2025 MLB Draft starts TONIGHT, 6 p.m. ET: Everything to know

MLB's stars of tomorrow are becoming the stars of today in very short order these days. To wit, two dozen players who were selected in the previous two Draft classes have already made their Major League debut, including six players who were drafted just one year ago.

On Sunday and Monday in Atlanta, hundreds more players will start their road to The Show as 2025 MLB Draft picks. Some of them will be at a big league stadium near you before you know it.

Who will go No. 1? We don't know -- although our final mock draft is a good reference if you're looking for some insight.

Here is everything you need to know about the 2025 MLB Draft presented by Nike.

When is the Draft and how can I watch it?

The 2025 MLB Draft will take place on Sunday and Monday in Atlanta as part of MLB All-Star Week. MLB Network and ESPN will provide live coverage of the Draft's opening night beginning at 6 p.m. ET. MLB Network’s Draft Pre-Show presented by Nike will begin at 5 p.m.

Both networks will air the first 43 selections live. After that, MLB Network will carry each of the remaining picks on opening night, which consists of 105 picks: the first three rounds, compensatory rounds, competitive balance rounds and prospect promotion incentive selections. The entirety of the Draft will also be streamed on MLB.com.

• If you are in Atlanta for All-Star Week, explore Truist Park and the city with the official Apple Maps Guide

MLB Network's opening night coverage will also feature interviews with newly-drafted players, extensive highlight packages, footage from MLB club Draft rooms and interviews with front office personnel.

Coverage of Day 2 of the Draft -- consisting of rounds 4 through 20 on Monday -- will be streamed on MLB.com beginning at 11:30 a.m. ET.

What is the Draft order?

The order of the first six Draft picks was determined by MLB's annual Draft Lottery held at the Winter Meetings in December. The Nationals won the lottery and hold the No. 1 overall pick for the third time in franchise history.

Draft order for the first 10 picks:
1. Nationals
2. Angels
3. Mariners
4. Rockies
5. Cardinals
6. Pirates
7. Marlins
8. Blue Jays
9. Reds
10. White Sox
Complete Draft order »

The Orioles have the most picks (six) during the Draft's opening night. The Guardians, Royals, Brewers and Rays each have five picks on Day 1.

Who are the top Draft prospects?

We could have a Holliday announced as the No. 1 overall pick for the second time in four years. In 2022, Orioles infielder Jackson Holliday was the top pick. This year, younger brother Ethan Holliday is MLB Pipeline's No. 1 Draft prospect.

Holliday is followed in MLB Pipeline's Top 250 by LSU left-hander Kade Anderson -- who was named Most Outstanding Player of this year's College World Series -- and high school right-hander Seth Hernandez.

Top 10 Draft prospects according to MLB Pipeline:
1. Ethan Holliday, SS/3B, Stillwater HS (OK)
2. Kade Anderson, LHP, Louisiana State
3. Seth Hernandez, RHP, Corona HS (CA)
4. Jamie Arnold, LHP, Florida State
5. Eli Willits, SS, Fort Cobb-Broxton HS (OK)
6. Aiva Arquette, SS, Oregon State
7. Billy Carlson, SS, Corona HS (CA)
8. Liam Doyle, LHP, Tennessee
9. JoJo Parker, SS, Purvis HS (MS)
10. Kyson Witherspoon, RHP, Oklahoma

But the exciting talent in this Draft extends past the top 10. The No. 17 prospect, Arkansas shortstop Wehiwa Aloy, captured this year's Golden Spikes Award, presented annually to the best amateur player in the nation. Aloy registered a .350/.434/.673 slash line with 21 home runs this season for the Razorbacks.

Arkansas teammate Gage Wood made history during the 2025 College World Series. The right-hander used his power fastball against Murray State on June 16 to author the first College World Series no-hitter since 1960. And he set a CWS record with 19 strikeouts along the way. Wood is MLB Pipeline's No. 23 prospect.

The national champion LSU Tigers rostered six of MLB Pipeline's Top 250 Draft Prospects, the most of any team that made it to Omaha. Past their ace Anderson, they featured right-handed starter Anthony Eyanson (No. 40), fireballing reliever Chase Shores (No. 77), second baseman Daniel Dickinson (No. 80), slugging first baseman Jared Jones (No. 101) and outfielder Ethan Frey (No. 119).

Which players are eligible for the 2025 Draft?

Players attending four-year colleges are eligible to be drafted upon completing their junior year or turning 21 years old. Players who have graduated high school but have not attended college are eligible for the Draft, as are those who have completed at least one year of junior college. Players must also be a resident of the United States (U.S. territories such as Puerto Rico apply) or Canada to be eligible for the Draft.

Which teams have the largest bonus pools?

The Nationals own the No. 1 pick, but the Orioles, who have 14 picks in the top 10 rounds, own the largest bonus pool ($19,144,500). That's the highest allotment since the pool bonus-pool era began in 2012.

Each selection in the first 10 rounds comes with an assigned slot value. For instance, the value of the No. 1 overall pick is $11,075,900, a Draft record. The total value for a club's picks in those rounds equals what it can spend without incurring a penalty. If a player taken in the top 10 rounds doesn't sign, his pick's value gets subtracted from his team's pool. Clubs near the top of the Draft often spend less than the assigned value for those choices and use the savings to offer more money to later selections.

A team that exceeds its bonus pool faces a penalty. A club outspending its allotment by 0-5 percent pays a 75 percent tax on the overage. At higher thresholds, a team loses future picks: a first-rounder and a 75 percent tax for surpassing its pool by more than 5 and up to 10 percent; a first- and a second-rounder and a 100 percent tax for more than 10 and up to 15 percent; and two first-rounders and a 100 percent tax for more than 15 percent.

In 13 Drafts with bonus pool rules, clubs have outspent their allotments a total of 240 times but never by more than 5 percent. The Cardinals, Cubs, Dodgers and Giants have surpassed their pools every year, and 23 of the 30 teams did so in 2024. The Rockies and Twins have never exceeded their pools.

Top 10 bonus pools for the 2025 MLB Draft
1. Orioles: $19,144,500
2. Mariners: $17,074,400
3. Angels: $16,656,400
4. Nationals: $16,597,800
5. Rockies: $15,723,400
6. Marlins: $15,187,400
7. Cardinals: $14,238,300
8. Pirates: $14,088,400
9. Rays: $14,068,000
10. Brewers: $13,138,100
All bonus pools and slot value breakdown »

How long do teams have to sign draftees?

Teams have until Monday, July 28 at 5 p.m. ET to agree to deals with players they draft out of four-year colleges and high schools. For players who are selected out of junior colleges, teams have a draft-and-follow option, in which they can sign between the end of their juco season and the beginning of next year's Draft for up to $225,000.

Who was selected in the top 10 of the 2024 MLB Draft?

Here is a rundown of the top 10 picks from last year's Draft:

1. Travis Bazzana, 2B, Guardians
2. Chase Burns, RHP, Reds
3. Charlie Condon, OF, Rockies
4. Nick Kurtz, 1B, A's
5. Hagen Smith, LHP, White Sox
6. Jac Caglianone, OF, Royals
7. JJ Wetherholt, SS, Cardinals
8. Christian Moore, 2B, Angels
9. Konnor Griffin, SS, Pirates
10. Seaver King, SS, Nationals
Every 2024 Draft pick »

Burns, Kurtz, Caglianone, Moore and Astros outfielder Cam Smith (the No. 14 overall pick by the Cubs who was traded to Houston last December) are already contributing to their big league clubs. RHP Ryan Johnson (the No. 74 overall pick by the Angels) is currently in the Minors, but he made the Halos' 2025 Opening Day roster and appeared in an MLB game without any Minor League experience.