Major League Baseball’s 2025 Draft first round was anything but predictable, featuring shocking top picks and historic trends. The first 105 selections (Rounds 1 through 3) were made on Sunday, July 13 in Atlanta as part of All-Star weekend festivities, with Round 1 alone producing 32 picks (including compensatory selections) and a record-breaking 17 shortstops taken in the first round.

Teams across the league embraced aggressive strategies – from targeting ultra-young talent to loading up on premium infielders – making this one of the most memorable opening rounds in recent draft history. Notably, several big-market clubs (such as the Mets, Yankees and Dodgers) were absent from the Round 1 board due to new draft penalties, while one small-market team even earned an extra pick via MLB’s incentive program. Below is a detailed look at the first-round results, including the most notable picks, overarching team strategies, position trends, and any surprises or trades that shaped the night’s outcomes.

2025 MLB Draft Top Picks and Early Surprises

The 2025 draft kicked off with two major surprises at the very top of the board. The Washington Nationals stunned many experts by selecting Eli Willits, a 17-year-old high school shortstop from Oklahoma, with the No. 1 overall pick. Pre-draft projections had widely expected the Nationals to take either Ethan Holliday (the top-rated prep infielder) or LSU ace Kade Anderson at 1-1, but the Nats’ new front office went with Willits, whom they viewed as “the best hitter in the draft and the best fielder in the draft,” according to interim GM Mike DeBartolo. Willits – the son of former MLB outfielder Reggie Willits – reclassified to the 2025 class and was the youngest player in the draft pool, not turning 18 until December.

In fact, at 17 years and 216 days old on draft day, he became the youngest No. 1 pick in nearly four decades (the youngest since Ken Griffey Jr. was drafted in 1987). Washington’s choice of the toolsy shortstop also carried a strategic bonus pool benefit – by likely signing him to an under-slot deal below the ~$11 million value for the top pick, the Nationals can redistribute those savings to later-round signings.

The No. 2 overall pick brought another surprise. The Los Angeles Angels veered off the consensus path by selecting Tyler Bremner, a right-handed pitcher from UC Santa Barbara. Bremner had been ranked outside the top 10 on some prospect boards (No. 18 by MLB Pipeline) and wasn’t widely pegged as a second pick, but the Angels are known for marching to their own drum in the draft. The 6'4” college hurler possesses a high-90s fastball and one of the draft’s best changeups, and L.A. valued his ability to move quickly through the system. Like the Nationals, the Angels were reported to have negotiated an under-slot bonus with their pick, indicating a deliberate strategy to maximize the talent they can sign with their total pool.

After the unexpected one-two of Willits and Bremner, more conventional picks followed: at No. 3, the Seattle Mariners nabbed LSU left-hander Kade Anderson, the most polished college arm in the class. The Colorado Rockies then took Stillwater (OK) High School shortstop Ethan Holliday at No. 4 – a noteworthy selection as Holliday is the son of former Rockies All-Star Matt Holliday and had been a candidate to go first overall himself. Rounding out the top five, the St. Louis Cardinals picked University of Tennessee southpaw Liam Doyle at No. 5, adding one of college baseball’s most dominant strikeout artists to their system. These early selections set the tone for a first round filled with bold decisions and storyline-rich picks.

2025 MLB Draft Record Shortstop Surge and Position Trends

One of the defining themes of the 2025 first round was the extraordinary run on shortstops. Teams showed a clear affinity for athletic infielders, resulting in an unprecedented 17 players announced as shortstops among the first-round and supplemental picks. (For comparison, the previous modern record was 10 shortstops in the top 30 picks.) By the time Arizona selected prep infielder Kayson Cunningham at No. 18, he was already the 11th shortstop taken in the top 18 picks – a pace never before seen in draft history.

In total, 15 of the first 32 picks on Day 1 were listed as shortstops on draft night, reflecting a prospect class loaded with premium middle-infield talent. (It’s worth noting that not all of these players will stay at shortstop professionally – many were drafted for their bats or athleticism and could shift to other positions – but the emphasis on drafting up-the-middle players was evident.)

High schools in particular supplied a wealth of this shortstop talent. In fact, eight of the first 14 picks came from the high school ranks, confirming that this was a very prep-heavy first round overall. One high school even made draft history: Corona High School in Southern California produced three Day 1 draftees, including two in the top 10. Corona’s Seth Hernandez, a fireballing right-hander (and converted shortstop), went No. 6 to Pittsburgh, and Billy Carlson, a slick-fielding shortstop, was picked No. 10 by the White Sox. Later, Corona’s left-handed hitting shortstop Brady Ebel was taken with the No. 32 pick (a compensatory selection by Milwaukee), giving Corona High three alumni drafted in the first round/supplemental round – a first for any single high school.

Aside from shortstops, other positions saw unique trends.

Only two catchers were selected in Round 1, and both ended up with the same team: the Baltimore Orioles grabbed Auburn’s Ike Irish at No. 19 and, with a comp pick, Coastal Carolina’s Caden Bodine at No. 30. Meanwhile, teams showed relative restraint in drafting pitchers early. Of the 27 standard first-round picks (not counting extra selections), only about eight pitchers were chosen in the first round – a reflection that 2025’s strength was on the hitting side. By contrast, 19 of the first 27 picks were position players, and many clubs favored bats with upside over arms.

Even traditionally pitching-focused organizations joined the hitting frenzy (for instance, the first six picks included four position players and just two pitchers). The inclination to take hitters was exemplified by speedsters like Cincinnati’s Steele Hall at No. 9 – a 17-year-old shortstop with 80-grade speed – and power bats like Milwaukee’s college corner infielder Andrew Fischer at No. 20. In summary, Round 1 saw an aggressive run on up-the-middle athletes (especially shortstops), a strong showing from high school prospects, and relatively fewer arms and catchers compared to most drafts.

2025 MLB Draft Team Strategies and Draft Philosophies

Many first-round selections clearly reflected teams’ draft philosophies and strategic priorities. For example, the Nationals’ surprise pick of Eli Willits at No. 1 was not only about his talent but also about roster-building strategy – by selecting a younger high-upside prep player likely to sign below slot, Washington can spread its bonus pool savings to snag tough-sign talents in later rounds.

The Los Angeles Angels, known for bucking consensus, targeted a fast-moving college arm in Tyler Bremner at No. 2, valuing his premium stuff and hoping to expedite pitching help for their big-league club. Seattle’s choice at No. 3 of lefty Kade Anderson continued the Mariners’ trend of investing in polished college pitchers – a strategy that paid dividends in the past with first-round arms like Logan Gilbert and George Kirby.

Other clubs doubled down on organizational strengths or addressed glaring needs. The Pittsburgh Pirates, for instance, capitalized on the top prep arm available by grabbing 18-year-old right-hander Seth Hernandez (Corona HS) at sixth overall. This came one year after Pittsburgh selected the top high school bat (in 2024), underscoring their willingness to bet on elite youth talent. Meanwhile, the Miami Marlins – a franchise with a rich pitching pipeline but a history of struggling to develop hitters – went for the best college bat on the board in Oregon State shortstop Aiva Arquette at No. 7. Arquette led the nation with a 1.115 OPS, and Miami hopes he can anchor their future lineup, addressing a longstanding need for offense.

Similarly, the San Diego Padres stayed true to form by extending their remarkable streak of drafting high school players in the first round to nine years in a row. At No. 25, San Diego selected Kruz Schoolcraft, a 6’8” left-handed pitcher from Oregon with huge upside (the top prep lefty in the class), reinforcing the Padres’ reputation for chasing ceiling and athleticism in the draft.

In contrast, a couple of teams that have recently prioritized bats continued that approach: the Chicago Cubs took Wake Forest outfielder Ethan Conrad at 17, marking their third straight college hitter chosen in the first round, and the Minnesota Twins grabbed college shortstop Marek Houston at 16, making it four consecutive drafts in which Minnesota’s first pick was a hitter (three of those four from the college ranks). The Toronto Blue Jays, picking at No. 8, were reported to be weighing college pitching vs. high school hitting and ultimately opted for upside in prep shortstop JoJo Parker – a decision that tipped the scales toward the draft’s prevailing trend of youth and infield talent.

Several teams also capitalized on unexpected opportunities as the round unfolded. The Oakland Athletics, for example, were pleasantly surprised to find Florida State left-hander Jamie Arnold still on the board at pick 11. Arnold had been considered a potential top-5 pick (at one point even in contention for 1-1), so Oakland pounced on the chance to add a polished college arm with that pedigree. The Baltimore Orioles, armed with extra early picks from a large bonus pool, took the unusual step of drafting two catchers in the first round (Irish and Bodine) to stockpile talent at a premium position. And despite widespread rumors that the Kansas City Royals were eyeing pitching, they zagged and chose Sean Gamble, a hit-first infielder/outfielder from IMG Academy, at No. 23.

Gamble drew comparisons to Phillies shortstop Bryson Stott for his well-rounded game and strong middle-infield defense, and his selection marked a departure from the expected pitching focus in Kansas City’s draft room. Finally, the Houston Astros (picking 21st) grabbed prep slugger Xavier Neyens, betting on his prodigious raw power despite some swing-and-miss concerns – a high-risk, high-reward pick that fits an Astros system known for honing hitters. Across the board, teams either stuck to their blueprint or astutely adjusted on the fly, resulting in a first round that showcased a mix of long-term planning and opportunistic grabs.

2025 MLB Draft Notable Storylines and Family Ties

In addition to the strategic angles, the first round produced some compelling storylines and baseball bloodlines. The most obvious was the family legacy of pick No. 4 Ethan Holliday, who will now play for the same franchise (Colorado) that once employed his father, and who nearly joined his older brother Jackson as a fellow No. 1 overall pick. The draft also featured a rare occurrence of twin brothers selected on Day 1: at No. 15, the Boston Red Sox took Oklahoma right-hander Kyson Witherspoon, and a few hours later his twin brother Malachi Witherspoon was drafted 62nd overall by Detroit in Round 2.

Another sibling connection came with the Atlanta Braves’ pick at 22 – they chose Nevada prep shortstop Tate Southisene, one year after Tate’s older brother Ty was drafted in the 4th round by the Cubs. And of course, Eli Willits (No. 1 to Washington) and Billy Carlson (No. 10 to Chicago) continued the trend of draftees with MLB lineage – Willits is a second-generation pro (his father played in the majors), and Carlson is the son of a longtime coach (as well as one of three products from his high school to go early). These familial threads added a human interest dimension to the draft, emphasizing how baseball talent often runs in the family.

There were also a few surprise slides and late-round steals in Round 1. One notable fall was that of the aforementioned lefty Jamie Arnold, who slipped to the A’s at 11 despite being ranked a top-five talent by some – Oakland’s good fortune in landing him was one of the talking points of the night. Additionally, Jace LaViolette, a power-hitting outfielder from Texas A&M once discussed as a possible top-10 pick, fell to the Cleveland Guardians at No. 27.

LaViolette’s drop was attributed to swing-and-miss concerns after a down year, but Cleveland might have snagged a first-round steal if he can recapture his earlier form. On the flip side, some teams reached a bit early to get their guy – for instance, the Detroit Tigers took Florida high school shortstop Jordan Yost at 24, a player ranked outside the top 50 by some rankings, citing his late helium in the weeks leading up to the draft. Such surprise picks and value falls are part of what made this first round so intriguing. From record-setting runs on positions to multi-generational MLB families and unexpected rises and falls, the 2025 first round had a little bit of everything for baseball fans and prospect watchers.

2025 MLB Draft Trades, Extra Picks and New Draft Rules

Unlike the NFL or NBA drafts, trades involving first-round picks are generally not a feature of the MLB Draft – and 2025 was no exception. No standard first-round picks (1–27) were exchanged between teams on draft night, as MLB rules prohibit trading regular draft selections. However, the draft order did include some quirks due to new rules and prior transactions. The Kansas City Royals, for example, received a bonus Prospect Promotion Incentive (PPI) pick at No. 28 overall.

This extra selection was a reward for having a top prospect on their Opening Day roster who went on to achieve a major award milestone (a measure MLB introduced to discourage service-time manipulation). Meanwhile, three big-market teams – the New York Mets, New York Yankees, and Los Angeles Dodgers – did not pick in the first round at all, because their first selections were pushed back 10 slots as a penalty for exceeding luxury tax thresholds. Those clubs had to wait until the Competitive Balance Round A (after the compensatory picks) to make their first choices, with the Mets and Yankees finally getting on the board at picks 38 and 39, respectively.

There were also a couple of pre-arranged pick swaps in the supplemental stages. Notably, a Competitive Balance Round A pick that originated with the Milwaukee Brewers (No. 33) had been traded to the Boston Red Sox in an earlier deal – Boston used that acquired pick to draft Tennessee pitcher Marcus Phillips. Such trades of comp picks are allowed, though they are relatively rare and were all finalized before draft day.

In summary, the drama of the 2025 first round came less from wheeling-and-dealing and more from the bold choices teams made on the draft board. With its surprising top picks, record run on shortstops, and a mix of strategic gambits by teams, the 2025 MLB Draft first round delivered plenty of excitement even without the need for blockbuster trades. Each team’s decisions on Day 1 set the stage for the rounds to follow, as clubs hope that the prospects they chose will become franchise cornerstones in the years ahead.