The 2025 Draft noticed 615 picks made throughout 20 rounds over simply two days earlier this week.
As we at MLB Pipeline have taken a while to let the mud settle, some picks proceed to face out greater than others. It might be that a company obtained the very best expertise at their slot, based mostly on the High 250 rankings. It might be that they obtained nice worth for the place they had been selecting. We simply may just like the match between participant and farm system too.
Reality be informed, standout picks can come from wherever within the Draft course of. Listed here are our favourite 2025 picks from every membership, together with 9 from the primary spherical and one as late because the twelfth:
Blue Jays: JoJo Parker, SS (first spherical)
Toronto was tied to varsity pitching for a lot of the method, which is smart given the success of 2024 picks Trey Yesavage and Khal Stephen this summer season, however went with a possible on a regular basis participant at a premium place as a substitute. Parker attracts raves for his easy left-handed swing, and he’s hitting the ball more durable as he matures bodily. Even when he strikes to second or third — and that dialog can be down the street — the bat might nonetheless make him among the best picks of the category.
Orioles: Slater de Brun, OF (Spherical CB-A)
Phrase on the road was that the Nationals had been hoping to get de Brun with their second-round decide at No. 49 general. The Orioles, with the biggest bonus pool amongst all 30 groups, swooped in and took him at No. 37 general, getting an impressive left-handed swinging bat with extra pop than you’d count on from a 5-foot-10 outfielder, straightforward plus velocity and protection in a Corbin Carroll sort of approach.
Rays: Brendan Summerhill, OF (Spherical CB-A)
Tampa Bay used the forty second general decide to take MLB Pipeline’s No. 16 Draft prospect. The Arizona outfielder faces some questions with regards to chase charges and general energy, however his bat-to-ball abilities, velocity and fielding all grade out as above-average as he enters the Tampa Bay system. The Rays could need to maintain him in heart over proper, although he has the arm energy for both.
Crimson Sox: Kyson Witherspoon, RHP (first spherical)
The Crimson Sox deliberate on concentrating on pitchers however couldn’t have anticipated Witherspoon, the very best school right-hander, to fall of their laps at No. 15. The Oklahoma star runs his fastball as much as 99 mph, owns among the best curveballs within the Draft and his slider and cutter may be plus choices as effectively.
Yankees: Dax Kilby, SS (supplemental first spherical)
The Yankees had a bunch of highschool hitters they hoped would get to their first decide at No. 39 and estimated they’d no higher than a 50-50 likelihood at Kilby. The Newnan (Ga.) HS product was one of many extra polished prep bats within the Draft, utilizing a mature method and fast, compact left-handed swing to make repeated contact from hole to hole.
Guardians: Jace LaViolette, OF (first spherical)
LaViolette entered 2025 because the potential first decide within the Draft and wound up because the final selection within the first spherical, a pleasant worth play for the Guardians. Regardless that he batted simply .258 with a 25.2 p.c strikeout fee as a junior, he nonetheless affords a formidable mixture of uncooked energy, physicality and athleticism and set a Texas A&M profession document with 68 homers and 169 walks.
Royals: Josh Hammond, SS/3B (PPI)
Utilizing the decide it acquired for Bobby Witt Jr.’s high three AL MVP end final 12 months, Kansas Metropolis went with Hammond, a North Carolina prep infielder with plus uncooked energy. The Royals identified that Hammond can be more and more displaying he can hit towards a number of pitch sorts, and his swing choices might get even higher as he strikes away from pitching within the professionals. Introduced as a shortstop, Hammond is likely to be a greater future match at third base, the place his rocket of an arm can be an asset.
Tigers: River Hamilton, RHP (eleventh spherical)
Prior to now, golf equipment had an evening to determine how a lot cash they may use in Rounds 11-20, when solely the overage on bonuses above $150,000 depend towards the pool. This 12 months, they’d an hour break. Detroit appears to consider it might discover area for Hamilton, the 99th-ranked participant on MLB Pipeline’s High 250. The Oregon prep right-hander, who has an LSU dedication, is projectable at 6-foot-3, is already as much as the mid-90s together with his fastball and reveals the makings of a stable slider and changeup.
Twins: Matt Barr, RHP (fifth spherical)
The Twins have an excellent historical past of discovering massive league arms within the later rounds of the Draft — Zebby Matthews (eighth spherical), Bailey Ober (twelfth spherical), David Festa (thirteenth spherical) — and Barr has as a lot upside as any of these current examples. The 6-foot-6 junior school product is just 19 years previous and throws all the pieces with a ton of spin, from a vigorous fastball as much as 97 mph to 2 distinct breaking pitches with elite-level spin charges, all coming from a free and athletic supply.
White Sox: Jaden Fauske, OF (second spherical)
It is no secret that the White Sox prefer to draft gamers who frolicked with their Space Codes Sport workforce, and so they grabbed one other one in Fauske, who drew supplemental first-round curiosity from a number of golf equipment. Gatorade’s Illinois Excessive Faculty Participant of the 12 months after starring at Nazareth Academy (La Grange Park), he is a complicated hitter with a easy left-handed stroke, a disciplined method and stable velocity.
Angels: Talon Haley, LHP (twelfth spherical)
The Angels love discovering a highschool arm after the tenth spherical and signing him, having achieved so with Caden Dana and Trey Gregory-Alford in current drafts. Haley is a simple one to root for, having overcome each Tommy John surgical procedure earlier than highschool (he discovered to throw right-handed so he might play whereas rehabbing!) and non-Hodgkin lymphoma. He performed by way of chemo and radiation therapies, however then tore his UCL once more, needing inner brace surgical procedure. But it surely’s not only a really feel good story of resilience — he can get his fastball as much as 97 mph and has a hammer of a curve, a stable slider and a few really feel for a changeup.
Astros: Ethan Frey, OF (third spherical)
Frey performed an integral function in Louisiana State’s Males’s Faculty World Collection championship, posting the very best batting line (.331/.420/.641) on the workforce and delivering a number of clutch hits. He is bodily imposing at 6-foot-6 and 225 kilos and patiently waits for pitches that he can drive within the air. He spent a lot of his school profession at DH, partly as a result of he tore the labrum in his proper shoulder in 2024, however he is a great athlete with stable velocity who was a dual-threat quarterback in highschool.
A’s: Devin Taylor, OF (second spherical)
After being thrilled that Jamie Arnold was there for them at No. 11 general within the first spherical, the A’s had one other terrific school performer fall of their laps within the second. Taylor has achieved nothing however rake, with the possibility to be a plus hitter with plus energy on the subsequent stage. He’s seemingly restricted to left area, however who cares with that offensive profile.
Mariners: Kade Anderson, LHP (first spherical)
Main as much as the Draft, the entire “intel” we had been getting is that if Anderson by some means obtained to the Mariners at No. 3, they’d be ecstatic, nevertheless it appeared unlikely to occur. Besides that it did. It shouldn’t take lengthy for Anderson to affix that very stable Mariners massive league rotation.
Rangers: A.J. Russell, RHP (second spherical)
If Russell had been totally wholesome this spring, he virtually definitely would have gone within the high half of the primary spherical. However he had shoulder and elbow points in 2024, resulting in inner brace surgical procedure that June, and labored simply 25 1/3 innings this spring at Tennessee. At his finest, Russell has a 92-94 mph fastball that reaches 98 and should have the very best heater metrics within the Draft, and a low-80s sweeper that grades as a plus providing.
Braves: Briggs McKenzie, LHP (fourth spherical)
After drafting bats (one highschool, two school) with their first three picks, the Braves could have struck gold within the fourth spherical with McKenzie, a North Carolina prep lefty who offers off MacKenzie Gore vibes, and never simply due to his final title. It’s the texture to spin a curve that pulls the comp, even when McKenzie didn’t have the identical velocity leap Gore did in highschool. There might be extra within the tank for this McKenzie, so the side-by-side might change into much more correct.
Marlins: Cam Cannarella, OF (supplemental first spherical)
Cannarella appeared like a slam-dunk High 10 decide as a Clemson freshman earlier than being hampered by a torn labrum in his proper shoulder and the after results of surgical procedure the subsequent two seasons, so this might be a steal. He nonetheless showcased among the finest hitting capability and center-field protection within the school ranks, and he has the plus velocity to steal bases regardless of not operating a lot the final two years.
Mets: Peyton Prescott, RHP (fifth spherical)
A Draft-eligible sophomore, Prescott moved from Jacksonville to Florida State and struck out 46 in 36 2/3 innings out of the Seminoles’ bullpen. He confirmed a triple-digit heater and obtained whiffs on a mid-80s slider, however he wanted Tommy John surgical procedure after injuring his elbow in Tremendous Regional play. The stuff is sweet although, and if he can get again to displaying it after rehabbing with the Mets, he has upside as a high-leverage reduction arm.
Nationals: Landon Harmon, RHP (third spherical)
Washington discovered gold within the third spherical with Travis Sykora in 2023. It went again to the effectively to take an enormous, right-handed prep arm who will seemingly have to signal for above slot right here in ‘25. Ranked No. 48 in MLB Pipeline’s High 250, the 6-foot-5 Harmon earns borderline plus-plus grades for his 93-96 mph fastball due to its flat method angle. He can manipulate his slider from a sweeper to a cutter look too, and may he simply have to discover a constant changeup to take off within the Washington pipeline.
Phillies: Matthew Fisher, RHP (seventh spherical)
The Phillies went exhausting after pitching, with 9 of their 10 picks within the bonus pool vary (high 10 rounds) being arms. Just one got here from the highschool ranks and that was Fisher, a super-projectable and athletic right-hander who was additionally his highschool quarterback. We consistently level out that if gamers are drafted within the high 10 rounds, they’re 99.9 p.c sure to signal, nevertheless it’s not frequent to see an over-slot highschool participant at this stage in a Draft.
Brewers: Daniel Dickinson, 2B/SS (sixth spherical)
Dickinson was a two-year standout at Utah Valley, made the U.S. collegiate nationwide workforce, transferred to LSU and helped the Tigers win the Males’s Faculty World Collection final month. That whirlwind profession has been pushed by the right-handed hitter’s innate hand-eye coordination, and whereas he faces loads of questions on his pop (particularly with wooden bats), Dickinson might make a leap with Brewers hitting instructors that routinely get probably the most out of younger bats. Introduced as a shortstop, he’s a greater match at second base on account of common arm energy.
Cardinals: Liam Doyle, LHP (first spherical)
With the fifth general decide, the Cardinals obtained probably the most explosive pitcher on this 12 months’s class. Doyle’s fastball picked up some velo into the mid-90s (touching 100) this spring, and the perform of a excessive arm slot makes it play up much more. The Tennessee star has three extra above-average choices in his slider, cutter and splitter too, and whereas some surprise how he can maintain his high-octane fashion over a full professional season, his stuff could also be so good that he’ll must be challenged with fast strikes up the chain towards St. Louis.
Cubs: Ethan Conrad, OF (first spherical)
Although Conrad performed simply 21 video games at Wake Forest this spring earlier than injuring his left shoulder diving for a ball in March and having season-ending surgical procedure, his abilities had been obvious. He starred at Marist and within the Cape Cod League in 2024, and he continued to make exhausting contact whereas showcasing stable velocity and enjoying a succesful heart area.
Pirates: Seth Hernandez, RHP (first spherical)
For the second 12 months in a row, the Pirates had the possibility to take a highschool participant who might find yourself being the very best participant within the Draft. Final 12 months, considerations about his hit instrument allowed Konnor Griffin to get to them at No. 9, and we’ve seen how that’s turned out. This 12 months, they didn’t go on the possibility to take by far the very best highschool pitcher within the class in Hernandez, whose polish and pure stuff might permit him to maneuver sooner than most prep arms.
Reds: Mason Neville, OF (fourth spherical)
We had been shocked that Neville, who tied for the NCAA Division I lead in house runs (26) this spring, lasted till the fourth spherical, and it sounds just like the Reds had been, too. Sure, there are some swing/miss and platoon break up considerations, however the energy is legit and he has the possibility to play heart area, so this might be a steal within the fourth.
D-backs: Dean Livingston, RHP (fourth spherical)
This one’s all about projection. Livingston didn’t be a part of his Georgia highschool rotation till this spring, so he nonetheless has loads of expertise to choose up within the Arizona system. Scouts had been already projecting that the 6-foot-4 righty might some day hit triple-digits provided that he already touches 96. His changeup is forward of his slider and curveball, and the D-backs might want him to deal with one breaking ball early in his profession. That mixture of measurement, present velocity and anticipated enhancements isn’t typically out there within the fourth.
Dodgers: Cam Leiter, RHP (second spherical)
Leiter made solely seven begins at Florida State in 2024 earlier than coming down with shoulder issues that price him all of this season, although he did throw a bullpen exercise for golf equipment shortly earlier than the Draft. He would have been a simple first-round decide with out well being points, and he is the kind of gamble a wildly profitable group just like the Dodgers can afford to take. His fastball sits at 95 mph and touches 98 whereas exploding on hitters, his upper-80s slider is usually a wipeout pitch and he reveals really feel for a curveball and changeup as effectively.
Giants: Cameron Maldonado, OF (seventh spherical)
Maldonado slashed .351/.467/.631 with 15 homers and 29 steals whereas displaying an attention-grabbing mixture of instruments at Northeastern this spring. He does include some swing-and-miss considerations that knocked him right down to the seventh spherical, however he is additionally a middle fielder with plus uncooked energy and velocity who set a Huskies document with 86 profession steals.
Padres: Kruz Schoolcraft, LHP (first spherical)
San Diego solely has $6,569,100 in its pool this 12 months, the third-lowest of any group, and will have been forgiven for not taking an enormous swing at No. 25 general to be able to unfold out that pool. As a substitute, they went massive on Schoolcraft, who might find yourself being one of the vital proficient arms in the entire class. Standing 6-foot-8, the southpaw has three above-average pitches in his fastball, slider and changeup, and he might take off now that he’s set to be a full-time pitcher. It’s the ninth straight 12 months the Padres have gone the highschool route within the first spherical.
Rockies: Ethan Holliday, SS (first spherical)
It’s a trigger for celebration when you may get the participant most felt was the very best expertise within the class, particularly while you weren’t certain he’d get there, as he was in very sturdy competition to go No. 1 general. Whether or not he finally ends up at quick or strikes to 3rd, it doesn’t actually matter as a result of his bat has the possibility to be very particular.
