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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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Where Cal Raleigh’s 50-home run season ranks among all-time surprising power years

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Where Cal Raleigh's 50-home run season ranks among all-time surprising power years

Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh blasted his 48th and 49th home runs on Sunday in back-to-back at-bats in the first two innings against the Athletics, breaking Salvador Perez‘s record for most home runs in a season by a catcher. The next night, he became the second switch-hitter with 50 home runs in a season, joining Mickey Mantle in the exclusive club.

While Raleigh’s season hasn’t exactly come out of nowhere — he reached 30 home runs the previous two years — the fact that we’re not even in September yet certainly makes his power exploits even more impressive.

In honor of his record-breaking season, let’s dig into some of the numbers around his 2025 campaign. And with Raleigh now at 50 home runs, we’ll also break down where his season ranks among the most surprising 50-homer seasons in MLB history.


So, is this the greatest power-hitting season ever from a catcher?

If you want to get technical about it, this is open for discussion. Like Perez with the Kansas City Royals in 2021, Raleigh has benefited from some DH time, with nine of his home runs coming as a DH. Perez’s figures were even more extreme, with 15 of his 48 home runs coming as a DH.

The record for home runs while only playing catcher belongs to Javy Lopez, who hit 42 for the Atlanta Braves in 2003 in just 117 games (he hit one more as a pinch-hitter). That was an impressive season for Lopez, who hit .328/.378/.687 with a 1.065 OPS. He fell seven plate appearances short of the 502 needed for official qualification, otherwise his OPS would rank as the second-highest ever for a catcher (behind Mike Piazza’s 1.070 in 1997) and his .687 slugging as the highest ever (Piazza slugged .638 in ’97). (And we would be remiss not to mention Josh Gibson’s hitting heroics in the Negro Leagues, as he topped both those figures multiple times.)

Raleigh leads the majors in home runs, which would put him alongside Johnny Bench as the only catcher to lead the majors if he maintains his lead over Kyle Schwarber and Shohei Ohtani. Bench, who topped the majors with 45 home runs in 1970 and 40 in 1972, played 158 games in 1970 and 147 in 1972, occasionally playing other positions when he wasn’t catching in lieu of the option to DH.


Could any other catcher in history have hit this many?

Lopez would have been the obvious candidate. Raleigh will soar past 600 plate appearances; Lopez’s home run rate prorated to 625 plate appearances gets him to 54 home runs. Piazza hit 40 home runs in 1997, but did bat 633 times while playing in 152 games, so you can’t really fudge more than a few extra home runs, even if he had more DH opportunities. Roy Campanella hit 41 for Brooklyn in 1953, batting 590 times while playing 144 games (although starting just 130). Give him the 162-game schedule and some DH starts and maybe he gets close to 50. Todd Hundley is the only other catcher with a 40-homer season, hitting 41 for the 1996 New York Mets in 624 plate appearances.

While Raleigh has slowed down since the All-Star break, especially in the batting average department, his season is also particularly impressive because he’s doing this in a very pitcher-friendly home park. He’s hitting .223/.317/.572 with 24 home runs at home and .269/.385/.614 with 25 home runs on the road. His home run rate is similar, but no doubt he has lost a few home runs to the marine layer in Seattle. To hit 50 home runs in a tough home run park as a catcher playing almost every game is a stunning accomplishment.


Are there any other records Raleigh can break?

Glad you asked. It feels like the record for home runs by a switch-hitter isn’t getting enough publicity. Mickey Mantle — now that’s a big name — holds the mark with 54 in 1961. Indeed, he is the only other switch-hitter with a 50-homer season, also hitting 52 in 1956. Raleigh is now third on the all-time list, having soared past Lance Berkman and Chipper Jones, who had 45 in their best seasons. He’s projected to surpass that 54 mark, so this could be the next record to fall.

Then there’s the Mariners team record: Ken Griffey Jr. had back-to-back 56-homer seasons in 1997 and ’98. With 31 games left on the Mariners’ schedule, Raleigh has certainly put that total in play as well.


What were the most surprising 50-homer seasons?

Once he hits No. 50, Raleigh will have the 51st season in MLB history with 50 home runs — by 33 different players.

Which of those were most surprising? Obviously, there were a lot of goofy home run totals from the steroid eras, and a couple of those seasons crack our top seven list:

7. Luis Gonzalez, Arizona Diamondbacks, 2001 (57)

Gonzalez topped 30 home runs just one other time in his career (31 in 2000) but hit .325/.429/.688 with 57 home runs and 142 RBIs in the D-backs’ World Series-winning season. The offensive numbers were so extreme in the NL in 2001, however, that Gonzalez finished just third in home runs (behind Barry Bonds and Sammy Sosa) and third in the MVP voting.

6. Roger Maris, New York Yankees, 1961 (61)

Maris’ historic season obviously can’t be considered a complete fluke considering he hit 39 home runs and won the AL MVP Award in 1960, but breaking Babe Ruth’s home run record of 60 set in 1927 is one of the great achievements in MLB history. That was the year that MLB expanded, and Maris’ teammate Mickey Mantle also hit 54 home runs, while three other American Leaguers hit at least 45.

5. George Foster, Cincinnati Reds, 1977 (52)

Foster had hit 29 home runs in 1976 and would follow up his 1977 MVP season with 40 home runs in 1978, but he hit 30 home runs just one other time (30 in 1979). His ’77 season also stands out because it was the only 50-homer season between Willie Mays in 1965 and Cecil Fielder in 1990. Foster did benefit from a new, livelier ball, after MLB switched its manufacturer from Spalding to Rawlings. The NL batting average increased from .255 to .262 in 1977 and home runs per game increased 47%, from .057 to 0.84.

4. Aaron Judge, New York Yankees, 2017 (52)

3. Pete Alonso, New York Mets, 2019 (53)

These seasons don’t look so surprising in retrospect, but both were shocking at the time since they occurred in their rookie seasons, with Judge setting a record in 2017 and then Alonso breaking it just two years later. Both were regarded as good prospects — but not great ones. Judge was No. 44 on ESPN’s preseason Top 100 list in 2017 while Alonso was No. 90 in 2019. Judge had hit just 19 home runs in the minors in 2016 (in 93 games), although his raw power was obvious; Alonso had hit 36 in the minors, so at least looked like your more prototypical hitting prospect.

Alonso’s year, in particular, is fascinating because he wasn’t even guaranteed a roster spot entering the season — the Mets had publicly mentioned his defense as a reason he hadn’t been called up in 2018. They also had a crowded field contending for first base in spring training: former top prospect Dominic Smith, Todd Frazier and J.D. Davis (both couldn’t play third base), as well as Jed Lowrie, who the Mets had signed as a free agent but couldn’t play at second base because they had traded for Robinson Cano. Lowrie hurt his left knee in spring training and Frazier was also injured at the start of the season while Alonso had a strong spring, earning the starting job over Smith.

2. Jose Bautista, Toronto Blue Jays, 2010 (54)

Bautista was a 29-year-old journeyman coming off a 13-homer season, so he stunned everyone with this 54-homer season. He had overhauled his swing and started not only hitting the ball in the air more but pulling it much more often (his pull rate improved from 34% to 49%). He would prove it wasn’t a fluke, hitting 43 home runs in 2011 and 40 in 2015.

1. Brady Anderson, Baltimore Orioles, 1996 (50)

Anderson’s season still stands out as one of the fluke home run seasons of all time — his second-highest total was 24 home runs in 1999. Considering he was 32 years old at the time and coming off a 16-homer season, conspiracy theorists attribute his power spike to performance-enhancing drugs, which Anderson has consistently denied he used. Like Bautista, he pulled the ball more than ever that year while also hitting more fly balls. He played through a broken rib the following season and then he played through neck and back issues in 1998, both of which might have affected his power output. But that 50-homer season will live forever.

So where does Raleigh rank?

Probably along the lines of Gonzalez and Foster — a good power hitter having a career season, except Raleigh gets a little extra surprise credit for doing it as a catcher. Of course, we don’t know what he’ll do in the future, although you do wonder if he can keep playing this many games season after season. He has missed just three games all season, including just one since the All-Star break, but with the Mariners battling for both the division title and a wild-card spot, it’s going to be exceedingly difficult for manager Dan Wilson to rest Raleigh. The strikeouts have really piled up in August, including one five-strikeout game and three three-strikeout games, so it feels like he could use a day off or two. For now, the Mariners will hope he can keep grinding and keep hitting home runs.

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Giants reliever Rodriguez opts to have TJ surgery

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Giants reliever Rodriguez opts to have TJ surgery

SAN FRANCISCO — San Francisco Giants All-Star reliever Randy Rodriguez will have season-ending Tommy John surgery, the team said Saturday.

Last weekend, the Giants placed Rodriguez on the 15-day injured list with a right elbow sprain. The 25-year-old right-hander sought multiple opinions about the injury and was hoping to avoid having surgery before doctors made the recommendation to move forward with the procedure.

“Randy is going to get the surgery,” Giants manager Bob Melvin said before Saturday’s game against Baltimore. “He’s just now deciding on who’s going to do it and what the (timetable) will be.”

Rodriguez had emerged as a valued piece in the Giants’ bullpen this season. He had a 1.78 ERA with 53 strikeouts in 50 2/3 innings with four saves while helping anchor the back end of San Francisco’s bullpen.

Rodriguez had been the Giants’ primary closer after the team dealt Camilo Doval to the New York Yankees at the trade deadline. Rodriguez converted four of five save opportunities before getting hurt.

Rodriguez will miss the remainder of this season and possibly most, if not all, of 2026.

“I really don’t know,” Melvin said. “I think that depends on what happens in the surgery and what the doctor will have to say about what he saw.”

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Suspended Little Leaguer’s bat sells for $10K

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Suspended Little Leaguer's bat sells for K

PHILADELPHIA — The bat tossed in the air by a New Jersey Little Leaguer to celebrate a home run that earned him a suspension later lifted by a judge sold Friday for nearly $10,000 at auction.

All proceeds from the sale of 12-year-old Marco Rocco’s signed bat will be donated to the program he plays for, Haddonfield Little League.

“Marco loves Little League and is happy that he is able to give back to an organization that he is very fond of,” his father, Joe, said in a text. “Little League was such a big part of Marco’s life for a long time.”

The auction by Goldin Auctions drew 68 bids. The winning bid was $9,882, and the name of the winning bidder was not announced.

Marco’s bat flip July 16 in the final of the Little League sectional tournament resulted in an ejection, a one-game suspension and a legal fight. The suspension would have kept him out of the first game of the state tournament.

Joe Rocco took Little League to court and won an emergency temporary restraining order that allowed Marco to play in the double-elimination tournament.

The incident was commemorated with a pin available at the Little League World Series. The bat flip also drew attention from major leaguers, who sided with the boy.

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