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

[Talkin' Baseball]

Craviduce, what do you think of LaViolette at this time? Has his stock dropped too much to consider at #5? I think I would take Fernandez at #5 if he is available, but not sure what I would do if he is not.

Uber streaky, with swing and miss concerns. Power is there, no doubt.....some Top 10 teams will consider him, but not all. He won't regain that 1-1, 1-2 status with Holliday he had before the season.

Thanks. If you were picking today, who would you take?

[craviduce]

Craviduce, what do you think of LaViolette at this time? Has his stock dropped too much to consider at #5? I think I would take Fernandez at #5 if he is available, but not sure what I would do if he is not.

Uber streaky, with swing and miss concerns. Power is there, no doubt.....some Top 10 teams will consider him, but not all. He won't regain that 1-1, 1-2 status with Holliday he had before the season.

Thanks. If you were picking today, who would you take?

if they were available? In this order.... Seth Hernandez, Holliday, Arnold, Witherspoon, Kilen, Arquette, Doyle (but I need a smidge more from the offspeed going forward), Carlson, Willits.....starting to warm to Lodise (FSU), but that would be great if we picked 18th like we used to....I'll put him with my affinity for Devin Taylor

[craviduce]

Baseball America mock draft (4/28 ~ BA Staff, alternate picking...6 staff writers)

1. Nationals ~ Eli Willits, SS, Ft. Cobb-Broxton HS, Okla.
2. Angels ~ Jamie Arnold, LHP, FSU
3. Mariners ~ Seth Hernandez, RHP, Corona HS, Calif.
4. Rockies ~ Ethan Holliday, SS/3B, Stillwater HS, Okla
5. Cards ~ Aiva Arquette, SS, Oregon St.
6. Pirates ~ Billy Carlson, SS, Corona HS, Calif.
7. Marlins ~ Kade Anderson, LHP, LSU
8. Blue Jays ~ Jace LaViolette, CF/RF, Texas A&M
9. Reds ~ Liam Doyle, LHP, Tennessee
10. White Sox ~ Marek Houston, SS, Wake Forest


I believe this is correct.

=========

Kade Anderson enters the Top 10 mock from BA. I have him close to the Top 10. Surprised that Witherspoon, RHP, OU didn't get the Top 10 love.

Surprised that Peter Flaherty chose Eli Willits 1st.

These mocks you'll see from MLB, BA, BP, Fangraphs, etc....going forward (under 2 months til draft), will have more and more information from teams about whom they are targeting.

[Shady]

Baseball America mock draft (4/28 ~ BA Staff, alternate picking...6 staff writers)

1. Nationals ~ Eli Willits, SS, Ft. Cobb-Broxton HS, Okla.
2. Angels ~ Jamie Arnold, LHP, FSU
3. Mariners ~ Seth Hernandez, RHP, Corona HS, Calif.
4. Rockies ~ Ethan Holliday, SS/3B, Stillwater HS, Okla
5. Cards ~ Aiva Arquette, SS, Oregon St.
6. Pirates ~ Billy Carlson, SS, Corona HS, Calif.
7. Marlins ~ Kade Anderson, LHP, LSU
8. Blue Jays ~ Jace LaViolette, CF/RF, Texas A&M
9. Reds ~ Liam Doyle, LHP, Tennessee
10. White Sox ~ Marek Houston, SS, Wake Forest


I believe this is correct.

=========

Kade Anderson enters the Top 10 mock from BA. I have him close to the Top 10. Surprised that Witherspoon, RHP, OU didn't get the Top 10 love.

Surprised that Peter Flaherty chose Eli Willits 1st.

These mocks you'll see from MLB, BA, BP, Fangraphs, etc....going forward (under 2 months til draft), will have more and more information from teams about whom they are targeting.

The Cardinals are in pretty good shape for infielders. They need a top of the rotation sort of a pitcher (Hernandez). Arnold won't be there at #5. The Cardinals could also use a slugging outfielder (LaViolette). Despite a slide in the rankings. I see him still in most mock top tens. There's a good chance he'll be there at #5.

[craviduce]

Stats for those in the Top 10 and those pushing the Top 10

==============

Pitchers

Jamie Arnold, LHP, Florida State ~ 9 Games, 5 W - 1 L, 49 IP, 2.39 ERA, 2.63 FIP, 12.49 K/9, 2.94 BB/9, 0.55 HR/9, .275 BABIP

Fangraphs page https://www.fangraphs.com/players/jamie ... position=P

BR https://www.baseball-reference.com/regi ... nold004jam

Note ~ missed 2 games ~ Flu and FSU cancelled games following the On Campus Shooting a few weeks ago

------------------------------

Liam Doyle, LHP, Tennessee ~ 11 games, 7 W - 1 L, 64 2/3 IP, 2.23 ERA, 2.06 FIP, 15.31 K/9, 2.78 BB/9, 0.79 HR/9, .252 BABIP

FG https://www.fangraphs.com/players/liam- ... position=P

Baseball Reference Page https://www.baseball-reference.com/regi ... yle-001lia

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Kade Anderson, LHP, LSU ~ 11 games, 6 W - 1 L, 64 2/3 IP, 3.76 ERA, 3.29 FIP, 14.20 K/9, 2.20 BB/9, 1.67 HR/9, .321 BABIP

FS https://www.fangraphs.com/players/kade- ... position=P

Note ~ no summer league info

---------------

Kyson Witherspoon, RHP, Oklahoma Univ. ~ 11 games, 8 W - 2 L, 65 IP, 2.35 ERA, 2.09 FIP, 12.74 K/9, 1.94 BB/9, 0.55 HR/9, .288 BABIP

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

BR https://www.baseball-reference.com/regi ... ther000kys

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Seth Hernandez, RHP, Corona HS, California ~ 8 games, 7 W - 0 L, 37 1/3 IP, 1 CG, 0.19 ERA, 76 K, 3 BB, 0 HR

MaxPreps https://www.maxpreps.com/ca/corona/coro ... jiimjeeb00


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[craviduce]

Hitters

Aiva Arquette, SS/2B, RHB, Oregon State ~ 159 AB's, .371 avg, .487 obp, .748 slg., 1.235 ops, 16 HR, 10 2B, 1 3B, 47 Runs, 54 RBI, 3 SB, 30 K's (15%) , 27 BB (13.5%), 172 wRC+

FG https://www.fangraphs.com/players/aiva- ... osition=IF

BR https://www.baseball-reference.com/regi ... quet000aiv

-----------------------

Gavin Kilen, 2B/3B, LHB, Tennessee ~ 117 AB's, .402 avg, .500 obp, .795 slg, 1.295 ops, 11 HR, 6 2B, 3 3B, 40 Runs, 29 RBI, 6 SB, 10 K's (6.9%), 23 BB (16%), 165 wRC+

FG https://www.fangraphs.com/players/gavin ... osition=IF

BR https://www.baseball-reference.com/regi ... len-000gav

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Marek Houston, SS, LHB, Wake Forest ~ 178 AB's, .348 avg, .457 obp, .584 slg, 1.041 OPS, 10 HR, 12 2B, 0 3B, 49 Runs, 49 RBI, 16 SB, 32 K's (14.6%), 35 BB (16%), 131 wRC+

FG https://www.fangraphs.com/players/marek ... osition=IF

BR https://www.baseball-reference.com/regi ... usto000mar

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Jace LaViolette, CF/RF, LHB, Texas A&M ~ 152 AB's, .303 avg, 468 obp, .658 slg, 1.126 OPS, 15 HR, 9 2B, 0 3B, 49 Runs, 52 RBI, 7 SB, 39 K's (19%), 46 BB (23%), 137 wRC+

FG https://www.fangraphs.com/players/jace- ... osition=OF

BR https://www.baseball-reference.com/regi ... viol000jac

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Billy Carlson, SS, RHB, Corona HS, Calif. ~ 69 AB's, .377 avg, .521 obp, .652 slg, 1.173 OPS, 4 HR, 5 2B, 0 3B, 26 Runs, 30 RBI, 8 SB

MaxReports https://www.maxpreps.com/ca/corona/coro ... q7fpo5m122

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Ethan Holliday, SS/3B, LHB, Stillwater HS, Okla. ~ incomplete data. News is he came into the season with a correction to his stance and swing to fix issues he had over the summer in Futures Leagues (wooden bats), and Scouts have really liked what they've seen)

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Eli Willits, SS, RHB, Ft. Cobb-Broxton HS, Okla ~ incomplete data. Willits and Carlson are 1-1, 1-2 HS Shortstops on all pundits' draft boards. And they rank 1-1, 1-2 overall Short Stops on some lists.

[craviduce]

Aiva Arquette is your best College hitter....the stats and wRC+ speak for themselves

Kilen would rival him, if didn't miss nearly 4 weeks with a Hamstring strain....that being said, he's put up stupendous numbers

your 2nd tier college hitters would be Houston and LaViolette.

I'll try to list some 3rd and 4th tier hitters later this week....good to look at these for our #55 pick.

3rd and 4th tier hitters are STACKEd this draft....the depth is tremendous. They were very thin last year, with Smith, Moore, Tibbs being it, and those went before the 20th pick

There's no "S" tier hitters this year....like Langford, Crews, Bazzana, Caglianone, Condon, Kurtz, Wetherholt.

[craviduce]

Hopefully, this helps you understand/see what we're looking at #5.

Personally, I feel the pitchers grade much better than the hitters do this draft. I felt the opposite last year. I do feel the top 2 pitchers last year (Burns, Smith) far out weight the crop from this year....but there's More to like with the tier just below the Burns, Skenes, Smiths of the world.

[craviduce]

and not to sound like an echo...not my thing, so forgive me

Middle Infielders are the easiest position to move. Hundreds/Thousands/Millions have been moved the CF or 3B or 1B or RF or LF. They are the most athletic position players out there.

that should erase the "Need" when it comes to drafting. Best Person/Player Available

[Futuregm2]

and not to sound like an echo...not my thing, so forgive me

Middle Infielders are the easiest position to move. Hundreds/Thousands/Millions have been moved the CF or 3B or 1B or RF or LF. They are the most athletic position players out there.

that should erase the "Need" when it comes to drafting. Best Person/Player Available

I want the Best Machine available

[craviduce]

and not to sound like an echo...not my thing, so forgive me

Middle Infielders are the easiest position to move. Hundreds/Thousands/Millions have been moved the CF or 3B or 1B or RF or LF. They are the most athletic position players out there.

that should erase the "Need" when it comes to drafting. Best Person/Player Available

I want the Best Machine available

I wish. With how many scouts there are now, do you think we'll ever see under the radar HOF players like Albert and Piazza again?

[craviduce]

mocks are pouring in now, finally

Prospects Live ~ Eli Willits, SS, Ft. Cobb-Broxton HS, Okla.



paywall for the write up, sorry.

[craviduce]

MLB.com's NEW Top 150 Draft Board

https://www.mlb.com/news/mlb-s-top-150- ... t-coverage

[craviduce]

MLB.com's NEW Top 150 Draft Board

https://www.mlb.com/news/mlb-s-top-150- ... t-coverage

Full 1-150 list here

the above is story and write up of the Top 10....the group we're likely pulling from for the #5 pick

https://www.mlb.com/milb/prospects/draft/

[Shady]

If Arnold and Hernandez are off the board at #5. Will the Cardinals take a chance on a Kurtz-type slugger, Jace LaViolette? I feel they will. The organization has plenty of infielders. The Cardinals need a bona fide corner outfielder slugger,

[cardinalsfever44]

mocks are pouring in now, finally

Prospects Live ~ Eli Willits, SS, Ft. Cobb-Broxton HS, Okla.



paywall for the write up, sorry.

If the top 4 fell like this Crav, are you taking Willits at #5 or someone else? Love reading your insights. Thanks!