2025 MLB Draft Grades for Best and Worst Picks from Sunday Results
The early stages of the 2025 MLB Draft have come to a close.
The first 105 selections of the draft were made on Sunday night, including the No. 1 pick of high school shortstop Eli Willits to the Washington Nationals. That was a surprise in itself as many believed that either high school shortstop Ethan Holiday or LSU southpaw Kade Anderson would be taken with that selection.
Some teams prioritized best player available, others picked for organizational need and quite a few focused on securing players who would sign below-slot deals.
Here's a look at some of the best-and-worst-valued selections from the first day.
No. 3 Worst Pick: RHP Tyler Bremner, Los Angeles Angels
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No. 2 Overall
Grade: B
This grade has very little to do with Bremner's talent or big league potential. He was rated as the 18th-best available prospect by MLB.com but was taken off the board early likely due to his potential to sign below-slot.
Still, Angels fans should like the addition to the pitching depth. He has a 6-foot-2, 190-pound frame and just turned 21 in April. He spent three seasons with UC Santa Barbara and went 5-4 with a 3.72 ERA in 2025.
He has a strong fastball and an elite changeup and was actually projected to go this high before his 2025 season. The Angels chose to look past some pedestrian statistics this Spring and have faith in his potential to develop into an impact starter.
No. 3 Best Pick: SS Ethan Holliday, Colorado Rockies
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No. 4 Overall
Grade: A
This feels like a bit of an obvious pick but the value of getting a player rated at the top of the draft board who is also the son of a beloved franchise face is a home run.
Holliday is the son of 2007 NLCS MVP Matt Holliday and is the brother of Baltimore Orioles infielder Jackson Holliday. He is a shortstop who may shift over to third base and possesses elite power traits.
He has a 6-foot-4, 210-pound frame and was the Oklahoma Gatorade Player of the Year in 2025. The Rockies may be having a difficult season in 2025 but the addition of Holliday into the organization should make the future look much brighter.
No. 2 Worst Pick: C Michael Oliveto, Detroit Tigers
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No. 34 Overall
Grade: C
The Detroit Tigers used a comp pick to add to their catching depth but they may have been able to wait a bit longer before selecting Oliveto.
MLB.com rated the 18-year-old Yale commit as the 219th best prospect in the class but the Tigers took made him a top-40 pick. He has a large frame at 6-foot-3, 185-pounds but is not considered to be elite on offense or defense.
The Tigers will hope he can develop into a MLB-caliber catcher but also may just see some upside in his potential for development.
No. 2 Best Pick: OF Jace Laviolette, Cleveland Guardians
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No. 27 overall
Grade: A-
The Cleveland Guardians opted to snag a booming bat with their first round pick.
Laviolette hit .258/.427/.576 with 18 home runs and 61 RBIs in 56 games for Texas A&M. He has a 6-foot-6, 230-pound frame and was rated as the No. 20 overall prospect by MLB.com.
He will likely not hit for average at the Major League level but his power should definitely translate. He was a four-year player for the Aggies and entered the 2025 season as a potential option for the top pick.
Instead, the Guardians snag him late in the first round and will hope he can develop into a powerful bat.
No. 1 Worst Pick: SS Cody Miller, Atlanta Braves
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No. 96 overall
Grade: D
Miller was a three-year player at East Tennessee and played in three different Summer Leagues during his time in college. He hit .331/.430/.623 with 18 home runs and 58 RBIs in 2025 so it is fair to see what the Braves liked in him.
However, he was not even ranked by MLB.com and may not be able to play shortstop at the Major League level and could be someone who shifts to second base. He has a 5-foot-11, 189-pound frame and just turned 21 on July 1.
He helped guide his team to a berth in the NCAA Division 1 Baseball Tournament and the Braves will hope his power can translate to the Major League level.
No. 1 Best Pick, OF Brendan Summerhill, Tampa Bay Rays
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No. 42 overall
Grade: A+
This was the best value pick of the draft.
Summerhill entered as the No. 16 overall prospect per MLB.com and possesses a 6-foot-3, 200-pound frame. He grades out at around a 55 on most traits and could slot in to all three outfield spots.
He hit .343/.459/.556 with four home runs and 34 RBIs for the Wildcats in 2025. He is a contact hitter who was notably an all-star in the Cape Cod Baseball League last Summer and is also a stolen base threat.
