First-Round 2025 MLB Mock Draft: Ethan Holliday slips, college arms rise

With the college baseball season reaching its midway point and the high school baseball season quickly approaching postseason play, MLB Draft season is in full swing.

The 2025 draft class is one of the more unique classes in recent memory considering there is no clear-cut option to go first overall. On top of that, the collegiate class has dominated the draft over the past couple of seasons, but the high school class appears to be much deeper this year.

Success in the draft has become much more important as of late considering it shrank from 40 rounds to 20 rounds in 2021. Players are also entering farm systems closer to MLB-ready than they ever have been considering how advanced the collegiate game (and even the high school game) has become.

If an organization drafts the right player, that is a guy that can potentially make an impact at the big league level as soon as a year later — just look at what guys like Paul Skenes, Dylan Crews, and Wyatt Langford did last year after being selected at the top end of the 2023 draft.

This is my first mock draft of the season and is based on personal opinion of who I view to be the best players in the draft, but also based on where each team is believed to go with its first round pick by the industry.

1. Washington Nationals - Jamie Arnold, LHP, Florida State

The Nationals certainly have the toughest job of any team in this year's draft. As previously stated, there is no slam dunk number one option.

With the college class being a little thinner this year, it's likely that some of these teams at the top of the draft capitalize on their position and take the best collegiate players available. The Nationals are probably also looking for a player expected to be a fast mover that they can include in their current wave of prospects they are looking to build around headed into a window of contention. Jamie Arnold can be just that for the Nats.

Arnold was one of the best pitchers in college baseball last year as a sophomore, setting himself to be a very sought after draft prospect headed into the 2025 season. He hasn't missed a beat yet.

Arnold features an advanced three-pitch mix with a fastball and slider both earning 60 grades. His fastball sits in the mid-90s and shows great feel for mixing in the plus slider and changeup. He also possesses above-average control and command of the strike zone which really puts him over the top as the likely first college arm off the board in July.

2. Los Angeles Angels - Kyson Witherspoon, RHP, Oklahoma

If the Angels follow their recent trend, they are going to select a fast moving collegiate prospect. They haven't taken a high school prospect with their first pick since 2018 and that isn't expected to change.

They've taken a bat in each of the last three seasons, but it's likely they shift to the mound with pitchers dominating the top end of this year's collegiate class. The Angels have not selected within the top five since 1997, so now is their chance to take advantage and get the high-profile arm their farm has desperately needed.

Kyson Witherspoon is a right-handed pitcher that has shot up draft boards thus far in 2025. He has a live arm and is an athletic mover on the mound, making him very projectable as a starter at the next level. He has ran his fastball as high as 99 mph and also features a plus slider that he can use as a cutter at times. He mixes in a changeup as well that has flashed some success. Given his command continues to improve, there's a lot to like about his arsenal and physical tools that leads me to believe Witherspoon's name is called within the top five.

3. Seattle Mariners - Seth Hernandez, RHP, Corona HS (CA)

The Mariners love their high school prospects, and they love their pitchers. With that being said, we're staying on the mound for the third overall pick. Considering how much steam Seth Hernandez has picked up this year, it's hard to see Seattle passing up on him if he's still available with the third pick.

Hernandez is a 6'4" right-handed arm with an advanced feel for the zone.. He has a 65-grade fastball that has touched 100 mph at the ripe age of 18, and sits anywhere from 95-98 mph.

What makes him unique is his ability to throw a plus offspeed pitch. His changeup is one of the few offspeed pitches among all draft prospects with a 60 grade attached to it. Younger pitchers tend to have minimal feel for a changeup with little to no control of it either. Hernandez happens to have both which really makes him a valuable arm. High school pitchers have been the riskiest demographic in the draft which is likely the only reason he's not projected to go first overall, however, there's a lot of superstar potential here.

4. Colorado Rockies - Ethan Holliday, SS/3B, Stillwater HS (OK)

It's tough to forecast where the Rockies plan to go with their pick at fourth overall. But it is fun to imagine the son of former Rockie great, Matt Holliday, taking the field for the Rockies. At the conclusion of the 2024 draft, Ethan Holliday was an immediate favorite to go first overall in 2025, just three years after his brother Jackson did the same.

Unfortunately for Ethan, his stock fell over the summer as he struggled to hit on the summer circuit against some of the top high school arms. However, he still possesses what is probably the best power upside in the draft.

He's standing in at 6'4", 215 lbs with room to add more power and has posted some of the top exit velocities in the class. If a team selects him within the top five, they're taking a risk with his hit tool, but if he can make enough contact at the next level, they will seriously cash in given what he's capable of in the power department. He's also expected to be an above-average defender at third base with a very strong arm.

5. St. Louis Cardinals - Aiva Arquette, 2B/SS, Oregon State

Fifth overall feels like a good spot for Aiva Arquette to end up. Between his bat and defense up the middle, he's arguably the top college position player in the class. With the lack of high end college bats this year, a team should select him within the top ten, if not the top five. The Cardinals have not shied away from college prospects in recent drafts, and if Arquette is available at fifth overall, it's hard to see them passing him up.

There are above-average tools for Arquette across the board as he boasts one of the better hit tools in the class along with a power tool that he has really grown into this year. He's a bit oversized for a position up the middle on the field but moves very well for his size and has a great arm, so there's a good shot he sticks at short at the next level.