Kade Anderson to Nationals, Liam Doyle to Angels in ESPN's 2025 MLB Mock Draft

Two days away from the 2025 MLB draft, there's still not much clarity about who the Washington Nationals will select with the No. 1 overall pick.

In the latest mock from ESPN's Kiley McDaniel, LSU's Kade Anderson is projected as the top pick to the Nationals.

The Los Angeles Angels, owners of the No. 2 selection, are projected to take Tennessee left-hander Liam Doyle.

Here are the top 10 projected picks by McDaniel:

1. Washington Nationals: Kade Anderson, LHP, LSU
2. Los Angeles Angels: Liam Doyle, LHP, Tennessee
3. Seattle Mariners: Seth Hernandez, RHP, Corona HS (CA)
4. Colorado Rockies: Ethan Holliday, 3B, Stillwater HS (OK)
5. St. Louis Cardinals: Eli Willits, SS, Fort Cobb-Broxton HS (OK)
6. Pittsburgh Pirates: Aiva Arquette, SS, Oregon State
7. Miami Marlins: Jojo Parker, SS, Purvis HS (MS)
8. Toronto Blue Jays: Jamie Arnold, LHP, Florida State
9. Cincinnati Reds: Ike Irish, RF, Auburn
10. Chicago White Sox: Billy Carlson, SS, Corona HS (CA)

The Nationals' decision to fire general manager Mike Rizzo and manager Davey Martinez on Sunday, one week before the draft, did raise a lot of questions about their plan for the top pick.

Interim general manager Mike DeBartolo has been with the organization since 2012 and spent seven seasons as assistant general manager before replacing Rizzo, so it's not like the scouting department has to catch him up to speed on these prospects.

McDaniel did note the "buzz" within MLB is that the change at general manager might have pushed Anderson to be the Nationals' preferred choice. The left-hander was named Most Outstanding Player at the 2025 College World Series for helping LSU win its second national title in three years.

Anderson went 12-1 with 180 strikeouts in 119 innings over 19 appearances this season. He punched out 10 in a complete-game 1-0 shutout win over Coastal Carolina in Game 1 of the College World Series finals.

Anderson may not be the overwhelming favorite to go No. 1 pick. McDaniel cited high school infielders Ethan Holliday and Eli Willits as potential alternatives for Washington.

If the Nationals don't go with Anderson, he could end up being selected by the Angels. He is believed to be the top-ranked player on Los Angeles' board, according to McDaniel.

Since this scenario has Anderson going No. 1, the Angels still come away with a hard-throwing lefty from the SEC. Doyle led the nation with 15.4 strikeouts per nine innings this season (164 Ks in 95.2 innings).

The Angels' recent track record is to draft players who can move through the minors quickly—or skip them altogether—to contribute to the MLB club. Doyle has one of the best fastballs in the 2025 class that could allow him to pitch in relief early in his career before eventually stretching out to be a starter.

Ethan Holliday is arguably the most famous player in the class because of his bloodline. He is the son of seven-time MLB All-Star Matt Holliday and brother of Jackson, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2022 draft by the Baltimore Orioles.

There are some scouting reports that believe Ethan has more upside than Jackson did when he was drafted. He was named the 2025 Gatorade Player of the Year after hitting .611 with 19 homers and a 2.038 OPS in his senior season at Stillwater High School.

The Colorado Rockies would be an obvious and sentimental landing spot for Holliday. His father was drafted by the Rockies in 1998 and spent the first six years of his MLB career in Colorado.

Ethan was born in 2007, the same year Matt finished second in NL MVP voting and helped the Rockies reach the World Series for the first time in franchise history.

The 2025 MLB draft will take place on June 13 and 14 in Atlanta as part of the All-Star week festivities.