Latest mock: New favorite to go No. 1?

It’s a little over two weeks before the start of the 2025 Draft, and the evaluation period is all but over. The College World Series is over. The Draft Combine has been completed. Sure, there are players to keep an eye on in the Draft League and Cape Cod League and the like, but for the most part, teams have done all of their watching players play at this point.

This time before we hear the Nationals make their first pick on Sunday, July 13, is all about meetings. Meetings with players, conversations about signability, examination of medical records, and internal debates as Draft boards are set up for each organization. So we’re in a little bit of a limbo period, but that won’t stop me from trying to provide you with the latest on the first-round picture.

We just launched our expanded and updated Top 250 Draft prospects list and that includes some shuffling at the top. The biggest one to keep an eye on is LSU lefty Kade Anderson, who we now have ranked as the top arm in the class. One start doesn’t make or break any prospect, but watching his College World Series championship shutout certainly didn't hurt.

1. Nationals: Kade Anderson, LHP, Louisiana State (No. 2)
The Nationals haven’t whittled down their candidates list yet and are still doing their due diligence on seven or eight players. Without any inside information, it seems like the two most viable options are Ethan Holliday and Anderson, whose last impression sure was a good one. It appears more likely that Anderson won’t get past the No. 2 pick, while if Holliday doesn’t go here, he lands at No. 4 or 5.

2. Angels: Liam Doyle, LHP, Tennessee (No. 8)
This is the seventh mock draft we’ve done this spring and in all seven, we’ve had a college arm here. If Holliday goes 1-1, then Anderson goes here. In this scenario, Doyle seems the most likely, though the Angels are open to other avenues, like high school shortstops (Eli Willits leading that group).

3. Mariners: Aiva Arquette, SS, Oregon State (No. 6)
If for some reason Anderson gets here, it sounds like he won’t go further. But since he’s gone, the choices are the “other” college lefty in Jamie Arnold, the top high school arm in Seth Hernandez, or Arquette, the top college bat in the class.

4. Rockies: Ethan Holliday, SS/3B, Stillwater (Okla.) HS (No. 1)
If he doesn’t go to the Nationals, this continues to be the most likely spot for Matt’s kid. The Rockies could also consider Hernandez or Arnold here if they want to go with an arm.

5. Cardinals: Jamie Arnold, LHP, Florida State (No. 4)
If the Cardinals want to go with a college pitcher, Arnold could be the top choice, or they could look at right-hander Kyson Witherspoon. This would be the absolute floor for Holliday, but with him gone, they could look at other high school bats like Willits or fellow shortstop Billy Carlson. This is the first spot I’ve heard Ike Irish’s name, perhaps in a money-saving deal.

6. Pirates: Billy Carlson, SS, Corona (Calif.) HS (No. 7)
In this scenario, I imagine the Willits vs. Carlson debate will be very healthy in the Pirates’ Draft room. I’ll give Carlson the edge this go-round. Don’t be surprised if a college arm (Witherspoon) or another prep shortstop (JoJo Parker) enter into the conversation as we get closer.

7. Marlins: Eli Willits, SS, Fort Cobb-Broxton HS, Fort Cobb, Okla. (No. 5)
This still seems like a high school shortstop landing spot and the Marlins can react to what happens above them. In this case, that gives them Willits.

8. Blue Jays: Kyson Witherspoon, RHP, Oklahoma (No. 10)
Doyle is a bit of a wild card; if he doesn’t go No. 2, he could end up here. If all of the lefties are off the board, the Jays could be looking for the next best college arm in Witherspoon. Hernandez could be an option, and this might be another landing spot for Irish.

9. Reds: Seth Hernandez, RHP, Corona (Calif.) HS (No. 3)
The Reds are in a good spot to react to what happens above them and take the best available player. They’re not afraid of the high school right-hander demographic, so if Hernandez is still available, he could very well be a Red.

10. White Sox: JoJo Parker, SS, Purvis (Miss.) HS (No. 9)
Could this be part of a package deal, where the White Sox take JoJo’s twin brother, Jacob, in Round 2? Maybe. JoJo could go higher than this, so Chicago could look at other prep infielders like Kayson Cunningham, Steele Hall or Daniel Pierce.

11. Athletics: Gavin Kilen, 2B, Tennessee (No. 21)
If they want to go with a high school bat, they’ll look at Hall and Pierce. It still feels like a college hitter fits here, with Kilen getting the nod over Irish or Marek Houston right now.

12. Rangers: Daniel Pierce, SS, Mill Creek HS, Hoschton, Ga. (No. 13)
This continues to be a likely high school infielder landing spot. I’m giving Pierce the nod this week over Hall, Cunningham or Gavin Fien.

13. Giants: Ike Irish, OF/C, Auburn (No. 11)
In this scenario, the Giants could lean towards the college hitter group. Irish, who had a 1.830 OPS in SEC play this year, gets the nod over Houston, Brendan Summerhill or Jace LaViolette.

14. Rays: Steele Hall, SS, Hewitt-Trussville HS, Trussville, Ala. (No. 12)
Hall and Cunningham seem like very likely options for the Rays here, who also pick at 37 and 42.

15. Red Sox: Brendan Summerhill, OF, Arizona (No. 16)
The college hitter options here could be Summerhill, Houston or Irish. If they want a college pitcher, Santa Barbara righty Tyler Bremner could be in play. The one high school player who has come up at all here is Fien.

16. Twins: Marek Houston, SS, Wake Forest (No. 15)
Houston, perhaps the best defender among the college shortstop set, gets the slight edge this week over Golden Spikes Award winner Wehiwa Aloy from Arkansas. Fien is a possibility from the prep hitter crop, and don’t rule out a college arm like Bremner or Arkansas right-hander Gage Wood landing here.

17. Cubs: Tyler Bremner, RHP, UC Santa Barbara (No. 18)
The leading candidates with how this is playing out both come from the college ranks -- with Bremner on the mound and Aloy from the hitting group leading the way. A prep hitter like Fien could be discussed.

18. Diamondbacks: Gavin Fien, 3B, Great Oak HS, Temecula, Calif. (No. 22)
The D-backs would love a shot at a college bat, but the ones they covet might be off the board. So they’ll make it four out of the last five Drafts that they take a high school hitter in the first round.

19. Orioles: Wehiwa Aloy, SS, Arkansas (No. 17)
The last time the Orioles didn’t take a hitter in the first round was back in 2018, and it doesn’t sound like they’ll break that streak this year. Cunningham or Xavier Neyens could be high school options here.

20. Brewers: Jace LaViolette, OF, Texas A&M (No. 20)
Another organization that leans hitter in the first round, the Brewers could decide between LaViolette’s power upside or perhaps go the prep route and look at Cunningham’s pure hit tool.

21. Astros: Kayson Cunningham, SS/2B, Johnson HS, San Antonio (No. 14)
It’s quite possible Cunningham is gone by now, so the Astros could turn their sights on Neyens, who has among the best raw power from the high school group.

22. Braves: Gage Wood, RHP, Arkansas (No. 23)
Wood’s name was on the rise even before his College World Series no-hitter. This would make it six straight years that the Braves took an arm with their first pick.

23. Royals: Kruz Schoolcraft, LHP, Sunset HS, Portland, Ore. (No. 19)
Yes, giving the Royals a prep lefty might seem too easy in terms of demographics they like, but there is definite interest in the huge southpaw from the Pacific Northwest.

24. Tigers: Slater de Brun, OF, Summit HS, Bend, Ore. (No. 24)
After taking some left-handed-hitting high schoolers of late (Bryce Rainer, Max Clark, Kevin McGonigle), de Brun fits in very nicely.

• Subscribe to the MLB Pipeline Newsletter

25. Padres: Xavier Neyens, 3B, Mount Vernon (Wash.) HS (No. 25)
Given that the Padres almost always take a high school player with their first pick, it’s easy to assign one here, with any of the ones taken just ahead of them possibly in play, along with other bats like Josh Hammond.

26. Phillies: Sean Gamble, 2B/OF, IMG Academy, Bradenton, Fla. (No. 27)
Another team with a recent history of high school picks, Gamble does give off some Bryson Stott vibes. If they want an arm, lefty flamethrower Jack Bauer could be discussed and a college hitter like Ethan Conrad could come into play.

27. Guardians: Josh Hammond, 3B, Wesleyan Christian Academy, High Point, N.C. (No. 26)
This could still be a landing spot for college hitters like Andrew Fischer or Conrad, but if things play out like this, they could look at high school bats instead, with Hammond being the best one still on the board.

Supplemental first-round picks

28. Royals: Riley Quick, RHP, Alabama (No. 38)
29. Diamondbacks: Caden Bodine, C, Coastal Carolina (No. 32)
30. Orioles: Mason Neville, OF, Oregon (No. 35)
31. Orioles: Patrick Forbes, RHP, Louisville (No. 31)
32. Brewers: Andrew Fischer, 1B/3B, Tennessee (No. 29)
33. Red Sox: Devin Taylor, OF, Indiana (No. 30)
34. Tigers: Ethan Conrad, OF, Wake Forest (No. 28)
35. Mariners: Alex Lodise, SS, Florida State (No. 43)
36. Twins: Zach Root, LHP, Arkansas (No. 42)
37. Rays: Tate Southisene, SS/OF, Basic HS, Las Vegas (No. 39)
38. Mets: Aaron Watson, RHP, Trinity Christian Academy, Jacksonville, Fla. (No. 45)
39. Yankees: JB Middleton, RHP, Southern Mississippi (No. 41)
40. Dodgers: Luke Stevenson, C, North Carolina (No. 33)
41. Dodgers: Quentin Young, 3B/OF, Oaks Christian HS, Westlake Village, Calif. (No. 37)
42. Rays: Jack Bauer, LHP, Lincoln-Way East HS, Frankfort, Ill. (No. 44)
43. Marlins: Brandon Compton, OF, Arizona State (No. 47)