What's the top draft-related headline headed into the weekend?
July 10, 2025
The ‘Hotlist’ is a series that provides weekly insight into the high school baseball scene spanning the country, curated by Prep Baseball’s state directors who are situated nationwide, with vital intel on the prospects who are in their own backyards. Each week, we’ll publish our ‘Hotlist’ on varying topics that are timeliest to the national baseball calendar at that point in time.
This week’s topic: Share your state’s top draft-related headline going into the weekend. Maybe it’s about one specific player, HS or college. Maybe there’s a player that projects to be taken the earliest ever from your state. Any interesting nuggets headed into the MLB Draft that you’d like to share.
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+ Read about previously published ‘Hotlist’ topics here.
♨️ The ‘Hotlist’ (7/10):
Alabama
+ Steele Hall, SS (Hewitt-Trussville HS, 2025) | Tennessee:
“SS Steele Hall has built an impressive résumé over his high school career, and his senior season only reinforced his status as one of the top prep prospects in the country. A Tennessee commit and the No. 1-ranked player in Alabama’s 2025 class (No. 10 nationally), Hall delivered a standout final campaign, batting .484 (60-for-124) with eight home runs, five triples, and 14 doubles. With MLB scouting directors and national crosscheckers in attendance throughout the spring, Hall’s draft stock surged. In a deep class of high school shortstops, he has clearly distinguished himself and is expected to be selected in the early-to-mid first round of Sunday’s MLB Draft.”
– David Sharp, Deep South Supervisor
Canada
“Canada's headline heading into the draft among prep players is which player will hear their name called first, with candidates from three provinces. OF/3B Tim Piasentin (Miami recruit) leads the way on the positional side, while right-hander Will Hynes (Wake Forest recruit) leads the way on the pitching front. After a strong senior season, left-hander Shane Brinham (Michigan recruit) has also jumped into the conversation as a Day Two arm.”
– Cam Black-Araujo, Assistant Director
Colorado
+ Carter Wilcox, LHP (Cherokee Trail HS, 2025) | Iowa:
“Wilcox consistently had his fastball from the left-side up to 95 mph this spring with a 3,000+ rpm breaking ball to pair. The outlier on Wilcox is the 5’5” release height on his FB with spin and carry. Dominated top CO teams this year with 116Ks, 56.2IP, 1.85ERA, and a 47.3% K rate.”
– Caleb Dameron, Colorado Staff
Florida
+ Jordan Yost, SS (Sickles HS, 2025) | Florida:
“Jordan Yost was a buzzy name amongst the scouting community this spring and is a name to watch in this year’s Draft. A projectable left handed hitter with ability to stick at short gives him a chance at being one of the first Florida high schoolers off the board.”
– Rocco Iervasi, Director of Operations
Illinois
+ Jack Bauer , LHP (Lincoln-Way East HS, 2025) | Mississippi State:
“Jack has been making waves all spring long as he emerged not just throwing about seven mph harder than last year, but also filling up the zone at a much larger clip. He turned himself into one of the top draft prospects in the country overnight with a fastball up to 103 mph and now has a real chance to hear his name called on the first day of the draft. Illinois as a state has had it's share of first rounders and high draft picks, but none quite like Bauer with such a quick and meteoric rise. ”
– Peter Hamot, Assistant Scouting Director, Illinois/Wisconsin
Louisiana
+ Kade Anderson, LHP (St. Paul's HS, 2023) | LSU:
“Will Anderson become only the second Louisiana born player to be drafted with the #1 overall pick in the MLB Draft? The sophomore southpaw was nothing short of sensational for the Tigers this spring, on route to leading LSU to their second national title in the last three years, and taking home Most Outstanding Player honors at the 2025 Men's College World Series as well. Anderson finished the year with a 12-1 record and 3.18 ERA with a nation-leading 180 strikeouts across 119 innings pitched.”
– Alex Armand, State Director
North Carolina
+ Josh Hammond, SS / RHP (Wesleyan Christian Academy HS, 2025) | Wake Forest:
“Hammond was the MVP of the inaugural Prep Baseball All-American Game, played in Milwaukee. Prior to his rise up the ranks of the 2025 class, Hammond starred for Team NC at the 2021 Junior Future Games, committing to Wake Forest shortly after his week at LakePoint. Hammond's father, Joey, played at Charlotte and professionally for 10 years, getting to AAA. Joey is now the head coach at High Point University.”
– Brandon Hall, Mid-Atlantic Director of Scouting
Oklahoma
+ Ethan Holliday, SS (Stillwater High School HS, 2025) | Oklahoma State:
“Ethan Holliday could join brother Jackson Holliday as the #1 Overall Pick to the Washington Nationals after Jackson went first overall to the Baltimore Orioles in 2022. This would make the Hollidays the first brothers to each be taken as the #1 overall pick in the MLB Draft.”
– Bret Schwartz, Oklahoma Scouting Director
Oklahoma
+ Eli Willits, SS (Fort Cobb-Broxton HS, 2025) | Oklahoma:
“The Sooner State could see two high school shortstops taken near the top of the draft. Both Ethan Holliday and Eli Willits are too very different players, but share the ability to impact games at a high level. Each have an opportunity to go within the draft's first 10 picks and possibly the top 5.”
– Bret Schwarz, Oklahoma Scouting Director
Oregon
+ Kruz Schoolcraft, (Sunset HS, 2025) | Tennessee:
“LHP Kruz Schoolcraft is largely seen as the top high school player to come out of the state of Oregon in this draft. The 6'8 lefty is one of the more physically imposing prospects in the draft and dominates with a mid-to-upper 90's fastball. Schoolcraft looks to continue the trend in recent years of Oregon pitching prospects becoming first round picks. Recently, Noble Meyer out of Jesuit High School was selected 10th overall by the Miami Marlins in the 2023 MLB Draft, while Mick Abel was selected 15th overall by the Philadelphia Phillies in 2020, also out of Jesuit High School. Schoolcraft, a Tennessee commit, has also shown promise as a powerful lefthanded bat, but still carries the most upside as an arm moving forward.”
– Dylan Grenz, Associate Scout
Washington
+ Xavier Neyens, INF (Mount Vernon HS, 2025) | Oregon State:
“Two high school talents should steal the headlines out of Washington in this year's MLB Draft, with both Xavier Neyens and Mason Pike included in most of the industry's projected top 100 picks. However, it's been Neyens who has held firm as a first rounder in most mock drafts for the better part of a year. The infielder out of Mount Vernon boasts some of the most prodigious power of any prospect in the draft, while the hit and glove tool should more than hold their own at the professional level. Neyens is the top ranked 2025 grad in Washington and ranked 7th in Prep Baseball's national class rankings. Should Neyens be selected in the first round, he would be the first Washington high school prospect to go this early since Corbin Carroll in 2019.”
– Dylan Grenz, Associate Scout
Wisconsin
“Former prep standouts that have thrived at the college level from the 2022 class headlined by with prospects like Kilen, Voit, Snead and Fox all expected to be selected at various points throughout the draft with even more prospects behind them. It's a strong showing from a single graduating class and one that could be deeper than prior years.”
– Josh Fields, Wisconsin Staff