2025 MLB Draft

[Natsinpwc]

There's no consensus on best pick right now though. Mocks have Arnold, LaViolette, and Holliday at #1.

Latest Bleacher Report Mock as LaViolette at #1:
https://www.bleachernation.com/mlb/2025/02/25/2025-mlb-mock-draft-0225/

FloBaseball has Arnold:
https://www.flobaseball.tv/articles/13555752-2025-mlb-mock-draft-10-nats-stunner-with-the-no-1-pick

CBS has Anrold at #1 as well.

Season is just starting.  Things will sort themselves out.  I mean Crews and Skenes were neck and neck. Pretty apparent Skenes was the more dominant player. If you think someone is better you take that player. Don’t worry about slots and positions. That’s loser talk. Oh wait…

[SkinsNatFan21RIP]

I suspect they draft the guy they can sign below slot, and that's not Laviolette. They think they will get a guy who falls with the 2d pick and go overslot to get a guy with 1st round talent.

That would be pretty hard to accept after all the other crap they've pulled lately.

[zimm_da_kid]

The odds of a top pick being an impact player are much greater than someone late first round.  You go for the best player available. 

What I’m saying is we can take who we think is the best player available number 1 and still save $500k-$1 mil off slot for our next couple picks. There’s no trade off. It’s best player AND

[Natsinpwc]

What I’m saying is we can take who we think is the best player available number 1 and still save $500k-$1 mil off slot for our next couple picks. There’s no trade off. It’s best player AND

Ok that’s great if they can do it. Can’t mess up the number one.

[JCA-CrystalCity]

Rizzo hasn't done that with any of the top draft picks he's had

would not have been the best move when Stras Harper Crews were on the table

[imref]

Keith Law now has Tennessee pitcher Liam Doyle at #1

https://www.sportingnews.com/us/college/news/tennessee-baseballs-ace-liam-doyle-recognized-potential-first-overall-pick-mlb-draft/2f8f1deb1658a7d70c4472a2

[welch]

Keith Law now has Tennessee pitcher Liam Doyle at #1

https://www.sportingnews.com/us/college/news/tennessee-baseballs-ace-liam-doyle-recognized-potential-first-overall-pick-mlb-draft/2f8f1deb1658a7d70c4472a2

Law says Doyle is a potential first pick, but does not say Doyle is his choice yet. Sounds like a definite maybe.

[imref]

Doyle: 1H, 0BB, 11Ks in five innings yesterday vs Hofstra.

[HalfSmokes]

Law says Doyle is a potential first pick, but does not say Doyle is his choice yet. Sounds like a definite maybe.

He has him number 1 now

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6165485/2025/03/04/mlb-draft-2025-rankings-prospects-keith-law-liam-doyle-ethan-holliday/?source=user_shared_article

[Natsinpwc]

Doyle: 1H, 0BB, 11Ks in five innings yesterday vs Hofstra.

You mean well known college baseball power Hofstra.

[varoadking]

You mean well known college baseball power Hofstra.

His true test will come against Radford...

[imref]

You mean well known college baseball power Hofstra.

You play the teams you play. Hofstra is currently ranked 148, just behind GMU.

[imref]

Arnold missed his weekend start with an illness.

[imref]

Holliday’s monster start has him at #1 in this mock:
https://www.prepbaseballreport.com/news/PBR/2025-mlb-mock-draft--spring-cleaning

Holliday is 20-for-39 so far this spring, though that includes Stillwater’s five preseason contests. In his high school’s seven official varsity contests, Holliday is 11-for-22 with three home runs, two doubles, 14 RBIs, and he’s walked six times against just three Ks. For us, he’s done nothing to move himself off the very top of the board in between updates.

They have Arnold at 2 and Jace at 4

Bleacher Nation also has us taking Holliday:
https://www.bleachernation.com/mlb/2025/03/18/2025-mlb-mock-draft-0318/

[JCA-CrystalCity]

I'm really expecting the Nats to look for a guy who will sign below slot if this ends up like Rendon's year and there's a stack of good picks with none clearly superior.

[imref]

I'm really expecting the Nats to look for a guy who will sign below slot if this ends up like Rendon's year and there's a stack of good picks with none clearly superior.

theyve never done that with top picks

[JCA-CrystalCity]

theyve never done that with top picks

certainly not Crews, but Pittsburgh was doing that with Crews and Langford,  so the answer was going to be "no thank you". They haven't had a pick this high during the slot and max bonus pool era. I don't think they've been in a comparable position

[welch]

I guess that there will be a clear top two or three, and the Nats will pick the one they like the most. The owners might freeze when asked to spend on free agents, but they don't shy away from spending enough to get a first rounder. And especially first overall. (And the Pirates did not skip Skenes to save money, either)

[JCA-CrystalCity]

https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2025/03/22/jamie-arnold-mlb-draft-nationals/

Rizzo, Haas, Scialabba, and Jordan Missal scouted Jamie Arnold Friday night when he pitched at Miami. Ended up his worst start of the year.

They saw him walk three hitters, give up a season-high seven hits and strike out a season-low two batters. He allowed seven runs, six earned.

Arnold said his slider wasn’t as effective as he wanted it to be. His coach, Link Jarrett, said Arnold didn’t get swings and misses up with his fastball like he usually does. So by the fifth inning, he left with no outs, heading into the dugout and out of sight as Miami fans waved goodbye.

[zimm_da_kid]

tried to just make a post about pitcher heights at 1-1 then my internet crashed and i lost the post. Main point is: only 2 pitchers were ever selected 1-1 at under 6'3" and those were back in the early-mid 70s.

[SkinsNatFan21RIP]

Don’t complicate this. Just take Laviolette or Holliday.

[zimm_da_kid]

Don’t complicate this. Just take Laviolette or Holliday.

I’d throw Aiva Arquette firmly into that mix. 6’4” shortstop that despite the size, can stick at short. Power has been growing every year. Looks like a high avg, 25 homer, good discipline fast mover who could be a very good SS or a gold glover at 3B, 2B, or 1B.

Laviiolette is coming on strong as of late. It’ll come down to strikeout concerns for him. I’d bet Rizzo and the Nats brass is wary of strikeout concern guys after Green

[welch]

Holiday or Laviolette, if the draft is today. But we will know more by June. Anyone following Holiday so far?

[imref]

Holiday or Laviolette, if the draft is today. But we will know more by June. Anyone following Holiday so far?

scroll up

[welch]

Got it, imref. So far, it's Holliday. Nothing wrong with a guy who has more walks than strikeouts while hitting .500.