6 MLB Draft Prospects Who Could Jump Into The First Round

Editor’s Note: The original version of this story included Gage Wood among the list of potential first-round draft picks. After the Arkansas righthander’s historic star turn during the College World Series helped to boost his draft stock significantly, we’ve updated the story to include new names.

Anthony Eyanson, RHP, LSU

A two-year standout at UC San Diego, Eyanson has blossomed during his time in Baton Rouge. He’s in the midst of a career year in which he’s compiled a 2.74 ERA with 142 strikeouts to 35 walks across 98.2 innings. Eyanson has always possessed advanced pitchability and has a simple, repeatable delivery, though his stuff has ticked up across the board. His average fastball velocity has increased from 91.5 to 93, and he’s thrown 120 pitches at 95+ this season compared to just four last year. It still doesn’t generate a ton of whiffs, though, and this spring it ran a modest 16% whiff rate.

The biggest revelation in Eyanson’s arsenal has been the progression of his slider. He’s increased its usage, and it’s routinely flashed plus with two-plane bite. It’s gotten sharper since last year, and it’s generated an impressive 52% whiff rate and 47% chase rate. Eyanson’s curveball remains a valuable weapon, and it’s distinct in shape from his slider. It flashes plenty of depth at times with sharp, downward tilt. This spring, it garnered a 38% whiff rate—up from 24% in 2024.

Boasting an appealing blend of strikes, stuff and a lengthy track record of performance, Eyanson could sneak his way into the back of the first round.

Mason Neville, OF, Oregon

Of the five players highlighted here, Neville is probably the biggest dark horse to be selected in the first round. He’s been a tool shed dating back to his days as a prepster, but this was the first season in which he put everything together. Neville posted a .290/.429/.724 slash line in 2025 with 16 doubles, a nation-leading 26 home runs and 57 RBIs. Perhaps most notably, after posting a strikeout-to-walk ratio of 60-to-25 last season, Neville this spring compiled a more respectable 66-to-53 ratio.

At 6-foot-3 and 197 pounds, Neville has a big league frame and a strong, athletic build. He has a crouched stance and wraps his bat slightly in his load, but he has comfortably-plus bat speed and does a nice job of creating leverage at contact. Neville hasn’t made any notable setup changes since last spring, but he stands out for his improved approach and contact rates. There’s still work to be done, mainly against secondaries, but his contact and chase rates have improved across the board.

Neville does well at staying within the strike zone, but he will need to do a better job of picking up spin out of the hand. He has plus power, which is a tool he had no issue getting to in-game this spring. Neville generates his most impressive impact to the pull side, though he can also drive the baseball with authority to the opposite field.

In center field, Neville is an advanced athlete who runs well. He shows gap-to-gap range to go along with an above-average arm and has a chance to stick at the position professionally.

AJ Russell, RHP, Tennessee

Russell is here for one reason and one reason only: his fastball. It’s a 70-grade pitch that’s one of the best of its kind in this year’s class.

Before diving deeper into his heater, however, it’s important to touch on Russell’s track record. He burst onto the scene as a true freshman in 2023 and worked a minuscule 0.89 ERA with 47 walks to just seven strikeouts across 30.1 innings. Russell in 2024 was limited to just 14.1 innings and eventually underwent successful Tommy John surgery. He made a rather surprising return to the mound on February 25, though his second appearance didn’t come until April 1. Across 12 appearances (six starts) spanning 25.1 innings, Russell compiled a 3.55 ERA with 36 strikeouts to 11 walks.

Russell put on about 15 pounds of good weight since last year and has an impressive frame at 6-foot-6 and 223 pounds. He has an under-control and effortless delivery with easy arm speed. Russell attacks from an outlier release height of just 5-foot-1 and has a VAA of -4.15 (his VAA only gets flatter on pitches further up in the zone). When you combine that with a fastball that sits in the mid 90s and has been up to 98 mph, the results are tantalizing. Russell’s heater has tons of life through the zone, and it consistently gets above the barrel of opposing hitters. His plus control of the pitch only amplifies its characteristics.

Russell throws his fastball over two-thirds of the time, but his mid-to-upper-80s slider has flashed and his mid-80s changeup looks the part of a potentially viable third offering.

Devin Taylor, OF, Indiana

All Taylor does is hit. Whether it’s at Indiana, on the Cape or with Team USA, Taylor has one of the more impressive offensive track records of any college hitter in this year’s class. Following a standout summer last year in the Cape Cod League in which he hit .296/.397/.510 with 10 extra-base hits and 16 RBIs in 29 games, Taylor this spring posted a career-best .374/.494/.706 line with 13 doubles, 18 home runs and a career-high 66 RBIs. He has a simple setup in the box featuring a crouched stance and high handset. It’s a really simple and repeatable operation without a lot of moving parts, and Taylor does a nice job of keeping his head still throughout.

While Taylor is a below-average athlete and relegated to left field defensively, you’re buying his bat. It’s an enticing hit-power combination, and he has above-average bat-to-ball skills to go along with a polished approach. His swing decisions are advanced, and this spring he ran an overall chase rate of just 19%. Taylor has long shown the ability to drive the baseball with authority to all fields. He generates quality contact on a consistent basis, and this year he posted numerous exit velocities north of 110 mph.

Both his hit tool and power grade out as a 55 for me. If a team is bullish enough on his bat, he could be selected within the first 30 picks.

Charles Davalan, OF, Arkansas

Davalan likely goes outside of the first round when all is said and done, but it’s still worth including him here a potential surprise. Davalan showed positive flashes as a freshman last year at Florida Gulf Coast, where he hit .288/.413/.514 with 16 doubles, 10 home runs, 37 RBIs and 13 stolen bases. He proceeded to enter the transfer portal and eventually committed to Arkansas, where he thrived to the tune of a .346/.433/.561 slash line with 12 doubles, 14 home runs and 60 RBIs.

Listed at just 5-foot-9, 190 pounds, Davalan has strength packed into his compact frame. He’s added physicality since last spring but also has made some noticeable changes to his setup. Last season, Davalan stood tall in the box with a high handset and a slightly-open front side. That led into a move in which he would become more crouched and get into his lower half before a noticeable leg lift. Davalan’s current setup is still a bit of a unique look aesthetically, but he’s cut out a lot of the unnecessary movement. He’s lowered his hands, has an almost wide-open front side and is more into his lower half pre-swing.

Davalan has improved his bat speed since arriving at Arkansas and is making harder and more quality contact on a consistent basis, posting multiple exit velocities north of 110 mph. He is an advanced, well-rounded hitter who has a knack for finding the barrel to go along with double-plus bat-to-ball skills. He made contact this season at an 88% overall clip, including 94% against all pitches inside the strike zone. Davalan’s approach and swing decisions are also polished, and his overall chase rate is just 22%. He’s shown the ability to use the entire field, but his highest quality of contact has come to the pull side.

Defensively, he fits best either in left field or back on the dirt at second base, which is where he logged 33 games at Florida Gulf Coast.

Josh Owens, SS, Providence Academy (Tenn.)

Owens has been a prominent prep riser and there’s been an “up arrow” next to his name for quite some time now. At 6-foot-3 and 185 pounds, Owens has a great body with plenty of room to fill out further. He’s an outstanding athlete who also played football at Providence Academy, and his dad was a former eighth-round pick who played ten seasons in the minors.

Owens does a lot of things well, and he has solid bat-to-ball skills with a clean swing from the left side. He has plus power upside, and this year at the MLB Draft combine he posted a maximum exit velocity of 108 mph.

Currently a shortstop, Owens’ actions and hands both need a coat or two of polish. If he were to stick on the dirt, third base is likely his eventual home, where his strong arm would translate. However, he also runs well enough to handle an outfield spot where both his arm strength and athleticism would play well.