The 2025 draft started with the usual pomp and ceremony, with heightened anticipation this year, in part due to the number of really young players vying for their first steps towards reaching the Big Show. As always, ball fans tuned in with keen interest, along with people preparing their sports betting strategies and earmarking players to watch.

Of course, the bookies were also paying close attention, from traditional land-based ones to those offering online betting or more modern platforms offering a crypto sportsbook. Punters are increasingly flocking to the latter, looking for increased privacy and security, and faster payouts. The underlying blockchain technology has proven to be robust and has the advantage of providing complete transparency at every step in the transaction chain.

So with all 20 rounds of the 2025 MLB draft now completed, let’s take a look at some of the top picks, why the teams made these intriguing choices, and the potential future impact these players could make.

Eli Willits (SS) – Nationals

Washington had the first pick in Round 1 this year. There was much speculation on the direction the franchise would take, but their pick still surprised many people. They chose 17-year-old Eli Willits, an out-and-out shortstop with good contact hitting. As one of the youngest players in the draft, straight out of Fort Cobb-Broxton HS, he has more than enough time to develop through the minors, having not played in the college system. The only question mark over this is whether or not he’ll be able to improve his power-hitting figures. That said, he has a very high baseball IQ, is ranked No. 5 by MLB Pipeline, and had the No.3 draft ranking. Scouts have already predicted that he could turn out to be the best in his class.

Tyler Bremner (RHP) – Angels

Bremner was the joint top college pitcher last year, representing UC Santa Barbara. Although he had a scruffy start to the season, he rallied to put up double-digit strikeout performances as the season progressed. He’s a strike thrower, only walking 19 batters in 77 innings, with 111 Ks. His fastball can touch 98 mph, and he uses a plus change-up as his out pitch. The Angels have a reputation for picking college talent that they can quickly develop into big league players, and this is probably also the case with Bremner. He had a top 20 draft rating, and his premium stuff should see him advance through the minors without too much trouble.

Ethan Holiday (2B) – Rockies

Holiday comes with a big-league family pedigree as Matt Holiday’s son. His brother Jackson already plays at second for the Orioles. With a No. 2 draft ranking, many pundits rate him as the player from the 2025 draft with the best chance of becoming a true MLB star. He’s projected to become a power-hitting, slick-fielding third baseman, with the potential for 30-homer seasons once he settles into a pro ball organization. Drafted straight out of Stillwater HS in Oklahoma, he’ll probably stick at 3B, lacking the true range of a shortstop. If all goes according to plan, he’ll slot in to replace Nolan Arenado after the latter’s trade to the Cardinals a few years ago. Holiday has a very much the same skill set.

Kade Anderson (LHP) – Mariners

In Anderson, Seattle chose the No. 1 draft-eligible player. He already comes with a slew of accomplishments at the college level. He won the award for Most Outstanding Player at the College World Series, pitching LSU to a win. In doing so, he posted a 1-0 shutout in one of the games and only allowed a single run in 17 innings of work. He also finished the season at the top of Division 1 stats, with a 12-1 win record, 180 strikeouts and a 3.18 ERA. He has an unusually high five-pitch repertoire that includes two well-commanded fastballs, both with good plate movement. He usually stays in the 92-94 mph range, but his deception makes his pitches mimic a higher velocity of around 97 mph. The Mariners couldn’t have wished for a better pick – while he might not yet be ace material, he’s a polished starter who could see action in the rotation in his second pro year already.

Liam Doyle (LHP) – Cardinals

Doyle earned his first round pick off the back of a dominant pitching performance in the highly competitive SEC. He has four plus pitches that propelled him to the top of Division 1 with a strikeout rate of 15.4 per nine innings, and was the second-best pitcher in all-out Ks, striking out 164 batters in just under 96 innings. A southpaw with a somewhat unorthodox delivery, he throws in the mid-90s, but has also been clocked at 100mph. He will likely have to put more work into his secondary stuff, though, as batters in the higher leagues will get used to his velocity. He has a very promising slider, backed up by a decent splitter. He will be a welcome addition to the Cardinals franchise, as they’ve lacked a true power pitcher for the last few years. He could certainly find a Big Show spot as a closer, possibly in his first season. St Louis could also get good mileage out of him as a set-up option. However, first prize will be getting him into the starting rotation.

Aiva Arquette (SS) – Marlins

Arquette brings superb college ball credentials. Playing for Oregon State, he hit 19 homers, posted a .354 batting average and ended last season with an astonishing OPS of 1.115. It’s not only his bat that attracted Miami – he is widely viewed as the best college position player. He has the agility to continue at shortstop, but at 6-foot-5, he could well be converted to a power-hitting third baseman in the mold of A-Rod as he progresses through the minors. That said, with the Marlins lacking a bit of offensive grunt, he could see big league play sooner rather than later.

Conclusion

With so much talent, we could see these players making their way through the system pretty quickly. While some will need further development, others could well be fast-tracked by the teams that need to bolster weak points in their rosters and strengthen their playoff ambitions.