Perfect MLB Draft Fits for the AL East

Over the past few seasons, the American League East has had a reputation for being one of the best divisions in the sport, and its draft positions certainly reflect this. However, with how wide open this year’s draft appears to be, none of these teams should have a problem finding talented players with their picks.

The AL East will have just one team picking inside the top 10 selections this year, which is far less than some other divisions. They’ll have three picks inside the top 15, though, which will help bring in even more talented young stars to an already very talented division.

With many of the teams in the AL East having clear needs to address in this year’s draft, there are plenty of interesting pairings we could see come draft day. Without further ado, let’s dive into some of these pairings and what makes them so perfect.

Toronto Blue Jays: Pick #8

Mock Pick: Kade Anderson, LHP (LSU)

Why It Makes Sense

Toronto has put together an elite group of young pitchers in their farm system, and if the draft plays out as we think it could, Kade Anderson would be the perfect arm to add to this future rotation.

Anderson has flown up draft boards this season at LSU, as the left-hander has dominated on all cylinders. Although Anderson may not possess a triple-digit heater like other top arms in the class, he can consistently touch 96 MPH on the radar gun. He gets a lot of carry at the top of the zone, which will help the pitch even more.

He also gets sweeper-ish movement from his slider, which gives him the ability to dominate left-handed batters. In addition, he can turn to his curveball and his changeup, which have been reliable offerings for him this season at LSU.

By this date a few years from now, we may be looking back on Anderson as one of the best arms drafted in 2025. If he lands in Toronto, they’ll add another piece to an already lethal future rotation.

Other Potential Fits

If the Blue Jays decide to draft a hitter with their first-round pick, one potential fit could come in the form of second baseman Gavin Kilen. Kilen has performed extremely well this season at Tennessee, causing many people to propel him towards the top of draft boards.

Kilen’s tools give him the potential to be a quick riser through the minor leagues, as his elite contact skills will come in handy when he faces better pitching in professional baseball.

Kilen possesses some great plate discipline skills in addition to flashing some elite power. This season, he’s hit 14 homers and counting, which is a new career high for the 21-year-old. His contact rate in 2024 sat around 85%, creating an elite power-contact profile we don’t often see.

The Blue Jays have selected pitchers with their first-round pick in three of the past four years, which has given their farm system a clear area they need to address. This is even more true when you consider the high-upside arms already in the system, such as Trey Yesavage and Ricky Tiedemann.

While it appears the Blue Jays could take the best player available in the lefty Anderson, if they opt to select an advanced hitter who could help them in the next few seasons, Kilen strikes me as the perfect choice.

However, this draft remains as wide open as ever, making this pick difficult to correctly predict.

Tampa Bay Rays: Pick #14

Mock Pick: Steele Hall, SS, High School

Why It Makes Sense

In recent drafts, the Rays have tended to look towards high school prospects, usually finding some diamonds in the rough. For example, evaluators were confused to see Xavier Isaac selected so early when the Rays took him in the first round back in 2022, but he’s since become one of the better hitters in the minors.

If this year’s draft plays out how we think it will, Steele Hall will make a lot of sense for the Rays. Offensively, Hall has arguably the best bat speed we’ve seen in a while for a prep player. While his swing is direct and quick to the ball, he still has a way to go mechanically compared to the other top prep players in this draft. His power profile is a lot better than it was early in his high school career, also.

Defensively, he’s smooth, and he comes with plenty of range at the position. He’s shown the ability to project as a plus runner, giving him upside on the bases.

Given how the Rays consistently maximize the talent they find in younger prospects, Hall seems like a slam dunk to be their first pick. They’ll be able to fine-tune his swing and truly get the most out of him on the field.

Other Potential Fits

Although it seems unlikely, the Rays could opt to go with a college bat, and if they do, outfielder Brendan Summerhill appears to be the player who makes the most sense.

Summerhill has flown more under the radar in the buildup to this year’s draft. Not only is this exactly the type of player the Rays like, but he makes a lot of sense for their team as a whole.

He’s got some of the best contact skills in the class, which can be seen in the .500 OBP he maintained before an injury sidelined him. He still needs to fully develop his power, but given the fact that he already finds consistent barrels, this could be an adjustment or two away.

Granted, Summerhill’s time on the injured list likely caused his stock to drop slightly, since teams didn’t have an extended look at him during the 2025 season. Due to this, teams may be slightly more hesitant with him than they would’ve been before the season.

For the Tampa Bay Rays, a player this talented who’s only a few adjustments away from being one of the undisputed top players in the class could be exactly what they’re looking for. If this pairing ends up becoming a reality, watch out.

Boston Red Sox: Pick #15

Mock Pick: Tyler Bremner, RHP (UC Santa Barbara)

Why It Makes Sense

If there’s one need the Red Sox have to address during this year’s draft, it’s the lack of quality pitching in their farm system. With their offense now becoming quite crowded, it seems clearer than ever that the Red Sox will be searching for an arm, and who better than RHP Tyler Bremner?

Bremner entered this season battling Jamie Arnold and Seth Hernandez for the title as the top pitcher in the class. But, due to a rougher final season at UC Santa Barbara, Bremner has fallen slightly on draft boards. However, this should allow the Red Sox to find their future star pitcher, as he should be available at their pick.

His fastball has been seen in the upper 90s, making it a very good pitch. He’s struggled to throw it consistently this year, which is one of the key reasons he’s fallen on draft boards. If he can regain the pitch’s shape, he’ll be in a much better position to succeed in professional baseball.

He boasts one of the best changeups in the class, though, which will help him in a big way once he enters the lower levels of the minor leagues.

He also mixes in a very good slider, which has improved more and more as time has gone on, especially as of late. Due to its success coming relatively recently, teams will rely more on projections to determine its effectiveness.

Overall, if this pairing comes to fruition, we could be looking at a match made in heaven for Bremner and Boston.

Other Potential Fits

During the offseason, the Red Sox made a blockbuster trade for Garrett Crochet, which has been an incredible move for the team. However, in the process, they lost Kyle Teel, a catcher who many saw as a future perennial All-Star.

Due to this loss, there’s a chance the Red Sox could be looking to replace Teel, as they have yet to find their catcher of the future in the minors. If they’re looking for this player, they could find him in Auburn’s Ike Irish.

To put it simply, Irish is far and away the best catcher in this year’s class. He’s been one of the SEC’s best players since he entered the conference, which is extremely impressive.

He’s quick and direct to the baseball, giving him the ability to hit the ball extremely hard. He can also minimize how often he’s beaten by velocity through this same skill, something that’ll come in handy as he climbs through the minors.

His power has been average for most of his college career, but he has the potential to improve with some work. Also, if he lands in Fenway Park, his power could take a significant jump forward.

Defensively, he’s been about average, making him a bat-first catcher. However, this type of player can succeed in Boston, and I still think this pairing makes a lot of sense.

Baltimore Orioles: Pick #19

Mock Pick: Dean Curley, 3B (Tennessee)

Why It Makes Sense

The Orioles will likely walk away with one of the best draft classes of any AL East team, as the club currently possesses three picks inside the first round. Today, we’ll be taking a look at their first pick, where we have the Orioles selecting third baseman Dean Curley.

Curley is yet another member of Tennessee’s loaded 2025 roster, as he could be one of the numerous first-round picks produced by the school this year.

Curley has the unique ability to hit the ball hard to all fields, something you don’t always see from players who are just coming into professional baseball. He doesn’t expand his strike zone, rarely chasing unhittable pitches.

His swing gives him the ability to pull lots of fly balls in the air, resulting in some solid grades on his power. As he continues to develop, he could become one of the better power-hitting shortstops in this year’s class.

He should stick at shortstop but could move off the position if needed due to the Orioles’ loaded infield, which might make it difficult for him to find his way to the major league level. No matter what, due to his raw skills, Curley could be one of the best players selected in the first round.

Other Potential Fits

Our draft team believes this will be a case of the Orioles drafting the best player available, but it’s difficult to deny the Orioles’ extreme need for pitching. They’ve struggled to develop high-end arms, and the pitching available at pick 19 may not be amazing, making an offensive piece make more sense.

However, if they choose to draft an arm, it’s hard to look past left-hander Cameron Appenzeller.

Out of all the prep arms in this year’s class, Appenzeller may have the most projectable skill set, as he profiles to be one of the top lefties to be taken in the 2025 MLB Draft. Due to the ease of his delivery, it’s easy to replicate, leaving little room for mechanical errors.

His fastball has the potential to reach the 95-MPH threshold with some work in professional baseball, which could make him infinitely more valuable to the Orioles than he currently is.

He also throws a solid sweeper and changeup, which give him decent secondaries to rely on outside of his fastball. In due time, these could become very good strikeout pitches for Appenzeller.

Although drafting a prep arm who requires more work than others may not make the most sense given the Orioles’ inability to develop arms, there’s a good chance they could give their pitching development skills a try with Appenzeller.

New York Yankees: Pick #39

Mock Pick: N/A

Unfortunately, due to the New York Yankees exceeding the luxury tax, they’re one of three teams that received a 10-pick penalty. As a result, their first pick landed outside of our mock, meaning we didn’t project a player for the Yankees to draft with their first selection.

Potential Fits

Although our draft team may not have mocked a player for the Yankees to draft, we can still take a look at a good potential fit for the team. They’ve erred on the pitching-heavy side of things in the last few drafts, but this year may be different due to the amount of talented college bats around their selection.

For me, the player that makes the most sense for the Yankees at pick 39 is Indiana outfielder Korbyn Dickerson.

After a monster season this year for the Hoosiers, Dickerson has propelled himself to be a borderline first-round pick on some draft boards, meaning this pick could have tremendous value for the Yankees.

Dickerson has done a good job of limiting swings and misses this season with Indiana, while also being a lot more direct to the baseball. His power has looked truly unbelievable at times this season, giving him plenty of potential to hit the ball deep into the gap often.

His exit velocity has reached as high as 117 MPH this spring, which is a level of power we’ve practically never seen from Dickerson before this year. He’s very good defensively as well, and he could handle the Yankee Stadium outfield with ease.

If the Yankees are searching for a legitimate bat and solid defender with their pick, look no further than Dickerson.