MLB Mock Draft 2025: Predicting the Top Pick and Reds' Selection

As collegiate conference play approaches its final stages and high school playoffs begin or are set to start in most states, the opportunity for top prospects to enhance their standing ahead of July narrows down significantly. Major League Baseball draft.

This spring season has largely confirmed the feelings of evaluators on the large pool of players aiming to get chosen in the first round, although there has been significant movement within that group. Once again, this draft feels light on potential franchise players but is plenty deep on difference makers – and features a nearly surefire first-round troika from what could be considered the greatest high school team of all time.

With roughly a month of ball remaining for the majority of players and nearly two months out from the July 13 selection party in Atlanta, USA TODAY Sports throws some darts and takes aim at a mock draft for the first round:

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1. Washington Nationals : Ethan Holliday , INF, Stillwater High School (Oklahoma)

This final phase promises to be intriguing for Holliday, along with the Nationals and several pitchers making strong cases atop draft rankings. The commitment to prioritizing pitching under Washington’s GM Mike Rizzo may face competition from Holliday’s consistent performance—boasting greater size and potentially higher offensive output compared to both the No. 1 pick in 2022 and his elder sibling, Jackson.

2. Los Angeles Angels Jamie Arnold, Left-Handed Pitcher, Florida State

The Angels' constant struggle for quality pitching aligns perfectly with General Manager Perry Minasian's tendency to promote players quickly to the majors. Enter Arnold, a 6-foot-1 southpaw who has excelled against ACC opponents, maintaining aWHIP below 1.00 and allowing only three home runs over 55 innings pitched. While not a traditional ace-type power pitcher, he stands out as a left-handed starter capable of effectively using his fastball and projecting as a cornerstone of the team's rotation.

3. Seattle Mariners Aiva Arquette, Shortstop, Oregon State

This might already be too far for monster prep right-hander Seth Hernandez to fall, but the Mariners have made their bones drafting and promptly developing college pitchers. This time, they roll with Arquette , a 6-foot-5 shortstop known for his significant power (16 home runs, 1.173 OPS) and disciplined approach at bat. He recently prompted an opposing team to use a four-player outfield strategy against him.

4. Colorado Rockies: Seth Hernandez, RHP, Corona (Calif.) HS

Could Will Hernandez break records as the first high school right-handed pitcher selected with the top pick? While this outcome appears improbable, the Vanderbilt signee certainly did everything possible to boost his profile—making him likely the initial player from Corona set for selection. Throughout his performances, Hernandez conceded only one earned run over 42 ⅓ innings, fanning an impressive 88 batters while issuing merely three walks. The Rockies seem ready to bet on his potential; they believe his powerful 98 mph fastball along with his outstanding changeup could be effective even at Coors Field.

5. St. Louis Cardinals: Billy Carlson, Shortstop, Corona High School (California)

Make it back-to-back Panthers as the Cardinals add another impact middle infielder after stealing J.J. Wetherholt with the seventh overall pick last year. Carlson has enviable tools – he hits the mid-90s with his fastball on the mound – and banged out 30 hits this season, 11 going for extra bases. Signed with Tennessee but not likely to get to Knoxville.

6. Pittsburgh Pirates: Eli Willits, SS, Fort Cobb-Broxton High School (Oklahoma)

Ethan Holliday’s pal won’t wait too long to hear his name called. Willits embodies the grinder ethos that his father, former big league outfielder Reggie Willits, displayed but adds a nice set of tools from a 6-1 frame. At 17, he already towers over his father and likely won’t make it to Norman, where Reggie is the associate head coach at Oklahoma.

7. Miami Marlins: Kruz Schoolcraft, LHP, Sunset (Ore.) HS

The 2024 draft lasted eight picks before a high schooler was selected, an unprecedented run of collegians. This year, the teenagers take the power back. Schoolcraft just turned 18 last month and at 6-8, can touch 97 mph on his fastball. He’s an excellent two-way player but his projectability on the mound is obvious and the Marlins swing big here.

8. Toronto Blue Jays: Jace LaViolette, OF, Texas A&M

At the start of the season, LaViolette was positioned as the backup to Holliday, but his underwhelming performance in conference play has lowered expectations somewhat. Currently, he is batting .276 with 48 strikeouts across 47 games—a strikeout rate of 21.4%. Despite this, he has managed to hit 15 home runs and maintain an impressive on-base percentage of .437. However, these stats have dipped compared to last year when he had 29 home runs, including six multiple-home-run games, along with a remarkable on-base percentage of .449. Nonetheless, considering his overall career trajectory, the potential remains high for the 6-foot-6 left-handed power hitter.

9. Cincinnati Reds: Liam Doyle, left-handed pitcher from Tennessee

The showcase of SEC talent keeps going. Doyle ranks second nationally with 15.3 strikeouts per nine innings, owing to his skills. “invisiball” four-seamer That has enabled him to strike out 115 batters in 67 ⅔ innings. The previous pitcher from Coastal Carolina and Ole Miss will need to improve his additional pitches for higher levels of play, but his fastball stands out as an exceptional tool, particularly since he throws with his left hand.

10. Chicago White Sox: Kade Anderson, Left-Handed Pitcher from Louisiana State University

Not far behind Doyle statistically—he ranks fourth nationally with 14.5 strikeouts per nine innings—and might find himself closely linked with his SEC counterpart come draft day. Anderson, eligible for the draft as a sophomore, will turn 21 this July. His refined skill set could propel him quickly up the boards, providing Chicago with a strong pitching base following their selection of Hagen Smith in the 2024 first round.

11. Athletics: Marek Houston, Shortstop, Wake Forest

Back-to-back first-round picks for the Athletics could see Houston joining power hitter Nick Kurtz (ranked No. 4 overall in 2024) in Yolo County long before the team relocates to Las Vegas. Houston excels both defensively and at the plate, growing increasingly powerful each year as he combines excellent contact skills with significant home-run capability. The potential middle infield duo of Houston alongside Rookie of the Year contender Jacob Wilson is certainly tantalizing to imagine.

12. Texas Rangers: Kyson Witherspoon, Right-Handed Pitcher, Oklahoma

He breaks up the parade of lefties with a fastball that touches 98 mph and sets the stage for his 100 punchouts in 72 innings this season. A 0.89 WHIP – seventh in the nation – against SEC hitters is startling.

13. San Francisco Giants: Daniel Pierce, SS, Mill Creek (Ga.) HS

Pierce, a Georgia commit, fits the profile of the new Giants regime – toolsy but also excelling at attention to detail and the so-called little things. He’s gradually added more slug to his game, although he’s slightly old – turning 19 in August – for his graduating class.

14. Tampa Bay Rays: JoJo Parker, SS, Purvis (Miss.) HS

Perhaps the Rays can draft twin brother Jacob, as well, to keep both away from Mississippi State. Parker brings a physical presence to the middle infield and, if Jacob is any indication, could blossom into further power as he ages.

15. Boston Red Sox: Kayson Cunningham, SS, Johnson (Texas) HS

Standing at 5 feet 9 inches with a weight of 175 pounds, his physique offers a great batting potential, excelling in making contact with the ball and generating unexpected power. He is expected to play centrally within the infield during professional games.

16. Minnesota Twins selected Tyler Bremmer, RHP from UC Santa Barbara.

Like LaViolette, Bremner was in the early spring convo as a top four pick but his first year as a full-time starter has been uneven, with a 4.08 ERA in 12 starts for the Big West Conference school. Still, with a fastball that touches the upper 90s, he’s a moldable talent in the proper pitching program.

17. Chicago Cubs: Aloy Wehiwa, SS, Arkansas

He’s looking remarkably comfortable in his second season in the SEC, ranking second with 17 home runs, fifth with a 1.182 OPS and fourth in average (.376).  At 6-foot-2, 200 pounds, he should stick on shortstop and fits the Cubs’ draft pattern of selecting polished collegians.

18. Arizona Diamondbacks: Steele Hall, SS, Hewitt-Trussville High School (Ala.)

Remarkably fast and incredibly young, Hall reclassified for 2025, his 5-foot-11, 165-pound frame offering plenty of room to grow, given he’ll stil be 17 on draft day. Hall has excellent bat-to-ball skills, and could rise higher in the first round if evaluators trust those skills will translate from three years of Alabama prep ball to the professional ranks.

19. Baltimore Orioles: Ethan Conrad, outfielder,Wake Forest

The sky is blue, rain remains wet, and now a left-handed swinging outfielder from either the ACC or SEC is making their way to Baltimore. This player is none other than Conrad. Despite undergoing season-ending shoulder surgery following an outfield dive, he had shown significant improvement since his second year at Marist College, progressing through stellar performances in the Cape Cod League, culminating in a remarkable stretch of seven home runs with a batting average of .372 over just 21 games before getting injured.

20. Milwaukee Brewers: Dean Curley, infielder, Tennessee

It will require some additional refinement since they shifted him from shortstop to third base during his sophomore season with the Volunteers. However, he demonstrates great discipline when batting and possesses a tall stature of 6-4, which allows potential for adding more strength. This could enhance an offense that already boasts 11 home runs and a remarkable on-base percentage (.420).

21. Houston Astros: Sean Gamble, INF-OF, IMG (Fla.) Academy

An extremely versatile player with a strong baseball IQ , Gamble could eventually man one of three infield spots or take his skill set to center field. At 6-1 and 190 pounds, the Vanderbilt signee and Iowa native should add strength and power.

22. Atlanta Braves: Jack Bauer, Left-Handed Pitcher, Lincoln-Way East High School (Ill.)

Atlanta prefers relying heavily on strong pitching, and Trevor Bauer provides exactly what they need; during his final season, his fastball regularly exceeded 100 mph. It might be fate that he was selected at ... number 24.

23. Kansas City Royals: Cam Cannarella, LF, Clemson

His style of play complements Kauffman Stadium perfectly, featuring gap-to-gap power, strong defensive skills, and remarkable speed. He has been successful on 24 out of 29 steal attempts this season and boasts an impressive .462 on-base percentage.

24. Detroit Tigers: Xavier Neyens, INF, Mount Vernon (Wash.) HS

A 6-foot-4 frame that already offers elite power from the left side, and athleticism that produced 24 stolen bases in his team’s first 18 games. Oh, Neyens won’t be a speed merchant on the pro level, but if the team drafting him can cut down on his swing-and-miss, it should unlock significant thump from his bat.

25. San Diego Padres: Quentin Young, 3B/OF, Oaks Christian High School (California)

The nephew of Dmitri and Delmon might be a reach here, but Young, an LSU commit, offers significant raw power and an outstanding arm. Perhaps a longer-term project but with significant upside.

26. Philadelphia Phillies: Luke Stevenson, Catcher, University of North Carolina

The top-available catcher lands here, with Stevenson’s strongest asset being his throwing capability for now. He could team up with Cal Raleigh, Patrick Bailey, and Ryan Jeffers as major-league catchers developed in North Carolina.

27. Cleveland Guardians : Max Belyeu, OF, Texas

A thumb fracture ended his regular season after 22 games, but Belyeu was putting together a strong junior season – hitting .358 with a 1.107 OPS when he went down at the end of March. But teams certainly saw enough of his hit tool – he produced 18 homers a year ago – and a return in the postseason for the No. 1 team in the land could produce some helium prior to draft day.

28. Kansas City Royals*: Riley Quick, RHP, Alabama

The Royals have two picks within just six spots, which allows them to embrace some risk with their choices. Quick fits this profile well at 6-6, 255 pounds, offering a large physique for development despite his limited history following Tommy John surgery earlier in 2024. After returning fairly quickly from the procedure, his performance has been solid, striking out over one batter per inning across 11 games this year.

29. Arizona Diamondbacks**: infielder Brady Ebel from Corona High School in California

The final member of the Corona kids will head towards Phoenix on Highway 10 eastbound. Ebel, whose father is Dodgers' third-base coach Dino Ebel, possesses natural baseball talents befitting his family background and stands at an impressive 6-foot-3 with a weight of 190 pounds, which suggests he’s likely destined for a position at the hot corner in the future.

30. Baltimore Orioles**: OF Brendan Summerhill, Arizona

Summerhill prefers more of an "all-around success" type player. Over the last two seasons in 84 games, he only managed 11 home runs but currently boasts impressive stats with a slash line of .414/.504/.697 this year. Additionally, his versatility across all three outfield roles combined with potential for increased power makes him quite appealing as a prospect.

31. Baltimore Orioles**: Infielder Gavin Kilen from Tennessee

An injury to his hamstring kept him off the field, but he remains constantly on the minds of scouts. Transitioning from being a shortstop, Kilen now looks more suited to play defense at second base. This season, across 162 plate appearances, he has hit an impressive 11 home runs compared to only 14 strikeouts.

32. Milwaukee Brewers**: Gavin Fine, 3rd Base, Great Oak High School (California)

A commitment from Texas, standing 6-3 and weighing 200 pounds, suggests he may develop even more power moving forward. Fien possesses notable agility and can contribute defensively in various roles at higher levels of play.

- *Prospect advancement reward choice

**-Free agent compensation pick

The Dodgers, Mets, and Yankees all faced a 10-slot deduction from their initial selections due to surpassing the second limit of the Competitive Balance Tax. Consequently, their opening choices have been moved to Competitive Balance Round A. .

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The article initially appeared on USA TODAY: MLB mock draft 2025: Who's going No. 1? Who will the Reds pick?