2025 MLB Mock Draft: ‘Way Too Early’ Top 10 Picks For Next Year
Image credit: Ethan Holliday (7) Stillwater Pioneers OSSAA 6A State Baseball Playoffs at Norman North High School in Norman, Oklahoma on Thursday, May 9, 2024 (Photo by Eddie Kelly/ProLook Photos)
The world of amateur scouting moves quickly, and with the 2024 draft wrapping up yesterday, it’s full steam ahead for a 2025 class that scouts are eagerly anticipating after a down group this year.
Because we love the draft here at Baseball America, we’re rolling out a “way too early” mock for the top 10 picks in next year’s class. Despite how far away the 2025 draft is, this exercise has been fairly useful at identifying top-of-the-draft talents.
In last year’s version, six of the 10 players we mocked wound up going in the real top ten in this year’s draft: Nick Kurtz, Travis Bazzana, JJ Wetherholt, Konnor Griffin, Jac Caglianone and Chase Burns in that order). A seventh player, Vance Honeycutt, didn’t go that high but was still a first rounder.
Our misses included Brody Brecht (supplemental first round), Tommy White (second round) and prep outfielder Derek Curiel, who withdrew from the draft and was viewed as a second or third-round talent on draft day.
Though the actual order will be determined by the draft lottery, we don’t have that information yet, so we’ll be using the reverse order of the major league standings for this exercise. Of note, the White Sox have the worst record in baseball but aren’t eligible to pick until 10th at the earliest because they are a revenue paying team who won a draft lottery pick in 2024 and cannot have back-to-back lottery selections according to the new CBA. The A’s are also locked out of the draft lottery.
Check Out The Last Five Way Too Early Mocks
1. Marlins — Ethan Holliday, SS, Stillwater (Okla.) HS
The Holliday brothers have a chance to exceed what BJ (2nd overall in 2002) and Justin (1st overall in 2005) Upton did in the 2000s* by both going with the first two overall picks in their respective draft classes. Ethan is more physical than older brother Jackson at the same age and more likely to develop 30-plus home run power, albeit with a bit more swing-and-miss tendencies than what Jackson has shown in the minors. He could outgrow shortstop and be a better fit at third base or even corner outfield where he should still have the offensive package to profile nicely as a middle-of-the-order bat. The Marlins just took PJ Morlando and Carter Johnson with their first picks in 2023, so perhaps another lefty prep bat could intrigue them next year.
2. Rockies — Jace Laviolette, OF, Texas A&M
Laviolette is a 6-foot-6, 230-pound center fielder and lefthanded hitter who homered more than 20 times and posted an OPS over 1.000 in each of his first two seasons with Texas A&M. On a team that also included 12th overall pick Braden Montgomery, it was Laviolette who led the team with 29 homers while also holding down the fort as the everyday center fielder. His blend of lefthanded power and center field profile is exciting, though there’s some risk he’ll move to a corner in pro ball. He also needs to improve his contact rate next spring and lower a career 25% strikeout rate to create more confidence in his pure bat-to-ball skills.
3. Angels — Cam Cannarella, OF, Clemson
Cannarella is a pure hitter who put up a .363/.440/.560 slash line in his first two seasons with Clemson. He’s a plus runner who moves around well in center field and projects to stay there, though he played through a torn right labrum this spring which limited both his running and throwing. He’ll have surgery on the labrum this summer, and when healthy, he’s a well-rounded player who stands out for his all-fields offensive approach, speed and defensive savvy in centerfield. While the arm is perhaps the least important tool for a center fielder, scouts will be interested to see how well he’s throwing next spring.
4. Nationals — Devin Taylor, OF, Indiana
Taylor is a powerful, 6-foot-1, 215-pound outfielder and lefthanded hitter who is second in Indiana history with 36 home runs through his first two seasons with the program (behind only Alex Dickerson, who had 38). A career 338/.440/.655 hitter with the Hoosiers, he hit 16 home runs as a freshman and 20 more this spring in a followup sophomore campaign in which he cut his strikeout rate from 18.9% to 13.3%. He accesses his plus raw power to all fields and stands out for his pitch-recognition skills and quick, powerful lefthanded swing. He’s primarily played corner outfield in college, which will add pressure to his bat, but he’s established himself as one of the premium hitters in the 2025 college class.
5. Blue Jays — Brady Ebel, SS, Corona (Calif.) HS
The son of Dodgers third base coach Dino Ebel, the younger Ebel has earned a reputation as one of the more advanced pure hitters in the class thanks to a compact, efficient lefthanded swing that stays in the hitting zone for a long time. While he might eventually outgrow shortstop or lack the pure foot speed for the position, he has the hands, footwork and arm strength to stick on the dirt in the long run. If and when he does outgrow shortstop, he should also grow into more power potential that will pair nicely with his barrel skills and advanced approach at the plate. The Blue Jays are a team that seems to prioritize hitter age, and Ebel is one of the youngest players in the class who will still only be 17 on draft day.
6. Rangers — Tyler Bremner, RHP, UC Santa Barbara
Bremner was a top prospect out of Southern California in high school who paired a lively fastball with precise control to earn future plus grades as a prep arm. He lived up to expectations and then some in his first two years with UC Santa Barbara, posting a 2.54 ERA over 88.2 innings and nine starts with a 30.2% strikeout rate and 6.1% walk rate in 2024. Now a 6-foot-2, 180-pound righthander with a lean frame, Bremner attacks hitters with a three-pitch mix that features a mid-90s fastball that touches 98 with riding life from a low release point, a lethal mid-80s changeup that falls off the table and a hard, gyro slider in the mid-80s. He’s got a starter delivery and starter pitch mix. Now he just needs a full season in a full-time starting role.
7. Cubs — Caden Bodine, C, Coastal Carolina
As it stands in mid-July, Bodine seems to have the best contact skills in the 2025 class. A 5-foot-10, 200-pound switch-hitting catcher, he has a career .346/.432/.564 slash line with more walks than strikeouts both years at Coastal Carolina. This spring, he made contact at an 89% clip with a standout 93% in-zone contact rate. He pairs those bat-to-ball skills with soft hands and an above-average, accurate throwing arm behind the plate.
8. Tigers — Xavier Neyens, 3B, Mount Vernon (Wash.) HS
Neyens was one of the most impressive prospects at last summer’s Area Code Games and didn’t look out of place in terms of size or skills as an underclassman. A 6-foot-4, 205-pound lefthanded hitter and third baseman, Neyens possesses some of the best raw power in the class and earns 70-grade power projections in his prime. He’s a patient hitter who can handle the outer third of the plate and hammer balls to the opposite field, though his power comes with some contact questions. Neyens has plenty of arm strength for third base but could eventually wind up in a corner outfield position. He’s a legitimate two-way player who has been up to 93 mph on the mound, but his pro future is most exciting as a powerful lefthanded slugger.
9. Giants — Seth Hernandez, RHP, Corona (Calif.) HS
For years, Hernandez was considered the top arm in the 2025 high school class, giving the group a potential Dylan Lesko/Noble Meyer-caliber righthander. At 6-foot-4, 205 pounds, Hernandez pitches in the mid 90s and has been up to 98 with great extension and a clean, athletic delivery that he repeats well. On top of a plus fastball, he also has an outstanding changeup. The high-spin breaking ball has heavy fade and sink with tons of velocity separation from his heater and could be a third plus offering in time. This would give Corona High two top-10 picks, and they have a third prospect, shortstop and righthander Billy Carlson, who also has first round upside.
10. White Sox — Jamie Arnold, LHP, Florida State
The White Sox have seemed to covet low-slot lefthanders in recent drafts, and Arnold fits that profile as perhaps the top southpaw in the class. The 6-foot-1, 198-pound lefthander is coming off a dominant season in which he posted a 2.98 ERA over 105.2 innings and 18 starts with a 29.6 K-BB% that was good for fifth-best in the country behind only Chase Burns, Hagen Smith, Ryan Johnson and Trey Yesavage. Arnold pitched heavily off his fastball/slider combination this spring and averaged 93-94 mph with the pitch while touching 97 from a low arm slot that, at times, gets fully sidearm. His mid-80s sweepy slider from that angle was a nightmare for hitters on both sides, though he could show a bit more of a third offering next spring to round out his high-end starter profile.
*The first version of this story incorrectly referred to both Upton brothers as 1-1 picks. We apologize for the error.
