BA Newsletter: Get Analysis, Rankings Delivered To Your Inbox!

2025 MLB Draft Top High School Prospects

2025 Draft
(Photos Courtesy of USA Baseball)

On our rankings of the top players in the 2025 class, a familiar name leads the list.

The Orioles drafted Jackson Holliday—son of seven-time all-star outfielder Matt Holliday—with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2022 draft. Now Jackson’s brother, Ethan Holliday, has impressed scouts and ranks as the No. 1 player in the 2025 high school class with a sweet lefthanded swing and big power potential.

Our rankings line up the top 50 players eligible for the 2025 MLB Draft, with scouting reports and college commitments for each player. Of the top 50 players, 43 have college commitments. Louisiana State has what’s shaping up to be another impressive class, especially on the mound, as the Tigers lead all teams with five commits in the top 50. Vanderbilt’s class also looks strong with four commits in the top 50, and it’s especially stacked at the top with commits from three of the top 10 players in the country. Duke also boasts multiple recruits, with three commits in the top 50.

The usual hotbed states for talent show up frequently among the top 50. Texas and California high schools each have eight players, not including outfielder Dean Moss, who is from California but attends IMG Academy in Florida. Including Moss and Iowa native Sean Gamble, another standout at IMG Academy, Florida high schools have six players in the top 50. North Carolina is also well represented with five of the top 50 players.

The 2025 class has already seen prominent players reclassify, most notably Konnor Griffin (the current No. 1 player in the 2024 class) and two-way standout Noah Franco, another premier player for 2024. Outfielder/lefthander Michael Torres also reclassified, while shortstop Luis Almeyda moved from New Jersey to the Dominican Republic and signed with the Orioles for $2,297,500 as an international free agent.

There’s a long way to go and a lot that can change between now and the 2025 draft, but these players—especially those ranking in the top 10—have established themselves as players to follow as the draft approaches.

50 Matches
See Full List Expand Collapse All Updated on: 3/15/2023
  1. 1
    Oklahoma State

    Ethan Holliday

    Oklahoma SS
    Notes:

    Ht: 6-4 | Wt: 195 | B-T: L-R
    School: Stillwater (Okla.) HS
    Committed: Oklahoma State
    Age At Draft: 18.4

    Scouts poured into Stillwater High in Oklahoma in 2022 to watch shortstop Jackson Holliday, who the Orioles ended up drafting with the No. 1 overall pick. While they were scouting Jackson, they also got eyes on his freshman brother, Ethan, who is already bigger and built more along the lines of his father, Matt Holliday, a seven-time all-star. Like the Upton brothers when B.J. was the No. 2 overall pick in the 2002 draft and Justin went No. 1 overall in 2005, the Holliday brothers could both become elite draft picks. At 6-foot-4, 195 pounds, Ethan has the physicality and strength projection that's evident immediately, but it's his hitterish tendencies and ease of operation at the plate that's most exciting. He has a high contact rate with a smooth, compact swing from the left side. He can pull the ball out of the park and could have plus power once he fills out, but he's also adept at staying through the middle of the field and driving the ball for extra-base damage the opposite way. Holliday is an offensive-oriented infielder who could fit at third base in pro ball, though his offensive game might be good enough to profile anywhere on the field.

    More Less
  2. 2
    Silhouettesquare

    Sean Gamble

    Florida SS/OF
    Notes:

    Ht: 6-1 | Wt: 185 | B-T: L-R
    School: IMG Academy, Bradenton, Fla.
    Committed: Uncommitted
    Age At Draft: 19.0

    A mix of high-end tools, athleticism and ability to hit at a high level in games makes Gamble one of the premier players in the 2025 class. An Iowa native who attends IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla., Gamble has a fast, aggressive swing, transferring his weight explosively throughout his swing to generate big power that translates in games with a lot of extra-base damage to his pull side. He’s a good athlete in the middle of the field with a quick first step and above-average speed.

    More Less
  3. 3
    LSU Primary 03

    Cam Caminiti

    Arizona LHP/OF
    Notes:

    Ht: 6-2 | Wt: 205 | B-T: L-L
    School: Saguaro HS, Scottsdale, Ariz.
    Committed: Louisiana State
    Age At Draft: 18.9

    Caminiti has two-way talent, but what he does on the mound separates himself from the pack. He already has touched 96 mph, rare velocity from a 16-year-old lefty. Caminiti has shown feel for two breaking balls, including a hard slider that has good tilt and can be a weapon against lefties or when he throws it to the back foot of a righthanded hitter, as well as a curveball. His changeup has good separation from his fastball, though he hasn’t needed to use that pitch much yet. There are times when Caminiti will need to tighten his control, but his delivery, repertoire and feel for pitching all point to a high-upside starter.

    More Less
  4. 4
    Vandy New

    Seth Hernandez

    California RHP
    Notes:

    Ht: 6-4 | Wt: 190 | B-T: R-R
    School: Elite Charter Academy HS, Temecula, Calif.
    Committed: Vanderbilt
    Age At Draft: 19.1

    It takes a lot for a 16-year-old righthander to rank this high on the list, but there aren’t many pitchers who come along with Hernandez’s talent. At 6-foot-4, 190 pounds, he has a great pitcher’s frame with the strength projection remaining to add to an already explosive fastball that sits at 90-93 mph and can reach 95. He shows feel to spin a low-80s slider and has an excellent changeup that has more than 10 mph of separation off his fastball with the action to be a big bat-missing pitch. Going up against players largely from the 2024 class at the Area Code Games underclass event in August 2022, Hernandez struck out five of the seven hitters he faced and didn’t issue a walk in his two scoreless innings, consistent with his high level of in-game performance.

    More Less
  5. 5
    Vandy New

    Billy Carlson

    California SS/RHP
    Notes:

    Ht: 6-1 | Wt: 165 | B-T: R-R
    School: Corona (Calif.) HS
    Committed: Vanderbilt
    Age At Draft: 19.0

    Carlson is one of the most talented players in the country both as a shortstop and a pitcher. He's a disciplined hitter who recognizes pitches well and makes frequent contact with the bat speed and strength projection in his lean, athletic frame for more power to come. He has good actions at shortstop and a strong arm for the position. That arm strength translates on the mound, where he has been up to 91 mph, though his best pitch might be his curveball, a high-spin breaker with the sharp bite to rack up a lot of whiffs.

    More Less
  6. 6
    Silhouettesquare

    Brady Ebel

    California SS
    Notes:

    Ht: 6-2 | Wt: 185 | B-T: L-R
    School: Etiwanda HS, Rancho Cucamonga, Calif.
    Committed: Uncommitted
    Age At Draft: 18.0

    The son of Dodgers third base coach Dino Ebel, Brady won a gold medal in 2022 at the U-15 World Cup, where he led the tournament in OBP and walks. Ebel is one of the youngest players in the 2025 class and has a clean, polished swing for his age. He has good rhythm and balance in the box, with a tight turn of the barrel and good path through the hitting zone. He's an advanced hitter with the strength projection for more power to come as he fills out.

    More Less
  7. 7
    Vandy New

    Dean Moss

    Florida OF
    Notes:

    Ht: 6-0 | Wt: 190 | B-T: L-R
    School: IMG Academy, Bradenton, Fla.
    Committed: Vanderbilt
    Age At Draft: 19.3

    Moss is one of the most dangerous offensive threats in the 2025 class with his mix of hitting ability, plate discipline and power. He has an advanced approach for his age with a keen eye for the strike zone and a compact lefthanded swing with good bat-to-ball skills and an impressive track record of getting on base at a high clip. Moss isn’t physically imposing, but he has some of the best bat speed in the class, which helps him drive the ball for some of the best power in the country, and it’s power that translates in games. He’s an offensive-minded player who likely projects as a corner outfielder in pro ball, though he has improved his speed and has played center field for IMG Academy.

    More Less
  8. 8
    florida_gators.jpg

    Jacob Kendall

    Florida SS
    Notes:

    Ht: 6-1 | Wt: 175 | B-T: L-R
    School: Bartram Trail HS, St. Johns, Fla.
    Committed: Florida
    Age At Draft: 18.9

    Kendall has been a high-level offensive performer on the summer circuit, both in terms of getting on base and hitting for power. He has a knack for hitting with a compact lefthanded stroke that has good bat speed and the swing path conducive to driving the ball in the air for power.

    More Less
  9. 9
    TCU Logo Dark

    Lucas Franco

    Texas SS
    Notes:

    Ht: 6-2 | Wt: 170 | B-T: L-R
    School: Cinco Ranch HS, Katy, Texas
    Committed: Texas Christian
    Age At Draft: 18.2

    At 6-foot-2, 170 pounds, Franco has a lean, high-waist frame with a lot of room left to fill out and he already exudes polish at the plate. He’s a patient hitter who makes good swing decisions with a knack for barreling balls in games and strong on-base skills. He’s calm and balanced in the box, tracks pitches well and takes a fluid, compact swing with good sequencing and path through the hitting zone. Franco engages his lower half well in his swing and drives the ball well in the air, so a lot of his doubles should eventually turn into home runs as he continues to get stronger.

    More Less
  10. 10
    ole_miss.jpg

    Coy James

    North Carolina SS
    Notes:

    Ht: 6-0 | Wt: 175 | B-T: R-R
    School: Davie County HS, Mocksville, N.C.
    Committed: Mississippi
    Age At Draft: 18.4

    James made a loud statement in September 2022 when he won the MVP award of the U-15 World Cup in Mexico as he led the USA 15U National Team to a gold medal. He’s a difficult hitter to strike out, he controls the strike zone well for his age and has the hand-eye coordination to put the bat to the ball even when he doesn’t get off his best swing. It’s a hit-over-power offensive profile, though there are signs of more power coming, and he has a well-rounded skill set with the potential to stick at shortstop.

    More Less
  11. 11
    LSU Primary 03

    Vaughn Neckar

    California RHP/3B
    Notes:

    Ht: 6-3 | Wt: 215 | B-T: R-R
    School: Vista Murrieta (Calif.) HS
    Committed: Louisiana State
    Age At Draft: 18.6

    Neckar was the youngest player on the team and one of only two 2025 players on the USA 18U National Team that won a gold medal at the U-18 World Cup Americas Qualifier in Mexico in November 2022. He has a big, physical frame (6-foot-3, 215 pounds) with a strong lower half and was already hitting 93 mph at 15 with good life on his fastball from a compact arm stroke. He throws a sharp, mid-to-upper-70s curveball with good shape and depth to miss bats, along with an occasional changeup.

    More Less
  12. 12
    Silhouettesquare

    Brett Crossland

    Arizona RHP
    Notes:

    Ht: 6-5 | Wt: 225 | B-T: R-R
    School: Mountain Pointe HS, Phoenix, Ariz.
    Committed: Uncommitted
    Age At Draft: 19.0

    Crossland is a 6-foot-5 righthander with some of the best raw stuff in the country, headlined by a power fastball that has already reached 96 mph. He backs it up with a mid-70s curveball that has good rotation and depth, along with an occasional changeup that he shows some feel for as well. Crossland will need to repeat his delivery more consistently to throw more strikes, but the high-octane stuff he has is obvious to see.

    More Less
  13. 13
    texas_tech.jpg

    Kayson Cunningham

    Texas SS
    Notes:

    Ht: 5-9 | Wt: 170 | B-T: L-R
    School: Johnson HS, San Antonio, Texas
    Committed: Texas Tech
    Age At Draft: 19.1

    At 5-foot-9, 170 pounds, Cunningham doesn’t have the size of some of the other players near the top of the list, but there are few hitters who can match his hitting ability and track record of offensive production. He has a quick, direct and adjustable swing with good rhythm and timing. He tracks pitches well, uses the whole field and is able to square up both fastballs and offspeed stuff at a high contact rate using a swing geared for line drives with gap power. Cunningham is a good athlete and an above-average runner with the arm strength for shortstop.

    More Less
  14. 14
    ucla.jpg

    Zach Strickland

    California RHP
    Notes:

    Ht: 6-1 | Wt: 165 | B-T: B-R
    School: Marantha HS, Pasadena, Calif.
    Committed: UCLA
    Age At Draft: 19.1

    Strickland offers a starter look with his sound, low-effort delivery, ability to throw strikes and mix three pitches. He has good control of a fastball that has been up to 92 mph with the physical projection for more in the tank. He shows feel for a solid curveball in the low-to-mid 70s and throws a changeup as well.

    More Less
  15. 15
    Silhouettesquare

    Tyler Baird

    North Carolina RHP
    Notes:

    Ht: 6-4 | Wt: 165 | B-T: R-R
    School: William Amos Hough HS, Cornelius, N.C.
    Committed: Uncommitted
    Age At Draft: 18.9

    With long arms and legs on his highly projectable frame (6-foot-4, 165 pounds), Baird has already reached 92 mph on his fastball that has good arm-side life and angle. Baird has a ton of space to add more weight and velocity in the years ahead, which could lead to him developing an elite fastball. He has feel for a changeup that he has a lot of confidence in, throwing it often in right-on-right matchups and in some outings more than his low-to-mid-70s curveball.

    More Less
  16. 16
    New Mississippi State Logo

    Samuel Cozart

    North Carolina RHP
    Notes:

    Ht: 6-7 | Wt: 235 | B-T: R-R
    School: Wesleyan Christian Academy, High Point, N.C.
    Committed: Mississippi State
    Age At Draft: 19.0

    Cozart has towered over his peers from a young age at 6-foot-7, 235 pounds. His strength has helped him reach 93 mph already, he attacks hitters up in the zone with his fastball and it plays up because of the deception in his delivery. While Cozart’s size and velocity have stood out early on, he also has an impressive track record of throwing strikes. Cozart’s fastball is his best pitch, but he will mix in his offspeed stuff liberally, with a low-70s curveball, a mid-to-upper-70s slider and a tailing changeup that could end up becoming his best secondary weapon.

    More Less
  17. 17
    oregon_state.jpg

    Xavier Neyens

    Washington 3B/RHP
    Notes:

    Ht: 6-2 | Wt: 190 | B-T: L-R
    School: Mount Vernon (Wash.) HS
    Committed: Oregon State
    Age At Draft: 18.7

    A two-way talent, Neyens has an intriguing mix of strength and considerable physical projection remaining. At the plate, he can drive the ball for extra-base damage, with a power-over-hit offensive profile. That strength is evident on the mound as well with a fastball that has been up to 92 mph and should eventually reach the mid 90s or better, along with a solid slider up to the low 80s.

    More Less
  18. 18
    wake_forest_logo.png

    Josh Hammond

    North Carolina RHP
    Notes:

    Ht: 6-1 | Wt: 200 | B-T: R-R
    School: Westchester Country Day HS, High Point, N.C.
    Committed: Wake Forest
    Age At Draft: 18.8

    With a strong lower half on a physically mature frame for his age, Hammond’s velocity stands out with a fastball that has been up to 94 mph. He complements his fastball with a slider that has tight spin and he shows feel for an 82-85 mph changeup with good fading life from his low three-quarter slot. He will need to sharpen his control, but the three-pitch mix is there for a starter’s repertoire.

    More Less
  19. 19
    ole_miss.jpg

    Cannon Goldin

    Georgia OF
    Notes:

    Ht: 6-0 | Wt: 180 | B-T: L-L
    School: Buford (Ga.) HS
    Committed: Mississippi
    Age At Draft: 19.2

    Goldin has stood out from an early age for his athleticism and hitting ability. He has a strong, compact frame and a quick, direct swing without much wasted movement, leading to frequent barrels with hard line drives and gap power. He’s an above-average runner who fields his position well in center field.

    More Less
  20. 20
    South-Carolina

    Eli Pitts

    Georgia SS
    Notes:

    Ht: 6-0 | Wt: 180 | B-T: R-R
    School: North Gwinnett HS, Suwanee, Ga.
    Committed: South Carolina
    Age At Draft: 18.7

    Pitts has been an early standout in the 2025 class, committing to South Carolina when he was 13. He’s a premium athlete and one of the fastest players in the class with plus-plus speed. His explosiveness is evident in his bat speed as well, with a slasher stroke and hard contact when he connects.

    More Less
  21. 21
    Silhouettesquare

    Marcos Paz

    Texas RHP
    Notes:

    Ht: 6-2 | Wt: 195 | B-T: R-R
    School: Hebron HS, Carrollton, Texas
    Committed: Uncommitted
    Age At Draft: 18.7

    Paz offers starter traits with his low-effort delivery and feel for three pitches. He has a long arm swing in the back and delivers a fastball up to the low 90s with projection for more velocity coming. He has two secondary pitches to miss bats. One is a slider he throws with power at 79-83 mph that looks like a fastball out of his hand and has good depth. The other is a changeup that is advanced for his age at 76-79 mph with good sink and fade, a swing-and-miss weapon that he will throw to both lefties and righties.

    More Less
  22. 22
    duke_logo.jpg

    Justice De Jong

    New York RHP/3B
    Notes:

    Ht: 6-3 | Wt: 210 | B-T: R-R
    School: Poly Prep Country Day HS, Brooklyn, N.Y.
    Committed: Duke
    Age At Draft: 18.0

    One of the younger players in the 2025 class, De Jong has two-way talent as a pitcher and third baseman. He throws strikes at a high clip with a fastball that’s up to 89 mph and should have much more still in the tank. His pitchability and three-pitch mix that includes feel for both a low-70s curveball with good depth and his changeup make for promising building blocks for a young starter. At the plate, De Jong has good bat speed and strength from a short swing to drive the ball with impact for his age.

    More Less
  23. 23
    Silhouettesquare

    Joshua Woodworth

    California RHP
    Notes:

    Ht: 6-3 | Wt: 210 | B-T: R-R
    School: Ventura (Calif.) HS
    Committed: Uncommitted
    Age At Draft: 18.5

    Woodworth was a gold medalist for the USA 15U National Team at the U-15 World Cup in 2022. He's an athletic righthander with an excellent pitcher’s frame, sound mechanics and an efficient arm action to deliver a fastball that has been up to 91 mph and should eventually reach the mid 90s or better. He backs it up with a harder slider up to the low 80s that when it’s on looks like a fastball out of his hand before diving underneath barrels.

    More Less
  24. 24
    georgia-tech.png

    Ryan Mitchell

    Tennessee SS
    Notes:

    Ht: 6-0 | Wt: 170 | B-T: L-R
    School: Houston HS, Germantown, Tenn.
    Committed: Georgia Tech
    Age At Draft: 18.5

    Mitchell, who won a gold medal with USA Baseball at the U-15 World Cup in 2022, has a lively, athletic frame and good bat-to-ball skills from the left side. He has a high hand setup, a quick swing and good hand-eye coordination to make contact at a high clip, shooting line drives from gap to gap. His athleticism translates well at shortstop, where he moves around well and is adept at making the play on the run.

    More Less
  25. 25
    georgia-tech.png

    Jay O'Neal

    Georgia RHP
    Notes:

    Ht: 6-2 | Wt: 210 | B-T: R-R
    School: Cedartown (Ga.) HS
    Committed: Georgia Tech
    Age At Draft: 19.0

    With a strong lower half on a relatively mature frame for his age, O’Neal is one of the better strike-throwers in the 2025 class, stemming from a simple, low-effort delivery that he repeats well. He can reach 92 mph and pitches with his fastball to both sides of the plate, mixing in an effective upper-70s slider with short break and showing feel for a splitter that could become a bigger pitch for him with more reps.

    More Less
Loading
Close

Are you a member?

In order to access this exclusive content you must have a Baseball America Account. 

Login or sign up  


Additionally, you can subscribe to Baseball America's newsletter and receive all of our rankings, analysis, prospect insight & more delivered to your inbox every day. Click here to get started. 

of Free Stories Remaining