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IN THE HALLWAY outside a cramped interview room in the Tokyo Dome, Shohei Ohtani loomed in the rear doorway, towering over nearly everyone around him, his shoulders filling the entire frame. It was here that he faced his worst fear: Nothing to do and nowhere to go. A large man in a small space, happiest when he has a bat to swing or a ball to throw, grew more impatient with every passing moment.

Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Ohtani’s Dodgers teammate and the winning pitcher last Wednesday night in the first regular-season game of 2025, was at the front of the room, sitting at a table and addressing questions with expansive answers that elicited laughs from the Japanese media. This was his moment, too. Back in Japan, five solid innings against the Cubs in his back pocket, an overflow room hanging on his every word. Those who know Yamamoto say he not only welcomes stardom but also wears it well, and he was enjoying himself — perhaps a little too much.

Ohtani was waiting for Yamamoto to finish so he could quickly trample his way through four questions, two in Japanese, two in English, and get on with his night. In contrast to Yamamoto, Ohtani wears the public aspect of his fame like a hand-me-down suit. He was not accustomed to standing awkwardly in the back of a room while someone else dictated his schedule. And yet Yamamoto kept talking, almost gleefully, and Ohtani began sending a series of playful messages that suggested the pace needed to be quickened.

First, he looked at his watch, checking it with an elaborate flourish. Whatever Yamamoto did in response — I was among those piled 15 deep in the hallway, watching Ohtani watch Yamamoto, so the adventure is yours to choose — elicited a big laugh from Ohtani, who then did history’s subtlest jig, one foot to the other, as if speeding himself up would have the same effect on Yamamoto, which it did not. Finally, Ohtani tilted his head back and forth, shoulder to shoulder, in a move that translated universally as blah blah blah. This seemed to do the trick. Yamamoto finished, left his seat and headed out the back of the room at the same time Ohtani was heading to the front. Yamamoto was still laughing when he left the room, and I’m pretty sure Ohtani had something to do with that.

And so it was here, in and around this cramped, uncomfortable room that smelled of cigarette-infused sportscoats and deadline sweat, that something truly unexpected occurred: Shohei Ohtani showed a piece of his personality that once seemed destined to remain hidden. Here was Ohtani, expressive and joyous and unconcerned with how it all looked. Ohtani, doing something other than grinding away at the game he seems determined to perfect. It felt as revelatory in its own way as a shirtless run through the streets of the Ginza shopping district would have been.

THIS DODGERS TEAM feels different, looks different and sounds different, and it goes beyond a comfortable and fully integrated Ohtani on the most expensive, and perhaps best, team ever. This group feels like a category error — the promise of a riveting spectacle that will play out over the next seven months, a team to either loathe or love every single day. Baseball has never seen anything quite like this, and it’s clear by now it doesn’t have any idea what to do with it.

Considering the perceived gap between them and the rest of baseball, it’s somewhat poetic that the Dodgers are 2-0 before baseball’s official Opening Day. They swept a quick series from the Cubs in Tokyo, and after each game, Andrew Friedman, the Dodgers’ president of baseball operations, made his way through the Tokyo Dome’s tight passageways toward the Dodgers’ clubhouse, a sly grin on his face, like a kid eager to show off his favorite toys.

He has assembled a roster built to withstand the tides of a long season, a difficult task made considerably easier by the lack of budget constraints. He went shopping for starting pitching depth this offseason and got two-time Cy Young winner Blake Snell and Japanese superstar-in-waiting Roki Sasaki. (“Deepest SP staff ever and it’s not close lol,” former Dodgers starter Alex Wood cracked on social media.)

Friedman spackled the holes in a solid but unspectacular bullpen by signing two top-flight closers, Tanner Scott and Kirby Yates, because why stop at one if you don’t have to? The Dodgers’ payroll will exceed $320 million this season, according to Sportrac, and a roll call of Concerned Baseball People have either bellowed (Rockies owner Dick Monfort) or intimated (commissioner Rob Manfred) that the amorphous and unwritten rules of fairness are being violated.

“I look at the inverse of the criticism,” Friedman said. “If other fan bases are unhappy with us, it means more likely that our fans are happy with us, and that’s our job. In that way, it makes us feel good when we hear that stuff.”

It’s indicative of baseball’s odd position within the sports firmament that Friedman and the Dodgers are called upon to defend themselves for their owners’ willingness to reinvest the profits from a successful business to put the best team on the field. Since the dawn of free agency, the game has been played to a maudlin, emo soundtrack of big-market/small-market standards. Teams like the Dodgers and Yankees — and occasionally the Red Sox, Cubs, Padres or Braves — play the vital role of sinister monarchies, allowing the small-market teams to throw up their hands in exasperated supplication. It has become a self-fulfilling prophecy: Each team that doesn’t spend can justify its lack of spending by claiming it can’t compete with the teams that spend.

“Just because you’re good at something, that makes you evil?” Dodgers reliever Blake Treinen asked. “That’s kind of crazy talk. To me, the talk of this ‘Evil Empire’ is from people wanting to blast the Dodgers for wanting to put a good product on the field and being willing to pay to do it. What’s Billy Madison say? ‘You can’t sit in kindergarten and expect to inherit an empire’? You have to actually check some boxes, take some steps to be successful. Some people just don’t want to take the direction the Dodgers have, which is fine. Just don’t complain about it.”

DODGERS MANAGER DAVE Roberts has a way about him that makes you think he could sell just about anything. He faces reporters every day, usually twice, and he has mastered the banter, the eye contact, the ability to give off the appearance of candor. On the first day of spring training in Glendale, Arizona, he answered the obligatory questions about Ohtani, saying he will not pitch in Japan but will pitch this season. He will not steal bases this spring, but he will steal bases this season.

Then he was asked about expectations, and whether it is safe to assume the Dodgers enter the season expecting to become the first team since the 1999 Yankees to win consecutive World Series.

“Yes,” Roberts said, his eyes scanning the group like a practiced statesman. “That is our expectation.”

From that first day of spring training, the Dodgers have been a spectacle, the closest thing to a full-fledged mania that baseball has had in decades. (Think an international version of the “Last Dance” Bulls without the outsized personalities.) Fans filled the parking lot at Camelback Ranch and crowded around the walkway between the practice fields and the clubhouse, screaming and waving baseballs at anyone in a uniform.

Inside the clubhouse, the locker configuration on one wall went, from left to right: Sasaki, Yamamoto, an empty locker, Ohtani. (The empty was Ohtani’s, a gesture of respect extended to only the most accomplished players, and even in this clubhouse a three-time MVP qualifies.) Third baseman Max Muncy became the de facto team spokesman for the first day, standing at his locker wearing a look of abject horror as the crowd around him grew larger and larger, and his avenues for escape vanished. He parried questions about the absurd makeup of his team’s roster by saying that baseball is different, that the best team at the beginning of the season is not always the best at the end. He sounded like a kid being forced to argue an unpopular side in debate class. “In baseball, the best player in the world isn’t always going to take over,” he said.

Muncy’s approach was understandable; it’s what you say when you have to say something. But the argument fell apart the second everyone walked away and looked at the names hanging above the lockers. The Dodgers, to an almost ridiculous degree, seem uniquely non-reliant on any one player.

Take away their first four starting pitchers (Snell, Yamamoto, Sasaki, Tyler Glasnow) and you’re left with a rotation that would compete for a playoff spot. There’s No. 5 starter Dustin May, who was 4-1 with a 2.63 ERA and a 0.94 WHIP in 2023 before undergoing Tommy John surgery. Tony Gonsolin, another front-line starter who will be back within six weeks. And Ohtani the pitcher — or, as outfielder Michael Conforto says, “The other half of Shohei” — is expected to return to the mound by May or June.

“It sounds a little crazy to say, but as much recognition as Shohei’s gotten, he’s still underrated,” Friedman said. “He’s just the most diligent, thoughtful worker I’ve ever seen. The more we’ve seen him and the more we’ve been around it, the less and less surprising it gets when we see what he can do on the field.”

Yates’ numbers as a closer last year with the Rangers (85 strikeouts in 61⅔ innings, 0.827 WHIP, 33 saves, 1.17 ERA) make it difficult to fathom how he could enter the season as a setup man for Scott, until you realize Scott was nearly as good (84 strikeouts, 45 hits allowed) last year with Florida and San Diego. Scott stood at his locker in the comically condensed Tokyo Dome clubhouse, Yates maybe six inches away at the next stall. “It’s gonna be fun,” Scott said. “I have no clue what the roles will be, but whenever the phone rings, I’m pretty sure everybody in our bullpen is going to be ready, and it’s going to be exciting.”

In the opener in Tokyo, a preview: Yamamoto for five, then one inning each from Alex Vesia, Treinen, Yates and Scott. Four innings from the bullpen, zero baserunners. The starting pitching might be the deepest ever, as per Wood, and the lineup — they played without Freddie Freeman and Mookie Betts in Japan — is free of any major deficiencies. But the bullpen might be what makes the talk of a 120-win season sound almost reasonable.

“I think when this team wants you, it’s really, really hard to turn them down,” Yates said, echoing other conversations with Scott and Conforto, another offseason signing. “They were the most aggressive team. They were very persistent. There was no sales pitch; there didn’t have to be a sales pitch. To have the chance to come and take part in this is a tremendous opportunity.”

On the second day of spring training, word spread that Sasaki would throw his first bullpen. It was an absolute frenzy, media on one side of the eight bullpen mounds and nearly every Dodgers executive, coach and player lined up either beside or behind Sasaki. Friedman was right behind him, and Roberts was right beside him. Clayton Kershaw was one mound away. Farhan Zaidi, the former GM who was recently rehired as special adviser after being fired as team president of the San Francisco Giants last year, was peeking around two or three pitchers throwing their own bullpens, trying not to make it obvious.

Catcher Austin Barnes, the first Dodger to catch Sasaki in gear, looked around at the crowd quizzically, as if somehow this scene came as a surprise. Several pitches into his session, Sasaki motioned to Barnes that he going to throw his splitter, the pitch that made him frequently unhittable in Japan — a pitch that could drop to its left or its right or straight down, often of its own accord. Sasaki threw, and Barnes stabbed at the ball as it dove toward his left foot. “Oh my god,” he said, loudly enough to be heard 30 feet away. Later he would explain his reaction by saying, “I don’t think I’ve ever really seen a pitch like that.”

Sasaki is 6-foot-2 and lean, and he carries himself with a slumped nonchalance that makes it seem that he has yet to grow into his stature. His features are sharp, as if everything is held together tightly. “Everyone has been very kind,” he said of his time with the Dodgers when he met the media for the first time. He stood with his right hand holding his left wrist, clearly uncomfortable in the spotlight. He’ll go on to start the second game against the Cubs in Tokyo, his talent as obvious as his nerves in a jumbled three innings. He hit 100 mph on the gun several times, walked five and struck out three. The Cubs’ solitary hit traveled about 75 feet before it stopped. He will be very good, maybe great. The Dodgers have the luxury of patience.

“They just go out and get the pieces they think they need,” outfielder Teoscar Hernandez said. His words amounted to a shrug, like, what do you expect?

OVER IN A corner of the Dodgers’ clubhouse in Tokyo, an objectively depressing corner between the smoking capsule and the door to the showers, 26-year-old Jack Dreyer failed in his attempt to contain his giddiness over making the team’s Opening Day roster. A left-handed reliever from Iowa, the most unlikely Dodger learned of his promotion from Roberts roughly 48 hours before the first game against the Cubs — too late for his parents to hop on a flight, but plenty of time for him to savor the moment.

The Dodgers like Dreyer’s ability to miss bats — 72 strikeouts last year in 57 minor-league innings — and induce soft contact without elite velocity. They like his maturity and his personality and other intangible stuff that accelerated him past some of the more vaunted arms in the Dodgers’ top-rated farm system.

But almost four hours before his first game in a big-league uniform, none of that mattered to Dreyer. He was standing at that locker — no empty next to him — alternating between staring at his crisp gray uniform — No. 86, but who cares? — and looking around the room. Kershaw’s locker was almost close enough to touch; Ohtani was getting dressed less than 15 feet away; Freeman was on the other side of the room; Betts, though he was back home in Los Angeles with an illness, had his uniform hanging in a locker two down from Freeman.

“This is crazy,” Dreyer said. “It’s me and a bunch of All-Stars and future Hall of Famers sharing experiences for the first time together.”

He was unfailingly polite. He was speaking quickly. The smile on his face might have remained there forever. He scanned the room and shook his head. There was a part of him that wanted to pretend like he had been here before, to act like none of this was a big deal because this was precisely what he had been working toward for years. But then he thought about it one more time, where he was and who he was with and what it meant.

“Surreal,” he said. “Sorry, but that’s the only word I’ve got.”

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Kiley McDaniel’s favorite Day 1 draft picks, biggest surprises and best available Day 2 prospects

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1 hour ago

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July 14, 2025

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Kiley McDaniel's favorite Day 1 draft picks, biggest surprises and best available Day 2 prospects

  • Kiley McDanielJul 14, 2025, 07:00 AM ET

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    • 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.)

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Shocks at No. 1 — and No. 2?! Winners, losers and takeaways from MLB draft Day 1

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July 14, 2025

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Shocks at No. 1 -- and No. 2?! Winners, losers and takeaways from MLB draft Day 1

  • 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.

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2025 MLB Home Run Derby: The field is set! Who is the slugger to beat?

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July 14, 2025

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2025 MLB Home Run Derby: The field is set! Who is the slugger to beat?

Jul 11, 2025, 08:19 PM ET

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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