What You Need to Know for the 2025 MLB Draft

You might ask me how the 2025 MLB Draft is right around the corner, and man, I couldn’t tell you. Time flies. 

Some of the top players in all of college and high school baseball are getting ready to hear their names called for the 2025 MLB Draft. This entire year, it’s been a toss-up on where some of the top players in the draft may go. Who will go No. 1? It’s anybody’s guess.

But to give you a sense of the potential options, you can see our latest MLB Mock Draft 3.0 and Top 315 MLB Draft board to help you get an idea of who may hear their name called at No. 1.

It’s going to be a crazy and chaotic round one where anything can happen! Let’s dive into all the details you need to know for the 2025 MLB Draft.

Introduction: What, When & Where

The stage is set for the 2025 MLB Draft on  July 13–14 in Atlanta during All-Star Week, this year’s draft features one of the most up-in-the-air classes we’ve seen in a while, from solid college arms, big tools at the high school level, and some real helium risers after breakout springs.

The draft kicks off Sunday, July 13, at 6 p.m. ET with the first 43 picks airing live on ESPN and MLB Network. Rounds 3 through 20 continue on Monday, July 14, streaming exclusively on MLB.com starting at 11:30 a.m. ET.

The Washington Nationals landed the No. 1 pick via the draft lottery, and the early debate seems to be about safety vs. ceiling. Guys like LSU’s Kade Anderson, Oklahoma prep star Ethan Holliday, and Florida State LHP Jamie Arnold are right at the center of it.

However, beyond the top five, this is a class with considerable variability and ample room for teams to get creative, especially in the competition and early rounds of Day 2.

The main piece of news you need to know is our very own MLB Draft Director, Tyler Jennings, will be live at the MLB Draft, providing you with updates in person! Our excellent colleagues at the Just Baseball Show will also be doing a live stream on day one, so be sure to check that out.

From how to watch, to who’s rising, to what trends are shaping this year’s class, here’s your complete primer for the 2025 MLB Draft, including all the Just Baseball MLB Draft Content.

Just Baseball MLB Draft Content

Latest Board Rankings & Mock Draft

Prospect Content

Just Baseball’s 2025 MLB Draft Top 315 Board

Just Baseball’s 2025 MLB Draft Live Looks Video

Scouting Reports

• LHP Kade Anderson, LSU by Tyler Jennings
• SS Aiva Arquette, Oregon State by JD Cameron
• LHP Jamie Arnold, Florida State by Tyler Jennings
• SS Billy Carlson, Corona HS (CA) by Tyler Jennings
• OF Brendan Summerhill, Arizona by JD Cameron
• SS/3B Dean Curley, Tennessee by JD Cameron
• OF Mason Neville, Oregon by Jared Perkins
• OF Max Belyeu, Texas by JD Cameron
• 1B Ethan Petry, South Carolina by Tyler Jennings
• LHP Cade Obermueller, Iowa by Tyler Jennings
• RHP CJ Gray, A.L. Brown (NC) by Tyler Jennings

Mock Drafts

Just Baseball’s Mock Draft 3.0

Just Baseball’s Mock Draft 2.0

Just Baseball’s Mock Draft 1.0

2025 MLB Draft Prospect Interviews

Draft Rules & Order

The first six picks in the 2025 MLB Draft were determined by the lottery, with the Nationals landing the No. 1 overall pick. 

The rest of the first round is determined by a combination of 2024 standings and postseason performance. Non-playoff teams are ranked in reverse order of record, and playoff teams are slotted based on their advancement, with some adjustments made based on revenue-sharing status. Here are the teams with the top 10 picks:

1. Washington Nationals
2. Los Angeles Angels
3. Seattle Mariners
4. Colorado Rockies
5. St. Louis Cardinals
6. Pittsburgh Pirates
7. Miami Marlins
8. Toronto Blue Jays
9. Cincinnati Reds
10. Chicago White Sox

Starting in Round 2, the draft order stays the same each round. Teams pick in the same spot every round unless they’ve traded a competitive balance pick (the only picks that can be traded). These comp balance picks show up after the first and second rounds and are handed out to small-market and low-revenue teams.

The draft runs 20 rounds and includes high school grads, college players who are 21 or have finished their third year, and junior college players. International players aren’t part of the draft, they’re signed through a separate process.

Bonus pool strategy still plays a huge role. Each team gets a set pool based on their picks in the top 10 rounds, and overspending that pool comes with stiff penalties, up to losing future first-rounders if they go way over. 

Teams can sign players for up to $150K after Round 10 without it counting against the pool, but anything over that gets deducted.

There are also extra picks handed out as incentives, such as the Royals receiving one after Bobby Witt Jr. won the AL MVP, and for teams that lose free agents who decline qualifying offers. 

So, while the basic structure may look simple, there are numerous levers teams can pull behind the scenes to get creative with their draft board.

Which Teams Have the Largest Bonus Pools?

While the Nationals hold the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 MLB Draft, it’s the Baltimore Orioles who will enter July with the most bonus pool money, with over $19  million, thanks to their recent trade with the Tampa Bay Rays that netted them four first-round picks.

That’s one of the largest pools in draft history. The Rays follow closely with $16.7 million after stacking six Day 1 picks, while the Angels, Nationals, and Orioles round out the top five, each with over $16 million to spend.

On the other end, the Mets and Yankees sit at the bottom due to luxury tax penalties and lost picks tied to free-agent signings. Overall, total pool money jumped by nearly $16 million from last year, with a record-setting $11 million slot value for the No. 1 pick.

Check out Tyler Jennings’ article, which provides more in-depth information on the bonus pools (written before the Orioles trade). 

Who are the Top MLB Draft Prospects? 

As our own Tyler Jennings can attest, MLB Draft rankings have fluctuated like crazy for everyone this year. It’s been difficult even to pin down just a top 10. Here are the top 10 in our latest Just Baseball draft board update:

1. SS/3B Ethan Holliday, Stillwater HS (OK)
2. SS Eli Willits, Fort-Cobb Broxton HS (OK)
3. RHP Seth Hernandez, Corona HS (CA)
4. LHP Jamie Arnold, Florida State
5. SS Aiva Arquette, Oregon State
6. LHP Kade Anderson, LSU
7. SS JoJo Parker, Purvis (MS)
8. SS/RHP Billy Carlson, Corona HS (CA)
9. RHP Kyson Witherspoon, Oklahoma 
10. C Ike Irish, Auburn

Check out all our current MLB Draft scouting reports and deep dives at justbaseball.com, and all our MLB Draft film and interviews on YouTube! 

Potential Sleeper Picks & Breakouts

HITTERS

OF Korbyn Dickerson, Indiana

Korbyn Dickerson has been one of the biggest breakout stories in this draft class. After barely seeing the field at Louisville, he’s taken off since transferring to Indiana, where swing changes have unlocked both consistency and power. He’s tightened up his hand load and is making more contact, with exit velos jumping well into triple digits, including a 117 MPH shot. Dickerson’s athleticism shows up in center field too, where he covers ground with ease and looks the part defensively.

OF James Quinn Irons, George Mason

James Quinn Irons is one of the most underrated position players that not many people talk about. The George Mason OF put up video game numbers this year, slashing .419/.523/.734 with 24 2B, 2 3B, 16 HR, and 85 RBI. The 6’5”, 230-pound OF has showcased huge raw power and a more controlled, repeatable swing that’s helped him consistently drive the ball. He’s even posted exit velos up to 115 MPH. He still has some swing-and-miss, especially on breaking stuff away, but the hit tool has made real strides. Defensively, he’s athletic enough to handle center but likely fits best in right, where his size and arm strength play.

OF Jake Cook, Southern Miss

This is someone Tyler and Joe Doyle talked about at length on our 2025 MLB Draft Preview podcast on On The Clock. Cook doesn’t hit the ball overly hard and doesn’t have a high barrel rate, but man does he just put the ball in play. There is some quick bat speed, and some small adjustments could have him finding more barrel and pop. He was a spark plug at the top of Southern Miss’ lineup. It’s elite speed that puts constant pressure on defenses and makes every ground ball a challenge for opponents. Defensively, he’s a standout center fielder with top-tier range and a big arm, giving him a strong chance to stick up the middle. He’s the type of high-upside athlete teams love to take a shot on late in the first or early second round.

2B Mitch Voit, Michigan

After spending his first two years at Michigan as a two-way guy with more promise on the mound, Mitch Voit made the full-time switch to hitting in 2025, and it’s paid off big time. He’s made huge strides at the plate, cutting down his chase rate and nearly halving his strikeout rate while almost doubling his walk rate. He’s tamped down on his approach which has become more controlled, and he’s tapped into some pop, with exit velos getting up to 115 MPH. Defensively, he’s moved around a bit in his career but looked comfortable at second base this spring. Teams will be drawn to the improved bat and the offensive profile that’s really started to come together.

C/OF Michael Oliveto, Hauppauge HS (NY)

Oliveto made a name for himself late in the summer, exploding onto the scene with a standout showing in Jupiter. He’s a fluid, athletic left-handed hitter with a fast, efficient swing that’s already producing real results, and there’s still plenty of room to grow physically. His approach is well beyond his years. While his future behind the plate is uncertain due to limited arm strength, his instincts and bat-to-ball skills make him one of the more intriguing offensive prep prospects in the class. Whether he ends up at first or in left, it’s the bat that’ll carry him.

PITCHERS

RHP Aaron Watson, Trinity Christian Academy (FL)

There may not have been a more impressive draft prospect we interviewed than Aaron Watson. The physical talent is there, but the makeup is 80-grade on this kid. He demonstrated his team-first approach by providing thoughtful answers to all the questions we asked. On top of that, he has some smooth and simple mechanics for a prep arm. The delivery is very low-effort, and he possesses a low-90s sinker that has reached 96 MPH in shorter stints. He pairs that with a solid low-80s breaker he can manipulate as well as an upper-80s changeup with good depth. He discussed in his interview how he transitioned from being an upper-90s heater-type pitcher to focusing on pitching and utilizing his entire arsenal. Expect teams to be all over Watson. 

RHP Matthew Fisher, Evansville Memorial (IN)

Fisher made a big leap this summer and has cemented himself as one of the top prep arms in the Midwest. He’s a physical right-hander with a clean, easy delivery and a quick arm that produces a fastball up to 94 MPH with ride and subtle cut, something that’s given hitters fits up in the zone. His main secondary is a sweeper-like breaking ball in the upper 70s, but he also mixes in a firm cutter and a developing changeup that shows some tail. The full mix is legit, and he throws strikes with all of it. He’s a bit older for the class, but the combination of polish, pitchability, and raw stuff should make him a popular name for teams this summer.

RHP JB Middleton, Southern Miss

Middleton is a highly athletic right-hander who’s made a smooth transition from the bullpen to a starting role, and there’s a real shot he sticks there long term. He’s got big-time arm speed from a high slot and has been up to 98 MPH, sitting comfortably in the mid-90s with a fastball that he can manipulate for different shapes, cutting it at times, adding ride or run at others. The pitch hasn’t missed a ton of bats yet, but the raw ingredients are there. His best weapon is a sharp, gyro-style slider that creeps into the low 90s with depth and bite, and he’ll mix in a firm changeup that works against lefties. Whether he holds as a starter or ends up as a power arm out of the pen, the stuff and athleticism give him plenty of upside.

RHP Chase Shores, LSU

LOUD NOISES! That’s Chase Shore’s stuff. The LSU righty started the year in the rotation with his electric arsenal but struggled after coming back from Tommy John. He shifted to the bullpen for the Tigers where he was a multi-inning electric factory. The fastball is an absolute rocket and consistently lives in the upper 90s, with readings as high as 102 MPH. There is so much run to it and he eats hitters up with it. The mid-to-upper 80s slider is his go-to secondary, and he generates nearly 60% Whiff on the pitch. If he can improve his changeup and some of the command issues, Shores has a legit shot to be a starter at the next level. 

RHP Jacob Morrison, Coastal Carolina

Jacob Morrison was the arm I enjoyed watching the most all season, personally. You could say he isn’t a sleeper anymore because of his performance in the College World Series, but he’s still overlooked from time to time. He is an absolute competitor on the mound and pitches with a ton of fire and controlled emotion. He isn’t afraid to challenge dudes with his fastball with a ton of carry, and he can work all four quadrants of the strike zone with his entire arsenal. The FB consistently sits in the low 90s and deep into the game, and he can easily get it up to the mid-90s. The CB, with immense depth and a mid-80s CT/SL, gives him a well-rounded arsenal. The CT/SL is a legitimate out pitch. Morrison is going to make some team very happy. 

Conclusion & What to Look For

There’s no clear-cut No. 1, the board isn’t necessarily going to dictate the outcome, and the bonus pool dynamics are going to shape how teams attack it. The 2025 MLB Draft is shaping up to be one of the more unpredictable ones in recent memory.

Keep an eye on how aggressive teams are with overslot picks, who’s climbing late after strong spring and Combine showings, and which clubs lean into ceiling vs. safety. Round one will be wild, but the real fun might come on Day 2, where teams try to steal impact talent with creative pool strategy.