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MLB Mock Draft 2025 For 1st-Round Picks Including Holliday, Anderson, Doyle
The first round of the 2025 MLB draft will begin on July 13 at 6 p.m. ET. So while many players are getting ready to relax during the All-Star break, front offices will be busy preparing for the trade deadline and the draft.
Having considered intel from credible outlets—such as Keith Law of The Athletic, Jim Callis of MLB Pipeline, and Tyler Jennings and Conor Dorney of Just Baseball—B/R has crafted our latest first-round mock.
Here are projected picks for the 27 selections in the first round of the 2025 MLB draft.
Kade Anderson Goes No. 1 Overall
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1. Washington Nationals: Kade Anderson, LHP, Louisiana State
2. Los Angeles Angels: Liam Doyle, LHP, Tennessee
3. Seattle Mariners: Seth Hernandez, RHP, Corona (California)
4. Colorado Rockies: Ethan Holliday, SS, Stillwater (Oklahoma)
5. St. Louis Cardinals: Aiva Arquette, SS, Oregon State
The Nationals threw a wrench in things over the weekend when they fired longtime general manager Mike Rizzo—in addition to manager Dave Martinez—in the days before making a franchise-altering decision at No. 1 overall.
Led by James Wood and CJ Abrams, the Nationals have some position talent, are 26th in team ERA despite having an All-Star in MacKenzie Gore.
Kade Anderson would give them a long-term building block in the rotation after going 12-1 with a 3.18 ERA and 180 strikeouts in 119 innings this past season for LSU.
He maybe wouldn't deliver the same impact as Paul Skenes has for the Pirates, but he's another LSU Tiger who would be a top overall pick and potentially be able to give the Nationals a strong long-term rotation trio with Gore and Josiah Gray, who is recovering from Tommy John surgery.
Blue Jays Take Impact Collegiate Arm
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6. Pittsburgh Pirates: Billy Carlson, SS, Corona High School (California)
7. Miami Marlins: Eli Willits, SS, Fort Cobb-Braxton High School (Oklahoma)
8. Toronto Blue Jays: Kyson Witherspoon, RHP, Oklahoma
9. Cincinnati Reds: JoJo Parker, SS, Purvis High School (Mississippi)
10. Chicago White Sox: Jamie Arnold, LHP, Florida State
Kyson Witherspoon will turn 21 in August, and after going 10-4 with a 2.65 ERA and 124 strikeouts in 16 starts for Oklahoma this past season, he could be a relatively quick riser for the Blue Jays.
The Athletic's Keith Law noted his five-pitch mix "has No. 2 starter upside" if he lands in the right organization to help him harness his talent.
A's Continue to Build Young Core With Ike Irish Selection
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11. Athletics: Ike Irish, C/OF, Auburn
12. Texas Rangers: Kayson Cunningham, SS, Johnson High School (Texas)
13. San Francisco Giants: Brendan Summerhill, OF, Arizona
14. Tampa Rays: Daniel Pierce, SS, Mill Creek High School (Georgia)
15. Red Sox: Gavin Kilen, SS, Tennessee Gavin Klein, 2B, Tennessee
The Athletics currently have a minus-136 run differential and seem likely to have a difficult time attracting pitching help as long as they are in Sacramento.
Still, it might not take them long to turn into a team that can compete for a postseason spot offensively. Jacob Wilson is the AL Rookie of the Year favorite, and he leads a lineup that also includes Brent Rooker, Lawrence Butler, Nick Kurtz and Tyler Soderstrom.
Whether Ike Irish would continue to catch, play a corner outfield spot or some combination of both, there's little doubt he could become another impact hitter for the A's.
In 214 plate appearances for Auburn in 2025, he hit .364 with 19 home runs, 13 doubles and a 1.179 OPS.
Considering his name, Irish seems destined to wear green.
Cubs Select Impact Power Bat
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16. Minnesota Twins: Wehiwa Aloy, SS, Arkansas
17. Chicago Cubs: Jace LaViolette, OF, Texas A&M
18. Arizona Diamondbacks: Slater de Brun, OF, Summit High School (Oregon)
19. Baltimore Orioles: Marek Houston, SS, Wake Forest
20. Milwaukee Brewers: Gage Wood, RHP, Arkansas
The Cubs' outfield currently consists of two NL MVP candidates—Kyle Tucker and Pete Crow-Armstrong—along with a franchise staple in Ian Happ. If they aren't the best outfield in baseball, they are pretty close.
Still, Tucker can become a free agent this offseason and is expected to command $500 million-plus on the open market, making his future in Chicago beyond this season uncertain. Happ has just a .719 OPS right now, and he will be a free agent after the 2026 season.
So while there's not a need in the outfield today, there could be in the not-so-distant future.
Jace LaViolette has 68 home runs and a 1.083 OPS to show for 188 games in his collegiate career with Texas A&M, with MLB Pipeline noting that he has "as much raw power as anyone in the draft." He has experience at all three outfield positions, but it sounds as though he's probably going to end up as a corner guy in the bigs.
If the Cubs re-sign Tucker, LaViolette could one day join him and PCA in what would be an imposing outfield. If Tucker departs, the 21-year-old would give them an option who could be ready to make an impact in a few short years.
Royals Snap Potential Lineup Cog
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21. Houston Astros: Xavier Neyens, 3B, Mount Vernon High School (Washington)
22. Atlanta Braves: Tyler Bremmer, RHP, UC Santa Barbara
23. Kansas City Royals: Josh Hammond, 3B, Wesleyan Christian High School (North Carolina)
24. Detroit Tigers: Kruz Schoolcraft, Sunset High School (Oregon)
For the Royals to be consistently competitive around Bobby Witt Jr., general manager J. J. Picollo needs to hit on just about all of the team's first-round draft picks.
We're projecting his latest pick to come in the form of third baseman Josh Hammond, who will be a two-way player if he elects to go to Wake Forest.
Ultimately, though, he'll probably be drafted highly enough that it will make financial sense for him to skip college and head straight into a farm system like Kansas City's.
According to Just Baseball's Tyler Jennings, Hammond "has tons of bat speed and super quick hands, allowing him to tap into above-average to plus raw juice in-game."
If he develops as expected, Hammond could become a long-term cog in a lineup with Witt and Jac Caglianone.
Guardians Take Cannarella
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25. San Diego Padres: Caden Bodine, C, Coastal Carolina
26. Philadelphia Phillies: Steele Hall, SS, Hewitt-Trussville High School (Alabama)
27. Cleveland Guardians: Cam Cannarella, OF, Clemson
To complete the first round—the next picks are prospect promotion incentive and compensation selections—the Guardians take outfielder Cam Cannarella.
MLB Pipeline referred to the 21-year-old as a "a no-doubt center fielder who covers plenty of ground." He also hit .353 with 22 doubles and 52 RBI in 61 games for the Clemson Tigers during his junior season. It's hard not to like his overall profile.
Cannarella could co-exist with Steven Kwan in the outfield, but the more likely scenario is he would help to replace the multi-time All-Star if the Guardians trade him as he gets more expensive later in the arbitration process.
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