Mock draft 2025: the top 15 prospects in the MLB draft
For Australian baseball fans who religiously wake up before dawn to catch West Coast MLB broadcasts on Kayo Sports, July's amateur draft functions as a kind of midwinter holiday. The Australian Baseball League rolls into its All-Star break, Brisbane Bandits keep the trophy in Queensland, and MLB decision-makers gather to reshape the next decade of franchise fortunes. The 2025 class feels unusually balanced, stocked with polished college arms, toolsy prep shortstops, and a couple of generational bats who could hear their name inside the first five picks.
What separates this cycle from the last few is the depth of two-way upside at the top. Mock drafts earlier in the spring had a clear-cut number one, but as the calendar flipped to summer and Cape Cod numbers rolled in, the race tightened. Below is a look at the names most likely to crack the first round, with a focus on tools, track records, and how each player might fit the organisations hunting for both immediate help and long-term cornerstones.
| Prospect | Position | School / Club | Bats / Throws | Projected round |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brady Ebel | SS | Orange Lutheran HS, CA | L/R | 1st |
| Ethan Holiday | C | Stillwater HS, OK | R/R | 1st |
| Seth Hernandez | RHP | Corona HS, CA | R/R | 1st |
| Jamie Arnold | LHP | Florida State | L/L | 1st |
| Eli Willits | SS | Fort Cobb-Broxton HS, OK | S/R | 1st |
Ebel, Holiday, and the two-headed race for number one
Across most draft rooms, Brady Ebel of Orange Lutheran High School remains the consensus name at the top. The son of longtime coach Dino Ebel, the shortstop blends a smooth left-handed swing with above-average foot speed and the kind of defensive instincts that rarely leave a club wanting at the position. Scouts rave about his bat-to-ball skills and his capacity to stick at short, even if a move to second or centre eventually comes. The package feels safe, polished, and almost boring in its certainty, which is precisely why the Colorado Rockies are widely linked to him with the first pick.
Ethan Holiday, the younger brother of outfielder Jackson Holiday and son of former Cardinals slugger Matt Holiday, presents the more explosive alternative at the top of the board. A catcher out of Stillwater High School in Oklahoma, Holiday owns a rare combination of power, plate discipline, and receiving chops behind the dish. He has already shown the ability to drive the ball to all fields against high-level velocity, and his arm grades as a 70 on the 20-80 scale. The only real concern is whether he stays behind the plate or eventually slides to a corner, but for a team like the Washington Nationals, the upside at number two is hard to pass up.
College arms flying up draft boards
Once teams get past the headliners, the pool of starting pitching talent is as deep as any in recent memory. Florida State left-hander Jamie Arnold leads the college arms after a dominant ACC spring in which he punched out more than a hundred hitters and walked fewer than twenty. His fastball sits in the mid-90s with late life, and his slider has become a true out pitch. The Pittsburgh Pirates, picking third, are said to be smitten, though they could pivot to a college bat if a team like the Athletics jumps ahead with an aggressive offer.
Behind Arnold, right-hander Tyler Bremner out of UC Santa Barbara and Tennessee Volunteers ace Brayden Cunningham have both built first-round résumés with strikeout-heavy arsenals. Bremner features a sweeping slider that generates a 40 percent whiff rate, while Cunningham pairs a 97 mph four-seamer with a knuckle curve that buckles knees. Both pitchers could slide into the back end of the top ten, and either would represent a sensible target for clubs like the Angels or Brewers looking for a high-floor starter.
Prep bats with star-level ceilings
High school position players dominate the top of any mock draft, and 2025 is no different. Beyond Holiday, the most intriguing prep bat is outfielder Cooper Henson from Loganville, Georgia, whose combination of bat speed and raw power has drawn comparisons to a young Aaron Judge. Standing six foot four with room for more muscle, Henson is still refining his approach, but the swing is short, the barrel is lightning-quick, and the arm in right field already plays as a 65. He could go as high as seventh overall if a club like the Miami Marlins wants to add thump to a thin outfield pipeline.
Just behind Henson, infielder Jackson Smith from Texas and catcher Brooks Blalock from Mississippi offer different flavours of upside. Smith is a twitchy athlete who can play short but may end up as an offensive second baseman, while Blalock pairs plus raw power with average defence and a strong arm. For fans across Australia who follow Brisbane Bandits games at Redcliffe or watch Melbourne Aces highlights, these are the kinds of names that often fly under the radar until they debut and look familiar.
Infielders who profile as everyday players
The middle infield crop goes well beyond the first round. Texas A&M shortstop Easton Carmichael, LSU second baseman Zach Parpa, and Tennessee third baseman Chris Cooley headline a deep group of college infielders who project as everyday players at the next level. Carmichael brings plus speed and a contact-oriented swing that should let him hit near the top of any batting order, while Parpa pairs a patient approach with gap power and reliable glove work. Cooley offers the most thump of the trio, with a swing geared to drive the ball into the gaps and 20-home-run upside at the hot corner.
For scouting departments in need of a slick-fielding utility type, Vanderbilt's Javier Rivas is the prototype. His bat will probably never profile as more than average, but his hands, instincts, and arm give him a floor as a premium defender who can play second, short, and third. In a draft short on sure things, players like Rivas drift into the second round, where clubs with strong player-development staffs can polish them into roster regulars.
Outfield depth and defensive upside
Outfield is the deepest category in this class, with at least a dozen names worthy of top-three-round consideration. Tennessee's Cam Cannarella is the prototypical lead-off hitter, a plus runner with a strong arm and the kind of on-base instincts that thrive at the top of an order. Ole Miss's Dakota Bridges offers more thump, with above-average raw strength and a swing geared to launch, while Indiana's Marcus Johnson Jr. combines both: speed, power, and centre-field range that grades as a 70 tool. For clubs picking in the middle of round one, any of the three would be a sensible target.
The Australian connection remains subtle but growing, with several ABL alums catching the eye of cross-Pacific scouts. Clubs often track the Brisbane Bandits and Perth Heat farm systems for late-round fliers, and the league's partnership with MLB gives rising regional talent a steady stream of footage. A name to remember down the line is left-handed outfielder Jack Piraino, an Adelaide product currently starring for Team Australia at the U-18 level.
Sleepers, late-round targets, and the Aussies to watch
Every draft class carries its share of second- and third-round sleepers, and 2025 is no different. Missouri State right-hander Gabe Cornwell has a mid-90s sinker with heavy arm-side run that induces plenty of ground balls, while Georgia Tech catcher Zach Voda pairs average defence with a patient approach and sneaky pop. Both could sneak into the top forty picks and develop into rotation pieces or everyday catchers within a couple of seasons.
The cross-Pacific pipeline continues to grow, and Australian players have never been more visible on draft boards. Liam Hendriks, Ryan Rowland-Smith, and Liam McArthur all came through ABL clubs before pitching in the majors, and the league's expansion into Perth, Sydney, and Brisbane has created more opportunities than ever. For clubs looking for late-round lottery tickets, scouts frequently drop into ABL broadcasts on Fox Sports or stream highlights to evaluate emerging arms like Canberra right-hander Blake Ginn, whose fastball recently touched 96 mph in a relief appearance.
Putting it all together, a realistic first-round mock draft starts with Ebel to Colorado at one and Holiday to Washington at two. Pittsburgh, picking third, has a choice between Arnold and a college bat, but with the need for a frontline starter, the smart money lands on the Florida State left-hander. The Athletics, picking fourth, could pivot to a high school bat, with Seth Hernandez sliding into the picture as a polished prep arm from Corona, California. By the time the draft reaches the middle teens, expect a run on athletic prep shortstops, college catchers, and bullpen help for contenders.
For fans tuning in from Melbourne, Sydney, or Perth, the draft often streams in the late morning or early afternoon, which makes it one of the few MLB off-field events that fits comfortably into Australian schedules. Sites like Say It Again Network carry rolling coverage of every pick, while broader sports newsrooms such as the SIA Network NBA hub handle league-by-league breakdowns across the calendar. Readers who also follow the Premier League can find similar breakdowns on Alan Shearer's career goals, and fans interested in the wider baseball community can check out the events calendar for showcases and amateur tournaments.