MOCK DRAFT

BA draft writer Carlos Collazo walks you through his first-round thinking

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MLB organizations' pre-draft meetings were well underway as this Draft Preview issue went to press. As of this writing, teams had about three weeks left to determine their direction on draft day.

Scouting departments were getting antsy and ready to roll. The College World Series and draft combine were the last major events on the calendar in late June, and many teams were hosting private workouts for some of their targets.

As was the case all spring, uncertainty looms in the 2025 draft.

The Nationals were keeping quiet about their preference with the first overall pick, and the 2025 class remains quite muddled overall. Still, there are players who have made their cases down the stretch and are more frequently talked about at the top of the draft. Some player-team connections were beginning to surface with more frequency.

1 NATIONALS

Ethan HollidaySS • Stillwater HS (OK)

Holliday continues to feel like the most likely option for the Nationals in the 1-1 spot, though no one seems to offer that prediction with confidence. He gets tied to the Nationals regularly, and I've talked to some in the industry who think it's more likely the Nationals go for a hitter than a pitcher. If that's the case, college lefthanders Kade Anderson and—to a lesser extent—Liam Doyle might be the favorites on the pitching side.

I still think the Nationals are more likely than some other teams picking at the top of this year's draft to take a shot on high school righthander Seth Hernandez, who might have more upside than anyone in the class. I also have a hunch that fellow Oklahoma short- stop Eli Willits could seriously be in play here. Holliday, Willits and then Oregon State short- stop Aiva Arquette would be my favorites, in that order.

2 ANGELS

Kade AndersonLHP • LSU