MLB Draft 2025: On Campus Update
July 16, 2025
Biggest Winners:
1. Mississippi State
2. TCU
3. LSU
4. Tennessee
5. Texas
6. Oregon State
7. Arkansas
8. Notre Dame
9. Alabama
10. Louisville
Top On Campus:
For the time being, any player who was drafted in the Top 12 rounds will not be included in this (those 11th & 12th rounders still hang precariously in the air before August 1)
Jack Bauer
Pitchers:
LHP Jack Bauer (Mississippi State)
LHP Cameron Appenzeller (Tennessee)
RHP Marcos Paz (LSU)
LHP Uli Fernsler (TCU)
LHP Caden Crowell (Notre Dame)
RHP Myles Upchurch (Alabama)
RHP Brandon Shannon (Louisville)
LHP Aiden Stillman (Vanderbilt)
RHP Mason Pike (Oregon State)
RHP Noah Yoder (Virginia)
RHP Charlie Wilcox (Georgia Tech)
RHP Michael Winter (Texas)
RHP Ethan Baiotto (Tennessee)
RHP Parker Rhodes (Mississippi State)
RHP Jordan Martin (Arkansas)
Inevitably, a slew of arms will rise from this class into the first round, and there were plenty of power profiles for schools to get excited about. At the top, Bauer was the most buzzed about pitching prospect throughout the spring as his 103 mph fastball and chance for two plus-secondary offerings set the scouting world ablaze. Professional baseball’s loss is Mississippi State’s gain, and while Bauer still (obviously) needs some polishing, his pure stuff and arsenal puts him in a rarified air of prospects to have gotten to campus. Bulldog fans can also get excited about RHP Parker Rhodes who was a sleeper favorite of many in the midwest, and has the type of electricity and athleticism to really blossom while on campus.
Fellow Illinois native, LHP Cam Appenzeller has the stuff and profile to really blossom under the tutelage of Frank Anderson while at Tennessee. Tony Vitello has displayed a masterful ability for bringing along young prospects, and Appenzeller will be able to follow a similar path because of the depth that the Vols already enjoy. RHP Ethan Baiotto also gives the Vols another starter profile in the mold of Brayden Krenzel, and the two of them (Appenzeller/Baiotto) provide a sturdy foundation for Vols fans to get excited about.
Yes, LSU lost a plethora of prospects to the draft (including some uncertainty with 12th rounder, RHP River Hamilton), but the pre draft name pulls from C Omar Serna and RHP Reagan Ricken formed a solid base, but Jay Johnson & Co. are likely ecstatic at the fact that RHP Marcos Paz will be headed to campus. Paz would have challenged Seth Hernandez as the top prep pitching prospect prior to the Tommy John surgery that robbed him of his senior year. However, the DFW native was back to near peak form just prior to the draft where a mid 90s fastball and vicious slider were back in play. He is the most SEC ready arm of any that will make it to campus, and might immediately challenge for innings on the weekend. In short, it was a HUGE win for LSU.
Still looking for more talented southpaws to follow? LHP’s Uli Fernsler (TCU), Caden Crowell (Notre Dame), and Aiden Stillman (Vanderbilt) all have the arsenal and upside to blossom into frontline guys. They may not be immediate impact guys, but given the right development and time to take lumps, they could yield major dividends for each of those programs.
Finally, in the age of portal additions, it is getting more and more important to develop frontline starters from within. Texas, with the late addition of Michael Winter stacking up next to the *potential power arms of Grayson Boles, Brett Crossland, Grady Westphal, and Brody Walls is in an outstanding place with regards to the stable of arms. Alabama (Myles Upchurch), Louisville (Brandon Shannon), Virginia (Noah Yoder), and Georgia Tech (Charlie Willcox) all bring in potential Friday Night Starters…which is a MUST when challenging for Omaha.
Ty Peeples
Position Players:
1. C/OF Brayden Jaksa (Oregon)
2. OF Ty Peeples (Georgia)
3. 3B Lucas Franco (TCU)
4. 3B Caleb Barnett (Alabama)
5. OF Jacob Parker (Mississippi State)
6. 3B Boston Kellner (Texas A&M)
7. CF Brandon Logan (Notre Dame)
8. SS/OF John Stuetzer (Florida State)
9. C Omar Serna (LSU)
10. OF Alec Blair (Oklahoma)
11. OF Brock Sell (Stanford)
12. 3B/P Ethan Porter (Oregon State)
13. SS Nic Partridge (Florida)
14. SS Kade Elam (Louisville)
15. C Trent Grindlinger (Tennessee)
16. OF/LHP Brock Ketelsen (Stanford)
17. C Brady Dallimore (TCU)
18. OF William Patrick (LSU)
19. C Owen Jenkins (Kentucky)
20. SS Carson Brumbaugh (Arkansas)
21. SS Landon Schaefer (Arkansas)
At the top, 2X Prep Baseball All-Americans, Brayden Jaksa (Oregon) & Ty Peeples (Georgia), appear set to embark as the top position players in the class. Jaksa’s hit/power profile and hulking frame should immediately impact the B1G with a near Charlie Condon-esq comp. Peeples’ powerful left-handed stick is all-too-perfect within the UGA program, and he might ultimately excel with their hitting development situation.
3B Lucas Franco (TCU), 3B Caleb Barnett (Alabama), OF Jacob Parker (Mississippi State), and 3B Boston Kellner (Texas A&M) all have superstar potential. They will each need opportunity with room to fail, but all will step into programs that are already equipped with upperclass superstars, so less will be demanded of them up front. This, in itself, provides an even better road to future success.
Yes, the 2025 high school shortstop class was decimated as the top 16 were all drafted early with 18 of the top 22 going in the top 4 rounds. This makes the dynamic duos of Florida (Nic Partridge & Colton Schwarz) and Arkansas (Carson Brumbaugh & Landon Schaefer) that much more exciting. Yes, all will have to develop more to jump into the first round discussion, but the tools are present, and they are likely to be given time to blossom.