logo
2025 MLB Draft top 50 prospects rankings: Ethan Holliday, Liam Doyle leading the way

2025 MLB Draft top 50 prospects rankings: Ethan Holliday, Liam Doyle leading the way

New York Times15-04-2025

We're now past the midpoint of the college baseball regular season, when just about every high school prospect of note has begun his spring season as well, making it a good time to update the rankings of the best players in this year's draft class. As I said in the first ranking in March, this is a deep class, but it's weaker than ever at the very top, rivaling the 2016 draft for the worst top echelon of any draft I've ever covered. That's going to mean we see a lot of well-under-slot deals this year, maybe right at the very first pick, to make up for the fact that none of these players would have gone first or second in a typical year, probably not even in the top five picks in the loaded 2023 class.
Advertisement
There is real depth in this draft, though: There's a huge group of high school shortstops, many of whom project to stay there for the long term, along with a strong set of college left-handed starters and at least an average group of hard-hitting college outfielders. The college catching crop isn't bad, either, although the high school group is almost nonexistent; the two best ones are probably going to end up in the outfield. It's a good year to pick later in the first round, and still a good year to have an extra pick or two.
The SEC and ACC remain the powerhouses of talent they've always been. The California high school group is the best it's been in several years. The Pacific Northwest has four high schoolers on this top 50 plus two college hitters; the Chicago area has two guys on this list, and could see two more on the top 100 that we'll release next month. The Mid-Atlantic and Northeast are down, and Georgia is weak for the second year in a row.
I'll do a full top 100 Big Board at some point in early May; it'll be easier to do that than it has been to figure out who goes in the top 10 here and in what order. As a reminder, this is a ranking, not a prediction of who'll be drafted where (I'll start doing that in May as well). I've seen 31 of the players on this list myself this spring, and I add my own scouting notes on those players to what I've learned from talking to scouts and directors, reviewing video and looking at data on these players where available. This ranking is my best attempt to say in what order I'd draft these players if I were a scouting director for an MLB team, based on the best information I have right now.
(Notes: Scouting grades are on a traditional 20-80 scale; 'the shadow' refers to space just past the strike zone, usually measured by the size of one baseball.)
(Top photo illustration by Will Tullos / The Athletic; photos left to right of Liam Doyle, Ethan Holliday, Jamie Arnold — Isaiah Vazquez, Aaron M. Sprecher, Dustin Bradford / Getty Images)

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Athletics at Angels Prediction: Odds, expert picks, starting pitchers, betting trends, and stats for June 9
Athletics at Angels Prediction: Odds, expert picks, starting pitchers, betting trends, and stats for June 9

NBC Sports

time20 minutes ago

  • NBC Sports

Athletics at Angels Prediction: Odds, expert picks, starting pitchers, betting trends, and stats for June 9

It's Monday, June 9, and the Athletics (26-41) are in Anaheim to take on the Angels (30-34). Jeffrey Springs is slated to take the mound for the Athletics against Yusei Kikuchi for Los Angeles. The Athletics picked up a 5-1 win over the Orioles, giving them the series win. Despite Tyler Anderson only giving up three earned runs and striking out six batters, the Angels dropped a close one against the Mariners yesterday. Let's dive into the matchup and find a sweat or two. We've got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on the how to catch tipoff, odds, recent team performance, player stats, and of course, our predictions, picks & best bets for the game from our modeling tools and staff of experts. Follow Rotoworld Player News for the latest fantasy and betting player news and analysis all season long. Game details & how to watch Athletics at Angels Date: Monday, June 9, 2025 Time: 9:38PM EST Site: Angel Stadium City: Anaheim, CA Network/Streaming: FanDuel Sports Network West, NBCSCA Never miss a second of the action and stay up-to-date with all the latest team stats and player news. Check out our day-by-day MLB schedule page, along with detailed matchup pages that update live in-game with every out. Odds for the Athletics at the Angels The latest odds as of Monday: Moneyline: Athletics (+133), Angels (-159) Spread: Angels -1.5 Total: 9.0 runs Probable starting pitchers for Athletics at Angels Pitching matchup for June 9, 2025: Jeffrey Springs vs. Yusei Kikuchi Athletics: Jeffrey Springs, (5-4, 4.66 ERA) Last outing (Minnesota Twins, 6/4): 6.2 Innings Pitched, 3 Earned Runs Allowed, 1 Hits Allowed, 2 Walks, and 7 StrikeoutsAngels: Yusei Kikuchi, (1-5, 3.23 ERA) Last outing (Boston Red Sox, 6/3): 5.0 Innings Pitched, 3 Earned Runs Allowed, 8 Hits Allowed, 5 Walks, and 5 Strikeouts Athletics: Jeffrey Springs, (5-4, 4.66 ERA) Last outing (Minnesota Twins, 6/4): 6.2 Innings Pitched, 3 Earned Runs Allowed, 1 Hits Allowed, 2 Walks, and 7 Strikeouts Angels: Yusei Kikuchi, (1-5, 3.23 ERA) Last outing (Boston Red Sox, 6/3): 5.0 Innings Pitched, 3 Earned Runs Allowed, 8 Hits Allowed, 5 Walks, and 5 Strikeouts Rotoworld still has you covered with all the latest MLB player news for all 30 teams. Check out the feed page right here on NBC Sports for headlines, injuries and transactions where you can filter by league, team, positions and news type! Top betting trends & insights to know ahead of Athletics at Angels Betting the Angels on the Money Line in all games this season would have shown a 106% return on investment The Athletics' last 3 games versus the Angels have gone over the Total The Angels have covered in 4 of their last 5 games showing a profit of 1.81 units If you're looking for more key trends and stats around the spread, moneyline and total for every single game on the schedule today, check out our MLB Top Trends tool on NBC Sports! Expert picks & predictions for tonight's game between the Athletics and the Angels Please bet responsibly. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call the National Gambling Helpline at 1-800-522-4700. Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread and over/under bet for every game on the MLB calendar based on data points like past performance, player matchups, ballpark information and weather forecasts. Once the model is finished running, we put its projection next to the latest betting lines for the game to arrive at a relative confidence level for each wager. Here are the best bets our model is projecting for Monday's game between the Athletics and the Angels: Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the Los Angeles Angels on the Moneyline. Spread: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play ATS on the Oakland Athletics at +1.5. Total: NBC Sports Bet is staying away from a play on the Game Total of 9.0. Want even more MLB best bets and predictions from our expert staff & tools? Check out the Expert MLB Predictions page from NBC Follow our experts on socials to keep up with all the latest content from the staff: Jay Croucher (@croucherJD) Drew Dinsick (@whale_capper) Vaughn Dalzell (@VmoneySports) Brad Thomas (@MrBradThomas)

Josh Pate isn't sleeping on Oklahoma's John Mateer
Josh Pate isn't sleeping on Oklahoma's John Mateer

USA Today

time28 minutes ago

  • USA Today

Josh Pate isn't sleeping on Oklahoma's John Mateer

Josh Pate isn't sleeping on Oklahoma's John Mateer The Oklahoma Sooners made a major upgrade at starting quarterback this winter. With former starter Jackson Arnold off to play for the Auburn Tigers, OU had a hole to fill under center. Not only did they fill it, they did so with a player, John Mateer, who is better than any QB the Sooners had on the roster a year ago. In fact, Mateer was the transfer portal's top overall player this year. Oklahoma beat out Miami and North Carolina to land the former Washington State star. After OU was atrocious offensively in 2024, Mateer's arrival gives the Sooners a chance to rebound back to their winning ways in 2025. At least that's what Josh Pate, the host of "Josh Pate's College Football Show", thinks. Because of familiarity with his play-caller and the help of players from multiple top-ten recruiting classes over the past few years, he has Mateer right alongside the best quarterbacks in the entire SEC. "I'm putting John Mateer in the top five," Pate said. "If I'm right, Oklahoma's gonna be a contender in the SEC. I believe in the OC-quarterback approach, bringing both of them in, not just one of them, especially when they're both qualified, and Ben Arbuckle and John Mateer are. I also think it greatly helps that John Mateer is not being brought into Norman, Oklahoma, and then being looked at by everyone down on their knees with their hands clasped praying, 'Please save us John, save us.' No, you don't need to save anyone. You need to go in there and play solid football and execute, make good decisions, because you know what you've got around you? You've got a top-ten roster around you. You've got a really good defense. You don't have to score 42 a game to win, and you've got guys calling plays for you that you're very familiar with. I think he's gonna be really good this year. That's why I've got Oklahoma top ten in the preseason." Sooner Nation has long clamored for complementary football in Norman. For years, OU fans had to watch incredible offenses, led by Heisman Trophy-level quarterbacks, be ultimately let down by bad defenses. The trio of Baker Mayfield, Kyler Murray and Jalen Hurts combined for four College Football Playoff appearances in five seasons from 2015 to 2019, and it was the inability to get stops on defense that, for the most part, sunk those excellent Oklahoma teams in the semifinal round each time. When Brent Venables took over for Lincoln Riley, the hope was that he could change that. In the years since, Venables has built up a defense that looks like it can compete in the SEC. But, just as the defense was getting really good in 2024, Oklahoma's offense fell off a cliff with Seth Littrell and Jackson Arnold at the helm. Complementary football eluded OU yet again. With plenty of returning starters, the Oklahoma defense looks like it has the pieces to be good again. On the other side of the ball, the Arbuckle-Mateer combination hopes to finally bring high-level play on both offense and defense, at the same time, to Norman in 2025. Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on X, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow Aaron on X @Aaron_Gelvin.

Yankees' Aaron Judge says he thought about Red Sox jab before 436-foot homer
Yankees' Aaron Judge says he thought about Red Sox jab before 436-foot homer

Yahoo

time36 minutes ago

  • Yahoo

Yankees' Aaron Judge says he thought about Red Sox jab before 436-foot homer

New York Yankees right fielder Aaron Judge went 7 for 14 over his last four games, including a two-homer performance against the Boston Red Sox on Sunday in New York. File Photo by Jim Ruymen/UPI June 9 (UPI) -- Slugger Aaron Judge said a jab aimed at the New York Yankees from the Boston Red Sox's Hunter Dobbins was on his mind just before he crushed a fastball from the right-handed pitcher for a 436-foot, first-inning homer. Judge commented on the insult and his two-run shot after the Red Sox beat the Yankees on Sunday in New York. Judge went 3 for 4 with two home runs, four RBIs, three runs scored and a walk in the 11-7 setback at Yankee Stadium. Advertisement Dobbins told the Boston Herald on Saturday he would rather retire from baseball than play for the Yankees. The eighth-round pick by the Red Sox in the 2021 MLB Draft made his MLB debut in April. He grew up watching the Red Sox and said he formed "disdain for the Yankees." "My dad was a diehard Red Sox fan," Dobbins said. "And I've said it before, that if the Yankees were the last team to give me a contract, I'd retire." Judge said ESPN's Eduardo Perez told him about Dobbins' comment before Sunday's series finale. New York Yankees right fielder Aaron Judge went 3 for 4 with two home runs and four RBIs in a loss to the Boston Red Sox on Sunday in New York. File Photo by Jim Ruymen/UPI The reigning American League MVP, who leads MLB with a .396 average, came to the plate for his first at-bat in the bottom of the first inning. Advertisement Yankees designated hitter Ben Rice led off the half inning with a single. Judge didn't take long to settle in for the next exchange with Dobbins. The right-handed pitcher tossed his lone offering -- a 97.5-mph fastball -- near the middle of the strike zone. New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge is hitting an MLB-best .396 this season. File Photo by Archie Carpenter/UPI Judge whipped his bat into the ball, smashing it to right center field for his 22nd homer of the season. After the game, Judge was asked if Dobbins' comments were on his mind. "Well, once somebody tells you, yeah," Judge told reporters. New York Yankees slugger Aaron Judge hit 23 home runs over his first 64 appearances this season. File Photo by John Angelillo/UPI Judge returned to the plate for his 23rd homer of the season in the bottom of the ninth. That two-run shot to right center field traveled 398 feet. Third baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr., center fielder Trent Grisham and second baseman D.J. LeMahieu also drove in runs for the Yankees. Advertisement Second baseman Kristian Campbell, catcher Carlos Narvaez, utility man Abraham Toro, designated hitter Rafael Devers and shortstop Trevor Story all homered for the Red Sox. Reigning American League MVP Aaron Judge and the New York Yankees will face the Kansas City Royals on Tuesday in Kansas city, Mo. File Photo by John Angelillo/UPI Dobbins allowed four hits and three runs over five innings to improve to 3-1 this season. In addition to his batting average, Judge leads MLB with 95 hits, a .493 on-base percentage, .771 slugging percentage, 1.264 on-base plus slugging percentage and 185 total bases. He went 7 for 14 (.500) with two home runs, two doubles, three walks, four strikeouts and five RBIs over his last four games. The Yankees (39-25) lead the American League East, with a 8.5-game lead over the fourth-place Red Sox (32-35). The Tampa Bay Rays and Toronto Blue Jays -- both 35-30 -- sit in second place, 4.5 games behind the division leaders. The Baltimore Orioles (26-38) are in last place. The Yankees will face the Kansas City Royals (34-32) at 7:40 p.m. EDT Tuesday in Kansas City, Mo. The Red Sox will host the Rays at 7:10 p.m. Monday in Boston.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store