The moves that rocked the MLB offseason – and what they mean for the 2025 season
The opening week of the 2025 MLB season is upon us — on the heels of a chaos-packed offseason.
Not long after the Los Angeles Dodgers celebrated their 2024 World Series title, they made the first big strike of the offseason, landing a two-time Cy Young winner — and that was just the start for Los Angeles. But the Dodgers weren’t the only ones keeping the hot stove warm in a winter that had a little bit of everything — from a $765 million contract to lure a superstar across New York City boroughs to a pair of aces signing record nine-figure deals. And the offseason drama continued well into spring training, with two top sluggers finally signing after camps opened.
Whether you are just realizing that Alex Bregman left Houston for the Boston Red Sox or the Dodgers signed … well, it felt like just about everyone — or you know all the moves that went down and still aren’t quite sure what to make of them, we’ve got you covered for Opening Day on Thursday.
ESPN baseball experts Jorge Castillo, Bradford Doolittle, Alden Gonzalez and David Schoenfield break down the moves that rocked the offseason, what they mean for the teams that made them — and how they’ll shape the season ahead.
Dodgers get the offseason rolling — with a sign of what’s ahead
Date of the deal: Nov. 26 — Dodgers sign Snell to $182 million deal
What it means for the Dodgers: The Dodgers began the offseason with one clear target in mind — not Juan Soto, but Blake Snell. They had just won the World Series, but they did so despite an injury-ravaged starting rotation that required them to stage bullpen games on multiple occasions throughout October. They needed some certainty at the top of their pitching staff, and Snell, the two-time Cy Young Award winner they almost signed when his market collapsed last offseason, was seen as an ideal fit.
Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman engaged with Snell’s agent, Scott Boras, at the start of November, and it ultimately took some creativity to come together on a deal that satisfied both parties. They settled on a five-year, $182 million contract that included $66 million in deferred salary but also a $52 million signing bonus.
How it will shape the 2025 season: Snell spent the past two years pitching for the Dodgers’ biggest division rivals, dominating for the San Diego Padres in 2023 and, after an abbreviated spring training, putting together a masterful second half for the San Francisco Giants in 2024. Snell’s presence on the Dodgers, when coupled with another massive move later in the winter, would give them a rotation that is just about as dominant as their lineup — and it would set the tone for another blockbuster offseason.
Dominoes: Boras was coming off a rocky offseason in which four of his biggest clients — Snell, Matt Chapman, Cody Bellinger and Jordan Montgomery — didn’t sign until well into spring training. Boras chalked it up to a bad market replete with unwilling spenders, and Snell’s signing showed that this offseason — another one in which Boras would represent some of the best players available — might be different. It also helped trigger a run of exorbitant starting-pitching contracts over the next three weeks. — Gonzalez
Giants finally get their big-money free agent
Date of the deal: Dec.7 — Adames joins Giants on 7-year deal
What it means for the Giants: The Giants began the offseason with a glaring need at shortstop, and Willy Adames was the best player available at that position. It was really that simple — and the Giants acted as such, chasing Adames aggressively and signing him before the start of baseball’s winter meetings.
The Adames signing represented the first major free agent addition under Buster Posey, the iconic Giants catcher who shockingly stepped in as the new president of baseball operations shortly after the 2024 regular season. Adames landed a seven-year, $182 million contract that set a new franchise record — breaking the $167 million extension Posey himself signed nearly a dozen years earlier.
How it will shape the 2025 season: The Giants had been having a tough time attracting star players to San Francisco. And though Adames isn’t as big a name as Shohei Ohtani, Aaron Judge or Bryce Harper — stars who recently spurned them to sign elsewhere — his arrival represents a shift in tone for a front office group that, under Posey, wants the Giants to get back to being the type of organization a community will rally around.
Dominoes: The New York Mets, New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox and Toronto Blue Jays had all been linked, to varying degrees, to Adames. He represented a natural pivot if they could not land Juan Soto for those teams. But they needed to wait on Soto first. The Giants knew this. It triggered their aggression. And it eventually prompted the Yankees, Red Sox and Blue Jays to get even more creative than they hoped. — Gonzalez
Soto joins the Mets for $765 million — yes, you heard that right: $765 million
Date of the deal: Dec. 8 — Soto joins Mets on 15-year deal
What it means for the Mets: The Mets’ interest in Juan Soto was a poorly kept secret — pursuing the superstar outfielder was central to their long-term plans since Steve Cohen hired David Stearns to run baseball operations in 2023. Landing him, however, was monumental for the franchise.
First, on the field, Soto is possibly the best hitter in the world. His consistency is unmatched. His floor sits stories above most of his peers’ ceilings. He will mash hitting behind Francisco Lindor in a lineup that should rank among baseball’s best.
But the move was about more than just Soto’s on-field impact. It signaled that the Mets really will be different with Cohen in control. Not only did the Mets sign the most sought-after free agent in over two decades to the richest contract in professional sports history (15 years, $765 million with the potential for the compensation to reach $805 million), they signed him away from the Yankees and beat them for his signature. The Yankees are still the top team in New York. But the Mets are ready to compete for championships and the city’s top spot.
How it will shape the 2025 season: The outlook in Queens changed as soon as Soto signed on the dotted line. A year ago, the Mets were projected as a fringe playoff team before exceeding expectations with a magical summer. Signing Soto meant just reaching the postseason is no longer enough — and that the Mets had more work to do.
Dominoes: Soto’s decision opened the offseason’s floodgates — for the four other finalists to land him and several other clubs. The Yankees were forced to turn to Plan B and beyond, prompting a series of moves in December. The Red Sox also spent money elsewhere and the Blue Jays tried to. The Dodgers, the fifth finalist for Soto … well, the Dodgers just kept spending money.
Beyond this winter, though, Soto’s record-setting contract set the market for future high-profile free agents in his age range. The first test case will be Vladimir Guerrero Jr., who is expected to reach free agency next winter at 26 after turning down a $500 million extension offer (with deferrals) from the Blue Jays last month. — Castillo
Yankees respond to losing Soto with a $218 million ace signing
Date of the deal: Dec. 10 — Fried, Yankees reach 8-year, $218 million deal
What it means for the Yankees: The Yankees had money to spend and choices to make once Juan Soto spurned them for the Mets. The most obvious need was replacing Soto’s offensive production, but they opted to bolster their biggest strength for their first move of the post-Soto era by investing heavily in another frontline starter.
After missing out on Blake Snell and not fitting Corbin Burnes’ preference to join a club with spring training in Arizona, the Yankees set their sights on Max Fried. He became the third starter in the past six offseasons whom the Yankees have signed to a long-term deal after Gerrit Cole and Carlos Rodon.
The signing for eight years and $218 million gave New York arguably the best starting rotation in baseball — a fivesome rounded out by Luis Gil and Clarke Schmidt. The starting rotation lifted the Yankees to the American League East title in 2024. They determined it would make for the best strategy moving forward for 2025 and beyond.
How it will shape the 2025 season: The starting rotation became more formidable with a two-time All-Star with a 3.07 career ERA across eight seasons. And the move proved even more crucial for 2025 than initially believed when Cole’s elbow started barking again. Losing Cole for the entire season means Fried will begin 2025 as the club’s No. 1 starter. Fried has dealt with forearm injuries the past two seasons. Staying healthy will be imperative for a rotation also without Gil for at least three months to start the season.
Dominoes: The Yankees beat out their rival Red Sox for Fried’s services, prompting Boston to turn to another ace in the trade market the very next day and leaving Burnes as the only ace-level starter left on the free agent market. But Fried doesn’t hit, and the Yankees needed to improve the lineup. They addressed that before the end of the month. — Castillo
Red Sox get an ace of their own in blockbuster trade with White Sox
Date of the deal: Dec. 11 — Boston lands Garrett Crochet for prospects
What it means for the Red Sox: The Red Sox haven’t really had an ace since Chris Sale blew out his elbow back in 2019, but after losing out on Snell and Fried, they used their prospect depth to acquire Garrett Crochet, coming off a big season for the White Sox.
The Boston rotation was pretty solid in 2024, ranking seventh in the majors in ERA, although it was just middle of the pack in innings (16th) and strikeout rate (15th). In his first season starting, Crochet made 32 starts and pitched 146 innings (the White Sox limited his innings the final two months) — and, most impressively, topped all pitchers with at least 100 innings by posting a 35.1% strikeout rate.
Crochet was the most in-demand non-free agent of the offseason — he’s under control for two more seasons and will make just $3.8 million in 2025 — and it cost the Red Sox a heavy price in Kyle Teel and Braden Montgomery, their first-round picks in 2023 and 2024 respectively, plus two other prospects.
How it will shape the 2025 season: With Rafael Devers, 2024 breakout star Jarren Duran, last year’s impressive rookies Wilyer Abreu and Ceddanne Rafaela, and an exciting group of prospects ready to help in outfielder Roman Anthony (ESPN’s No. 2 overall prospect), shortstop Marcelo Mayer (No. 4) and second baseman Kristian Campbell (No. 26), it was time for the Red Sox to make a push to return to the postseason for the first time since 2021. Maybe it’s a year early for all this talent to coalesce into a World Series contender, but Crochet improves those odds.
Dominoes: One key factor is that Crochet’s low salary allowed the Red Sox to make a couple of other moves. First, they would sign Walker Buehler for even more rotation depth. But an even bigger move would come right as spring training kicked off. — Schoenfield
Yankees continue their pitching push with trade for star closer
Date of the deal: Dec. 13 — Yankees acquire star closer Williams from Brewers
What it means for the Yankees: Clay Holmes was demoted from the closer role in September, so it wasn’t a surprise that the Yankees decided to let him walk in free agency. The thinking was the Yankees could hand the role to Luke Weaver, who sparkled closing games in September and October. But the Yankees aimed higher, acquiring Devin Williams, perhaps the best closer in baseball, from the Milwaukee Brewers for Nestor Cortes and Caleb Durbin.
The 2020 National League Rookie of the Year, Williams is a two-time NL Reliever of the Year and a two-time All-Star. He owns a 1.83 career ERA and 68 career saves behind a screwball-changeup fusion known as The Airbender. He’s a clear upgrade. But he’s also under team control for just one more season, marking the second consecutive winter that the Yankees traded for a star one year from free agency.
How it will shape the 2025 season: Williams’ inclusion moved Weaver back to a multi-inning setup role after his breakout 2024 season — his first as a reliever. Fernando Cruz, acquired in a trade with the Cincinnati Reds for Jose Trevino later in the month, has the fourth-highest strikeout rate among relievers with at least 130 innings thrown since he debuted in 2022. With them in the back end, the Yankees’ bullpen should improve upon its 12th-ranked strikeout rate from last season.
Dominoes: Williams knew a trade was coming. He was just surprised that it was to the Yankees and not the Dodgers, who were in pursuit of the right-hander. Instead, the Yankees outbid Los Angeles, leaving the Dodgers to continue their search for bullpen help. They ultimately settled on signing the best reliever on the free agent market and a 2024 All-Star, continuing their offseason shopping spree. — Castillo
Cubs get their star hitter in blockbuster between contenders
Date of the deal: Dec. 13 — Cubs get Tucker from Astros
What it means for the Cubs: The Cubs needed to improve their power profile while servicing an apparent need to avoid long-term entanglements. In acquiring Kyle Tucker in advance of his walk year, they accomplish both. Chicago leveraged a moment of abundance at third base in its system to land Tucker, one of the game’s most potent left-handed sluggers and well-rounded outfielders. Tucker is an upgrade over soon-to-be-dealt Cody Bellinger, but when the latter was traded to the Yankees, it rendered the addition of Tucker more marginal than it had to be. That will be especially true if (when?) the Cubs don’t pony up to retain Tucker for the long term.
How it will shape the 2025 season: Chicago traded a serviceable starting third baseman (Isaac Paredes) and a rapidly rising third base prospect (Cam Smith) to snag Tucker. The outgoing package was made possible by the presence of another hot corner prospect — Matt Shaw — who opened the season as the regular at the position. Thus, the move needs two things to happen to achieve its short-term aim: Tucker to stay healthy, and Shaw to justify the Cubs’ faith.
Dominoes: The Tucker trade will be pushing over dominoes for some time. Bellinger’s departure was the start, which also led to low-level rumbling in Chicago over the Cubs’ often thrifty ways. Those rumbles grew louder when the Cubs were suitors for Alex Bregman, only to fall short. However, that failed pursuit kept the path clear for Shaw, who earned the third-base job during spring training. Those rumbles may turn into a full-blown uproar if the Cubs disappoint and Tucker signs elsewhere after the season — or is dealt at the trade deadline. — Doolittle
Cubs follow Tucker deal by sending a former MVP to the Yankees
Date of the deal: Dec. 17 — Cubs trade Bellinger to Yankees
What it means for the Yankees: With Juan Soto now with the Mets and Anthony Rizzo a free agent, the Yankees had holes to fill in the outfield and first base. Why not solve one of those with Cody Bellinger, the 2019 NL MVP who can play both positions?
With Kyle Tucker in right, Pete Crow-Armstrong ready to take over in center and the less expensive Michael Busch at first base, the Cubs wanted to dump Bellinger’s $27.5 million salary. The Yankees were the perfect fit. They later signed Paul Goldschmidt to play first, so Bellinger will end up as the regular center fielder with Aaron Judge moving back to right field.
How it will shape the 2025 season: The Yankees knew they couldn’t replace Soto with one player, so they’re hoping they can replace his production with multiple players. Bellinger has never come close to his 2019 numbers since injuring his shoulder in the 2020 World Series, but he’s coming off back-to-back solid seasons with the Cubs (139 OPS+ in 2023, 111 in 2024 when he hit .266/.325/.426 with 18 home runs). He has morphed into a more contact-oriented hitter these days, but his pull-heavy approach could work well at Yankee Stadium. Goldschmidt, meanwhile, will try to rebound at age 37 from his worst offensive season (.245/.302/.414, 22 home runs).
Dominoes: With Bellinger and Goldschmidt, the Yankees were no longer a viable landing spot for Pete Alonso, eliminating a key bidder for the slugger’s services. Scott Boras had lost his leverage. And the Cubs? In subtracting Bellinger’s salary, perhaps they had room for another free agent with Alex Bregman looking like a potential fit. — Schoenfield
A $200 million ace joins … the Diamondbacks!?
Date of the deal: Dec. 28 — Arizona, Burnes finalize six-year deal
What it means for the Diamondbacks: As much as anything, Arizona’s second straight offseason investment in its starting rotation declares that even as the Diamondbacks share a division with baseball’s newest Evil Empire, the Snakes aren’t conceding anything to the high-dollar Dodgers.
After splurging for Jordan Montgomery and Eduardo Rodriguez last year, it would have been easy for Arizona to stand pat with its rotation depth chart, hoping for Montgomery to bounce back and E-Rod to be healthy. Instead, the addition of Corbin Burnes gives Arizona a rotation big three in Burnes, Zac Gallen and Merrill Kelly that can match anyone. It also makes the Diamondbacks a pickle to match up against in any October series — even one against the Dodgers.
How it will shape the 2025 season: Gallen and Kelly are healthy this spring after missing time in 2024, and if they can stay that way, this stat might be highly relevant: Those two and Burnes, between them, have averaged 176 innings over the past three years, and that number jumps to 189 if you remove Kelly’s 13-start 2024 campaign.
The addition of Burnes pushed everyone else down a slot, giving the Diamondbacks superior rotation depth, which in turn should help cover them against a lack of numbers in the middle and front of the bullpen. (The back is in good shape.) The defense behind the starters should incent the hurlers to be pitch efficient, as will an athletic, potent lineup.
Dominoes: For Arizona, the Burnes signing places the need to find a taker for Montgomery at the top of the to-do list, as he simply makes too much money to be just a rotation depth guy. The larger dominoes were felt elsewhere in the pitching market, as teams aching for Burnes’ ace production were left wanting. That begins with Burnes’ old team, Baltimore, which would likely rate as a solid favorite in the AL East had Burnes returned. But the Blue Jays, Giants and others were also left to look elsewhere for an impact addition. — Doolittle
Much-anticipated Sasaki sweepstakes has a Hollywood ending
Date of the deal: Jan. 17 — Japanese ace Sasaki says he’s joining Dodgers
What it means for the Dodgers: In some ways, the Dodgers had been building up to this moment — all the way back to the mid-1990s, when Hideo Nomo blazed a path for Japanese pitchers to the United States and turned a generation of children in his home country into Dodger fans. In the ensuing years, as Ichiro Suzuki, Hideki Matsui, Yu Darvish and others starred elsewhere, the Dodgers’ influence in Japan began to fade. Then Shohei Ohtani signed with them on Dec. 11, 2023. Then Yoshinobu Yamamoto joined him weeks later. Then, powered in part by those two, the Dodgers won the World Series.
By the time Sasaki was posted in December of 2024, the Dodgers had once again established themselves as the predominant major league team of Japan. So much so that Sasaki chose them, too, even though their starting rotation was already quite full. He chose them mostly because he believed they gave him the best chance to develop, but the presence of Yamamoto and Ohtani, and the fact that the Dodgers carried such massive influence in his country, certainly helped.
How it will shape the 2025 season: In a span of 13 months, the Dodgers added Tyler Glasnow, Yamamoto, Snell and Sasaki to their rotation. To that group you can add Ohtani, who is expected to return as a two-way player this season. And Clayton Kershaw, who is on track to join the rotation around June. And a host of promising arms, including Dustin May. Add in their star-studded lineup, and what they would later add to their bullpen, and the Dodgers have put together one of the most talented rosters in baseball history.
Dominoes: The San Diego Padres and the Toronto Blue Jays emerged as the other two finalists for Sasaki, and his decision was a massive blow to both. To the Blue Jays, it meant coming up just short on another premier player after failed pursuits of Ohtani, Soto and Burnes, among others. The Padres had a hole in their rotation and were continuing to operate on a tight budget. In some ways, they had built their entire offseason around the prospect of landing Sasaki. Him choosing their biggest rival prompted them to instead sign Nick Pivetta. — Gonzalez
The Dodgers add top free agent reliever — and become baseball’s new Evil Empire?
Date of the deal: Jan. 19 — Dodgers land Scott for $72 million
What it means for the Dodgers: Landing Snell and Sasaki apparently wasn’t enough for one offseason: The Dodgers then decided to upgrade an already strong bullpen, signing Tanner Scott, arguably the top lefty reliever in the game over the past two seasons, to a four-year, $72 million contract.
Call it a baseball version of adding Kevin Durant to the Warriors: It seemed like piling on at this point (and especially so when the Dodgers then signed Kirby Yates, who held batters to a .113 average last season, the lowest ever for a pitcher with at least 50 innings).
It also seemed like the final exclamation point on the past two seasons: The Dodgers are officially baseball’s Evil Empire. Heck, after this signing, even Yankees owner Hal Steinbrenner said it is “difficult” for other teams to keep up with the Dodgers. Yes, that’s a bit like Darth Vader complaining about Voldemort. Welcome to baseball in 2025.
How it will shape the 2025 season: The Dodgers have always had good bullpens — fourth in ERA in 2024, third in 2023, second in 2022 and 2021 — but with Scott and Yates added to Blake Treinen, Evan Phillips, Alex Vesia, Michael Kopech, Anthony Banda and others, the pen appears deeper and better than ever. It makes it even easier for Dave Roberts to limit innings for his stellar rotation with the hope of keeping those starters healthy for October.
Dominoes: This was more about who didn’t land Scott. The Cubs were reportedly runners-up in the bidding with a four-year, $66 million offer, and a few days after the Scott signing they traded for former Astros closer Ryan Pressly. The Blue Jays pivoted and signed Max Scherzer instead. The Orioles signed Andrew Kittredge when they realized they weren’t going to land Scott. — Schoenfield
After monthslong standoff, a Mets icon returns to Queens
Date of the deal: Feb. 5 — Alonso, Mets agree to 2-year deal
What it means for the Mets: The Mets might have won the offseason by signing Juan Soto, but Pete Alonso’s free agency hung over Queens for the rest of the winter. Alonso, on paper, made sense for the 2025 Mets. He was a right-handed power bat to protect Soto. He was an adored homegrown player. But the 30-year-old first baseman wanted more than the Mets were willing to offer and the negotiations turned unusually public — and ugly — when owner Steve Cohen expressed his frustration during a fan event in January. A breakup seemed possible. The Mets signaled they were ready to move on. Alonso talked with other teams in search of a long-term contract. But, after a face-to-face meeting with Cohen and David Stearns in Tampa, the two sides agreed on a two-year, $54 million contract with an opt-out after this season the week before pitchers and catchers reported for spring training.
The reunion elevated the Mets to one of the best lineups in baseball, featuring a 1 through 5 of Francisco Lindor, Soto, Alonso, Brandon Nimmo and Mark Vientos that should wreak havoc on pitchers when healthy.
How it will shape the 2025 season: Signing Soto was significant, but more was needed to compete in a loaded National League East.
The Phillies, the defending division champs, have one of the best rotations in baseball to complement a veteran, battle-tested, star-studded lineup. The Braves, the division champs the previous six seasons, should rebound from a nightmare, injury-riddled season in which they still managed to reach the postseason as a wild card.
Alonso, who is 27 home runs shy of becoming the franchise’s all-time leader, gives the Mets a lineup to compete with those contenders. The starting rotation, however, might be another matter.
Dominoes: If Alonso’s season goes as both sides hope, the first baseman will opt out of his contract and become a free agent again in search of a long-term deal next winter. But this past winter suggests finding one could be difficult.
Alonso, who will be the highest-paid first baseman in the majors this season with a $30 million salary, is one of baseball’s top sluggers. His 226 home runs are the second most in the sport since his debut in 2019. But the long-term contract he expected — one similar to, or even better than, the seven-year, $158 million extension he declined in 2023 — never materialized. Teams have seemingly decided slugging first basemen on the wrong side of 30 without much value on defense and on the basepaths aren’t worth that much. Alonso hopes that will change after a strong 2025 season.
The Mets, meanwhile, are expected to pursue Vladimir Guerrero Jr. next winter to replace Alonso if he reaches free agency and Alonso indeed opts out. — Castillo
Blue Jays get their big-name free agent in Soto, Ohtani, Roki … Anthony Santander
Date of the deal: Jan. 20 — Toronto, Santander reach $92 million deal
What it means for the Blue Jays: Over the past couple of years, the Blue Jays have been frequent headliners in the rumor mills around the top acquisition targets in the marketplace. Time after time, Toronto fell short in these pursuits. Then they inked Santander to a five-year, $92.5 million deal that also cost Toronto a compensatory draft pick because Santander had been saddled with a qualifying offer by his old team, Baltimore.
For the Blue Jays, it at least proves that they can still get someone to take their money, and if Toronto hadn’t been featured so prominently in the other quests, the addition of Santander wouldn’t feel so much like settling. Santander isn’t a perfect player, but he’s a legit, middle-of-the-order power hitter threat who has averaged 35 homers over the past three years. The Blue Jays didn’t get everything they wanted this winter, but in Santander, they did land a bona fide threat to slot behind Vladimir Guerrero Jr. in the batting order.
How it will shape the 2025 season: With Guerrero’s future in Toronto in doubt, there’s a lot riding on the Blue Jays’ short-term fortunes. After leaning a little too far over to the defensive side when picking their ancillary position players the past few seasons, Santander will help turn the scoreboard and perhaps unlock Guerrero’s game even more. If so, it can only help the case Toronto will continue to make in attempting to keep Vlady for the long haul.
Dominoes: The relatively late date of Santander’s signing bolstered the Blue Jays’ offseason work considerably and still left them time to add more, which resulted in, among other things, the signing of Max Scherzer to the rotation. It also left other teams looking for a big outfield bat out in the cold, with the Royals, Angels, Red Sox and Tigers reportedly among them. –– Doolittle
Braves finally get in on the offseason fun
Date of the deal: Jan. 23 — Atlanta, Profar agree to 3-year deal
What it means for the Braves: The offseason had been distinctly silent for the Braves until Profar agreed to a three-year, $42 million deal in the latter part of January. If Profar, coming off an age-31 season that was easily the best of his career, can retain most of last season’s gains, he fills the one concerning spot in the potent Atlanta lineup. He would do so at salary level (a $14 million-per-season luxury tax number) that, for now, apparently keeps the Braves under the tax line, and even with a bit of room to make in-season adds.
How it will shape the 2025 season: When Ronald Acuna Jr. returns (soon) to regular duty, the Braves will have a fully stocked, powerhouse regular lineup and a quality bench. Profar not only completes the puzzle but will help bridge whatever gap remains between now and Acuna’s first game.
That said, Profar’s yearly OPS+ figures, beginning in 2018, are: 107, 91, 114, 83, 109, 81, 134. After signing Profar for three seasons, the Braves need him to break that pattern. If he can, the Braves’ lineup should have no holes.
Dominoes: Profar turned out to be the one multiyear free agent the Braves signed this winter. Every signing since has been a recognizable veteran on a minor league deal and spring training invite. For Atlanta, Profar was the lone domino.
The timing of his signing with Atlanta might prove to be painful for Profar’s old team in San Diego. The Padres never really filled the void opened by Profar’s departure. At the time he joined Atlanta, the Padres had not added a free agent on a big league deal, but they later added five. If the purse strings had been loosened just a little sooner, might Profar have been retained? — Doolittle
The offseason’s final star free agent lands in Boston
Date of the deal: Feb. 12 — Bregman signs with Red Sox
What it means for the Red Sox: The Red Sox have had three straight non-winning seasons — the first time that has happened since 1992-94. In signing Alex Bregman to a three-year, $120 million deal (with player opt-outs after 2025 and 2026), the Red Sox get a winning player to help reverse that trend, a former MVP runner-up who has averaged 4.5 WAR the past three seasons. They also get a hitter who has dominated at Fenway Park in his career, hitting .375/.490/.750 with seven home runs in 21 games.
They also created some internal strife, with Rafael Devers initially saying he would not be open to moving from third base to DH. Bregman, who won a Gold Glove in 2024, said he’d be willing to move to second base. A month later, Devers changed his stance and told reporters, “I’m good to do whatever they want me to do.”
Maybe Devers settles in at DH. Maybe Bregman ends up sliding back and forth. Maybe second-base prospect Kristian Campbell goes down to Triple-A and plays more outfield. No matter what, manager Alex Cora will have his work cut out keeping Devers happy and figuring out how and when to integrate all the young players into the lineup.
How it will shape the 2025 season: Bregman is coming off a .315 OBP, his worst since his rookie season, and 51 points below his career average. It remains to be seen whether he’s a major addition to the lineup or merely a solid contributor.
The Red Sox were third in the AL in runs in 2024, but if Bregman’s bat plays as hoped at Fenway and some of the young hitters improve, this team could lead the league in runs — and that could mean their first AL East title since the World Series championship season in 2018.
Dominoes: The Tigers and Cubs were other potential landing spots for Bregman, and both have intriguing rookie third basemen — Jace Jung in Detroit and Matt Shaw in Chicago. Shaw is the better prospect of the two (No. 23 overall, according to ESPN’s Kiley McDaniel), although he has just 35 games above Double-A. Jung got some big league time in 2024, hitting .241/.362/.304 in 94 plate appearances after hitting .257/.377/.454 in Triple-A, but got sent down last week, so it looks like Detroit will open with a Zach McKinstry/Andy Ibanez platoon.
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.
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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 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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