Although there is still a week remaining in the regular season, the order of the top college lefthanders eligible for the 2025 MLB Draft has taken shape. All are likely to be selected within the top three rounds.

Jamie Arnold (Florida State)

Ht/Wt: 6-foot-1, 190 pounds
Scout Talk: Plus stuff, multiple weapons and a super unique fastball.
Analytics: FB averages 93.5 mph from an outlier release height of 4.5’ with 6.65’ of extension. Split-change is essentially an RHP’s breaking ball -5.6” of IVB, -8.1” HB. 

All Pitch Strike%: 63.5 (67th percentile)
All Pitch Whiff%: 35.5 (84th)
Strikeout rate: 33.1% (99th, 17th in all of college baseball)
Walk rate: 8.5% (81st)

Best Pitch: Three very good ones led by a 95th percentile Z-Whiff slider.
Comparison: Draws comparison to Chris Sale, especially due to similar low release height.
Summary: Front-of-rotation starter profile at the ML level and likely top five overall pick.

Kade Anderson (LSU)

Ht/Wt: 6-foot-2, 185 pounds
Scout Talk: High end competitor with elite feel of “now” stuff and an athletic delivery.
Analytics: FB averages 93.0 mph. 88% of his pitches are in competitive locations. Produces 20.3” of IVB on his fastball. 

All Pitch Strike%: 66.8 (84th percentile)
All Pitch Whiff%: 35.8 (84th)
Strikeout rate: 39.7% (100th, 3rd in all of college baseball)
Walk rate: 6.4% (92nd)

Best Pitch(s): Top swing/miss pitch is a 100th percentile Z-Whiff fastball and second weapon is a 92nd percentile Z-Whiff changeup.
Comparison: Draws industry comparisons to Scott Kazmir who was the 15th overall selection in the 2002 draft and went on to a 108 win career over 13 years in the MLB.
Summary: Rivals Arnold for the top prospect in the college class. As a strike-throwing four pitch lefthander, he combines a high floor with projection to his frame, also giving him a high ceiling, front-of-the-rotation starter profile at the ML level. Likely top five overall pick.

Liam Doyle (Tennessee)

Ht/Wt: 6-foot-2, 220 pounds
Scout Talk: Max effort lefty whose fastball is special, it’s one that simply overwhelms college hitters.
Analytics: Fastball averages 95.5 mph with 19.5” of IVB on his 4-seamer. Splitter (2” VB/-11” HB) and Sweeper (-2.1”/10”) both have >30% whiff rates.

All Pitch Strike%: 66.1 (81st percentile)
All Pitch Whiff%: 39.4 (91st)
Strikeout rate: 44.4% (100th, 1st in all of college baseball)
Walk rate: 8.0% (84th)

Best Pitch: Riding, mid-90s heater thrown to the top of the zone.
Comparison: This is going a ways back, but the Nasty Boy’s Randy Meyers had a similar pitching style of dominating with the heater.
Summary: Will be drafted and developed as a starter, but could immediately help a MLB bullpen similar to Garrett Crochet in his draft year (2020) with White Sox.

Zach Root (Arkansas)

Ht/Wt: 6-foot-2, 210 pounds
Scout Talk: Funky, deceptive delivery and excellent feel of a four-pitch mix.
Analytics: FB averages 92.8 mph, but has below average metrics. All three of his secondaries have whiff rates greater than 35%. 

All Pitch Strike%: 66.3 (82nd percentile)
All Pitch Whiff%: 30.3 (71st)
Strikeout rate: 32.2% (99th)
Walk rate: 7.9% (85th)

Best Pitch: Top swing/miss pitch is an 80-81 mph curve that he throws 68.3% of the time for a strike.
Comparison: Draws comparisons to Max Fried as a bat-misser and run-preventer with a multi-pitch mix. Root has also drawn some comparisons from veteran scouts to Fernando Valenzuela for his deception.
Summary: Strike-thrower with starter profile has a high level track record of performance during all three seasons of his collegiate career. Root likely won’t be selected as tall as Jordan Wicks (Kansas State) went 21st overall in 2021, but one could argue that Root has similar talent.

JD Thompson (Vanderbilt)

Ht/Wt: 6-foot, 205 pounds
Scout Talk: Durable lefty who attacks the old fashioned way – with his heater – and consistently posts every week.
Analytics: FB averages 92.0 mph with 18.5” IVB from a 5.7’ release height which allows his four-seamer to play up. Changeup produces a 54.2% Whiff rate. 

All Pitch Strike%: 67.6 (87th percentile)
All Pitch Whiff%: 33.5 (79th)
Strikeout rate: 31.0% (98th)
Walk rate: 7.6% (85th)

Best Pitch(s): Although he pounds the zone with his heater, his top swing/miss pitch is actually his changeup with a 95th percentile Whiff rate of 51.7%.

Comparison: An aggressive attack style similar to AJ Minter, but with less heater velo and no cutter, at least yet.

Summary: Four distinct pitch mix lefthander who attacks with his heater 54.5% of the time. Lacks the ceiling of what Jared Shuster had as the 26th overall pick in 2020, but certainly has the present day talent to be considered in the top 50 overall picks.

Joe Dzierwa (Michigan State)

Ht/Wt: 6-foot-8, 205 pounds
Scout Talk: Quality present stuff with a big ceiling. Loose arm and good arm speed. High level athlete and elite mover. A true ninth defender on the field, there’s not a PFP play he can’t make.
Analytics: FB averages 91.6 mph. Commands the baseball as 87% of his pitches are in competitive locations. Change-up at 80.6 mph gets 18.3” of arm-side run.

All Pitch Strike%: 69.8 (93rd percentile)
All Pitch Whiff%: 29.4 (68th)
Strikeout rate: 28.9% (94th)
Walk rate: 5.8% (94th)

Best Pitch(s): As good as his changeup that produces a 40.4% Whiff rate, his fastball is also a weapon with an 89th percentile Whiff rate of 27.6% and a .180 batting average against.

Comparison: He will not be selected No. 2 overall as Mark Mulder was out of Michigan State back in 1998, but Dzierwa has even many similarities that include the same school and a long, athletic frame.

Summary: One could make an argument that he has the most upside of anyone in this Tale of the Tape, other than Kade Anderson. Due to the lack of a present quality breaking ball, Dzierwa will most likely not be selected in the first round, however the top 75 overall picks is his likely landing spot.

Pico Kohn (Mississippi State)

Ht/Wt: 6-foot-4, 200 pounds
Scout Talk: Constantly improving lefty with athletic delivery and quality stuff led by his slider. Frame bodes well for projection and an uptick of stuff.
Analytics: FB averages 92.1 mph. Slider plays up on a 4.05 degree HAA and produces a 45.1% Whiff rate. 

All Pitch Strike%: 64.7 (74th percentile)
All Pitch Whiff%: 33.3 (79th)
Strikeout rate: 32.5% (99th)
Walk rate: 6.8% (91st)

Best Pitch(s): The data shows his top swing/miss pitch is actually his changeup at 52.0% and 96th percentile, but his slider is his bread-n-butter. He throws it 29% of the time for a 64.5% strike rate.

Comparison: Alex Wood is a fair comparison with primarily a FB/SL combo and occasional changeup.

Summary: Fourth-year junior missed all of the 2023 season after Tommy John surgery. Went undrafted after a limited use (29.1 IP) 2024 season, but now having a breakout season which should place him in the top 75 overall picks.

Wild Card: Jared Spencer (Texas) was also in the middle of this group until a recent injury and shoulder surgery sidelined him for the remainder of the season. The group’s lone senior, Spencer is a 6-foot-3, 195 pounder who averaged 94.8 mph and topped at 98 with his fastball. His best pitch is an out-pitch sweeping slider that boasts a 96th percentile Whiff rate (50.6%) and a 99th percentile in-zone Whiff rate (Z-Whiff) of 42.4% this season. It’s anyone’s guess where he lands in this year’s draft, but in a down draft year he likely won’t fall too far out of the top 100 picks.