will hold has he moves to wood bats and away from the hitter-friendly confines of David Couch Ballpark in Winston-Salem. The first base/corner outfield combination is not the most attractive, especially for right handed hitters, but the Red Sox think Winnay can play a solid third base and have tried him out there in the minors. If he can stick at the hot corner, it takes some of the pressure off his bat and he could work his way up as a platoon type who can hit for some power and get on base. If not, he'll really need to hit while fighting that uphill right-right corner profile. Though he was a true junior, Winnay is very old for the class and turned 22 in June, making him roughly sixteen months older than fellow junior draftee Anthony Eyanson of the same graduating class.

18-538: LHP Cade Fisher, Auburn
Slot value: up to $150,000. Signing bonus: $150,000.
My rank: unranked. MLB Pipeline: unranked. Baseball America: unranked.
Scouts in the Southeast have long hoped that Cade Fisher would put it together, and while thus far it hasn't happened, the Red Sox remain hopeful that his best days are ahead of him. Fisher began his career at Florida, where he immediately took on important innings as a reliever and ran a minuscule 6% walk rate with 13 walks in 49.1 innings as a true freshman. At the time, he was getting early projections as a future first round pick. While he posted healthy strikeout and walk rates as a sophomore in 2024, his ERA ballooned from 3.10 to 7.13 as he struggled to keep runners off base and subsequently from scoring. Transferring to Auburn in 2025, he brought his ERA back down to a more respectable 4.68 but his stuff and peripherals did not follow, leaving him as a bit of an enigma. Though he touched 95 at Florida, his velocity was way down at Auburn and far too often he lived in the mid to upper 80's, only tickling the low 90's when he really reached back. It doesn't matter what your command looks like, if your name isn't Jared Weaver or Jamie Moyer, that's not going to play. Fisher has a big sweeping slider that projects as a plus pitch with more power, while he also shows a solid fading changeup. In addition, the North Georgia native attacks hitters from a low three quarters slot that puts flat plane on the baseball, while his extension really creates a unique look for hitters. The Red Sox drafted another high extension lefty last year in Payton Tolle that has already looked great, though Tolle was admittedly a very different pitcher otherwise. Fisher is extremely projectable at 6'3" and moves well on the mound, previously showing plus command as a freshman though it has backed up to above average over the last couple seasons. If the Red Sox can help him regain some of his lost velocity, he could be a real steal in the back of the draft. The size, handedness, release characteristics, and command are all coveted and velo is just about the only thing missing.