2025 MLB Draft Room ~ Thread, Mocks, Discussion, Draft Boards

[craviduce]

Gavin Kilen still out of the Tennessee lineup. 2nd straight weekend (Hamstring)

Dean Curley has struggled quite a bit with Kilen out of the lineup....they are a potent 1/2 punch to lead off a game.

[Alex Reyes Cy Young]

Saw where Baseball America said this draft was very deep. Would love to see the Cards make some deals to acquire additional picks for Bloom and his team to pick some talent

again, I couldn't agree more. It's nice having a pick in the 50's again (first time since 2022), but I would love one of those Competitive Balance/Compensation rounds picks tween the 1st and 2nd round.

Yep, that and more IFA pool money.

definitely more IFA pool money. I want a big splash this year. Top 5 or Top 10 signee.

Me like!

Thoughts on the new staff coming in and taking over the draft (or at least from the outside looking in seems to be)? Any differences?

Tampa seems to follow a model of going after the best shortstops available throughout the draft or pitching, at least that's the way I recall it. Even Staats and Anderson (Rays announcers) would state that throughout the season in years past. I've been watching them for ~6 years so that far back....

I guess what I am saying I wouldn't be surprised if they drafted a SS or pitcher.

[craviduce]

Saw where Baseball America said this draft was very deep. Would love to see the Cards make some deals to acquire additional picks for Bloom and his team to pick some talent

again, I couldn't agree more. It's nice having a pick in the 50's again (first time since 2022), but I would love one of those Competitive Balance/Compensation rounds picks tween the 1st and 2nd round.

Yep, that and more IFA pool money.

definitely more IFA pool money. I want a big splash this year. Top 5 or Top 10 signee.

Me like!

Thoughts on the new staff coming in and taking over the draft (or at least from the outside looking in seems to be)? Any differences?

Tampa seems to follow a model of going after the best shortstops available throughout the draft or pitching, at least that's the way I recall it. Even Staats and Anderson (Rays announcers) would state that throughout the season in years past. I've been watching them for ~6 years so that far back....

I guess what I am saying I wouldn't be surprised if they drafted a SS or pitcher.

likely pick a HS player....hopefully a HS heavy draft....quality HS players....not high Swing and Miss projectables

HS pitchers are rarely taken in the top part (Top 10) of the draft, but I really, really like Seth Hernandez from Corona, California....I'd take him 5th, and wouldn't be scared about it....his competition in California the last 2 seasons has been the Best teams in the nation...he's mowed down Mater Dei and Harvard West Lake this year.

I'd take Holliday and Carlson....HS SS/3B

I like Marek Houston and Gavin Kilen as college bats.

[craviduce]

Ethan Petry (South Carolina) is heating up the week, just cranked a 1st inning, 2 Run HR off of Tenn's fire baller Liam Doyle .

2 likely first round picks.

Petry hit a long ball on Tuesday as well

[Shady]

The top five order as changed a little. It's now Arnold, Holliday, Bremner, LaViolette and Hernandez.

[craviduce]

Patrick Forbes (Louisville) thru 2 1/3 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 0 BB, 5 K....vs. Cal-Berkley

Forbes was on fire after the 1st inning....he went 6 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 1 BB, 13 K

[craviduce]

battle of possible latter half of the first round picks..... LHP Zach Root (Ark) vs. LHP JD Thompson (Vandy)....2 no hitters going thru 2 IP

[craviduce]

Patrick Forbes (Louisville) thru 2 1/3 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 0 BB, 5 K....vs. Cal-Berkley

Forbes was on fire after the 1st inning....he went 6 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 1 BB, 13 K

99 pitches after 6th inning....they let him try the 7th....no outs recorded....6 IP, 8 H, 6 R, 5 ER, 3 BB, 13 K, 1 WP

[craviduce]

Baseball America 3rd Mock Draft (Staff Edition). 4 BA writers join Carlos Collazo and alternate picks.

behind a paywall, I'll list Top 10

1. Nationals ~ Seth Hernandez, RHP, Corona HS, California
2. Angels ~ Jamie Arnold, LHP, Florida State
3. Mariners ~ Aiva Arquette, SS/2B, Oregon State
4. Rockies ~ Ethan Holliday, Stillwater HS, Oklahoma
5. Cardinals ~ Jace LaViolette, CF/RF/LF, Texas A&M (pick made by JJ Cooper, Editor-in-chief)
6. Pirates ~ Tyler Bremner, RHP, UC-Santa Barbara
7. Marlins ~ Marek Houston, SS, Wake Forest
8. Blue Jays ~ Kruz Schoolcraft, LHP/1B, Sunset HS, Oregon
9. Reds ~ Brendan Summerhill, CF/LF, Univ. of Arizona
10. White Sox ~ Billy Carlson, SS, Corona HS, California

[Futuregm2]

Is that a 3rd consecutive rougher outing for Doyle? Still struck out 11 batters to 1 walk, but 9 hits and 5 runs given up again in 5.2 IP.

[craviduce]

Is that a 3rd consecutive rougher outing for Doyle? Still struck out 11 batters to 1 walk, but 9 hits and 5 runs given up again in 5.2 IP.

yeah. He has a tremendous fastball...a plus/plus pitch. He throws it 70-80% of the time. That's insane. Batters eventually catch up.

His other offerings MUST be a lot weaker. I'm not terribly sure, but I feel the "Shine" is wearing off on Doyle...unless he can show and utilize other pitches on a more consistent basis.

Reliever is a realistic floor for him, that drops his stock...in my amateur opinion

[craviduce]

I wish this draft had the Top 8 that last years draft offered, but I don't see a single one...the exception being Jamie Arnold. The hitting in last years draft was off the charts with "S Tier" hitters. I can't find a single one this year. BA loves Arquette, and he's had a solid college career, but he's only hitting 1.100 OPS. That's good, but not the consistently great levels you had from Condon, Bazzana, Wetherholt, Cags, Montgomery, Kurtz.

The Draft might be deeper with the plethora of HS hitters this time around, and B/C Tier college players that'll go in the 2nd-4th round, but the elite hitters that can change your franchise are missing.

[craviduce]

Kyson Witherspoon is consistent, and scouts/journalists love his enthusiasm on the mound.

University of Oklahoma, RHP

Has been on Top 20 boards since July 2024, post draft. I think he makes it into the top 10 on draft day.

Same with Indiana's Devin Taylor, OF....hitting consistently well again,and his BB/K ratio has improved

https://www.fangraphs.com/players/kyson ... position=P Witherspoon

https://www.fangraphs.com/players/devin ... osition=OF Taylor

[Strummer Jones]

Caught a Texas-Mizzou game on Friday.

Taken with a LARGE grain of salt because they played Mizzou...but Texas looks to have some ballers on their team. It was pretty funny, almost all of the boys on Mizzou were probably about my height (5'8, 5'9ish) and it seemed like all the players on Texas were absolute beefs. Big fellas. Whoever their Friday night starter was was in the mid-90's his whole start.

The Mizzou starter (Lohse?) got rocked, but also seemed to have good strike-out stuff. Seemed like if he was going to get any outs, they had to be on a K. Those Texas guys seemed to square him up good. Though, in his defense, the wind was blowing out pretty well to the outfield. Get anything up in that air and it's going to carry a long way.

[craviduce]

Caught a Texas-Mizzou game on Friday.

Taken with a LARGE grain of salt because they played Mizzou...but Texas looks to have some ballers on their team. It was pretty funny, almost all of the boys on Mizzou were probably about my height (5'8, 5'9ish) and it seemed like all the players on Texas were absolute beefs. Big fellas. Whoever their Friday night starter was was in the mid-90's his whole start.

The Mizzou starter (Lohse?) got rocked, but also seemed to have good strike-out stuff. Seemed like if he was going to get any outs, they had to be on a K. Those Texas guys seemed to square him up good. Though, in his defense, the wind was blowing out pretty well to the outfield. Get anything up in that air and it's going to carry a long way.

I think the requirement to be in the Texas starting lineup is 6'2" or higher . Gasparino comes in at 6'6" and change.

[Futuregm2]

Caught a Texas-Mizzou game on Friday.

Taken with a LARGE grain of salt because they played Mizzou...but Texas looks to have some ballers on their team. It was pretty funny, almost all of the boys on Mizzou were probably about my height (5'8, 5'9ish) and it seemed like all the players on Texas were absolute beefs. Big fellas. Whoever their Friday night starter was was in the mid-90's his whole start.

The Mizzou starter (Lohse?) got rocked, but also seemed to have good strike-out stuff. Seemed like if he was going to get any outs, they had to be on a K. Those Texas guys seemed to square him up good. Though, in his defense, the wind was blowing out pretty well to the outfield. Get anything up in that air and it's going to carry a long way.

I think the requirement to be in the Texas starting lineup is 6'2" or higher . Gasparino comes in at 6'6" and change.

So true, land of the giants. Probably disqualifies any of them being drafted by Flores and his midget club.