Barry Switzer, ‘The King’ of Norman, is still unapologetically himself at 87
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Dave Wilson, ESPN Staff Writer
NORMAN, Okla. — Across the street from Oklahoma‘s campus, and a mile from the football stadium that bore witness to his legendary career, Barry Switzer sits in his home office at an ornate desk with his name on the front underneath an OU logo. Around him, commemorative footballs line the shelves, mementos of a time when he became known as “The King,” winning three national championships and 12 Big Eight titles.
There’s a replica Lombardi Trophy celebrating the Dallas Cowboys‘ 1995 championship in Super Bowl XXX, when Switzer became one of three men — alongside Jimmy Johnson and Pete Carroll — to win championships in college and the NFL. With the Sooners, he won 66% of his games against ranked teams and battled Tom Osborne’s Cornhuskers and Darrell Royal’s Longhorns — as well as the NCAA — during his career. He doesn’t go down without a fight.
That’s why, on a Friday afternoon before his Sooners play their first SEC game against Tennessee, Barry Switzer isn’t thinking about the Vols as much as he’s contemplating his own future.
“Last days of life, it says here,” Switzer says as he picks up a pamphlet from his desk and reads it aloud, before laughing and adding one of his most common refrains. “F— me.”
The booklet is a decision-making guide for whether to replace your implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD), a device that sends an electric shock to the heart when it detects a dangerous rhythm to correct it. The guide offers two ways to look at the decision.
The idea of dying quickly sounds painless. I’ve always said I hope to die in my sleep. Going through surgery and being shocked is not something I want.
Or, there’s the alternative:
I’m not ready to die. I have so much to live for. Even if it means being shocked, I’m willing to do anything that can help me live longer.
Barry Switzer has been in the spotlight for so long, and he still talks so fast that it would be easy to forget that he turned 87 on Oct. 5. Not that he shies away from it.
“I’m 87 years old,” he’ll say. “You better get your ass over here.”
This decision outlined in that pamphlet was not a question that the coach could comprehend. Who would just go quietly into the night? That’s not Switzer’s style. He had never even considered avoiding getting shocked — he had already had the ICD procedure done two weeks earlier. It walloped him for a week or so, the combinations of anesthesia and his age and surgery. But a couple of weeks later, he rounded back into rare form. His most pressing concern now is that some good ol’ boy will backhand him underneath his left collarbone where the device was implanted, so when he’s at events, sometimes he’ll raise his arm to guard his chest.
His legendary photographic memory is still sharp, though his recall may be a little slower, which frustrates him. But that even more legendary mouth is still firing on all cylinders.
“I’ve never known anyone who would say, ‘I’ve lived a good life and I’m ready to go home and kick the bucket? I’m not doing that s—. Who would say, ‘F—, I’ll die now?'” Switzer says, laughing. “It’s better to have the f—ing thing than not have the f—ing thing. I’m not going to slow down. I’m going a hundred miles an hour.”
He’s making and taking calls constantly, often merging them together to make sure connections happen. His iPhone “Blues” piano ringtone must ring in his dreams. He’ll stop and take photos with anyone who asks, naturally making sure his Super Bowl ring is prominently placed, usually on a shoulder facing the camera. He’s ensuring his players have tickets, friends have sideline passes, visitors have sleeping arrangements and dinner reservations, all while he’s fixing the gas grill at the Airbnb he owns behind his house (the Switzer Pigskin Palace, hosted by Barry, the listing reads) and making sure the Tennessee fans who are soon to be checking in can cook out on a nice fall football weekend.
And, not least of all, he’s making up for lost time with Ashley Snider, the 36-year-old daughter that he met for the first time five years ago. She grew up 10 miles away from Norman for three decades with no idea that the most popular man in Oklahoma was her father. But once they discovered each other, the embrace was instantaneous.
“She’s as much mine as the rest of my kids, as much me as all the rest of ’em got in them,” Switzer says. “She just got started a little late. I told her we ain’t got much time, I ain’t got much time left. We spend as much time together as we can.”
This is life at 87 for Switzer, who indeed is still going 100 miles an hour 50 years after winning his first national championship at Oklahoma. In Norman, he’s still The King, and he lives for his subjects — from former players, to OU fans, to local business owners, to Ashley and the rest of his family. He still has one mission that keeps him going.
“If you’re mine, I’m going to take care of your ass,” Switzer says. “If you need help, I’m going to help your ass.”
BARRY SWITZER’S LIFE was forged by tremendous loss. He came from the outskirts of Crossett, Arkansas, a paper mill town of about 2,000 people, where his dad Frank, a bootlegger who sold whiskey in a dry county, was unable to watch him play football his senior year of high school because he was in the state penitentiary.
In his autobiography, “Bootlegger’s Boy,” Switzer recalls how his mother, Mary, was a bright, voracious reader. But she lived an isolated life, knowing that many nights her husband was out with other women, and so she escaped into books, and then pills. In 1959, Barry Switzer was home from the University of Arkansas, where he played for the Razorbacks, for the summer before his senior year. In late August, Mary came to kiss him goodnight. She was drunk and her eyes were glassed over from barbiturates. After years of watching her struggle, he turned away, saying he’d rather not see her like this. She left the room. Thirty seconds later she shot herself dead on the porch. For 30 years, he blamed himself, until he discovered she had left a suicide note when he and his brother Donnie were researching a book about their family history.
She had already decided to end her life and was going to kiss Barry goodbye. She was 45.
In 1972, his dad, 66, was accidentally shot by a girlfriend who caught him with another woman and began threatening him with a gun. Frantically trying to get him to a hospital, his girlfriend lost control on a curve, hit a utility pole, and the car exploded, killing them both. Just 74 days later, Switzer, previously an assistant, was named the head coach of the Sooners when Chuck Fairbanks left to coach the New England Patriots.
“That’s one of my great regrets, that Daddy never got to know what we were able to accomplish when I was here,” Switzer said.
But Norman saw it all up close, with Switzer winning his first 15 home games, sending the Sooners into hysterics. He restored Oklahoma, which hadn’t won a national championship since 1956, to glory, going 32-1-1 in his first three seasons, with national titles in 1974 and 1975.
He became a legend by being unapologetically himself, from recruiting Black players at every position in the early 1970s when most major schools were still only reluctantly integrating their programs, to giving his outrageous sound bites, to wearing flamboyant fur coats and stirring up scandals, such as when Texas’ Darrell Royal, a frequent Switzer critic, accused Switzer of spying on his practices, which Switzer denied with a wink.
0:59
Barry Switzer’s fur coat embarrasses Brian Bosworth
Former Oklahoma head coach Barry Switzer recalls the first time he met linebacker Brian Bosworth on the recruiting trail.
“My coaches didn’t spy. When they spied, they were Chuck’s coaches,” Switzer says, laughing. “Chuck left. I inherited them f—ers.”
This is the paradox of Switzer. He broke rules. He sometimes had all 10 toes over the line. But he’ll spin even the smallest infractions into colorful tales, leaning into the character that made him a pariah among rival coaches, like when Joe Paterno said he couldn’t retire and “leave college football to the Jackie Sherrills and Barry Switzers of the world.” He already had a reputation, so why not make the tale even taller?
Switzer boasted in his autobiography that he paid Joe Washington, his first star running back, $100 an hour to babysit his kids in 1972, the equivalent of $750 today. In Switzer’s suite during the Sooners’ game against Tennessee, Washington, still one of Switzer’s best friends, laughs and scoffs at the claim: “I made $1.10 an hour. $3.30 for the whole night.”
In an era when coaches had my-way-or-the-highway rules, Switzer was an outlier. Hard-asses like Woody Hayes and Bo Schembechler were gods, military-style rules governing hairstyles and facial hair were commonplace at programs across the country.
But Switzer was a players’ coach. He laughs with “Little Joe,” as he still calls Washington, asking Washington if he remembers borrowing his ’72 Cadillac so he could visit his girlfriend in the Dallas area. Washington says Switzer allowed players to be themselves on and off the field.
“I painted my shoes silver,” Washington says. “He treated us all as individuals. Most people don’t take that time to do something like that. If you worked hard, you could be yourself. He enjoyed that.”
In the 1970s, Thomas Lott, the Sooners’ first Black quarterback, wore a bandana under his helmet and on the sidelines. Brian Bosworth’s haircut inspired a generation of teenagers to get lines shaved in the side of their heads. He wore a T-shirt on the sideline during a game in which he was suspended that mocked the NCAA, calling the organization the “National Communists Against Athletes.”
Switzer didn’t like that one, but he also was no fan of the NCAA. A large portion of “Bootlegger’s Boy” is an angry screed against what he saw as an organization that lacked common sense or empathy. So he says, still today, that some of those were rules worth breaking, because while he might have been ethically wrong, he was doing things that were morally right. He recruited a lot of players from poor families and believed it unfair that rules prevented buying plane tickets for trips home, prevented buying players food or paying for long-distance calls home, prevented providing basic necessities. And he makes no apologies.
“I knew what the problem was and I knew how to solve the problem. NIL is ‘now it’s legal,'” Switzer says [he’s even filed to trademark that term]. “Fifty years ago it wasn’t legal. I’ve always had that attitude: If you’re a good kid and you try to be as good as you can be, as long as you do the right things, I’ll take care of you.”
That’s why Switzer built a bunkhouse in his Norman home, where his former players are welcome to stay any time.
“But you’ll have to fight Keith Jackson for a bed,” Switzer says of his former two-time All-America tight end. “He thinks it’s his damn house.”
Switzer recalls sitting with Jackson on the floor of his home in Little Rock, Arkansas, watching television with the high school star, while promising his mother, Gladys, that if she let Jackson come to Oklahoma, Switzer would treat him as one of his own children for the rest of his life.
Last month, 40 years later, Jackson walked into Switzer’s house and the old coach immediately greeted his old player — “HEY, BIG BOY!” — and then got after him about his weight. The Sooners are family.
“You better be nice to me, Coach,” Jackson says. “I’m going to speak at your funeral, and I haven’t decided what I’m going to say yet.”
Maybe Switzer’s deep connections with everyone around him stem from the dysfunctional home of his youth. Or, maybe, Switzer ponders, he was inspired to become a better version of his dad, the rogue bootlegger who made a lot of money skirting the law, but used it to help others who were looked down on by society like he was.
“Back when I grew up, I promise you a Black man had no justice or credit,” Switzer says. “They couldn’t go to the bank and borrow $500. S—, they’re working at the paper mill for a dollar an hour and 40 hours a week, making $40. They couldn’t buy a car on credit unless Daddy walked in with ’em and told the car dealer, ‘Sell this man a car.’
“I got it from my dad. I had the same attitude. I knew that a lot of kids needed help.”
In 1995, Switzer’s son Doug played quarterback for Arkansas-Pine Bluff, a historically Black college about 80 miles from Crossett, while Barry was the head coach of the Cowboys. Doug was the only white scholarship player on the team, and his dad would be one of the few white faces in the crowd during games. Barry was stunned when every week, total strangers — from principals to prison wardens — would stop him and tell him how his dad had paid for their college tuition or bought them a car, as long as they kept their grades up. Frank Switzer helped their asses.
BARRY SWITZER SAYS he takes care of his own. And Ashley Snider is his now.
In 2008, Snider was visiting family in Alabama and her grandmother ripped the Band-Aid off a deep family secret, blurting out, “You’re adopted. Now hold it together.”
Snider, who worked as a paralegal for a law firm in Oklahoma City, returned home and immediately cornered the lawyer she worked for to ask him how to unravel this mystery. But it was a closed adoption, which meant she couldn’t access any records. Her parents couldn’t help because they didn’t know her biological mother’s name. It was never listed publicly, and an attorney handled the entire adoption process.
She tried to let go, unsure she’d ever know the real story. But in 2016, her father gave her what would end up being a life-changing Christmas gift, buying her and her husband, Trevor, Ancestry.com DNA kits.
“I immediately found a bunch of relatives, an uncle and first cousins,” Snider says. They were all Switzers from Crossett, Arkansas. She started sending messages to some of her relatives on Ancestry’s site, finding few answers. Then, nothing happened for three long years.
In 2019, Snider had her third child — she named her Crimson — and was up with her in the middle of the night when she got a message on Ancestry from a woman in Oregon. Snider wrote back and the woman sent her a phone number. She wondered if she was really going to call a stranger and tell them her life story. But she did, telling her all of what she had been able to piece together over the years: She was born March 5, 1988, and believed her parents to be from the Noble, Oklahoma, area. She knew she had an older sister and that her grandmother talked her mother out of an abortion and into adoption.
“I know who your mother is,” the woman responded, telling her the name [which Snider wishes to keep private]. “She has an older child. Her mother was a nurse, and everyone knows that she dated Barry Switzer in the 1980s.”
Her brain starts processing it. Snider wasn’t a big Oklahoma fan. But she knew the name and that he had coached at OU, but not sure when or in what capacity. What she knew for sure was Barry Switzer was the same man who owned Barry’s Chicken Ranch, a defunct chain of restaurants. She had eaten there as a kid.
The stranger tells her to check her phone. She puts it on speakerphone to open her text messages. There’s a photo.
“All of a sudden, I see my mother,” Snider says. “It’s shock. It’s disbelief. It’s excitement. It’s relief.” She had waited so long for this and wondered if she had ever seen her before or been in the same place.
“Nobody knows about you,” the woman says. Nobody, except her biological mother.
Switzer didn’t, which Snider said she believes. He and his first wife, Kay, with whom he had three children — Kathy, Doug and Greg — had divorced in 1981, and Switzer’s reputation was well-known.
“I never claimed to be an all-American husband,” he wrote in his book. “I was too selfish and self-centered, and when I became successful, many temptations entered my path.” His dating habits raised eyebrows with the Oklahoma administration which disapproved of him seeing younger women. “A lot of gossips thought it was disgraceful,” he says. “I really didn’t give a damn about that, because I didn’t feel it was any of their business.”
He and Snider’s mother had an on-again/off-again relationship. When Snider was born in 1988, he was 50 and she was 24. Ashley has a deep respect for how difficult the situation must have been for her.
“She kept this man’s secret her entire life,” Snider says. “She already had a kid, and she just knew it wasn’t going to be white picket fences. She knew that she couldn’t do it on her own.”
They finally talked, and her mother confirmed Switzer was the father, before calling him to connect him with Snider. It was a shock to him, obviously, but he was also distraught she’d gone through this too.
“She was young, and we had agreed that if she ever found anyone, she’d just move on, and I thought that’s what she’d done,” Switzer says. “And what she’d done was gotten pregnant with my child. She went on and had the baby and gave her up. And it all came back.”
Snider wanted to do a paternity test to confirm, because she’d heard stories of others finding their presumptive birth parents, forging a relationship, then finding out they weren’t their actual parents.
Switzer remembers getting the call. “They said, ‘Coach, you don’t have a lot of wiggle room here,” he says. “The odds are 48 million to 1. I said, ‘She’s mine?’ She said, ‘She’s yours!'”
Snider, meanwhile, got a notification, logged into the system and saw the results: Barry L. Switzer, 99.99%.
Ten minutes later, her phone rang.
“I’ll never forget what he said,” Snider says.” He said ‘Is this Ashley? This is Coach Switzer and I’m your daddy and I love you, and I want to get to know you and your family and your kids.’ I’ll never forget, he introduced himself as Coach Switzer.”
It was the beginning of a whirlwind relationship. Switzer was fascinated by the names of Snider’s children. First was Atticus, after the character in “To Kill A Mockingbird,” a book Switzer loved, so they found a quick bond. Second was Memphis. And third, Crimson, the color of the Sooners. Switzer couldn’t believe it.
But there was a twist. Snider grew up a massive Alabama fan. She was named after the Crimson Tide. Switzer found it hilarious. “Her daddy that raised her was an Alabama fan,” Switzer says, laughing. “Can you believe that s—?”
Switzer pulled a few strings as a token of appreciation for the man who raised his daughter. He called Nick Saban’s secretary and asked her if she could get him to personalize a photo to David Snider.
“That was what I did for him for his first Christmas present,” he says. Snider said her dad proudly displays it on his bedside table.
Switzer bought her a car, which inadvertently outed her, when the dealership posted a photo on Facebook of them announcing that Barry Switzer had come in to buy a car for his daughter.
His statue in front of the Switzer Center had a plaque on the back of it with the names of all 10 of his grandchildren. He had it removed and redone to add the names of Snider’s three kids. Switzer started attending all of his new grandchildren’s sporting events. Switzer attended Grandparents’ Day at their schools recently.
“I’d walk into a gym and people would ask me, ‘What the hell are you doing here?'” Switzer says. “I’m here to see my grandchildren play!”
This wasn’t the chicken restaurateur. This was The King. She worried that people, particularly Switzer’s three kids, would think she was trying to be an opportunist, but said her siblings have all been kind and welcoming. Still, she has kept their story under wraps for almost five years.
Snider’s adoptive mother, Judy Godfrey, was unable to have children, and would always tell Ashley she was a gift from God.
“She was my person, my best friend in the whole wide world,” Snider says. “She used to always tell me, ‘I can never talk to your mother on the phone, because she was giving me a gift that I couldn’t give.’ That’s how I was raised, that my life mattered.”
Godfrey died in January 2019. Snider found Switzer in December 2019.
“She never got to hear any of this,” Snider says. “She never got to hear, ‘Mom, I found him.'”
Still, Snider was fortunate, she thought. These late in life meetings don’t always go well. But Switzer was taken with all of it.
Snider said she had no expectations, but just wanted to understand where she came from. Switzer’s embrace has allowed her to do that. He’s taken her to Crossett, where he got to meet family members she corresponded with years before on her quest to find her dad. Switzer has taken her to Dallas to meet Jerry Jones, his former Arkansas teammate and boss with the Cowboys.
Switzer said they share a quick, easy wit and that she’s as strong-willed as he is. She called him Barry once, and he said his kids call him Dad. She said, “Well you raised them.” Now she calls him the way he first introduced himself to her: Coach.
BOB THOMPSON FIRST knew Switzer as a childhood hero of his parents. Then the coach became a customer and a friend who would change the course of his life.
Thompson grew up in Minnesota, the son of Oklahoma natives who moved north, where his dad became a minister. Thompson’s family got one television channel and the one college football game he always watched growing up was Oklahoma-Nebraska.
In 1985, he purchased the Midway Grocery & Market, a neighborhood grocery store and meat market founded in Norman in 1926. He was just 27 and didn’t realize how in over his head he was. He was able to scrap and claw to keep it going, surviving with a skeleton staff.
“Coach Switzer walks into the store one day and just embraces us,” Thompson says. “Just absolutely loved the store.”
One day, Switzer was visiting while it was virtually empty, sitting with Thompson. Switzer told him he had to ditch the groceries. The college students want the sandwiches the store sold, and that’s what he needed to focus on. Get more tables, get rid of the Vienna sausages and Spam. And he was always there to help. Switzer, he said, became a coach to him too.
“That guy did everything he could to make me succeed,” Thompson says. “He’d sit up by the front door as people came in and could pick up on them not knowing what to do. He’d get up and show ’em how to order. He’d take out the trash. As we got busier and busier, I didn’t have enough people and he’d tell me, ‘You need to hire some more people. You need to put some more chairs in. The students are going to be here.’ It was just so amazing to me that he had sort of had a vision for my success. It’s one of those things that’s hard to take in.”
Switzer began asking reporters, photographers or TV crews to meet him at the Midway for interviews, and the publicity has been invaluable for Thompson.
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Barry Switzer shares his connection to Lee Corso
Former Oklahoma coach Barry Switzer talks about his ties to ESPN’s Lee Corso.
The Midway is where Switzer’s legendary interpersonal skills are often on display, along with his incredible recall for names and faces. Thompson said he’ll never forget a few years ago when a man in a wheelchair came in. The seating arrangements are tight, so Thompson helped clear space for him and get settled at a table.
The military vet asked Thompson if that was Coach Switzer across the way. He said it was, and the man, an amputee, told him he’ll never forget that he was waiting to welcome him home at the airport when he returned home from Iraq a few years before. Across the room, Switzer was talking to some guests at his table, and Thompson eased by to nudge him, knowing he’d want to say hello. “He turned around and looked at him and called him by name across the room,” Thompson says. “It just stunned me, and stunned the man. I get chills thinking about that moment.”
Tennessee fan Phillip Furlong and his friends ran into Switzer at the Midway on game day, just hours before the Vols faced the Sooners. They took a photo together out front and couldn’t believe it happened on the very first stop of his very first visit to Norman. He said in his travels across the SEC, you don’t see someone of Switzer’s profile just mingling with the masses.
“It’s absolutely surreal,” Furlong says. “That’s a guy you see on TV for the Sooners and Cowboys, and all of a sudden he’s just hanging out in a deli with you.” The Midway Deli is now a Norman institution with a sandwich named for Switzer, called the Coach: Peppered turkey and pepper jack cheese with lettuce and mayonnaise on wheatBarry bread.
The place is packed daily, the walls lined with OU sports memorabilia and history, and the coach is almost always there holding court, making meeting Barry Switzer exactly what you would want it to be.
“He doesn’t need any of this for his ego,” Thompson says as customers flocked to Switzer’s table. “He just knows this is what we need him to be for us.”
SWITZER ISN’T HARD to find in Norman. If he’s not at the Midway, he’s often at breakfast at Juan del Fuego, and has been such a longtime dinner guest at Othello’s that he has his own reserved booth, with a plaque commemorating it as the “Table of Truth.” At every stop, he spreads a little Sooner Magic, striking up a conversation with others before they meet him. If he sees a child staring in awe, he smiles, waves and gestures for them to come over.
“Coach Switzer, he’ll find any huddle, any conversation, any seat at the bar,” Oklahoma coach Brent Venables says.
Around town, Switzer’s photo is a fixture on restaurant walls and Switzer merchandise dominates the market. Stores sell socks, buttons and greeting cards with BMFS on them, for Barry Mother F—ing Switzer. Blush, a store on Campus Corner, sells “Hang Half A Hundred” throw pillows, commemorating Switzer’s famous mission statement to score early and often.
Blush owner Megan Benson said anything with Switzer on it is “an immediate sellout,” though she said he refuses anything free or at a discount, wanting to support her store instead, including thinking the pillow was so hilarious that the Switzers bought 20 of them to send out as Christmas gifts. Barry came in one day to buy a shirt with a photo of him underneath crimson lettering that says, “Winners Win.”
“I need that sweatshirt with my face on it,” Switzer tells them. “I got pulled over on Highway 9 and the cop told me if I came in here and bought it for her, she wouldn’t give me a ticket.”
It’s an only in Norman situation. Most legendary coaches retire to the lake or the golf course or a gated community, out of sight. When you sign up to coach the Sooners, you must make peace that you’re in Barry’s town. But Switzer understands it too, and instead of being domineering, he’s the ultimate cheerleader or sounding board, and has let his six successors handle the coaching, albeit inside a football complex named for him.
“I walked in the Barry Switzer Center every day for 18 years,” says Bob Stoops, OU’s head coach from 1999 to 2016, who also still lives in Norman. “I always embraced it. We have a great relationship. Always have from day one. I’ve heard previous coaches had kind of shied away from him and that made no sense.”
Venables said he’s almost afraid to ask Switzer for help, because he never says no. Rick Knapp, the executive director of the OU Touchdown Club for the past 35 years, said he has never asked Switzer to attend one of their events because he’s already doing so much for so many people. His connections and his persuasive personality combine to make him the most valuable fundraiser in Oklahoma for any cause. “Here’s the thing,” Stoops says. “He’s not afraid to ask for money. When he calls, everyone answers. He doesn’t get red buttoned like some people.”
The stories make the rounds. He’s got guys to help former players all over the country. A Norman car dealer says Switzer wouldn’t want it publicized, but he’s lost count over the years of how many times the coach has come in and written a check for $25,000 for a third-string player from decades ago who has fallen on hard times or has a sick child.
“The biggest, the most enduring part of his legacy is what he does for others,” says longtime OU athletic director Joe Castiglione, who arrived in Norman in 1998. “There’s no way there’s a scorecard for it all and nor would he want it to be. That’s just the part of Coach Switzer that few ever see. There’s more that he does that we will never know.”
“Bootlegger’s Boy” was published in 1990 after Switzer resigned under pressure after a roughly monthlong stretch in which Oklahoma was placed on NCAA probation, a player was arrested for shooting a teammate in an athletic dorm and three players were arrested for the alleged sexual assault of a woman in a dormitory. When starting quarterback Charles Thompson was arrested for selling cocaine to an undercover FBI agent, the heat was too much for Switzer to withstand. He resigned under pressure four months later.
Switzer was bitter about how his tenure ended, saying he recruited the same players everyone else did, and he couldn’t have imagined that he’d have to tell players not to commit crimes. He quit, saying at his news conference that “it’s no fun anymore. … I don’t have the energy level to compete in this arena today.” He ended his book about the end of his OU career by saying that he could always go back to Crossett, and if everything went south, he could always make a living running booze in a dry county. But he never had to. He stayed in Norman.
His wife, Becky Switzer, was a gymnast on the 1988 United States Olympic team who served as OU gymnastics coach from 1984 to 2001. She’s been in the spotlight herself but isn’t quite as fond of the crowds as Barry, particularly his enthusiasm for talking to strangers and more particularly random people who show up at their front door wanting to get a glimpse of OU history.
Once, she said they saw flashes going off outside their home around 11 p.m. They looked outside and there was a busload of Japanese tourists standing in their front yard taking photos.
“I was in my pajamas, and Barry answered the door, so I went and hid in the pantry,” she said. “He said, ‘Oh, you want autographs?’ And I was like, what? They came in for about 45 minutes and he signed autographs and showed them the house.”
“Poor Becky,” Jackson says in their dining room. “This is not a museum; this is a house.”
But to visitors in Norman, it might as well be a museum to Switzer. Everyone knows his address. He’s tweeted it to visiting fans. On the day of the Tennessee game, he’s entertaining guests, glad-handing at tailgates, taking pictures at the deli and signing autographs all day, all in 100-degree heat.
“You’re talking about someone who lives up to the nickname — The King — someone gave to him many years ago,” Castiglione says. “He is not living in anonymity by any stretch.”
AMONG SOME MISCELLANY on the floor of Switzer’s home office lies a Rolodex, found in a box in the Oklahoma football offices.
It was almost lost to the recycling bin of history, but a longtime staffer spotted it, saved it and returned it to him. As he flips it open randomly, the first name reveals how far Switzer’s fame reached beyond Norman.
Muhammad Ali.
It’s also a reminder of all that he’s lost. Switzer coached for 30 years, with thousands of players he considered children and assistants who were like family. At 87, he’s spent far too much time going to funerals, because Barry Switzer has to show up.
Switzer said he’s already made arrangements for Jackson, who he praises as such a gifted speaker he could’ve been a preacher, to handle his own funeral service. Little Joe and Lucious Selmon will tell stories. “But I bet there’s a couple they won’t tell,” he says.
Switzer’s back gives him a little trouble, he moves a little slower and his answers aren’t quite as loud or boisterous anymore. But he continues to juggle a handful of businesses, including his winery, Switzer Family Vineyards, and a new collaboration with an Oklahoma City brewery called Switzer Light Lager that’s become hard to score because of its popularity. The bootlegger’s boy is selling booze. But even his foray into the beer business has a mission: It’s a nonprofit enterprise, with all the proceeds going to Ground Zero, Barry and Becky’s organization that trains search and rescue dogs for first responders across the country.
Switzer’s kids were born in Norman and his oldest daughter Kathy lives directly across the street. Against Tennessee, Switzer had Jackson, Washington, Lott and Bosworth in his suite, all huddled around him. Switzer’s got everything he needs.
“Daddy got killed in ’72 and I’ve been here ever since,” he says. “Norman’s been home.”
Across the suite, Snider and her husband are surveying the scene. She said she’s so fortunate to have been raised by good parents, while also getting “the best version of Barry” at this point in his life. And Barry’s grateful to have a few more people to look after.
“I went to bed one night with three kids and 10 grandkids and woke up the next day with four kids and 13 grandkids. They came along at the right time in my life,” Switzer says. “I have been fortunate financially to do well here of late. I am glad I help them now instead of giving it to them when I’m gone. I can see them use it.”
He wants to keep on taking care of all their asses.
The 2025 MLB All-Star Home Run Derby is fast approaching — and the field is set.
Braves hometown hero Ronald Acuna Jr. became the first player to commit to the event, which will be held at Truist Park in Atlanta on July 14 (8 p.m. ET on ESPN). He was followed by MLB home run leader Cal Raleigh of the Seattle Mariners, James Wood of the Washington Nationals, Byron Buxton of the Minnesota Twins, Oneil Cruz of the Pittsburgh Pirates, Junior Caminero of the Tampa Bay Rays, Brent Rooker of the Athletics and Jazz Chisholm Jr. of the New York Yankees.
On Friday, however, Acuna was replaced by teammate Matt Olson.
With all the entrants announced, let’s break down their chances at taking home this year’s Derby prize.
Full All-Star Game coverage: How to watch, schedule, rosters, more
2025 home runs: 17 | Longest: 434 feet
Why he could win: Olson is a late replacement for Acuna as the home team’s representative at this year’s Derby. Apart from being the Braves’ first baseman, however, Olson also was born in Atlanta and grew up a Braves fan, giving him some extra motivation. The left-handed slugger led the majors in home runs in 2023 — his 54 round-trippers that season also set a franchise record — and he remains among the best in the game when it comes to exit velo and hard-hit rate.
Why he might not: The home-field advantage can also be a detriment if a player gets too hyped up in the first round. See Julio Rodriguez in Seattle in 2023, when he had a monster first round, with 41 home runs, but then tired out in the second round.
2025 home runs: 36 | Longest: 440 feet
Why he could win: It’s the season of Cal! The Mariners’ catcher is having one of the greatest slugging first halves in MLB history, as he’s been crushing mistakes all season . His easy raw power might be tailor-made for the Derby — he ranks in the 87th percentile in average exit velocity and delivers the ball, on average, at the optimal home run launch angle of 23 degrees. His calm demeanor might also be perfect for the contest as he won’t get too amped up.
Why he might not: He’s a catcher — and one who has carried a heavy workload, playing in all but one game this season. This contest is as much about stamina as anything, and whether Raleigh can carry his power through three rounds would be a concern. No catcher has ever won the Derby, with only Ivan Rodriguez back in 2005 even reaching the finals.
2025 home runs: 24 | Longest: 451 feet
Why he could win: He’s big, he’s strong, he’s young, he’s awesome, he might or might not be able to leap tall buildings in a single bound. This is the perfect opportunity for Wood to show his talent on the national stage, and he wouldn’t be the first young player to star in the Derby. He ranks in the 97th percentile in average exit velocity and 99th percentile in hard-hit rate, so he can still muscle the ball out in BP even if he slightly mishits it. His long arms might be viewed as a detriment, but remember the similarly tall Aaron Judge won in 2017.
Why he might not: His natural swing isn’t a pure uppercut — he has a pretty low average launch angle of just 6.2 degrees — so we’ll see how that plays in a rapid-fire session. In real games, his power is primarily to the opposite field, but in a Home Run Derby you can get more cheapies pulling the ball down the line.
2025 home runs: 20 | Longest: 479 feet
Why he could win: Buxton’s raw power remains as impressive as nearly any hitter in the game. He crushed a 479-foot home run earlier this season and has four others of at least 425 feet. Indeed, his “no doubter” percentage — home runs that would be out of all 30 parks based on distance — is 75%, the highest in the majors among players with more than a dozen home runs. His bat speed ranks in the 89th percentile. In other words, two tools that could translate to a BP lightning show.
Why he might not: Buxton is 31 and the Home Run Derby feels a little more like a younger man’s competition. Teoscar Hernandez did win last year at age 31, but before that, the last winner older than 29 was David Ortiz in 2010, and that was under much different rules than are used now.
2025 home runs: 16 | Longest: 463 feet
Why he could win: If you drew up a short list of players everyone wants to see in the Home Run Derby, Cruz would be near the top. He has the hardest-hit ball of the 2025 season, and the hardest ever tracked by Statcast, a 432-foot missile of a home run with an exit velocity of 122.9 mph. He also crushed a 463-foot home run in Anaheim that soared way beyond the trees in center field. With his elite bat speed — 100th percentile — Cruz has the ability to awe the crowd with a potentially all-time performance.
Why he might not: Like all first-time contestants, can he stay within himself and not get too caught up in the moment? He has a long swing, which will result in some huge blasts, but might not be the most efficient for a contest like this one, where the more swings a hitter can get in before the clock expires, the better.
2025 home runs: 23 | Longest: 425 feet
Why he could win: Although Caminero was one of the most hyped prospects entering 2024, everyone kind of forgot about him heading into this season since he didn’t immediately rip apart the majors as a rookie. In his first full season, however, he has showed off his big-time raw power — giving him a chance to become just the third player to reach 40 home runs in his age-21 season. He has perhaps the quickest bat in the majors, ranking in the 100th percentile in bat speed, and his top exit velocity ranks in the top 15. That could translate to a barrage of home runs.
Why he might not: In game action, Caminero does hit the ball on the ground quite often — in fact, he’s on pace to break Jim Rice’s record for double plays grounded into in a season. If he gets out of rhythm, that could lead to a lot of low line drives during the Derby instead of fly balls that clear the fences.
2025 home runs: 19 | Longest: 440 feet
Why he could win: The Athletics slugger has been one of the top power hitters in the majors for three seasons now and is on his way to a third straight 30-homer season. Rooker has plus bat speed and raw power, but his biggest strength is an optimal average launch angle (19 degrees in 2024, 15 degrees this season) that translates to home runs in game action. That natural swing could be picture perfect for the Home Run Derby. He also wasn’t shy about saying he wanted to participate — and maybe that bodes well for his chances.
Why he might not: Rooker might not have quite the same raw power as some of the other competitors, as he has just one home run longer than 425 feet in 2025. But that’s a little nitpicky, as 11 of his home runs have still gone 400-plus feet. He competed in the college home run derby in Omaha while at Mississippi State in 2016 and finished fourth.
2025 home runs: 17 | Longest: 442 feet
Why he could win: Chisholm might not be the most obvious name to participate, given his career high of 24 home runs, but he has belted 17 already in 2025 in his first 61 games after missing some time with an injury. He ranks among the MLB leaders in a couple of home run-related categories, ranking in the 96th percentile in expected slugging percentage and 98th percentile in barrel rate. His raw power might not match that of the other participants, but he’s a dead-pull hitter who has increased his launch angle this season, which might translate well to the Derby, even if he won’t be the guy hitting the longest home runs.
Why he might not: Most of the guys who have won this have been big, powerful sluggers. Chisholm is listed at 5-foot-11, 184 pounds, and you have to go back to Miguel Tejada in 2004 to find the last player under 6 foot to win.
The 2025 MLB draft is underway on ESPN, with the Washington Nationals starting things off by 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.
Who will be the biggest steals — and stretches — of Day 1?
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.
Final mock draft | Draft rankings: Top 250 | Big question for all 30 teams
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).
0:55
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 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.
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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 to 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.
MLB player comp: Max Muncy (the Dodgers 3B/1B one)
Upcoming picks
21. Houston Astros
22. Atlanta Braves
23. Kansas City Royals
24. Detroit Tigers
25. San Diego Padres
26. Philadelphia Phillies
27. Cleveland Guardians
Prospect Promotion Incentive picks
28. Kansas City Royals
Compensation picks
29. Arizona Diamondbacks
30. Baltimore Orioles
31. Baltimore Orioles
32. Milwaukee Brewers
Competitive balance round A
33. Boston Red Sox (Acquired from the Brewers in the trade for Quinn Priester.)
34. Detroit Tigers
35. Seattle Mariners
36. Minnesota Twins
37. Baltimore Orioles (Acquired from the Rays in trade for Bryan Baker.)
38. New York Mets
39. New York Yankees
40. Los Angeles Dodgers
41. Los Angeles Dodgers (Acquired from the Reds in the trade for Gavin Lux.)
42. Tampa Bay Rays (Acquired from the Athletics in the trade for Jeffrey Springs and Jacob Lopez.)
43. Miami Marlins
Second round
44. Chicago White Sox
45. Colorado Rockies
46. Miami Marlins
47. Los Angeles Angels
48. Athletics
49. Washington Nationals
50. Pittsburgh Pirates
51. Cincinnati Reds
52. Texas Rangers
53. Tampa Bay Rays
54. Minnesota Twins
55. St. Louis Cardinals
56. Chicago Cubs
57. Seattle Mariners
58. Baltimore Orioles
59. Milwaukee Brewers
60. Atlanta Braves
61. Kansas City Royals
62. Detroit Tigers
63. Philadelphia Phillies
64. Cleveland Guardians
65. Los Angeles Dodgers
Competitive balance round B
66. Cleveland Guardians
67. Tampa Bay Rays (Compensation for unsigned 2024 No. 66 overall pick Tyler Bell.)
68. Milwaukee Brewers (Compensation for unsigned 2024 No. 67 overall pick Chris Levonas.)
69. Baltimore Orioles
70. Cleveland Guardians (Acquired from the D-backs in the trade for Josh Naylor.)
71. Kansas City Royals
72. St. Louis Cardinals
73. Pittsburgh Pirates
74. Colorado Rockies
Compensation picks
75. Boston Red Sox (Compensation for Nick Pivetta. The Padres forfeited their second-round pick for signing Pivetta.)
Third round
77. Colorado Rockies
78. Miami Marlins
79. Los Angeles Angels
80. Washington Nationals
81. Toronto Blue Jays
82. Pittsburgh Pirates
83. Cincinnati Reds
84. Texas Rangers
85. San Francisco Giants
86. Tampa Bay Rays
87. Boston Red Sox
88. Minnesota Twins
89. St. Louis Cardinals
90. Chicago Cubs
91. Seattle Mariners
92. Arizona Diamondbacks
93. Baltimore Orioles
94. Milwaukee Brewers
95. Houston Astros
96. Atlanta Braves
97. Kansas City Royals
98. Detroit Tigers
99. San Diego Padres
100. Philadelphia Phillies
101. Cleveland Guardians
102. New York Mets
103. New York Yankees
104. Los Angeles Dodgers
Compensation picks
105. Los Angeles Angels
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