On 12-5-24, MLB.com posted their top 100 prospects in the
upcoming draft. Beginning 2-2-25, we will post it in backward order, ending
with the pick for 1.1
#18 Ike Irish
C Auburn
21/years old
6' 2" 201
TWITTER - @ikeirish18
Scouting grades: Hit: 55 | Power: 50 | Run: 40 | Arm: 55 |
Field: 45 | Overall: 50
Irish was part of a St. Mary's Prep (Orchard Lake, Mich.)
club that won three straight championships in his three full seasons in 2019,
'21 and '22. Those teams featured two players who received seven-figure bonuses
(Brock Porter out of high school, Alex Mooney after two years at Duke) and two
potential 2025 first-rounders in Irish and Oklahoma State slugger Nolan
Schubart. He still needs to improve his consistency on both sides of the ball,
but among this year's catchers, Irish may be the best bet to produce at the
plate.
Irish's biggest proponents see him as a solid hitter with
20-homer power, while other evaluators worry that his left-handed swing is a
bit stiff and his pop won't play as well with wood bats. He controls the strike
zone well but chases pitches more than he should, resulting in too much
ground-ball contact. He handles southpaws well and easily puts the bat on the
ball, so he just needs to be more selective to reach his offensive ceiling.
Though he has below-average speed, Irish runs better than
most catchers and will steal an occasional base. He's improving as a defender
and has the hands to become an average receiver and framer, though Auburn only
caught him in about half its games in 2024. A long release undermines his plus
arm strength a bit, and he moves and throws well enough to handle right field.
2-26-25 –
MLB mock draft 2025: Projecting first round for 2025 MLB
Draft
https://sportsnaut.com/mlb/mlb-analysis/lists/mlb-mock-draft-2025/
26. Philadelphia Phillies: Ike Irish, C, Auburn
This would be the perfect fit for the Philadelphia Phillies —
they need catching depth, and if Ike Irish from Auburn is still available, they
should snag him. Known for his bat more than his glove, he hit 14 home runs and
knocked in 59 across 47 games with a 1.030 OPS. He also had a good showing in
the Cape Cod League, posting an .871 OPS in 34 games. The Phillies will need an
heir apparent one day to J.T. Realmuto (if he signs an extension), and drafting
Ike Irish would be a good step in the right direction.
2-10-25
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
No. 12 Texas Rangers: Ike Irish, C, Auburn Baseball
The best name in the draft also is widely regarded as the
best catcher in the draft, and college catchers are popular choices.
The Rangers can let the left-handed hitting Auburn Tiger
learn to call games, as 2025 is the first season he’s expected to play catcher
full-time.
He’s certainly here because of his bat after hitting
.347/.432/.564 with just an 8.1% K-rate.
1-28-25 –
MLB 2025 Mock Draft 2.0: Predictions for Every 1st-Round Pick
18. Arizona Diamondbacks: C Ike Irish, Auburn
Irish has a 55-grade hit tool and enough power potential to
be a 20-homer hitter at the next level, though his defensive game is still a
work in progress behind the plate. He is athletic enough to handle an outfield
corner if he needs to move out from behind the plate, but that would undercut
his offensive value. The D-backs have a solid track record of developing young
catchers, and he is arguably the best college bat on the board at this point.
1-22-25 –
Just Baseball: 2025 MLB Draft – Top 80 College Prospects
https://www.justbaseball.com/college/mlb-draft-top-college-prospects/?s=03
7. Ike Irish – C
HT/WT: 6’2/201 | Bat/Throw: L/R | School: Auburn | Age: 21.7
One of the most decorated recruits to make it to campus after
the 2022 draft, Irish has cemented himself as one of the best SEC hitters in
two years since. Irish has a beautiful left-handed swing that’s direct to the
baseball with quick hands and loud bat speed.
Irish’s swing plane and bat path are relatively flat, which
makes him conducive for a hefty amount of ground balls. He does showcase
leverage at times and can tap into average or better power to his pull-side,
though he’ll need to find a bit more consistency with that to avoid a ground
ball rate over 50% like he had on the Cape.
With that said, he has solid contact abilities and fends off
strikeouts, though his high swing rate and aggressive nature mean walks don’t
pile up often. Irish’s defensive abilities behind the plate have gotten better,
though there’s a chance he’s moved to a corner outfield spot.
His receiving and blocking skills are fringe-average right
now, though he’s got a very strong arm that would certainly play in right
field. This is a bat-first prospect with a lengthy track record of hitting that
can’t be ignored.
1-21-25 –
On The Clock | College Baseball and MLB Draft Pod @OnTheClock_1
Auburn’s Ike Irish has cemented himself as one of the best
SEC hitters since he came to campus. He has a beautiful left-handed swing
that's direct to the baseball with quick hands and loud bat speed.
1-13-25 –
Joe Doyle @JoeDoyleMiLB
Auburn C Ike Irish will have scouts flocking to Auburn this
spring. A powerful left-handed hitter with sneaky speed, Irish has a chance to
cement himself as a first round pick this summer.
1-16-25 -
An Early Look at the Top 30 Prospects for the 2025 MLB Draft
https://lastwordonsports.com/baseball/2025/01/15/top-30-prospects-2025-mlb-draft/#google_vignette
20. Ike Irish, C, Auburn
There are some questions about his long-term prospects of
sticking defensively behind the plate, but there are few questions about the
bat. He could slide if teams think he is more of a contact-oriented 1B as
opposed to a bat-first catcher.
1-8-25 –
2025 MLB Draft: Preseason Top 75 Collegiate Prospects —
Prospects Live
9. C/OF Ike Irish, AUburn
Height: 6’2
Weight: 201
b/t: L/R
Draft Day Age: 21 YR 7 MO
Hometown: Hudsonville, MI
One of the most decorated recruits to make it to campus after
the 2022 draft, Irish has cemented himself as one of the best SEC hitters in
two years since. Irish has a beautiful left-handed swing that's direct to the
baseball with quick hands and loud bat speed. Irish's swing plane and bat path
are relatively flat, which makes him conducive for a hefty amount of ground
balls. He does showcase leverage at times and can tap into average or better
power to his pull-side, though he'll need to find a bit more consistency with
that to avoid a ground ball rate over 50% like he had on the Cape. With that
said, he has solid contact abilities and fends off strikeouts, though his high
swing rate and aggressive nature means walks don't pile up often. Irish's
defensive abilities behind the plate have gotten better, though there's a
chance he's moved to a corner outfield spot. His receiving and blocking skills
are fringe-average right now, though he's got a very strong arm that would
certainly play in right field. This is a bat-first prospect with a lengthy
track record of hitting that can't be ignored.
1-6-25 - 5 way too early 2025 MLB Draft prospects to
target with Brewers' glut of early picks
Ike Irish, C, Auburn
The Brewers have one top catching prospect in Jeferson Quero,
who will be in Triple-A this year. William Contreras is in his first year of
arbitration and will be a free agent three years from now, barring an
extension. The catching depth down in the farm system is quite shallow. It
shouldn't be surprising at all if the Brewers try to deepen that group.
Ike Irish is one of the top college catchers in this year's
Draft class. A left handed hitter, Irish is the best offensively among the
catching crop this year, and while the Brewers cherish defense at that
position, they've shown a knack at developing catchers defensively. Irish's arm
is strong, so it's a matter of improving his glove, which the Brewers should be
able to do.
Top 50 college baseball prospects for 2025 MLB draft, per
D1Baseball
8 Ike Irish C
Auburn
12-10-24 –
Here's Pipeline's first full 2025 mock draft
https://www.mlb.com/news/first-full-2025-mlb-mock-draft?partnerID=web_article-share –
17. Cubs: Ike Irish, C, Auburn (No. 18)
Irish presents more offensive upside than Stevenson but comes
with more defensive questions.
12-10-24 - FSS PLUS:
2025 MLB Mock Draft: So it begins…
https://futurestarsseries.com/2025-mlb-mock-draft/
13. San Francisco Giants
Ike Irish, C — Auburn
HOMETOWN: Hudsonville, Michigan
HEIGHT: 6-2
WEIGHT: 203
BAT/THROW: L-R
Irish was a first-round talent in high school and has done nothing
to dissuade that opinion. He enjoyed a .319/.403/.627 sophomore season blasting
14 homers along the way, hardly ever striking out. All this while playing a
stalwart brand of defense behind the plate.
Since arriving to Auburn he’s shown off double-plus raw power
and a willingness to pull the ball with authority, hitting high-level SEC
pitching consistently and catching a staff of good arms. His bat-to-ball skills
are absolutely fantastic, though he can get a little over-anxious and chase at
the plate.
Irish ranks among the best in college baseball in making
contact with pitches that are in the strike zone. The overall hit tool took a
massive jump in 2024 as a whole.
8/11/24 - Sports Gambling Podcast - 2025 Mock Draft
Ike Irish was Schubart's high school teammate at Michigan
powerhouse Orchard Lake St. Mary’s. He is another power/hit first, defense
second profile. Irish has a strong arm but has faced receiving questions
throughout his college career at Auburn. Either way, it is plus power with
great bat-to-ball skills. In two seasons, Irish has compiled a .343 batting
average, a .999 OPS, and 20 home runs.
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