It’s draft day, and it’s time to round out the top ten for this year’s mock draft. Check out the entire full first round mock on the latest replay of ‘Back to the Dugout’, our MLB and NCAA weekly roundup.
1. Cleveland Guardians – Travis Bazzana 2B (Oregon State)
While there’s some buzz going around that JJ Wetherholt can take this spot for less money, Cleveland should really utilize this first overall pick and go get the Aussie second-baseman. Bazzana’s hit tool combined with his defensive ability is an already near major league ready player. Bazzana hit .407 at Oregon State with an OPS of 1.479. He hit 28 HR as well, giving him sneaky pop from the second base position. The Guardians are already one of the best teams in baseball, and adding a prospect like Bazzana could be a huge addition to an already well off franchise.
2. Cincinnati Reds – Jac Caglianone 1B/LHP (Florida)
Cincinnati has a young and exciting new core that looks to be more competitive next year. Caglianone may not be able to provide that next year but he will sooner rather than later. His power upside gives him potential to be a 40-plus home run a year player while playing a solid first base. Caglianone hit for a .419 average with 35 home runs this season for Florida, and was a leader in their run to Omaha. Caglianone also has elite velocity from the left side of the mound, but the odds of him pitching in the big leagues are very low. At the two-spot, this would be an incredible get for a franchise looking to make some noise for years to come.
3. Colorado Rockies – Charlie Condon 3B/OF (Georgia)
While the word has always been that Colorado will take another pitcher, if Condon is available here, he should be the pick. Same with Caglinaone, the bats available will be way more valuable than the pitchers available. The 2024 Golden Spikes Winner hit .433 with a 1.009 SLG, and an OPS of 1.565. Condon’s power at Coors Field is too good to pass up on here and his “slide” ends here.
4. Oakland Athletics – JJ Wetherholt SS (West Virginia)
With the buzz of Wetherholt going 1:1, it could make him that much more valuable to other teams with the top 5-10 picks. Wetherholt is one of the most complete players in this draft and as long as he can stay healthy, he’s arguably the best infield prospect in this class. This pick could be reminiscent of their last first round selection, where they took shortstop Jacob Wilson. That pick seemed to serve them well so far, and this pick could be similar.
5. Chicago White Sox – Konnor Griffin OF/INF (Jackson Prep, MS)
It would shock many to see Braden Montgomery slip here but the White Sox won’t have a better pick in 2025, and seeing a great high school bat in the draft here could be a very good pick. Taking Griffin gives them more time for him to develop in their rebuild, and with the looks of them trading Garrett Crochet and Luis Robert Jr. it could be their choice for long-term success.
6. Kansas City Royals – Braden Montgomery OF (Texas A&M)
The Royals can go a number of different ways here. Hagen Smith and Chase Burns can be in the mix but if Montogmery slides to six that’s an absolute steal. Montgomery hit .322 with an OPS of 1.187 this season for Texas A&M before suffering a season ending ankle injury in the postseason. That injury shouldn’t affect his draft stock, but if it does, expect this to be the end of the slide. Kansas City can add one of the best bats in the draft and have a switch hitting outfielder for years to come.
7. St. Louis Cardinals – Hagen Smith LHP (Arkansas)
The Golden Spikes finalist is going to the same spot he was initially mocked at. Statistically and to a majority the best pitcher in college baseball this season, the Cardinals are getting a steal at seven. Smith is a deadly lefty who is more big league ready arguably than any other pitcher in the class. He could provide a fast boost to the Cardinals rotation, especially if the look of it is different by next season.
8. Los Angeles Angels – Chase Burns RHP (Wake Forest)
The Angels seem to love going the college route in order to fast track their players, as we’ve seen with guys like Zach Neto, Nolan Schanuel, and Ben Joyce. Burns could be a phenomenal landing spot for the Angels as him coming up at the same time as Caden Dana can provide a giant boost to their rotation, and start a new generation of Angels pitching sooner rather than later. Burns’ velocity and pitch mix provides ace potential out of the rotation and on top of his play he plays with the emotion and intensity built for Major League Baseball.
9. Pittsburgh Pirates – Nick Kurtz 1B (Wake Forest)
Once mocked as a top five pick, it would be hard to see Kurtz sliding this far, or out of the top ten. The young stars of the rotation are starting to take full effect in the bigs for Pittsburgh, and adding a power bat at the first base corner could be huge. Rowdy Tellez is obviously not a long term solution at first, and Kurtz could be a great addition. Kurtz hit .306 with a 1.294 OPS and 22 home runs at Wake Forest this past season.
10. Washington Nationals – Bryce Rainer SS (Harvard Westlake, CA)
The Nationals have their future ahead of them right now and after just calling up James Wood and Dylan Crews call up seeming inevitable soon, they can take a top of the line high school bat to develop into this core. Historically speaking, the Nationals have done well developing shortstops such as Trea Turner, and Rainer could be developed into hopefully a similar product. Rainer has great power upside and an equally great arm at shortstop.