6 Things That Could Make The 2025 MLB Draft Memorable

Every draft has at least one theme that makes it memorable. Over time, that theme becomes shorthand for how draft obsessives remember individual classes.

Last year, Wake Forest teammates Chase Burns, Nick Kurtz and Seaver King all were drafted in the top 10 overall picks, making them just the eighth trio of first-round college teammates in draft history. Also in 2024, a record 26 position players were drafted in the first round.

Actually, that total matched the 2023 draft, which also saw a record number of first-round position players. A trend is clearly developing on that front.

I will be watching the following six themes on draft night, expecting that one or more of them will later be etched in memory.

1. Eli Willits Could Become The Youngest 1-1 Ever

The Nationals hold the No. 1 overall pick and could look in one of several directions, including at Oklahoma high school shortstop Eli Willits.

Willits is a switch-hitter with a well-rounded, up-the-middle profile. He also is notably young for the 2025 class, having reclassified to finish at Fort Cobb-Broxton a year early.

Willits’ baseball age—as of July 4 this year—is 17 years, six months and 26 days. If selected with the 1-1 pick, he would become the youngest player ever selected No. 1 overall.

His age is notably young even for a top five overall pick. Not many elite draft prospects have ever been as young in their draft years as Willits is this year.

2. Ethan Holliday Could Join Brother Jackson As A No. 1 Overall Pick

Oklahoma high school shortstop Ethan Holliday is a contender to be drafted No. 1 overall.

If that name sounds familiar, that’s because his brother Jackson Holliday was drafted by the Orioles out of Stillwater High with the top overall pick in 2022.

While the Hollidays won’t be the first brothers to both be drafted high in the first round, they would become the first pair to each to drafted first overall.

The Uptons currently hold the record for highest draft position by two brothers. BJ was drafted second overall in 2002 and Justin first overall in 2005.

3. Corona High Could Make History With Two Top 10 Overall Picks

Corona High has one of the most talented teams scouts have ever seen, which is saying something for SoCal area scouts who are accustomed to seeing their share of top draft prospects.

Leading Corona’s talent parade are righthander Seth Hernandez and shortstop Billy Carlson. If each player is selected with a top 10 overall pick, then they would become the first duo of high school teammates ever taken inside the first 10 picks of a draft.

Hernandez and Carlson also could become the highest-drafted prep teammates based on combined selection number.

Corona has a third prospect, third baseman Brady Ebel, who could be drafted in the first three rounds, meaning that Corona has a good chance to come away from the 2025 draft with highest-drafted trio of high school teammates ever.

4. The Witherspoon Twins Eye Draft History

Two of the top prospects for the 2025 draft have twin brothers who also are also prospects for the 2025 draft.

Oklahoma No. 1 starter Kyson Witherspoon is followed in the Sooners’ rotation by twin brother Malachi. Both are righthanders with power stuff.

Kyson ranks as the No. 7 prospect for the draft and is a lock to be taken in the first round, while Malachi ranks inside the top 100 and could go in the top three rounds.

The other twins are products of Purvis High in Mississippi. Shortstop JoJo Parker is the No. 10 prospect for the draft and has one of the better hit/power combos on the high school side. His brother Jacob is an outfielder who ranks just outside the top 100 and is known for his easy lefthanded power.

A third pair of twins also are vying to be drafted, though neither in the first round. Righthander Xavier Carrera stars for Boone Grove High in Valparaiso, Ind., and ranks in the 200s of the BA 500. His twin brother Davian is a Boone Grove first baseman/lefthander. The Carreras are both committed to Indiana.  

The Witherspoons have a good chance to become the highest-selected twins in the same draft class.

According to research by BA founding editor Allan Simpson, the record for the regular phase of the draft belongs to Brian and Blake Doyle. Both were fourth-round picks in the 1972 draft. Their older brother Denny was never drafted but had an eight-year MLB career.

However, if we broaden our search to include the discontinued January phase of the draft, then twin brothers once were drafted together in the first round.

In 1975, Tom Brookens was drafted fourth overall and his twin Tim 18th overall. Tom enjoyed a 12-year big league career and served as utility infielder for the World Series-champion 1984 Tigers.

5. Not Many Drafts Have As Many Top College Lefthanders As This One

Only one time in draft history have three college lefthanders been selected among the top 10 picks.

That happened in 2007, when the Rays kicked off the draft by selecting Vanderbilt ace David Price first overall. The Pirates followed with Clemson’s Daniel Moskos fourth overall and the Nationals took Missouri State’s Ross Detwiler sixth.

Price developed into a major league ace for Tampa Bay. He won the 2012 American League Cy Young Award and was one of the best starting pitchers of the 2010s. Moskos reached the majors briefly with Pittsburgh in 2011 and now serves as the Marlins’ pitching coach.

Detwiler received a September callup to Washington in his draft year and ultimately made 132 appearances for the Nationals before bouncing around to nine other MLB clubs.

This year, a trio of college southpaws could join Price, Moskos and Detwiler as top 10 overall draft picks. LSU’s Kade Anderson, Florida State’s Jamie Arnold and Tennessee’s Liam Doyle rank as the No. 4, 6 and 8 draft prospects for 2025. Given the quality of their stuff, Power Four conference pedigree and lefthandedness, all three have a good chance to be top 10 overall draft picks.

A total of seven drafts have featured multiple college lefties selected with top 10 overall picks. They are listed here with overall selection number and Baseball-Reference WAR.

1976: Floyd Bannister #1 (26.4) and Bob Owchinko #5 (2.0)
1980: Ken Dayley #3 (3.4) and Mike King #4 (N/A)
1993: Brian Anderson #3 (10.0) and Jeff Granger #5 (–0.9)
1998: Mark Mulder #2 (20.0) and Ryan Mills #6 (N/A)
2007: David Price #1 (40.2), Daniel Moskos #4 (0.2) and Ross Detwiler (0.6)
2014: Carlos Rodon #3 (20.0+) and Kyle Freeland #8 (17.7+)
2020: Asa Lacy #4 (N/A) and Reid Detmers #10 (3.5+)

6. A Record Number Of Shortstops Could Be Drafted In The First Round

No draft profile is as durable as the shortstop.

A record 10 were selected among the top 30 picks in both the 2021 and 2023 drafts.

The 2025 draft could set the bar even higher.

This year, eight shortstops rank among the top 15 prospects for the draft. The list is led by Ethan Holliday, Eli Willits, Aiva Arquette and Billy Carlson and also includes JoJo Parker, Kayson Cunningham, Marek Houston and Steele Hall.

Draft writer Carlos Collazo projects that 10 shortstops will be selected in the top 30 picks in his latest mock draft. That list could expand if players such as Tennessee second baseman Gavin Kilen or Washington high school third baseman Xavier Neyens are are selected as shortstops on draft day.

Likewise, a player currently mocked outside the top 30 picks could be valued higher on draft day.

No matter what, the 2025 draft class appears to be another banner one for shortstops.