William O. DeWitt Jr. Chairman and Chief Executive Officer | St. Louis Cardinals
William O. DeWitt Jr. Chairman and Chief Executive Officer | St. Louis Cardinals
We are approaching the 2025 MLB Draft, which is set to begin on Sunday in Atlanta during All-Star Week. The event has generated significant anticipation, with experts from MLB Pipeline providing insights into the key storylines.
The draft will be presented by Nike, with Day 1 covering Rounds 1-3 starting at 6 p.m. ET on July 13, and Day 2 featuring Rounds 4-20 beginning at 11:30 a.m. ET on July 14.
One of the main questions is who will be picked first overall. High school slugger Ethan Holliday, brother of Orioles second baseman Jackson Holliday, is a strong contender as the top prospect on MLB Pipeline's Draft Top 250 list. However, it's uncertain if the Washington Nationals will choose him or opt for college lefty Kade Anderson. According to Jim Callis and Jonathan Mayo from MLB Pipeline Podcast, the odds are nearly even between Holliday and Anderson.
Another possibility is that Seth Hernandez could make history as the first high school right-handed pitcher selected first overall. Despite being "old" for a prep prospect at nearly 19 years old, Hernandez's maturity makes him comparable to a college pitcher.
The Los Angeles Angels have options if Anderson isn't available at their second pick position. They might consider Jamie Arnold or a deal with Ike Irish among other possibilities.
This year's draft class includes several promising high school shortstops such as Aiva Arquette from Oregon and potential top picks like Marek Houston and Brendan Summerhill.
Interestingly, this class features two sets of twins within the Top 125 ranked prospects: JoJo Parker and Jacob Parker from Mississippi, along with Kyson Witherspoon and Malachi Witherspoon from Oklahoma.
Corona High School in California stands out with four players among the Top 150 prospects, including Seth Hernandez and Billy Carlson. Tennessee also has multiple players ranked highly after winning their first College World Series title in 2024.
Finally, Hawaiian players Aiva Arquette and Wehiwa Aloy could make history by being selected in the first round together for the first time ever.
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