
MLB Power Rankings: NL shaken up as 2 teams surge up list
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adminWhat a week can do in MLB — and in our Power Rankings.
In the American League, the Rangers have lost five of their past six games, dropping from No. 13 on our list to No. 18. Meanwhile, in the National League, the Cardinals have steadily dug themselves out of an early-season hole and now sit second in their division while the Mets rode a seven-game winning streak back into contention, jumping eight spots up to 17th. Both teams now find themselves in the thick of the NL wild-card race.
We’re not yet at the midway mark of the season, so there’s still a lot of baseball left. Can the reigning World Series champions turn their fortune around? And are New York and St. Louis legit contenders now?
Our expert panel has combined to rank every team in baseball based on a combination of what we’ve seen so far and what we already knew going into the 162-game marathon that is a full baseball season. We also asked ESPN MLB experts David Schoenfield, Bradford Doolittle, Jesse Rogers, Alden Gonzalez and Jorge Castillo to weigh in with an observation for all 30 teams.
Record: 51-25
Previous ranking: 1
It’s been quite the week for the Yankees — and not a good one. First, Anthony Rizzo fractured his right forearm Sunday in a loss to the Red Sox and will miss at least eight weeks. Two days later, after Rizzo and two pitchers were placed on the injured list, Aaron Judge exited a win over the Orioles when he was hit by a pitch on the left hand. Judge, unlike Rizzo, received good news: no structural damage. Crisis dodged. Finally, on Wednesday, Gerrit Cole made his season debut after being diagnosed with nerve inflammation in his right elbow in March, going four-plus innings while giving up two runs on three hits, with five strikeouts and one walk. Through it all, the Yankees’ hold onto the best record in the majors. — Castillo
Record: 49-25
Previous ranking: 2
The Phillies’ pitching has had a couple hiccups lately, losing two of three in both Boston and Baltimore last week. Zack Wheeler had a rough outing against the Orioles, giving up four home runs and eight runs over 4⅓ innings, the first time he’s ever allowed four home runs in a game and tied for the second-most runs he’s allowed. Aaron Nola had a similar rough start against the Red Sox, allowing 11 hits and eight runs in 3⅔ innings. He did bounce back Tuesday against the Padres, allowing four hits and three runs in six innings. — Schoenfield
Record: 48-25
Previous ranking: 3
Jackson Holliday‘s return to the majors hit a speed bump last week when he landed on Triple-A Norfolk’s IL with right elbow inflammation. Called up for his big league debut on April 10 to much fanfare, the consensus top-ranked prospect went 2-for-34 with two walks and 18 strikeouts in 10 games before being sent back to the minors. Holliday has batted .252 with five home runs and an .847 OPS in 40 games for Norfolk since the disappointing start to his major league career. The Orioles certainly do not need Holliday to contend, but the team’s brass envisioned the 20-year-old middle infielder contributing in Baltimore this season. He still might. Just not for now. — Castillo
Record: 46-30
Previous ranking: 4
The Dodgers will be tested far sooner than anyone would have imagined. Over the weekend, one of their two best pitchers, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, suffered a rotator cuff strain, and one of their three best hitters, Mookie Betts, fractured his left hand. Both will be out for several weeks. And though neither ailment is considered season-ending, a Dodgers team that had a lot of injury and workload questions throughout its rotation and was struggling to get production from the bottom half of its lineup will need others to step up. It might not impact the Dodgers’ chances of once again winning the NL West, given the NL’s general mediocrity. But perhaps the next couple of months will get interesting. — Gonzalez
Record: 45-26
Previous ranking: 5
Daniel Schneemann has given the offense a nice boost since his call-up, hitting .333 in his first 12 games with four extra-base hits and six RBIs — all while starting at five different positions (center field, third base, shortstop, second base and right field). Schneemann is 27 years old, a 33rd-round pick back in 2018 out of BYU, so it’s been a slow and unexpected trek to the majors. He never hit much before finally putting up some numbers at Triple-A in 2023, and he had shown even more power while increasing his walk rate this season, posting a .984 OPS with Columbus. Along with David Fry, has Cleveland pulled another rabbit out of its hat? — Schoenfield
Record: 44-30
Previous ranking: 6
The Brewers have won games with their bats all season long, but their gloves have been just as impressive as well. The latest examples came from center fielders Blake Perkins and Sal Frelick this past Sunday and Tuesday, respectively. First, Perkins threw out the tying run at the plate to preserve a 5-4 win over the Reds, and then Frelick went above the wall to rob Taylor Ward of a home run during a 6-3 win over the Angels. Both were the final plays of the game and were reminders that good run prevention can be just as important as scoring. Milwaukee has both this season. — Rogers
Record: 44-32
Previous ranking: 9
This season, the Mariners may be making a historical connection to the *other* team in the 1906 World Series. The 2001 Mariners are already permanently linked to one of those teams — the 1906 Cubs — thanks to their tie atop the all-time leaderboard for single-season wins (116). Like those Mariners, those 1906 Cubs didn’t win the World Series after their record-setting season.
Instead, the Cubs were upset by the crosstown White Sox, forever known as the “Hitless Wonders.” That White Sox team owns the record for the lowest team batting average for a first-place club (.230), at least among those that played at least 75 games in a season. So far, the Mariners are at .220 and yet, they lead the AL West by a whopping nine games. In other words, this year’s Mariners have been both hitless … and wonderful. — Doolittle
Record: 41-31
Previous ranking: 8
With Michael Harris II suffering a Grade 2 hamstring strain, the Braves are suddenly scrambling in the outfield — a scenario that suddenly resembles 2021. Manager Brian Snitker said Harris will be out “a long time.” In the meantime, Jarred Kelenic moves over to center field. He has experience there from his Seattle days, but he’ll be a step down defensively from Harris. Adam Duvall, Ramon Laureano and Forrest Wall are the other outfield options, but Duvall has struggled filling in for Ronald Acuna Jr., and Laureano and Wall are just stopgaps. The Braves have to be looking to make a deal here. — Schoenfield
Record: 41-34
Previous ranking: 7
The Royals’ early-season surge topped out with a win on May 25 that put them 15 games over .500. A prolonged downturn after that may have reached its nadir in a 7-5 loss to the lowly A’s on June 18 that was a perfect example of Kansas City’s recent struggles. The loss dropped the Royals to 7-14 since that high point (and they tacked on another loss on Wednesday). During the slump, their hitters have still managed to score runs at a better-than-MLB-average rate (4.48, ranked 12th). However, during that stretch, only the Rockies have coughed up runs at a higher rate, with K.C. allowing 5.57 runs per game.
All along, the Royals’ pitching depth was likely to be the key to how long they could maintain their surprise playoff contention. As that depth has been tested through injuries and unsurprising regressions in performance, the shine on this breakout season has started to fade. — Doolittle
Record: 41-33
Previous ranking: 11
Don’t look now, but Carlos Correa is stitching together his best offensive season since 2019 after a down 2023. The shortstop has been on a tear lately, as he went 17-for-28 with three home runs over his previous six games before going hitless in Wednesday’s loss. That stretch helped him win AL Player of the Week and fueled the Twins’ four-game sweep of the A’s. After missing time in April with a strained oblique, Correa is slashing .310/.371/.505 with eight home runs in 56 games this season. The AL shortstop pool is deep, but Correa deserves consideration as one of the top at the position behind Bobby Witt Jr. and Gunnar Henderson. — Castillo
Record: 40-35
Previous ranking: 12
The Red Sox possess more athleticism and speed than most clubs, but their 60 steals entering Sunday ranked ninth in the majors — 42 behind the league-leading Reds. They’ve been good, not great, at robbing bags. But Boston sensed a weakness in the Yankees on Sunday and pounced. By the end of the night, they had set a franchise record with nine steals in a 9-3 victory to take the three-game series. It was another example of a club hindered by injuries and a lack of adequate investment from ownership finding a way to win. Somehow, the Red Sox are 40-35, winners of 11 of their past 17 and one game out of the final wild-card spot. What seemed like an early-season fluke has stretched into the summer. — Castillo
Record: 38-40
Previous ranking: 10
Just when it seems as if the Padres are going to go on a run, they fall back further. They lost five of their first six games at the start of June, then bounced back to win five of six. And then, most recently, they were swept in a weekend series against the Mets and lost two of three to the Phillies, ending their six-game East Coast trip two games below .500. Fernando Tatis Jr. and Jurickson Profar have stepped up offensively this month, as have Michael King and Matt Waldron on the mound. But the likes of Jake Cronenworth, Luis Arraez, Dylan Cease and Wandy Peralta have struggled. The Padres just can’t seem to bring it all together, not unlike last year’s group. There’s still time to change that, though. — Gonzalez
Record: 36-38
Previous ranking: 17
Corbin Carroll felt something grab at his left side during a throw Sunday, prompting an MRI and triggering ominous thoughts around a Diamondbacks team that had already suffered its fair share of injuries. The development, though, was positive: An MRI did not reveal any significant damage, and Carroll rejoined the team Tuesday, reaching base five times in a 5-0 win over the Nationals. The D-backs are already without fellow outfielder Alek Thomas and three starting pitchers — Zac Gallen, Merrill Kelly and Eduardo Rodriguez. They could ill afford to lose Carroll, especially given his recent hot stretch offensively. Since seeing his batting average fall to .192 on June 5, Carroll is slashing .348/.455/.543. — Gonzalez
Record: 36-39
Previous ranking: 16
The Giants’ leader in Baseball-Reference WAR is a 24-year-old outfielder who spent the season’s first five weeks in Triple-A. That would be Heliot Ramos, who is slashing .310/.388/.545 and has provided excellent defense for a team that lost its center fielder and leadoff hitter, Jung Hoo Lee, to a torn labrum. Ramos was the 19th overall pick out of Puerto Rico in the 2017 draft and is now starting to come into his own. He’s getting heavy consideration for the All-Star Game, and he recently drew praise from legendary center fielder Torii Hunter, who told KNBR in San Francisco that Ramos is “one of my favorite players.” — Gonzalez
Record: 34-40
Previous ranking: 15
The Astros reached second place in the AL West this week for the first time since the Opening Day. Don’t let the order of the standings fool you: This was yet another week devoid of any reason to think Houston is suddenly going to revert to championship form. The “rise” in the standings was a whole lot more about the non-Seattle portion of the division than anything the Astros have done. Of their many failings, perhaps the standout trait has been an inability to win close games. They are 5-14 in one-run games and 9-24 in games decided by two runs or less. Houston is due for some positive regression, but it may already be too late. — Doolittle
Record: 36-37
Previous ranking: 23
Closer Ryan Helsley is on a nice run this month, as he’s gone scoreless for St. Louis in seven of eight appearances, lowering his ERA into the mid 2.00s while leading the league in saves. He’s been extremely consistent for the Cardinals, pitching exactly an inning in every outing while giving up just two home runs in 33 innings overall. It puts him in the mix for the All-Star Game next month as he’s already blown by his career high in saves — previously 19. — Rogers
Record: 35-38
Previous ranking: 25
Watch out, Mr. Met — somebody (or something?) might be coming for your job. Grimace, the purple McDonald’s character, is getting credit for turning around the Mets’ season. Grimace threw out the first pitch on June 12, and the Mets beat the Marlins that night. They beat the Marlins again the next day, swept the Padres over the weekend and took the first two games against the Rangers to run their winning streak to seven games before losing on Wednesday. They scored 32 runs in a three-game stretch and hit .314 with 13 home runs over that seven-game winning streak. Welcome to the Grimace Era. — Schoenfield
Record: 34-40
Previous ranking: 13
The Rangers haven’t played well, but there’s no denying that injuries have kneecapped their title defense. Some of this we knew heading into the season, given the IL status of standout starters such as Max Scherzer, Jacob deGrom and Tyler Mahle. A team with a season-opening IL like that needs some good injury luck elsewhere on the roster, but the opposite has been the case for Texas. According to the injury tracking metrics at Spotrac, the Rangers lead the majors in IL days lost, just ahead of the Dodgers. But the cash estimate of those injuries swamps everybody: According to that site, Texas has outspent every team on injured players by nearly $20 million. Tough to overcome. — Doolittle
Record: 35-39
Previous ranking: 14
Cincinnati had a good run to get back into the playoff race but a little slide backwards has some wondering if the team will be adders or dealers at the deadline. Considering the Reds haven’t made the postseason — outside of the shortened 2020 season — since 2013, there is little appetite to subtract come July 30. They also believe their best is yet to come as they’re getting healthier, and infielder Noelvi Marte is due back from suspension soon. There have been signs both on offense and on the mound that the Reds can go on a bigger run, which means you can expect them to add during trade season. — Rogers
Record: 36-37
Previous ranking: 24
The Nationals swept the Marlins over the weekend, allowing just two runs in the three games. On Friday, MacKenzie Gore fanned 10 batters, giving up just one run in seven innings. On Saturday, DJ Herz struck out 13 in six scoreless innings, the most by a Nationals starter since Max Scherzer fanned 14 on May 8, 2021. Herz also became just the second pitcher since the mound was moved to its current distance in 1893 to have 13 K’s and no walks in one of his first three career starts. The other? Stephen Strasburg in his major league debut. To cap off the sweep, Mitchell Parker allowed one run in six innings — also walking nobody. Yes, it was the Marlins, but it was an impressive series nonetheless for the three young lefties. — Schoenfield
Record: 35-39
Previous ranking: 19
Bo Bichette‘s rough season took a turn for the worse Tuesday when he was placed on the 10-day IL with a right calf strain. Bichette, an All-Star two of the past three seasons, is batting .237 with four home runs and a .629 OPS. The peripheral numbers are also alarming: He ranks in the 18th percentile in barrel rate, 10th percentile in chase rate and 15th percentile in walk rate across the majors. It’s been a struggle for a shortstop who went from franchise cornerstone to a constant subject of trade rumors in a few months. His days in Toronto might be numbered. — Castillo
Record: 34-40
Previous ranking: 18
The Tigers have the seventh-lowest OPS in the sport and rank 20th in runs per game. There haven’t been many encouraging signs on the offensive side, but Riley Greene sure is one of them. The fifth overall pick in 2019, Greene is slashing .256/.350/.485 with 14 home runs in 73 games this season, ranking among the best in the sport in walk rate, barrel percentage and expected slug, among other metrics. His .975 OPS in June ranks 24th among 183 qualified hitters. With Spencer Torkelson in Triple-A and Kerry Carpenter dealing with a stress fracture in his lumbar spine, Greene has become a focal point for opposing teams. It has seemingly brought out his best. — Gonzalez
Record: 36-39
Previous ranking: 20
Replacing one struggling catcher — Yan Gomes — with another is a decent sign of where the Cubs stand these days. Who knows, maybe adding former Met Tomas Nido could turn out to be a boon, but right now it’s just a minor upgrade on the margins at an important position. Chicago is looking for any spark to move it past a nearly two month malaise. Nido won’t be that for the Cubs, but the move is a sign of what the front office is thinking: We need to get better wherever we can. Next up, between now and the deadline, should be a closer and a bigger bat. Without the former, Chicago will likely have more moments like it did Monday when Hector Neris blew a two-run ninth-inning lead. — Rogers
Record: 36-38
Previous ranking: 21
In discussing the young, skillful starting pitching that the Pirates have in Jared Jones and Paul Skenes, we shouldn’t forget that Mitch Keller is still their ace. After a rough start to the season, he’s been strong over the past couple of months, giving up more than two runs just once. That includes a seven-inning masterpiece on Wednesday against the Reds. Keller gave up just two hits and two walks while striking out seven in the 1-0 win. It lowered his ERA to 3.11, a far cry from its high water mark of 5.18 at the end of April. That trio of starters just might keep the Pirates in the NL wild-card race. — Rogers
Record: 35-39
Previous ranking: 22
The Rays are on pace for their first losing season since 2017, which could spark several moves ahead of the July 30 trade deadline. But one person definitely isn’t going anywhere for a long time: manager Kevin Cash. The Tampa Bay Times reported Cash recently signed a contract extension through the 2030 season, and for good reason: Cash has over a .500 winning percentage with five postseason berths and a World Series appearance in his 10 seasons in Tampa. The Rays have been a steady winner despite their payroll restrictions. History strongly suggests they’ll get back on track — whether that’s this season or next. — Castillo
Record: 29-45
Previous ranking: 26
Other than trying to best position their roster for the seasons ahead, the best use of the rest of the Angels’ season is to further the development of the youngest players on the roster. One of those is catcher Logan O’Hoppe, who has established himself as one of baseball’s best young backstops. At the plate, he’s been terrific, with an OPS since the start of last season that ranks seventh among regular catchers. The defense is a work in progress. Opponents have stolen an MLB-high 49 bases against O’Hoppe this season. Angels pitchers are partly culpable for this but so, too, is O’Hoppe, whose pop time outranks only three other catchers, per Statcast. His arm strength is a little better than average, so it’s really a matter of mastering the small things in order to become a complete catcher. — Doolittle
Record: 28-48
Previous ranking: 27
One of the more encouraging player-related developments for Oakland this season has been the blossoming of center fielder JJ Bleday at the plate. Bleday was the fourth overall pick of what has turned out to be a pretty strong 2019 draft, taken before early-career standouts such as Bryson Stott, Corbin Carroll, George Kirby, Riley Greene and Anthony Volpe, just to name a few. That he was acquired from Miami before last season for oft-injured lefty A.J. Puk in a one-for-one deal kind of tells you how his stock had subsequently dropped. This season, Bleday has played most days in center for Oakland and his 139 OPS+ ranks second to only Judge among qualifying center fielders. Bleday entered this season with a career OPS+ of 79. — Doolittle
Record: 26-48
Previous ranking: 28
The Rockies suffered quite possibly their most gut-wrenching loss amid a gut-wrenching season on Tuesday night. They were up five runs in the ninth inning against the first-place Dodgers and then surrendered a grand slam to Jason Heyward and the go-ahead three-run homer to Teoscar Hernandez, one pitch after Rockies players and coaches believe he went around on a check swing that would’ve resulted in a game-ending strikeout. As the baseball sailed over his head and beyond the Coors Field fence, Rockies right fielder Jake Cave berated first-base umpire Lance Barksdale from his position. It was the Rockies’ third consecutive loss. It sank them a whopping 20 games out of first place. — Gonzalez
Record: 25-49
Previous ranking: 29
After posting a 14-13 record in May, the Marlins are back to looking like they did in April, starting 4-12 in their 16 games in June. Manager Skip Schumaker doesn’t have much to work with, but he made one of the more baffling lineup decisions of the season when he batted Tim Anderson leadoff on Saturday — even though Anderson entered the game with a .250 OBP. Anderson went 0-for-4 with four strikeouts, and the Nationals won 4-0. The Marlins’ team OBP has dipped to .284, which would be the lowest for an NL team since the 1972 Padres had a .283 OBP (the White Sox are at .280, so the Marlins somehow aren’t even the lowest of 2024). — Schoenfield
Record: 20-55
Previous ranking: 30
With all the success Garrett Crochet and Erick Fedde have had in the rotation for Chicago this season, it was 2022 third-round pick Jonathan Cannon who may have tossed the best outing of the year. Cannon, just 23 years old, pitched 8⅔ shutout innings against the Astros on Tuesday, using a sneaky sweeper/sinker/cutter combination to keep Houston off balance. He only struck out four batters while giving up seven hits, but there was a lot of soft contact, which kept the Astros off the board. Cannon nearly finished the complete game shutout before being replaced in the eventual 2-0 win and exited to a standing ovation. — Rogers
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Sports
Kiley McDaniel’s favorite Day 1 draft picks, biggest surprises and best available Day 2 prospects
Published
1 hour agoon
July 14, 2025By
admin
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Kiley McDanielJul 14, 2025, 07:00 AM ET
Close- ESPN MLB Insider
- Kiley McDaniel covers MLB prospects, the MLB Draft and more, including trades and free agency.
- Has worked for three MLB teams.
Co-author of Author of ‘Future Value’
With Day 1 of the 2025 MLB draft complete, it’s time to look at which picks in the first round stood out most.
After weeks of speculation about the various directions the Washington Nationals could go with the No. 1 pick, they surprised the industry by taking Oklahoma high school shortstop Eli Willits — and the Los Angeles Angels followed up with a surprising pick of their own at No. 2 by taking UC Santa Barbara pitcher Tyler Bremner
Though the nature of the baseball draft means that some of the picks we aren’t quite sure about on Day 1 will become clearer when we see how teams spread their bonus allotment around later in the draft, here are the early picks I liked the most and some eye-opening selections along with the top players still available entering Day 2.
Five favorite moves
Mariners and Pirates get their guys
The buzz leading up to the draft was that Kade Anderson was atop the Mariners’ draft board and Seth Hernandez was the top target (after Willits, who wasn’t going to get there) of the Pirates. Seattle was the other team taking a long look at Hernandez, but the shenanigans at the top two picks (more on that later) means that both Seattle and Pittsburgh got their preferred arms.
A’s select Arnold and Taylor
The Athletics had only two picks on Day 1 but received excellent values at each. Jamie Arnold was the top prospect in the draft entering the season and seemed primed to go somewhere between No. 2 and No. 8 after an uneven season. He somehow was the prospect left holding the short straw, falling to the 11th pick. Devin Taylor was in the mix at multiple picks in the comp round but lasted five selections into the second round.
Twins embrace risk with Quick and Young
The Twins took two hit-first college infielders as their first picks last year (Kaelen Culpepper and Kyle DeBarge), took another one in the 2023 second round (Luke Keaschall), and two more in the top two rounds in 2022 (Brooks Lee, Tanner Schobel) — and also took one with their first pick this year in Marek Houston.
What interested me though is what Minnesota did after that, taking big swings with the upside of Riley Quick (four potential plus pitches but below-average command) and Quentin Young (80-grade power potential with big questions on contact rate).
Phillies try to jump the reliever trade market?
Gage Wood has a chance to start long term but can also go straight to the upper minors — if not the big leagues — and potentially help the bullpen later this season, like a trade deadline addition. The Phillies’ next pick, Cade Obermueller, is another possible starter who also could move quickly as a lefty turning 22 later this month with two knockout pitches in his fastball/slider combo. Odds are good that at least one of them can provide big league value in the next 12 months if Philly wants to utilize them that way.
The Red Sox land Witherspoon, Phillips and Eyanson
The Red Sox are interested in creating more pitching depth and selected a number of interesting arms on Day 1. Kyson Witherspoon had a lot of interest in the top 10, but the Red Sox got him at No. 15.
He’ll need to sharpen his execution a notch and his short arm action is unique, but there’s midrotation upside. Marcus Phillips has a chance to start but could also bring another distinctive look as a late-inning arm with four plus pitches from a low slot and a triple-digit fastball. Anthony Eyanson is a different sort, with fringy fastball velocity but standout command along with a slider and splitter that keep hitters off-balance.
Five eye-openers
Eli Willits at No. 1
The buzz ahead of the draft was that there were three players in play for the top pick and Willits was my third-ranked player in the class, so the same group is what I would’ve been considering — and I love Willits as a player. The bonus will be a factor in evaluating how successful this pick will be viewed — I’ll guess it starts with an eight — but I think this will be seen as a solid decision, as long as Kade Anderson or Ethan Holliday don’t become stars.
Tyler Bremner at No. 2
The biggest piece of late buzz I was hearing is that Bremner was in play at No. 3 to the Mariners. I didn’t hear his name at all at No. 2 so that made this pick the first shocker in the draft.
Bremner was considered in this area (on a deal) because he could easily be the best pitcher in this class — but only if he can develop a better slider, which isn’t a small if. The Angels seem to have a thought about how to solve this, and how he progresses will be one of the more followed storylines of this draft.
Tigers take Yost and Oliveto
I like both players, but it’s fascinating that these two and the most-rumored prep hitter tied to Detroit that they didn’t take (Coy James, who had a tough summer) were all missing strong 2024 summer performances.
Jordan Yost and Michael Oliveto were the only two prep position players in the first-round mix who weren’t in the major national events on the summer circuit, thus creating a lot of uncertainty about how to project them.
The Tigers are right to assume this could create a potential quick gain in value if Yost and Oliveto can perform early in their pro careers, but I don’t remember seeing a team double down on lack of summer exposure in the early rounds.
Orioles take two catchers in the first round, and two pitchers in the second
It’s certainly a bit odd that the Orioles took two college catchers with their first two picks after taking another one (Ethan Anderson) in the second round last year. Obviously, teams don’t draft for big league need — the O’s already have Adley Rutschman — and they need at least two catchers at all four full season minor league affiliates, it’s just odd to see them invest in this position early multiple times. And after all of the position players they have drafted under Mike Elias, they did sneak in two arms on Day 1 with Joseph Dzierwa (a command-forward lefty) and J.T. Quinn (one of my favorite college relievers with the traits to start in pro ball).
Guardians lean into power
The Guardians often draft, or sign internationally, hit-first players who are often underpowered, with Steven Kwan a prominent example. They swerved a lot this year, taking Jace LaViolette with their first pick (I compare him to Cody Bellinger or Joey Gallo; he hit .258 this season) and Nolan Schubart (24% strikeout rate, 22% in-zone whiff rate) with their fifth pick on Day 1. Those two have big power and strong pull/lift rates, and LaViolette has the athleticism to play center field, so there’s real talent, it’s just not usually the type that the Guardians have targeted.
Best available for Day 2
Listed by top 250 draft rankings
43. Mason Neville, OF, Oregon
44. Matthew Fisher, RHP, Evansville Memorial HS (Ind.)
53. Josiah Hartshorn, LF, Orange Lutheran HS (Calif.)
55. Brock Sell, CF, Tokay HS (Calif.)
61. Jack Bauer, LHP, Lincoln Way East HS (Ill.)
69. Coy James, SS, Davie County HS (N.C.)
70. Alec Blair, CF, De La Salle HS (Calif.)
71. Mason Pike, RHP, Puyallup HS (Wash.)
72. Cam Appenzeller, LHP, Glenwood HS (Ill.)
73. Briggs McKenzie, LHP, Corinth Holders HS (N.C.)
Sports
Shocks at No. 1 — and No. 2?! Winners, losers and takeaways from MLB draft Day 1
Published
10 hours agoon
July 14, 2025By
admin
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Multiple Contributors
Jul 13, 2025, 11:00 PM ET
The first day of the 2025 MLB draft is complete! The Washington Nationals selected Eli Willits with the No. 1 pick, opting for the prep shortstop — who might be more likely to sign below slot — in a draft with no clear-cut top prospect. And there were plenty of other intriguing selections as the first three rounds unfolded Sunday night.
The Seattle Mariners had to have been thrilled to have Kiley McDaniel’s No. 1-ranked prospect, Kade Anderson, fall to them at No. 3, and Ethan Holliday was selected at No. 4 by his famous father’s former squad the Colorado Rockies.
We asked ESPN baseball insiders Alden Gonzalez, Jesse Rogers and David Schoenfield to break down their favorite and most head-scratching moves of the draft’s first night, as well as to predict which players will bring the most to their new teams in the long term.
A lot of us were thrown for a loop by the first two selections. What do you make of the Nationals taking Ethan Willits at No. 1 and the Angels picking Tyler Bremner at No. 2?
Gonzalez: I was stunned on both accounts. Though there was definitely some uncertainty around the Nationals’ approach, especially since the firing of GM Mike Rizzo, I didn’t see anybody, anywhere, projecting Willits to be their choice at No. 1 overall. But the Angels drafting Bremner was an even bigger risk. Kiley had him 18th in his latest ranking. Six pitchers were ranked ahead of him. But Bremner might be someone who can rise and impact their major league roster quickly, and the Angels are always looking for that.
Rogers: The first two picks really summed up the uncertainty of the entire draft. The Nationals’ faith in a 17-year-old will be tested over the coming years, but the pick will likely save them some money for later in this draft and give Willits time to grow. The same can be said of many of the top picks: They’re going to need time. There are far fewer sure things this year — though Bremner could be the exception. The Angles love to graduate their players quickly, and as a college arm, he could see the majors sooner rather than later. Like Willits, this could also be a cost-saving move for later spending.
Schoenfield: In a draft that not only lacked a sure-thing No. 1 overall pick but was viewed as weaker at the top than those of recent years, it’s perhaps not a huge surprise that the Nationals and Angels used their picks to strike likely underslot deals with Willits and Bremner, giving them money to spend later in the draft — which they can use on high school prospects who might have slipped, trying to buy them out from going to college. It’s a strategy teams have used with success over the years, so the drafts for the Nationals and Angels will have to be viewed in their totality and not just focused on these two players.
What was your favorite pick of the night — and which one had you scratching your head?
Gonzalez: The Rockies have done a lot of things wrong over these last few … uh, decades. But it was really cool to see them take Ethan Holliday at No. 4 after his father, Matt, starred in Colorado for so long. Outside of the top two picks, Ethan Conrad going 17th to the Cubs was my biggest surprise of the night. Kiley had him ranked 30th; others had him falling out of the first round entirely. There’s uncertainty coming off shoulder surgery. But Conrad, 21, put up a 1.238 OPS in 97 plate appearances before his season ended prematurely in March. And the dearth of college bats probably influenced a slight reach here.
Rogers: I’m loving Billy Carlson to the White Sox at No. 10. Though they lost 121 games last season, Chicago couldn’t pick higher than this spot per CBA rules — but the Sox might have gotten a top-five player. Carlson’s defense will play extremely well behind a sneaky good and young pitching staff that should keep the ball on the ground in the long term. Meanwhile, with the pick of the litter when it came to hitters — college outfielders and high school kids as well — the Pirates took a high school pitcher at No. 6. Seth Hernandez could be great, but they need hitting. A lot of it.
Schoenfield: The Mariners reportedly wanted LSU left-hander Kade Anderson all along, but they certainly couldn’t have been expecting to get him with the third pick. (Keep in mind that the Mariners were lucky in the first place to land the third pick in the lottery, so they added some good fortune on top of good luck.) They get the most polished college pitcher in the draft, one who should move quickly — and perhaps make it a little easier for Jerry Dipoto to dip into his farm system and upgrade the big league roster at the trade deadline. Even though I understand why the Angels did it, Bremner still seems a little questionable. With the second pick, you want to go for a home run, and the consensus is that Holliday or even Anderson is more likely to be a more impactful major leaguer. Bremner’s lack of a third plus pitch is an issue, and you have to wonder if the Angels are relying too much on his control — which, yes, should allow him to get to the majors — and ignoring the possible lack of upside.
Who is the one player you’d like to plant your flag on as the biggest steal of this draft?
Gonzalez: Seth Hernandez, who went sixth to the Pirates and should someday share a rotation with Paul Skenes and Jared Jones. High school pitchers are incredibly risky, especially when taken so early in the draft. But Hernandez is a great athlete who already throws hard, boasts a plus changeup and showed improvement with his breaking ball this spring. He’ll go the Hunter Greene route, from standout high school pitcher to major league ace.
Rogers: Jamie Arnold will look like a steal at No. 11, especially when he debuts in the majors well before many of the players taken around him. I’m not worried about the innings drop in 2025 — not when he was striking out 119 hitters and walking just 27. The A’s need to polish him up but will be pleased by how consistent he’ll be. You can’t go wrong with a college lefty from an ACC school — at least, the A’s didn’t.
Schoenfield: I’m going with Billy Carlson with the 10th pick — with the admitted caveat that the White Sox haven’t exactly been stellar at developing hitters. But Carlson looks like an elite defensive shortstop with plus power, and that alone can make him a valuable major leaguer. If the hit tool comes along, we’re looking at a potential star. OK, he’s Bobby Witt Jr. lite? That’s still an All-Star player.
What’s your biggest takeaway from Day 1 of this draft?
Gonzalez: The Nationals throwing a wrench into the proceedings by selecting Willits. It was a surprising choice, but in their minds an easy one. Interim general manager Mike DeBartolo called Willits the best hitter and best fielder available. And in a draft devoid of can’t-miss, high-impact talent, Willits is no doubt a solid pick — a polished hitter who should stick at shortstop and might consistently hit 20 homers and steal 20 bases at a premium position. He also might come under slot, allowing flexibility later in the draft. But his selection is what allowed Anderson to reach the Mariners at No. 3 and prompted the Rockies to draft Holliday at No. 4, among other dominoes. It set a really interesting tone.
Rogers: Things change quickly in baseball. Whereas college hitters are usually the safest bets early in the draft, this year high school position players dominated. (And they all play shortstop, at least for now.) Athleticism has returned to baseball, and draft rooms are acting accordingly.
Schoenfield: I’m agreeing with Jesse. The selection of that many prep shortstops stood out — and they all seem to hit left-handed and run well, and some of them have big power potential and a cannon for an arm. Look, the hit tool is the most important and the hardest to scout and project, so not all these kids are going to make it, but their potential is exciting and, to Jesse’s point, their wide range of tools is showing that baseball is still drawing top athletes to the sport.
Sports
2025 MLB Home Run Derby: The field is set! Who is the slugger to beat?
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13 hours agoon
July 14, 2025By
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The 2025 MLB All-Star Home Run Derby is fast approaching — and the field is set.
Braves hometown hero Ronald Acuna Jr. became the first player to commit to the event, which will be held at Truist Park in Atlanta on July 14 (8 p.m. ET on ESPN). He was followed by MLB home run leader Cal Raleigh of the Seattle Mariners, James Wood of the Washington Nationals, Byron Buxton of the Minnesota Twins, Oneil Cruz of the Pittsburgh Pirates, Junior Caminero of the Tampa Bay Rays, Brent Rooker of the Athletics and Jazz Chisholm Jr. of the New York Yankees.
On Friday, however, Acuna was replaced by teammate Matt Olson.
With all the entrants announced, let’s break down their chances at taking home this year’s Derby prize.
Full All-Star Game coverage: How to watch, schedule, rosters, more
2025 home runs: 17 | Longest: 434 feet
Why he could win: Olson is a late replacement for Acuna as the home team’s representative at this year’s Derby. Apart from being the Braves’ first baseman, however, Olson also was born in Atlanta and grew up a Braves fan, giving him some extra motivation. The left-handed slugger led the majors in home runs in 2023 — his 54 round-trippers that season also set a franchise record — and he remains among the best in the game when it comes to exit velo and hard-hit rate.
Why he might not: The home-field advantage can also be a detriment if a player gets too hyped up in the first round. See Julio Rodriguez in Seattle in 2023, when he had a monster first round, with 41 home runs, but then tired out in the second round.
2025 home runs: 36 | Longest: 440 feet
Why he could win: It’s the season of Cal! The Mariners’ catcher is having one of the greatest slugging first halves in MLB history, as he’s been crushing mistakes all season . His easy raw power might be tailor-made for the Derby — he ranks in the 87th percentile in average exit velocity and delivers the ball, on average, at the optimal home run launch angle of 23 degrees. His calm demeanor might also be perfect for the contest as he won’t get too amped up.
Why he might not: He’s a catcher — and one who has carried a heavy workload, playing in all but one game this season. This contest is as much about stamina as anything, and whether Raleigh can carry his power through three rounds would be a concern. No catcher has ever won the Derby, with only Ivan Rodriguez back in 2005 even reaching the finals.
2025 home runs: 24 | Longest: 451 feet
Why he could win: He’s big, he’s strong, he’s young, he’s awesome, he might or might not be able to leap tall buildings in a single bound. This is the perfect opportunity for Wood to show his talent on the national stage, and he wouldn’t be the first young player to star in the Derby. He ranks in the 97th percentile in average exit velocity and 99th percentile in hard-hit rate, so he can still muscle the ball out in BP even if he slightly mishits it. His long arms might be viewed as a detriment, but remember the similarly tall Aaron Judge won in 2017.
Why he might not: His natural swing isn’t a pure uppercut — he has a pretty low average launch angle of just 6.2 degrees — so we’ll see how that plays in a rapid-fire session. In real games, his power is primarily to the opposite field, but in a Home Run Derby you can get more cheapies pulling the ball down the line.
2025 home runs: 20 | Longest: 479 feet
Why he could win: Buxton’s raw power remains as impressive as nearly any hitter in the game. He crushed a 479-foot home run earlier this season and has four others of at least 425 feet. Indeed, his “no doubter” percentage — home runs that would be out of all 30 parks based on distance — is 75%, the highest in the majors among players with more than a dozen home runs. His bat speed ranks in the 89th percentile. In other words, two tools that could translate to a BP lightning show.
Why he might not: Buxton is 31 and the Home Run Derby feels a little more like a younger man’s competition. Teoscar Hernandez did win last year at age 31, but before that, the last winner older than 29 was David Ortiz in 2010, and that was under much different rules than are used now.
2025 home runs: 16 | Longest: 463 feet
Why he could win: If you drew up a short list of players everyone wants to see in the Home Run Derby, Cruz would be near the top. He has the hardest-hit ball of the 2025 season, and the hardest ever tracked by Statcast, a 432-foot missile of a home run with an exit velocity of 122.9 mph. He also crushed a 463-foot home run in Anaheim that soared way beyond the trees in center field. With his elite bat speed — 100th percentile — Cruz has the ability to awe the crowd with a potentially all-time performance.
Why he might not: Like all first-time contestants, can he stay within himself and not get too caught up in the moment? He has a long swing, which will result in some huge blasts, but might not be the most efficient for a contest like this one, where the more swings a hitter can get in before the clock expires, the better.
2025 home runs: 23 | Longest: 425 feet
Why he could win: Although Caminero was one of the most hyped prospects entering 2024, everyone kind of forgot about him heading into this season since he didn’t immediately rip apart the majors as a rookie. In his first full season, however, he has showed off his big-time raw power — giving him a chance to become just the third player to reach 40 home runs in his age-21 season. He has perhaps the quickest bat in the majors, ranking in the 100th percentile in bat speed, and his top exit velocity ranks in the top 15. That could translate to a barrage of home runs.
Why he might not: In game action, Caminero does hit the ball on the ground quite often — in fact, he’s on pace to break Jim Rice’s record for double plays grounded into in a season. If he gets out of rhythm, that could lead to a lot of low line drives during the Derby instead of fly balls that clear the fences.
2025 home runs: 19 | Longest: 440 feet
Why he could win: The Athletics slugger has been one of the top power hitters in the majors for three seasons now and is on his way to a third straight 30-homer season. Rooker has plus bat speed and raw power, but his biggest strength is an optimal average launch angle (19 degrees in 2024, 15 degrees this season) that translates to home runs in game action. That natural swing could be picture perfect for the Home Run Derby. He also wasn’t shy about saying he wanted to participate — and maybe that bodes well for his chances.
Why he might not: Rooker might not have quite the same raw power as some of the other competitors, as he has just one home run longer than 425 feet in 2025. But that’s a little nitpicky, as 11 of his home runs have still gone 400-plus feet. He competed in the college home run derby in Omaha while at Mississippi State in 2016 and finished fourth.
2025 home runs: 17 | Longest: 442 feet
Why he could win: Chisholm might not be the most obvious name to participate, given his career high of 24 home runs, but he has belted 17 already in 2025 in his first 61 games after missing some time with an injury. He ranks among the MLB leaders in a couple of home run-related categories, ranking in the 96th percentile in expected slugging percentage and 98th percentile in barrel rate. His raw power might not match that of the other participants, but he’s a dead-pull hitter who has increased his launch angle this season, which might translate well to the Derby, even if he won’t be the guy hitting the longest home runs.
Why he might not: Most of the guys who have won this have been big, powerful sluggers. Chisholm is listed at 5-foot-11, 184 pounds, and you have to go back to Miguel Tejada in 2004 to find the last player under 6 foot to win.
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