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With high school seasons ending across the country and college conference tournaments about a week away from beginning, it’s time for a full update on how the 2025 MLB draft is shaping up with a mini-mock draft and a fresh ranking of the top 150 prospects.

I mentioned a month ago in my last rankings update that this is viewed as a weaker draft than the 2024 class and that’s still the case. Last year’s final draft rankings had five players better than a 50 FV and 10 total players at a 50 FV or above. This year, as you can see below, has eight players as a 50 FV or better and no one above that tier. I’ll go into a little more detail about what this means below, but let’s get into the buzz about how the draft will play out with a mock draft.

Jump to: Mini-mock draft | Top 150 prospects


Mini-mock draft: Projecting the first 11 picks

1. Washington Nationals — Ethan Holliday, 3B, Stillwater HS (Oklahoma)

This one is still wide open. Holliday is perceived as the most likely outcome right now from my industry conversations. (Here’s a look at Holliday from when I saw him this spring.) But Eli Willits has some industry buzz here and Seth Hernandez seems to be a real option while Jamie Arnold and Liam Doyle are seen as the two most likely college options should Washington go that route.

These players are all pretty closely packed on my rankings below so the Nats getting into the draft room to hash out which they think is best — along with weighing the asking prices of each prospect — will dictate how Washington plays this one.

2. Los Angeles Angels — Jamie Arnold, LHP, Florida State

This is going to shock you, but the Angels are being tied to college players who can move quickly. Arnold, Doyle, and Arquette are mentioned the most, but any of the college players in the top 12 of my rankings could be the guy with a strong finish and the right price tag.

3. Seattle Mariners — Seth Hernandez, RHP, Corona HS (California)

The M’s are mostly being tied to Willits, Hernandez and Arnold, so I think they’ll end up with one of those three. Hernandez is seen as one of the best prep righties in a while, but that is also the riskiest position demographic in the draft by a mile due to performance and injury risks (think running backs in the NFL draft).

A weaker top of the draft with a rare prospect like Hernandez may be the only time Seattle would consider a prep righty this high, but the Mariners are taking a long look and the positive early returns on Ryan Sloan (a prep righty who was their second-round pick) from last year’s draft may be emboldening them, too. Here’s some video showing what I saw from Hernandez this spring.

4. Colorado Rockies — Liam Doyle, LHP, Tennessee

The Nats and Rockies are widely viewed as the two most likely landing spots for Holliday — meaning he likely stops here if not off the board already on draft day; I’d say it’s a 75% chance he goes first or fourth. The possibility of Colorado floating Holliday an overslot number to get him here may change the math enough to take him out of consideration for the first pick.

The question is who is next on Colorado’s list if the Rockies don’t land Holliday. Teams picking in this area have said with confidence both that it will be whomever is still available of Doyle/Arnold and shortstop Aiva Arquette.

5. St. Louis Cardinals — Kade Anderson, LHP, LSU

The Cards love to take college lefties historically and one of the three elite ones in this class is almost sure to be available here. Similar to Colorado, I think St. Louis takes Holliday if he gets here (though that seems unlikely given the Rockies’ interest), and their mix beyond that is a bit unclear.

6. Pittsburgh Pirates — Billy Carlson, SS, Corona HS (California)

Pittsburgh is believed to be locked in on Carlson (whose range seems to start here) and Aiva Arquette, with some other players also being considered. Carlson (here’s some video I took this spring) has a number of similarities with Konnor Griffin, the Pirates’ first-round pick last year, so the belief in the industry is he’s the pick if he’s here.

7. Miami Marlins — Eli Willits, SS, Fort Cobb-Broxton HS (Oklahoma)

Willits is in consideration at many of the picks above this but likely stops here or the next pick to Toronto. Miami is believed to be leaning toward hitters with a focus on contact ability, so Carlson, Willits and JoJo Parker get mentioned the most. Here’s a look at Willits from when I saw him this spring.

8. Toronto Blue Jays — Aiva Arquette, SS, Oregon State

The Jays are sitting here waiting to see how the potential chaos in front of them will play out and to pick up what’s left. In this scenario it’s Arquette, but his safer player demographic means a lot of teams will be considering him above this pick. My ranking below has a top tier of eight players, and I’d bet only one or two of those players get here because that grouping is pretty consensus within the industry (and even more so if you include a couple from the next tier).

9. Cincinnati Reds — Jace LaViolette, CF, Texas A&M

Seth Hernandez could end up here because isn’t a fit for a number of teams that don’t tend to take pitchers, older high school players or prep righties at high picks. But in this scenario, LaViolette fits the Reds’ history of taking the best player still on the board and is the pick in this scenario.

10. Chicago White Sox — Kyson Witherspoon, RHP, Oklahoma

Chicago has been tied to yet another lower-slot lefty (Hagen Smith and Blake Larson last year, Garrett Crochet and Chris Sale in the past) in high schooler Kruz Schoolcraft at this pick, but he feels like more of a backup option than the primary target.

The White Sox are right at the tail end of having access to a certain tier of player in this class, so I think they’ll be reactive to what’s happening above them. Their return from Boston for Garrett Crochet included Braden Montgomery who was LaViolette’s running mate in the Texas A&M outfield last year and the buzz is the current Aggies star has a landing spot here if he’s on the board.

11. Athletics — JoJo Parker, Purvis HS (Mississippi)

Parker’s name was being whispered earlier this spring as the sneaky fourth-best prep position player in this class at a time that he was perceived as more of a late-first-round talent for most teams. That talk has gotten louder to the point that he seems to be the backup option for a number of teams once you get outside of the top five picks, so Parker is now just seen as the consensus next-best prep hitter, who should go somewhere between No. 5 and No. 15 on draft day. I do think the A’s will scoop him up here if he’s available as he fits their type.

This is where I’ll cut off the mock as the consensus top talents are gone and there are about a dozen players who start to come into play in the next few picks.

I mentioned above that the top of this draft is seen as weaker, though the depth is seen as strong. What this means functionally, in my mind, isn’t that this draft as a whole is bad, because it’s made up of thousands of players and the classes don’t vary that much year-to-year in terms of the number of good players.

A couple of scouts have mentioned the 2016 draft to me as a comp. At the time, the top of the draft was also seen as weaker (Mickey Moniak, Nick Senzel, Ian Anderson were the top three picks) and has played out that way, but the later rounds were so loaded in retrospect that, if those players were evaluated correctly given what we know now and went in the top ten picks, that draft would be seen as one of the better ones in recent memory.

Wondering who those stars later in the 2016 draft were? In the top 29 picks, the best player was either Josh Lowe, A.J. Puk or Gavin Lux. But after that? Cole Ragans and Will Smith went in the 30s, Pete Alonso and Bo Bichette went in the 60s and then the murderers’ row of sleepers went between Picks 83-122: Sean Murphy, Jesus Luzardo, Dustin May, Zac Gallen, Corbin Burnes, and Shane Bieber.

I wouldn’t count on that level of impact late in this draft, but we could see something similar as many of those potential stars will go later and are ranked somewhere below now that I’ve expanded it to 150.

I rank players using the FV system so you can see where they’d slot into your team’s prospect list or a full MLB top 100 (more details on the scale are included at that link). The 50 FV tier usually runs from around 45 to about 120 on the overall pro prospects list.

Top 150 MLB draft prospects

50 FV Tier

1. Jamie Arnold (21.2), LHP, Florida State

Arnold has three above-average to plus pitches from a low arm slot in his fastball, sweeper and newly improved changeup. He’s added a shorter cutter-like breaking ball and has two shapes to his fastball, filling out his arsenal.

That was the main concern at this time last year when he was mostly just throwing a fastball and sweeper that moved so much he had trouble keeping them in the zone regularly. The movement his low slot creates is part of what makes his control (throwing it in the strike zone) better than his command (hitting spots), but when your stuff is this lively and angles are working in your favor, that’s workable and also improvable over time.

play

3:20

Which MLB draft prospects could have star potential?

Kiley McDaniels provides some key prospects to look out for in the MLB draft, including Florida State’s Jamie Arnold and Seth Hernandez from Corona High School.

2. Eli Willits (17.6), SS, Fort Cobb-Broxton HS (OK), Oklahoma commit

Willits is narrowly the best of this class of high school players in my mind. He’s an advanced hitter with a strong track record who is young for the class and regularly faces SEC competition due to his brother and father both being in the Oklahoma program.

He’s also a plus runner and good shortstop, so the lack of impact raw power due to his medium-sized frame doesn’t bother me; this kind of player is often underrated at this stage. Here’s some video from my look this spring and some longer thoughts on Willits.

3. Ethan Holliday (18.3), 3B, Stillwater HS (OK), Oklahoma State commit

Holliday has even stronger bloodlines (brother Jackson, father Matt) than Willits and comes with the conventional size and left-handed raw power that teams like to see with top-of-the-draft prep position players. He’s a solid defender who should be above-average defensively at third base, but he lacks the range/speed to stay at shortstop in pro ball.

The main concerns here are that Holliday’s summer performances have been just OK and he didn’t face much elite velocity this spring, so he may just be a .240ish hitter going forward. The rest of the profile isn’t in dispute, so he could actually be a .240 hitter and still be a really good big leaguer. Here’s some spring video I took and longer form thoughts.

4. Seth Hernandez (19.0), RHP, Corona HS (CA), Vanderbilt commit

Prep righties are the worst player demographic in the draft and some teams approach it with extreme caution; some have told me they won’t take a prep righty in the top 10 picks under any circumstances. Some teams that believe that are picking in the top 10 this year.

I also feel somewhat strongly about prep righties in general — but for Hernandez specifically — that we may be looking at an exception. His measurable athleticism, standout position-player performances and elite changeup all point to things that the typical prep righty doesn’t possess. Hernandez tickles the triple digits in most outings, his curveball is now flashing above average, and his changeup is plus-plus — have a look at what I saw this spring and some longer thoughts.

5. Billy Carlson (19.0), SS, Corona HS (CA), Tennessee commit

Hernandez’s high school teammate is how you draw up a prep shortstop prospect: solid performances with the bat, above-average to plus bat speed and raw power, a plus defender, an 80-grade arm and clear twitchy athleticism in all aspects (take a look and read longer thoughts).

Carson will need to tone down his swing mechanics a bit in pro ball, but the big hesitation for teams is his age. The track record of prep position players of this age (he turns 19 just after draft day) suggests, in short, that they tend to be overrated at draft time because they’re facing exclusively younger competition at a point when age is very important. On the other hand, Carlson looks like Bobby Witt Jr. if his build and tools were just taken down a notch. In a weaker draft, that upside is very attractive.

6. Liam Doyle (21.0), LHP, Tennessee

7. Kade Anderson (21.0), LHP, LSU

I’ll group these two college lefties together. Both are carving up the SEC but go about it very differently. Doyle offers power stuff and intensity on the mound with some relief risk because of how he does it. Anderson has a much smoother, true starter look with four above-average pitches and above-average command.

Traditionally, scouts prefer the clear starter in this kind of situation at the top of a draft, but Doyle’s pitch data and improvement have some teams thinking he could be a big league starter in short order, with a backup plan of impact reliever, while Anderson likely takes a more conventional path.

8. Aiva Arquette (21.7), SS, Oregon State

Arquette is clearly the best college position player but is generally seen as having a slight contact/approach question and is so big (6-foot-5, 220 pounds) that most evaluators think he’ll slide over to third base as a pro.

He has plus raw power and is performing well (albeit against slightly lesser competition), so he is being mentioned in conversations all over the top 10, but has more in common with Braden Montgomery (12th overall pick last year) or Christian Moore (eighth overall pick) than the top college position players who went in the top seven picks of last year’s draft (Jac Caglianone, Nick Kurtz, Charlie Condon and J.J. Wetherholt).


45+ FV Tier

9. JoJo Parker (18.8), SS, Purvis HS (MS), Mississippi State commit

Parker is seen alongside Willits as the highest probability hitter in the top tier of this year’s prep class, which is driving his rise up the board. He has roughly average raw power and speed and can stick in the infield, but likely isn’t a long-term shortstop. Parker isn’t seen as having a huge upside, but if a year from now he looks like a plus-plus hitter who will hit 15-20 homers while playing a solid second or third base, that concern will seem a little silly. Here’s some video from my spring look at him.

10. Kyson Witherspoon (20.9), RHP, Oklahoma

Witherspoon remade his delivery and is getting Dylan Cease comparisons due to his build, mid-to-upper-90s velocity and three breaking ball shapes. He has pared down his arsenal of late to a four-seamer, cutter and curveball. There are still some questions about his command and if he has a true second plus pitch behind his heater, but on some days both of those concerns seem misguided.

11. Steele Hall (17.9), SS, Hewitt-Trussville HS (AL), Tennessee commit

I’m pretty sure I’ll be the high guy on Hall, but I’m good with that. He’s a plus-plus runner who will stick at shortstop and is somewhere in the Trea Turner/Anthony Volpe/Jett Williams spectrum of smaller shortstops with real speed and real ability to lift the ball to maximize power at a young age. Being among the youngest players in the draft after reclassifying only helps the case here.

12. Jace LaViolette (21.6), CF, Texas A&M

Opinions on LaViolette have been up and down a lot this year, but on the right day scouts see a 6-foot-6 plus runner who can play center field at least for now, has plus-plus raw power and is performing in the SEC. On the other hand, some evaluators see a long-term corner outfield with long arms that make him streaky offensively and will limit him to being a .240 hitter at best — more in line with non-peak Adam Dunn or Joey Gallo. That’s still a good player, but a flawed one.


45 FV Tier

13. Gavin Fien (18.2), 3B, Great Oak HS (CA), Texas commit
14. Wehiwa Aloy (21.4), SS, Arkansas
15. Marek Houston (21.2), SS, Wake Forest
16. Slater de Brun (18.1), CF, Summit HS (OR), Vanderbilt commit
17. Kayson Cunningham (19.0), SS, Johnson HS (TX), Texas commit
18. Josh Hammond (18.8), 3B, Wesleyan Christian HS (NC), Wake Forest commit
19. Xavier Neyens (18.7), 3B, Mount Vernon HS (WA), Oregon State commit
20. Daniel Pierce (18.9), SS, Mill Creek HS (GA), Georgia commit
21. Gage Wood (21.5), RHP, Arkansas
22. Tate Southisene (18.8), SS, Basic HS (NV), USC commit
23. Sean Gamble (18.9), 2B, IMG Academy HS (FL), Vanderbilt commit
24. Gavin Kilen (21.2), SS, Tennessee
25. Ethan Conrad (21.0), RF, Wake Forest
26. Ike Irish (21.6), C, Auburn
27. Brendan Summerhill (21.7), CF, Arizona
28. Tyler Bremner (21.2), RHP, UC Santa Barbara
29. Jordan Yost (18.5), SS, Sickles HS (FL), Florida commit
30. Luke Stevenson (21.0), C, North Carolina
31. Mason Neville (21.5), CF, Oregon
32. Cam Appenzeller (18.5), LHP, Glenwood HS (IL), Tennessee commit
33. Kruz Schoolcraft (18.2), LHP, Sunset HS (OR), Tennessee commit
34. Cam Cannarella (21.8), CF, Clemson

I’ll stay as the high guy on Fien as I believe in what I saw last summer (above-average-to-plus hitter, plus power, great performances, decent shot to stick at third base), despite a tough spring. Aloy and Houston are the rare college true shortstops, but Aloy has real contact/chase questions while Houston can look like Dansby Swanson at times but his offensive upside is in question. Among college hitters, Irish and Neville are rising while Kilen is getting a shot to play shortstop now for the Volunteers.

The real intrigue in this pack, as it was during the loaded 2023 draft, is the prep position players — mostly infielders. There is probably a star or two in this group, though I said that for the 2023 draft and there may be more in that group. De Brun has some Corbin Carroll elements to his game, Hammond looks like the Blue Jays’ version of Josh Donaldson and Cunningham may be the best pure hitter in the whole draft and he’s a plus runner who can play the infield. Neyens may have the most raw power in the whole draft. Pierce is a scout favorite for his athleticism, makeup and defense, while Southisene and Gamble have big upside but contact questions.


40+ FV Tier

35. Caden Bodine (21.6), C, Coastal Carolina
36. Aaron Watson (18.5), RHP, Trinity Christian HS (FL), Virginia commit
37. Marcus Phillips (21.0), RHP, Tennessee
38. Zach Root (21.4), LHP, Arkansas
39. Alex Lodise (21.4), SS, Florida State
40. Matthew Fisher (19.3), RHP, Evansville Memorial HS (IN), Indiana commit
41. Landon Harmon (18.8), RHP, East Union HS (MS), Mississippi State commit
42. Cade Obermueller (22.0), LHP, Iowa
43. Patrick Forbes (20.9), RHP, Louisville
44. Brock Sell (18.7), CF, Tokay HS (CA), Stanford commit
45. Nick Becker (18.6), SS, Don Bosco HS (NJ), Virginia commit
46. Riley Quick (21.1), RHP, Alabama
47. Alec Blair (18.7), CF, De La Salle HS (CA), Oklahoma commit
48. Max Belyeu (21.5), RF, Texas
49. Anthony Eyanson (20.8), RHP, LSU
50. J.B. Middleton (21.6), RHP, Southern Miss
51. Dax Kilby (18.6), SS, Newnan HS (GA), Clemson commit

Watson is the most complete and advanced prep pitcher in the class behind Hernandez. Fisher offers a nice mix of polish and stuff while Harmon offers high-octane stuff with less feel. Phillips has an iffy arm action but extremely lively stuff. Sell is probably unsignable, but top 100 hoops recruit Blair might be signable for the right price with some Cody Bellinger vibes to his game. Quick was a four-star offensive tackle recruit in high school and has plus stuff but below-average feel. Eyanson and Middleton are rising college starters while Kilby could sneak into the top 30-40 picks due to a great swing and strong athletic testing.

In the 40 FV tier below, keep an eye on low-slot lefty Fernsler as a rising prep prospect who could sneak into the top 40 picks.


40 FV Tier

52. Charles Davalan (21.6), LF, Arkansas
53. Andrew Fischer (21.0), 3B, Tennessee
54. Jack Bauer (18.5), LHP, Lincoln Way East HS (IL), Virginia commit
55. Jaden Fauske (18.7), RF, Nazareth Academy HS (IL), LSU commit
56. Uli Fernsler (17.9), LHP, Novi HS (MI), TCU commit
57. Devin Taylor (21.5), LF, Indiana
58. Mason Pike (18.9), RHP/SS, Puyallup HS (WA), Oregon State commit
59. J.D. Thompson (21.8), LHP, Vanderbilt
60. Korbyn Dickerson (21.7), CF, Indiana
61. Taitn Gray (17.8), C, Grimes Community HS (IA), Oregon commit
62. Angel Cervantes (17.8), RHP, Warren HS (CA), UCLA commit
63. Ethan Petry (21.0), 1B, South Carolina
64. Dean Curley (21.1), 3B, Tennessee
65. Daniel Dickinson (21.5), 2B, LSU
66. Mitch Voit (20.9), 2B, Michigan
67. Drew Faurot (21.7), 2B, Florida State
68. Dean Moss (19.1), CF, IMG Academy HS (FL), LSU commit
69. Easton Carmichael (21.7), C, Oklahoma
70. Kyle Lodise (21.8), SS, Georgia Tech
71. Kane Kepley (21.3), CF, North Carolina
72. R.J. Austin (21.6), CF, Vanderbilt
73. Malachi Witherspoon (20.9), RHP, Oklahoma
74. Joseph Dzierwa (21.1), LHP, Michigan State
75. Brian Curley (22.0), RHP, Georgia
76. Cade Crossland (21.4), LHP, Oklahoma
77. Michael Lombardi (21.9), RHP, Tulane
78. Lucas Franco (18.1), SS, Cinco Ranch HS (TX), TCU commit
79. Briggs McKenzie (18.8), LHP, Corinth Holders HS (NC), LSU commit
80. A.J. Russell (21.0), RHP, Tennessee
81. Ben Jacobs (21.1), LHP, Arizona State
82. Henry Godbout (21.7), 2B, Virginia
83. Aiden Stillman (18.6), LHP, Trinity Prep HS (FL), Virginia commit
84. Rory Fox (21.4), RHP, Notre Dame
85. Ethan Moore (18.8), SS, Oak Park & River Forest HS (IL), Tennessee commit
86. Trent Caraway (21.2), 3B, Oregon State
87. Shane Sdao (21.8), LHP, Texas A&M
88. Brandon Compton (21.7), LF, Arizona State
89. Michael Oliveto (18.4), C, Hauppauge HS (NY), Yale commit
90. Max Williams (20.9), RF, Florida State
91. Tanner Franklin (21.0), RHP, Tennessee
92. Jared Spencer (22.0), LHP, Texas
93. Sean Youngerman (21.0), RHP, Oklahoma State
94. Sam Horn (21.8), RHP, Missouri
95. Nelson Keljo (21.9), LHP, Oregon State
96. Gustavo Melendez (17.8), SS, Colegio La Merced HS (PR), Wake Forest commit
97. Mason Morris (21.9), RHP, Ole Miss
98. Jason Reitz (21.0), RHP, Oregon
99. Griffin Hugus (21.4), RHP, Miami
100. Kaleb Wing (18.5), RHP, Scotts Valley HS (CA), Loyola Marymount commit
101. Quentin Young (18.2), 3B, Oaks Christian HS (CA), LSU commit
102. Cam Leiter (21.4), RHP, Florida State
103. Micah Bucknam (21.9), RHP, Dallas Baptist
104. Brady Ebel (17.9), 3B, Corona HS (CA), LSU commit
105. Johnny Slawinski (18.3), LHP, Johnson City HS (TX), Texas A&M commit
106. Brayden Jaksa (18.4), C, Irvington HS (CA), Oregon commit
107. Ben Abeldt (21.6), LHP, TCU
108. Josiah Hartshorn (18.4), LF, Orange Lutheran HS (CA), Texas A&M commit
109. J.T. Quinn (21.1), RHP, Georgia
110. James Ellwanger (21.0), RHP, Dallas Baptist
111. Chase Shores (21.0), RHP, LSU
112. Marcos Paz (18.7), RHP, Hebron HS (TX), LSU commit
113. Kade Elam (19.0), 3B, Corbin HS (KY), Louisville commit
114. Nathan Hall (21.9), CF, South Carolina
115. Cooper Flemming (18.9), SS, Aliso Niguel HS (CA), Vanderbilt commit
116. Aidan West (18.1), SS, Long Reach HS (MD), North Carolina State commit
117. Nico Partida (18.7), SS/RHP, Pearland HS (TX), Texas A&M commit
118. Cam Tilly (21.0), RHP, Auburn
119. Matt Barr (19.5), RHP, Niagara County JC (NY), Uncommitted
120. Jayden Stroman (18.1), RHP, Patchogue-Medford HS (NY), Duke commit
121. Kaeden Kent (21.9), SS, Texas A&M
122. Henry Ford (21.0), LF, Virginia
123. Griffin Enis (18.8), CF, Corinth HS (MS), Duke commit
124. Reagan Ricken (18.8), RHP, Great Oak HS (CA), LSU commit
125. Cooper Underwood (18.5), LHP, Allatoona HS (GA), Georgia Tech commit
126. Brock Ketelsen (18.0), CF, Valley Christian HS (CA), Stanford commit
127. Ethan Frey (21.3), C, LSU
128. Omar Serna (18.4), C, Lutheran South Academy HS (TX), LSU commit
129. Antonio Jimenez (21.1), SS, UCF
130. Ryan Weingartner (21.0), SS, Penn State
131. Cade Kurland (21.3), 2B, Florida
132. Colin Yeaman (21.2), SS, UC Irvine
133. Chris Arroyo (20.9), 1B, Virginia
134. Xavier Mitchell (19.0), LHP, Prestonwood Christian HS (TX), Texas commit
135. Brent Iredale (22.0), 3B, Arkansas


35+ FV Tier

136. Josh Owens (18.5), SS, Providence Academy HS (TN), Georgia Southern commit
137. Ethan Grim (18.0), RHP, Governor Mifflin HS (PA), Virginia Tech commit
138. Jaiden LoRe (18.4), SS, Corona Del Sol HS (AZ), BYU commit
139. Dom Fritton (22.2), LHP, North Carolina State
140. Coy James (18.3), SS, Davie County HS (NC), Ole Miss commit
141. Tim Piasentin (18.3), 3B, Foothills Composite HS (CAN), Miami commit
142. Tre Phelps (21.0), RF, Georgia
143. Jordan Martin (18.5), RHP, Jefferson City HS (MO), Arkansas commit
144. Ryan Mitchell (18.5), SS, Houston HS (TN), Georgia Tech commit
145. William Patrick (19.0), CF, St. Frederick HS (LA), LSU commit
146. Michael Winter (18.0), RHP, Shawnee Mission East HS (KS), Dartmouth commit
147. Colby Shelton (22.6), SS, Florida
148. Ty Harvey (19.0), C, Inspiration Academy HS (FL), Florida State commit
149. Brett Crossland (18.9), RHP, Corona Del Sol HS (AZ), Texas commit
150. Nick Dumesnil (21.3), CF, Cal Baptist

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2025 MLB All-Star rosters: Biggest snubs and other takeaways

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2025 MLB All-Star rosters: Biggest snubs and other takeaways

The initial 2025 MLB All-Star Game rosters are out, the product of the collaborative process between fans, players and the league. How did this annual confab do?

We already know that injuries will prevent some of these selectees from appearing in Atlanta, and replacement choices will be announced in the coming days. By the end of this post-selection period, we’ll wind up with something like 70 to 75 All-Stars for this season.

These first-draft rosters contain 65 players, the odd number stemming from the decision to send Clayton Kershaw to the festivities as a “Legend” pick. First reaction: Baseball’s newest member of the 3,000 strikeout club has earned everything he gets.

Now, on to the nitpicking.


American League

Biggest oversight: Joe Ryan, Minnesota Twins

The Twins’ lone representative on the initial rosters is outfielder Byron Buxton, a worthy selection. Ryan (8-4, 2.76 ERA) fell into a group of similar performers including Kansas City’s Kris Bubic and the Texas duo of Jacob deGrom and Nathan Eovaldi. Bubic and deGrom made it, which is great, and Bubic in particular is quite a story.

But Ryan and Eovaldi didn’t make it, and both were probably a little more deserving that Seattle’s Bryan Woo, whose superficial numbers (8-4, 2.77) are very close to Ryan’s. But Woo plays in a more friendly pitching park, and the under-the-hood metrics favor Ryan.

The main takeaway: If this is the biggest discrepancy, the process worked well.

Second-biggest oversight: Many-way tie between several hitters

The every-team-gets-a-player rule, along with positional requirements, always knocks out worthy performers from teams with multiple candidates. Thus, a few picks on the position side might have gone differently.

The Rays are playing so well they probably deserve more than one player. Their most deserving pick made it — infielder Jonathan Aranda — along with veteran second baseman Brandon Lowe. Infielders such as J.P. Crawford (Seattle), Isaac Paredes (Houston) and Zach McKinstry (Detroit) had good cases to make it ahead of Lowe, whose power numbers (19 homers, 54 RBIs) swayed the players.

While acknowledging that Gunnar Henderson has had a disappointing season, I still think he deserved to be the Orioles’ default pick instead of Ryan O’Hearn. But the latter was selected as the AL’s starting DH by the fans, and Baltimore doesn’t deserve two players. It’s a great story that O’Hearn will be a first-time All-Star just a couple of weeks before his 32nd birthday.

Other thoughts

• The default White Sox selection is rookie starter Shane Smith, a Rule 5 pick from Milwaukee last winter. Smith is my lowest-rated player on the AL squad, but he has been consistently solid. Adrian Houser, an in-season pickup, has been great for Chicago and has arguably produced more value than Smith. But I like honoring the rookie who has been there the whole campaign.

• The Athletics’ Jacob Wilson was elected as a starter and is easily the most deserving player from that squad. I’m not sure I see a second pick there, but Brent Rooker made it as a DH. Rooker has been fine, but his spot could have gone to one of the overlooked hitters already mentioned, or perhaps Kansas City’s Maikel Garcia.

• Houston’s Jeremy Pena is a deserving choice and arguably should be the AL’s starter at shortstop instead of Wilson. Alas, he’s on the injured list, and though reports say he might soon resume baseball activities, it’s likely Pena will be replaced. Any of the above-mentioned overlooked hitters will do.

• As for the starters, the fans do a great job nowadays. I disagreed with them on a couple of spots, though. I would have gone with a keystone combo of Jazz Chisholm Jr. and Pena rather than Gleyber Torres and Wilson, but I’d have them all on the team. And I would have definitely started Buxton over Javier Baez in the outfield.


National League

Biggest oversight: Juan Soto, New York Mets

Not sure how this happens, but I’m guessing Soto is a victim of his own standards. Yes, he signed a contract for an unfathomable amount of money, and so far, he hasn’t reinvented the game as a member of the Mets. He has just been lower-end Juan Soto, which is still one of the best players in the sport. His OBP is, as ever, north of .400, he leads the league in walks and it sure seems as if Pete Alonso has very much enjoyed hitting behind him.

The All-Star Game was invented for players like Soto, and though you might leave out someone like him if he is having a truly poor season, that’s not the case here. It is kind of amazing that he didn’t make it, while MacKenzie Gore and James Wood — both part of the trade that sent Soto from Washington to San Diego — did. They deserve it, and you can make a strong argument that a third player the Nats picked up in the trade — CJ Abrams — does as well. But Soto deserves it too.

Finally, the Marlins’ most-deserving pick is outfielder Kyle Stowers, who indeed ended up as their default selection. But he probably ended up with Soto’s slot.

Second-biggest oversight: Andy Pages, Los Angeles Dodgers

It’s hard to overlook anyone on the Dodgers, but somehow Pages slipped through the cracks despite his fantastic all-around first half for the defending champs.

It was just a numbers game. I’ve got five NL outfielders rated ahead of Pages, and all but Soto made it, so no additional quibbles there. The fans voted in Ronald Acuna Jr. to start at his home ballpark. Having Acuna there in front of the fans in Atlanta makes sense. But he has played only half of the first half.

Other thoughts

• The shortstop position is loaded in the NL, but the only pure shortstops to make it were starter Francisco Lindor and Elly De La Cruz. Both are good selections, but the Phillies’ Trea Turner has been just as outstanding. Abrams and Arizona’s Geraldo Perdomo are also deserving. The position has been so good that the player with the most career value currently playing shortstop in the NL — Mookie Betts — barely merits a mention. Betts has had a subpar half, but who will be surprised if he’s topping this list by the end of the season?

• Both leagues had three pitching staff slots given to relievers. The group in the AL (Aroldis Chapman, Josh Hader and Andres Munoz) was much more clear-cut than the one in the NL, which ended up with the Giants’ Randy Rodriguez, the Mets’ Edwin Diaz and the Padres’ Jason Adam. It made sense to honor someone from San Diego’s dominant bullpen, and you could have flipped a coin to pick between Adam and Adrian Morejon.

• Picking these rosters while meeting all the requirements and needs for teams and positions is hard. I don’t have any real issue with the pitchers selected for the NL. One of them is Atlanta’s Chris Sale, who is on the IL and will have to be replaced. My pick would be Philadelphia’s Cristopher Sanchez (7-2, 2.68 ERA).

• And for the starting position players, Alonso should have gotten the nod over Freddie Freeman at first base, though it will be great to see Freeman’s reception when he takes the field in Atlanta. For that matter, the Cubs’ Michael Busch has had a better first half than Freeman at this point, though that became true only in the past few days, thanks to his explosion at Wrigley Field. I would have gone with Turner at short, but it’s close. And I’d have started Wood in place of Acuna.

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Nats seek ‘fresh approach,’ fire Martinez, Rizzo

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Nats seek 'fresh approach,' fire Martinez, Rizzo

The last-place Washington Nationals fired president of baseball operations Mike Rizzo and manager Davey Martinez, the team announced Sunday.

Rizzo, 64, and Martinez, 60, won a World Series with the Nationals in 2019, but the team has floundered in recent years. This season, the Nationals are 37-53 and stuck at the bottom of the National League East after getting swept by the Boston Red Sox this weekend at home. Washington hasn’t finished higher than fourth in the division since winning the World Series.

“On behalf of our family and the Washington Nationals organization, I first and foremost want to thank Mike and Davey for their contributions to our franchise and our city,” principal owner Mark Lerner said in a statement. “Our family is eternally grateful for their years of dedication to the organization, including their roles in bringing a World Series trophy to Washington, D.C.

“While we are appreciative of their past successes, the on-field performance has not been where we or our fans expect it to be. This is a pivotal time for our club, and we believe a fresh approach and new energy is the best course of action for our team moving forward.”

Mike DeBartolo, the club’s senior vice president and assistant general manager, was named interim GM on Sunday night. DeBartolo will oversee all aspects of baseball operations, including the MLB draft. An announcement will be made on the interim manager Monday, a day before the club begins a series against the St. Louis Cardinals.

Rizzo has been the top decision-maker in Washington since 2013, and Martinez has been on board since 2018. Under Rizzo’s leadership, the team made the postseason four times: in 2014, 2016, 2017 and 2019. The latter season was Martinez’s lone playoff appearance.

“When our family assumed control of the team, nearly 20 years ago, Mike was the first hire we made,” Lerner said. “Over two decades, he was with us as we went from a fledging team in a new city to World Series champion. Mike helped make us who we are as an organization, and we’re so thankful to him for his hard work and dedication — not just on the field and in the front office, but in the community as well.”

The Nationals are in the midst of a rebuild that has moved slower than expected, though the team didn’t augment its young core much during the winter. Led by All-Stars James Wood and MacKenzie Gore, Washington has the second-youngest group of hitters in MLB and the sixth-youngest pitching staff.

The team lost 11 straight games in a forgettable stretch last month. And during a 2-10 run in June, Washington averaged just 2.5 runs. Since June 1, the Nationals have scored one run or been shut out seven times. In Sunday’s 6-4 loss to Boston, they left 15 runners on base.

There was industry speculation over the winter that the Nationals would spend money on free agents for the first time in several years, but that never materialized. Instead, the team made minor moves, signing free agents Josh Bell and Michael Soroka, trading for first baseman Nathaniel Lowe and re-signing closer Kyle Finnegan. Now, the hope is a new management team, both on and off the field, can help change the franchise’s fortunes.

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Kershaw gets special ASG invite; no Soto, Betts

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Kershaw gets special ASG invite; no Soto, Betts

The rosters for the 2025 MLB All-Star Game will feature 19 first-timers — and one legend — as the pitchers and reserves were announced Sunday for the July 15 contest at Truist Park in Atlanta.

Los Angeles Dodgers left-hander Clayton Kershaw, a three-time Cy Young Award winner who made his first All-Star team in 2011, was named to his 11th National League roster as a special commissioner’s selection.

Kershaw, who became only the fourth left-hander to amass 3,000 career strikeouts, is 4-0 with a 3.43 ERA in nine starts after beginning the season on the injured list. He joins Albert Pujols and Miguel Cabrera as a legend choice, after the pair of sluggers were selected in 2022.

Kershaw said he didn’t want to discuss the selection Sunday.

Among the first-time All-Stars announced Sunday: Dodgers teammate Yoshinobu Yamamoto; Washington Nationals outfielder James Wood and left-hander MacKenzie Gore; Houston Astros ace Hunter Brown and shortstop Jeremy Pena; and Chicago Cubs 34-year-old left-hander Matthew Boyd.

“It’ll just be cool being around some of the best players in the game,” Wood said.

First-time All-Stars previously elected to start by the fans include Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh, Athletics shortstop Jacob Wilson, Baltimore Orioles designated hitter Ryan O’Hearn and Cubs center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong.

Overall, the 19 first-time All-Stars is a drop from the 32 first-time selections on the initial rosters in 2024.

Kershaw would be the sentimental choice to start for the National League, although Pittsburgh Pirates ace Paul Skenes, who leads NL pitchers in ERA and WAR, might be in line to start his second straight contest. Philadelphia Phillies right-hander Zack Wheeler, a three-time All-Star, is 9-3 with a 2.17 ERA after Sunday’s complete-game victory and also would be a strong candidate to start.

“I think it would be stupid to say no to that. It’s a pretty cool opportunity,” Skenes said about the possibility of being asked to start by Dodgers manager Dave Roberts. “I didn’t make plans over the All-Star break or anything. So, yeah, I’m super stoked.”

Kershaw has made one All-Star start in his career, in 2022 at Dodger Stadium.

Among standout players not selected were New York Mets outfielder Juan Soto, who signed a $765 million contract as a free agent in the offseason, and Dodgers shortstop Mookie Betts, who had made eight consecutive All-Star rosters since 2016.

Soto got off to a slow start but was the National League Player of the Month in June and entered Sunday ranked sixth in the NL in WAR among position players while ranking second in OBP, eighth in OPS and third in runs scored.

The players vote for the reserves at each position and selected Wood, Corbin Carroll of the Arizona Diamondbacks and Fernando Tatis Jr. of the San Diego Padres as the backup outfielders. Kyle Stowers also made it as a backup outfielder as the representative for the Miami Marlins.

Unless Soto later is added as an injury replacement, he’ll miss his first All-Star Game since his first full season in 2019.

The Dodgers lead all teams with five representatives: Kershaw, Yamamoto and starters Shohei Ohtani, Freddie Freeman and Will Smith. The AL-leading Detroit Tigers (57-34) and Mariners have four each.

Tigers ace Tarik Skubal will join AL starters Riley Greene, Gleyber Torres and Javier Baez, while Raleigh, the AL’s starting catcher, will be joined by Seattle teammates Bryan Woo, Andres Munoz and Julio Rodriguez.

Earning his fifth career selection but first since 2021 is Texas Rangers righty Jacob deGrom, who is finally healthy after making only nine starts in his first two seasons with the Rangers and is 9-2 with a 2.13 ERA. He has never started an All-Star Game, although Skubal or Brown would be the favorite to start for the AL.

The hometown Braves will have three All-Stars in Acuna, pitcher Chris Sale (his ninth selection, tied with Freeman for the second most behind Kershaw) and first baseman Matt Olson. The San Francisco Giants had three pitchers selected: Logan Webb, Robbie Ray and reliever Randy Rodriguez.

The slumping New York Yankees ended up with three All-Stars: Aaron Judge, Jazz Chisholm Jr. and Max Fried. The Mets also earned three All-Star selections: Francisco Lindor, Pete Alonso and Edwin Diaz.

“Red carpet, that’s my thing,” Chisholm said. “I do have a ‘fit in mind.”

Rosters are expanded from 26 to 32 for the All-Star Game. They include starters elected by fans, 17 players (five starting pitchers, three relievers and a backup for each position) chosen in a player vote and six players (four pitchers and two position players) selected by league officials. Every club must be represented.

Acuna, Wood and Raleigh are the three All-Stars who have so far committed to participating in the Home Run Derby.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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