FLO BASEBALL - 2025 MLB Mock Draft 1.0

 

FLO Baseball - 2025 MLB Mock Draft 1.0-

https://www.flobaseball.tv/articles/13555752-2025-mlb-mock-draft-10-nats-stunner-with-the-no-1-pick

 

1. Washington Nationals: Jamie Arnold, LHP, Florida State Baseball

Wait, what?

Yes. In a draft where there are seemingly two consensus top prospects, one being a college slugger who gives Aaron Judge vibes (Jace LaViolette), and another who looks like a bigger, stronger version of his older, phenom brother (Ethan Holliday, brother of Jackson) who debuted at 19 in 2024, I think neither really fit what the Nationals want and could be more affordable.

They want pitching to go with the young hitters - James Wood, Dylan Crews and CJ Abrams.

MacKenzie Gore looked good, while Travis Sykora is the No. 2 prospect in the organization and is ranked No. 59 overall in Baseball America's 2025 prospect rankings.

Arnold could be the best pitcher in the draft after what he did in 2024. He certainly can pitch himself to the No. 1 spot like Paul Skenes did in 2023. He doesn’t have the fastball Skenes has, but he has thrown as high as 97 mph. He also has solid off-speed pitches with a slider, curveball and changeup. Arnold's slider could be the best pitch of any prospect in the class.

He’s the No. 3 prospect at FloBaseball and was moved to No. 3 by Baseball America in January, moving past Tyler Bremner of UC Santa Barbara.

Carrying a 2.98 ERA in 105 2/3 innings, Arnold was terrific in 2024 and clearly just behind Chase Burns as the best pitcher in the ACC. At 6-foot-1, 192 pounds, Arnold isn’t the towering figure, but he does get compared to Chris Sale, which is funny, because Sale is 6-foot-6.

 

2. Los Angeles Angels: Ethan Holliday, SS/3B, Stillwater, Oklahoma

Nearly every mock draft has the Nationals taking Holliday No. 1, and with good reason, including the folks at Baseball America and MLB Pipeline.

In this scenario, Holliday falling to No. 2 would be the first good thing to happen to the Angels since Shohei Ohtani decided to sign with them in 2017.

Holliday actually is the No. 2 prospects in his class according to FloBaseball’s composite rankings and Baseball America, but he might have the most upside of any prospect since his brother.

Unlike Jackson, Ethan Holliday profiles more like his father, former batting champ and All-Star Matt Holliday (brother of Oklahoma State baseball coach Josh Holliday).

He’s 6-foot-4, 195 pounds. While there is a trend of long, lanky shortstops these days, it certainly feels Ethan Holliday is projected to be a slugging corner outfielder. 

 

3. Seattle Mariners: Jace LaViolette, OF, Texas A&M Baseball

If there’s a dream scenario of this draft, it’s the Mariners, a team that has no business picking third, given the championship expectations and talent on the roster, getting arguably the best prospect in the draft in the 6-foot-6, 230-pound center fielder from Texas A&M.

LaViolette hit .305/449/.726 with 16 doubles and 29 home runs for the Aggies and nearly single handedly dragged the lineup to the cusp of a national championship after Braden Montgomery suffered an injury in the super-regional round.

Maybe he moves to right field, but he has the athletic ability to stick at center field. This could be the easiest pick in the draft.

If the draft goes as most experts think, Arnold and Bremner will be available and could entice the Mariners to move one of their current rotation members for more offensive help knowing that a pitcher is in the pipeline for the 2026, or 2027 season, at the very latest.

Of all the draft prospects, LaViolette is the one I would pick as the quickest to the majors based on exit velocity and his ability to hit to all sides of the field.

He struck out 81 times and 156 times in two seasons, and that swing-and-miss number is why teams didn’t aggressively go after him in 2022 as a high school player. But he did set a record with 64 walks in 68 games with the Aggies. 

 

4. Colorado Rockies: Seth Hernandez, RHP, Corona (California)

Some feel Hernandez is the best pitcher in the draft with a 98 mph fastball, while measuring 6-foot-4 and 190 pounds.

He is the best pitcher in his high school class, and he’s committed to Vanderbilt.

The Rockies taking him here is based on the team taking long-term upside, instead of taking a player who could debut as early as 2026.

The Rockies were one of the worst teams in baseball in 2024 and have one of the better farm systems in the game at the moment, according to MLB pipeline and Baseball America.

  

5. St. Louis Cardinals: Tyler Bremner, RHP, UC Santa Barbara Baseball

Bremner may be the best pitcher in the class. He touches 98 mph and throws strong off-speed pitches with a changeup and a slider.

He will make his case as college baseball’s top pitcher after going 11-1 with a 2.54 ERA in 88 2/3 Innings as a sophomore for the Gauchos.

Bremner could pitch his way to the No. 1 spot this season.

 

6. Pittsburgh Pirates: Xavier Neyens, 3B, Mount Vernon (Washington)

The Pirates could take Cam Cannarella here if they want a player who could move through the system quicker. And perhaps they should.

The quintessential small-market team in all of sports has a ticking clock on a championship window it did nothing to enhance last year when the team was competitive for two months before cratering.

This team is seemingly refusing to spend money on free agents this offseason. 

 

No. 7 Miami Marlins: Kruz Schoolcraft, LHP/ 1B, Portland, Oregon

The Pirates and Marlins being back-to-back in the draft could be a gift for the Blue Jays and Reds, who own the No. 8 and No. 9 picks and clearly are trying to win now.

The Pirates could take a college prospect who could move through the system quickly. But the Marlins are in a full rebuild, hence why they moved on from a talented manager, Skip Schumaker, and traded Jesus Luzardo.

 

No. 8. Toronto Blue Jays Cam Cannarella, OF, Clemson Baseball

Cannarella was ranked higher than LaViolette this time a year ago among top prospects in 2025. And it’s not like he had a bad season in 2024.

He hit .337/.417/.561 with 16 doubles and 11 home runs. He has great speed and is a terrific defender at center field.

Cannarella is the No. 9 prospect at FloBaseball. He could move through the system quickly and be ready by 2026.

He'll also be tested early, as Clemson opens the season Feb. 14 at Globe Life Field at the Shriners Children's College Showdown. Cannarella will face Oklahoma State, Arizona and Ole Miss that weekend.

 

No. 9 Cincinnati Reds: Devin Taylor, Indiana Baseball

This is the most obvious pick for the Cincinnati Reds for a number of reasons.

Two of the three greatest players to ever play for the Reds were from Cincinnati: Pete Rose (Western Hills High School) and Barry Larkin (Moeller High School). The Reds also love to sign players from the city in free agency (like Brent Suter).

Taylor went to LaSalle High School in Cincinnati. At Indiana, he made All-Big Ten in back-to-back years. Baseball America has him as the No. 8 prospect. He’s No. 13 at FloBaseball.

Taylor hit .357/.449/.660 with 11 doubles and 20 home runs in 2024. He is considered one of the top hitters in college baseball and projects to be a corner outfielder at the next level.

Taylor opens the season in Surprise, Arizona, at the College Baseball Classic. 

 

For the rest of the mock draft

https://www.flobaseball.tv/articles/13555752-2025-mlb-mock-draft-10-nats-stunner-with-the-no-1-pick

No. 38 New York Mets: Angel Cervantes, RHP, Warren, California

A 6-foot-2, 190-pound righty is the first pick of the Mets, who were punished for going over the luxury tax, along with the Yankees and Dodgers.

A UCLA commit, he’ll be just 17 at the draft and already throws 94 on his fastball.

https://www.mlb.com/prospects/2025/draft/      - 

#45          Angel Cervantes

RHP    Warren (CA)

17/years old

6' 3"      195

COMMITTED - UCLA

Scouting grades: Fastball: 55 | Curveball: 50 | Slider: 50 | Changeup: 60 | Control: 50 | Overall: 50

Infielder Rick Burleson is the best player to come out of Earl Warren High School in California, spending parts of 13 years in the big leagues. The school has had just two pitchers make the big leagues -- Taylor Tankersley, who went on to Alabama for college first, and Brian Bruney. Warren hasn’t had a player taken in the top two rounds since 2013, but Cervantes has the chance to break that schneid, especially after standing out at the Area Code Games, where he tossed three perfect innings and struck out eight with no walks.

Cervantes has an intriguing combination of repertoire and feel for pitching, with projection pointing to more in the tank as he matures. He has a chance to have three or four at least above-average offerings. His fastball is typically in the 90-93 mph range, but it’s a four-seamer with excellent carry and ride with good spin up in the zone. His best pitch is a ‘bugs bunny’ changeup with tremendous depth that gets a ton of swing-and-miss. His breaking stuff -- and he has distinct shape for a separate curve and slider -- is a little behind, but he routinely registers very high spin rates on them.

He needs to get more consistent feel for his breaking stuff in the strike zone more, but given that he commands his other offerings very well, there’s confidence that should come in time. It’s not the wow fastball teams often look for, but organizations who like how advanced he is on the mound and think there’s more velocity to come will consider the UCLA recruit in the early rounds in July.

 

1-27-25  -  Just Baseball –

2025 MLB Draft - Top 80 High School Prospects

https://www.justbaseball.com/college/mlb-draft-top-high-school-prep-prospects/  

29. Angel Cervantes – RHP

HT/WT: 6’3/200 | Bat/Throw: R/R | School: Warren (CA) | Commitment: UCLA | Age: 17.10

One of the youngest players in the class, Cervantes is an intriguing arm out of southern California. Cervantes is a great athlete with a fluid delivery and a clean arm swing with little to no effort down the mound. It’s led by a low-90s fastball that has a downhill plane with some ride and run to it.

Given the projection of Cervantes’ frame, he could reach the mid-90s in due time. The change-up is the best pitch in his arsenal and it’s a contender for the best cambio in the class.

It’s a higher spin offering that hits the brakes halfway to home plate in the upper-70s to low-80s, diving away from lefties.

Add in consistent feel to throw the pitch for strikes and it’s a potential plus offering. He’ll throw in a curveball with high spin and shape manipulation, throwing both a vertical and sweepy breaking ball.

Given the command, pitchability, and arsenal strength, Cervantes has a legitimate case to be a starter at the next level, whether that be at UCLA or in the minor leagues. He won’t turn 18 until after draft day, something model-friendly teams will value highly in their evaluations.

  

11/3/24

2025 Draft Prospect - RHP Angel Cervantes - Warren (CA)

 RHP Angel Cervantes - Warren (CA)

Projection, Projection, projection. That’s the name of the game for Cervantes, who is one of the youngest players in the 2025 MLB Draft class. He’s got a low-90s fastball that is usually around 92-93 mph. He can work it down in the zone on both sides of the plate.

There is a lot of room for growth in his frame, leading you to believe that he could reach the mid-90s soon. He’s got an advanced feel for his secondaries, especially his changeup, which is probably his best pitch. He tops his pitch mix off with a curveball that varies shape occasionally. It’s got plenty of spin. The delivery is fairly smooth and polished for a kid his age.

 

Tyler Jennings    @TylerJennings24

RHP Angel Cervantes put together the loudest outing of today, striking out five in his two innings.

FB sat 92-94 with late run, but advanced secondaries stole show. Varied shape on CB at 77-80 with loud spin and CH was above-average, hitting the brakes hard. Easy motions.

 

https://www.perfectgame.org/Players/Playerprofile.aspx?ID=752712  –

2024 National Showcase

Angel Cervantes is a 2025 RHP/1B/3B with a 6-2 190 lb. frame from Lynwood, CA who attends Warren. Long and strong build with physical projection remaining. Has a long and whippy arm action from a 3/4's arm slot. Fastball sat in the low 90's and topped out at 93 mph with big sink and run. Change up was an outstanding pitch with advanced feel and big fade up to 18", created lots of swing/miss on left handed hitters with the change up.

Primary breaking ball was a big sweeping slider with up to 18" of sweep, also showed the feel to top of it at times for more of an 11/5 shape. Strike thrower with feel for all his pitches. Showed prospect potential as a hitter as well, big leg raise to start his swing, loads to his back side and lifts and pulls, long and strong swing that worked for him. Verbal commitment to UCLA. Selected to play in the Perfect Game All-American Classic.