Day One of the 2025 MLB Draft has come and gone, and while there were a couple of surprises at the very top, it mostly went as expected.
And now, we can start to dream. While it’s important to note that these players still need to sign with their respective ball clubs, the overwhelming majority of these players will sign with their new organizations. So it’s as good of time as any to rank the top fantasy prospects who were selected Sunday, with a look at how they can help in the upcoming seasons.
1. Ethan Holliday, SS, Colorado Rockies
If this list had no fantasy implications, Holliday would still be the top player on this list. The brother of Jackson Holliday and son of Matt Holliday has considerable power in his left-handed bat, and Colorado isn’t exactly going to suppress that pop as a home park, either. There is some swing-and-miss in his profile, but he has such a high baseball IQ that I believe he’ll get on at a high clip, and he makes enough hard contact to believe that he’ll be closer to asset than determinant in the average category. There’s a chance he’ll have to move to third base, but even if that’s the case, the offensive upside crushes anyone else in this class. Holliday has a chance to be a superstar, and should be the first pick in dynasty leagues.
ETA: 2027
2. Eli Willits, SS, Washington Nationals
Willits was the first pick of the draft, and while I have Holiday ranked higher, that’s more compliment to Holliday than insult to Willits. One of the most intriguing things about him is his age; this is a player that won’t turn 18 until the early portion of December. As a 17-year-old, he’s already showing the potential for a plus hit tool -- maybe even plus-plus, and he’s starting to tap into power that won’t ever reach the level of Holiday, but 20-homer seasons aren’t out of the question. He’s also far more likely to stick at shortstop, and (far) more likely to contribute with steals. Willits has a chance to contribute in every fantasy category, and while there’s more work to do, there’s a chance he’s a fantasy superstar when all is said and done.
ETA: 2028
3. JoJo Parker, SS, Toronto Blue Jays
This draft was absolutely loaded with prep shortstops, and in a “normal” year, Parker would have been the top high school player at his position. Parker is sort of a combination of Willits and Holliday; he doesn’t have quite as good of a hit tool as Willits and not as much power as Holliday, but he’s right between both which is far more compliment than insult. He also has solid speed, so he could be a hitter who hits in the .270 or better range that provides 20-25 homers and a similar amount of steals. You can do a heck of a lot worse than that, and the only way he’s switching off shortstop is if Toronto wants him to play somewhere like center field or second base. Parker is high-floor, high-ceiling, and it’s crazy to think he’s “only” the third-best prep shortstop in the 2025 class.
ETA: 2028
4. Kade Anderson, LHP, Seattle Mariners
Anderson would have ranked high no matter what team procured his services, but similar to how it’s easier to make the case for Holiday when he’s in Coors Field, it’s not hard to get excited about Anderson in Seattle. Not only have they done a fantastic job developing pitching, but T-Mobile Park is awfully friendly as well. Anderson has four pitches that can miss bats, and it’s worth noting that he just turned 21 last week, so there’s more upside than you might anticipate; especially when you consider he was able to strike out a whopping 180 hitters in 119 innings in 2025. He could join Seattle in 2026, and he’s got a chance to be the ace of that staff; a crazy thing to think given how good the Mariners’ rotation is.
ETA: 2026
5. Aiva Arquette, SS, Miami Marlins
It’s another shortstop (more on that in a second), but this time it’s a college bat. Arquette forged a 1.115 OPS in his one season with Oregon State after transferring from the University of Washington, and he smashed 19 homers with 37 extra-base hits. There’s at least plus power in his bat, and he’s been able to reach it without a ton of swing-and-miss (51 strikeouts in 310 plate appearances). The issue with Arquette is that he’s not likely to stick at shortstop, but that power will certainly play at third base; a position he could be an excellent defender at if/when he makes that switch. Arquette should be a quick advance, and he has the ability to be a middle-of-the-order hitter when all is said and done.
ETA: 2027
6. Liam Doyle, LHP, St. Louis Cardinals
Doyle transferred from Coastal Carolina to Mississippi to Tennessee, and it was with the Volunteers that he found his groove. He struck out 164 hitters in just 95 1/3 innings, and he routinely touched 100 mph with a fastball that should be an 80-grade offering. He throws both a traditional slider and a cutter, and both pitches also grade as plus, but there’s a chance his splitter could someday be his best secondary pitch. The question with Doyle is his command, and he didn’t show off that stuff on as consistent a basis as some of the other college arms. You could argue he has a higher ceiling than all but Anderson, however, and there’s a good probability he’ll be a fantasy ace someday.
ETA: 2027
7. Seth Hernandez, RHP, Pittsburgh Pirates
I didn’t think i’d ever rank a prep pitcher this high again -- I’ve been burned a time or two -- but Hernandez is that good, and there’s a bit of a quality drop off at this state of the list. That’s not to say he’s anything close to the best of a bad situation. Hernandez exudes athleticism in his 6-foot-4 frame, and as he fills out the frame he should consistently touch the high 90 mph range with his fastball; a mark that he is already hitting as a 19-year-old. That velocity is exciting, but even more intriguing is that Hernandez hits his spot with that heater and three more pitches; a slider, change and curve that all flash plus on a consistent basis. The Pirates deserve credit for their pitching development as of late, too, and Hernandez could easily be the best pitcher -- maybe even the best player -- in the 2025 class.
ETA: 2029
8. Steele Hall, SS, Cincinnati Reds
Yep, another prep shortstop. Hall went ninth overall to Cincinnati, and he’s another case where you have to consider his potential home park from a fantasy perspective. That should allow average power to play up, and his ability to make hard contact to all parts of the field suggests that he’ll be able to hit for a solid clip, as well. The reason he ranks this high, however, is his stolen-base potential. He has top-of-the-scales speed, and 30-plus stolen bases seem like a lock if he gets on base enough to run that much. Hall is also a terrific defender, and that should help him advance quickly through the system. It’s not hard to see Hall filling out the majority of categories, even if that power doesn’t get a Great American Ball Park upgrade.
ETA: 2029
9. Ike Irish, C/OF, Baltimore Orioles
It was surprising to see Irish last as long as he did, but it’s worth noting that there were only two non-shortstops, non-pitchers selected in the first 19 picks. Irish is more likely to land in the outfield than behind the plate even before you consider Baltimore’s catching situation, as it’s worth noting that he’s not considered one of the better defensive backstops in the class. He’s not so bad that it’s impossible, however, and he’s a hitter with 60-grade power and a similar hit tool on top of it. That will obviously play in the outfield, and even if stolen bases aren’t going to happen, Irish has some of the best offensive upside in this class. It wouldn’t be a huge surprise if he was able to help the Orioles and fantasy players by the end of next year, with 2027 a more realistic ETA.
ETA: 2027
10. Xavier Neyens, INF, Houston Astros
Neyens was drafted as a shortstop, but of the whopping 20 players who were picked in the first round at the position, he’s the least likely to stay at the position. He also may have the best raw power of any prospect drafted outside of Holliday, and it wouldn’t be a shock if he ended up hitting the most homers of any prospect on this list. He’s a left-handed hitter who will need that power to max out since he won’t steal bases and isn’t likely to be among the leaders in average, but the potential for run-production makes him someone that I will personally be targeting in dynasty/keeper formats, even if he is almost assuredly going to play third base.
Others to watch: Kayson Cunningham, SS, Arizona Diamondbacks; Tyler Bremner, RHP, Los Angeles Angels; Daniel Pierce, SS, Tampa Bay Rays; Kyson Witherspoon, RHP, Boston Red Sox
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