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

[kyace]

Only way I see an undershot would be if they could snag another comp pick. Running out of time but could happen. Seattle has expressed willingness to deal prospects or pick for major league players.

[ClassicO]

Only way I see an undershot would be if they could snag another comp pick. Running out of time but could happen. Seattle has expressed willingness to deal prospects or pick for major league players.

Can't trade draft picks in MLB except the Competitive Balance picks.

[ClassicO]

@craviduce - any thoughts on Cards potentially targeting a guy like Wehiwa Aloy and going under slot?

I kind of like him more than a kid like Willits… maybe. Love guys that showed out in the Cape Cod League.

Doubt they go that far underslot with their first pick. They're not going to sacrifice drafting in another tier to save money. Think Kade Anderson and Ethan Holliday are 1A and 1B for me at this point in the draft. At this point, I'd be surprised if either of them are available for the Cardinals at 5. Don't see the Cardinals really being in on Seth Hernandez given the likely price tag and the risk associated with high school arms even if the upside is intriguing. Think Jaime Arnold goes off the board to Seattle unless somehow Anderson is available at 3. Feels like the strength of the batters in this year's class is MIF, which the Cardinals likely have their duo in Winn and Wetherholt. You don't draft for need, but you're not pressing it if you don't need to. Avia Arquette isn't the worst get at 5 especially if you think he can hit for enough power to man 3B. If Kyson Witherspoon is willing to cut an underslot deal at 5, I'd be hard tempted to take him.

I’ve seen Arquette in play at #1 in recent days. I think Washington is still up in the air on 5-6 names.

I don’t think Cards would avoid a middle infielder just because of Winn and JJ.

BPA...SS's can move nearly anywhere on the field...especially tall ones....3B/1B opens up to them

Jackson Merrill perfect example. Heck, the Padres had JM and Tatis and they both ended up GG OFs.

[Futuregm2]

@craviduce - any thoughts on Cards potentially targeting a guy like Wehiwa Aloy and going under slot?

I kind of like him more than a kid like Willits… maybe. Love guys that showed out in the Cape Cod League.

Doubt they go that far underslot with their first pick. They're not going to sacrifice drafting in another tier to save money. Think Kade Anderson and Ethan Holliday are 1A and 1B for me at this point in the draft. At this point, I'd be surprised if either of them are available for the Cardinals at 5. Don't see the Cardinals really being in on Seth Hernandez given the likely price tag and the risk associated with high school arms even if the upside is intriguing. Think Jaime Arnold goes off the board to Seattle unless somehow Anderson is available at 3. Feels like the strength of the batters in this year's class is MIF, which the Cardinals likely have their duo in Winn and Wetherholt. You don't draft for need, but you're not pressing it if you don't need to. Avia Arquette isn't the worst get at 5 especially if you think he can hit for enough power to man 3B. If Kyson Witherspoon is willing to cut an underslot deal at 5, I'd be hard tempted to take him.

I’ve seen Arquette in play at #1 in recent days. I think Washington is still up in the air on 5-6 names.

I don’t think Cards would avoid a middle infielder just because of Winn and JJ.

BPA...SS's can move nearly anywhere on the field...especially tall ones....3B/1B opens up to them

Jackson Merrill perfect example. Heck, the Padres had JM and Tatis and they both ended up GG OFs.

Padres are basically an entire organization based around SS’s.

Cronenworth played mostly SS in the minors
Bogaerts is a SS
Machado was a SS
Merrill was a SS
Tatis Jr was a SS
Tyler Wade played SS the most in the minors

Last year they had a couple more in Jurickson Profar and Ha-Seong Kim who both left via FA.

[TomTreebow]

@craviduce - any thoughts on Cards potentially targeting a guy like Wehiwa Aloy and going under slot?

I kind of like him more than a kid like Willits… maybe. Love guys that showed out in the Cape Cod League.

Aloy is becoming very intriguing to me. I believe it was the "On the Clock" podcast where they did a draft preview with Joe Doyle that really talked up his exit velos and defense. Similarly, MLB.com has him listed with 55 grades at power, defense, and arm as a shortstop - so I would think the defense would tick up even further at 3b if he moves there with his one below-average tool being his speed. 8 HRs in 21 games on the Cape, was in the top 5 of 90th percentile EV there, as well, from an old tweet I found. And you can find a host of HRs he hit this year with exit velos above 110 and going 400+ feet. The only concern with his hit tool is that he seems to strike out a bit, but from a pure stats standpoint, it doesn't appear any more pronounced than Arquette. And Aloy played in the SEC.

All in all, if Holliday, Anderson, and Arnold are off the board (which I suspect they will be), I'd love to go underslot with Witherspoon or Aloy and attempt to pick up some HS in the next few rounds. Keith Law's recent draft article did link the Cardinals as the earliest either of those two may go.

[craviduce]

https://www.prospectslive.com/cincinnat ... es-to-know

Cards Draft preview. Last 3 drafts synopsis.... I think Prospectslive wanted to call the Cards "Boring"...no HS players, no risks, just the same old boring contact hitters, who the Cards hope stick long enough to make the majors. They were complimentary of the 2022 and 2023 picks outside of the 1st round (Hjerpe and Davis)....they liked Mathews, Rajcic, Honeyman, Crooks III, Henderson, and few others. They weren't too excited about the 2024 draft, we all know they came up short outside of Wetherholt.

Since we don't like "Exciting", they list 3 picks we're probably targeting : Anderson, Arnold, Arquette.

good read, and YES, it accurately describes the Cards....our Philosophy/Comfort level needs to change to try anything new....like a Willits, Hernandez, Carlson

[82birds]

https://www.prospectslive.com/cincinnat ... es-to-know

Cards Draft preview. Last 3 drafts synopsis.... I think Prospectslive wanted to call the Cards "Boring"...no HS players, no risks, just the same old boring contact hitters, who the Cards hope stick long enough to make the majors. They were complimentary of the 2022 and 2023 picks outside of the 1st round (Hjerpe and Davis)....they liked Mathews, Rajcic, Honeyman, Crooks III, Henderson, and few others. They weren't too excited about the 2024 draft, we all know they came up short outside of Wetherholt.

Since we don't like "Exciting", they list 3 picks we're probably targeting : Anderson, Arnold, Arquette.

good read, and YES, it accurately describes the Cards....our Philosophy/Comfort level needs to change to try anything new....like a Willits, Hernandez, Carlson

thanks, Duce, for the link,
No chance Anderson doesn't go 1 or 2.
would not surprise me in the least if they take Willlits

[82birds]

does Bloom like "exciting"?

[craviduce]

https://www.prospectslive.com/cincinnat ... es-to-know

Cards Draft preview. Last 3 drafts synopsis.... I think Prospectslive wanted to call the Cards "Boring"...no HS players, no risks, just the same old boring contact hitters, who the Cards hope stick long enough to make the majors. They were complimentary of the 2022 and 2023 picks outside of the 1st round (Hjerpe and Davis)....they liked Mathews, Rajcic, Honeyman, Crooks III, Henderson, and few others. They weren't too excited about the 2024 draft, we all know they came up short outside of Wetherholt.

Since we don't like "Exciting", they list 3 picks we're probably targeting : Anderson, Arnold, Arquette.

good read, and YES, it accurately describes the Cards....our Philosophy/Comfort level needs to change to try anything new....like a Willits, Hernandez, Carlson

I think this is the first draft, since the CoVid shortened draft of 2020, where I'm comfortable going outside of the box...And I see several paths where that's possible. I think it helps having a bigger bonus pool than we've had in recent memory. It also helps that the HS depth is better up top than in recent memory.

I really like Seth Hernandez, and he stays at the top of my board for best players...I know he's likely not targeted by the Cards, I accept that reality. But he's still the best prospect, imo. Then I have Willits and Holliday...that's 3 HS players at the top....that helps one's own comfort level...you think?

Lack of outstanding college performers this season is profound. We have no Cags, JJ, Bazzana, Condon, Kurtz in this draft...no Skenes, or even a smidge lower with no Burns or Smith....College has failed us this season. I do like Anderson, Witherspoon, Arnold...and they've shown good-great performances sometimes (Anderson more than the others ~ regular season and post).

I can't get overly excited about a college hitter in this draft. Arquette is bland, and he did better vs. lesser talented pitchers...not his fault that Oregon State couldn't get into a conference post PAC-12. I find myself getting excited by Summerhill and Irish, mainly b/c I want to be excited by something in college, and Houston and Kilen have let me down. Summerhill is a classic Cardinal pick: "Contact and EV....might turn it into power, but that's not a concern, checks the Glove and Speed boxes well", what's not to get excited about with those clearly established parameters? Irish got me excited, b/c I may have been dumpster diving for Power And Irish can hit as well...but I know I wasn't alone in this, Irish's stock has risen to 15ish in the draft...so the pundits liked him too. Aloy has risen in the draft with Irish, and Bodine showed extremely well in the Postseason and stands a chance to be drafted higher than Stevenson in the draft ...being the first catcher.

So....

1) Take one of the Top 3 HS talents at #5...best ceilings in the entire draft....
2) Take a 75% Underslot Deal with a Witherspoon, Irish, Bodine, Aloy, Wood, Doyle. Take the savings and go BIG in the 2-10th rounds on HS players....2 Notes ~ We've NEVER done that before. The Brewers, Mariners, Marlins, Royals love to do this. Also ~ 75% is the floor for underslot deals if you turn in Medicals/Physicals at the Combine... "The Kumar Rocker Rule".
3) Go the Cardinal Way which is "safe, yawn, boring"....Arquette, Anderson, Arnold....College, Slot picks with High Floors and fast risers if their elbows hold up.

that's our choices in strategy . It's very "murky" (you see that word thrown around a bit this year) draft....you have to leave yourselves multiple game plans. We MUST broaden our horizons

[82birds]

where has the "Cardinal way" gotten us? (exception: Wetherholt)

[craviduce]

where has the "Cardinal way" gotten us? (exception: Wetherholt)

We Cardinal Way'd Hjerpe (36th ranked prospect going in to draft), then we Cardinal Way'd his elbow surgery ....Delay, Delay...then Cut and Fix

[craviduce]

where has the "Cardinal way" gotten us? (exception: Wetherholt)

McGreevy (2021) started working out late last season. Graceffo and Granillo have looked solid in the BP....SSS, yes. And Josh Baez finally found the "good contact bug" and he's immersed in it this season on the farm....all the way from off the Top 30 rankings to #12 yesterday afternoon.


and 2023, outside of Davis, looks to be working out or trending in the right direction as they approach the MLB...Henderson, Honeyman, Mathews.