2025 Draft Primer

Ok, draft is only 5 days away, closing in on targets and my ideal day 1 draft scenario is getting clearer. Here's my primer...I'll edit and add favorites, especially mid round targets in the upcoming days, some mock drafts too. Feel free to comment/ask...

At 27, I want one of C Bodine or RF/CF E. Conrad. Both have extensive track records, both hit. Easily 55 or 60 hit. Conrad has more power potential, Bodine has better defense value.

It's easy to see some DeLauter comps for Conrad and Ingle for Bodine. This is how the draft Ideally starts.

Next tier here is (in no order) OF Devin Taylor, 1B/3B Andrew Fischer and CF Cam Cannarella....so my top 5 at 27 are all college bats. Really the only mid round player I'd want to drop are RHP Tyler Bremner and maybe SS Marek Houston

64, 66 and 70

This is where it gets interesting. Assuming a rock solid college bat at 27, we have some luxury to gamble once or twice on upside.

I could see them going over slot on a top 50ish HS arm like RHPs Watson, Cervantes or LHP Slawinski.

Or a HS bat in that range like D. Kilby, Y. Jost, T. Southisene, R. Mitchell, B. Ebel or B. Sell. Though I do feel this group also represents the biggest bust risk.

I fully expect at least one (safe) college selection too. Pitching seems to offer the best values here and I've placed my bets on LHP Dzierwa or RHP AJ Russell. Both offer a good mix of high floor and untapped upside left.

It get murkier on the hitting side here. I do like MIF C. Yeaman, and Kyle Lodise a bit, but those are usually 3rd to 5rh rd profiles who I believe get washed up lists because college hitting is weak here. So feels like buying high a bit on both. I do love 1B/OF Ethan Petry and I'd be all over him at 64 if he makes it there. Cape MVP.

MiF/OF Henry Godbout was a 1st rd talent going into the year, so he might be a buy low play (with some added positional risk though).

So ideally, one HS arm and bat each and a safe college pitcher with those three 2nd rd selections.

At 101, last pick of day one. Many ways to go and maximize value. Any of the college bats if they drop to this plus they probably love the CF Kane Kepley profile (I'm on the fence a bit, although he's usually my kind of guy, but some Tommy Hawke "risk"). There's some depth with the college CF class, so I'd prefer to take a couple later, especially if Conrad was the pick in rd 1.

I do love PR HS SS Gustavo Melendez here, especially if they haven't taken a HS MIF earlier. But any of the above HS bats mentioned above would be great value here too (though I'd think not signable).

This is also a good landing spot for second level HS pitchers to secure 1M'ish bonus. LHP Uli Fernsler, A. Stillman or C. Underwood, RHPs C. Millar, J. Jannicelli, K. Wing, R. Hamilton, M. Paz or B. Shannon all represent good value.

If they select two prep talents in rd 2, I'd suspect this to be a "safer" college selection a little under slot.

I could see them going with a SP/RP tweener like RHP Nate Snead or Brian Curley, both very talented SEC arms that have ample upside left and could move quickly through the minors as bulk RP.

If they want to gamble for upside with health risk here, there's LHPs S.Spencer, Shane Sdao, RHP Cam Leiter.

A mix of both could be JuCo 6'6 power arm Matt Barr, who's one of my favorite targets in that 3rd to 4th range along with Melendez and college 1B Anthony Martinez, who's probably my favorite buy low option in this class.

Other favorites for rounds 4 and 5 would be fine with me at 101. Those are RHPs S. Youngerman, J. Morrison, Z. Taylor, OFs N. Schubart, N. Dumesnil, CF A. Walton, CF Cam Maldonado, C M. Klein

Some pitchability mid round (rd 5 to 9) college arms I like, happen to be all LHP

Landon Beidelschies (was ranked higher going into year, still decent season after transferring to Arkansas from Ohio State)

Grayson Grinsell (Oregon, smaller LHP with big school track record, good control and changeup, reminds me of Rodney Boone)

Kyle McCoy (Maryland, 6'6 "pitchability" arm with control and breaker should be high on CLE list)

Ryan DeSanto (Penn State, small school transfer, 6'4 with high 80s invisiball FB)

Joey Volini (FSU, the FO seems to like Seminole pitchers, older rJR because he had TJ surgery in 2023, 6'4 pitchability over velo southpaw. There's some Josh Hartle in his profile).

Dylan Brown (Old Dominion, underrated 6'5 performer with strong K/BB ratio and very young for his class)