Perfect MLB Draft Fits for the AL West

In the last few MLB seasons, the American League West has been dominated repeatedly by the Houston Astros. However, starting with the Rangers’ World Series victory back in 2023, this division has become more up for grabs than we’ve seen it lately.

This year’s MLB Draft should only further the talent in this division, as the AL West will walk away as one of the more loaded divisions in terms of its picks. They possess two picks inside the top five, as well as four selections inside the top 15 picks.

Given the division’s large number of picks early in the first round, it should be able to find plenty of talent to welcome to their farm systems. So, let’s dive in and see what some of these pairings could look like in July following the MLB Draft.

Los Angeles Angels: Pick #2

Mock Pick: Aiva Arquette, SS (Oregon State)

Why It Makes Sense

Over the past few seasons, a clear theme has developed when it comes to the Angels and how they draft: They take the player who they feel can get to the MLB level as fast as possible.

In 2025, the best possible fit for them in this mold is Oregon State shortstop Aiva Arquette. Arquette has one of the more complete games in the entire draft, flashing elite tools on every side of the baseball. Most notably, he’s flashed some very good pop, which includes some impressive exit velocities alongside 17 homers this season.

Arquette, a Hawaii native, looks like he can easily remain at shortstop as he continues to work up through the minors, which, knowing the Angels, may not be very long at all.

He has really polished his game this year, becoming one of the more well-rounded hitters in this year’s class. If the Angels continue their trend of the last few years, Arquette makes perfect sense here for the club.

Other Potential Fits

The Angels are one of the harder teams to predict in this year’s draft, given their particular style and approach. With the early part of this year’s class being more prep-heavy, we may see them take a high schooler for the first time since 2018. If they go this route, Eli Willits could be a good fit.

Willits is one of the few switch-hitters at the prep level we’ve seen be this good in a while, as he has a legitimate chance to hit from both sides at the next level. He has flown under the radar during the buildup to this year’s draft, as he has a serious chance to be the top high school prospect selected.

Willits has a very good hit tool, as he’s shown the ability to drive the ball with authority to all fields. His power is still a work in progress, but as he continues to grow into his body, this should come along as well. He’s a slick defender at shortstop and has the ability to field balls deep in the gaps.

While Arquette appears to almost perfectly fit the Angels’ mold, it’s still possible they take a prep prospect inside the first round. If they do, it’ll make sense for Willits to be their choice, as his overall offensive profile is further along than other top high school hitters.

Seattle Mariners: Pick #3

Mock Pick: Seth Hernandez, SP (High School)

Why It Makes Sense

If there’s one thing the Seattle Mariners excel at, it’s developing prep prospects, as they’ve gone the high school route for seven of their last ten first-round picks. They’ve also done an incredible job at developing arms, as the team currently possesses arguably baseball’s best rotation (when everyone is healthy).

If this year’s draft goes to plan, the Mariners could add to both of these areas, selecting righty Seth Hernandez with their first pick. Despite being just 18 years old, Hernandez already has a case to be the most polished arm in the class, something we don’t often see from prep-level arms.

Hernandez’s fastball is the pitch that stands out the most when watching him, as he’s been seen hitting triple-digits with the pitch this spring! He also throws one of the best changeups in the class, allowing him to create a devastating one-two punch. This pairs well with his slider and curveball, two pitches that help create even more deception for opposing hitters.

The Mariners have been known for helping their arms discover their full potential, and with Hernandez’s breaking balls still needing some work, this could result in one of the more dangerous pairings in the first round.

Other Potential Fits

As I established with Hernandez, the Mariners have shown a knack for developing high-end prep prospects. If they choose to go with someone other than Hernandez, it’s hard to imagine them looking anywhere outside of Ethan Holliday or Eli Willits.

The Seattle Mariners have the largest bonus pool of anyone in this year’s draft, giving them the ability to go over slot with their first pick. In this scenario, Ethan Holliday could make the most sense, since he’s going to be the more expensive of the two options.

Holliday possesses elite power, giving him an offensive profile the Mariners could dream on. He’s been able to drive the ball over the wall to all fields, something the Mariners could always use more of.

His plate discipline is a work in progress, but it can certainly be ironed out once he’s in professional baseball. He’s likely to end up at third base, which works out for the Mariners, given their stash of middle infield prospects.

So, Holliday makes a lot of sense to me for the Mariners if they opt to go a different route than Seth Hernandez.

Athletics: Pick #11

Mock Pick: Gavin Kilen, 2B (Tennessee)

Why It Makes Sense

Over the last couple of seasons, the Athletics have focused on college talent, aiming for prospects who can make an impact sooner rather than later. With their first pick, the player who best fits this mold is Tennessee second baseman Gavin Kilen.

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. Knowing how the Athletics draft, this is the exact profile they could be looking for.

Kilen possesses some great plate discipline skills in addition to flashing elite raw power. This season, he’s hit 15 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.

With questions surrounding how reliable Zack Gelof will be in the future, Kilen will become an even more attractive option to the A’s as the draft inches closer and closer.

Other Potential Fits

When looking at the Athletics’ system, the one area where they seem to be lacking depth-wise is pitching. While most teams don’t draft for positional needs in the first round, this is something the A’s are likely thinking about heading into the draft. If they’re searching for a college arm to match their fast-riser profile, lefty Liam Doyle could be an excellent option.

Doyle’s fastball is arguably the best heater in the class, given its profile, which is hard to find a comparison for. The pitch has gotten over 20 inches of vertical break, and when coming from his sidearm slot, it becomes incredibly difficult to hit.

The rest of his arsenal is more of a work in progress, with his slider, splitter, and cutter all flashing the promise to be elite pitches. With Doyle’s unicorn fastball, he’s been able to get away with predominantly using it. However, in professional baseball, this will likely change.

Doyle has pitched himself into being a premier arm in this year’s class. If the Athletics are looking for a potential ace of the future, look no further than Liam Doyle.

Texas Rangers: Pick #12

Mock Pick: Liam Doyle, LHP (Tennessee)

Why It Makes Sense

The Rangers have flip-flopped between pitchers and hitters during their last few drafts, but our draft team thinks the Rangers will go with a pitcher this year. Around the Rangers’ first-round pick, there are too many polished arms to pass up on, and we think Liam Doyle will eventually be their choice.

As I touched on with Doyle in the Athletics portion, his fastball is unmatched. It’s not only the best heater at the college level, but it’s arguably the most valuable pitch in all of college baseball.

His secondaries will need work, as I touched on in Doyle’s section with the A’s. However, the Rangers have gotten better and better at developing high-end arms, and Doyle could be their next project.

Other Potential Fits

If the Rangers are looking for a hitter, it would be wise to capitalize on the number of high-end prep prospects who could be available around their selection. The Rangers should have a couple of options available, but shortstop Kayson Cunningham could make perfect sense for this selection.

Cunningham’s top tools consist of his hit tool and his eye at the plate. Both of these are phenomenal, and they project to carry over into the big leagues. Not many prep prospects in this year’s class know the strike zone better than Cunningham, as he doesn’t expand the zone often.

As he currently stands, Cunningham won’t project for much power, however, this won’t affect his offensive profile much. He still flashes some pop, but it’ll come more in the form of doubles and triples instead of homers.

He’s incredibly fast and smooth in the field, which will help out his profile even more. With this being the case, Cunningham can stick at shortstop – and use his speed to stretch some of his batted balls into extra-base hits.

If the Rangers are looking for a prep bat capable of doing damage, Kayson Cunningham could be the perfect answer.

Houston Astros: Pick #21

Mock Pick: Brendan Summerhill, OF (Arizona)

Why It Makes Sense

After dealing away Kyle Tucker this offseason, the Houston Astros will be searching for a player to replace his production and help the team offensively in a big way. With the 21st pick in the draft, the Astros may have a chance to do this with one of the best hitters in the class, Brendan Summerhill.

Summerhill’s calling card is his ability to make contact regularly. Before an injury sidelined him for a large portion of the season, he was one of the best pure hitters in the country, as his OBP sat at .500! While this will certainly be unsustainable in professional baseball, it helps us get an idea of the hitter he truly is.

Given the ballpark dimensions in Houston, Summerhill’s power could get the boost it needs to become truly elite. However, he’ll still need some development in this part of his game. He’ll likely stick in a corner outfield position, which is perfect for what the Astros need.

Overall, if it happens, this pairing is one of the best potential fits in this year’s draft.

Other Potential Fits

If the Houston Astros decide to look on the prep side of things to find their next impact hitter, the perfect answer may come in third baseman Xavier Neyens.

Neyens has some of the most electric power you’ll find in this year’s prep class, as his bat can stack up to the likes of Ethan Holliday in some areas. He also maintains a pretty patient approach, as he has no problem waiting for his pitch to hit.

He doesn’t sacrifice bat-to-ball skills in the process either, giving him the rare combination of power, contact, and discipline from a young age. This combination alone is incredibly exciting, as it gives scouts a profile to dream on.

Defensively, he could stick at third base, although he has some work to do before he’s considered one of the best defenders in the class. However, his glove is serviceable, giving his stock a slight boost.

Neyens could be another perfect fit for the Astros, as his offensive profile is one of the best among this year’s group of prep prospects.