2025 MLB Draft: Top 100 Prep Board - Spring Update

B/T: R-R

Height: 6-1

Weight: 180

Draft Age: 18.11

Hometown: Corona, California

Commitment: Tennessee

Summary: A dynamic two-way talent from the talent-rich Corona High School program, Carlson might be the premier defensive shortstop and top overall prepster in this year’s class when the dust settles.

He displays smooth, rangy actions at shortstop with natural bounce, soft hands, and a quick release. Carlson has plus range, especially to his left, and a strong, accurate arm that grades out as a 60, more than capable of handling throws deep in the hole. At the Perfect Game National Showcase, he touched 99 mph during I/O, underscoring the elite arm strength that could also translate to the outfield if needed.

Offensively, Carlson’s swing can get a bit steep at times, but he stays in the strike zone well and doesn’t chase often. There aren't major concerns with whiff rate. He’s added strength since last summer, now showing improved backspin and carry on contact. A key developmental focus this spring has been lifting the ball more consistently, and so far, he’s responded with multiple home runs on the West Coast varsity season. There's legitimate power in the bat, driven by loud bat speed. However, he can get overly pull-happy and swing too big, especially when hunting damage. He also tends to be overly aggressive early in counts, often putting himself in disadvantageous situations.

On the mound, Carlson’s athleticism carries over cleanly. He’s been up to 96–97 mph with a fluid delivery and solid strike-throwing ability. His secondaries include a mid-70s curveball with depth and a fading mid-80s changeup, both showing real promise.

Carlson flipped his commitment from Vanderbilt to Tennessee in the fall, joining a highly touted class under Tony Vitello. For scouts and front offices eyeing the draft, Carlson projects as a potential top-10 overall pick. The dream outcome is a Trea Turner-type player with a hit-and-speed combo and 25+ home run potential out of a lean, wiry frame. Given the tools, polish, and upside, it would be a surprise to see him make it to campus next spring.

B/T: L-R

Height: 6-4

Weight: 210

Draft Age: 18.04

Hometown: Stillwater, Oklahoma

Commitment: Oklahoma State University (OSU)

Summary: The younger brother of 2022 first overall pick Jackson Holliday and the second son of former Cardinals star Matt Holliday, Ethan is already showing greater physicality and louder offensive tools than Jackson did at the same stage. Ethan appears to have inherited more of his father’s physical traits, and scouts believe his long-term profile may resemble Matt’s more than Jackson’s, with more power and strength over twitch and athleticism.

Offensively, Holliday’s toolset is among the loudest in the class. His swing is buttery smooth and effortless, with easy bat speed and an advanced feel for impact. He consistently posts triple-digit exit velocities in-game, including a 111-mph rocket during the 18U Team USA trials, and has the raw strength to project 30+ home runs annually at maturity. There are still areas for development, though. Holliday can be overly passive in his approach, and his swing can get long, leading to some swing-and-miss. That said, the power upside is enormous.

Scouts expect him to continue filling out physically, which should only further enhance his impact potential at the plate. The biggest developmental priority will be tightening up the approach and shortening the swing (a similar issue Matt had in the Rockies system after being drafted), but the offensive ceiling is significant.

Defensively, most evaluators project Holliday to eventually move off shortstop due to his size, with third base seen as the most natural fit. He moves fluidly on the dirt with solid range and a strong arm, traits that would play well at the hot corner. Long-term, some even envision a path similar to his father’s, beginning his pro career as a third baseman before potentially shifting to left field as he adds more weight and mass.

While he may not be the consensus 1.1 pick right now, Holliday is firmly in the mix as the top high school player in the class and a strong candidate to go in the top five. If he heads to college, he’s committed to Oklahoma State, where his uncle, Josh Holliday, is the head coach, and his grandfather coached before him.

B/T: S-R

Height: 6-1

Weight: 175

Draft Age: 17.07

Hometown: Fort Cobb, Oklahoma

Commitment: Oklahoma

Summary: One of the more prominent reclassifications from the 2026 class, the switch hitter has quickly made his mark as a potential top-of-the-class prospect. He offers a complete and polished toolset, one that includes the ability to hit for average with some pop, steal bases with ease, and play premium defense.

The son of former Angels outfielder Reggie Willits, Eli shows advanced feel and balance from both sides of the plate. Both swings are compact and short to the baseball with his right-handed swing features more bat speed and raw power, while the left-handed stroke is more contact-driven with natural gap-to-gap ability. While he likely projects for fringe-average power long-term, his bat-to-ball skills, strike zone discipline, and overall approach are extremely advanced for his age and has the stuff to mature into a true leadoff hitter for the next level.

Defensively, Willits is a steady, athletic presence on the infield. He shows clean footwork, soft hands, and a strong, accurate arm. Though he may not be the flashiest or twitchiest defender, his instincts, internal clock, and consistency give him a real chance to stick at shortstop. He’s also logged time in center field, most notably during the 18U USA Trials, where his speed and feel translated well. Long-term, there's versatility in his profile, but he has every chance to remain on the middle dirt until a move is necessary.

On the basepaths, Willits is an average to above-average runner with solid instincts, making him a legitimate base-stealing threat at the next level. 

Overall, Willits brings above-average tools across the board and knows how to use them. His balanced skill set, and instincts evoke shades of a young José Reyes, with switch-hit polish, speed, and quiet confidence to impact the game in all phases. He’s committed to the University of Oklahoma, where his father, Reggie, serves as Associate Head Coach under Skip Johnson.

B/T: L-R

Height: 5-10

Weight: 178

Draft Age: 19.00

Hometown: San Antonio, Texas

Commitment: Texas

Summary: Despite his smaller stature, Cunningham makes a strong case as the best pure contact hitter in the prep class and stands out as one of the most physically mature and advanced players in the 2024 draft.

He covers the zone exceptionally well, rarely chasing and minimizing whiffs thanks to his innate bat-to-ball skills. Cunningham consistently sprays the ball to all fields with a smooth, direct left-handed swing, quick hands, and advanced barrel adjustability. It’s a compact operation with real bat speed and an all-fields approach. Over the summer circuit, he posted contact rates north of 90%, solidifying the hit tool as a potential plus or better weapon at the next level.

There’s some power present, particularly to the pull side, and he’ll regularly work the gaps for extra bases. His swing is currently geared more toward line drives with consistent backspin and carry, and there's reason to believe he’ll add some lift over time. While he profiles as a hit-over-power type, the strength and swing mechanics suggest there’s more impact coming.

Defensively, Cunningham is a plus runner underway and shows strong range at shortstop. He features quick, soft hands, efficient footwork, and a strong, accurate arm with surprising life across the diamond. While there’s a chance he could slide to second base at the next level, his actions, instincts, and overall feel for the position make it hard to see him leaving the middle infield.

Cunningham flipped his commitment from Texas Tech to Texas over the summer and will be draft-eligible again as a sophomore in 2027 if his bonus demands aren’t met this July.

If I were a scouting director or GM, I wouldn’t hesitate to submit Cunningham’s name in the 5–20 range of the first round; if he’s still on the board. Frankly, it would be a surprise to see him available beyond that point.

B/T: R-R

Height: 6-4

Weight: 200

Draft Age: 19.00

Hometown: Chino, California

Commitment: Vanderbilt

Summary: At this stage of the 2025 draft cycle, no arm in the class stands out more than Hernandez. He’s both physically and mentally ahead of his peers on the mound, and while his future likely lies on the bump, his raw tools as a position player gives him a legitimate two-way for consideration early in the process.

At 6-foot-4, 195 pounds, Hernandez has plenty of projection remaining, and his operation is as effortless as they come. He’s a fluid, athletic mover with elite arm speed and a loose, explosive delivery from a high three-quarter slot. The fastball currently sits 95–97 mph and has touched triple digits in shorter outings. As he continues to add strength, he projects to sit comfortably in the upper-90s with strong extension and the ability to challenge hitters at the top of the zone.

The changeup is among the best in the country, a low-80s parachute with heavy sink and excellent separation off the fastball, flashing plus consistently. He also mixes in a big, top-to-bottom curveball in the upper-70s and a cutter/slider hybrid in the mid-to-upper 80s, both spinning north of 2,700 RPMs. His command of secondaries still needs some refinement, but he fills the zone and misses bats with all four offerings.

Offensively, Hernandez brings a loud toolset that’s often overlooked due to his upside on the mound. He shows impressive hand speed and bat control, with flashes of above-average raw power, especially to the pull side. Scouts have expressed concern over his exaggerated load and inconsistent performance against quality breaking balls, which clouds his long-term offensive profile. However, he's shown consistent barrel control, leveraged swings, and has been one of the top performers at the plate early in the spring on the West Coast for Corona HS.

Defensively, Hernandez is a 6.8 runner with a cannon for an arm, giving him real defensive value in the outfield. If the pitching doesn’t fully develop, he offers a legitimate fallback as a corner outfielder with pop and defensive upside.

Overall, Hernandez profiles with a Michael Lorenzen-type floor, but he’s already more polished than Lorenzen coming out of college, giving him a significantly higher ceiling. He’s a premier name in the 2025 class with two-way intrigue, but the upside on the mound is what separates him from the pack. If he gets to campus, he'd be eligible as a sophomore at Vanderbilt in 2027.

B/T: L-R

Height: 6-4

Weight: 205

Draft Age: 18.08

Hometown: Mount Vernon, Washington

Commitment: Oregon State

Summary: It’s not often that the Northwest region, especially "The Evergreen State", produces one of the top prep prospects in the country, but Neyens is entering rare territory. With an elite physical frame, loud offensive tools, and consistent performance, he’s putting himself squarely in the early first-round mix for 2025.

At the plate, Neyens offers a mature, disciplined approach with top-of-the-scale bat-to-ball skills and arguably the best raw power in the prep class. While he can be overly passive at times, resulting in pitcher’s counts, he rarely chases out of the zone. His power is plus, driven by elite bat speed, rotational acceleration, and natural loft. He drives the ball to all fields and has already posted exit velocities north of 110 mph against premium velocity.

Mechanically, it’s a tight, coiled swing with explosive core rotation. His load is well-sequenced, and while the finish can look a bit unorthodox due to how long he stays through the zone, the hand speed and barrel control are elite. It’s a tight-turn swing that creates serious torque and impact.

Defensively, Neyens has made strides at third base. He shows soft hands, a strong arm, and relaxed, confident actions. That said, some scouts remain concerned about his footwork, which can get heavy at times, potentially pushing him to a corner outfield role long term. Still, he’s shown enough to suggest he has a shot to stick at third with continued improvement.

He’s a fringy runner, but his athleticism and arm strength provide above-average value defensively regardless of where he lands.

On the mound, Neyens presents additional intrigue. He’s been up to 96 mph with the fastball, though he more commonly sits in the 90–92 range. His breaking ball flashes average potential, and he shows some feel for a changeup. All of his work comes out of the stretch. Thus, while his future is more likely as a position player, the fallback as a pitcher adds to his overall profile.

Ultimately, Neyens projects as a middle-of-the-order bat at the next level, offering offense-over-defense impact potential. He’s currently committed to Oregon State, one of the premier college baseball programs on the West Coast.

B/T: R-R

Height: 6-1

Weight: 215

Draft Age: 18.09

Hometown: High Point, North Carolina

Commitment: Wake Forest

Summary: The son of High Point University head coach Joey Hammond, Josh Hammond burst onto the national radar with a breakout performance during the 2023 summer circuit. His momentum carried into 2024, where he earned a spot on the prestigious USA Baseball 18U National Team. He quickly established himself as one of the squad’s premier arms, highlighted by a key start in the gold medal game of the WBSC U-18 Baseball World Cup Americas Qualifier in Panama. Over two starts, Hammond posted a 1–0 record with a 3.00 ERA and six strikeouts across seven innings of work.

On the mound, Hammond features a powerful arsenal led by a mid-90s fastball that has touched 96 mph. The pitch comes in heavy with boring action on right-handed hitters and flashes carry when he adds ride. High spin rates give the fastball strong underlying traits and project it well into pro ball. His most advanced secondary is a sharp, low-80s slider with big sweep and late bite, already a swing-and-miss weapon and trending toward plus. He also mixes in a changeup with heavy fade and developing feel in the zone. Hammond has a quick, fluid arm action, solid direction down the mound, and a strong lower half that helps him repeat his delivery. While fastball command and consistency remain a work in progress, the athleticism and overall feel for the craft suggest further refinement is likely.

Physically, Hammond might be the most athletic player in the prep class. If baseball had a version of Bruce Feldman’s “Freak List,” he’d be on it. He clocked a 3.78-second 30-yard dash, posted a 10-foot-5 broad jump, and recorded a 17.3-inch countermovement jump with a peak power output of 5,385 watts. Those metrics have begun translating on the field in new ways, most notably at the plate, where Hammond registered a 106.4 mph exit velocity this spring.

The raw tools, paired with his physical gains, have raised legitimate questions among evaluators: is Hammond a frontline starter, a power bat on the left side of the infield, or a potential two-way prospect at the next level? These questions arise as over this spring he has done nothing but hit home runs and crush prep pitching from “The Old North State”.

At the plate, Hammond possesses massive raw power (some of the best in the prep class) and has shown the ability to tap into it in games to all fields. While there’s some swing-and-miss in his profile, the power upside is undeniable, and he’s widely viewed as a legitimate first-round bat because of it.

He hits from a wide, even stance and uses a simple leg-lift trigger to initiate a clean, low-effort operation. Hammond generates plus bat speed through the zone and effectively incorporates his physical strength, creating hard contact off the barrel with natural lift, especially to the pull-side gap. One key area of development has been improving his launch angle, as his flatter bat path previously resulted in a high ground-ball rate that limited his overall slugging impact. To his credit, he’s made strides in that area this spring.

Despite the raw power focus, Hammond doesn’t strike out often and demonstrates a mature approach at the plate, showing patience and a willingness to work deep into counts.

Overall, the bat is real, and as long as he continues to hit, he’ll stay in the conversation as a premium position player. If not, his fallback as a high-ceiling arm on the mound gives him one of the more unique and valuable profiles in the class.Regardless, he’s one of the most intriguing and dynamic players in the 2025 class.

B/T: R-R

Height: 6-1

Weight: 180

Draft Age: 18.11

Hometown: Hoschton, Georgia

Commitment: University of Georgia

Summary: A massive riser on draft boards this spring, Pierce is a tall, lean, wiry infield prospect long known for his defensive prowess, but it's his offensive progress that's turning heads early in the prep season.

At the plate, Pierce sets up with a wide, balanced base, high hands, and a loud, rhythmic load. There are a lot of moving parts, but it’s loose and athletic throughout. His swing is fluid and still developing, but flashes of advanced bat speed and explosive hip rotation at foot strike have caught the attention of evaluators this spring. There's a ton of twitch in his profile, and while his batted-ball data may not stand out to exit velo chasers and metric fanatics, Pierce maintains a line-drive approach instead of hunting loft as he stays within his approach and profiles as a true hit-over-power type right now.

There’s very little swing-and-miss in his game, and he’s shown advanced barrel control and separation skills that have helped his power tick up over the last year. The projection remains, and the added strength will likely allow the power to continue trending upward.

Pierce is a legitimate speed threat as well, consistently posting plus run times and even flashing double-plus bursts. That athleticism translates smoothly to the dirt, where he’s a high-end defender at shortstop. He’s a fluid, athletic mover with easy arm strength, impressive range, and plus instincts. He makes the routine plays with ease and has shown the ability to pull off highlight-reel plays at “the six” all summer long. If he continues to add size and strength, there's a chance he shifts to second or third, but his current actions and athleticism give him a good shot to stick at shortstop long-term.

The Georgia native is committed to staying in-state, with plans to suit up for the Bulldogs in Athens. However, in recent years, twitchy, contact-first hitters have generated significant industry buzz, and Pierce is beginning to draw similar attention, following a path blazed by players like Wyatt Sanford and Cole Young. With continued performance, there’s legitimate Day 1 potential for Pierce this July.

B/T: R-R

Height: 5-11

Weight: 170

Draft Age: 17.11

Hometown: Trussville, Alabama

Commitment: Tennessee

Summary: One of the few reclassifications from the 2026 class, Hall signed his National Letter of Intent with Coach Tony Vitello’s Tennessee Volunteers in mid-November and will graduate a year early, making him one of the youngest players in the 2025 draft class.

Hall may possess one of the most explosive toolsets in the class and has emerged as a major helium riser in scouting circles this spring. He made significant strength gains over the offseason, and early looks this spring reveal a noticeably more physical and filled-out frame. Physically, he is a twitchy, high-energy athlete, showcasing elite range and athleticism on the dirt with a quick first step, excellent instincts, and a strong throwing arm across the diamond, giving him a real chance to stick at shortstop long-term.

Offensively, Hall profiles as a hit-over-power bat with a compact swing and clean bat path. He hits from a wide, spread stance with a simple, line-drive-oriented swing from the right side. While he’s aggressive early in counts, resulting in some present swing-and-miss, he’s shown an ability to lift the ball and generate sneaky power thanks to fast hands and good bat speed. His projectable lower half is leveraged well in the swing and points toward more power down the line.

Hall is also one of the fastest runners in the class. He’s posted consistent plus-plus home-to-first times this spring, and some evaluators are already penciling in 75–80 grades on his speed. He explodes out of the box and has the tools to be a high-impact table-setter at the next level with the potential to compete for annual stolen base crowns. The speed and twitch have drawn early comparisons to last year’s late-rising prep standout Kellon Lindsey, who surged up draft boards in a similar fashion. Many scouts and evaluators believe that he has already solidified day 1 status for this July. 

B/T: L-R

Height: 6-0

Weight: 182

Draft Age: 19.02

Hometown: Atherton, California

Commitment: Louisiana State University (LSU)

Summary: After relocating across the country to attend IMG Academy in order to face stronger competition, Moss has quickly vaulted himself near the top of the outfield crop in the 2025 class. He’s been on a tear through the early weeks of the spring season, consistently barreling advanced pitching and showing big strides in his offensive game.

Though smaller in stature, Moss packs a surprising punch. He possesses excellent bat speed, quick hands, and advanced barrel control, allowing him to drive the ball with authority to the pull side. His left-handed swing features tight turns and a compact, tightly wound setup that produces sharp line drives and hard-hit ground balls. The setup and posture in the box may evoke memories of Craig Counsell to fans of 90s and early-2000s baseball.

Moss's swing path is efficient and simple, producing consistent contact. Early in his career, he was more of a slap-and-run type hitter, but he’s evolved, now able to turn on high fastballs with force and use his lower half to stay connected even when challenged inside. He’s also shown flashes of opposite-field pop, and with just a touch more loft, he could turn his low liners into doubles and triples with regularity. His hit tool is already highly polished, with excellent zone control and consistent adjustments to off-speed offerings. He rarely pops up, hardly ever strikes out, and frequently beats out infield singles.

Moss’s plate discipline stands out. He’s selective, works deep counts, and doesn’t chase soft stuff off the edges. He’s not overly passive, but he has a clear approach and rarely lets hittable pitches go by. Scouts praise his ability to work walks and control the strike zone with maturity well beyond his age.

At present, Moss profiles as a hit-first outfielder with emerging power, potentially an above-average (or even plus) hitter with 10–15 home run pop. While not a burner, he's an above-average runner who provides value on the bases and flashes impact speed in spurts.

Defensively, Moss is an average center fielder playing an above-average right field. He takes good routes, gets strong reads off the bat, and shows solid instincts in the outfield. While his pure range is more average, the efficiency of his reads and jumps allow him to make difficult plays look routine.

He will be on the older side of the class (turning 19 a couple of months prior to the draft) which also makes him eligible as a sophomore at LSU should he choose to head to Baton Rouge.