2025 MLB Draft: MLB Pipeline shakes up mock draft following College World Series with new overall No. 1 pick

Following the conclusion of this year’s Men’s College World Series, MLB Pipeline has shaken up their latest MLB Mock Draft. This even includes a new projected No. 1 pick, as Tennessee left-handed pitcher Liam Doyle and superstar high school shortstop Ethan Holliday had gone back and forth in the projections all season long.

Following his stellar performance in the NCAA Tournament, however, another LSU pitcher is now projected as the No. 1 pick. This year’s MLB Draft is scheduled to begin on July 13 and will take place in Atlanta, GA, as part of MLB’s All-Star Week festivities.

1. Washington Nationals: LHP Kade Anderson, LSU

LSU sophomore left-handed pitcher Kade Anderson has skyrocketed to the projected No. 1 pick in the MLB Draft. Anderson led all college pitchers this season in strikeouts (180) and pitched to a 3.18 ERA in 119 innings. He held Coastal Carolina to just three hits and no runs with 10 strikeouts in the opening game of the College World Series Final, posting the first CWS shutout since 2018.

“I mean, his next pitch should be for someplace in the Washington Nationals organization,” LSU coach Jay Johnson said following their win in the CWS. “It’s not close. And they usually draft really well. And he’s the best player in the country. There’s nobody closer to the Major Leagues than that right now.”

2. Los Angeles Angels: LHP Liam Doyle, Tennessee

Tennessee left-handed pitcher Liam Doyle ranked second in the country in strikeouts (164) behind Anderson, pitching to a 3.20 ERA in 95 2/3 innings this season. He struggled a bit down the final stretch, however, posting a 6.86 ERA over his final five starts (21 innings).

Doyle, however, remains positioned to be the highest drafted pitcher in Tennessee program history. This comes after transferring from Ole Miss prior to the season.

3. Seattle Mariners: SS Aiva Arquette, Oregon State

Oregon State shortstop Aiva Arquette was originally selected in the 18th round of the 2022 MLB Draft by the Arizona Diamondbacks, but bet on himself and returned to college. The decision paid off mightily, as the 2025 First Team All-American is projected as the No. 3 pick in the 2025 Draft.

Starting for a Beaver program that made the College World Series for the first time since 2018, Arquette hit for a .354 average with 17 doubles, 19 home runs, 66 RBI, a .654 SLG% and a .461 OBP%. He would become Oregon State‘s third top-three pick in the last seven Drafts.

4. Colorado Rockies: SS/3B Ethan Holliday, Oklahoma State commit

Holliday, who is the son of seven-time MLB All-Star Matt Holliday and brother of Jackson Holliday (First Overall Pick in the 2022 MLB Draft), was projected as the No. 1 pick for most of the past year. But he has slipped a bit recently.

He was recently named Gatorade’s Oklahoma Player of the Year at Stillwater High School and looks to become the fourth No. 1 pick out of high school in the past 10 MLB Drafts. He’s verbally committed to Oklahoma State, but it looks like he probably won’t reach campus.

5. St. Louis Cardinals: LHP Jamie Arnold, Florida State

Florida State left-handed pitcher Jamie Arnold is the third projected college lefty to go in the top-five picks in this Mock Draft. He capped off back-to-back stellar campaigns for the Seminoles by pitching to a 2.98 ERA with 119 strikeouts in 84 2/3 innings this season.

In 13 2/3 innings of work in this year’s NCAA Tournament, Arnold led FSU to two wins (Mississippi State and Oregon State) by pitching to a 2.63 ERA with 22 strikeouts. He seems poised to be Florida State’s highest drafted arm since right-hander Jonathan Johnson went No. 7 overall in 1995.

6. Pittsburgh Pirates: SS Billy Carlson, Tennessee commit

Billy Carlson is a stud defensive shortstop out of Corona High School in California. He is one of two prospects out of Corona High (RHP Seth Hernandez) projected as First-Round picks. He was once a two-way player (with a fastball in the mid-90s), but he has focused on the infield as he embarks on his professional baseball journey.

He is currently verbally committed to Tennessee. But it looks like he probably won’t reach campus and go pro instead.

7. Miami Marlins: SS Eli Willits, Oklahoma commit

Fort-Cobb Broxton (OK) High product Eli Willits is one of three talented high school shortstops projected in the Top 10 of this year’s draft. He is listed at No. 5 on MiLB.com’s Prospect Rankings ahead of Carlson and is a proficient switch-hitter. His father, Reggie Willits, is a former MLB veteran who is now an associate head coach at Oklahoma.

His brother, Jaxon, started 50 games for the Sooners at shortstop this season. He’s also verbally committed to Oklahoma, but it looks like he probably won’t reach campus.

8. Toronto Blue Jays: RHP Kyson Witherspoon, Oklahoma

Oklahoma right-handed pitcher Kyson Witherspoon blossomed into one of the strongest arms in all of college baseball in the Sooners’ first season of SEC play. He pitched a 2.65 ERA in 95 innings with 124 strikeouts.

Much like Doyle, Witherspoon struggled down the final stretch of the season. In his final 23 innings of work, he pitched to a 4.30 ERA with losses in three of four starts. He was named a D1Baseball First Team All-American.

9. Cincinnati Reds: RHP Seth Hernandez, Vanderbilt commit

Right-handed pitcher Seth Hernandez out of Corona High School (CA) would mark Cincinnati’s third straight selection of an arm in the Top 10 picks. Hernandez is the top high school pitching prospect of the 2025 class and has reached 100 mph on his fastball.

He’s verbally committed to Vanderbilt. But it looks like he probably won’t reach campus and will choose to go pro.

10. Chicago White Sox: SS JoJo Parker, Mississippi State commit

Shortstop JoJo Parker is the third projected high school shortstop to be selected in the top-10. He’s the twin brother of Perfect Game All-American Jacob Parker and his tabbed as MiLB’s No. 9 ranked prospect.

He’s verbally committed to Mississippi State. But it looks like he probably won’t reach campus and will choose to go pro.

Picks 11-30

11. Oakland Athletics: 2B Gavin Kilen, Tennessee
12. Texas Rangers: SS Daniel Pierce, Georgia commit
13. San Francisco Giants: OF/C Ike Irish, Auburn
14. Tampa Bay Rays: SS Steele Hall, Tennessee commit
15. Boston Red Sox: OF Brendan Summerhill, Arizona
16. Minnesota Twins: SS Marek Houston, Wake Forest
17. Chicago Cubs: RHP Tyler Bremner, UC Santa Barbara
18. Arizona Diamondbacks: 3B Gavin Fien, Texas commit
19. Baltimore Orioles: SS Wehiwa Aloy, Arkansas
20. Milwaukee Brewers: OF Jace LaViolette, Texas A&M
21. Houston Astros: SS/2B Kayson Cunningham, Texas commit
22. Atlanta Braves: RHP Gage Wood, Arkansas
23. Kansas City Royals: LHP Kruz Schoolcraft, Tennessee commit
24. Detroit Tigers: OF Slater de Brun, Vanderbilt commit
25. San Diego Padres: 3B Xavier Neyens, Oregon State commit
26. Philadelphia Phillies: 2B/OF Sean Gamble, Vanderbilt commit
27. Cleveland Guardians: 3B Josh Hammond, Wake Forest commit

Supplemental first-round picks

28. Kansas City Royals: RHP Riley Quick, Alabama
29. Arizona Diamondbacks: C Caden Bodine, Coastal Carolina
30. Baltimore Orioles: OF Mason Neville, Oregon
31. Baltimore Orioles: RHP Patrick Forbes, Louisville
32. Milwaukee Brewers: 1B/3B Andrew Fischer, Tennessee
33. Boston Red Sox: OF Devin Taylor, Indiana
34. Detroit Tigers: OF Ethan Conrad, Wake Forest
35. Seattle Mariners: SS Alex Lodise, Florida State
36. Minnesota Twins: LHP Zach Root, Arkansas
37. Tampa Bay Rays: SS Tate Southisene, USC commit
38. New York Mets: RHP Aaron Watson, Florida commit
39. New York Yankees: RHP JB Middleton, Southern Miss
40. Los Angeles Dodgers: C Luke Stevenson, North Carolina
41. Los Angeles Dodgers: 3B/OF Quentin Young, LSU commit
42. Tampa Bay Rays: LHP Jack Bauer, Mississippi State commit
43. Miami Marlins: OF Brandon Compton, Arizona State