2025 MLB Draft: Baseball America Staff Draft 2.0 For Top 50 Picks

BA Staff Draft 2.0 Results

pick	round	team	writer	player	position	School	Rank
1	1	Nationals	Peter	Eli Willits	SS	Fort Cobb-Broxton (Okla.) HS	12
2	1	Angels	JJ	Jamie Arnold	LHP	FSU	1
3	1	Mariners	Jacob	Seth Hernandez	RHP	Corona (Calif.) HS	4
4	1	Rockies	Carlos	Ethan Holliday	SS	Stillwater (Okla.) HS	2
5	1	Cardinals	Ben	Aiva Arquette	SS	Oregon State	5
6	1	Pirates	Geoff	Billy Carlson	SS	Corona (Calif.) HS	10
7	1	Marlins	Peter	Kade Anderson	LHP	LSU	40
8	1	Blue Jays	JJ	Jace LaViolette	OF	Texas A&M	9
9	1	Reds	Jacob	Liam Doyle	LHP	Tennessee	16
10	1	White Sox	Carlos	Marek Houston	SS	Wake Forest	6
11	1	Athletics	Ben	Ethan Conrad	OF	Wake Forest	22
12	1	Rangers	Geoff	Steele Hall	SS	Hewitt-Trussville (Ala.) HS	23
13	1	Giants	Peter	Kayson Cunningham	SS	Johnson HS, San Antonio	13
14	1	Rays	JJ	Ike Irish	C	Auburn	24
15	1	Red Sox	Jacob	Tyler Bremner	RHP	UC Santa Barbara	3
16	1	Twins	Carlos	Jojo Parker	SS	Purvis (Miss.) HS	56
17	1	Cubs	Ben	Xavier Neyens	SS	Mount Vernon (Wash.) HS	11
18	1	D-backs	Geoff	Kyson Witherspoon	RHP	Oklahoma	17
19	1	Orioles	Peter	Dean Curley	SS	Tennessee	7
20	1	Brewers	JJ	Kruz Schoolcraft	LHP	Sunset HS, Portland, Ore.	8
21	1	Astros	Jacob	Jack Bauer	LHP	Lincoln-Way East HS, Frankfort, Ill.	68
22	1	Braves	Carlos	Daniel Pierce	SS	Mill Creek HS, Hoschton, Ga.	59
23	1	Royals	Ben	Kyle Lodise	SS	Georgia Tech	236
24	1	Tigers	Geoff	Cameron Appenzeller	LHP	Glenwood HS, Chatham, Ill	27
25	1	Padres	Peter	Gavin Kilen	2B	Tennessee	28
26	1	Phillies	JJ	Luke Stevenson	C	North Carolina	14
27	1	Guardians	Jacob	Wehiwa Aloy	SS	Arkansas	25
28	PPI	Royals	Carlos	Josh Hammond	SS	Wesleyan Christian Academy, High Point, N.C.	39
29	1-C	D-backs	Ben	Cam Cannarella	OF	Clemson	20
30	1-C	Orioles	Geoff	Mason Neville	OF	Oregon	186
31	1-C	Orioles	Peter	Briggs McKenzie	LHP	Corinth Holders HS, Wendell, N.C.	36
32	1-C	Brewers	JJ	Alex Lodise	SS	Florida State	143
33	1-S	Red Sox	Jacob	Brandon Compton	OF	Arizona State	15
34	1-S	Tigers	Carlos	Andrew Fischer	1B	Tennessee	70
35	1-S	Mariners	Ben	Brady Ebel	SS	Corona (Calif.) HS	26
36	1-S	Twins	Geoff	Korbyn Dickerson	OF	Indiana	167
37	1-S	Rays	Peter	Caden Bodine	C	Coastal Carolina	21
38	1	Mets	JJ	Max Belyeu	OF	Texas	31
39	1	Yankees	Jacob	Kane Kepley	OF	North Carolina	54
40	1	Dodgers	Carlos	Gavin Fien	3B/OF	Great Oak HS, Temecula, Calif.	30
41	1-S	Dodgers	Ben	Brendan Summerhill	OF	Arizona	19
42	1-S	Rays	Geoff	Slater de Brun	OF	Summit HS, Bend, Ore.	32
43	1-S	Marlins	Peter	Angel Cervantes	RHP	Warren HS, Downey, Calif.	49
44	2	White Sox	JJ	Ethan Petry	OF	South Carolina	37
45	2	Rockies	Jacob	Nolan Schubart	OF	Oklahoma State	38
46	2	Marlins	Carlos	AJ Russell	RHP	Tennessee	66
47	2	Angels	Ben	Riley Quick	RHP	Alabama	29
48	2	Athletics	Geoff	Chase Shores	RHP	LSU	51
49	2	Nationals	Peter	Charles Davalan	OF	Arkansas	196
50	2	Pirates	JJ	Ryan Mitchell	SS	Houston HS, Germantown, Tenn.	45

Pick By Pick Rationales

1. Nationals — Eli Willits, SS, Fort Cobb-Broxton (Okla.) HS 

Writer: Peter 

Rationale: Picking first overall made me realize how much I don’t envy the Nationals. I thought about a handful of names here, but eventually settled on Willits. He’s a plus hitter and an at least above-average defender at shortstop who figures to naturally grow into more power as he gets older. 

2. Angels — Jamie Arnold, LHP, FSU 

Writer: JJ 

Rationale: Arnold makes a lot of sense for any team at the top of the draft, but he makes the most sense for the Angels, who view MLB-readiness as a bit more important than most teams. Arnold is one of the most polished players in this year’s class.

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

Writer: Jacob 

Rationale: I was surprised I had a chance to pick Hernandez even at No. 3. He makes sense for any team at the top of the draft, including the Mariners if they get a shot at him.

4. Rockies — Ethan Holliday, SS, Stillwater (Okla.) HS 

Writer: Carlos 

Rationale: I would have been happy with either of the top two pitching prospects in the class here, but with them both gone alongside Eli Willits, I’ll happily school up Holliday and his 30+ homer upside. If both Willits and Holliday were on the board for me, it would have been difficult to choose between them. Oregon State shortstop Aiva Arquette was the only other player I thought about taking here.

5. Cardinals — Aiva Arquette, SS, Oregon State 

Writer: Ben 

Rationale: For the first college hitter off the board, we could go with Texas A&M outfielder Jace LaViolette, but Arquette gets the edge here. LaViolette is a more patient hitter, but Arquette might have even bigger power, a tick less swing-and-miss and more upside to his positional value with a chance to stick at shortstop or handle third base as a backup plan.

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

Writer: Geoff 

Rationale: The Pirates theoretically had the choice between Texas A&M outfielder Jace LaViolette and California high school shortstop Billy Carlson at this pick. The organization is in need of impact positional depth, and with 2024 first-rounder Konnor Griffin moving to the outfield, it made sense to lock down the no-doubt shortstop defender with offensive upside. Carlson compares to the Cardinals’ Masyn Winn as a standout defender who projects to develop into an above-average hitter. 

7. Marlins — Kade Anderson, LHP, LSU 

Writer: Peter 

Rationale: I’ve long been a fan of Kade Anderson. He’s a lefthanded starter who’s performing at a high level in the SEC and has a litany of above-average-to-plus pitches in his arsenal. It’s an enticing combination of strikes and stuff, and he poses little-to-no reliever risk.

8. Blue Jays — Jace LaViolette, OF, Texas A&M 

Writer: JJ 

Rationale: The Blue Jays love to draft college bats. LaViolette is a more accomplished and more well-rounded slugger than the Jays could have expected to land when the season started.

9. Reds — Liam Doyle, LHP, Tennessee 

Writer: Jacob 

Rationale: Doyle in April showed that he can carry his best stuff later into games, completing at least six innings in three-straight starts and striking out 31 to five walks in 21.1 innings. I wanted his premium fastball and tantalizing upside here.

10. White Sox — Marek Houston, SS, Wake Forest 

Writer: Carlos 

Rationale: I was pretty torn between Houston and Texas prep shortstop Kayson Cunningham for this pick. I think Cunningham might be the lone plus hitter in this class, but Houston has a louder defensive profile at shortstop to go with strong contact skills that have been tested in the ACC. His power is coming along nicely, as well. 

11. Athletics — Ethan Conrad, OF, Wake Forest 

Writer: Ben 

Rationale: I like what the A’s have done with their last two top college picks—first baseman Nick Kurtz and shortstop Jacob Wilson—and Conrad could be another hit for them. Conrad is out for the season after shoulder surgery, so there’s risk, but when he was healthy, he was playing like a top 10 overall pick. He has five tools that could grade out average to plus, an accurate barrel from the left side and the ability to drive the ball with damage from his strong, physical frame. He should be able to come in here on an underslot deal, which would allow the A’s to get more talent with their second- and fourth-round picks. That would be especially helpful for a team that lost its third-rounder for signing Luis Severino and traded a supplemental first-round pick to the Rays.

12. Rangers — Steele Hall, SS, Hewitt-Trussville (Ala.) HS 

Writer: Geoff 

Rationale: Hall, like Willits at the top of the staff draft, reclassified from the 2026 high school class. Both players will be 17 at the time of the draft. While Willits is the high-skill player, Hall is the tooled-up athlete. This might be a slight reach based on draft boards, but Hall has an opportunity to develop into a top 50 prospect in the game if things click. 

13. Giants — Kayson Cunningham, SS, Johnson HS, San Antonio 

Writer: Peter 

Rationale: Even though Cunningham is destined for second base professionally, he’s one of—if not the only—high school hitters you can feel comfortable sticking a “plus” grade on their hit tool. I also considered taking Tyler Bremner, Ike Irish and Jojo Parker here.

14. Rays — Ike Irish, C, Auburn 

Writer: JJ 

Rationale: We’ll see if Irish can stick behind the plate in pro ball. Pro catching development keeps getting better, but he’s enough of a hitter to be able to handle a move down the defensive spectrum if needed.

15. Red Sox — Tyler Bremner, RHP, UC Santa Barbara 

Writer: Jacob 

Rationale: I was torn between Kyson Witherspoon and Bremner here and ultimately decided on the latter, as I found myself enamored by Bremner’s elite changeup and potential to have a well-rounded and dangerous arsenal. Bremner’s results haven’t been great for UCSB this year, but I’m still pretty encouraged by his stuff and upside. 

16. Twins — Jojo Parker, SS, Purvis (Miss.) HS 

Writer: Carlos 

Rationale: In each of our first two staff draft, I’ve found myself seeking out Jojo Parker. I needed to grab him much earlier this time around because he has continued to push himself up boards. He’s got a great swing that comes with power and good zone control. There are better defenders in the class, but reviews on his defense and throwing have been good this spring.

17. Cubs — Xavier Neyens, SS, Mount Vernon (Wash.) HS

Writer: Ben 

Rationale: Neyens brings a patient approach with big-time bat speed and raw power from the left side of the plate. There’s some swing-and-miss to his game, but it’s true all-fields power with excellent strength and leverage behind his lefthanded swing.

18. D-backs — Kyson Witherspoon, RHP, Oklahoma 

Writer: Geoff 

Rationale: After a solid debut season for Oklahoma in 2024 after transferring from Sanford, Witherspoon has taken a leap forward in 2025. Over 11 starts, the Sooners righthander is 8-2 with a 2.35 ERA and 92 strikeouts to 14 walks over 65 innings. He’s an athletic righthander with smooth, repeatable mechanics, and I really like the cut-ride shape on his fastball, which sits in the mid-to-high 90s. The slider and cutter are his primary secondaries and look like at least average quality pro pitches. 

19. Orioles — Dean Curley, SS, Tennessee 

Writer: Peter 

Rationale: Curley isn’t necessarily lighting the world on fire from a performance standpoint, but he presents an intriguing hit-power combination. While he’ll move off of shortstop for third base professionally, his plus arm and actions give him a good chance to stick at the latter.

20. Brewers — Kruz Schoolcraft, LHP, Sunset HS, Portland, Ore. 

Writer: JJ 

Rationale: At this point, this just feels like too good of a value to pass up. 

21. Astros — Jack Bauer, LHP, Lincoln-Way East HS, Frankfort, Ill. 

Writer: Jacob 

Rationale: Bauer is one of just five high schoolers ever to have thrown an officially-known 102 mph fastball—and he did it from the left side. This was an easy selection. I was worried he’d get picked shortly after No. 21 if I didn’t do it here.

22. Braves — Daniel Pierce, SS, Mill Creek HS, Hoschton, Ga. 

Writer: Carlos 

Rationale: Four picks in, and I’ve taken shortstops only. It’s the strength of this year’s draft class. Pierce has had huge scouting crowds throughout the spring and perhaps rivals Billy Carlson as one of the best defenders at the position. He can really pick it. He’s also got a plus run tool and a swing that works.

23. Royals — Kyle Lodise, SS, Georgia Tech 

Writer: Ben 

Rationale: As teams have their internal meetings to line up their board as the draft nears, they are going to look at the sum of the parts with Lodise and move him up their boards. He’s third in the ACC in OPS, his numbers are great on the road and he has been a barrel machine with a good balance of bat-to-ball skills, strike-zone awareness and consistent hard contact. Lodise has made good plays at shortstop, too, and has a chance to stick at the position. It’s his first season at Georgia Tech after transferring from a Division II program, so he’s not as famous as some of the other college players still available here, but the longer he keeps this up, the more teams are going to push him up their lists.

24. Tigers — Cameron Appenzeller, LHP, Glenwood HS, Chatham, Ill 

Writer: Geoff 

Rationale: A projectable lefthander with good pitch characteristics and athleticism that backs the projection ceiling. Appenzeller sits 88-91 mph now, mixing a plus changeup and a slurvy breaking ball. He’s a moldable ball of clay for Tigers’ pitching development to work with, and he could grow into more power in the coming years.  

25. Padres — Gavin Kilen, 2B, Tennessee 

Writer: Peter 

Rationale: Kilen’s hamstring injury perhaps caused him to slide a bit here, but I happily snagged him at pick 25. He’s a comfortably above-average hitter with advanced barrel skills, and he’s also made some small changes to his setup and approach that have paid dividends.

26. Phillies — Luke Stevenson, C, North Carolina 

Writer: JJ 

Rationale: Stevenson’s power is more impressive than his pure hitting ability, but he’s a catcher with thump and a solid value at the back of the first round.

27. Guardians — Wehiwa Aloy, SS, Arkansas 

Writer: Jacob 

Rationale: Aloy has a chance to stick at shortstop and has hammered the ball so far in his draft season. He has a 90.8 mph average exit velocity and 108.8 mph 90th percentile EV, which rank among the top 15% and 3% of all Division I college hitters in 2025. He felt like a good value pick at No. 27. 

28. Royals — Josh Hammond, SS, Wesleyan Christian Academy, High Point, N.C. 

Writer: Carlos 

Rationale: Got any more of those shortstops? Let’s make it 5-for-5. Hammond might wind up being more third baseman than shortstop, but I love his physicality, his intensity on the field, his bat speed and power potential.

29. D-backs — Cam Cannarella, OF, Clemson 

Writer: Ben 

Rationale: Cannarella’s shoulder injury is concerning, especially seeing the lack of extra-base impact this year, but if there’s a team that’s dealt with that before, it’s the D-backs. The on-base skills and defense at a premium position here are still appealing, and if he’s able to drive the ball with more authority, that’s a quality addition just outside of the first round.

30. Orioles — Mason Neville, OF, Oregon 

Writer: Geoff 

Rationale: In a year when there are no clear-cut college stars, Neville presents himself as an athletic, up-the-middle option who’s performing in a Power 4 conference. Neville has hit .336/.476/.825 with 19 home runs this season for Oregon while starting everyday in center field. He fits the Orioles’ style to a tee over the last few seasons. 

31. Orioles — Briggs McKenzie, LHP, Corinth Holders HS, Wendell, N.C. 

Writer: Peter 

Rationale: I took McKenzie in our first staff draft and happily did so again here. He’s been up to 95 mph this spring with a feel to spin a plus breaking ball, and his changeup has taken a step in the right direction. It’s an aesthetically pleasing look with present arm speed, and he’s also done well competing in the zone.

32. Brewers — Alex Lodise, SS, Florida State 

Writer: JJ 

Rationale: College middle infielders who hit are consistently draft risers, and few have hit like Lodise this year.

33. Red Sox — Brandon Compton, OF, Arizona State 

Writer: Jacob 

Rationale: There’s been a ton of positive buzz about Compton this year, and his batted ball numbers justify it, as he produced a 92.6 mph average exit velocity and a 109.7 90th percentile EV as of April 18. I was surprised he survived the teens in our draft, and No. 33 was as long as I was willing to wait.

34. Tigers — Andrew Fischer, 1B, Tennessee 

Writer: Carlos 

Rationale: The more I dig into Fischer’s profile the more there is to like. He’s a well-rounded hitter with pop, plate discipline and better contact skills than I expected entering the year. I’m sure some model teams have him in the first round, while those who would prefer to get an up-the-middle profile in that range might be a bit lighter.

35. Mariners — Brady Ebel, SS, Corona (Calif.) HS 

Writer: Ben 

Rationale: The Mariners have taken hitterish high school shortstops with sweet lefthanded strokes in recent drafts with Colt Emerson and Cole Young. Like Emerson, Ebel is young for the class and also has risk he ends up somewhere in the infield other than shortstop. But the swing, strike-zone judgment and physical projection are all things that make Ebel and appealing prospect who fits what the Mariners have been drawn to before.

36. Twins — Korbyn Dickerson, OF, Indiana  

Writer: Geoff 

Rationale: Dickerson has risen from obscurity to become one of the buzzier college positional names in the draft cycle. He’s hit for power and shown the athleticism and tools to be a plus defender in center as a professional. Dickerson would fit nicely into a Twins organization that’s not scared to take a risk on a tooled-up centerfielder with hit tool concerns. 

37. Rays — Caden Bodine, C, Coastal Carolina 

Writer: Peter 

Rationale: While Bodine has below-average power, he’s a plus hitter with elite bat-to-ball skills who’s also an above-average defender behind the dish. Catchers who hit are hard to come by, and getting him at 37 felt like a win.

38. Mets — Max Belyeu, OF, Texas 

Writer: JJ 

Rationale: A thumb injury has cost Belyeu playing time this year, but before the injury, he was mashing, just like he did last year.

39. Yankees — Kane Kepley, OF, North Carolina 

Writer: Jacob 

Rationale: Kepley’s surface-level numbers are modest in what will be his first and only season at the Power 4 level, but a check under the hood reveals an enticing player. At the mid point in April, he sported 91.7% zone contact and 13.7% chase rates while playing a plus-plus center field.

40. Dodgers — Gavin Fien, 3B/OF, Great Oak HS, Temecula, Calif. 

Writer: Carlos 

Rationale: I’ve thought about Fien with each of my last two picks but have waited with the gamble that he’s “more out of sight, out of mind” for my peer drafters compared to the college players on the board around him. I think he’s the best pure hitter available and has been for about 15 picks or so. I expect him to go significantly higher than this in the actual draft.

41. Dodgers — Brendan Summerhill, OF, Arizona 

Writer: Ben 

Rationale: Summerhill stands out for his barrel accuracy and strike-zone judgment from the left side of the plate. At 6-foot-3, 200 pounds, there’s physicality with Summerhill, but that size and strength has not lended itself to big power in games. Once the Dodgers help him learn to drive more pitches in the air to his pull side rather than being content sending balls to the opposite field, there’s more power he could unlock.

42. Rays — Slater de Brun, OF, Summit HS, Bend, Ore.  

Writer: Geoff 

Rationale: The Rays like athletic high school players with polished hit tools, and de Brun fits that mold. He has earned comparisons to 2024 first-round pick Slade Caldwell as a similarly undersized, high-energy outfielder. 

43. Marlins — Angel Cervantes, RHP, Warren HS, Downey, Calif. 

Writer: Peter 

Rationale: Cervantes is another prep arm I took in our first staff draft. It’s a clean, repeatable look on the mound with an exciting blend of strikes and stuff. His fastball has been up to 96 mph, and he pairs it with a plus changeup and an above-average curveball that flashes plus. As a cherry on top, there’s little-to-no reliever risk.

44. White Sox — Ethan Petry, OF, South Carolina 

Writer: JJ 

Rationale: At some point, the production of a college hitter matters more than the defensive role. And Petry has been a very productive hitter.

45. Rockies — Nolan Schubart, OF, Oklahoma State 

Writer: Jacob 

Rationale: I mostly drafted based on my preferences,but this felt like the absolute perfect pick for the Rockies at No. 45. Schubart has 70 power and could achieve monster numbers in Colorado’s elevation.

46. Marlins — AJ Russell, RHP, Tennessee 

Writer: Carlos 

Rationale: It’s been an offense-heavy draft for me, but there are a number of interesting arms on the board here. How about taking a shot on AJ Russell’s upside and lively fastball? He’s barely pitched this spring, but he has great stuff with a big frame. 

47. Angels — Riley Quick, RHP, Alabama 

Writer: Ben 

Rationale: Quick has had Tommy John surgery, and we’ve never seen him throw more than 50 innings in a collegiate season. So there are durability concerns, but the Angels will surely push him fast through the system. He’s a 6-foot-6, 255-pound flamethrower with a fastball that’s sitting mid-to-upper 90s.

48. Athletics — Chase Shores, RHP, LSU 

Writer: Geoff 

Rationale: While Shores hasn’t performed this season for LSU due to his fringy command, there’s no denying his stuff is excellent and that he has intangibles that other draft prospects in this range do not. Standing 6-foot-8 with plus extension and good plane on his mid-90s fastball, Shores will touch 100 mph at peak while ripping off 2700+ rpm sliders. The A’s have become more stuff-centric in recent drafts and could be a nice fit for Shores. 

49. Nationals — Charles Davalan, OF, Arkansas 

Writer: Peter 

Rationale: This is probably higher than where Davalan is actually selected this July, but I figured I’d have some fun with my last pick. He’s hitting .378/.459/.633 this spring with 12 home runs against just 13 strikeouts. Davalan is running a 91% overall contact rate to go along with an overall chase rate of just 20%, and he’s an advanced, well-rounded hitter. He’s a left fielder or second baseman professionally, but I’m a fan of his offensive profile.

50. Pirates — Ryan Mitchell, SS, Houston HS, Germantown, Tenn. 

Writer: JJ 

Rationale: Mitchell has been a prospect with plenty of helium. I’m hoping this is a pick that looks smart a few months from now.