2025 MLB Draft: ESPN ranks top 52 college, high school prospects

College baseball season is finally back, as is MLB spring training. With that, ESPN has taken an early look ahead at the top prospects in the 2025 MLB Draft.

For a long time, Ethan Holliday seemed poised to be the top player in the 2025 class. Holliday, the son of former MLB outfielder Matt Holliday and brother of current Baltimore Orioles infielder Jackson Holliday, currently plays at Stillwater High School in Oklahoma.

As the 2025 MLB Draft gets closer, though, Holliday has seemingly fallen in the class rankings, at least according to ESPN. Instead, Jace LaViolette and Jamie Arnold have soared to the top, with other college stars sitting just behind them.

The Washington Nationals hold the first overall selection in the 2025 MLB Draft. This year’s event will be held from July 13-15 in Atlanta, Georgia.

1. Jace LaViolette, OF, Texas A&M

After hitting .287 with 21 home runs as a freshman in 2023, Jace Laviolette took a leap in 2024 into one of the top hitters in all of college baseball by hitting .305 with 29 home runs and 78 RBI. He slugged .726 with an OPS of 1.175.

This season, LaViolette is off to another fast start for the top-ranked Aggies. Through six games, he already has three home runs and eight RBI, despite hitting just .211. Still, he’s slugging .737 with an OPS of 1.181, and has drawn eight walks compared to seven strikeouts. If a MLB team is looking for a power bat that could quickly rise through the minor leagues, LaViolette will be the guy.

2. Jamie Arnold, LHP, Florida State

At this point, Jamie Arnold seems to be a legitimate possibility to be the top overall pick. At the very least, the Florida State southpaw is viewed as the top arm in the 2025 class after breaking out with a 2.98 ERA and 1.09 WHIP with 159 strikeouts through 105.2 innings pitched in 2024.

In two starts in 2025, Arnold is 2-0 with a perfect 0.00 ERA and a 0.273 WHIP. He has struck out 16 compared to zero walks and just three hits allowed.

3. Tyler Bremner, RHP, UC Santa Barbara

Tyler Bremner broke out as a sophomore in 2024, pitching to an 11-1 record with a 2.54 ERA and 0.88 WHIP in 88.2 innings for UC Santa Barbara. He also struck out 104 batters with just 21 walks.

Bremner has gone just six innings through two starts this season, with a 4.50 ERA and a 0.83 WHIP. Still, he has eight strikeouts compared to no walks. While he’s given up a pair of homers, Bremner is expected to further cement himself as one of the top arms in the 2025 MLB Draft this season.

4. Aiva Arquette, SS, Oregon State

Aiva Arquette spent the first two seasons of his collegiate career at Washington, and he hit .325 with 12 home runs in 2024. Now playing a pivotal role in the Oregon State lineup, Arquette is on pace to blow past his previous career highs.

Through seven games, Arquette is hitting .440 with three home runs and 10 RBI. He has also drawn six walks compared to four strikeouts, and is slugging .880 with a 1.439 OPS. It’s safe to say Arquette is rising up boards, and he’s doing so quickly.

5. Cam Cannarella, OF, Clemson

Cam Cannarella has starred as a key piece of the Clemson outfield for two seasons now, and now he’s back for a third. Last season was his best for the Tigers, hitting .337 with 11 home runs and 60 RBI. He also stole 24 bases as a freshman in 2023, and plays an electric center field as well.

Cannarella isn’t off to the start he’d hope for in 2025, hitting .250 with no homers and seven strikeouts through six games. Still, he’s likely to turn things around quickly, and he’s a real candidate to rise even further draft boards.

6. Billy Carlson, SS, Corona HS (CA), Tennessee commit

The first high school player to crack ESPN’s 2025 MLB Draft rankings, Billy Carlson is an intriguing shortstop and righthanded pitcher in this year’s class. He’s viewed as potentially the best defensive player in the entire draft class, with an elite arm and plus tools everywhere else.

Originally a Vanderbilt commitment, Carlson is now committed to play at Tennessee should he make his way to college.

7. Marek Houston, SS, Wake Forest

Marek Houston is one of the most exciting shortstops in the country, and it’s no surprise at all to see him ranked very highly in the 2025 class. 2024 was his breakout at Wake Forest, hitting .326 with eight home runs, drawing 38 walks compared to 33 strikeouts.

Through eight games, Houston is on an unbelievable pace. He’s currently hitting .438 with four home runs and 19 RBI, slugging .875 with a 1.401 OPS. Even if he doesn’t quite keep that eye-opening pace, he’s going to keep moving up the board if he keeps producing near this level.

8. Ethan Holliday, 3B, Stillwater HS (OK), Oklahoma State commit

Until recently, Holliday was pretty much the clear-cut top prospect in the 2025 MLB Draft. While he’s still a very high-ranked prospect, he has fallen a bit to the bottom half of the top ten as opposed to sitting at the top.

His senior season at Stillwater High School will be an important one, and a strong year could have him moving right back towards the top of the draft class. For now, though, he sits as an intriguing option for teams picking in the mid-to-late top ten.

9. Gavin Fien, 3B, Great Oaks HS (CA), Texas commit

Another intriguing prep bat, Gavin Fien sits as a top ten prospect in ESPN’s 2025 MLB Draft rankings. Primarily a third baseman, Fien brings power with his bat and his arm, and his overall bat has progressed over the last year.

If he doesn’t go the draft route, Fien is committed to play college baseball at Texas.

10. Eli Willits, SS, Fort Cobb-Broxton HS (OK), Oklahoma commit

Eli Willits was originally part of the 2026 class, but he re-classified up to 2025 and that could pay off with him viewed as a top ten prospect. The switch-hitting shortstop has hit everywhere he’s gone, and his great speed adds even more intrigue to his game.

Willits is committed to play college baseball at Oklahoma, should be make it through the draft unsigned.

ESPN 2025 MLB Draft rankings: 11-52

11. Brendan Summerhill, OF, Arizona
12. Trent Caraway, 3B, Oregon State
13. Kayson Cunningham, SS, Johnson HS (TX), Texas commit
14. Cameron Appenzeller, LHP, Glenwood HS (IL), Tennessee commit
15. Caden Bodine, C, Coastal Carolina
16. Xavier Neyens, 3B, Mount Vernon HS (WA), Oregon State commit
17. Wehiwa Aloy, SS, Arkansas
18. Dean Curley, SS, Tennessee
19. Seth Hernandez, RHP, Corona HS (CA), Vanderbilt commit
20. Slater de Brun, OF, Summit HS (OR), Vanderbilt commit
21. Tate Southisene, SS, Basic HS (NV), USC commit
22. Luke Stevenson, C, North Carolina
23. Ike Irish, C, Auburn
24. Brock Sell, OF, Tokay HS (CA), Stanford commit
25. Brady Ebel, 3B, Corona HS (CA), LSU commit
26. Daniel Pierce, SS, Mill Creek HS (GA), Georgia commit
27. Kyson Witherspoon, RHP, Oklahoma
28. Tre Phelps III, 3B, Georgia
29. Kruz Schoolcraft, LHP, Sunset HS (OR), Tennessee commit
30. Ethan Conrad, OF, Wake Forest
31. Kade Anderson, LHP, LSU
32. Max Belyeu, OF, Texas
33. Sean Gamble, SS, IMG Academy HS (FL), Vanderbilt commit
34. Aaron Watson, RHP, Trinity Christian HS (FL), Virginia commit
35. Gabe Davis, RHP, Oklahoma State
36. Steele Hall, SS, Hewitt-Trussville HS (AL), Tennessee commit
37. R.J. Austin, OF, Vanderbilt
38. Kane Kepley, OF, North Carolina
39. Gavin Kilen, 2B, Tennessee
40. Dax Kilby, SS, Newnan HS (GA), Clemson commit
41. Henry Godbout, 2B, Virginia
42. Nick Becker, SS, Don Bosco HS (NJ), Virginia commit
43. Devin Taylor, OF, Indiana
44. Nick Dumesnil, OF, Cal Baptist
45. Henry Ford, OF, Virginia
46. Dean Moss, OF, IMG Academy HS (FL), LSU commit
47. Patrick Forbes, RHP, Louisville
48. Liam Doyle, LHP, Tennessee
49. J.D. Thompson, LHP, Vanderbilt
50. Angel Cervantes, RHP, Warren HS (CA), UCLA commit
51. A.J. Russell, RHP, Tennessee
52. Robert X. Mitchell, LHP, Prestonwood Christian HS (TX), Texas commit