2025 Prospects Big Board

Arnold sits in the mid 90s on his fastball from a 4.4’ release height while getting elite extension. It’s a 2-seam shape, but he’s able to get whiffs with it to all quadrants. His slider is potentially more attractive, getting 11.6” of sweep and lift, drawing a 42% whiff rate and landing the pitch for strike. He threw an upper 80s change-up in 2024, which was a contact pitch for him, but he added a splitter at driveline over the off-season thats had up to 8” of depth. He’ll be even better this year than he was last year stuff wise, and may find himself in the 1-1 conversation when it’s all said and done.

Houston has elite shortstop actions and is a plus athlete who figures to stick at the position for decades to come. Offensively it's an extreme hit over power (think Jacob Wilson), with his whiff rates at 14% and 7.4% in-zone. There’s not much chase to speak of here, with the approach skewing slightly towards passivity. There was no power to speak of in 2024, with a <105 mph max EV and <85 mph average EV. Additionally there was a ton of variance in his batted ball spray, which is concerning for projecting BABIP on an already limited power producer. Guys like Wilson and Isaac Paredes have found success in selling out to get to the pull-side, producing power beyond their EVs , which is the next frontier for Houston pending 35-grade or better raw power. The defense is good enough to be a carrying tool for me.

Quick was great for Alabama as a freshman in 2023, sitting 95 mph on his fastball while flashing solid change-up and slider profiles. He threw just 3 innings in 2024 due to an elbow injury, and eventual surgery, but has been up to 99 mph so far this spring. If things fall into place for Quick this spring there’s very much a day 1 pick upside for him.

Kilen doesn’t whiff, just 15.7% overall and 7% in the strike zone, but has historically had issues with chases. The approach is extremely aggressive and has hindered his batted ball profiles at times, though he did a great job of limiting the variance last spring. There’s power, and barrel skills in here, enough to project that he’ll produce power at an above-average level moving forward. There’s a shortstop in here, but he may be best suited to play 2B long term.

The MAAC, where he played in 2024, power rates as the weakest D1 conference, making his numbers less impressive when adjusted to be competition-neutral. The launch angles in themselves were unimpressive, 6-degree average and 11 on his hard hits, but the distribution was above-average which displays barrel feel. There’s power here with more to come, which is apparent in his exit velocity profile (110.6 max EV, 90 mph average EV). His whiff numbers were stable in themselves, with 10.5% whiffs in-zone and 18.4% overall. My questions start with why exactly he’s chasing at near-30% at such a low level of competition, and move to his track record when facing LHPs and spin, the prior of which was a major red flag. I’m in on the performance this summer, though. Hitting .385 on the Cape is no easy feat, and he should be rewarded for it, but it can’t be the only factor you consider. Pending a great spring there’s first round traits in here.

Bremner is an elite mover on the mound, getting up to 98 mph despite standing just 6 '2 190. He throws a 70-grade change-up at 84 mph with 19.3” of arm-side run, drawing both whiffs and chase on the pitch. He throws a short slider for strikes in the upper-80s, which is a nice compliment to his FF. It’s a loud 3-pitch mix, with a wiry athlete who maintains an element of projection. Bremner will have a chance to prove that he’s the best arm in the class, and will almost surely find his way into a top-10 selection in July.

Since being picked in the 18th round pick by the Diamondbacks in 2022, Arquette has done nothing but get better and better. In 2024 he tore up the PAC-12 with the Washington Huskies on the way to All Conference honors. It’s a big bodied, athletic, 3B profile along the DJ LeMahieu lines. There’s plus raw power and an ability to loft the baseball that will bring HRs and XBHs. 113 max EV and 107 mph 90th EV with a 27.5% barrel rate are all top-end metrics. You’re getting 55 bat-to-ball skills with him as well, whiffing at 20% and just 13.6% in-zone. The approach here is slightly aggressive, though he still makes good swing decisions (45% Z-Swing-Chase%). There’s been some struggles for him against velocity as well as a contact quality issue against breaking balls which likely originates from the fact that he simply doesn’t whiff and is going to put poor offerings in play at times, but neither is a major red flag.

The next big-time bat out of the Tennessee program, Curley has a chance to make it 3 years in a row with a Vol selected in the top-10. It’s really a full package offensively: Power, swing decisions, bat-to-ball skills, hammers velocity and breaking stuff. You’re looking at a player who had a 10% zone whiff, 111 mph max EV, with both his chase rates and whiff rate <20% while playing in the SEC. He’s got the ability to loft the baseball, especially to his pull-side, with a 17.6 LA on his hard-hits, which is reflected in a 19.5% barrel rate. My concern here is that his xwOBAcon and Avg LA numbers tank when facing high-velocity, with his approach being to sell out for contact. I know he’s got the skill set to get his bat head around and do damage, and I’d love to see him put it into practice this year. His body-type is very reminiscent of his former teammate Christian Moore, but Dean has a better arm and figures to play 3B at the next level.

Witherspoon can run the fastball up to 99 mph, while sitting in the 94-97 range. His slider is his go to secondary pitch. He has feel for the pitch and throws it at 85 mph with 2” of lift and 4” of glove-side. His change-up is thrown in the upper 80s, and can get into the low 90s, but the shape is poor. He throws a cutter as well in limited samples. The mix seems a bit incomplete and he’s not an outstanding mover, but the stuff plays on its own. He may not be a starter in pro ball, but there’s upside in there as a reliever.

The front line tool here is the power, which is plus. He had a 114 mph max EV and 107.5 mph 90th EV, enabled by high-end bat speed. His launch angle profile is one of the best in the nation, with a 15.8 average LA and 17.9 HH-LA to go with plus LA distributions point towards a guy who will consistently run a high BABIP. The hit tool has a couple glaring flaws, including a near-30% whiffs (20% in-zone), a 33.2% chase rate and 51.2% swing rate. I think a lot of good would be done if he simply swung less, which is theoretically a simple coaching point, but easier said than done. I think the fact that he was able to produce at such a high level and limit Ks, relatively speaking, while clearing the previously mentioned hit tool hurdles speaks to the talent level on a broader scale. His Cape Cod performance did a lot to help my confidence level, where he actually outperformed his spring while posting encouraging batted ball metrics.

In a similar fashion to Texas CF Jared Thomas from last year, Summerhill is an easy player to project more power on. Though the present power is slightly lagging (109.5 mph max EV), it’s easy to envision a power surge about 15 pounds from now. He should play CF this year, and through the beginning of his professional career, but his ultimate home is likely in a corner-OF spot, which he’ll play very well. He doesn’t whiff, <10% in-zone and 14.2% overall with the swing decisions to match (51.1% Z-swing-Chase%). Right now it’s a plus or better hit tool, above-average barrel accuracy, and line-drive hitter profile who will likely grow into power sometime in the next 3 years.

Forbes works primarily with a power fastball, touching 97 mph and sitting in the mid 90s. The secondaries here are promising, the first of which is a SL at 79 mph with 13.2” of sweep. He’ll need to throw it harder to be viable in pro ball, though and can afford to trade some movement to get there. The change-up looks great in a small sample, sitting at 87 mph and getting 17.3” of glove-side. The fastball will always play, especially from a 5.3’ release. Still raw on the mound as a newly converted two-way, but the upside is very strong.

Anderson has a quality fastball shape with 20” of carry in the mid-90s from the left side. He was heavy on the fastball in 2024, but mixed in a banger curveball in the high-70s along with a mid-80s change-up with arm-side run. He mixed in a slider with depth and 17.3” of sweep at 80 mph in a small sample, and I’d love to see more of the pitch in 2025. The delivery, body type, and spin traits are all plus. The ingredients for a big league starter are here.

Laviolette is a 60 runner who played CF for the Aggies in 2024 at a league average level, and will get a chance to play CF in pro-ball but likely lands in the corner-OF when it’s all said and done. 6’ 6” 230 is tough to project in the OF, but he’s got the athleticism to make it work. The offensive profile is well rounded with thump and feel to hit. It’s average barrel accuracy, but his max EV was 115.7 mph, his 90th EV was 109 mph and he had a 65% HH rate to match a 95.5 mph average EV. The swing plane is geared to loft, reflected in a 22.6 degree average LA and 28.8 on his HH balls. There’s plus swing decisions here, a 47.8% Z-Swing-Chase% and swing rate <40% are both encouraging. Bat-to-ball skills skew towards the wrong side of average, his 20% in-zone swing is elevated, and a 27.3% whiff rate is slightly suppressed. There are near-40% whiffs on pitches 92 mph or harder up in the zone which will become a factor at some point.

Doyle’s fastball is one of the best in the class. Sitting in the low 90s, touching 96, with 20” of vertical break. He drew 34.6% whiffs and 30% on the pitch. In addition to the fastball, he mixes a slider in the mid 80s and a short change-up at 82 mph. The change-up is the better of the two, as his feel for the slider is still a work in progress.

A personal favorite of mine, Lodise is going to play a great shortstop for the Noles this spring. He’s got the arm, actions, and athletic ability to play SS at an above-average level for years to come. The bat is power first, with a 110.2 mph max EV and 106 mph 90th EV. He’s got a 26.2% barrel rate with a plus launch angle profile, allowing a .358 xwOBAcon. He’s very aggressive, swinging over half of the time, but has done well limiting whiffs. There’s going to be a Ks, but with the positional value and power production you’ll live with it.

Fischer is one of the more complete hitters in this class. He’s got a ton of bat speed and produces plus power, running a 113 mph max EV and 106.5 mph 90th EV. There’s easy loft, getting a 21.8 degree HH LA. His hit tool is strong-average, if not better, with both his swing decisions and bat-to-ball numbers profiling well despite an inflated K rate. While he ran into some issues on the Cape this summer, his contact quality was some of the best of any player there. Fischer projects as a long-term 3B option for me, though there’s been some debate on that.

Shores has thrown just 18.1 innings since arriving on campus at LSU due to a Tommy John surgery in April 2023. He’s a player who had significant draft attention out of high school, and for good reason. In limited time for the Tigers he’s flashed 3 plus offerings, and averaged 96.8 mph on his fastball. If he’s healthy, the sky’s the limit.

Belyeu had second round grades coming out of high school, and has lived up to that standard so far. He’s got plus raw power, posting a 113 mph max EV, and has above-average bat-to-ball skills. He’s got some chase to his game, but it hasn’t led to a concerning K rate. He has had some of the best contact quality in the nation during his college career, posting a .426 xwOBAcon in 2024. He’ll play a corner OF spot at an average or better level in pro ball.

Stevenson has a plus arm and is a great athlete, but is still not quite there as a receiver. He should play as an average catcher moving forward. The impact with the bat is very encouraging, posting a 112.2 Max EV , 106.4 90th percentile EV to match a .350 xwWOBAcon. There’s an obvious feel to loft the baseball and he will get to his power. I’m a big fan of his swing decisions as well, his chase rate is 20.5%, swings at pitches in the zone 63% of the time and overall very selective with his swings. He’s had problems handling spin, an issue that I anticipate will be a trend throughout his career.

Compton was amazing on the Cape this summer, slashing .331/.414/.489 with 6 HRs in 38 games. The contact quality and bat speed were both on full display during that stint as well. At Arizona State in 2024, Compton was more of the same. While the exit velocities don’t stand out, the quality of his contact was high level. He put up a .406 xwOBAcon, with his launch angle profile concentrated near 12 degrees. It’s consistent line-drives right now, with an ability to loft the baseball at times, as shown on the Cape. The hit tool is average, and he will whiff a bit, but that’s more of an approach issue than anything else.

An Indiana product, Taylor is as well rounded as it gets. He’s got a >110 mph max EV, near-plus launch angle distributions, and a .407 xwOBA on contact. He hits the ball in the air, and figures to be a 20 HR guy in the big leagues. His approach in the box is sound, swinging at strike while limiting his chases and has bat-to-ball skills that make the profile work as a whole. The biggest knock on him is that you get what you get, he’s a smaller guy and has gotten near his physical ceiling at this point. He’ll play average defense at a corner spot, but won’t wow you defensively. There’s value in stability, which Taylor exemplifies, while still offering premium production. There’s a role for guys like this in every MLB roster.

Irish was a relevant draft name out of high school, but chose to attend Auburn and has been great for the Tigers thus far. Irish has a knack for getting the bat on the baseball, whiffing at just 20.7%, and makes quality swing decisions with a 50% Z-Swing-Chase%. There’s plus raw power here, with a 112 mph max EV, and he’s been able to produce SLG to some degree in college. I take issue with 20-grade launch profiles, though. You’re looking at a 5.1 degree average LA, in addition to one of the worst distributions in the country. The BABIP will lag, and the power production likely will as well, but the baseline skillset works.

Root has potentially one of the best arsenals in the class, but the projection here is relatively limited. He’s a secondaries first arm, and throws 4 of them average or better (Change-up, Curveball, Cutter, Slider). Best of the bunch is his curveball, 2-plane shape at 79 mph with -55” of depth drew a 48% whiff ratewith a .057 xwOBA against in 2024. Cutter and Slider profile near each other with about an inch of horizontal separation and 4” of vertical separation, but both drew strong whiff rates and BIP results. Strong pronator with a 2-seam fastball and change-up, both carry significant arm-side profiles. Root will be a part of the potential best rotation in the country with Landon Beidelschies and Gabe Gaeckle.

Cannarella is a top of the scale runner with an above-average arm and projects to play plus CF defense. The body is still wiry and athletic with minimal strength, and the power has yet to come on in full. He’s a gap-to-gap guy with some pull-side authority, but could mature into more physicality. The bat-to-ball skills are of the best in the class, with a 17.8% whiff rate, 8.5% in-zone, coming against ACC competition. There’s some injury track record, notably a labrum surgery last summer that may act as a hurdle to clear early in the year for him.

After a great freshman season at South Carolina there were 1-1 expectations on Petry, which may have been a bit premature. There’s a long history of performance, including a Cape Code League MVP award in 2024, but the whiffs have always been an issue. Petry’s a 35.4% whiff guy who K’d at 25.5% in 2024, with issues coming against velocity and spin. There’s power and feel for the strike-zone, but the profile looks to be 1B long term which limits my ability to be forgiving on the hit tool.

Dickerson was a 20th round pick by the Twins out of high school in 2022, but ellected to attend Louisville. After missing his freshman season, in 2024 Dickerson had a down year preformace wise but displayed his signature hit tool in the 22 games he played. The drawback last year was contact quality, where the EVs lagged with there being some issues with putting the ball in the air with authority. During the first weekend of the 2025 season, Dickerson hit 2 balls >115 mph (116.8, 116.0), which indicates that the thump may come on this year.

I like Godbouts glove at 2B and think he can play 55 defense there. The arm is closer to average, but the actions are solid. He’s got double-plus bat-to-ball skills, whiffing <15%, and makes great swing decisions as well. The power is better than he gets credit for, with a max EV of 110 mph. There’s some variance in his launch angle distributions, and his barrel rate is lower than you might anticipate, but on the aggregate he puts the ball in the air with authority frequently enough that he’ll project as a 15 HR guy, but there’s a world in which he taps into more power moving forward.

Neville has elite contact quality, posting a .512 xwOBAcon in 2024 to go with an elite launch angle profile. He does the bulk of his damage in the air and has relatively no variance in his batted ball spray. The power is strong, with a 97 mph average EV and a 111.2 mph max, grading as plus. He rarely chases and has consistently shown above-average swing decisions. An issue going back to his prep days has been whiffs, with a 32.3% whiff rate in 2024 presenting red flags. The K rate was high, but it’s a sweet LH stroke, a great athlete and defender, with power and solid swing decisions. He’ll need to show improvements this year, but all the traits are here.

Graham sat 94 mph on his fastball in 2024, touching 98.2 mph, from a 5.8’ release height. The best secondary is a big sweeper at 82 mph that has depth and works 14” to his glove side. Graham drew 28.7% whiffs on the pitch. He throws a cutter and change-up both <10% usage. The cutter is thrown at 90 mph and had 10” vertical, 1.5” horizontal. Graham threw his change-up exclusively to left-handed hitters in 2024 and struggled to limit damage on the pitch, which is representative of an overarching issue for him facing left-handed hitters. The shape is really good, averaging at 85 mph while killing vertical and getting 17.3” of arm-side run. Over the summer he added a 5th pitch curveball with -18” of vertical break and 9” of sweep at 81.5 mph. With Graham, you’re getting a great collection of traits with athleticism and 5 distinct pitch types, all of which are average or better offerings. The key here will be the command, which has been up and down.

Ford looks to be the next big-time hitter from the Virginia program, and has the skillset to do so. His approach is on the aggressive end, which shows up in a near-30% chase rate. Ford has enough power to profile well at a corner-OF spot, with a 112.4 max EV. There’s a lot of hard contact, and the bulk of it coming in the air, which is a positive sign for his future production level. There’s a bit of out-of-zone whiff here that may become an issue at some point, but it hasn’t acted against him to this point.

Phillips spent the past two years as a reliever for the Vols but has transitioned to a starting role this season without missing a beat. He’s run his fastball up to 100 mph, sitting 97, with 14” of carry and 8” of arm-side run. His above-average extension and low release height help him achieve a -3.50 VAA to the top third, though he continues to work down in the zone, giving him one of the highest VAA residuals in the country, indicating a significantly steeper average VAA than expected. His slider sits at 87 mph with lift and 8” of sweep, generating whiffs at a 45.8% clip while holding opponents to a .105 xwOBA (.038 on contact). His changeup functions more like a splinker, averaging 92 mph (touching 95) with 1” of lift and 15.2” of arm-side run. He’s thrown it just 12 times this season, but in a larger sample, it has the potential to be a plus or better offering. If Phillips continues to impress as a starter, the sky's the limit for him draft wise.

Sitting in the low-90s with 18” of carry from a low slot, Thompson has already seen amazing results on the four-seamer with more to come pending a velocity bump. His best secondary pitch is his slider, which he throws at 80 mph with 7” of sweep. He drew 35% whiffs and 35% chases on the offering, while limiting hard contact. He also throws a 2-plane CB, which has been a solid whiff pitch, and a change-up at 13.1% usage. It’s a smaller frame, but still room for 15 pounds.

Kepley has a sublime feel to hit, posting a <10% whiff rate in 2024 with the Liberty Flames. The chase rate is plus at 14.8%, but I’d be fine with it coming up. He’s overly passive in his approach, which may get taken advantage of in the ACC. Kepley has not done much damage, and is a line-drive hitter with minimal power (106 max EV). Added strength and selling out for pull-side fly balls to manufacture damage will likely be the path forward here.

Austin is a great runner, and athletic enough to play almost anywhere on the diamond. I’m a fan of him at 2B, but he could have a chance in CF. The approach is sound, with minimal whiff to his game. He’ll chase a bit, but the swing decisions are still strong-average. He put up a 111 mph max EV with a .325 xwOBAcon and a 22.6% barrel rate, showing that the power output will likely be a tick above average. The launch angles are just alright, and it’s more gap to gap right now, but he’s shown the ability to loft. Always willing to take a bet on an SEC performer with this level of athleticism.

Leiter will not pitch for Florida State in 2025 due to injury, but a healthy Cam Leiter is the best pitcher in the class for my money, with 3 plus or better off-speed offerings He sat 96 mph, touching 99 mph, in 2024. He’s throwing it with an almost directly over-the-top arm path to a 5.8’ release height with plus extension at 6.7’. The extension and velocity combination has allowed the pitch to play beyond his 15”/8.5” shape, drawing a 29.8% swing-miss rate (28% in-zone) with 24.6% chase. The slider here may be the best in the class. It’s 87 mph with 2” of lift and 6” of glove-side. The results are elite, drawing chases at a 51% clip with a 64% whiff rate. His second breaking ball is a downer Curveball thrown at 80.3 mph with -60” of depth and -10” of sweep. The pitch has been viable to both Righties and Lefties for him, drawing a 41% whiff rate, but the chase here is minimal. Like with both his slider and curveball, the change-up draws a near-elite amount of whiffs at 44.5%.

Wood is a low slot right hander who threw his fastball more than 4 times as much as any other pitch in 2024. He sat 94 mph, getting average shape on it. His best mid-80s slider with depth and 6” of sweep has been solid for him, but I like his banger 2-plane curveball better. There’s a change-up shape in here as well, but he threw it just 5.3% of the time.

Hard thrower, ultra-athletic, and fast mover, though there are some present mechanical flaws to address. Fastball drew 31.9% whiffs in 2024, averaging 94.5 mph and up to 100 mph. He’s got average carry from a high release height with above-average extension, but is able to generate advantageous vertical approach angles, and as a result whiffs up in the zone. Slider results have been very poor, drawing just 14.3% whiffs without an above-average chase rate. The shape isn’t inherently poor (0.5” vertical, -4” horizontal), but is not notable either. I’d like to see him commit to a velocity-first approach here (average >88 mph) without much regard for what the shape turns into, throw it hard and results will tend to follow. I’m a big fan of the curveball, which is a 2-plane banger. Sits 81 mph with a plus movement profile and generated 36.4% whiffs and elite batted ball outcomes.

Jimenez has played a great shortstop for UCF this season and profiles to stick at the position long term, projecting as above-average. The bat is solid; he rarely whiffs in-zone and is posting chase and whiff numbers in the 20% range. There’s average power, with a 110 mph max EV, and he’s doing damage in the air. The issue here is vs. change-ups, where he’s whiffing at a 58% clip with a .206 wOBA.

Scott is a massive RHP, sitting 92-96 and touching 98 mph with plus carry. He throws a bullet slider in the upper-80s, which has been a great whiff offering for him, while also limiting hard contact. He’s thrown a splitter going back to his prep days, which is his best pitch. He throws it at 82 mph with 2.4” of vertical and 4.6” of arm-side, drawing both whiffs and chase at an elite level. He's done a lot of work this fall with pitching trainer Cam Lanzilli to fill out his arsenal, and will come out with a kick-change and a sweeper this spring.

Silva’s shortstop defense is plus and a carrying tool in a vacuum. He’s got great instincts and lateral quickness, but the arm is average. I have the hit tool graded as above-average, he rarely whiffs (13.6% in-zone, 20.5% overall) and makes quality swing decisions. The power ticked up in 2024, 110.3 mph Max EV, but he’s struggled to get to it. There’s a world in which you have an above-average offensive producer and true everyday SS, which is a great profile to have in your organization.