2025 MLB Draft: Day Two Takes
July 15, 2025
The 2025 MLB Draft is complete, yesterday we took a look at the "Day One Takes" that included thoughts and analysis on Day One of the MLB Draft. Today, we will do the same as we look at picks from Day Two of the the MLB Draft. There’s room for a lot of takes and opinions, so we decided to welcome in our friends at D1Baseball to help us break down a live day of action in Atlanta.
You can find the complete results of the 2025 MLB Draft on MLB.com’s Draft Tracker.
Which team had the best Day Two?
+ David Seifert, Director of College Scouting at Prep Baseball & D1Baseball: Boston Red Sox
The BoSox did a great job mixing right & left handers, some with good present stuff, others with upside, and three SS's in an all college top 10 rounds.
+ Aaron Fitt, Editor-in-Chief at D1Baseball: Boston Red Sox
Boston followed up a stellar Day One by stockpiling more exciting college talents in rounds 4-10, led by infielders Mason White and Maximus Martin, and power arms Christian Foutch, Leighton Finley, Myles Patton and Jacob Mayers.
+ Mark Etheridge, Senior Writer at D1Baseball: Washington Nationals 
Washington had a nice mix of elite prepsters in Miquel Sime Jr and Coy James to accompany productive college performers like Boston Smith, Riley Maddox, Wyatt Henseler and Hunter Hines.
+ Patrick Ebert, Midwest & Summer Baseball Writer at D1Baseball: Cincinnati Reds 
I know I'm not alone in feeling the Boston Red Sox had a stellar draft, so I'll share some praise for the Cincinnati Reds. Their Day 2 began with hard-hitting Oregon outifelder Mason Neville and continued with yet another hard-hitting Big Ten slugger in the 10th round, Rutgers first baseman Ty Doucette. Add in live-armed righthanders Braden Osbolt and Justin Henschel, as well as Maryland lefthander Kyle McCoy, and you have a promising, well-rounded effort.
+ Burke Granger, Midwest Correspondent at D1Baseball: Baltimore Orioles
I lauded the O’s college heavy Day 1 haul, and they followed it up well in Day 2. Fourth rounder Colin Yeaman (UC Irvine) hit for power and average, sixth rounder Caden Hunter was terrific for USC out of the gate before fading down the stretch. DII fireballer Hunter Allen (seventh) could be a quick riser in a relief role.
+ Shooter Hunt, Vice President of Scouting at Prep Baseball: Los Angeles Angels 
I think the scouting world was eagerly awaiting the meaning of some of the surprises from the Halos on Day 1, and it got just that. The day started with Louisville 3B Jake Munroe who might only be starting his ascension, and was featured as one of David Seifert's most undervalued picks. However, it was the pair of prep RHP's that they selected next who really supplied the formula for what the club was trying to accomplish. Electric-armed CJ Gray (NC) held top 40 pick tools with an upper 90s fastball and the makings of a wipout slider. A quarterback, he was hardly seen on the summer circuit and spring looks were difficult, but the Angels flexed the checkbook to pry him away from NC State here. Next up was one of the bigger risers of the spring after a stellar Super 60 showing, Michigan State recruit, Luke Lacourse (MI). Possessing the ability to rip off breaking balls with more than 3400 rpm, he fits a similar mold to current Angels starting pitcher, Caden Dana, and likely makes huge jumps in coming years. Finally, CF Isaiah Jackson (Arizona State) has a big league frame with a sweet left-handed stroke that belted 18 home runs for the Sun Devils and might end up being a steal.
+ Ian Smith, Regional Advisor, Georgia Asst. Scouting Director at Prep Baseball: Los Angeles Dodgers 
Landing the trio of Aiden West, Davion Hickson, and Mason Liguenza in consecutive rounds is tremendous value. You add in a projection arm in Mason Estrada with a potential backend guy in Jack O'Connor, and there's wins all throughout the middle rounds.
Favorite Day Two Picks?
+ David Seifert: White Sox, No. 137, RHP Gabe Davis, White Sox, No. 166, MIF Colby Shelton and Tigers, No. 249, Nick Dumesnil.
Davis was a potential 1st rounder in the preseason. After an injury interrupted spring, he was selected at the top of the 5th. Shelton's selection followed in the top of the 6th, both by the White Sox who crushed the top 10 rounds. Tigers nabbed Dumesnil in the 8th, a 5-tool talent who excelled in the Cape last summer, but then struck out at a 19% clip this spring.
+ Aaron Fitt: White Sox, No. 137, RHP Gabe Davis and Rangers, No. 162, OF Paxton King.
I love hunting upside in the middle of the top 10 rounds. Davis, a 6-9 RHP who can throw 100 but has an uneven track record, has upside galore in round 5 for the White Sox. Kling is an elite defensive center fielder with a tantalizing power/speed combo, starting to put it all together. Great value for Texas in round 7.
+ Mark Etheridge: Cubs, No. 151 1B Kade Snell and Guardians, No. 162 1B Riley Nelson.
The Cubs took Snell in the fifth and his flat bat will transtion quickly. Cleveland took Nelson in the fifth as a player who has hit at each stop. Both are competitive players who will lead on the field.
+ Patrick Ebert: Diamondbacks, No. 183 RHP Sawyer Hawks.
Take a look at the names that left the board in the sixth round. Nelson Keljo, Landon Beidelschies and Boston Smith are just a few of my personal favorites, but I'm pretty confident the D-backs added a valuable short relief option with the 163rd overall selection in righthander Sawyer Hawks. His deep repertoire could allow him to be groomed as a starter after serving as Vanderbilt's closer this spring.
+ Burke Granger: Nationals, No. 171, C Boston Smith, Padres, No. 220, MIF Kerrington Cross, White Sox, No. 226, RHP Blaine Wynk, and Reds, No. 234, LHP Kyle McCoy.
Nationals got good value in getting Smith, the D1 Co-leader in HR (26) in the 6th. The Padres landed Big 12 POY Cross in the 7th. Wynk (White Sox 8th) was hurt all spring; flashes dominant stuff when healthy. After missing 2024 with TJ, McCoy looked ahead of schedule at times this spring.
+ Shooter Hunt: Dodgers, No. 135 RHP Aidan West and The Mets' Day Two picks.
There is immense untapped potential with West, and I walked away from his Super 60 performance enthralled with the upside. The fact that he joins an elite player development department with the Dodgers is exactly what he needs to continue marching towards his high ceiling. The Mets had the second lowest bonus pool, but hardly punted. Instead, they looked to acquire undervalued talent from a variety of areas. RHP Peter Kussow (WI) was a major spring helium arm whose deceptive athleticsm, unique pitch profiles, and strike throwing ability will jump in the system. RHP Peyton Prescott (Florida State) would have been a 2nd or ealry 3rd round pick were it not for injury in the final game, and was clearly worth any risk given a (likely) half price bonus. Then you grab RHP Cam Tilly (Auburn) who had to fill a key bullpen role for the Tigers, but likely shifts back to a starting spot in the Mets' system. He has a chance to fluorish given the power stuff. Finally, RHP Camden Lohman (MO) was another prep helium guy throughout the spring whose upper 90s fastball will likely reach triple digits in the near future. The Mets no longer have to stretch the dollar, but when forced to do so, the scouting department was more than up to the challenge.
+ Ian Smith: Braves, No. 127 LHP Briggs McKenzie, Mariners, No. 152, OF Korbyn Dickerson, and Giants, No. 266, RHP Reid Worley.
Braves clearly had a plan and finding value like McKenzie in the 4th round was tremendous. Every bit of a 2nd round talent with untapped potential remaining; Doubling down on Korbin Dickerson and the Mariners cause that might be my favorite find in the draft. Albeit some holes as the plate, the tools and ceiling for the outfielder can outplay that 5th round landing spot by miles; Worley to Giants in the 9th was a surprise but a huge win for SF. With a bat heavy draft class, Worley offers immense spin traits with a starters profile that can be the type of player to explode with pro development.
Impact on Recruiting Classes
+ David Seifert: Soph-eligible Henry Ford goes undrafted and portals to Tennessee. Two-way prospect DJ Newman from Bowling Green was selected in the 15th round by Houston, but will that be enough to keep him from Knoxville? Brandon Arvidson also goes undrafted for the Vols. Tre Phelps returns to Georgia, along with portals Matt Scott from Stanford and soph draft-elig Dylan Vigue from Michigan. Another soph-elig Trent Caraway went undrafted and returns to Oregon State. Emerging star from the Cape, Maiki Niu goes unselected will head to Fayetteville.
+ Mark Etheridge: SEC: LSU had eight signees drafted, seven in the first four rounds. Alabama had its top four signees selected, but none before the 18th round making the next two weeks riveting. Texas four four signees drafted but also had three portal imports drafted. Both A&M and Vandy each had six signees drafted.
+ Patrick Ebert: Big Ten: UCLA and Indiana have the best recruiting classes in the Big Ten, and each willl likely lose one of their top recruits as rigththanders Angel Cervantes and Matthew Fisher were selected by the Pirates and Phillies in the second and seventh rounds, respectively. If the A's are able to sign 12th-round lefthander Alex Barr away from IU that will be an especially tough blow to the Hoosiers.
+ Burke Granger: Big Ten: Hoosiers may lose recruites Matthew Fisher (PHI - 7th) & Alex Barr (Athletics - 12th), but still have a nice prep class (highlighted by Blane Metz) heading to campus. Oregon lost prized recruit (Taitn Gray - TB - 3rd), but dodged bullets on other recruits. Maryland recruits Jonathan Coombs and Austin Weiss are well known from Summer Showcase players; both will make it to campus. Henry Kaczmar's return to Ohio State after a year at South Carolina after going undrafted.
+ Shooter Hunt: While the prep shortstop market was raided to the tune of nearly 25 of the top 30 in the Prep Baseball draft class, the pitching that is (likely) headed to campus should have many fan bases excited. Even National Champion LSU, which got depleted of its depth, still managed to walk away with RHP Marcos Paz. Of all the high-level arms in the Tigers' class, Paz was easilly the most ready for SEC play, and were it not for the sugery that kept him out of the spring, he would have been a slamdunk first rounder. Meanwhile, Mississippi State may have lost some big fire power, but the fact that LHP Jack Bauer and his triple digit heat will be featured at Dudy Noble is almost unfathomable. He will march to Starkville as the top player on campus and should be joined by OF Jacob Parker who, even though he was drafted late, will likely become an immediate impact player with huge left-handed power. The Vols kept rolling and held onto LHP Cam Appenzeller who had strong first round buzz over the course of the last year. Then you look at Texas and the slew of premium arms for Max Weiner to mold into juggernauts for Jim Schlossnagle like Grady Westphal, Brett Crossland, and Brody Walls (plus a few others drafted 11-20 who might show), and the Longhorns are well-stocked. TCU might have been the biggest winner with the trio of Franco/Fernsler/Dallimore all headed to Ft. Worth. In closing, yes this class will be missing a big chunk of infielders, but the next wave is more than primed to step up, and the pitching will have the sport buzzing throughout the fall.
Additional Day Two Takeaways
+ David Seifert: The MLB Draft League continues to give exposure and produce draft picks -- 48 this season. In five years of existence with just six teams, the league has produced 233 draft picks and another 160 undrafted free agent signings.
+ Aaron Fitt: Conference call: The SEC led all leagues with 107 players drafted (ACC was next with 61) and 70 picks in the top 10 rounds (ACC had 35, and the Big 12 had 34). Arizona State and Arkansas tied for the most top-10-round picks with nine apiece, followed by LSU and Tennessee with eight apiece. Arkansas and Florida State had the most total draftees (11 apiece), followed by Georgia (10). Overall, 76 percent of top-10-round picks came from the Division I ranks, and 71 percent of all draftees were D1 players.
+ Mark Etheridge: The late round flyers on elite prospects will be fascinating as teams will have varying levels of budget remaining based on earlier round deals. How those go will impact college baseall for the next three seasons.
+ Patrick Ebert: There were 10 players ranked within MLB Pipeline's Top 100 prospects that went undrafted. Two of those players were TCU recruits, shortstop Lucas Franco and lefthander Uli Fernsler. That's a positive development for TCU's continued youth movement considering they had a pair of Freshmen All-Americans – Sawyer Strosnider and Noah Franco (no relation to Lucas) – and only one player drafted in the top 10 rounds (Ben Abeldt). If they can get any combination of Anthony Silva (14th round), Caedmon Parker (15) and Braden Sloan (17) back on campus you could say TCU survived a successful draft.
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