8 Mid-Major MLB Draft Prospects Who Have Improved Their Stock In 2025

Matt Barr, RHP, SUNY Niagara

When it comes to “moldable balls of clay,” Barr fits the description to a tee. Through two starts spanning 10 innings, Barr has yet to allow an earned run, has surrendered just two hits and has a strikeout-to-walk ratio of 21-to-0. Barr stands at 6-foot-6 and has a high-waisted, projectable frame with plenty of room to fill out. He attacks from a three-quarters slot that he lowers slightly when throwing his slider. Barr features a fastball that has been up to 98 mph with life through the zone, as well as a pair of high-spin breaking balls in a curveball and a slider. There’s some low-hanging fruit to clean up in his operation, but he moves reasonably well for his size and is still only 19. Barr’s upside is immense, and his stock has a chance to skyrocket as the season progresses.

Sean Episcope, RHP, Princeton

From this chair, Episcope is the best arm and top draft prospect in the Ivy League. After collecting 44 strikeouts in as many innings pitched last spring, his entire arsenal has taken a step forward in 2025. Through four starts (20 innings) this season, Episcope has a 3.15 ERA with 26 strikeouts to just four walks and seven hits allowed. He has an undersized frame with strength and physicality in his lower-half and features a slightly up-tempo, powerful delivery with some effort while attacking from a high three-quarters slot.

Episcope’s fastball sits in the low-to-mid 90s, though it’s been up to 97 mph with some life in the top of the zone. It doesn’t miss a ton of bats, but his above-average control has allowed him to stay off the barrel. He locates the pitch particularly well to the glove side of the plate. Episcope’s best pitch is his plus mid-80s slider that flashes sharp, two-plane tilt with both depth and sweep. He has shown the ability to manipulate its shape, and so far this season, it’s generated an impressive 58% miss rate. Episcope rounds out his arsenal with an upper-70s curveball that’s distinct in shape and flashes both depth and sharp, downward bite. He’s also tinkered with a cutter and a changeup, with the former looking much more promising than the latter.

Drew Horn, RHP, Middle Tennessee State

Following an impressive 2024 season at junior college powerhouse Walters State, Horn has thrived at Middle Tennessee State. He’s assimilated well to a starting role, and through five starts he’s compiled a 1.84 ERA with 43 strikeouts to 17 walks in 29.1 innings. An undersized righthander, Horn has a simple delivery that begins with a small side step and features a long arm stroke out of a three-quarters slot. His fastball has been up to 95 mph with carry in the top-third of the zone. His best pitch, however, is a mid-80s changeup that flashes both tumble and fade. Horn’s breaking ball is slurvey in shape right now, but there is an appealing degree of both depth and sharpness with which to develop. While there’s present reliever risk with Horn, he has top 10 round upside this July.

Jacob McCombs, OF, UC Irvine

McCombs performed well last spring across a limited, 81 at-bat sample at San Diego State, but he has thrived at UC Irvine this season to the tune of a .390/.463/.768 line with 19 extra-base hits and 26 RBIs. McCombs has a physical build with a bit of a unique operation in the box. He stands tall with an open front side and high handset, but he both raises and drifts his hands in his load and has an uphill swing plane. It isn’t the most visually pleasing look, but it’s worked for him so far. McCombs has above-average contact skills and a present feel for the barrel to go along with above-average power to the pull side. His home run power has come solely to the pull side, but he has shown the ability to shoot the opposite field gap.

McCombs is a solid runner with a tick above-average arm strength. He’s done a fine job handling center field, but there’s a chance he moves off the position at the next level. Given his athleticism, one statistical nugget that is rather surprising is that, through 51 career games, McCombs has just one stolen base attempt. He’ll need to be more aggressive on the base paths.

James Quinn-Irons, OF, George Mason

Quinn-Irons was draft-eligible last year but ended up not signing. This spring, he’s off to a blistering start:.434/.525/.727 with 16 extra-base hits, 36 RBIs and 10 stolen bases. Quinn-Irons stands fairly tall in the box with a medium-high handset. It’s not the most aesthetically pleasing operation, but he’s a small-strider with present hand speed. He also has an impressive frame at 6-foot-5 and 230 pounds with plenty of natural strength baked in. There’s more physicality than there is athleticism. Quinn-Irons has comfortably plus raw power that he’s flashed this spring, and there’s no shortage of impact. Like Wideman, his hit tool is his biggest question mark. Quinn-Irons feasts on fastballs to the tune of a 90% overall and 97% in-zone contact rate, but he’s been susceptible to miss against secondaries.

While Quinn-Irons runs well underway and has shown the ability to handle center field collegiately, I think his overall defensive skill set is best suited for a corner spot professionally.

Dominick Reid, RHP, Abilene Christian

Reid had a two-year stint at Oklahoma State where he showed positive flashes, though he wasn’t used on a consistent basis and eventually hit the transfer portal. He’s been excellent this spring at Abilene Christian and through six starts has a 3.19 ERA with 47 strikeouts to 13 walks across 36.2 innings. Listed at 6-foot-3, 210 pounds, Reid has an athletic frame with some thickness in his lower half. He has a simple delivery in which he deploys a slight side step while attacking from a three-quarters slot with present arm speed.

Reid’s fastball sits in the 91-94 range, but it’s been up to 95. His above-average command of the pitch allows him to maximize its shape, and it consistently flashes ample ride and run through the zone. Unsurprisingly, the pitch is at its best—and generates the most whiffs—when located in the top half of the zone, and so far this spring, it’s garnered a 31% miss rate, 26% chase rate and 22% in-zone miss rate. Reid’s calling card is his low-to-mid-80s changeup that routinely flashes plus with fade to the arm side and late tumble at times. It’s a pitch he throws with conviction to both right and lefthanded hitters, and so far in 2025 it’s generated a 44% miss rate. Reid rounds out his arsenal with a low-80s slider that is an “under construction” third pitch. An above-average strike-thrower, Reid looks every bit the part of a starter at the next level.

Ryan Wideman, OF, Western Kentucky

You may have recently seen Wideman’s name come across BA after he hit for the cycle a couple weeks ago, going 4-for-6 with nine RBIs on the back of a grand slam. He came to Western Kentucky via Georgia Highlands College (JC), where across two seasons he posted a .423/.488/.724 line with 114 RBIs. He’s enjoyed similar success with the Hilltoppers, hitting .465/.513/.832 with 21 extra-base hits, 32 RBIs and 19 stolen bases through 24 games. It’s a little bit of a unique look in the box, as Wideman deploys a high leg lift and a small stride. He has plenty of bat speed and has flashed particular impact to the pull side.

Tools are the name of the game with Wideman. At 6-foot-5 and 215 pounds, he has a high-waisted and athletic frame with present strength. It’s an elite body, and Wideman is a comfortably plus runner—as well as an effective base stealer—who also possesses plus raw power. He can go and get it in center field and routinely flashes plenty of range in all directions. There’s an appealing fluidity to his actions on the grass, and he figures to get every chance to stick in center.

The biggest question mark in Wideman’s profile is his hit tool. He’s aggressive by nature, and his contact skills are below-average to go along with an overall chase rate of 47%. Picking up spin out of the hand has been a bugaboo at times, and he’ll also get trigger happy with elevated fastballs. Adding a coat or two of polish to the hit tool will go a long way towards maximizing his offensive upside. When all is said and done, Wideman has top five-round upside this July.

Colin Yeaman, SS, UC Irvine

Yeaman arrived at UC Irvine by way of College of the Canyons, where across two seasons he hit .417/.510/.729. He’s hit the ground running for the Anteaters, and through 22 games he’s compiled a .394/.500/.766 line with 18 extra-base hits—including seven home runs—and 29 RBIs. In the box, Yeaman has a slightly-open front side and lowered handset. He’s a small-strider with plus bat and speed who’s done most of his damage against fastballs. Yeaman has above-average contact skills against heaters, but he struggles to pick up spin secondaries out of the hand. He has miss rates of 41% and 35% against sliders and changeups, respectively, but his swing decisions have been polished with only a handful coming outside of the “shadow zone.” Refining his ability to see shapes out of the hand will only enhance his offensive profile. 

Yeaman’s highest quality of contact certainly comes to the pull side, but one of his more impressive swings this season came on opening weekend against Nebraska at Salt River Fields. I was fortunate enough to be in attendance, and Yeaman hammered an elevated heater into the right-center gap for a triple. It was a big league piece of hitting that’s been ingrained in my mind ever since. Yeaman has solid arm strength on the dirt where he’s been the Anteaters’ everyday shortstop, but he profiles best at either third or second base professionally.