2025 MLB Draft Review: St. Louis Cardinals

Full list of draftees

This was an atypical draft for the Cardinals, especially on the pitching side. While St. Louis usually favors pitchability types who can mix and match hitters into falling off balance, this year it was all about power, power, power. The first two pitchers they picked both reach triple digits with their explosive fastballs, while the next three are up into the upper 90's themselves. Interestingly, the trade off is quality breaking balls, which are a bit lacking compared to the sizable pitching investment early in this draft. While they didn't take a lot of hitters early on, those they did take show advanced bats that should take to pro pitching relatively smoothly. Overall, the Cardinals brought in a lot of new talent with more draft capital than they typically have, picking in the top five for the first time since they drafted J.D. Drew out of Florida State in 1998 and also adding an extra CBB pick at #72.
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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.

1-5: LHP Liam Doyle, Tennessee
Slot value: $8.13 million. Signing bonus: $7.25 million ($884,800 below slot value).
My rank: #8. MLB Pipeline: #8. Baseball America: #8.
St. Louis has a brand when it comes to college pitching, and that would be advanced, deceptive, command and control types like Brian Holiday, Quinn Mathews, Cooper Hjerpe, Brycen Mautz, Pete Hansen, Michael McGreevy, the list goes on and on. In 2025, they completely flipped the script and grabbed arguably the most electric arm in the country. A native of New Hampshire, he traveled all the way south to Coastal Carolina for his freshman season and immediately played a big role as a swingman. Transferring to Ole Miss for his sophomore season, his 6.35 ERA was not indicative of a pretty strong season under the hood, pushing him higher on draft boards. In 2025, Doyle chose to pack up and transfer once again, this time to Tennessee alongside fellow double transfer and Brewers first rounder Andrew Fischer. In Knoxville, Doyle's stuff leapt forward and he left evaluators with their jaws on the floor as he struck out eleven of the fifteen Hofstra Pride batters he faced in his first outing. Following fourteen, nine, and thirteen strikeouts against Samford, Oklahoma State, and St. Bonaventure, respectively, he brought a 0.44 ERA, a 0.54 WHIP, and a 47/5 strikeout to walk ratio over 20.1 innings through four starts, making for a ridiculous 69.1% strikeout rate (47 of 68 batters). The electric start to the season rocketed him straight into the top ten prospects of the draft, and while his results evened out a bit in SEC play, he still had loud many more loud outings and his 164 strikeouts finished second in all of NCAA Division I. Doyle's fastball is, bar none, the most electric in the country. A big bump in velocity has him sitting in the mid 90's and scraping triple digits at peak, but it plays well above its plus velocity with huge riding life that makes it look like a rocket ship out of his hand. You could argue that it's a true 80 grade fastball. His slider has improved as well and now looks like an above average bender, while his hard cutter splits the difference. Doyle has been working on his changeup and it has shown flashes, with some dropping above average grades on it on its best days. The 6'2" lefty is not the traditional tall, gangly horse you typically see at the top of the draft, with a stockier build and a high effort delivery that would typically look like it belongs more in the bullpen. Still, Doyle holds his velocity deep into starts with incredible arm strength and while his arm plunge and effort create some inconsistencies in his command, he ran a very reasonable 8.3% walk rate in 2025 (alongside an absurd 42.6% strikeout rate). The Cardinals like that Doyle's entire arsenal has taken a step forward, not just his fastball, and see him as a potential four pitch ace. Critics will point to his fastball being his only true plus pitch and the fact that he had times keeping better SEC hitters off balance as he trusted that fastball much more than his secondaries. St. Louis will want to continue to bring those secondary pitches along to make him a more complete pitcher. Doyle is a fierce competitor that often rubbed opponents the wrong way, earning a reputation around the SEC as a guy you love if he's on your team and hate if he's in the other dugout. The high energy, passionate style of play as well as the explosive fastball would fit very well in a bullpen role if he was forced into it, with the upside of a lights out closer.

2-55: OF Ryan Mitchell, Houston HS [TN]
Slot value: $1.72 million. Signing bonus: $2.25 million ($529,700 above slot value).
My rank: #56. MLB Pipeline: #55. Baseball America: #48.
With some of their savings on first rounder Liam Doyle, the Cardinals turned to a semi-local product in Ryan Mitchell, who signed for just over the value of the #44 pick rather than follow through on a Georgia Tech commitment. Mitchell grew up in the shadows of AutoZone Park, home of the Cardinals' AAA affiliate Memphis Redbirds, and attended Houston High School in the western suburb of Germantown. There he road a strong spring to significant interest as high as the back of the first round, then ultimately settled here in the second round albeit for an above slot bonus. Mitchell starts his left handed swing with a high handset and a bit of bat wrap, but whips his hands hard through the zone with an accurate, line-drive oriented stroke that has produced great results as a prep. His very strong approach and above average bat to ball ability give him a chance to be an on-base machine in St. Louis, and one who could get there a bit quicker than most prep bats given how advanced that bat is. Mitchell is hit over power, but there is some thump in his 6'2" frame and he stings the ball well. His average raw power plays down a touch in games because of his linear swing, making fringe-average power the more likely outcome, but he could threaten for 15 home runs per season at peak or perhaps 15-20 if he adds a little loft. He is an above average runner that was primarily a shortstop in high school, where his glove received mixed reviews with some seeing light feet and solid glovework and others seeing a relatively raw defensive product overall. The arm might be a bit stretched at shortstop anyways, so for me I saw him as more of a second base prospect. The Cardinals appear to be more bearish on the infield defense and drafted him as an outfielder, where his speed could help him slot nicely into center field. Overall, Mitchell is a very well-rounded profile with a standout hit tool to carry him up the ladder.

CBB-72: RHP Tanner Franklin, Tennessee
Slot value: $1.15 million. Signing bonus: $1.15 million.
My rank: #140. MLB Pipeline: #124. Baseball America: #122.
One fireballing Tennessee Volunteer was not enough, so St. Louis went back to Knoxville and found a second here in the competitive balance round. Tanner Franklin pitched two seasons at Kennesaw State where he showcased a fastball just as electric as his command was shaky, running an ugly 20.6% walk rate (40 walks) across 38.1 innings. Transferring to Tennessee for his junior year, he spent the season in the bullpen and focused on attacking the middle of the strike zone, slashing his walk rate all the way to an excellent 5.5%. The fastball sits in the mid to upper 90's and has topped 101, just chewing up bats with riding life and flat plane from a low slot. If Liam Doyle's fastball looks like a rocket ship, Franklin's looks like it accelerates towards the plate and zips past the hitter before he can blink. Like Doyle, his fastball steals the show while his secondaries take more of a back seat. He can cut his fastball around 90, or he can turn it over into a truer slider in the mid 80's, but both pitches are fringy and lack the bat missing bite to induce whiffs in the big leagues. Additionally, Franklin's dramatically lower walk rate in 2025 came because he attacked the zone much more aggressively, not because he suddenly learned how to paint the corners. While 100 down the middle will zip by bats in college, even in the SEC, he won't be as consistently successful in pro ball unless he can locate a little better, especially considering the lack of an offspeed weapon to keep hitters off the fastball. That said, the arm talent is electric and the fastball is approaching 80 grade when he locates it up in the zone. The 6'5" righty has pitched almost exclusively in relief during his three years in college, and while that's likely to be his role going forward as well, it's not out of the question that St. Louis could run him out as a starter for a little while to see what happens. He certainly looks durable enough to pull it off, though of course he'll need to find a more consistent breaking ball and develop a changeup. The most likely projection is that of a flame throwing reliever who gets just enough out of his secondary stuff to keep hitters off his elite fastball.

3-89: 1B Jack Gurevitch, San Diego
Slot value: $879,000. Signing bonus: $879,000.
My rank: #141. MLB Pipeline: #144. Baseball America: #90.
The Cardinals believe they found one of the best sticks on the West Coast in Jack Gurevitch, a name other teams may have passed over as a mid major first baseman. Gurevitch has played three years at San Diego, alma mater of Kris Bryant, where he evolved from somewhat of a light hitting freshman (.265/.387/.457, 6 HR) to a middle of the order sophomore (.324/.444/.507, 9 HR) to a first team all-WCC selection as a junior (.371/.479/.677, 17 HR) to land himself here in the third round. He has really filled out his 6' frame and now shows easy plus power in batting practice, power he has begun tapping much more in games as he has become adept at pulling the ball in the air. You could argue that it was the most usable game power in the state of California available in this year's draft. Meanwhile, the Southern California native shows a solid average hit tool, running reasonable strikeout rates while taking his walks and adjusting late in counts to find a way on base. There is a fair amount of swing and miss when he tries to turn on the ball, though he showed very well last summer in the elite Cape Cod League (.278/.375/.411) when he focused more on getting on base. The upside here is that of a 20-25 home run hitter with reasonable on-base percentages, though probably more likely in a platoon or bench role. Gurevitch is limited to first base defensively and will therefore have a ton of pressure on his bat, though swinging left handed does help. He could move relatively quickly if he manages to stay un-blocked at his only position.

4-120: LHP Cade Crossland, Oklahoma
Slot value: $629,500. Signing bonus: $729,500 ($100,000 above slot value).
My rank: unranked. MLB Pipeline: #207. Baseball America: #173.
Cade Crossland brings the Cardinals yet another power arm, though he has a bit more of a balanced profile than the two arms above him. He began his career at Ouachita Baptist in Southwest Arkansas, but struggled to a 7.30 ERA as he walked 16.6% of his opponents. Transferring to Weatherford JC closer to home, he took a huge step forward and dropped his ERA to 2.37, but still ran an ugly 14.2% walk rate. Oklahoma liked his big stuff and brought him up north to Norman, where his ERA jumped back up to 6.02 but his walk rate continued to creep down to a more respectable 10.6%. Crossland works with a fastball that can creep into the upper 90's, but usually sits more in the low 90's with run and ride. He gets nice depth on his sweeping slider, but it lacks bite and can break early at times, giving hitters a good look at it and failing to miss a ton of bats. The true weapon here is his changeup. It's a plus-plus cambio that looks like a fastball for 55 feet before falling off the table at the last second, diving hard down and to the arm side. He can throw it in any count, double up on it, whatever he needs to get outs. With the gains he has made in his command moving from well below average to simply fringy, Crossland has a chance to work his way up as a back-end starter if he can bring the breaking ball along. The 6'2" lefty has been durable in his three years in college and doesn't throw with a ton of effort, helping aid those starter projections. If the breaking ball remains fringy, he may be forced into a fastball/changeup relief role where the heater could more comfortably sit mid 90's and approach triple digits at peak.

5-150: RHP Ethan Young, East Carolina
Slot value: $470,100. Signing bonus: $630,000 ($159,900 above slot value).
My rank: unranked. MLB Pipeline: unranked. Baseball America: #355.
Following Cade Crossland's over-slot bonus in the fourth round, Ethan Young signed for roughly the slot value of Crossland's #120 pick here in the fifth round. Young has followed a very similar career path to Crossland as well. He began his career at Hillsborough JC in Florida where command kept him from having much of an impact, but transferred to Catawba Valley JC closer to home in North Carolina for his sophomore year where he became a shutdown closer. Transferring again to ECU for his junior year, he worked as a long reliever for the Pirates and was largely successful, highlighted by gems against William & Mary (4.1 IP, 1 ER, 0 BB, 10 K) and Wichita State (5.1 IP, 0 ER, 7 K). Young, like the arms before him in this Cardinals draft class, has a power fastball that sits mid 90's in short stints and has grabbed as high as 99 on the gun. The pitch comes in with hard run and sink, making it difficult to square up especially in this day and age where pitchers are favoring the flat riding fastball. He complements the fastball with a power sweeper in the mid to upper 80's, missing plenty of bats with its late life and making for a very difficult at bat. His curveball and changeup round out the arsenal but neither are true weapons at this point. Consistency has been the main bugaboo for the Charlotte-area product, as he can look downright dominant on his best days but has others where he struggles to find the strike zone. Combine that command with what is primarily a two-pitch arsenal and you have significant reliever risk. However, the Cardinals made a significant investment in Young with the belief that his athleticism, simple delivery, and two potential plus pitches could lay the groundwork for a long term rotation career if he just gets incremental steps forward in the other parts of his game. He's plenty filled out at 6'2", 220 pounds and certainly looks the part of a big league starter if he gets to that point. If not, a power fastball/slider combination is always good to have in relief and Young's combo is better than most.

7-210: RHP Payton Graham, Gonzaga
Slot value: $280,800. Signing bonus: $280,800.
My rank: #173. MLB Pipeline: #211. Baseball America: #254.
Not to be confused with Tigers prospect and former Oklahoma star Peyton Graham, Payton Graham has a chance to really outplay his draft position if he can get healthy, as he doesn't have much to go on in terms of track record. Over his first two years at Gonzaga, he went just 1-8 with an abysmal 10.14 ERA and perhaps an equally ugly 2.14 WHIP. However, he came out in fall practice in 2024 looking like a transformed pitcher, then had scouts buzzing by dominating UC Davis (5 IP, 0 ER, 7 K) in his spring debut in 2025. Unfortunately, that was all the scouts got to see as he hurt his elbow and went down with Tommy John surgery, wiping out his 2025 season and likely limiting him into next spring as well. At his best, Graham throws a low to mid 90's fastball that reached 98 in the fall, coming in with great riding life as well. His two-plane slider and truer curveball have taken steps forward and give him a pair of swing and miss breaking balls, both flashing plus at their best but neither proving consistent enough yet to earn that grade overall. He adds a changeup, but presently his feel for spin stands out much more than his feel for the changeup. Graham has some effort in his delivery with a long arm circle and other exaggerated actions, making for fringy command that probably won't be helped by the surgery recovery at least in the short run. However, St. Louis believes in the stuff and can see him picking up right where he left off when he gets back on the mound in 2026, bringing that four pitch mix and sturdy 6'2" frame toward a big league rotation future. He'll need to bring his changeup along and shore up the command, but based on what he showed when he was healthy, he probably had the most complete starting pitching profile in this Cardinals class outside first rounder Liam Doyle. Graham had been getting second round looks when healthy and the Cardinals hope to get him back to that level again.

11-330: SS Jalin Flores, Texas
Slot value: up to $150,000. Signing bonus: $175,000 ($25,000 against bonus pool).
My rank: unranked. MLB Pipeline: #235. Baseball America: #255.
Jalin Flores is well known to Central Texas area scouts. He was a highly touted prep prospect in the San Antonio suburbs, earning top three rounds interest before pricing himself out so he could attend Texas. He struggled as a freshman, but turned around a huge draft-eligible sophomore campaign in which he slashed .340/.408/.656 with 18 home runs in 60 games and pushed himself back into that third to fourth round conversation. However, concerns about his approach at the plate suppressed his market a bit, and again he priced himself out of the draft to head back to Austin. He started off hot in 2025 and was hitting .318 into late March, but slumped in the second half of the season and wound up at just .239/.317/.491 with 13 home runs in 58 games. Flores has a big league body 6'2", 210 pounds with long arms and legs built to do damage. He takes big hacks in the box to produce above average raw power, showing the ability to put the ball out to all fields when he's on time and projecting to continue to hit for power with wood bats. He has very solid bat to ball as well when he picks the pitch up out of the hand, but his bugaboo has been a combination of poor pitch recognition and a high proclivity to chase out of the strike zone. SEC pitchers have begun to adjust to that and have gotten Flores out in front of the ball more often than he'd like, and after many years on the prospect radar and his 22nd birthday passing shortly after the draft, there are real questions whether he'll ever get that approach to a place it needs to be. Fortunately, his power, bat to ball, and defense buy that approach time to catch up. While he's not much of a runner, he nonetheless plays a very solid shortstop with a plus arm to make throws in the hole and on the run. A springier defender, such as fellow Texan Masyn Winn up at the big league level, could force him over to third base, but either way Flores should stick on the left side of the infield and provide value there. The upside is that of a 15-20 homer bat that may lack in the on-base percentage department but plays good defense on the dirt to hold down a platoon spot.

14-420: RHP Anthony Watts, Iowa
Slot value: up to $150,000. Signing bonus: $150,000.
My rank: unranked. MLB Pipeline: unranked. Baseball America: unranked.
St. Louis stayed relatively close to home in the fourteenth round, grabbing Anthony Watts out of Iowa. After graduating from Waukee Northwest High School in the western Des Moines suburbs, Watts began his career at Creighton where he took on a substantial role as a freshman. Transferring back into his homes state to play for the Hawkeyes, he spent two seasons as a reliever with strong results. Watts throws a low 90's fastball that plays up with riding action from a release that brings plenty of extension, putting some extra hop on the pitch. He has a sharp slider in the mid 80's, then has a fairly firm upper 80's changeup that he uses less often. The 6'4" righty has a durable, projectable frame that figures to keep him healthy and help him add a bit more velocity, which will play up due to his release characteristics. The command is fringy but workable, and between the fastball and slider he has two big league pitches to help him navigate lineups in the pro, hopefully working his way up as a middle reliever.

20-600: C Chase Heath, Central Missouri
Slot value: up to $150,000. Signing bonus: $5,000.
My rank: unranked. MLB Pipeline: unranked. Baseball America: unranked.
At first glance, a $5K senior sign in the final round might look like a pick destined to wind up an org depth glove-first glorified bullpen catcher, but Chase Heath has a real shot to outplay that projection. Not only that, but he gets to do it for his hometown team. Heath grew up in O'Fallon, an outer suburb about thirty miles northwest of St. Louis, and attended nearby Veritas Christian High School. He spent four years at Central Missouri, where he was a backup catcher for the first two seasons before taking on a larger role in 2024 and 2025, combining to slash .373/.452/.705 with 25 home runs in 92 games over those final two seasons. He then impressed in the MLB Draft League before the 2025 draft, where he slashed .310/.423/.500 with a pair of home runs and nearly as many walks (6) as strikeouts (7) in fourteen games. Listed at 5'10", 200 pounds, Heath is built like and plays like a traditional catcher. He has received consistent praise for his glove, earning an array of defense-related honors during his time in Warrensburg as a seasoned receiver who will no doubt be a boon for young pitchers in the St. Louis organization looking to hone their craft. While defense and pitching development is the primary role for a player with this profile and draft position, Heath has a sneaky bat as well. He struck out just 27 times over his final two seasons in Warrensburg, good for a minuscule 7.1% strikeout rate, owing to an excellent approach that played up during his time in the MLB Draft League. Heath works counts and forces pitchers to come into his wheelhouse, where his strong pitch recognition and hand-eye coordination gives him a good chance to make the jump and hit pro pitching. While he hit 25 home runs over those past two seasons, he typically keeps things simple with a line drive approach and now in pro ball, that power will probably mostly play on ambush swings lifting the ball to the pull side. It's likely a glove-first backup catcher projection but he is already off to a strong start to his pro career.

The top ten unsigned college prospects returning to school for 2025

It took me longer than usual to get all my draft reviews done, but with those out of the way, it's time to take a look at the best prospects to eschew pro ball for now. We'll start with the college prospects, and first let's look at the five from last year's list to go unsigned. Of the five, only one had a truly successful season, as #2 Lebarron Johnson (Texas) pitched his way to a fifth round selection by the Rockies. #1 Tanner Witt (Texas) couldn't stay healthy and #4 Christian Little (LSU) stalled, so both signed for slightly above-slot bonuses on day three to the Mets and Mariners, respectively. Meanwhile, #3 Terry Busse (Georgia Tech) and #5 Joseph Gonzalez (Auburn) struggled mightily and went undrafted again.

This year's class of returners is much more robust, likely due to the continued growth of NIL opportunities that give college draftees added leverage. Last year, just five college players on my draft list went unsigned, while this year that number jumped to thirteen. There were a number of themes among those players, chiefly among them big time power combined with hit tool questions. 6/13 fall into that category, while unsurprisingly, youth and eligibility played a big factor. Each of the first six and eight of the top nine have multiple years of eligibility remaining, while six of the top seven will play the entire coming college season at age-21. After Texas took the top two players on last year's list, LSU was the only school to put two on this year's list, and I was surprised to see only one player hit the transfer portal (unsurprisingly to LSU).

1. LHP Ryan Prager, Texas A&M (my rank: #69)
Drafted – 3rd round (pick #81), Los Angeles Angels
This was a surprise. After missing 2023 with Tommy John surgery, Ryan Prager returned in 2024 as one of the best pitchers in the SEC and shot up draft boards due to his feel for pitching and sneaky stuff. Amid the controversy of head coach Jim Schlossnagle's abrupt exit to rival Texas, the Angels drafted Prager in the third round in what seemed like a straightforward sign. Despite the double whammy of being a college arm drafted in the top one hundred picks (usually a guarantee to sign) as well as not having the same head coach to come back to, he still declined Los Angeles and returned to College Station to pitch for new Aggie head coach Michael Earley. That's a massive win and will go a long way to ensuring a smooth transition in College Station. Prager himself is a bit of an old school pitcher. His fastball parks around 90 and tops out at 94, showing massive riding life negated a bit by an ultra high, over the top release point. The pitch shows some cutting action, too, and it got great results in 2024. His slider gets late drop and performed admirably, looking like an above average breaker, while his straight changeup gives him a third at least average pitch. Everything plays up for Prager because he works effectively in the zone with plus command and high pitching IQ, mixing and matching his stuff effectively to keep hitters off it. The 6'3" lefty also brings some deception in his delivery with a deep arm plunge that helps hide the ball from view, rocking back over into his over the top delivery. Already a high pitchability arm, Prager will return to school with yet another year of polish in his age-22 season and will look to frustrate SEC hitters again. He'll be a few months shy of his 23rd birthday when the 2025 draft rolls around, but he'll still have leverage as a redshirt junior and even if the signing bonus is lower, the Dallas native figures to make plenty of money through NIL.

2. SS Jalin Flores, Texas (my rank: #103)
Undrafted
Not only did Texas pry Jim Schlossnagle away from Texas A&M, they'll also unexpectedly bring back star shortstop Jalin Flores. After bringing back #1 Tanner Witt and #2 Lebarron Johnson from my draft list a year ago, Texas has three of the four top-2 returners over the past two seasons. It must be the barbecue. Flores was a very well-known prospect in the 2022 draft out of the San Antonio high school ranks, clocking in at #82 on my draft board and the #4 high school position player prospect to reach campus. He was overmatched as a freshman in 2023, struggling in a part-time role, but jumped into the lineup every day in 2024 and put up a massive season to regain most of his lost draft stock. At a listed 6'2", 210 pounds, this is a big league body with long limbs and room to add additional strength to his already physical frame. He uses his strength well in the box, effortlessly tapping his average raw power in games and making good contact against all pitch types when he stays within the zone. It's a really natural operation, one which should serve him well as he fills out and improves his approach. The latter, though, is very pressing and likely led to teams not meeting his bonus demands. Flores is an extreme free-swinger at the plate, often looking like he lacks a plan as he chases more than a third of the time and struck out (20.1%) nearly three times as often as he walked (7.6%). I'm personally a believer in his natural hitting ability and I think if the new Schlossnagle regime can get him executing a plan in the box, he has a chance to jump into the top two rounds in 2025. Interestingly, his defensive profile is the opposite in some ways. While he's not flashy and doesn't run well, his excellent body control and strong feel for the dirt has kept him at shortstop thus far, and he has a shot to continue there in pro ball. Even if he's pushed to third base by a more explosive defender, he could be well above average there with a strong arm to boot.

3. SS Anthony Silva, Texas Christian (my rank: #117)
Undrafted
Jalin Flores and Anthony Silva have seen their careers parallel each other to an eerie degree. Born just two weeks apart in July 2003, they attended rival high schools just four miles apart in the San Antonio suburbs and ranked as the #6 and #4 position player prospects to reach campus from the high school Class of 2022, respectively (ranking #89 and #82). While Flores struggled as a freshman at Texas, Silva was excellent for TCU and pushed his way into the fringes of the first round conversation entering 2024. However, as Flores exploded, Silva moved in the opposite direction with a tough sophomore season, and both sophomore-eligible prospects wound up near each other yet again ranking #103 and #117 on my board, respectively. Both priced themselves out of the draft, and they'll both return to their respective schools in the Lone Star State as they rank #2 and #3 on this list. Silva, like I mentioned, was a star for the Horned Frogs in 2023, slashing .330/.416/.471 with just a 12.5% strikeout rate, but dropped to just .268/.369/.384 in 2024 with an 18.6% strikeout rate. Local evaluators noted that he looked stiffer than before. Still, Silva's track record between high school and his big freshman season is plenty enough to remain interested. At his best, he's a very disciplined hitter that makes plenty of contact, adjusting to balls all over the zone to use the whole field effectively with a line drive bat. Listed with almost the exact same measurables as Flores (6'2", 200 pounds), he also has room to grow into more strength but to this point he has not, with fringy exit velocities pointing to 5-10 home runs per season if things don't change. But with high contact rates and potential strength gains, he could easily elevate that projection in 2025. Silva's real selling point, though, is his glove. As a freshman, he glided around the dirt with smooth actions and plenty of arm strength to project as above average at the position, to the point where he really wouldn't have to hit much to provide value at the major league level. He didn't look quite as flashy in 2024, though, and if he continues on that trend he'll be forced to second or third base. Back in Fort Worth, he'll look to return to his freshman self and push back into the top couple of rounds.

4. OF Chris Stanfield, Auburn -> Louisiana State (my rank: #120)
Undrafted
With the way NIL money gets doled out nowadays, Chris Stanfield might have gotten something better than a day two draft selection – an opportunity to transfer to LSU. Stanfield is no stranger to the draft, having ranked #182 on my 2022 board out of high school in Tallahassee, spurning teams at the time so he could attend Auburn. He jumped into the starting lineup as a freshman and has performed admirably over the past two seasons, though he never put up the big numbers he hoped for and will now head west to Baton Rouge. Still, he improved his ranking (on my board at least) by 62 slots up to #120 this year and brings a very interesting skillset to the table. He was just barely eligible this year, turning 21 in July only four days before the cutoff, so he'll still be roughly age-appropriate next year. Still projectable at 6'2", it's a skinny frame that should add more power as he matures and continues to add lean strength. For now, it's a line drive approach from a simple right handed swing that beyond strength gains, could easily add pop if he just looked to turn on the ball more. For now, the exit velocities are fringy and haven't translated to much game power. He's a patient hitter at the plate, making plenty of contact when he swings but sometimes getting overly passive and getting into trouble in deep counts. Another season in college, now under the tutelage of Jay Johnson at LSU, should help him learn to leverage the ball better for more power while controlling his at bats a bit better. Stanfield is also a plus runner who will compete for the center field job in Baton Rouge, and he could continue to stick up the middle in pro ball. That takes some pressure off his bat as well, though he may not need it if he brings everything together. It's a profile that could explode this year.

5. LHP Cade Obermueller, Iowa (my rank: #150)
Drafted – 19th round (pick #585), Texas Rangers
Cade Obermueller joined the names above him as a highly regarded freshman reaching campus, the #7 pitcher to do so from the high school Class of 2022 after ranking #124 on my 2022 board, and he wasn't quite ready to leave his hometown Hawkeyes after two seasons. After spending his freshman season in the bullpen, he shined in the Cape Cod League that summer (1.83 ERA, 35/11 K/BB in 19.2 IP) and jumped into Iowa's ultra talented weekend rotation alongside Brody Brecht (Rockies, CBA round) and Marcus Morgan (Phillies, 9th round). Head coach Rick Heller thought he was going to have to completely rebuild his rotation in 2025, so bringing back Obermueller is a happy surprise and a massive win. Back at school, the Iowa City native will look to prove to teams that he can stick in the rotation long term, rather than move back to the bullpen as many project. The fastball sits in the low 90's and reaches 97 in short stints with sinking and running action, while his sweeping slider dives across the plate and looks to be a plus pitch. Those two pitches right there, from an ultra low lefty sidearm slot no less, will be Obermueller's ticket to the big leagues in some capacity. However, he hasn't thrown his changeup much and his below average command regularly puts him behind in the count, so hitters are less willing to chase his quality stuff. Throw in that he's just 5'11", 160 pounds, and it's a pretty straightforward two pitch sidearm relief profile. Back on campus, Obermueller will have three boxes to check: bulk up, bring the changeup along, and throw more strikes. If he can do maybe two of those three things, someone will take a shot on him as a starter and the move to return to school will pay off. If not, it's a pretty nasty relief profile as is.

6. OF Harrison Didawick, Virginia (my rank: #152)
Undrafted
Harrison Didawick broke into the UVA lineup as a freshman but didn't hit much, then exploded in 2024 as his home run total jumped from 4 to 23 and his OPS jumped from .794 to 1.056. Still, concerns about his swing and miss tendencies kept teams from matching his high bonus demands, and he'll return to Charlottesville for his junior season, where he'll turn 22 shortly before the 2025 draft. Didawick stands out for his power, specifically his game power. Using a short left handed stroke, he has a quick trigger and ambushes pitches over the plate to send them out with great consistency, his 23 home runs last year tying Jake Gelof's (now with the Dodgers) one year old single season UVA home run record. The pure raw power is definitely closer to above average than plus, but the loft in his left handed swing and his natural ability to elevate the ball help him tap all of it. The hit tool, though, is a concern. He struck out in nearly a quarter of his plate appearances in 2024 and came up empty on more than 30% of his swings, pointing to below average bat to ball ability. He's reasonably patient and walked in 14% of his plate appearances, a nice number, but pro pitching will attack him in the zone and it's not clear how consistently he'll be able to handle it at the upper levels and in MLB. With fringy to average defensive tools that will keep him in an outfield corner long term, potentially even left field, the pressure will be on his bat and for him to make much more consistent contact. He'll look to do just that at UVA in 2025, where he'll still be 21 through the College World Series (actually set to turn 22 the day after the championship).

7. OF Zack Stewart, Missouri State (my rank: #166)
Undrafted
The first mid-major prospect on this list, Zack Stewart not only spurned the draft but he'll actually return to Missouri State in the MVC, something becoming less and less common nowadays with power programs ravaging mid-major rosters through the transfer portal. Stewart, like Harrison Didawick, is a big time left handed power hitter and nearly matched his UVA counterpart with 22 home runs this year, but he generates that power very differently. While Didawick's power comes from his ability to loft the ball with authority, Stewart's comes from pure ferociousness. He has borderline-elite top-end exit velocities, regularly popping up over 110 MPH with electric bat speed and tremendous torque generated by his 6'2", 220 pound frame. When MVC pitchers leave the ball over the plate, he can pummel it out of any stadium to any field at any point. It's the kind of power that will certainly play with wood bats once he does move on to pro ball. Also like Didawick, swing and miss is a big problem. He also struck out in nearly a quarter of his plate appearances in 2024 and ran swing and miss rates around 30%, just like Didawick, but in this case he was doing so against an MVC schedule as opposed to UVA's strong ACC schedule. Given the strength of the pitching he was facing, that's a big concern, and his struggles in the Cape Cod League last summer didn't help (.154/.233/.205, 34.9% K rate in eleven games). Stewart will return to Springfield hoping to cut down that strikeout rate, something he should be able to do without sacrificing power given how naturally he can rip the bat through the zone. The profile reminds me a bit of former Florida State slugger Elijah Cabell, a seventeenth round pick out of Florida State in 2021 who hit .160 over three years in the Cardinals system. Stewart does have the benefit of being left handed, and he's a year younger for his class than Cabell was with a chance to shore things up in his redshirt junior season in 2025. Again like Didawick, Stewart has fringy defensive tools and will wind up in an outfield corner.

8. SS Colby Shelton, Florida (my rank: #172)
Drafted – 20th round (pick #590), Washington Nationals
Colby Shelton, a South Carolina native who attended high school in the Tampa area, started his career at Alabama and earned Freshman All-American honors with a massive 2023 for the Crimson Tide. Coaching turbulence in Tuscaloosa led him to the transfer portal, where he was one of the most sought-after targets in the country and landed in Gainesville. Florida thought they'd only get him for one year, but while he started all 66 games at shortstop and blasted twenty home runs, swing and miss concerns kept teams from meeting his bonus demands and he'll return for his junior season. Though he'll be a true junior, he'll be the age of a college senior and will play the whole 2025 season at age-22. Shelton has average raw power, but he taps all of it in games with natural loft in his left handed swing. Though he's performed for two years against SEC schedules, blasting 45 home runs in 125 games, the approach is raw and hasn't always played up during those weekend SEC series. He's an aggressive hitter that regularly expands the zone, with below average bat to ball ability that led to a very high 26.4% strikeout rate in 2024 (up from 24.6% in 2023). That makes his overall offensive profile much closer to Harrison Didawick than Zack Stewart, though he's six-plus months older than those two and has lower top-end exit velocities. Shelton has played exclusively shortstop at Florida, though his slower feet and solid arm will likely push him to third base in pro ball, where he played at Alabama and at times on the Cape.

9. 1B Jared Jones, Louisiana State (my rank: #197)
Undrafted
Jared Jones was another famous prep to reach campus from the 2022 class, heading to Baton Rouge as a catcher. While the presence of better gloves like Hayden Travinski, Alex Milazzo, and Brady Neal meant that he never put the gear on in game action, he has carved out a name for himself as one of the premier power hitters in college baseball. After crushing fourteen home runs as a freshman in 2023, he doubled that total to 28 in 2024, tied for the seventh highest total in Division I (and third highest among underclassmen). Listed at 6'4", 255 pounds, it's not surprising to hear that Jones has a thunderous right handed bat that can drive balls out to all fields with ease (he did this as a freshman). Very few players had better top-end exit velocities than Zack Stewart, but one of them was Jones who showed 70 grade raw power. Already with 42 home runs under his belt in two seasons at LSU, he'll look to break 60 or even 70+ next year. Now while he continues the power theme, he also continues the swing and miss theme on this list. It might be a 30 grade hit tool as he whiffed on nearly 40% of his swings, an abysmal number, and struck out over a quarter of the time this year (and more than 30% of the time in SEC play and 35% on the Cape). The Atlanta-area native can get overwhelmed with premium stuff and lacks the barrel accuracy to make up for it. Now that he's moved off catcher and exclusively plays first base, where his heavy feet and below average speed fit best, there's much more pressure on his bat to play. Fortunately, he has so much power that he can send the ball out even when he gets fooled, and indeed 70 of his 118 hits for LSU over his career have gone for extra bases. He'll still be 21 on draft day next year and will look to spend 2025 cutting down the swing and miss to a stomache-ble number.

10. SS Jonathan Vastine, Vanderbilt (my rank: #202)
Undrafted
Jonathan Vastine continues the theme of former highly regarded prep prospects on this list, though he's not quite the power hitter of many names above him. He played sparingly as a Vanderbilt freshman in 2022 before taking the reins as the Dores' starting shortstop in 2023, which he has held down with solid results over the past two seasons sandwiched around a strong run through the Cape Cod League in 2023 (.323/.420/.430). Undersized at 5'11", 165 pounds, he whips the bat around pretty explosively for his size and can turn on the ball for average power to his pull side, though it's probably fringy overall. Throughout his career he has employed an approach of controlled aggression at the plate, which helped him hit well against elite pitching on the Cape as well as avoid a dip in his numbers in SEC play vs non-conference play in 2024. However, that approach unraveled at times this year and he surprised some evaluators by swinging and missing at more than a 30% clip, causing his strikeout rate to balloon over 25%. Even with his defensive value, he'll have to bring that number way down given his unremarkable power. Vastine is a strong shortstop with impressive instincts, range, and arm strength, even if he's not the most explosive defender on the dirt. That will enable him to be above average at second base, shortstop, or third base in pro ball, taking pressure off his bat as he eventually works his way up as a utility infielder. The underlying metrics on Vastine were not good in 2024 and teams noticed that, so back in Nashville he'll look to tighten things up and find a way to make more contact with a more sustainable approach at the plate. I still like the way the Florida native moves on both sides of the ball and he could be a nice senior sign next year if he makes the necessary adjustments.

Bonus: RHP Jaxon Jelkin, Houston -> ? (my rank: #134)
Drafted – 9th round (pick #263), New York Mets
Jaxon Jelkin went unsigned and would technically rank #5 on this list. There's not much information out there about his current situation, but I have a good general idea of the basics and I'll do my best to lay them out. Jelkin has bounced around a lot, beginning his career as a seldom-used reliever at Nebraska in 2022 but getting dismissed from the team two months into the season. He transferred to South Mountain JC in Phoenix for 2023 where the Dodgers drafted him in the fourteenth round, then headed to Houston in 2024. He looked sharp in seven starts for the Cougars, including a thirteen strikeout performance against BYU in March, but went down with Tommy John surgery and won't get back on the mound until mid-2025 at the earliest. The Mets drafted him in the ninth round regardless, but disputes over his medicals led to the team rescinding its offer. It's not clear what his next steps will be – he's not on Houston's 2025 roster, nor any other school's, and indications seem to be that he intends to sign as a free agent which hasn't happened yet. While everything else is a question mark, nobody doubts the arm talent. His fastball sits in the low to mid 90's and touches 97 at peak, though it shows more running than riding life. He throws two breaking balls, led by an above average slider with sweep in addition to a solid two-plane curveball that he has leaned more and more on, and together he throws the breaking balls more than his fastball. His changeup shows excellent fade and got strong results for him in 2024, projecting as a potential above average pitch. The 6'5" righty is extremely projectable and brings great athleticism on the mound, with both his command and stuff trending in the right direction throughout his college career. If he can get healthy and build up his durability, he has legitimate MLB starting pitcher upside, and if he can find more movement on his fastball, he could be a true impact starter with four above average pitches. But questions about his makeup and medical situation may be what's keeping teams away.

Others

#213 OF Kendall Diggs, Arkansas
#215 1B Hunter Hines, Mississippi State

The top 12 unsigned high school position players from the 2022 draft

Only six college players from my 225-deep 2022 draft rankings are returning to school, but we have a lot more on the high school side heading to campus. We'll start by looking at the position players, ranked by where they fell on my 2022 board. Previous names to show up on this list include future/potential future first rounders Brooks Lee, Spencer Jones, Kevin Parada, Daniel Susac, Dylan Crews, Enrique Bradfield, and...you get the point. There are plenty of premium bats starting classes as we speak, many who could make an impact immediately at their new schools and some who may take a few years, like Jones, but the vast majority of these names will likely be major contributors if past lists are any indication. LSU is the only school to land multiple names on here and they have three, and they were also the only school with multiple names on the pitchers list as well. Throw in their incredible transfer class, and you have the most talented team in college baseball on paper.

1. SS Max Martin, Rutgers. My 2022 draft rank: #54.
Rutgers has to be thrilled to land Max Martin, a New Jersey native who is equally thrilled to represent his home state rather than follow his neighbors down south to schools like Maryland, Virginia, and UNC, which regularly poach the area for talent. Martin is the best high school prospect to reach New Brunswick in a long time, in fact one of the best high school prospects in a while to reach the Big Ten as a whole. He was a trendy name over the winter as one of the class's fastest risers and had a chance to hit his way into the first round with a strong spring, but didn't quite live up to expectations and here we are. Martin is an explosive hitter that shows big bat speed from the right side, producing high exit velocities from a line drive approach that could help him grow into average or better power despite a smaller 6', 180 pound frame. He makes a ton of hard contact and looked great at times over the summer and in the fall against high quality pitching, though he didn't beat up his South Jersey high school competition as much as hoped this spring. A plus runner that shows plenty of range at shortstop, he has enough arm strength to stick at shortstop at least throughout his time at Rutgers, if not beyond. The Philadelphia-area native is a high-IQ player that could slot into the Scarlet Knights' lineup from day one, and if he proves that last spring was only a fluke, he could become Rutgers' first first round pick since Todd Frazier in 2007. In any case, he should at least be the first Rutgers player selected in the first five rounds since Patrick Kivlehan was a fourth rounder in 2012.

2. OF Gavin Turley, Oregon State. My 2022 draft rank: #69.
If you're looking for this year's Dylan Crews, there are some parallels in Gavin Turley, though Turley is not nearly as polished as Crews was two years ago. Despite being raw all around, the fact that Oregon State's entire outfield was drafted in the top eight rounds means that Turley could jump straight into an every day role, and head coach Mitch Canham would be thrilled if that happened. What Turley lacks in polish, he makes up in raw ability. He shows off tremendous raw power from a big, explosive right handed swing that produces huge exit velocities, though his approach is raw and he doesn't quite have the barrel control you need to hit Pac-12 pitching just yet. If he does end up being thrust into the lineup right away, that could lead to some growing pains, but the ceiling is huge and I can't imagine it will take him too long to adjust. Meanwhile, he is also a plus-plus runner with a plus arm that could become a monster on the defensive side of the ball as well. Similarly to his hitting, his defense is raw and he'll need to improve his instincts to play center field, so it seems more likely he'd end up in right field to start out. Turley is every bit talented enough to swing his way into the top half of the first round after three years in Corvallis, but he does have a ways to go to reach that ceiling.

3. C Malcolm Moore, Stanford. My 2022 draft rank: #70.
Stanford got highly acclaimed prep Drew Bowser to campus two years ago and all he's done is slash .297/.355/.534 with 25 home runs in his two seasons, and now the Cardinal have an equally famous bat coming in. Malcolm Moore is the latest bat-first catcher to come out of the Central Valley, following Tyler Soderstrom and Daniel Susac, who both went on to become first round picks for the local A's. Moore has a chance to play right away, as last year's starting catcher Kody Huff went to the Rockies in the seventh round and the team's two returners behind the plate, Charlie Saum and Alberto Rios, combine for exactly two career hits. He can really swing it, showing off above average power from a very strong 6'2" frame. He's very fluid in the box for a big guy, working from a coiled load and a rotational left handed swing to put plenty of loft on the ball. Not just a slugger, Moore has a strong track record against high end pitching and is plenty advanced enough to handle Pac-12 pitching right away. There is a lot of pre-pitch movement before he gets the barrel going towards the zone, but it's nothing terribly concerning. Meanwhile, I imagine Stanford will give him the opportunity to play behind the plate, but he ultimately looks like a first baseman long term with stiff actions and a fringy arm. Still, there is plenty enough bat to play. With a July 31st birthday, the Sacramento native beats the cutoff by one day and will be draft-eligible again as a sophomore in 2024, like Susac at Arizona.

4. SS Jalin Flores, Texas. My 2022 draft rank: #82.
Texas' last shortstop, Trey Faltine, was a very highly regarded prospect when he hit campus, and they'll get to replace him with another one now that he's off to the Reds as a seventh rounder. While Faltine was primarily known for his defense and athleticism, Jalin Flores is more of a bat-first type that may not stick at shortstop. He'll have that opportunity at Texas with Faltine gone, but long term into pro ball, it's probably 50/50 whether he ends up there or at third base with more arm than range. He has a big league body to grow into, with a very projectable 6'2" frame with plenty of room to fill out. The San Antonio product has a chance to grow into above average power as he fills out, with a leveraged right handed swing that will be conducive to tapping that power in games. He also shows the ability to go to all fields with an average hit tool, so all the building blocks are there to become a middle of the order force in Austin. Born on the exact same day as Malcolm Moore, he'll also be draft-eligible again in 2024 and may not be wearing orange for long, but with a couple years of performance in the Big 12 he could hit his way into the top fifty picks, perhaps even the first round if he shows he can stick at shortstop.

5. SS Gavin Kilen, Louisville. My 2022 draft rank: #85.
The ACC's top incoming position player prospect, Gavin Kilen has a chance to be a big problem at Louisville. I see a number of parallels between his game and that of first overall pick Jackson Holliday before his breakout, and Kilen could be just a little bit of physical development away from becoming a star. He is extremely polished in the box and makes a ton of all-fields contact from the left side, looking right at home against premium pitching. The power may take some time to come, as he's skinny at 5'11" and presently lacks much impact. His stock actually took a bit of a hit this spring, when he hit too many ground balls and and soft liners for scouts' liking even if he was making very consistent contact. If he can put on a little bit of strength and just get to fringe-average power, the offensive profile suddenly becomes very, very attractive. Even at present, his IQ in the box should help him slot into the Louisville lineup right away, though Louisville does return both its star middle infielders in shortstop Christian Knapczyk and second baseman Logan Beard and Kilen may have to pay his dues in the outfield to start things out. Once he does get a shot at the infield, he could follow Knapczyk at shortstop with very fluid actions around the dirt and enough arm strength to make it work. His arm may push him to second base in the long run, but it's an attractive defensive profile regardless. He'll fit very well into a Louisville lineup filled with high-OBP types.

6. SS Anthony Silva, Texas Christian. My 2022 draft rank: #89*.
Anthony Silva removed his name shortly before the draft, so he technically did not rank on my final list and the #89 ranking represents where he would have landed had he taken part. A premium athlete that had many teams interested on day one of the draft, he had a poor showing at the MLB Draft Combine in June and saw his stock tumble a bit, so he'll head to TCU to put that event behind him. At his best, Silva shows off a very intriguing bat from the right side, with plenty of loft and bat speed for now and a very projectable 6'2" frame promising more power as he fills out. He also makes plenty of contact for now, but does need to find more consistency with the Horned Frogs to fully tap his offensive potential. The San Antonio native is more advanced as a shortstop right now, with turning in some plus-plus run times that give him great range in addition to a plus arm. At his best, he looks like a premium defender there whose glove can buy his bat plenty of time. The Combine performance told many evaluators that Silva may not be the premium athlete they thought he was, and many of his tools lost a half grade or more, so the first order of business in Fort Worth will be to get back to his peak physically. If he can do that while adding strength and impact at the plate, he has the makings of a very early draft pick. He'll want to do so quickly, because he'll be draft eligible again as a sophomore in 2024.

7. SS Cameron Smith, Florida State. My 2022 draft rank: #90.
Cam Smith had some helium this spring when he got off to a hot start, though a strong commitment to Florida State combined with concerns over his age got him to Tallahassee. He's the age of a college sophomore as he steps on campus for the first time and will be draft-eligible again in 2024, so the FSU coaching staff will expect him to adjust fairly quickly. Smith has a very clean swing from the right side and made a ton of contact against strong competition in South Florida this spring, with an advanced approach and strong feel for the barrel. He packs solid power into his strong 6'3" frame, with the chance to get to above average as he gets stronger and more explosive. Jordan Carrion is retuning to Tallahassee this spring after serving as the starting shortstop a year ago, so I don't expect Smith to slot in at the premium position right away, but he will have a chance to take over if Carrion goes pro after next season. Smith is smooth and sure-handed on the infield, but he may not have the range to play shortstop long term and probably fits better at third base. Florida State was really starved for offense last year, so they'll welcome any spark with open arms and Smith has a very good chance to provide that right away.

8. OF Paxton Kling, Louisiana State. My 2022 draft rank: #93*
Like Anthony Silva, Paxton Kling removed his name from the draft and wasn't on my final rankings, but would have ranked #93 if he took part. LSU has put together a loaded roster for 2023, including returning Dylan Crews, Gavin Dugas, Brayden Jobert, Josh Pearson, and Josh Stevenson all in the outfield, so it will be very difficult for Kling to find playing time in the short run. Given that he already turned 19 back in May and will be draft eligible again as a sophomore, he will want to find those at bats quickly to build his stock for 2024. The good news is that he is every bit talented enough to break through that crowded outfield picture and do so. He takes huge hacks from the right side that generate above average power, and he could grow into plus power as he fills out his 6'2" frame. Kling also shows good pitch recognition skills and solid barrel adjustability for a power hitter, giving him a shot at an above average hit tool in a best case scenario. It's important to note that he spent his high school career facing much younger competition, though, and once that script flips in college, SEC arms could find holes in a swing that tends to get long when he's looking for power. How the central Pennsylvania native adjusts to that new dynamic will determine how quickly he can force his way into Jay Johnson's lineup, but he has every opportunity to become an impact hitter for the Tigers if he does adjust well. His defense will help, as he is an above average runner with a strong arm that can fit very well at any outfield position and provide value. LSU will feature a ferocious lineup this year, and the fact that a bat like Kling's may not get regular playing time is just further proof of that.

9. C Brady Neal, Louisiana State. My 2022 draft rank: #97.
Speaking of LSU's loaded lineup, Paxton Kling isn't the only big name hitter reaching campus. Fortunately for Brady Neal, his path to playing time won't be quite as crowded as last year's starting catcher, Tyler McManus, graduated, leaving last year's primary backup, Hayden Travinski, and incoming freshman Jared Jones as Neal's main competition. Additionally, Neal will have a little less pressure on him to get at bats right away, as he's nearly a year and a half younger than Kling after reclassifying into the class of 2022 and is still just 17 years old. Despite his youth, he is extremely advanced and should adjust to SEC pitching well, taking very professional at bats with sound pitch recognition skills. We're still working on the pure bat to ball skills, but that should come in time as he continues to select good pitches to hit. Despite standing just 5'10", he's also starting to show more power in games and could get to average in that regard from a clean, leveraged left handed swing. Meanwhile, the Tampa-area product caught plenty of high-octane arms during his time at IMG Academy, so when Christian Little and Paul Skenes come out pumping upper 90's, he'll be ready. He stands out for his athleticism behind the plate more than his pure glovework, but again, he's very young and that should catch up in time. A strong arm rounds out what is a very, very well rounded profile, and even if Travinski or Jones wins the starting job in 2023, Neal should eventually claim it as his own and will be draft eligible again well before his 21st birthday in 2025.

10. 3B Estevan Moreno, Notre Dame. My 2022 draft rank: #98.
Estevan Moreno is a personal favorite of mine, and as far as I know you won't find him in the top one hundred on any other draft lists. While he's not the most famous name set to reach campus this spring, I think he could change that very quickly in South Bend. Moreno is coming off a strong spring where he pushed himself up draft boards, showing off a strong combination of power and polish. He generates a ton of torque in his strong right handed swing, with big pull side power that he can tap in games. Meanwhile, he employs an effective all-fields approach and is more than willing to go to right field, but he does tap his power better to the pull side. At Notre Dame, he'll have an opportunity to refine that approach and better spread his power out to all fields, and if he does so without sacrificing contact he could surprise some people as one of the better hitters in the ACC. The Chicago-area product is an unremarkable defender at third base, but may get the opportunity to play there after 2022 starter Jack Brannigan was the only position player drafted off the team. Even if he has to move to left field, I'm a believer in Moreno's bat and I think he could be a very interesting sleeper in the ACC.

11. SS Gavin Guidry, Louisiana State. My 2022 draft rank: #109.
LSU isn't done yet after outfielder Paxton Kling and catcher Brady Neal, because 2022 Louisiana Gatorade Player of the Year Gavin Guidry will stay home and join the Pennsylvanian and Floridian in Baton Rouge. And with third baseman Jacob Berry gone to the Marlins, second baseman Cade Doughty now with the Blue Jays, and incoming transfer and shortstop Carter Young unexpectedly signing with the Orioles in the seventeenth round, Guidry has a chance to jump right in and play right from the get go. His positional versatility helps as well, as perhaps his best asset is his athleticism that allows him to profile virtually anywhere. He's an above average runner that moves very well on the defensive side of the ball, showing the hands and arm strength to stick at shortstop or the speed to play center field. Jordan Thompson probably won't give up the shortstop position so easily, but he could easily replace Berry at third base or Doughty at second base and be a defensive upgrade over either of them. At the plate, Guidry again shows a balanced skill set with a patient approach at the plate and strong hand eye coordination to execute when he does get his pitch. He's still growing into his 6'2" frame but could eventually tap above average power if things break right, making for a profile with few holes. The Lake Charles native is already 19 and will be eligible again in 2024, so he has two years to make his impact in Baton Rouge unless he spurns the draft again.

12. C Ike Irish, Auburn. My 2022 draft rank: #123.
Auburn won't be hurting for catching depth next year, bringing back starter Nate LaRue and backup/utility man Ryan Dyal in addition to landing JuCo transfer Carter Wright from Iowa Western. That will make Ike Irish's quest for immediate playing time somewhat difficult, but nobody from that group is a particularly imposing hitter and I don't think head coach Butch Thompson would mind getting a little more production out of that spot in the lineup. Irish is a bit raw, which may make a gradual transfer of power more likely than jumping into the every day role right away, but there is big time upside here. He stands out for above average raw power from the left side, with a big swing that gets long and uphill through the zone. He loves to get his arms extended and drive the ball in the air, which will be very conducive to big home run totals at Auburn. The hit tool is more raw here, as he struggles to recognize quality breaking balls and showed more swing and miss this past spring than expected, so transitioning to SEC pitching may take a little time. The Auburn coaching staff will hope to help him make the necessary adjustments there sooner rather than later, but all that depth they have behind the plate takes some pressure off. The Michigan native stands out for his plus-plus ram behind the plate that will really limit the running game, with solid athleticism that will keep him behind the plate. He's more strong than quick twitch and will need to refine his glovework a little bit, but that's nothing out of the ordinary for an incoming freshman catcher.

Honorable Mentions
#126 OF Jayson Jones, Arkansas
#128 OF Jeric Curtis, Texas Tech
#132 OF Peyton Brennan, UCLA
#133 OF Mason Neville, Arkansas
#135 OF Max Belyeu, Texas
#148 1B Jayden Hylton, Stetson
#149 SS Drew Faurot, Central Florida
#155 C Beau Sylvester, Oklahoma State
#156 C Adonys Guzman, Boston College
#159* SS RJ Austin, Vanderbilt