Baseball Tribune's 2025 MLB Mock Draft 2.0

Over halfway to the draft.

For those that have followed my work at IvyFutures (a moniker that stuck) and North Side Bound, you know how passionate I am about the MLB Draft. It's an area that I've followed to an almost obsessive degree for well two decades. That passion has led to incredible opportunities evaluating players and interacting with members of the scouting community. Learning and listening to those in the game and refining my process is a constant goal of mine. Expect to see a lot of MLB Draft content here. Thank you for checking out The Baseball Tribune.

In this mock I explore what the draft may look like this July, not necessarily where things stand right now. It features players that I’ve identified as possible risers so there will be players mocked to teams below who are currently ranked in the 30-100 range by respected outlets. While that might differ from other mocks, I believe it’s a fun way to evaluate players this early in the draft cycle. You’ll also find verbiage about how each team prioritized previous first round selections. These are broad generalizations and we don’t want to take any to the bank, but they can be interesting as we look at how organizational tendencies can impact future selections. So with that said, let’s get to the mock.

Mock Draft 2.0

1. Washington Nationals – Seth Hernandez - RHP - Corona HS (CA)

   Previous 1st round selections: Brady House (3B), Elijah Green (OF), Dylan Crews (OF), Seaver King -(IF)
   Bonus Slot: $11,075,900

How the Nationals draft: Not afraid to go for upside despite risk. Ultimate ceiling appears to drive decision-making.

Mock 2.0: There has never been a prep righthanded pitcher taken first overall. In a wide open draft could that change this July? This is a bit of a thought experiment, but Washington targets tools and Hernandez might be the best pitcher in this entire class. He features serious tools. He also may have a challenge finding the right home in the top handful of selections (due to the risk of the prep righthander demographic). So while I won’t make too many assumptions on signability it’s possible that Washington could save a ton of bonus pool to allocate later. Brief aside for fans, this doesn’t mean the Nationals would be “going cheap”. There is a limited amount of bonus money a team is allowed to spend. This would be a possible strategy to then reallocate those funds to “buy” players down. An example of a player in this caliber could be Sean Gamble or Xavier Neyens. Reminder I’m not operating with any knowledge of player or advisor demand, only looking at historical demographic comps of players

Other considerations: In this scenario we’ll say that Arquette doesn’t indicate that he’s willing for a deep cut with a strong offer from the Angels. Ethan Holliday is a popular 1.1 pick in mocks and it fits, but there are at least some questions raised last summer about the hitting profile that Holliday. Even in many publications Holliday is the popular choice. I really wonder there. Him landing in Colorado or Saint Louis just feels more of a possibility with how I see it. But we’ll see as we get closer to the draft!

Mock 1.0: Aiva Arquette

2. Los Angeles Angels – Aiva Arquette – SS - Oregon State

Previous 1st round selections: Sam Bachman (RHP), Zach Neto (SS), Nolan Schanuel (1B), Christian Moore (2B)
Bonus Slot: $10,252,700

How the Angels draft: Fast moving college performers and pitchers are the primary first-round targets by the Angels.

Mock 2.0: Fast-moving college performer? Aiva Arquette fits the bill here. What the Angels will do is certainty worth a healthy discussion. The Angels and the Rockies 2, 4 feel like wild cards, but this far out it’s not hard to imagine the Angels looking to fast track another college infielder after Zach Neto, Nolan Schanuel, and Christian Moore.

Mock 1.0: Tyler Bremner

3. Seattle Mariners – Eli Willits - SS - Fort Cobb-Broxton HS (OK)

Previous 1st round selections: Harry Ford (C), Cole Young (SS), Colt Emerson (SS), Jonny Farmelo (OF), Tai Peete (SS), Jurrangelo Cijntje (SHP)
Bonus Slot: $9,504,400

How the Mariners draft: The past few seasons, Seattle has focused on high school talent and 2023 was a perfect encapsulation of that. But in 2024 they took an upward trending arm in Jurrangelo Cijntje. The ability to draft high in this draft via the lottery opens up a different bucket of players.

Mock 2.0: Willits could be the best overall prep hitter and looks like he can stay at shortstop entering pro ball. The Mariners have done outstanding work with prep hitters. For a team in contention, some fans may clamor for a quicker timeline, but the best teams continue to draft the prospect that projects best with their organizational player development strengths.

Kade Anderson is a very trendy pick here recently and there may have been some intel going around on that. I’m not pushing back on that. I’ve just heard Willits more so I’ll stick with the intel I have.

Mock 1.0: Jamie Arnold

4. Colorado Rockies - Ethan Holliday - 3B - Stillwater HS (OK)

   Previous 1st round selections: Benny Montgomery (OF), Gabriel Hughes (RHP), Chase Dollander (RHP), Charlie Condon (3B)
   Bonus Slot: $8,770,900

How the Rockies draft: It’s hard to track any sort of discernible traits the Rockies prioritize early. They’ve targeted multiple bats in the first and raw toosly outfielders. The past two drafts they targeted arms, but with very different profiles. I’d look at loud tools at this spot, especially power and velocity.

Mock 2.0: Ethan Holliday will invariably be compared to his older brother, Jackson. Both Holliday brothers put themselves into prime position to be drafted high in their respective MLB drafts. Jackson’s toolset and performance earned him a 1.1 selection in 2022 and many publications project Ethan to do the same this summer. I understand the concept, but Ethan and his camp could find themselves in a spot where his best opportunity comes with an above-slot bonus with the Rockies or Cardinals. Here in this mock Colorado and the shortstop line up on a deal sending the youngest Holliday back to the organization that his father, Matt, first made his impact in the big leagues.

Mock 1.0: LaViolette

5. St. Louis Cardinals – Jamie Arnold - LHP - Florida State

Previous 1st round selections: Michael McGreevy (RHP), Cooper Hjerpe (LHP), Chase Davis (OF), JJ Weatherholt (IF)
Bonus Slot: $8,134,800

How the Cardinals draft: Not mentioned above, but the Cardinals have identified two-way players and developed them well. They aren’t afraid to take risky selections either. The Cardinals place a premium on height early in the draft. Every single pitcher (eight out of eight) drafted in the first five rounds in 2021, 2022, and 2023 was 6’2” or taller.

Mock 2.0: Jamie Arnold is believed to be in 1.1 conversations so him being available to Saint Louis could be a coup. Not every organization is going to value how well Arnold’s arm angle could play against advanced hitters, but Saint Louis selected Cooper Hjerpe with a first round selection only three years ago. Hjerpe looked good before his current injury sidelined him. Arnold could be a quick-mover for an organization that wants to be in consistent MLB prominence.

Mock 1.0: Ethan Holliday

6. Pittsburgh Pirates - Billy Carlson - SS - Corona HS (CA)

Previous 1st round selections: Henry Davis (C), Termarr Johnson (2B), Paul Skenes (RHP), Konnor Griffin (SS)
Bonus Slot: $7,558,600

How the Pirates draft: Pittsburgh had leaned towards safe future projections, but in the past two years the organization really leaned in to upside with Skenes and Griffin. Might they be leaning into upside physical traits within their team model?

Mock 2.0: There is a LOT of chatter about Pittsburgh being in on Corona HS shortstop Billy Carlson and it’s very possible that’s all a smokescreen, but there’s so much smoke it’s hard to see anything else. Carlson fits how the Pirates have drafted previously.

Mock 1.0: Dean Curley

7. Miami Marlins – JoJo Parker - SS- Purvis HS (MS)

Previous 1st round selections: Khalil Watson (SS), Jacob Berry (3B), Noble Meyer (RHP), PJ Morlando (1B)
Bonus Slot: $7,149,900

How the Marlins draft: It’s a new regime in Miami so I’m borrowing shades of both the Marlins and Rays (since Bendix came from Tampa Bay). Morlando was a player that had certain scouts pounding the table for and it’s interesting that Miami made him their first selection.

Mock 2.0: A name that continues to “rise” in chatter is JoJo Parker. Parker is questionable to stay on the infield, but he’s in the discussions for best bat in the prep class. The Marlins under Peter Bendix targeted PJ Morlando early, who was respected for the bat over the defensive profile.

Mock 1.0: Billy Carlson

8. Toronto Blue Jays – Liam Doyle - LHP - Tennessee

Previous 1st round selections: Gunnar Hoglund (RHP), Brandon Barriera (LHP), Arjun Nimmala (SS), Trey Yesavage (RHP)
Bonus Slot: $6,813,600

How the Blue Jays draft: You have to respect the Blue Jays for just taking the guys that fall to them. They’ve been one of the few organizations willing to take an arm who had Tommy John surgery and didn’t come back yet.

Mock 2.0: Teams should never draft for need, but I can’t shake the feeling that Liam Doyle could offer both short and long term benefits to a Toronto Blue Jays team that needs to win this year to avoid a regime change. Doyle could be pitching in a big league bullpen later this season and then immediately convert back to a starting role next season. It’s a live arm and while there is some development to be had, the upside of Doyle could be enormous.

Mock 1.0: Seth Hernandez

9. Cincinnati Reds – Kade Anderson - LHP - Louisiana State University

Previous 1st round selections: Matt McLain (SS), Cam Collier (3B), Rhett Lowder (RHP), Chase Burns (RHP)
Bonus Slot: $6,513,800

How the Reds draft: It’s a mixed bag for Cincinnati, but they’ve been an organization that’s been willing to pay up for talents that fall.

Mock 2.0: The same organization that drafted Rhett Lowder could make a similar play with Kade Anderson. Both pitchers had a safer profile and a deep pitch mix coming from power conferences. Burns was also a power conference selection but his upside differs here. Cincinnati has clearly invested in college pitching.

Mock 1.0: Kyson Witherspoon

10. Chicago White Sox – Ike Irish - C/OF - Auburn

    Previous 1st round selections: Colson Montgomery (SS), Noah Schultz (LHP), Jacob Gonzalez (SS), Hagen Smith (LHP)
    Bonus slot: $6,238,400

How the White Sox draft: White Sox have been willing to bet on upside despite risk. It’s paid off with Montgomery and Schultz is one of my favorite 2022 selections. They went back to the lefty well with Hagen Smith last season. They also have a new regime, though Mike Shirley continues in his current role as Amateur Scouting Director.

Mock 2.0: Lefthanders are popular selections here in mocks and Doyle, Anderson, or Arnold could make sense from the college side. Kruz Schoolcraft could from the prep ranks. There is also some chatter that the White Sox could target a college bat. Ike Irish likely is an outfielder at the next level, but there’s room within the White Sox organizational ranks to take Irish as an OF. It’s a very good bat that will need to mash to continue to keep up his value, but he has the potential to do so.

Mock 1.0: Liam Doyle

11. Sacramento Athletics - Brendan Summerhill - OF - Arizona

    Previous 1st round selections: Maxwell Muncy (SS), Daniel Susac (C), Jacob Wilson (IF), Nick Kurtz (1B)
    Bonus Slot: $5,985,100

How the A’s draft: Up the middle contributors. They’ve balanced between prep and college talents. In particular they favor contact rates and good defense. The organization has made some win-now moves with the imminent move to Sacramento followed by Las Vegas in mind. It’s worth monitoring to see if that philosophy trickles down to their draft philosophy.

Mock 2.0: Summerhill shows off strong contact and plate discipline and plays a premium position in centerfield. I question whether the final profile looks more like Sal Frelick and whether that’s the best use of a top 15 selection, but it’s not a strong draft class and there are likely many MLB execs who would look at a Frelick-like outcome as a strong one, especially in an org that favors the profile.

Mock 1.0: Luke Stevenson

12. Texas Rangers - Kyson Witherspoon - RHP - Oklahoma

Previous 1st round selections: Jack Leiter (RHP), Kumar Rocker (RHP), Wyatt Langford (OF), Malcolm Moore (C)
Bonus Slot: $5,746,800

How the Rangers draft: Target college performers and ones from large conferences (mostly SEC). Established performers.

Mock 2.0: Witherspoon shouldn’t last this long and he’s a college performer from a large conference. Texas should snap him up immediately in this scenario. Witherspoon has some arsenal questions, but it’s still a lethal fastball and his slider, cutter have been weapons. He’ll flash a curveball as well. Even writing this mock I’m watching Kyson Withspoon in the SEC tournament and asking myself how he could last to 12 in this scenario.

Mock 1.0: Marek Houston

13. San Francisco Giants – Gavin Kilen - 2B - Tennessee

Previous 1st round selections: Will Bednar (RHP), Reggie Crawford (LHP), Bryce Eldridge (OF/RHP), James Tibbs III (OF)
Bonus slot: $5,524,300

How the Giants draft: Loud tools and not afraid to tackle development challenges. Back-to-back two way players in the first round with Crawford and Eldridge. Last year they targeted a relatively safe college bat from a premier conference in James Tibbs III.

Mock 2.0: Gavin Kilen is having a strong season for a premier program. With his new move over to shortstop proving successful, Kilen could go even higher if he pops on team models. This would represent a similar play to last year’s James Tibbs III selection.

Mock 1.0: Kruz Schoolcraft

14. Tampa Bay Rays – Wehiwa Aloy - SS - Arkansas

Previous 1st round selections: Carson Williams (SS), Xavier Isaac (1B), Brayden Taylor (3B), Theo Gillen (OF)
Bonus Slot: $5,313,100

How the Rays draft: Can we say to the beat of their own drum? Nick Bitsko (2020) Williams, and Isaac were gambles that not every team was comfortable with (though Bitsko was a hot name in 2020). Look, you doubt the Rays at your own risk, but it’ll be fascinating to see what they do in 2025.

Mock 2.0: Weiwa Aloy is one of the rare college shortstops who likely sticks at the position long term and he has power. He could ultimately produce like an early career Willy Adames who started with Tampa Bay. The Rays have targeted power over hit recently.

Mock 1.0: Neyens

15. Boston Red Sox - Gavin Fien - SS/3B - Great Oak HS (CA)

Previous 1st round selections: Marcelo Meyer (SS), Mikey Romero (SS), Kyle Teel (C), Braden Montgomery (OF)
Bonus Slot: $5,114,200

How the Red Sox draft: Athletic up-the-middle players, especially on the infield. It’s a great demographic to pull from.

Mock 2.0: Keeping this pick the same. Fien was the best showcase performer last summer and he plays from an area of the country that the Red Sox have heavily targeted.

Mock 1.0: Gavin Fien

16. Minnesota Twins – Tyler Bremner – RHP - UC Santa Barbara

Previous 1st round selections: Chase Petty (RHP), Brooks Lee (SS), Walker Jenkins (OF), Kaelen Culpepper (SS)
Bonus Slot: $4,929,600

How the Twins draft: The Twins balance prep and college, but players fall into safer demographics. Chase Petty is the exception, but they traded him before the end of the year.

Mock 2.0: Bremner entered the season in top 5 consideration. The results have been good, not great with Bremner still showing off an impressive changeup and good velocity. He also isn’t walking hitters. It’s a profile that the Twins have worked with before and he could be a quick mover with some refinement in pro ball.

Mock 1.0: Brendan Summerhill

17. Chicago Cubs – Riley Quick - RHP - Alabama
    Previous 1st round selections: Jordan Wicks (LHP), Cade Horton (RHP), Matt Shaw (SS), Cam Smith (3B)
    Bonus Slot: $4,750,800

How the Cubs draft: we saw the Cubs prioritize players who the organization viewed as falling to them in Howard and Wicks, but unless something really crazy happened in 2022, they were very into the profile of Horton. This is an organization that has been willing to target upside with their top few selections over the past few years. In 2023 and 2024, the Cubs effectively sat back and waited for a top talent to fall. It’s an excellent strategy that many of the best organizations employ. Those plans resulted in Matt Shaw and Cam Smith, who both looked like impact players in their debuts. For position players, wood bat performance appears to carry significant weight.

Over the past two drafts, the Cubs have drafted 18 pitchers. Only 1 has been 6’0” or shorter. This is something to watch regarding pitching targets, but it also doesn’t imply the Cubs would rule out a shorter arm early in the draft. I’d strongly believe the Cubs had Jurrangelo Cijntje (listed at 5’11”) in the first round mix last year.

Mock 2.0: Riley Quick boasts an electric arsenal and just enough of a development path to where he’s not a slam dunk selection above pick 17… yet. The Cubs have made another series of investments in the pitching infrastructure and Quick could represent another one of those investments.

What if it wasn’t Quick? On the prep hitter side, JoJo Parker, Josh Hammond, and Gavin Fien all could fit here. But one name I want to highlight is Daniel Pierce, a high school shortstop in Georgia. From individuals in Georgia, Pierce looks like a very strong bet to begin pro ball at shortstop and with a good chance to stay there as he climbs the latter. That’s informative on the future projection. But to go in the first round a player also needs to hit and that’s where things get exciting for Pierce. He’s shown good contact skills and a twitchy, athletic profile that suggested power is coming. The power is now here and it’s impressive.

Okay so why wouldn’t the Cubs just take Daniel Pierce? Teams should never draft for need in the first round and the Cubs won’t, but this is where it wouldn’t surprise to see fun internal debates rage about what path the organization should take. High school hitters have risk and compared to college pitching it’s possible the organization’s decision could come down to which of two paths (college pitching or high school hitters) makes the most sense. This doesn’t mean the organization would be locked into those two paths. It’s May. A LOT can change, even down to being fluid on draft night. The Cubs have made investments in their pitching infrastructure and it’s not hard to imagine the organization feeling that a similar draft investment is an excellent complement.

On the pitching side, an upside arm like Gage Wood could fit or if there’s one of the other college arms like Anderson, Arnold, Witherspoon, or Doyle that falls, Chicago could be enticed. In this mock, Tyler Bremner almost makes it to 17 and he would make a ton of sense.

Mock 1.0: Patrick Forbes

18. Arizona Diamondbacks – Daniel Pierce - SS - Mill Creek HS (GA)

Previous 1st round selections: Jordan Lawler (SS), Druw Jones (CF), Tommy Troy (2B), Slade Caldwell (OF)
Bonus: $4,581,900

How the Diamondbacks draft: We’ve seen the Diamondbacks target higher ceiling prep talent early, but Troy was a pivot to loud college baseball hitter impact. They went back to the prep well with two out of three Top 35 selections last year.

Mock 2.0: I gave a thorough breakdown of Pierce above. He has teams interested around this range and an org with multiple high selections and a strong pool can dictate a lot if they find a player they believe in.

Mock 1.0: Kayson Cunningham

19. Baltimore Orioles – Zach Root - LHP - Arkansas

Previous 1st round selections: Colton Cowser (OF), Jackson Holliday (SS), Enrique Bradfield Jr (OF), Vance Honeycutt (OF)
Bonus Slot: $4,420,900

How the Orioles draft: Upper-tier batted ball numbers and hitters early. They aren’t afraid of whiffs and are an organization that appears to improve swing and miss from hitters during development, if need be. But they’ve also gravitated towards loud batted ball data.

Mock 2.0: Taking a pitcher early flies in the face of the Orioles recent drafting strategy, but I’ve kicked around this idea and gotten some positive feedback. With The Orioles picking at 19, 30, and 31, they have the ability to take a player who could address a system need, potentially get that player for a slot savings, and heavily buy down a talented player to their next selection. Why Root? His stats looked better than they ended after Ole Miss tagged him for a bunch of runs in the SEC tournament, but he generates Ks, doesn’t walk too many batters, and has a deep, battle tested arsenal. The biggest questions come from the fastball metrics, but he’s a quality prospect worthy of being taken middle to later through the first round.

Mock 1.0: Ethan Conrad

20. Milwaukee Brewers – Slater de Brun - OF - Summit HS (OR)

Previous 1st round selections: Sal Frelick (OF), Eric Brown Jr. (SS), Brock Wilken (3B), Braylon Payne (OF)
Bonus Slot: $4,268,100

How the Brewers draft: The Brewers have put an emphasis on contact skills early. All of Mitchell, Frelick, and Brown Jr. boasted strong bat-to-ball skills. They’ve been the beneficiaries of players who have fallen in the first round several times. Brock Wilken is a different profile, but stood out for his power and low chase rates.

Mock 2.0: If you’re looking for data within the high school side, de Brun stands out. Courtesy of Joe Doyle (who creates excellent content over at Future Stars Series and is worthy in my opinion for a subscription), we have data on de Brun from the Showcase Circuit. Overall he racked up a Chase% < 15%, In-Zone Contact% > 85%, ISO > .235. That sure feels like a Brewers target.

Mock 1.0: Kilen

21. Houston Astros – Jace LaViolette – OF – Texas A&M

Previous 1st round selections: (No 1st round picks in 2020 and 2021 because of cheating scandal punishments), Drew Gilbert (CF), Brice Matthews (SS), Walker Janek (C)
Bonus Slot: $4,122,500

How the Astros draft: The Astros have leaned very model-heavy with an emphasis on batted-ball and pitching metrics.

Mock 2.0: For as much ceiling as Jace LaViolette shows on the diamond, there are hit tool questions. The track record for college hitters with a greater than 25% strikeout range is very poor. LaViolette’s is at 24.4% as of March 21th. Recent examples of higher strikeouts from college centerfielders in the first round discussion include Baltimore Orioles Vance Honeycutt (27.4% in 2024, 22nd to Baltimore) and Jud Fabian (29.3% in 2021 - didn’t sign 40th overall, 22.3% in 2024 - 67th overall). The strikeouts aren’t at that threshold, but it’s an area to monitor. His recent hand injury hurt him down the stretch, not in the sense that it is concerning long term, but LaViolette didn’t have the opportunity to be his best hitting self on the national stage.

Mock 1.0: Devin Taylor

22. Atlanta Braves - Kruz Schoolcraft - LHP/1B - Sunset HS (OR)

Previous 1st round selections: Ryan Cusick (RHP), Owen Murphy (RHP), Hurston Waldrep (RHP), Cam Caminiti (LHP)
Bonus: $3,983,900

How the Braves draft: mix of college and prep and while they’ve leaned heavily pitchers the last several years I’m not sure that’s an organizational mandate.

Mock 2.0: One of Kruz Schoolcraft’s biggest developmental steps is to address the fastball. It shows out at times, but it’s the overall profile that entices teams. He doesn’t generate a lot of spin, which happens to be similar to last year’s Braves first round selection, Cam Caminiti. Atlanta could go back to the well again this year with

Mock 1.0: Cam Appenzeller

23. Kansas City Royals – Mason Neville - OF - Oregon

Previous 1st round selections: Frank Mozzicato (LHP), Gavin Cross (OF), Blake Mitchell (C), Jac Caglianone (1B)
Bonus Slot: $3,852,100

How the Royals draft: The Royals trust their scouts and there’s not much of a discernable trend at this stage.

Mock 2.0: Mason Neville continues to ascend. Right now Neville is producing like a premier corner outfielder with the added bonus that he appears he can play centerfield as he enters professional ball. While he may not stick there forever, some organizations aren’t going to factor that in as heavily.

Mock 1.0: Cam Cannarella

24. Detroit Tigers - Josh Hammond - 3B - Wesleyan Christian HS (NC)

Previous 1st round selections: Jackson Jobe (RHP), Jace Jung (2B), Max Clark (OF), Bryce Rainer (SS)
Bonus Slot: $3,726,300

How the Tigers draft: The Tigers employed a new scouting director, Mark Conner in 2023. After a decade with the Padres, Conner took the reins of drafts in Detroit. They went after preps early in 2023 (not a surprise based on Padres prior drafting). The Tigers brought in Max Clark and Kevin McGonigle in 23 and Bryce Rainer in 24.

Mock 2.0: Josh Hammond has been a buzzy name all spring and this may even be low on him as I checked in with folks in the game. But if he were here, a team that values prep talent would want to scoop up. Under their new regime, Detroit has leaned prep early.

Mock 1.0: JoJo Parker

25. San Diego Padres – Steele Hall - SS - Hewitt-Trussville HS (AL)

Previous 1st round selections: Jackson Merrill (SS), Dylan Lesko (RHP), Dillon Head (OF), Kash Mayfield (LHP)
Bonus: $3,606,600

How the Padres draft: The Padres are a club that puts a premium on batted ball data, prep upside, and are not afraid of late-rising players

Mock 2.0: Steele Hall has a similar vibe to Kellon Lindsey who last year was evoking Trea Turner as a prep. There are swing questions. It’s a profile with risks and certainly comes with a high variance of outcomes. The Padres were frequently connected to Lindsey last year but it’s hard to know if that was a smokescreen. It wouldn’t be surprising to see Hall higher

Mock 1.0: Tate Southisene

26. Philadelphia Phillies - Nick Becker - SS - Don Bosco Prep (NY)

Previous 1st round selections: Andrew Painter (RHP), Justin Crawford (CF), Aidan Miller (3B), Dante Nori (OF)
Bonus Slot: $3,492,200

How the Phillies draft: The Phillies put a heavy focus on prep talent from risky demographics (prep pitchers, cold weather bats, and center fielders waiting on projection).

Mock 2.0: Nick Becker is a cold weather bat, meaning he hails from a state where there is a shorter baseball season. Historically that’s meant less game reps. It still does to a degree, but with the focus on travel ball for many prospects it’s lessened that concern. The Phillies have invested in prep prospects from New York before so they clearly have trust in evals from the area. Becker is a rising player in this class. I strongly considered him one spot above to the Padres. He looks like he should firmly sit within that second tier of prep hitters.

Mock 1.0: Sean Gamble

27. Cleveland Guardians - Marek Houston - SS - Wake Forest

Previous 1st round selections: Gavin Williams (RHP), Chase DeLauter (OF), Ralphy Velazquez (C), Travis Bazzana (2B)
Bonus slot: $3,382,600

How the Guardians draft: “Cleveland is a model-driven club- they look for specific traits in hitting and pitching prospects. Age, athleticism, ‘famous’ (PG, Team USA, Cape Cod League, etc) game exposure, and cold weather/underdeveloped talent are traits that crossover both demographics. In hitters, the club targets middle-of-the-diamond talent with above-average or better speed, clean hitting mechanics, advanced contact skills, and advanced zone awareness. With pitchers, it is a similar approach: advanced pitch-ability; pitch sequencing, command, ease of delivery/clean mechanics, multiple pitches (more is better), high spin rates, above-average extension, and unique release points.”
-The excellent draft and prospects writer, Willie Hood.

Mock 2.0: Houston entered the season with top five buzz, but the bat just hasn’t popped. It’s not showing the type of power that had people curious last fall. The defense and the overall profile still look good. Good zone awareness and contact skills from a middle-of-the-diamond profile leans into what Willie Hood outlined above.

Mock 1.0: AJ Russell

28. Kansas City Royals - Devin Taylor - OF - Indiana
    

    Mock 2.0: Taylor is here for the bat. It’s a left-handed profile only and with limited defensive value.

29. Arizona Diamondbacks - Kayson Cunningham - SS - Johnson HS (TX)
    Mock 2.0: Kayson Cunningham is very well-regarded around the industry. His height may knock him down for some organizations, but he’s an excellent player and may not even be available at this selection. The Dbacks have targeted a lot of high school infielders and Arizona also invested in Slade Caldwell who is much shorter than Cunningham. Arizona can do a lot with multiple top 30 picks and leaning into two prep infielders isn’t a bad strategy. It’s about long term growth and outcomes

30. Baltimore Orioles - Xavier Neyens - SS/3B - Mount Vernon HS (WA)
    Mock 2.0: Neyens is bought down to the Orioles in this scenario, but he could easily not be available. The Orioles employed this first-round subslot strategy way back in 2020 when they were picking 2nd overall. They landed names like Coby Mayo and Jordan Westburg because of it. Neyens is a middle-of-the-first caliber prospect in his own right. He has hit tool questions but the power profile is real. That is a profile the Orioles have targeted before.

31. Baltimore Orioles - Ethan Conrad - OF - Wake Forest
    Mock 2.0: Conrad featured excellent batted ball data before he went down with a left shoulder injury. This is an Orioles-type prospect and a hedge against the risk in an overslot prep the previous selection.

32. Milwaukee Brewers - Patrick Forbes - RHP - Louisville
    Mock 2.0: Forbes is a high variance arm. So there’s upside and risk here. It’s not unlike 2022 selection, Jacob Misiorowski who looks like a stud.

How could you forget that guy?

Even as the college season is winding down and high school seasons have finished, there are going to be players that look like locks for the first round that aren’t included. Some of that is by design. The draft is rarely “chalk”, meaning that there are always surprises. Another factor here is that the draft above only includes 32 selections. In this mock the Nationals got a discount with Hernandez and we weren’t able to fully explore who they could “buy down” to their second round selection.

With that being said, who did I miss? Who would you have taken with your team’s selection?