Midseason grades for all 30 MLB teams: ‘A’ is for Astros, ‘F’ is for …?
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David Schoenfield
We’re past due to hand out some midseason grades, so let’s hand out some midseason grades.
As we pass the 90-game mark in the 2025 MLB season, my team of the first half isn’t the well-rounded Detroit Tigers, who do get our highest grade for owning MLB’s best record, or the explosive Chicago Cubs or Shohei Ohtani‘s Los Angeles Dodgers, but a team most baseball fans love to hate: the Houston Astros. They lost their two best players from last season and their best hitter has been injured — and they’re playing their best baseball since they won the 2022 World Series.
Let’s get to the grades. As always, we’re grading off preseason expectations, factoring in win-loss record and quality of performance, while looking at other positive performances and injuries.
Jump to a team:
AL East: BAL | BOS | NYY | TB | TOR
AL Central: CHW | CLE | DET | KC | MIN
AL West: ATH | HOU | LAA | SEA | TEX
NL East: ATL | MIA | NYM | PHI | WSH
NL Central: CHC | CIN | MIL | PIT | STL
NL West: ARI | COL | LAD | SD | SF
Tarik Skubal is obviously the headline act, but the Tigers are winning with impressive depth across the entire roster.
Javier Baez is putting together a remarkable comeback season after a couple of abysmal years and will become the first player to start an All-Star Game at both shortstop and in the outfield. Former No. 1 overall picks Casey Mize and Spencer Torkelson have put together their own comeback stories, while Riley Greene has matured into one of the game’s top power hitters.
Given their deep well of prospects and contributors at the MLB level, no team is better positioned than the Tigers to add significant help at the trade deadline.
I heard someone refer to them as the Zombie Astros, which feels apropos. Alex Bregman left as a free agent, they traded Kyle Tucker, Yordan Alvarez has been injured and has just three home runs, and the Jose Altuve experiment in left field predictably fizzled.
But here they are, fighting for the best record in the majors and holding a comfortable lead in the AL West. They’re getting star turns from Hunter Brown, Framber Valdez and Jeremy Pena, while the risky decision to start Cam Smith in the majors with very little minor league experience has paid off, as he has now become their cleanup hitter.
If we ignore the COVID-19 season, the Astros look on their way to an eighth straight division title.
This could be at least a half-grade higher based on everything that has gone right: Pete Crow-Armstrong‘s attention-grabbing breakout, Tucker doing everything expected after the big trade, Seiya Suzuki‘s monster power numbers and Matthew Boyd‘s All-Star turn in the rotation. The Cubs are on pace for their most wins since their World Series title season in 2016.
There have been a few hiccups, however, especially in the rotation with Justin Steele‘s season-ending injury and Ben Brown‘s inconsistency, plus rookie third baseman Matt Shaw has scuffled, and the bench has been weak aside from their backup catchers.
Still, this is a powerhouse lineup, and the Cubs will seek to improve their rotation at the deadline.
They just keep winning of late, going from 25-27 and seven games behind the Yankees on May 25 to taking over first place from the slumping Bronx Bombers, a remarkable turnaround over just 36 games. They went 27-9 over a 36-game stretch ending with their eighth win in a row on Sunday.
George Springer‘s recent surge has been fun to watch, a reminder of how good he was at his peak, and Addison Barger has been mashing over the past two months.
Some of the stats don’t add up to the Blue Jays being this good — they’ve barely outscored their opponents — but there might be more offense in the tank from the likes of Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and a healthy Anthony Santander, and the bullpen, a soft spot, is the easiest area to upgrade.
Their success is best summed up by the fact that Freddy Peralta is their lone All-Star, but they have a whole bunch of players who have contributed between 1 and 2 WAR.
Brandon Woodruff looked good Sunday in his first start in nearly two years, so that could be a huge boost for the second half.
I’m curious to see how Jackson Chourio performs as well. While his counting stats — extra-base hits, RBIs — are fine, his triple-slash line remains below last season, especially his OBP. He had a huge second half in 2024 (.310/.363/.552), and if he does that again, the Brewers could find themselves back in the postseason for the seventh time in eight seasons.
The Rays started off slow, with a losing record through the end of April, but then went 33-22 in May and June to claw back into the AL East race — as the Rays usually do, last year being the recent exception.
Two key performers have been All-Star third baseman Junior Caminero, who has a chance to become just the third player to hit 40 home runs in his age-21 season, and All-Star first baseman Jonathan Aranda.
Due to the league wanting the Rays to play more home games early in the season, the July and August slate will be very road-heavy, so we’ll see how the Rays adapt to a difficult two-month stretch, especially since their pitching isn’t quite as deep as it has been in other seasons.
No, they’re not going to be the greatest team of all time. But they might win 100 games — even though Blake Snell and Roki Sasaki, their huge offseason acquisitions, have combined for just two wins in 10 starts.
The lineup, of course, has been terrific, with Ohtani leading the NL in several categories and Will Smith leading the batting race. By wRC+, it’s been the best offense in Dodgers history.
If they can get some combo of Snell, Sasaki and Tyler Glasnow healthy, plus Ohtani eventually ramped up to a bigger workload on the mound, the Dodgers still loom as World Series favorites.
They are on pace for 95 wins, mainly on the strength of Zack Wheeler, Ranger Suarez and Cristopher Sanchez, who are a combined 23-7 with 11.8 WAR. Jesus Luzardo‘s ERA is bloated due to that two-start stretch when he allowed 20 runs, but he has otherwise been solid as well.
But, overall, it hasn’t always been the smoothest of treks. The bullpen has imploded a few times and the offense has lacked power aside from Kyle Schwarber. Bryce Harper is back after missing three weeks, and they need to get his bat going. Look for some bullpen additions at the trade deadline — and perhaps an outfielder as well.
The Cardinals have been a minor surprise — perhaps even to the Cardinals themselves. St. Louis was viewing this as a rebuilding year of sorts — not that the Cardinals ever hit rock bottom and start completely over. They had a hot May, winning 12 of 13 at one point, but the offense has been fading of late, with those three straight shutout losses to Pittsburgh and six shutout losses since June 25.
The starting rotation doesn’t generate a lot of swing and miss, with both Erick Fedde and Miles Mikolas seeing their ERAs starting to climb. Brendan Donovan is the team’s only All-Star rep, and that kind of sums up this team: solid but without any star power. That might foretell a second-half fade.
All-Star starting pitchers Logan Webb and Robbie Ray, plus a dominant bullpen, have led the way, although after starting 12-4, the Giants have basically been a .500 team for close to three months now. Rafael Devers hasn’t yet ignited the offense since coming over from Boston, and the Giants have lost four 1-0 games.
These final three games at home against the Dodgers before the All-Star break will be a crucial series, as Los Angeles has slowly pulled away in the NL West.
This was an “A-plus” through June 12, when the Mets were 45-24 and owned the best record in baseball, even though Juan Soto hadn’t gotten hot. Soto finally got going in June, but the pitching collapsed, and the Mets went through a disastrous 1-10 stretch.
The rotation injuries have piled up, exacerbating the lack of bullpen depth. Recent games have been started by Justin Hagenman (who had a 6.21 ERA in Triple-A), journeyman reliever Chris Devenski, Paul Blackburn (7.71 ERA) and Frankie Montas, who has had to start even though he’s clearly not throwing the ball well. The Mets need to get the rotation healthy, but also could use more offense from Mark Vientos and their catchers (Francisco Alvarez was demoted to Triple-A).
At times it has felt like Cal Raleigh has been a one-man team with his record-breaking first half. But he will be joined on the All-Star squad by starting pitcher Bryan Woo, closer Andres Munoz and center fielder Julio Rodriguez, who made it on the strength of his defense, as his offense has been a disappointment.
The offense has been one of the best in the majors on the road, but the rotation has been nowhere near as effective as the past couple of seasons, with George Kirby, Logan Gilbert and Bryce Miller all missing time with injuries. They just shut out the Pirates three games in a row, so maybe that will get the rotation on a roll.
They’re just out of the wild-card picture while hanging around .500, so we give them a decent grade since that exceeds preseason expectations. It feels like a little bit of a mirage given their run differential — their record in one-run games (good) versus their record in blowout games (not good) — and various holes across the lineup and pitching staff.
But they’ve done two things to keep them in the race. One, they hit a lot of home runs. Two, they’re the only team in the majors to use just five starting pitchers. The rotation hasn’t been stellar, but it’s been stable.
The Padres are probably fortunate to be where they are, given some of their issues. As expected, the offensive depth has been a problem.
Not as expected, Dylan Cease has struggled while Michael King‘s injury after a strong start has left them without last year’s dynamic 1-2 punch at the top of the rotation (although Nick Pivetta has been one of the best signings of the offseason). Yu Darvish just made his season debut Monday, so hopefully he’ll provide a lift.
The Padres haven’t played well against the better teams, including a 2-5 record against the Dodgers, but they did clean up against the Athletics, Rockies and Pirates, going 16-2 against those three teams.
For now, the Reds are stuck in neutral. Leave out 2022, when they lost 100 games, and it’s otherwise been a string of .500-ish seasons: 31-29 in 2020, 83-79 in 2021, 82-80 in 2023, 77-85 in 2024 and now a similar record so far in 2025.
The hope was that Terry Francona would be a difference-maker. Maybe that will play out down the stretch, but the best hope is to get the rotation clicking on all cylinders at the same time. That means Andrew Abbott continuing his breakout performance, plus getting Hunter Greene healthy again and rookie Chase Burns to live up to the hype after a couple of shaky outings following an impressive MLB debut.
Throw in Nick Lodolo and solid Nick Martinez and Brady Singer, and this group can be good enough to pitch the Reds to their first full-season playoff appearance since 2013.
The Yankees have hit their annual midseason swoon — which has been subject to much intense analysis from their disgruntled fans — and that opening weekend sweep of the Brewers, when the Yankees’ torpedo bats were the big story in baseball, now seems long ago.
Going from seven up to three back in such a short time is a disaster — but not disastrous. Nonetheless, the Yankees will have to do some hard-core self-evaluation heading to the trade deadline.
The offense wasn’t going to be as good as it was in April, when Paul Goldschmidt, Trent Grisham and Ben Rice were all playing over their heads. So, do they need a hitter? Or with Clarke Schmidt now likely joining Gerrit Cole as a Tommy John casualty, do they need a starting pitcher? Or both?
From the book of “things we didn’t expect,” page 547: The Marlins are averaging more runs per game than the Orioles, Padres, Braves and Rangers, to name a few teams. They’re averaging almost as many runs per game as the Mets, and last time we checked, the Marlins weren’t the team to give Soto $765 million.
An eight-game winning streak at the end of June has the Marlins going toe-to-toe with the Braves for third place in the NL East even though the starting rotation has been a mess, with Sandy Alcantara on track to become just the fourth qualified pitcher with an ERA over 7.00.
Heading into the season, I thought that if any team was going to challenge the Dodgers in the NL West, it would be the Diamondbacks. The offense has once again been one of the best in the majors, but the pitching issues have been painful.
After the aggressive move to sign Corbin Burnes, he went down with Tommy John surgery after 11 starts. Meanwhile, Zac Gallen, Eduardo Rodriguez and Brandon Pfaadt each have an ERA on the wrong side of 5.00. Rodriguez was better in June before a shellacking on July 4, while Gallen remains homer-prone, so it’s hard to tell if improvement is on the horizon. Their playoff odds are hovering just under 20%, so there’s a chance, but they need to get red-hot like they did last July and August.
It feels like it has been more soap opera than baseball season in Boston, with the Devers drama finally ending with the shocking trade with the Giants.
If you give added weight that this is the Red Sox, a team that should be operating with the big boys in both budget and aspirations and instead seemed to only want to dump Devers’ contract, then feel free to lower this grade a couple of notches, even if the Red Sox are close in the wild-card standings.
On the field, the heralded rookie trio of Kristian Campbell, Roman Anthony and Marcelo Mayer hasn’t exactly clicked, with Campbell returning to the minors after posting a .902 OPS in April. A big test will come out of the All-Star break, when they play the Cubs, Phillies, Dodgers, Twins and Astros in a tough 15-game stretch.
After last season’s surprise playoff appearance, it’s been a frustrating 2025 — although I’m not sure this result is necessarily a surprise.
There were concerns about the offense heading into the season and those concerns have proven correct. They were getting no production from their outfield, so they rushed Jac Caglianone to the majors to much hype, but he has struggled and might need a reset back in Triple-A. Even Bobby Witt Jr., as good as he has been (on pace for 7.5 WAR), has seen his OPS drop 140 points.
On the bright side, Kris Bubic emerged as an All-Star starter and Noah Cameron has filled in nicely for the injured Cole Ragans, so maybe they trade a starter for some offense.
Coming off a catastrophic 2024 season, nobody was expecting anything from the White Sox. Indeed, another 121-loss season loomed as a possibility. While they’re on pace to lose 100 again, they’ve at least played more competitive baseball thanks to their pitching.
Rookie starters Shane Smith and Sean Burke have shown promise, while rookie position players Kyle Teel, Edgar Quero and now Colson Montgomery are getting their initial taste of the majors.
There has been the mix of calamity: Luis Robert Jr. has been unproductive and is probably now untradable, and former No. 3 overall pick Andrew Vaughn hit .189 and was traded to the Brewers.
The Twins are one organization that might like a do-over of the past five seasons. It feels like they’ve had the most talent in the division, but all they’ve done is squeeze out one soft division title in 2023. Now, the Tigers have passed them in talent and other factors, such as payroll flexibility.
There’s still time for the Twins to turn things around in 2025, but outside of that wonderful 13-game winning streak, they haven’t played winning baseball.
Overall, it’s been yet another bad season, despite Paul Skenes‘ brilliance. Really, do we talk enough about him? Yes, we do talk about him, but he has a 1.95 ERA through his first 42 career starts. Incredible.
Here’s an amazing thing about baseball. The Pirates are not a good team, but they recently put together one of the best six-game stretches in history. That’s not stretching the description. First, they swept the Mets — a good team — by scores of 9-1, 9-2 and 12-1. Then they swept the Cardinals — a good team — with three shutouts, 7-0, 1-0 and 5-0. They became the first team since at least 1901 to score 43 runs or more and allow four runs or fewer in a six-game stretch. And then they promptly got shut out three games in a row, making them the first to win three straight shutouts and then lose three straight shutouts.
Eighteen of our 28 voters picked them to win the AL West before the season, but it’s looking more and more like the 2023 World Series might be a stone-cold fluke in the middle of a string of losing seasons. That year, nearly everyone in the lineup had a career year at the plate, and the pitching got hot at the right time.
This year’s Rangers, though, have struggled to score runs, and while some have pointed to the offensive environment at Globe Life Field, they’re near the bottom in road OPS as well. It’s been fun seeing Jacob deGrom back at a dominating level, and Nathan Eovaldi should have been an All-Star.
Put it this way: If the Rangers can somehow squeeze into the postseason, you don’t want to face the Rangers in a short series. Indeed, if any team looms as an October upset special, it might be the Rangers.
The Nationals received superlative first-half performances from James Wood and MacKenzie Gore, while CJ Abrams is on the way to his best season. But there remains a lack of overall organizational progress, which finally led to the firings on Sunday of longtime GM Mike Rizzo and longtime manager Dave Martinez. A 7-19 record in June sealed their fate, as the rotation has been bad and the bullpen arguably the worst in baseball.
Until the Nationals figure out how to improve their pitching — or, better yet, find an owner who wants to win — they will be stuck going nowhere.
That fell apart in a hurry. Sunday’s loss was Cleveland’s 10th in a row, a stretch that remarkably included five shutouts. Indeed, the Guardians have now been shut out 11 times; the franchise record in the post-dead-ball-era (since 1920) is 20 shutouts in 1968.
There’s nothing worse than watching a team that can’t score runs, so that tells you how exciting the Guardians have been. Last year, the Guardians hit exceptionally well with runners in scoring position, keeping afloat what was otherwise a mediocre offense. That hasn’t happened in 2025 (trading Josh Naylor didn’t help either). Throw in some predictable regression from the bullpen, and this season looks lost.
We can’t give this a complete failing grade due to the emergence of All-Star shortstop Jacob Wilson (the Athletics’ first All-Star starter since Josh Donaldson in 2014) and slugging first baseman Nick Kurtz, who have a chance to finish 1-2 in the Rookie of the Year voting. Plus, we have Denzel Clarke‘s circus catches in center field.
But otherwise? Ugh. The Sacramento gamble already looks like a disaster, three months into a three-year stay. The team is drawing well below Sutter Health Park’s 14,000-seat capacity, with many recent games drawing under 10,000 fans. Luis Severino bashed the small crowds and the lack of air-conditioning.
The A’s had a groundbreaking ceremony for their new park in Vegas, renting heavy construction equipment as background props. Maybe they should have spent that money on more pitching help.
Based on preseason expectations, the Braves have clearly been the biggest disappointment in the National League — fighting the Orioles for most disappointing overall.
What’s gone wrong? They haven’t scored runs, as the offense continues its remarkable fade from a record-setting performance just two seasons ago. The collapses of Michael Harris II and Ozzie Albies lead the way, with lack of production at shortstop and left field playing a big role as well. Closer Raisel Iglesias has struggled, and the team is 11-22 in one-run games. Spencer Strider hasn’t yet reached his pre-injury level and Reynaldo Lopez made just one start before going down.
The Braves haven’t missed the playoffs since 2017, but that run is clearly in jeopardy.
The Orioles have a similar record to the Braves but have played much worse, including losses of 24-2, 19-5, 15-3 and two separate 9-0 shutouts.
They will spend the trade deadline dealing away as many of their impending free agents as possible, and then do a lot of soul-searching heading into the offseason. After making the playoffs in 2023 and 2024, will this season just be a blip? While the pitching struggles aren’t necessarily a big surprise, what has happened to the offense? Are some of their young players prospects or suspects?
After two months of Cleveland Spiders-level baseball, it would be easy to make fun of the Rockies. Especially since they recently announced Walker Monfort — son of the owner — was promoted to executive VP and will replace outgoing president and COO Greg Feasel.
On the other hand, the Rockies are doing something right: They just drew 121,000 for a three-game series against the White Sox.
Day 1 of the 2025 MLB draft is in the books, with the Washington Nationals taking prep shortstop Eli Willits with the No. 1 overall pick.
The Los Angeles Angels followed up by picking college pitcher Tyler Bremner and the Seattle Mariners nabbed another in Kade Anderson at third. The Colorado Rockies took prep shortstop Ethan Holliday, who had been in the mix to go first overall, with the fourth pick, and the St. Louis Cardinals rounded out the top five by selecting college pitcher Liam Doyle.
The second day of the draft will feature rounds four through 20.
Follow along for pick-by-pick coverage, with ESPN MLB experts David Schoenfield and Dan Mullen breaking down everything you need to know about who your favorite team took in the first round as the picks come off the board and refresh often on Monday for pick-by-pick results for every Day 2 selection.
Jump to …: Day 1 analysis | Live: Day 2 results
Day 1 results, analysis
1. Washington Nationals: Eli Willits, SS, Fort Cobb-Broxton HS (Okla.)
Draft ranking: No. 3
Who is Willits? The son of former Angels outfielder Reggie Willits, Eli is one of a deep group of high school shortstops in this draft. He reclassified to the 2025 class, so is one of the younger players in the draft, not turning 18 until December, a big plus in analytic draft models. He’s a clear shortstop with a good hit tool and contact ability, with his future power outcome the biggest question mark as he turns pro.
Why the Nationals took him here: There was a lot of intrigue about which direction the Nationals would go in a draft without a slam-dunk No. 1 pick — and Washington surprised everyone with this pick. Willits was one of the top players in this draft, but he was behind Ethan Holliday and Kade Anderson as options to go No. 1 overall. He’s one of the youngest prospects in this draft — and that’s a very good thing for his potential, considering Carlos Correa and Francisco Lindor were also both 17-year-old shortstops on draft night.
There’s also a chance that taking Willits here could come with some bonus-money savings that sets Washington up for some splashy picks in the coming rounds. — Mullen
MLB player comp: Kevin McGonigle, with more speed and defense
2. Los Angeles Angels: Tyler Bremner, RHP, UC Santa Barbara
Draft ranking: No. 18
Who is Bremner? Bremner entered the season alongside Jamie Arnold as the top collegiate pitcher after a strong sophomore season and a summer pitching for USA Baseball’s collegiate national team, but he scuffled early on with inconsistent stuff and results. He finished stronger, including a string of double-digit-strikeout games, and he threw strikes, walking just 19 batters in 77⅓ innings with 111 strikeouts. He sits 94-96, touching 98, but his plus changeup might be his best offering while his slider was hit hard and backed up compared to 2024.
Why the Angels took him here: Two picks into this draft and teams are already sending a clear message, as Bremner is the second straight curveball: The talent at the top doesn’t match that of recent drafts, so Washington and L.A. are likely saving money with their picks with underslot deals. Bremner does fit the Angels’ model of drafting college prospects who can move quickly, but ESPN’s Kiley McDaniel had Bremner ranked just 18th on his most recent draft board. — Schoenfield
MLB player comp: Michael Wacha with more upside
Draft ranking: No. 1
Who is Anderson? Winner of the Most Outstanding Player award at the College World Series in leading LSU to the title after allowing one run in 17 innings, including a 1-0 shutout in the finals, Anderson topped Division I with 180 strikeouts, finishing 12-1 with a 3.18 ERA. Anderson had Tommy John surgery in high school, missing his senior season, but he’s a polished lefty with a five-pitch repertoire if you include both his fastballs. His fastball carries well in the zone, and he commands it well, so it plays up over its 92-94 mph velocity (hitting 97).
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The traits that helped make Kade Anderson a Mariner
Kiley McDaniel explains the traits that helped make Kade Anderson the third overall pick by the Mariners.
Why the Mariners took him here: Seattle really couldn’t have asked for a better situation than this. After seeing two surprise picks ahead of their No. 3 selection, the Mariners landed the breakout star of this year’s College World Series and one of the surest players in this draft. Though Anderson lacks the true ace upside of recent college picks Paul Skenes and Chase Burns, the left-hander is a polished starter who should move quickly through the minors and could be part of an already-strong Seattle rotation sooner rather than later. — Mullen
MLB player comp: Max Fried
4. Colorado Rockies: Ethan Holliday, 3B, Stillwater HS (Okla.)
Draft ranking: No. 2
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The traits that helped make Ethan Holliday a member of the Rockies
Kiley McDaniel explains the traits that helped make Ethan Holliday the fourth overall pick by the Rockies.
Who is Holliday? Yes, he’s Matt’s son and brother of Orioles second baseman Jackson Holliday, the first pick in the 2022 draft. Like his brother, Ethan is a left-handed hitter, although he’s much bigger (6-foot-4 compared to 6-foot) and built more like their dad, thus projects to have similar 30-homer power. He lacks the range to stay at shortstop but should be an above-average defender at third base. There are some concerns about his performance last summer on the showcase circuit and weak competition this spring in high school, but scouts love the swing and power ceiling.
Why the Rockies took him here: There was plenty of talk about Holliday being a possibility for the No. 1 pick, so the Rockies have to be happy about getting the player who might have the best chance of developing into a true major league star. His best-case scenario is reaching the majors as a power-hitting, good-fielding third baseman who turns into the Rockies’ first franchise player since they traded away a power-hitting, good-fielding third baseman in Nolan Arenado. — Schoenfield
MLB player comp: Left-handed-hitting version of Matt Chapman or Eugenio Suarez
Draft ranking: No. 6
Who is Doyle? One of the three highly rated lefty collegiate pitchers, Doyle went 10-4 with a 3.20 ERA for the Vols, striking out 164 in 95⅔ innings, finishing second in Division I in strikeouts and first in K’s per nine. After sitting in the low 90s as a sophomore, Doyle sat in the mid-90s, peaking at 100 mph and often just blowing his heater by college hitters. He throws strikes, isn’t afraid to pitch inside and backs up the fastball with a splitter and slider, pitches he’ll probably have to deploy more often as a pro.
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The traits that helped make Liam Doyle a member of the Cardinals
Kiley McDaniel explains the traits that helped make Liam Doyle the fifth overall pick by the Cardinals.
Why the Cardinals took him here: Doyle’s fastball could play in the majors right now, and the Cardinals have long been in need of some hard-throwing additions to their system. The question here is if the rest of Doyle’s arsenal and delivery can be strong enough to keep him in the rotation. Best case, St. Louis just added a strong part of its rotation for years to come — but a potential closer or top setup option isn’t a bad fallback plan either. — Mullen
MLB player comp: Spencer Strider, if he was left-handed but had real questions about his command/stamina/delivery
6. Pittsburgh Pirates: Seth Hernandez, RHP, Corona HS (Calif.)
Draft ranking: No. 4
Who is Hernandez? No high school right-hander has ever gone first overall, but Hernandez put himself in that discussion as the clear top prep arm in the draft. With a projectable 6-4 frame, he followed up a strong summer in 2024 with a dominant high school season, touching triple digits but also showcasing a plus-plus changeup and an above-average 12-to-6 curveball with a high spin rate. He was athletic enough to play the field when he didn’t pitch, which might help him overcome the risky history of first-round high school pitchers.
Why the Pirates took him here: The Pirates have Paul Skenes in the majors and Bubba Chandler, perhaps the top pitching prospect in the minors, in Triple-A, and now they’ve added Hernandez, who might have the most upside of any pitcher in the draft, with a fastball up to 100 mph and plus-plus changeup. He’s a good athlete (he was a second-round prospect as a hitter), which is another plus. The only negative is the scary history of first-round high school pitching prospects, but Hernandez might be the best prep right-handed prospect in a decade. — Schoenfield
MLB player comp: Zac Gallen with more stuff or Devin Williams as a starter
7. Miami Marlins: Aiva Arquette, SS, Oregon State
Draft ranking: No. 9
Who is Arquette? The latest in the Oregon State pipeline that has produced first-round picks Nick Madrigal, Trevor Larnach, Adley Rutschman, Cooper Hjerpe and Travis Bazzana since 2018, Arquette is a Honolulu native who transferred from Washington and hit .354 with 19 home runs for the Beavers. Viewed as the best college position player, Arquette is 6-foot-5, leading many scouts to think he’ll eventually move to third base even though he’s agile enough for now to get a shot at shortstop.
Why the Marlins took him here: It’s no secret that the Marlins are in need of some offensive thump throughout their system. In Arquette, they get one of the top hitters in college baseball and a prospect who should be able to supply some power while climbing quickly to the majors. It’s hard to picture the 6-5, 220-pound Oregon State star sticking at shortstop for the long term, but he should have a home somewhere in Miami’s infield. — Mullen
MLB player comp: Somewhere on the Willy Adames to Isaac Paredes spectrum
8. Toronto Blue Jays: JoJo Parker, SS, Purvis HS (Miss.)
Draft ranking: No. 7
Who is Parker? Viewed as one of the most polished prep hitters in the draft, Parker was the Gatorade Mississippi Player of the Year (his twin brother, Jacob, is also a top prospect) and follows Konnor Griffin, taken ninth last year by the Pirates, as a Mississippi high schooler to go high in the draft. A left-handed batter, Parker has great hand-eye coordination and rarely swings and misses at anything in the zone. He has 20-homer potential, although he’ll be tested to stick at shortstop long term.
Why the Blue Jays took him here: One of the many prep shortstops in a deep group, Parker’s carrying tools are an outstanding bat to go with outstanding makeup. It wouldn’t be a surprise to see him end up as the best hitter from this draft. With Bo Bichette potentially leaving as a free agent, the Blue Jays could use a shortstop of the future, and Parker’s bat could allow him to move quickly through the minors. — Schoenfield
MLB player comp: Less athletic Gunnar Henderson or Rafael Devers with less mass/power?
9. Cincinnati Reds: Steele Hall, SS, Hewitt-Trussville HS (Ala.)
Draft ranking: No. 13
Who is Hall? A plus-plus runner with grade 70 or 80 speed, Hall is the first Alabama prep shortstop drafted in the first round since Condredge Holloway went fourth overall in 1971 (Holloway didn’t sign and became the first Black QB in the SEC at Tennessee). Hall reclassified to the Class of 2025 and doesn’t turn 18 until later in July. He should be a lock to stay at shortstop with his range and arm and already shows average power and ability to lift the ball.
Why the Reds took him here: Great baseball name. Like Eli Willits, Hall reclassified into this draft class and is one of the youngest players who will be selected this year. Draft models love that, but that’s not the only reason to be high on Steele. He’s a strong athlete and runner who should stick at shortstop long term. The big question, though, is if his free-swinging style will work at the next level. — Mullen
MLB player comp: Trea Turner with a dash of Jett Williams and a dusting of Anthony Volpe
10. Chicago White Sox: Billy Carlson, SS, Corona HS (Calif.)
Draft ranking: No. 8
Who is Carlson? Seth Hernandez’s high school teammate, Carlson is how you draw up a prep shortstop: above-average-to-plus bat speed and raw power, an 80-grade arm (up to 97 mph as a pitcher), range in the field and game performance. He’s still growing into his power and will have to overcome some concerns about his hit tool, but the defense should give him a high floor and there’s five-tool potential here.
Why the White Sox took him here: As expected, we’re now getting the run of prep shortstops. Carlson’s calling card is his defense, featuring a Masyn Wynn-type cannon. He also has the range to stick at shortstop and impressive raw power. If the hit tool comes around, the upside is huge, and he fits in nicely in a White Sox system that is finally showing some long-term potential solutions on offense — obviously a huge need at the big league level. — Schoenfield
MLB player comp: Bobby Witt Jr., but one tier lower in tools, and with questions if the ultimate offensive upside matches those tools (Jeremy Pena feels a bit closer)
11. Athletics: Jamie Arnold, LHP, Florida State
Draft ranking: No. 5
Who is Arnold? Arnold ranked third in Division I in strikeouts as a sophomore in 2024, behind only top-five picks Chase Burns and Hagen Smith, but pitched fewer innings in 2025 and saw his strikeout rate and strikeout-to-walk rate drop a bit. Still, he’s viewed as a high-probability pick, with a fastball that sits in the 93 mph range from a low, easy delivery that he can pump up to 97, with a sweeping slider and feel for a plus changeup.
1:05
The traits that helped make Jamie Arnold a member of the Athletics
Kiley McDaniel explains the traits that helped Jamie Arnold get drafted by the Athletics.
Why the Athletics took him here: Entering the season, Arnold was in the conversation to be the No. 1 pick, so getting him here has to make the A’s happy. The Florida State left-hander is probably the second-safest pitcher in this draft, behind Kade Anderson, because of his polish and secondary stuff. Arnold’s fastball is a class below some other recent top pitching prospects though, and that could limit him to be more of a mid-rotation starter than a future ace. — Mullen
MLB player comp: A bit of Chris Sale and a bit of Nick Lodolo, if Arnold’s command progresses
12. Texas Rangers: Gavin Fien, 3B, Great Oak HS (Calif.)
Draft ranking: No. 12
Who is Fien? Fien was one of the top prep hitters on the summer showcase circuit in 2024, but the 6-3 right-handed hitter struggled at times this spring during his regular high school season, not producing the same hard contact as consistently even though he was facing weaker competition. At his best, he has shown plus raw power with excellent bat speed and in-zone contact rates. He profiles well at third base with a strong arm.
Why the Rangers took him here: The Rangers have struggled to score runs the past two seasons following their World Series title in 2023, so it’s probably not a surprise they would draft a hitter with one of the best hit/power combos in the draft. Fien should be able to stick at third base with a strong arm, but his bat is what will get him to the majors. — Schoenfield
MLB player comp: Austin Riley with a bit of Josh Jung mixed in
Draft ranking: No. 20
Who is Kilen? After transferring from Louisville for his junior season, Kilen was one of the best players in the SEC, hitting .357 with 15 home runs. After walking just seven times as a sophomore, he toned down his aggressiveness with the Vols and showed better swing decisions, drawing 30 walks against just 27 strikeouts. He projects as contact over power although showed some high-end exit velocity results on occasion. He played both infield positions for the Vols, although his fringy arm probably pushes him to second base in the pros.
Why the Giants took him here: Not to be confused with Gavin Fien, taken one pick earlier, Gavin Kilen is one of the safest bats in this draft — and the Giants take him a year after they selected James Tibbs III, one of the safest bats in the 2024 draft, at No. 13. Kilen’s power took a big step forward at Tennessee this year after he transferred from Louisville, making him arguably the most productive hitter in one of the SEC’s best lineups. Despite that production this season, Kilen’s power is more likely to show up as average than plus in the majors, but his hit tool figures to play at any level. — Mullen
MLB player comp: In the Brice Turang area as maybe a shortstop, but probably second base with a solid lefty stick (but not huge tools)
14. Tampa Bay Rays: Daniel Pierce, SS, Mill Creek HS (Ga.)
Draft ranking: No. 19
Who is Pierce? Yet another prep infielder who looks like a lock to stick at shortstop, Pierce played for his dad’s high school team in Georgia, with plus speed and a plus arm his strongest attributes. Scouts love his makeup, and he has produced against quality pitching on the showcase circuit and could add power to his right-handed swing as he gets stronger.
Why the Rays took him here: The Rays love drafting athletic middle infielders — think of Carson Williams in the first round in 2021 and Theo Gillen in 2024 — even if that player has to eventually move to the outfield (as was the case with Gillen). Pierce is a good bet to stay at shortstop and, as a coach’s son, brings all those intangibles you would expect. He’ll need to get stronger and add more power, but the Rays don’t historically rush their prospects, so Pierce will have time to develop. — Schoenfield
MLB player comp: Jeremy Pena, if it all clicks
15. Boston Red Sox: Kyson Witherspoon, RHP, Oklahoma
Draft ranking: No. 10
Who is Witherspoon? The hard-throwing right-hander began his college career at a Florida junior college before playing two years for the Sooners, going 10-4 with a 2.65 ERA and 124 strikeouts in 95 innings this spring. He tops out at 99 mph and improved his walk rate from 4.5 per innings as a sophomore to 2.2. He throws both a slider and cutter and flashes a changeup and curveball as well. His twin brother, Malachi, also pitched for the Sooners and is also a prospect, although he projects as a fastball/slider reliever, whereas Kyson has the pitches and delivery to start.
Why the Red Sox took him here: While the Red Sox have been pumping out hitting prospects in recent years, pitching coming through the farm system hasn’t exactly been a strength of theirs. Witherspoon has a chance to change that if everything clicks. He has power stuff and strong athleticism with the potential to be a legit swing-and-miss starter at the big league level. He isn’t quite as safe a bet as the trio of college left-handers who went above him tonight, but some scouts believe the right-handed Witherspoon is on the verge of a breakout as the Red Sox land him here. — Mullen
MLB player comp: Delivery and arsenal are shades of Dylan Cease, but command isn’t there yet
16. Minnesota Twins: Marek Houston, SS, Wake Forest
Draft ranking: No. 22
Who is Houston? Wake Forest continues to pump out the first-rounders, with Houston following last year’s first-round trio of Chase Burns, Nick Kurtz and Seaver King, who all went in the top 10. In 2023, it was Rhett Lowder and Brock Wilken. A gifted defender, Houston might be the best defensive shortstop in the draft. While he hit .354 with 15 home runs for the Demon Deacons, 11 of those home runs came at home in Wake Forest’s hitter-friendly park. If there is some power here, Houston can develop into a starter; otherwise, he projects as a high-floor utility player.
Why the Twins took him here: A surefire shortstop, Houston might be the best collegiate defender in this draft and is right up there with Billy Carlson as the best overall defensive shortstop. That puts Houston in line as a potential long-term replacement for Carlos Correa, who is signed through 2028 (with some potential vesting options after that). The Twins do have Brooks Lee, their first-round pick from 2022, in the majors, but the jury remains out on both his bat and his glove. Houston will have to develop some power, but his glove alone should get him to the majors as at least a utility guy. — Schoenfield
MLB player comp: Masyn Winn, if the offense continues to improve
17. Chicago Cubs: Ethan Conrad, RF, Wake Forest
Draft ranking: No. 30
Who is Conrad? Yet another Wake Forest transfer, Conrad played two seasons for Marist before landing at Wake, lighting up the scoreboard early on, when he hit .372 with seven home runs in 21 games before shoulder surgery ended his season early. A 6-4 lefty swinger, Conrad has the tools for both above-average hit and above-average power, although there is some concern about his aggressive approach. Although his numbers came before Wake’s tougher ACC schedule, he did perform well in the Cape Cod League in the summer of 2024.
Why the Cubs took him here: If not for the shoulder injury he suffered in early April, there’s a chance Conrad would not have been here for Chicago to take. He was one of the best performers in the ACC after coming over from Marist with a compact swing and gap-to-gap approach that should translate well to the pros. Conrad probably won’t be a star, but he has a chance to be a player who both hits for a solid average and supplies some power for the Cubs. — Mullen
18. Arizona Diamondbacks: Kayson Cunningham, SS, Johnson HS (Texas)
Draft ranking: No. 25
Who is Cunningham? Viewed as perhaps the best pure hitter in the draft, Cunningham has elite barrel control and bat speed with his left-handed swing and rarely swings and misses. Listed at 5-10, he’s shorter than that, and there are some doubts about his ability to remain at shortstop, even though he’s a plus runner. The swing is flat at times and will need to add some loft to reach some power. He’s also 19 on draft day, a red flag under some draft models.
Why the Diamondbacks took him here: No team loves short players as much as the Diamondbacks, who drafted the 5-10 Corbin Carroll in the first round in 2019 and 5-9 Slade Caldwell in the first round last summer. Carroll is a big star and Caldwell is having one of the best seasons of any of the 2024 first-rounders. Cunningham is another sub 6-footer (5-10, to be exact) with an impressive hit tool and the Diamondbacks will hope they got another steal in the middle of the first round. — Schoenfield
MLB player comp: Lefty-hitting Matt McLain, if the power comes
Draft ranking: No. 11
Who is Irish? A three-year performer for the Tigers, Irish hit .350 with 39 home runs in his Auburn career, including .364 with 19 home runs this spring, when his OPS ranked second highest in conference play. He entered the season with concerns about his defense at catcher, and he ended up playing 45 games in the outfield compared with just 12 behind the plate, although he could still project as a backup catcher who plays all over the field.
Why the Orioles took him here: Where will he play as a pro? Good question. But there’s one thing that is certain about Irish: He hit as well, or better, than just about anyone in college baseball this season. He put up huge numbers in the nation’s toughest conference this year and produced against many of the SEC pitchers you’ll see taken in the first few rounds of this draft. Until just about everything went sideways in Baltimore this year, the O’s had a reputation for crushing their early position-player picks — and Irish is exactly the kind of hitter who they have thrived at developing. — Mullen
MLB player comp: Seiya Suzuki in terms of tools/outcomes, but a notch bigger — and he might also be a passable defensive catcher
20. Milwaukee Brewers: Andrew Fischer, 1B/3B, Tennessee
Draft ranking: No. 24
Who is Fischer? Fischer’s vagabond college career saw him go from Duke to Mississippi to Tennessee, where he was one of the sluggers in Division I this spring, hitting .341/.497/.760 with 25 home runs. He cut his strikeout rate down to 14% while ranking fourth in walks behind three small-school players. He delivers plus left-handed power to all fields with good loft. He played first base for the Vols for all but a few games, so his bat will have to be his carrying tool.
Why the Brewers took him here: The Brewers have a proven ability to find and develop pitchers, and they have a couple of highly rated 18-year-old shortstop prospects in Jesus Made and Luis Pena, so Fischer gives them a different kind of prospect as a polished college bat who should move quickly. First base hasn’t been the strongest of positions for Milwaukee in recent years, so if that’s where Fischer ends up, he could provide some stability there. — Schoenfield
MLB player comp: Max Muncy (the Dodgers 3B/1B one)
21. Houston Astros: Xavier Neyens , 3B, Mount Vernon HS (Wash.)
Draft ranking: No. 26
Who is Neyens? A rare prep hitter from Washington state to go in the first round — Corbin Carroll was the last in 2019 and Neyens is just the 10th in the history of the draft — Neyens is a left-handed slugger with some of the best raw power of any high school hitter in this class. He gets the ball in the air to all fields, although he had mixed results last summer on the showcase, with some concerns about his ability to make contact. He threw 95 mph as a pitcher, so has plenty of arm to stick at third base.
Why the Astros took him here: The everything-goes-right-version of Neyens is a very enticing prospect — a true left-handed slugger with game-altering home run power. But, at the very least, it’s going to take some time and patience from the Astros in waiting for Neyens, who hasn’t faced a whole lot of top-end talent as a Washington prep prospect and comes with some serious questions about his contact ability, to put it all together.— Mullen
MLB player comp: Joey Gallo
22. Atlanta Braves: Tate Southisene, SS, Basic HS (Nev.)
Draft ranking: No. 37
Who is Southisene? A year after his brother Ty went in the fourth round and signed with the Cubs for an overslot $1 million, Tate gets drafted even higher. A right-handed batter with a broad set of skills, Tate doesn’t quite match the pure hitting skills Ty had coming out of high school, but he projects to more power and is a more natural shortstop (although some scouts like him in center field). He’s a USC commit — where Tate’s twin brother, Tee, pitched as a freshman.
Why the Braves took him here: Given the state of their shortstop situation in the majors — where the Braves are currently starting slick-fielding, light-hitting Nick Allen — and a farm system that is heavier in pitching prospects than position players, going for a shortstop makes sense. Southisene certainly has some development ahead of him and maybe even ends up in the outfield, but he immediately becomes perhaps the top position player prospect in Atlanta’s system. — Schoenfield
23. Kansas City Royals: Sean Gamble, 2B, IMG Academy HS (Fla.)
Draft ranking: No. 35
Who is Gamble? An Iowa native, Gamble played all four of his high school years at IMG Academy, where he has performed well against good competition on the showcase circuit, with plus bat speed from the left side and plus speed that might eventually see him land in center field, where he has seen action. He’s another older high school kid, having turned 19 earlier this month, but he’s a good athlete who needs to add polish to his game and cut down on the swing-and-miss.
Why the Royals took him here: The most interesting thing about this pick might be that Kansas City announced Gamble as an outfielder — not a second baseman — when selecting him. If the Royals think that he can stick in center field, the upside of this pick suddenly becomes a lot higher. Offensively, Gamble has a smooth left-handed swing and can drive the ball to all fields. He probably isn’t going to hit a ton of home runs, but he has the potential to put up all-around numbers that will play just fine in center field. — Mullen
24. Detroit Tigers: Jordan Yost, SS, Sickles HS (Fla.), Florida commit
Draft ranking: No. 56
Who is Yost? A bit of a pop-up player this spring, Yost wasn’t a top prospect entering the spring but got stronger, although his top exit velocity at the draft combine a few weeks ago was one of the lowest of any player there. He’s a plus runner with knowledge of the strike zone and a quick left-handed swing. He’s committed to Florida, where his older brother, Hayden, plays.
Why the Tigers took him here: Given the depth of both their major league roster and their minor league system, the Tigers could roll the dice and draft a high schooler who’s very projectable. Yost is only 56th on McDaniel’s draft board, but he soared up draft lists this spring, and the Tigers might view him as a young player with a lot of potential to grow. With infield prospects like Kevin McGonigle and Bryce Rainer ahead of him, the Tigers can afford to be patient with Yost. — Schoenfield
25. San Diego Padres: Kruz Schoolcraft, LHP, Sunset HS (Ore.), Tennessee commit
Draft ranking: No. 29
Who is Schoolcraft? At 6-8, Schoolcraft has two-way ability on the mound and at first base, but it’s his powerful left arm that got him drafted this high. While he sits in the low 90s, he has been up to 97, throwing from a low three-quarters slot. There are concerns about his breaking ball and how the fastball plays, but his changeup has a chance to be outstanding. It’s a strong foundation for a young pitcher.
Why the Padres took him here: There are two things you can count on the Padres finding early in the MLB draft: strong baseball names and the prep pitching prospects with the highest-possible upside. And Schoolcraft checks both boxes. While we’ve spent a lot of time talking about polish and safe bets among the college pitching prospects taken tonight, Schoolcraft is on the opposite end of the spectrum as a 6-8 high schooler who can touch the high 90s with his fastball — but he still has plenty of development work ahead of him. — Mullen
MLB player comp: Cristopher Sanchez, if it all clicks
Draft ranking: No. 16
Who is Wood? After pitching primarily in relief his first two seasons with the Razorbacks, Wood moved into the rotation but came down with a shoulder impingement early on and missed two months, returning to finish with 37 innings across 10 starts. His final start was one to remember, however: a no-hitter against Murray State in the College World Series with a CWS-record 19 strikeouts (just the third no-hitter in CWS history and first since 1960). He has one of the best fastballs in the draft, sitting 95 but reaching 98, with excellent carry that induces a ton of chase. He adds a hammer curveball to give him one of the best pitch combos in the draft. There is clear reliever risk here given the health history, but he’ll be given a chance to start.
Why the Phillies took him here: Wood has a chance to be one of the steals of the draft in going this late in the first round. Yes, his track record in college is limited, but the two-pitch mix is elite. Indeed, given some of the struggles of the Phillies’ bullpen and Wood’s limited innings this spring in college, it’s not out of the question that he’s rushed to the majors this season as a reliever and then developed next year as a starter. — Schoenfield
MLB player comp: Usage/outcomes could look like Lance McCullers, though Wood is more fastball-oriented
Draft ranking: No. 21
Who is LaViolette? LaViolette had some 1-1 chatter at the beginning of the season after hitting 29 home runs as a sophomore, but his numbers dropped way off as he hit .258 with 18 home runs, his strikeout rate remaining a problem at over 25%. Still, he’s a 6-6 lefty slugger with plus-plus raw power and a plus runner who might be able to stick in center field (or be a plus defender in right). He makes quality swing decisions and has a quick bat, but swings and misses a lot in the zone.
Why the Guardians took him here: This is a very un-Guardians-like pick, but Cleveland has also been in desperate need of power-hitting outfielders and that is exactly what LaViolette is — as long as he can make enough contact to get to his tremendous power. The Guardians are getting a player at No. 27 who was in the conversation to go about 26 spots earlier than this before the college baseball season began. If they can get the best out of the long-limbed Texas A&M slugger, this could be one of the steals of this draft. At the same time, there is definitely a fair share of risk here. — Mullen
MLB player comp: Cody Bellinger, if he moves his swing in that direction
Prospect Promotion Incentive picks
28. Kansas City Royals: Josh Hammond, 3B, Wesleyan Christian HS (N.C.)
Draft ranking: No. 17
Who is Hammond? A two-way player whose father is High Point University coach Joey Hammond, Josh’s future will be on the dirt as he wants to play every day. Last summer, he drew comparisons to Austin Riley for his two-way performance, but Hammond slimmed down this spring, got stronger and drew comparisons to Josh Donaldson, showcasing 65 or 70 raw power. He has good hands at shortstop, but a lack of range will slide him over to third base.
Why the Royals took him here: Given the need for power on the major league team, it makes sense for the Royals to go for Hammond’s power potential, especially after drafting more of a speed player in Sean Gamble earlier in the first round. Hammond was No. 17 on Kiley’s draft board, so this could also be good value at this point of the first round. — Schoenfield
MLB player comp: Some Riley (two-way prep 3B), but visually more like Donaldson
Compensation picks
29. Arizona Diamondbacks: Patrick Forbes, RHP, Louisville
Draft ranking: No. 33
Who is Forbes? A two-way player as a freshman, Forbes focused on pitching the past two seasons and went 4-2 with a 4.42 ERA as a junior but with big-time strikeout numbers (117 in 71⅓ innings). He sits in the mid-90s but has been up to triple digits, getting swing and miss with explosive life at the top of the zone. He has a wipeout slider, but the lack of a consistent third pitch, plus some injury history and control issues, suggests he could end up in the bullpen.
Why the D-backs took him here: After taking a high school hitter with their first pick, the Diamondbacks turn around and go college starter here. A former two-way player, Forbes has taken off during his time at Louisville and still has plenty of room for growth. He has thrown just over a 100 innings during his college career, so he’s much more raw than most college aces, but his explosive fastball and athleticism could help him find another level on the mound as a pro. — Mullen
30. Baltimore Orioles: Caden Bodine, C, Coastal Carolina
Draft ranking: No. 23
Who is Bodine? The switch-hitting catcher was a three-year starter for Coastal Carolina, hitting over .300 each season. He had nearly twice as many walks (47) as strikeouts (24) this spring, with some of the best contact rates in the country, but he hit just five home runs. He can catch and his arm is good enough, so it’s a question of whether he can impact the baseball enough as a pro.
Why the Orioles took him here: Hmm, are the Orioles down on Adley Rutschman? Or is this a potential hedge against Rutschman’s potential departure down the road as a free agent? At the minimum, Bodine gives the Orioles a true catcher in their system, especially if top prospect Samuel Basallo ends up as a first baseman or DH. Bodine will have to show better impact to project as more than a backup, though. — Schoenfield
MLB player comp: Alejandro Kirk, but in a different package
31. Baltimore Orioles: Wehiwa Aloy, SS, Arkansas
Draft ranking: No. 15
Who is Aloy? The Hawaii native started his college career at Sacramento State before playing his final two seasons at Arkansas. He was the SEC Player of the Year after hitting .350 with 21 home runs, showing strong exit velocity metrics and, while not a burner on the bases, the range and athleticism to remain at shortstop. He had twice as many strikeouts as walks, whiffing over 20% of the time, so the contact and chase issues will have to improve.
Why the Orioles took him here: The reigning SEC player of the year at the No. 31 pick? It might be better to ask “Why didn’t anyone else take Aloy in the 30 picks before this?” And it comes down to his tendency to produce more swing-and-miss than you’d like to see from a college prospect. But, as we said when the Orioles took fellow SEC standout Ike Irish earlier tonight, they have a history of getting a lot out of this type of hitter — and they’re leaning into college bats so far. — Mullen
MLB player comp: Willy Adames — a real shortstop defender with plus power but some contact concerns
32. Milwaukee Brewers: Brady Ebel, 3B, Corona HS (Calif.)
Why the Brewers took him here: The son of Dodgers’ third-base coach Dino, Ebel was a high school teammate of Seth Hernandez and Billy Carlson, making Corona High School the first ever with three first-round picks. Ebel is another lefty-hitting high school infielder, not turning 18 until later this month. He didn’t have the best spring and while he played third base because of Carlson, he could get a chance to start out at shortstop in the pros. — Schoenfield
Competitive balance round A
33. Boston Red Sox: Marcus Phillips, RHP, Tennessee
(Acquired from the Brewers in the trade for Quinn Priester)
The second Tennessee pitcher taken tonight, Phillips actually throws just about as hard as No. 5 pick Liam Doyle and can also find the strike zone. But there are some questions about Phillips’ arm action that the Red Sox will have to address as he progresses. — Mullen
34. Detroit Tigers: Michael Oliveto, C, Hauppauge HS (New York)
Oliveto feels like an even bigger roll of the dice for the Tigers than Yost. Nobody was on Oliveto last year and he had committed to Yale, but then he had a big showing at the WWBA World Championship in Florida last fall. Whether he can stick behind the plate is a question, but that tournament showed he can hit velocity and there is 30-homer potential here. — Schoenfield
35. Seattle Mariners: Luke Stevenson, C, North Carolina
Stevenson has been on the draft radar since he was a high school star but instead decided to head to North Carolina. He’s one of the best catching prospects in the draft and has strong power that has showed up in games during his time in the ACC — but there are some concerns about his swing-and-miss at the plate and his average that pushed his draft stock to here. — Mullen
36. Minnesota Twins: Riley Quick, RHP, Alabama
Quick is a huge former offensive lineman (he was a four-star recruit out of high school) who’s listed at 6-6, 255 pounds. He was up to 98 mph with the Crimson Tide this spring while coming off Tommy John surgery. The stuff is better than the results — 3.92 ERA, 62 hits allowed in 62 innings — but there is big upside here if Quick can develop some consistency and throw enough strikes with his fastball/slider/changeup combo. — Schoenfield
37. Baltimore Orioles: Slater de Brun, CF, Summit HS (Ore.)
(Acquired from the Rays in trade for Bryan Baker)
A shorter, lefty-swinging outfielder, De Brun (No. 34 in Kiley’s draft rankings) is built along the lines of Slade Caldwell, last year’s 29th overall pick by Arizona, or even better, another Diamondbacks outfielder from the Pacific Northwest, Corbin Carroll. With plus speed and range, De Brun projects as an excellent defender and has showcased bat-to-ball skills and a good eye at the plate, with questions about where his power ultimately ends up. — Schoenfield
38. New York Mets: Mitch Voit, 2B, Michigan
A three-year starter at Michigan, Voit showed steady improvement and hit .346/.471/.668 with 14 home runs and more walks than strikeouts. The Mets announced Voit as a two-way player, although he last pitched in 2024, posting a 5.49 ERA in 10 starts. His future is probably as a second baseman, where he has plus speed. He looked good there this spring in his first season at the position. — Schoenfield
39. New York Yankees: Dax Kilby, SS, Newnan HS (Ga.), Clemson commit
Yes, another left-handed-hitting prep shortstop. Kilby, No. 28 in Kiley’s draft rankings, has a short and direct swing to the ball, showing excellent contact skills and performing well against elite pitching on the showcase circuit last summer. He’s a lean 6-3, with room to add more bulk, projecting to average power. He’ll have to find a defensive home as scouts project a move to second base or outfield. The MLB player comp here is Colt Keith/Ryan McMahon, but with a chance for a better hit tool.
40. Los Angeles Dodgers: Zach Root, LHP, Arkansas
After Hagen Smith went No. 5 in the 2024 MLB draft, Root had a strong year replacing him as Arkansas’ Friday night starter and struck out 126 hitters in 99⅓ innings. An East Carolina transfer, Root doesn’t have the upside Smith had but still profiles as a future big league starter with a solid four-pitch mix highlighted by his changeup and curveball. — Mullen
41. Los Angeles Dodgers: Charles Davalan, LF, Arkansas
(Acquired from the Reds in the trade for Gavin Lux)
The fourth Arkansas player selected, Davalan is a Canadian native who moved to Florida for his senior year of high school and then played one year at Florida Gulf Coast before hitting .346 with 14 home runs for the Razorbacks. He’s just 5-9 and his arm limits him to second base or maybe left field (he’s played both in college), but he has leadoff skills and a high motor. — Schoenfield
42. Tampa Bay Rays: Brendan Summerhill, CF, Arizona
(Acquired from the Athletics in the trade for Jeffrey Springs and Jacob Lopez)
Summerhill — 14th in Kiley’s draft ranking — hit .323 in his Arizona career, including .343 this spring, although he missed time with a broken hand. He was hitting over .400 before the fracture, but his exit velocity readings were down from 2024 even before the injury, and he finished with just four home runs in 44 games. He played right field for the Wildcats but played center on the Cape and could be given a chance there, where there would be less pressure on the power to develop. Summerhill is in the Riley Greene/Brandon Nimmo range as a hit-over-power tweener who could grow into above-average power production.
43. Miami Marlins: Cam Cannarella, CF, Clemson
The ACC Freshman of the Year in 2023 when he hit .388, Cannarella played through a shoulder injury in 2024 and then had labrum surgery before the 2025 season. He still hit .353, but his power dropped from 11 home runs to five. He’s hit-over-power anyway, with plus speed (although he didn’t run the past two seasons because of the shoulder) and is a sure-thing center fielder. No. 27 in Kiley’s draft rankings, Cannarella’s MLB player comp is Jung-Hoo Lee but with plus center-field defense.
Second round
44. Chicago White Sox: Jaden Fauske, OF, Nazareth Academy (Ill.)
45. Colorado Rockies: JB Middleton, P, Southern Mississippi
46. Miami Marlins: Brandon Compton OF, Arizona State
47. Los Angeles Angels: Chase Shores P, LSU
48. Athletics: Devin Taylor OF, Indiana
49. Washington Nationals: Ethan Petry OF, South Carolina
50. Pittsburgh Pirates: Angel Cervantes P, Warren HS (Calif.)
51. Cincinnati Reds: Aaron Watson P, Trinity Christian Academy (Fla.)
52. Texas Rangers: AJ Russell P, Tennessee
53. Tampa Bay Rays: Cooper Flemming SS, Ganesha HS (Calif.)
54. Minnesota Twins: Quentin Young SS, Oaks Christian HS (Calif.)
55. St. Louis Cardinals: Ryan Mitchell OF, Houston HS (Tenn.)
56. Chicago Cubs: Kane Kepley OF, North Carolina
57. Seattle Mariners: Nick Becker SS, Don Bosco Prep HS (N.J.)
58. Baltimore Orioles: Joseph Dzierwa P, Michigan State
59. Milwaukee Brewers: J.D. Thompson P, Vanderbilt
60. Atlanta Braves: Alex Lodise SS, Florida State
61. Kansas City Royals: Michael Lombardi P, Tulane
62. Detroit Tigers: Malachi Witherspoon P, Oklahoma
63. Philadelphia Phillies: Cade Obermueller P, Iowa
64. Cleveland Guardians: Dean Curley SS, Tennessee
65. Los Angeles Dodgers: Cam Leiter P, Florida State
Competitive balance round B
66. Cleveland Guardians: Aaron Walton OF, Arizona
67. Tampa Bay Rays: Dean Moss OF, IMG Academy
68. Milwaukee Brewers: Frank Cairone P, Delsea Regional HS (N.J.)
69. Baltimore Orioles: JT Quinn P, Georgia
70. Cleveland Guardians: Will Hynes P, Lorne Park SS (Canada)
71. Kansas City Royals: Justin Lamkin P, Texas A&M
72. St. Louis Cardinals: Tanner Franklin P, Tennessee
73. Pittsburgh Pirates: Murf Gray 3B, Fresno State
74. Colorado Rockies: Max Belyeu OF, Texas
Compensation picks
75. Boston Red Sox: Henry Godbout SS, Virginia
Third round
76. Chicago White Sox: Kyle Lodise SS, Georgia Tech
77. Colorado Rockies: Ethan Hedges 3B, USC
78. Miami Marlins: Max Williams OF, Florida State
79. Los Angeles Angels: Johnny Slawinski P, Lyndon B. Johnson HS (Texas)
80. Washington Nationals: Landon Harmon P, East Union Attendance Center HS (Miss.)
81. Toronto Blue Jays: Jake Cook P, Southern Mississippi
82. Pittsburgh Pirates: Easton Carmichael C, Oklahoma
83. Cincinnati Reds: Mason Morris P, Mississippi
84. Texas Rangers: Josh Owens TWP, Providence Academy (Tenn.)
85. San Francisco Giants: Trevor Cohen OF, Rutgers
86. Tampa Bay Rays: Taitn Gray C, Dallas Center-Grimes HS (Iowa)
87. Boston Red Sox: Anthony Eyanson P, LSU
88. Minnesota Twins: James Ellwanger P, Dallas Baptist
89. St. Louis Cardinals: Jack Gurevitch 1B, San Diego
90. Chicago Cubs: Dominick Reid P, Abilene Christian
91. Seattle Mariners: Griffin Hugus P, Miami
92. Arizona Diamondbacks: Brian Curley P, Georgia
93. Baltimore Orioles: RJ Austin OF, Vanderbilt
94. Milwaukee Brewers: Jacob Morrison P, Coastal Carolina
95. Houston Astros: Ethan Frey OF, LSU
96. Atlanta Braves: Cody Miller SS, East Tennessee State
97. Kansas City Royals: Cameron Millar P, Alhambra HS
98. Detroit Tigers: Ben Jacobs P, Arizona State
99. San Diego Padres: Ryan Wideman OF, Western Kentucky
100. Philadelphia Phillies: Cody Bowker P, Vanderbilt
101. Cleveland Guardians: Nolan Schubart OF, Oklahoma State
102. New York Mets: Antonio Jimenez SS, Central Florida
103. New York Yankees: Kaeden Kent SS, Texas A&M
104. Los Angeles Dodgers: Landyn Vidourek OF, Cincinnati
Compensation picks
105. Los Angeles Angels: Nate Snead P, Tennessee
Day 2: Pick-by-pick results
Fourth round
106. Chicago White Sox: Landon Hodge, C, Crespi Carmelite HS (Calif.)
107. Colorado Rockies: Riley Kelly, P, University of California-Irvine
108. Miami Marlins: Drew Faurot, SS, Florida State
109. Los Angeles Angels: Jake Munroe, 3B, Louisville
110. Athletics: Gavin Turley, OF, Oregon State
111. Washington Nationals: Miguel Sime Jr., P, Poly Prep Country Day School (N.Y.)
112. Toronto Blue Jays: Micah Bucknam, P, Dallas Baptist
113. Pittsburgh Pirates: Gustavo Melendez, SS, Colegio Nuestra Señora de la Merced (Puerto Rico)
114. Cincinnati Reds: Mason Neville, OF, Oregon
115. Texas Rangers: Mason McConnaughey, P, Nebraska
116. San Francisco Giants: Lorenzo Meola, SS, Stetson
117. Tampa Bay Rays: Dominic Fritton, P, NC State
118. Boston Red Sox: Mason White, SS, Arizona
119. Minnesota Twins: Jason Reitz, P, Oregon
120. St. Louis Cardinals: Cade Crossland, P, Oklahoma
121. Chicago Cubs: Kaleb Wing, P, Scotts Valley HS (N.Y.)
122. Seattle Mariners: Mason Peters, P, Dallas Baptist
123. Arizona Diamondbacks: Dean Livingston, P, Hebron Christian Academy (Ga.)
124. Baltimore Orioles: Colin Yeaman, SS, University of California-Irvine
125. Milwaukee Brewers: Joshua Flores, P, Lake Central HS (Ind.)
126. Houston Astros: Nick Monistere, IF, Southern Mississippi
127. Atlanta Braves: Briggs McKenzie, P, Corinth Holders HS (N.C.)
128. Kansas City Royals: Nolan Sailors, OF, Creighton
129. Detroit Tigers: Caleb Leys, P, University of Maine
130. San Diego Padres: Michael Salina, P, St. Bonaventure
131. Philadelphia Phillies: Sean Youngerman, P, Oklahoma State
132. Cleveland Guardians: Luke Hill, 3B, Ole Miss
133. New York Mets: Peter Kussow, P, Arrowhead Union HS (Wisc.)
134. New York Yankees: Pico Kohn, P, Mississippi State
135. Los Angeles Dodgers: Aidan West, SS, Long Reach HS (Md.)
Compensation picks
136. Atlanta Braves: Dixon Williams, 2B, East Carolina
Fifth round
137. Chicago White Sox: Gabe Davis, P, Oklahoma State
138. Colorado Rockies: Cameron Nelson, OF, Wake Forest
139. Miami Marlins: Chris Arroyo, 1B, Virginia
140. Los Angeles Angels: CJ Gray, P, A.L. Brown HS (N.C.)
141. Athletics: Zane Taylor, P, UNC Wilmington
142. Washington Nationals: Coy James,, SS, Davie HS (N.C.)
143. Toronto Blue Jays: Tim Piasentin, 3B, Foothills Composite HS (Ariz.)
144. Pittsburgh Pirates: Adonys Guzman, C, Arizona
145. Cincinnati Reds: Eli Pitts, OF, North Atlanta HS (Ga.)
146. Texas Rangers: Ben Abeldt, P, TCU
147. Tampa Bay Rays: James Quinn-Irons, OF, George Mason
148. Boston Red Sox: Christian Foutch, P, Arkansas
149. Minnesota Twins: Matt Barr, P, SUNY Niagara CC
150. St. Louis Cardinals: Ethan Young, P, East Carolina
151. Chicago Cubs: Kade Snell, OF, Alabama
152. Seattle Mariners: Korbyn Dickerson, OF, Indiana
153. Arizona Diamondbacks: Nathan Hall, OF, South Carolina
154. Baltimore Orioles: Jaiden Lo Re, SS, Corona Del Sol HS (Ariz.)
155. Milwaukee Brewers: Sean Episcope, P, Princeton
156. Houston Astros: Nick Potter, P, Wichita State
157. Atlanta Braves: Conor Essenburg, OF, Lincoln-Way West HS (Ill.)
158. Kansas City Royals: Aiden Jimenez, P, Arkansas
159. Detroit Tigers: Ryan Hall, P, North Gwinnett HS (Ga.)
160. San Diego Padres: Ty Harvey, C, Inspiration Academy (Fla.)
161. Philadelphia Phillies: Gabe Craig, P, Baylor
162. Cleveland Guardians: Riley Nelson, 1B, Vanderbilt
163. New York Mets: Peyton Prescott, P, Florida State
164. New York Yankees: Core Jackson, SS, Utah
165. Los Angeles Dodgers: Davion Hickson, P, Rice
Sixth round
166. Chicago White Sox: Colby Shelton, SS, Florida
167. Colorado Rockies: Matt Klein, C, Louisville
168. Miami Marlins: Joey Volini, P, Florida State
169. Los Angeles Angels: Luke Lacourse P, Bay City Western HS (Mich.)
170. Athletics: Grant Richardson, P, Grand Canyon
171. Washington Nationals: Boston Smith, C, Wright State
172. Toronto Blue Jays: Eric Snow, SS, Auburn
173. Pittsburgh Pirates: Jack Anker, P, Fresno State
174. Cincinnati Reds: Braden Osbolt P, Kennesaw State
175. Texas Rangers: Jack Wheeler, 3B, Morris HS
176. San Francisco Giants: Jordan Gottesman, P, Northeastern
177. Tampa Bay Rays: Aidan Haugh, P, North Carolina
178. Boston Red Sox: Leighton Finley, P, Georgia
179. Minnesota Twins: Bruin Agbayani, SS, Saint Louis School (Hawaii)
180. St. Louis Cardinals: Matthew Miura, OF, Hawaii
181. Chicago Cubs: Josiah Hartshorn, OF, Orange Lutheran HS (Calif.)
182. Seattle Mariners: Lucas Kelly, P, Arizona State
183. Arizona Diamondbacks: Sawyer Hawks, P, Vanderbilt
184. Baltimore Orioles: Caden Hunter, P, USC
185. Milwaukee Brewers: Daniel Dickinson, SS, LSU
186. Houston Astros: Gabel Pentecost, P, Taylor University
187. Atlanta Braves: Landon Beidelschies, P, Arkansas
188. Kansas City Royals: Tyriq Kemp, SS, Baylor
189. Detroit Tigers: Grayson Grinsell, P, Oregon
190. San Diego Padres: Jaxon Dalena, P, Shippensburg University
191. Philadelphia Phillies: James Tallon, P, Duke
192. Cleveland Guardians: Nelson Keljo, P, Oregon State
193. New York Mets: Nathan Hall, P, Central Missouri
194. New York Yankees: Rory Fox, P, Notre Dame
195. Los Angeles Dodgers: Mason Ligenza, OF, Tamaqua Area HS (Pa.)
Seventh round
196. Chicago White Sox: Anthony DePino, 3B, Rhode Island
197. Colorado Rockies: Antoine Jean, P, Houston
198. Miami Marlins: Jake Clemente, P, Florida
199. Los Angeles Angels: Lucas Mahlstedt, P, Clemson
200. Athletics: Logan Sauve, C, West Virginia
201. Washington Nationals: Julian Tonghini, P, Arizona
202. Toronto Blue Jays: Dylan Watts, P, Auburn
203. Pittsburgh Pirates: Brent Iredale, 3B, Arkansas
204. Cincinnati Reds: Justin Henschel, P, Florida Gulf Coast
205. Texas Rangers: Paxton Kling, OF, Penn State
206. San Francisco Giants: Cameron Maldonado, OF, Northeastern
207. Tampa Bay Rays: Jacob Kuhn, P, Midland College
208. Boston Red Sox: Myles Patton, P, Texas A&M
209. Minnesota Twins: Jacob McCombs, OF, California-Irvine
210. St. Louis Cardinals: Payton Graham, P, Gonzaga
211. Chicago Cubs: Pierce Coppola, P, Florida
212. Seattle Mariners: Colton Shaw, P, Yale
213. Arizona Diamondbacks: Joe Ariola, P, Wake Forest
214. Baltimore Orioles: Hunter Allen, P, Ashland University
215. Milwaukee Brewers: Josiah Ragsdale, OF, Boston College
216. Houston Astros: Jase Mitchell, C, Cape Henlopen HS (Del.)
217. Atlanta Braves: Zach Royse, P, UTSA
218. Kansas City Royals: Bryson Dudley, P, Texas State
219. Detroit Tigers: Cale Wetwiska, P, Northern Oklahoma College-Enid
220. San Diego Padres: Kerrington Cross, 3B, Cincinnati
221. Philadelphia Phillies: Matthew Fisher, P, Memorial HS (Ind.)
222. Cleveland Guardians: Will McCausland, P, Mississippi
223. New York Mets: Cam Tilly, P, Auburn
224. New York Yankees: Richie Bonomolo Jr., OF, Alabama
225. Los Angeles Dodgers: Mason Estrada, P, MIT
Eighth round
226. Chicago White Sox: Blaine Wynk, P, Ohio State
227. Colorado Rockies: Tanner Thach, 1B, UNC Wilmington
228. Miami Marlins: Emilio Barreras, SS, Grand Canyon University
229. Los Angeles Angels: Isaiah Jackson, OF, Arizona State
230. Athletics: Corey Braun, P, South Florida
231. Washington Nationals: Riley Maddox, P, Ole Miss
232. Toronto Blue Jays: Danny Thompson, Jr. P, UNC Greensboro
233. Pittsburgh Pirates: Josh Tate, OF, Georgia Southern
234. Cincinnati Reds: Kyle McCoy, P, Maryland
235. Texas Rangers: Evan Siary, P, Mississippi State
236. San Francisco Giants: Ben Bybee, P, Arkansas
237. Tampa Bay Rays: Aidan Cremarosa, P, Fresno State
238. Boston Red Sox: Dylan Brown, P, Old Dominion
239. Minnesota Twins: Ryan Sprock, 3B, Elon University
240. St. Louis Cardinals: Ryan Weingartner, SS, Penn State
241. Chicago Cubs: Jake Knapp, P, North Carolina
242. Seattle Mariners: Danny Macchiarola, P, Holy Cross
243. Arizona Diamondbacks: Jack Martinez, P, Arizona State
244. Baltimore Orioles: Kailen Hamson, P, University of the Cumberlands
245. Milwaukee Brewers: Hayden Vucinovich, P, Bloomington Jefferson HS
246. Houston Astros: Kyle Walker, 2B, Arizona State
247. Atlanta Braves: Carter Lovasz, P, William & Mary
248. Kansas City Royals: Brooks Bryan, C, Troy University
249. Detroit Tigers: Nick Dumesnil, OF, California Baptist
250. San Diego Padres: Jamie Hitt, P, Oklahoma
251. Philadelphia Phillies: Brian Walters, P, Miami
252. Cleveland Guardians: Anthony Martinez, 1B, California-Irvine
253. New York Mets: Camden Lohman, P, Ft. Zumwalt North HS (Mo.)
254. New York Yankees: Mac Heuer, P, Texas Tech
255. Los Angeles Dodgers: Jack O’Connor, P, Virginia
Ninth round
256. Chicago White Sox: Riley Eikhoff, P, Coastal Carolina
257. Colorado Rockies: Zach Rogacki, C, SUNY Binghamton
258. Miami Marlins: Kaiden Wilson, P, Texas A&M
259. Los Angeles Angels: Slate Alford, 3B, Georgia
260. Athletics: Daniel Bucciero, 3B, Fordham
261. Washington Nationals: Wyatt Henseler, 3B, Texas A&M
262. Toronto Blue Jays: Karson Ligon, P, Mississippi State
263. Pittsburgh Pirates: Jared Jones 1B, LSU
264. Cincinnati Reds: Kien Vu, OF, Arizona State
265. Texas Rangers: Owen Proksch, P, Duke
266. San Francisco Giants: Reid Worley, P, Cherokee HS (Ga.)
267. Tampa Bay Rays: Mason Nichols, P, Ole Miss
268. Boston Red Sox: Jacob Mayers, P, LSU
269. Minnesota Twins: Justin Mitrovich, P, Elon University
270. St. Louis Cardinals: Michael Dattalo, 3B, Dallas Baptist
271. Chicago Cubs: Colton Book, P, Saint Joseph’s
272. Seattle Mariners: Jackson Steensma, P, Appalachian State
273. Arizona Diamondbacks: Wallace Clark, SS, Duke
274. Baltimore Orioles: Cam Lee, OF, Mineral Area JC
275. Milwaukee Brewers: Andrew Healy, P, Duke
276. Houston Astros: Kellan Oakes, P, Oregon State
277. Atlanta Braves: Logan Braunschweig, OF, UAB
278. Kansas City Royals: Shane Van Dam, P, NC State
279. Detroit Tigers: Trevor Heishman, P, St. John Bosco HS (Calif.)
280. San Diego Padres: Will Koger P, Arizona State
281. Philadelphia Phillies: Matthew Ferrara, SS, Toms River HS East (N.J.)
282. Cleveland Guardians: Ryan Prager, P, Texas A&M
283. New York Mets: Anthony Frobose, SS, Lakeland HS (N.Y.)
284. New York Yankees: Blake Gillespie, P, UNC Charlotte
285. Los Angeles Dodgers: Conner O’Neal, C, Southeastern Louisiana U
10th round
286. Chicago White Sox: Daniel Wright, P, Iowa
287. Colorado Rockies: Austin Newton, P, South Florida
288. Miami Marlins: Jake McCutcheon, 2B, Missouri State
289. Los Angeles Angels: Nick Rodriguez, 2B, Missouri State
290. Athletics: Samuel Dutton, P, Auburn
291. Washington Nationals: Hunter Hines, 1B, Mississippi State
292. Toronto Blue Jays: Austin Smith, OF, San Diego
293. Pittsburgh Pirates: Matt King, SS, Arizona State
294. Cincinnati Reds: Ty Doucette, 1B, Rutgers
295. Texas Rangers: J.D. McReynolds, P, Central Missouri
296. San Francisco Giants: Isaiah Barkett, 2B, Stetson
297. Tampa Bay Rays: Trendan Parish, P, Texas Tech
298. Boston Red Sox: Maximus Martin, SS, Kansas State
299. Minnesota Twins: Shai Robinson, SS, Illinois State
300. St. Louis Cardinals: Ty Van Dyke, P, Stetson
301. Chicago Cubs: Justin Stransky, C, Fresno State
302. Seattle Mariners: Isaac Lyon, P, Grand Canyon University
303. Arizona Diamondbacks: Brady Counsell, SS, Kansas
304. Baltimore Orioles: Dalton Neuschwander, P, West Florida
305. Milwaukee Brewers: Braylon Owens, P, UTSA
306. Houston Astros: Zach Daudet, SS, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo
307. Atlanta Braves: Kade Woods, P, LSU
308. Kansas City Royals: Max Martin, P, California-Irvine
309. Detroit Tigers: Edian Espinal, C, Central Florida
310. San Diego Padres: Justin DeCriscio, SS, NC State
311. Philadelphia Phillies: Cole Gilley, P, Indiana
312. Cleveland Guardians: Harrison Bodendorf, P, Oklahoma State
313. New York Mets: Tyler McLoughlin, P, Georgia
314. New York Yankees: Connor McGinnis, 2B, Houston
315. Los Angeles Dodgers: Jacob Frost, P, Kansas State
11th round
316. Chicago White Sox: Matthew Boughton, SS, Covenant HS (Texas)
317. Colorado Rockies: Zach Harris, P, Georgia
318. Miami Marlins: Jadon Williamson, P, Lewis-Clark State College
319. Los Angeles Angels: Alton Davis, II P, Georgia
320. Athletics: Bobby Boser, SS, Florida
321. Washington Nationals: Jack Moroknek, OF, Butler
322. Toronto Blue Jays: Jared Spencer, P, Texas
323. Pittsburgh Pirates: Dylan Palmer, 2B, Hofstra
324. Cincinnati Reds: Jake Brink, P, College of Charleston
325. Texas Rangers: Jacob Johnson, P, Pearl River CC
326. San Francisco Giants: Rod Barajas, Jr. C, Saddleback College
327. Tampa Bay Rays: Luke Jackson, P, Texas A&M
328. Boston Red Sox: Barrett Morgan, P, Cowley County CC
329. Minnesota Twins: Ryan Daniels, 2B, Connecticut
330. St. Louis Cardinals: Jalin Flores, SS, Texas
331. Chicago Cubs: Eli Jerzembeck, P, South Carolina
332. Seattle Mariners: Dusty Revis, P, Western Carolina
333. Arizona Diamondbacks: Luke Dotson, P, Mississippi State
334. Baltimore Orioles: Holden deJong, P, New Jersey Institute of Technology
335. Milwaukee Brewers: CJ Hughes, SS, Junipero Serra HS (CA)
336. Houston Astros: Justin Thomas, OF, Arkansas
337. Atlanta Braves: Colin Daniel, P, Alabama Birmingham
338. Kansas City Royals: Hunter, Alberini P, Arizona
339. Detroit Tigers: River Hamilton, P, Sam Barlow HS (Ore.)
340. San Diego Padres: Truitt Madonna, C, Ballard HS (Wash.)
341. Philadelphia Phillies: Will Vierling, C, Murray State
342. Cleveland Guardians: Tyler Howard, C, University of Portland
343. New York Mets: Wyatt Vincent OF, Nixa HS (Mo.)
344. New York Yankees: Ben Grable, P, Indiana
345. Los Angeles Dodgers: Dylan Tate, P, Oklahoma
12th round
346. Chicago White Sox: Ely Brown, OF, Mercer
347. Colorado Rockies: Brady Parker, P, Houston-Victoria
348. Miami Marlins: Wilson Weber, C, Oregon State
349. Los Angeles Angels: Talon Haley, P, Lewisburg HS (Miss.)
350. Athletics: Alex Barr, P, Kankakee Valley HS (Ind.)
351. Washington Nationals: Ben Moore, P, Old Dominion
352. Toronto Blue Jays: Blaine Bullard, OF, Klein Cain HS (Texas)
353. Pittsburgh Pirates: Cameron Keshock, P, Samford University
354. Cincinnati Reds: Carson Latimer, P, Sacramento State
355. Texas Rangers: Jake Barbee, P, Jay M Robinson HS (N.C.)
356. San Francisco Giants: Cody Delvecchio, P, UCLA
357. Tampa Bay Rays: Brady Jones, SS, Georgia Tech
358. Boston Red Sox: Ethan Walker, P, Kentucky
359. Minnesota Twins: Kolten Smith ,P, Georgia
360. St. Louis Cardinals: Kaden Echeman, P, Northern Kentucky
361. Chicago Cubs: Connor Spencer, P, Mississippi
362. Seattle Mariners: Grant Jay, C, Dallas Baptist
363. Arizona Diamondbacks: Tayler Montiel, P, Tulane
364. Baltimore Orioles:
365. Milwaukee Brewers:
366. Houston Astros:
367. Atlanta Braves:
368. Kansas City Royals:
369. Detroit Tigers:
370. San Diego Padres:
371. Philadelphia Phillies:
372. Cleveland Guardians:
373. New York Mets:
374. New York Yankees:
375. Los Angeles Dodgers:
13th round
376. Chicago White Sox:
377. Colorado Rockies:
378. Miami Marlins:
379. Los Angeles Angels:
380. Athletics:
381. Washington Nationals:
382. Toronto Blue Jays:
383. Pittsburgh Pirates:
384. Cincinnati Reds:
385. Texas Rangers:
386. San Francisco Giants:
387. Tampa Bay Rays:
388. Boston Red Sox:
389. Minnesota Twins:
390. St. Louis Cardinals:
391. Chicago Cubs:
392. Seattle Mariners:
393. Arizona Diamondbacks:
394. Baltimore Orioles:
395. Milwaukee Brewers:
396. Houston Astros:
397. Atlanta Braves:
398. Kansas City Royals:
399. Detroit Tigers:
400. San Diego Padres:
401. Philadelphia Phillies:
402. Cleveland Guardians:
403. New York Mets:
404. New York Yankees:
405. Los Angeles Dodgers:
14th round
406. Chicago White Sox:
407. Colorado Rockies:
408. Miami Marlins:
409. Los Angeles Angels:
410. Athletics:
411. Washington Nationals:
412. Toronto Blue Jays:
413. Pittsburgh Pirates:
414. Cincinnati Reds:
415. Texas Rangers:
416. San Francisco Giants:
417. Tampa Bay Rays:
418. Boston Red Sox:
419. Minnesota Twins:
420. St. Louis Cardinals:
421. Chicago Cubs:
422. Seattle Mariners:
423. Arizona Diamondbacks:
424. Baltimore Orioles:
425. Milwaukee Brewers:
426. Houston Astros:
427. Atlanta Braves:
428. Kansas City Royals:
429. Detroit Tigers:
430. San Diego Padres:
431. Philadelphia Phillies:
432. Cleveland Guardians:
433. New York Mets:
434. New York Yankees:
435. Los Angeles Dodgers:
15th round
436. Chicago White Sox:
437. Colorado Rockies:
438. Miami Marlins:
439. Los Angeles Angels:
440. Athletics:
441. Washington Nationals:
442. Toronto Blue Jays:
443. Pittsburgh Pirates:
444. Cincinnati Reds:
445. Texas Rangers:
446. San Francisco Giants:
447. Tampa Bay Rays:
448. Boston Red Sox:
449. Minnesota Twins:
450. St. Louis Cardinals:
451. Chicago Cubs:
452. Seattle Mariners:
453. Arizona Diamondbacks:
454. Baltimore Orioles:
455. Milwaukee Brewers:
456. Houston Astros:
457. Atlanta Braves:
458. Kansas City Royals:
459. Detroit Tigers:
460. San Diego Padres:
461. Philadelphia Phillies:
462. Cleveland Guardians:
463. New York Mets:
464. New York Yankees:
465. Los Angeles Dodgers:
16th round
466. Chicago White Sox:
467. Colorado Rockies:
468. Miami Marlins:
469. Los Angeles Angels:
470. Athletics:
471. Washington Nationals:
472. Toronto Blue Jays:
473. Pittsburgh Pirates:
474. Cincinnati Reds:
475. Texas Rangers:
476. San Francisco Giants:
477. Tampa Bay Rays:
478. Boston Red Sox:
479. Minnesota Twins:
480. St. Louis Cardinals:
481. Chicago Cubs:
482. Seattle Mariners:
483. Arizona Diamondbacks:
484. Baltimore Orioles:
485. Milwaukee Brewers:
486. Houston Astros:
487. Atlanta Braves:
488. Kansas City Royals:
489. Detroit Tigers:
490. San Diego Padres:
491. Philadelphia Phillies:
492. Cleveland Guardians:
493. New York Mets:
494. New York Yankees:
495. Los Angeles Dodgers:
17th round
496. Chicago White Sox:
497. Colorado Rockies:
498. Miami Marlins:
499. Los Angeles Angels:
500. Athletics:
501. Washington Nationals:
502. Toronto Blue Jays:
503. Pittsburgh Pirates:
504. Cincinnati Reds:
505. Texas Rangers:
506. San Francisco Giants:
507. Tampa Bay Rays:
508. Boston Red Sox:
509. Minnesota Twins:
510. St. Louis Cardinals:
511. Chicago Cubs:
512. Seattle Mariners:
513. Arizona Diamondbacks:
514. Baltimore Orioles:
515. Milwaukee Brewers:
516. Houston Astros:
517. Atlanta Braves:
518. Kansas City Royals:
519. Detroit Tigers:
520. San Diego Padres:
521. Philadelphia Phillies:
522. Cleveland Guardians:
523. New York Mets:
524. New York Yankees:
525. Los Angeles Dodgers:
18th round
526. Chicago White Sox:
527. Colorado Rockies:
528. Miami Marlins:
529. Los Angeles Angels:
530. Athletics:
531. Washington Nationals:
532. Toronto Blue Jays:
533. Pittsburgh Pirates:
534. Cincinnati Reds:
535. Texas Rangers:
536. San Francisco Giants:
537. Tampa Bay Rays:
538. Boston Red Sox:
539. Minnesota Twins:
540. St. Louis Cardinals:
541. Chicago Cubs:
542. Seattle Mariners:
543. Arizona Diamondbacks:
544. Baltimore Orioles:
545. Milwaukee Brewers:
546. Houston Astros:
547. Atlanta Braves:
548. Kansas City Royals:
549. Detroit Tigers:
550. San Diego Padres:
551. Philadelphia Phillies:
552. Cleveland Guardians:
553. New York Mets:
554. New York Yankees:
555. Los Angeles Dodgers:
19th round
556. Chicago White Sox:
557. Colorado Rockies:
558. Miami Marlins:
559. Los Angeles Angels:
560. Athletics:
561. Washington Nationals:
562. Toronto Blue Jays:
563. Pittsburgh Pirates:
564. Cincinnati Reds:
565. Texas Rangers:
566. San Francisco Giants:
567. Tampa Bay Rays:
568. Boston Red Sox:
569. Minnesota Twins:
570. St. Louis Cardinals:
571. Chicago Cubs:
572. Seattle Mariners:
573. Arizona Diamondbacks:
574. Baltimore Orioles:
575. Milwaukee Brewers:
576. Houston Astros:
577. Atlanta Braves:
578. Kansas City Royals:
579. Detroit Tigers:
580. San Diego Padres:
581. Philadelphia Phillies:
582. Cleveland Guardians:
583. New York Mets:
584. New York Yankees:
585. Los Angeles Dodgers:
20th round
586. Chicago White Sox:
587. Colorado Rockies:
588. Miami Marlins:
589. Los Angeles Angels:
590. Athletics:
591. Washington Nationals:
592. Toronto Blue Jays:
593. Pittsburgh Pirates:
594. Cincinnati Reds:
595. Texas Rangers:
596. San Francisco Giants:
597. Tampa Bay Rays:
598. Boston Red Sox:
599. Minnesota Twins:
600. St. Louis Cardinals:
601. Chicago Cubs:
602. Seattle Mariners:
603. Arizona Diamondbacks:
604. Baltimore Orioles:
605. Milwaukee Brewers:
606. Houston Astros:
607. Atlanta Braves:
608. Kansas City Royals:
609. Detroit Tigers:
610. San Diego Padres:
611. Philadelphia Phillies:
612. Cleveland Guardians:
613. New York Mets:
614. New York Yankees:
615. Los Angeles Dodgers:
The two race teams suing NASCAR over antitrust allegations filed for a temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction Monday to be recognized as chartered organizations for the remainder of 2025.
23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports are locked in a lengthy legal battle over the charter system, which is the equivalent of the franchise model in other sports. 23XI, owned by retired NBA great Michael Jordan and three-time Daytona 500 winner Denny Hamlin, and Front Row, owned by entrepreneur Bob Jenkins, last September rejected NASCAR’s final proposal on extensions and instead filed an antitrust suit.
The case is winding its way through the court system but now with urgency: The teams are set to lose their charters Wednesday and in the latest filing, they allege NASCAR has indicated it will immediately begin the process of selling the six tags that guarantee entry into every race as well as monetary rewards and other benefits.
Should the teams have their six combined charters revoked, the drivers would have to qualify on speed to make each week’s race and would receive a smaller percentage of the purse. They might also have to refund money paid out through the first 20 races of the year.
NASCAR accused 23XI and Front Row of filing “a third motion for another unnecessary and inappropriate preliminary injunction” and noted it has made multiple requests to the teams “to present a proposal to resolve this litigation.
“We have yet to receive a proposal from 23XI or Front Row, as they have instead preferred to continue their damaging and distracting lawsuit,” NASCAR said in a statement. “We will defend NASCAR’s integrity from this baseless lawsuit forced upon the sport that threatens to divide the stakeholders committed to serving race fans everywhere.
“We remain focused on collaborating with the 13 race teams that signed the 2025 charter agreements and share our mutual goal of delivering the best racing in the world each week, including this weekend in Dover.”
Later Monday, Rick Ware Racing and Legacy Motor Club had a scheduled court date in North Carolina over their fight for a charter. Legacy, owned by seven-time NASCAR champion Jimmie Johnson, contends it had an agreement with RWR to lease one of its two charters in 2026.
RWR contends the agreement was for 2027, and it already has a contract with RFK Racing to lease that team a charter next season.
The NHL’s board of governors and the NHLPA’s membership have ratified a new collective bargaining agreement. The current CBA runs through the end of the 2025-26 season, with the new one carrying through the end of the 2029-30 season.
While the continuation of labor peace is the most important development for a league that has endured multiple work stoppages this millennium, there are a number of wrinkles that are noteworthy to fans.
ESPN reporters Ryan S. Clark, Kristen Shilton and Greg Wyshynski break it all down for you here:
Draft recap: All 224 picks
Grades for all 32 teams
Winners and losers
When does this new CBA take effect?
The new NHL CBA is set to begin on Sept. 16, 2026 and runs through Sept. 15, 2030. Including the coming season, that gives the NHL five years of labor peace, and would make the fastest both sides have reached an extension in Gary Bettman’s tenure as NHL commissioner.
It’s also the first major negotiation for NHLPA head Marty Walsh, who stepped into the executive director role in 2023 — Shilton
What are the big differences in the new CBA compared to the current one?
There are a few major headlines from the new CBA.
First are the schedule changes: the league will move to an 84-game regular season, with a shortened preseason (a maximum of four games), so each team is still able to play every opponent while divisional rivals have four games against one another every other season.
There will also be alterations to contract lengths, going to a maximum seven-year deal instead of the current eight-year mark; right now, a player can re-sign for eight years with his own team or seven with another in free agency, while the new CBA stipulates it’ll be seven or six years, respectively.
Deferred salaries will also be on the way out. And there will be a new position established for a team’s full-time emergency backup goaltender — or EBUG — where that player can practice and travel with the team.
The CBA also contains updated language on long-term injured reserve and how it can be used, particularly when it comes to adding players from LTIR to the roster for the postseason — Shilton
What’s the motivation for an 84-game season?
The new CBA expands the regular season to 84 games and reduces the exhibition season to four games per team. Players with 100 games played in their NHL careers can play in a maximum of two exhibition games. Players who competed in at least 50 games in the previous season will have a maximum of 13 days of training camp.
The NHL had an 84-game season from 1992 to 1994, when the league and NHLPA agreed to add two neutral-site games to every team’s schedule. But since 1995-96, every full NHL regular season has been 82 games.
For at least the past four years, the league has had internal discussions about adding two games to the schedule while decreasing the preseason. The current CBA restricted teams from playing more than 82 games, so expansion of the regular season required collective bargaining.
There was a functional motivation behind the increase in games: Currently, each team plays either three or four games against divisional opponents, for a total of 26 games; they play three games against non-divisional teams within their own conference, for a total of 24 games; and they play two games, home and away, against opponents from the other conference for a total of 32 games. Adding two games would allow teams to even out their divisional schedule, while swapping in two regular-season games — with regular-season crowd sizes and prices — for two exhibition games.
The reduction of the preseason would also give the NHL the chance to start the regular season earlier, perhaps in the last week of September. Obviously, given the grind of the current regular season and the playoffs, there’s concern about wear and tear on the players with two additional games. But the reduction of training camp and the exhibition season was appealing to players, and they signed off on the 84-game season in the new CBA. — Wyshynski
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How do the new long-term injured reserve rules work?
The practice of teams using long-term injured reserve (LTIR) to create late-season salary cap space — only to have the injured player return for the first game of the playoffs after sitting out game No. 82 of the regular season — tracks back to 2015. That’s when the Chicago Blackhawks used an injured Patrick Kane‘s salary cap space to add players at the trade deadline. Kane returned for the start of the first round, and eventually won the Conn Smythe as playoff MVP in their Stanley Cup win.
Since then, the NHL has seen teams such as the Tampa Bay Lightning (Nikita Kucherov 2020-21), Vegas Golden Knights (Mark Stone, 2023), Florida Panthers (Matthew Tkachuk, 2024) also use LTIR to their advantage en route to Stanley Cup wins.
The NHL has investigated each occurrence of teams using LTIR and then having players return for the playoffs, finding nothing actionable — although the league is currently investigating the Edmonton Oilers use of LTIR for Evander Kane, who sat out the regular season and returned in the first round of the most recent postseason.
Last year, NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly said that if “the majority” of general managers wanted a change to this practice, the NHL would consider it. Some players weren’t happy about the salary cap loophole.
Ron Hainsey, NHLPA assistant executive director, said during the Stanley Cup Final that players have expressed concern at different times “either public or privately” about misuse of long-term injured reserve. He said that the NHL made closing that loophole “a priority for them” in labor talks.
Under the new CBA, the total salary and bonuses for “a player or players” that have replaced a player on LTIR may not exceed the amount of total salary and bonuses of the player they are replacing. For example: In 2024, the Golden Knights put winger Stone and his $9.5 million salary on LTIR, given that he was out because of a lacerated spleen. The Golden Knights added $10.8 million in salary to their cap before the trade deadline in defenseman Noah Hanifin and forwards Tomas Hertl and Anthony Mantha.
But the bigger tweak to the LTIR rule states that “the average amounts of such replacement player(s) may not exceed the prior season’s average league salary.” According to PuckPedia, the average player salary last season was $3,817,293, for example.
The CBA does allow an exception to these LTIR rules, with NHL and NHLPA approval, based on how much time the injured player is likely to miss. Teams can exceed these “average amounts,” but the injured player would be ineligible to return that season or in the postseason.
But the NHL and NHLPA doubled-down on discouraging teams from abusing LTIR to go over the salary cap in the Stanley Cup playoffs by establishing “playoff cap counting” for the first time. — Wyshynski
What is ‘playoff cap counting’ and how will it affect the postseason?
In 2021, the Carolina Hurricanes lost to Tampa Bay in the Eastern Conference playoffs. That’s when defenseman Dougie Hamilton famously lamented that his team fell to a Lightning squad “that’s $18 million over the cap or whatever they are,” as Tampa Bay used Kucherov’s LTIR space in the regular season before he returned for the playoffs.
Even more famously, Kucherov wore a T-shirt that read “$18M OVER THE CAP” during their Stanley Cup championship celebration.
The NHL and NHLPA have attempted to put an end to this creative accounting — in combination with the new LTIR rules in the regular season — through a new CBA provision called “playoff cap counting.”
By 3 p.m. local time or five hours before a playoff game — whatever is earlier — teams will submit a roster of 18 players and two goaltenders to NHL Central Registry. There will be a “playoff playing roster averaged club salary” calculated for that roster that must be under the “upper limit” of the salary cap for that team. The “averaged club salary” is the sum of the face value averaged amounts of the player salary and bonuses for that season for each player on the roster, and all amounts charged to the team’s salary cap.
Teams can make changes to their rosters after that day’s deadline, provided they’ve cleared it with NHL Central Registry.
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The “upper limit” for an individual team is the leaguewide salary cap ceiling minus any cap penalties for contract buyouts; 35-plus players or players with one-way contracts demoted to the minor leagues; retained salary in trades; cap recapture penalties; or contract grievance settlements.
The cap compliance is only for the players participating in a given postseason game. As one NHL player agent told ESPN: “You can have $130 million in salaries on your total roster once the playoffs start, but the 18 players and two goalies that are on the ice must be cap-compliant.”
These rules will be in effect for the first two seasons of the new CBA (2026-28). After that, either the NHL or the NHLPA can reopen this section of the CBA for “good faith discussions about the concerns that led to the election to reopen and whether these rules could be modified in a manner that would effectively address such concerns.”
If there’s no resolution of those concerns, the “playoff cap counting” will remain in place for the 2028-29 season. — Wyshynski
Did the NHL CBA make neck guards mandatory?
Professional leagues around the world have adjusted their player equipment protection standards since Adam Johnson’s death in October 2023. Johnson, 29, was playing for the Nottingham Panthers of England’s Elite Ice Hockey League when he suffered a neck laceration from an opponent’s skate blade.
The AHL mandated cut-resistant neck protection for players and officials for the 2024-25 season. The IIHF did the same for international tournaments, while USA Hockey required all players under the age of 18 to wear them.
Now, the NHL and NHLPA have adjusted their standards for neck protection in the new CBA.
Beginning with the 2026-27 season, players who have zero games of NHL experience will be required to wear “cut-resistant protection on the neck area with a minimum cut level protection score of A5.” The ANSI/ISEA 105-2016 Standard rates neck guards on a scale from A1 to A9, and players are encouraged to seek out neck protection that’s better than the minimal requirement.
Players with NHL experience prior to the 2026-27 season will not be required to wear neck protection. — Wyshynski
What’s the new player dress code?
The NHL and NHLPA agreed that teams will no longer be permitted “to propose any rules concerning player dress code.”
Under the previous CBA, the NHL was the only North American major men’s pro sports league with a dress code specified through collective bargaining. Exhibit 14, Rule 5 read: “Players are required to wear jackets, ties and dress pants to all Club games and while traveling to and from such games unless otherwise specified by the Head Coach or General Manager.”
That rule was deleted in the new CBA.
The only requirement now for players is that they “dress in a manner that is consistent with contemporary fashion norms.”
Sorry, boys: No toga parties on game days. — Wyshynski
Does the new CBA cover the Olympics beyond 2026?
Yes. The NHL and NHLPA have committed to participate in the 2030 Winter Olympics, scheduled to be held in the French Alps. As usual, the commitment is ” subject to negotiation of terms acceptable to each of the NHL, NHLPA, IIHF and/or IOC.”
And as we saw with the 2022 Beijing Games, having a commitment in the CBA doesn’t guarantee NHL players on Olympic ice. — Wyshynski
Did the NHL end three-team salary retention trades?
It has become an NHL trade deadline tradition. One team retains salary on a player so he can fit under another team’s salary cap. But to make the trade happen, those teams invite a third team to the table to retain even more of that salary to make it work.
Like when the Lightning acquired old friend Yanni Gourde from the Seattle Kraken last season. Gourde made $5,166,667 against the cap. Seattle traded him to Detroit for defenseman Kyle Aucoin, and the Kraken retained $2,583,334 in salary. The Red Wings then retained $1,291,667 of Gourde’s salary in sending him to Tampa Bay for a fourth-round pick, allowing the Lightning to fit him under their cap.
Though the NHL will still allow retained salary transactions, there’s now a mandatory waiting period until that player’s salary can be retained in a second transaction. A second retained salary transaction may not occur within 75 regular-season days of the first retained salary transaction.
Days outside of the regular-season schedule do not count toward the required 75 regular-season days, and therefore the restriction might span multiple seasons, according to the CBA. — Wyshynski
Can players now endorse alcoholic beverages?
Yes. The previous CBA banned players from any endorsement or sponsorship of alcoholic beverages. That has been taken out of the new CBA. If only Bob Beers were still playing …
While players remain prohibited from any endorsement or sponsorship of tobacco products, a carryover from the previous CBA, they’re also banned from endorsement or sponsorship of “cannabis (including CBD) products.” — Wyshynski
What are the new parameters for Emergency Goaltender Replacement?
The NHL is making things official with the emergency backup goaltender (EBUG) position.
In the past, that third goalie spot went to someone hanging out in the arena during a game, ready to jump in for either team if both of their own goaltenders were injured or fell ill during the course of play. Basically, it was a guy in street clothes holding onto the dream of holding down an NHL crease.
Now, the league has given permanent status to the EBUG role. That player will travel with and practice for only one club. But there are rules involved in their employment.
This CBA designates that to serve as a team’s emergency goaltender replacement, the individual cannot have played an NHL game under an NHL contract, appeared in more than 80 professional hockey games, have been in professional hockey within the previous three seasons, have a contractual obligation that would prevent them from fulfilling their role as the EBUG or be on the reserve or restricted free agent list of an NHL club.
Teams must submit one designated EBUG 48 hours before the NHL regular season starts. During the season, teams can declare that player 24 hours before a game. — Shilton
What’s the deal with eliminating deferred salaries?
The new CBA will prohibit teams from brokering deferred salary arrangements, meaning players will be paid in full during the contract term lengths. This is meant to save players from financial uncertainty and makes for simplified contract structures with the club.
There are examples of players who had enormous signing bonuses paid up front or had structured their deals to include significant payouts when they ended. Both tactics could serve to lower an individual’s cap hit over the life of a deal. Now that won’t be an option for teams or players to use in negotiations. — Shilton
What’s different about contract lengths?
Starting under the new CBA, the maximum length of a player contract will go from eight years to seven years if he’s re-signing with the same club, and down to just six years (from the current seven) if he signs with a new team.
So, for example, a player coming off his three-year, entry-level contract could re-sign only with that same team for up to seven years, and he’ll become an unrestricted free agent sooner than the current agreement would allow.
This could benefit teams that have signed players to long-term contracts that didn’t age well (for whatever reason) as they won’t be tied as long to that decision. And for players, it can help preserve some of their prime years if they want to move on following a potential 10 (rather than 11) maximum seasons with one club. — Shilton
What does the new league minimum salary look like? How does it compare to the other men’s professional leagues?
Under the new CBA, the minimum salary for an NHL player will rise from $775,000 to $1 million by the end of the four-year agreement. Although gradual, it is a significant rise for a league in which the salary cap presents more challenges compared to its counterparts.
For example, the NHL will see its salary cap rise to $95.5 million in 2025-26, compared to that of the NFL in which Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott’s highest three-year average is $61.6 million.
So how does the new NHL minimum salary upon the CBA’s completion compare to its counterparts in the Big 4?
The NBA league minimum for the 2025-26 season is $1.4 million for a rookie, while players with more than 10 years can earn beyond $3.997 million in a league that has a maximum of 15 roster spots
The NFL, which has a 53-player roster, has a league minimum of $840,000 for rookies in 2025, while a veteran with more than seven years will earn $1.255 million.
MLB’s CBA, which expires after the 2026 season, has the minimum salary for the 2025 season set at $760,000, and that figure increases to $780,000 next season. — Clark
Is this Gary Bettman’s final CBA as commissioner?
Possibly. The Athletic reported in January that the board of governors had begun planning for Bettman’s eventual retirement “in a couple of years,” while starting the process to find his successor.
Bettman became the NHL’s first commissioner in 1993, and has the distinction of being the longest-serving commissioner among the four major men’s professional leagues in North America. He is also the oldest. Bettman turned 73 in June, while contemporaries Roger Goodell, Rob Manfred and Adam Silver are all in their early- to mid-60s.
That’s not to suggest he couldn’t remain in place. There is a precedent of commissioners across those leagues who remained in those respective roles into their 70s. Ford Frick, who served as the third commissioner of MLB, was 71 when he stepped down in 1965. There are more recent examples than Frick, as former NBA commissioner David Stern stepping down in 2014 when he was 71, and former MLB commissioner Bud Selig stepped down in 2015 at age 80. — Clark
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