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Washington Post
19-07-2025
- Sport
- Washington Post
Instead of a fresh start, Nationals look much the same in loss to Padres
For the Washington Nationals, Friday night was nothing if not an affirmation that firing a manager and general manager does not always yield obvious and immediate results. At the plate, in the field and on the bases, the Nationals looked lost in a 7-2 loss to the San Diego Padres — a defeat in their first game after the all-star break and their first game at Nationals Park since Mike Rizzo and Dave Martinez were fired July 6.
Yahoo
13-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Nationals make 17-year-old Willits youngest No.1 in MLB Draft history
The Washington Nationals made 17-year-old shortstop Eli Willits the youngest number one pick ever selected in the Major League Baseball Draft (JAMIE SQUIRE) Eli Willits, a 17-year-old US high school shortstop, was selected by the Washington Nationals with the first overall pick in Sunday's Major League Baseball Draft at Atlanta. The switch-hitting teen from Oklahoma's Fort Cobb-Broxton High School became the youngest-ever number one overall selection in the MLB Draft. Advertisement "I'm just excited and thankful for the Nationals organization for giving me this chance," Willits said. "I'm just ready to get out there and get to work." The move came only a week after the Nationals, who have not made the playoffs since winning the 2019 World Series, fired general manager Mike Rizzo and manager Dave Martinez with assistant general manager Mike DeBartolo named the interim general manager and bench coach Miguel Cairo promoted to interim manager. Willits, whose father Reggie played parts of six seasons with the Los Angeles Angels from 2006-11, was the youngest prospect in the draft. The Angels took right-handed pitcher Tyler Bremner from the University of California at Santa Barbara with the second pick. Seattle went third and took left-handed pitcher Kade Anderson, chosen the Most Outstanding Player of the College World Series for champion Louisiana State University. js/bb
Yahoo
13-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
MLB mock draft 2025: Where are Ethan Holliday, Eli Willits projected to go?
Major League Baseball's draft finally arrives July 13 from Cobb County's Roxy Theater, and while it may not light up the Georgia skies like the Home Run Derby and All-Star Game to follow the next two nights, there's no shortage of intrigue. This much we know: Eight specific players are almost certain to go in the top 10 picks. Yet in what order and to which teams remains a game of dominos that will have to wait until the clock starts. Advertisement And 10 shortstops – from MLB legacies to high school stars to college All-Americas – will consume at least half of the top 20 picks, and while the game's premier position tends to be a draft premium, this class boasts dudes who will almost assuredly stick on that position – and play at a very high level. With that, USA TODAY Sports fires some darts one last time with a final mock draft before the pickin' party commences Sunday: REQUIRED READING: Ethan Holliday could be No. 1 in MLB Draft like his brother. Add it to their competition. This selection took on an entirely different level of intrigue when the Nationals blew out GM Mike Rizzo and manager Dave Martinez just more than a week before the draft. They wisely left the remaining infrastructure intact, which should make their draft process flow smoothly, even as interim GM Mike DeBartolo is now the ranking voice in the room. We're sticking to our guns here, even if as many as four guys might lay claim to this spot. Ultimately, the Nationals side with a potential building block rather than a ready-made ace with little present value as the franchise faces a total facelift. Advertisement 2025 MOCK DRAFT EVOLUTION: First edition (May 6) || Second edition (June 10) What a finishing kick for Anderson, who pitched a three-hit shutout against Coastal Carolina in the championship round of the College World Series, which followed a three-hit, seven-inning effort to beat Arkansas. Good luck splitting hairs between Anderson, Jamie Arnold and Liam Doyle, but we'll side with Anderson's K rate (NCAA-best 180 in 110 innings) and devastating pitch mix (think Max Fried, only firmer) with a rapid promotion in the offing in Anaheim. 3. Seattle Mariners: Aiva Arquette, SS, Oregon State Perhaps the most impactful pick in the top five, as plucking one of the top college arms or prep right-hander Seth Hernandez here would be a moderate disruption and likely introduce some exotic names into the overall top 10. But let's stay consistent with this one as the Mariners opt for the physical presence and lineup punch that Arquette would bring up the middle. Advertisement 4. Colorado Rockies: Eli Willits, SS, Fort Cobb-Broxton (Okla.) HS What do you get the franchise that needs everything? They drafted Chase Dollander and got him to Coors Field quickly, and doing the same with deluxe lefty and fellow Tennessee product Liam Doyle would be highly tempting. Yet Willits, still just 17, represents the high-end building block the franchise lacks. More: Eli Willits opted to reclassify in high school. Now, he could be a top MLB Draft pick. In this scenario, the Cardinals have their choice of remaining elite college lefties and opt for Doyle's greater swing-and-miss upside over Florida State's Jamie Arnold, though they may prove us wrong come draft night. Advertisement 6. Pittsburgh Pirates: Seth Hernandez, RHP, Corona (Calif.) HS Hernandez represents the draft's other great wild card and a test case for how high clubs would be willing to draft a prep right-hander. We'll stop just shy of calling Hernandez's repertoire 'generational,' but his high-90s fastball and pro-caliber changeup give him a significant springboard to move quicker than your average high school arm. 7. Miami Marlins: Billy Carlson, SS, Corona (Calif.) HS Make it back-to-back Panthers here, with Carlson the last of the elite-elite prep shortstops off the board. Imagine a larger version of Masyn Winn, with a similar hose at shortstop and, at 6-1, potentially greater offensive upside. Advertisement 8. Toronto Blue Jays: Jamie Arnold, LHP, Florida State A real coup here for Toronto, getting a mature college arm with a big league-ready fastball-slider mix. Paired with last year's No. 1, Trey Yesavage, the Blue Jays have the potential to quickly backfill a rotation that could lose Chris Bassitt and Kevin Gausman to free agency in consecutive years. 9. Cincinnati Reds: Kyson Witherspoon, RHP, Oklahoma The Reds may stray out of their comfort zone and go bat here, but Witherspoon could unlock an even higher level developing in their pitching program as he'll bring a high-90s fastball and low-90s slider into pro ball. Advertisement The White Sox quandary: Take the best of the next tier of prep shortstops or whichever advanced high-end college prospect almost mathematically certain to fall to them? In this case, it's Irish, who popped 18 home runs with a .469 OBP for Auburn, and will likely have a permanent home in the outfield. 11. Athletics: Tyler Bremner, RHP, UC Santa Barbara A nice value for the Athletics, getting a consensus top-five guy before Bremner got off to a slow start for UCSB. But he finished strong and could reach the majors quick enough to try out that much-maligned mound in the A's temporary Yolo County digs. Advertisement 12. Texas Rangers: JoJo Parker, SS, Purvis (Miss.) HS The math makes it highly likely Texas lands a prep shortstop and Parker is still around, high enough to keep him away from a Mississippi State commitment. That's two years in a row a Mississippi prep shortstop goes in the top dozen picks, joining Konnor Griffin (No. 9, Pittsburgh). 13. San Francisco Giants: Daniel Pierce, SS, Mill Creek (Ga.) HS Let the run continue. Pierce is already 19, which may make some clubs shy away, but still has significant offensive upside and fits in what will be the first pick under the Buster Posey regime. 14. Tampa Bay Rays: Steele Hall, SS, Hewitt-Trussville (Ala.) HS We'll stick with Hall here, possessing the power upside and versatility the Rays value as the prep shortstop pool thins a bit. Advertisement 15. Boston Red Sox: Gavin Kilen, INF, Tennessee A Red Sox draftee out of high school, Kilen will do much better than the 13th round this time, with a strong offensive profile that saw him strike out just 27 times in 245 plate appearances, most of those against SEC pitching. 16. Minnesota Twins: Marek Houston, SS, Wake Forest The question is whether Houston's very sturdy defense and developing but incomplete offensive profile slots him higher than the prep stars slated to go before him. It's hard to see him dropping any further than the Twins. 17. Chicago Cubs: Wehiwa Aloy, SS, Arkansas We'll stubbornly keep Aloy ticketed to the Cubs, even as a strong postseason that ended in Omaha further buttressed his profile. He might have smoother actions around the bag than Arquette, even if his offensive punch grades out a notch below the fellow Hawaiian collegiate star. Advertisement 18. Arizona Diamondbacks: Kayson Cunningham, SS, Johnson (Texas) HS His offensive profile fits the Diamondbacks' ethos very nicely: Contact-based and, at 5-10, 180, a compact frame that has the potential to grow into decent power. 19. Baltimore Orioles: OF Ethan Conrad, Wake Forest The Orioles control three of the next 13 picks and can get creative with their bonus pool, certainly. We stick with Conrad and the classic O's college hitter profile here. 20. Milwaukee Brewers: Andrew Fischer, INF, Tennessee Bat first, figure out the position later. Fischer slammed 25 homers with a 1.205 OPS in an exuberant platform season, and is versatile enough defensively to move around some if the power doesn't support a first base profile. Advertisement 21. Houston Astros: Jace Laviolette, OF, Texas A&M He's going to be a great value somewhere, probably, as Laviolette faded from top three talk after a season slowed by contact issues, slumps and health. Wouldn't be surprising if someone jumped on him sooner thanks to his elite raw power. 22. Atlanta Braves: Kruz Schoolcraft, LHP, Sunset (Ore.) HS Quite a talent to land here, as the 6-8 prep lefty with a fastball that reached 97 mph gives them a daunting 1-2 punch with Cam Caminiti, currently thriving in low A one year after going 24h overall. 23. Kansas City Royals: Gavin Fien, INF, Great Oak (Calif.) HS The prep version of Laviolette, in that someone may jump on him sooner based on equity already banked as opposed to an uneven platform year. Advertisement 24. Detroit Tigers: Xavier Neyens, INF, Mt. Vernon (Wash.) HS Big frame and potential big power in a nimble and athletic 6-4 package. In terms of offense, one of the top prep lefty bats available. 25. San Diego Padres: Sean Gamble, INF/OF, IMG (Fla.) Academy Versatile and projectable, Gamble – at 6-foot-1, 190 – leveled up from Iowa to IMG Academy and is a potential impact player in the middle of the diamond. 26. Philadelphia Phillies: Slater de Brun, OF, Summit (Ore.) HS The run of late-round high school players takes a few Philly targets off the board but they can still fulfill their prep preference with de Brun, a potential center fielder of the future whose speed will likely always trump his power. Advertisement 27. Cleveland Guardians: Caden Bodine, C, Coastal Carolina The Guardians opt for Contact King, as Bodine finished the season with an absurd 24 strikeouts in 313 plate appearances while churning out a .915 OPS. As the Chanticleers reeled off 26 consecutive wins to reach the College World Series finals, Bodine's stock rose along with it. 28. Kansas City Royals*: Luke Stevenson, C, North Carolina Paired with Fien, this should be a bonus pool-friendly pick as the Royals opt for the steady Stevenson, two years after making prep catcher Blake Mitchell the eighth overall pick. 29. Arizona Diamondbacks**: Brendan Summerhill, OF, Arizona Would be a coup getting Summerhill this late, as he can man all three outfield positions and put up a .343/.459/.556 line to lead Arizona to the College World Series. Advertisement 30. Baltimore Orioles**: Alex Lodise, SS, Florida State The Dick Howser Trophy winner and ACC player of the year, Lodise is a solid defender who hit 19 home runs and should develop above-average pro power and likely stick at shortstop. *- Prospect promotion incentive pick**- Free agent compensation pick Note: The Mets, Yankees and Dodgers each received a 10-pick penalty on their first picks for exceeding the second surcharge threshold of the competitive balance tax and their first picks will be 38th, 39th and 40th overall, respectively. The USA TODAY app gets you to the heart of the news — fast. Download for award-winning coverage, crosswords, audio storytelling, the eNewspaper and more. This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: MLB mock draft 2025: Projections for Ethan Holliday, Eli Willits
USA Today
13-07-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
2025 MLB Draft: Date, time, format, draft order and top prospects
There are multiple layers of intrigue at the top of the 2025 MLB Draft. The uncertainty this year doesn't simply revolve around the player to be chosen with the No. 1 overall selection when Major League Baseball's 30 teams convene to make their picks in Atlanta beginning Sunday, July 13 as part of MLB All-Star week. The Washington Nationals, who won the MLB draft lottery, have an interim general manager at the helm of their front office after abruptly firing longtime GM Mike Rizzo and manager Dave Martinez on July 7. Predictions and mock drafts vary for what the Nationals might do 15 years after taking Stephen Strasburg and Bryce Harper with the No. 1 overall picks in back-to-back MLB drafts. There are promising high school options like shortstop Ethan Holliday or pitcher Seth Hernandez and dynamic players from the college ranks such as LSU Collee World Series ace Kade Anderson and Oregon State shortstop Aiva Arquette to choose from. Here's a breakdown of what to know heading into the 2025 MLB Draft, including the date, time and draft order for the first round, the draft format and pick designations, top prospects and how to watch on July 13-14. MLB MOCK DRAFT: Final breakdown of top prospects for 2025 When is the 2025 MLB Draft? The 2025 MLB Draft is scheduled to take place on June 13-14 in Atlanta as part of MLB All-Star week. 2025 MLB Draft first round order CLICK HERE: Full 2025 MLB Draft order for all 20 rounds How many rounds are in the 2025 MLB Draft? The MLB draft consists of 20 rounds of picks, with several sub-categories of picks in between certain rounds. The first three rounds will take place on Sunday, July 13, beginning at 6 p.m. ET, and will be televised on ESPN and MLB Network. Rounds 4-20 are slated for Monday, July 14, starting at 11:30 a.m. ET, with live streaming coverage on There are also compensation picks awarded throughout the first four rounds, as well as a prospect promotion incentive pick after the first round this year. In addition, there remain two rounds of competitive balance picks, with Competitive Balance Round A between the first and second rounds and Competitive Balance Round B between the second and third rounds of picks. Competitive balance picks are used as a way to help MLB teams from the 10 smallest markets and the 10 MLB teams with the lowest revenue in MLB. Fewer than 20 team are eligible, because some qualify under both categories. All eligible teams are assigned a pick in either Competitive Balance Round A or Competitive Balance Round B. If a team that is a revenue-sharing recipient loses a qualifying free agent to another team for a contract worth more than $50 million overall, the team is awarded a compensation pick between the first round and Competitive Balance Round A. If a player who is on a team's Opening Day roster was rated as a preseason top 100 prospect by at least two of three designated ranking lists (MLB Pipeline, Baseball America, and/or ESPN) and goes on to win MLB's Rookie of the Year Award, that club is awarded a prospect promotion incentive selection after the first round. Here's a breakdown of the additional picks for the 2025 MLB Draft: 2025 MLB Draft: Top prospects How to watch 2025 MLB Draft: TV, live streaming The 2025 MLB Draft will take place over two days (July 13-14) in Atlanta, with the first three rounds on Sunday, July 13 and rounds 4-20 on Monday, July 14. The first 43 picks, including the entire first round, will be televised by ESPN and MLB Network. The first round of the MLB draft is also available stream on Fubo, which is offereing a free trial to new subscribers. The second and third rounds on Sunday will be broadcast by MLB Network. Day 2 of the MLB draft, with rounds four through 20, will be live streamed on Stream 2025 MLB Draft on Fubo
Forbes
12-07-2025
- Sport
- Forbes
Washington Nationals Seek New Approach Beginning With 2025 Draft
OMAHA, NEBRASKA - JUNE 14: Kade Anderson #32 of the LSU Tigers in action against the Arkansas ... More Razorbacks during the NCAA College World Series at Charles Schwab Field on June 15, 2025. (Photo by Mitchell Scaglione/LSU/University Images via Getty Images) The Washington Nationals recently fired president of baseball operations and general manager, Mike Rizzo and manager Dave Martinez one week prior to Major League Baseball's draft where they hold the number one overall pick for the third time in franchise history. While parting ways with Rizzo and Martinez might seem irrational given its timing, decisions needed to be made regarding contract options for the 2026 season by the middle of July. A ball club bursting with young talent, the Nationals have underperformed this season and are presently residing in the divisional basement of the National League East. Will the mandate from ownership be to select a prospect who has the best chance of earning a spot on the major league roster within a year or a potential superstar who might need time to develop in the minor leagues? As interim general manager Mike DeBartolo becomes the most prominent voice in the Nationals' draft room, he will have to carefully manage the delicate relationship between talent and economics when it comes to the structure of Major League Baseball's draft. Luck Favors Washington Nationals In Draft Lottery After finishing the 2024 season with a 71-91 record, the Nationals entered Major League Baseball's draft lottery with a 10.2% chance of securing the first overall pick. As luck would have it, the Nationals surpassed three ball clubs with better odds and won the lottery. Positive momentum was building in Washington, DC courtesy of the August 2022 trade of outfielder Juan Soto to the San Diego Padres. Shortstop CJ Abrams, left-handed pitcher MacKenzie Gore and left fielder James Wood have become cornerstones of the franchise courtesy of the blockbuster trade. Gore and Wood are first-time All-Star Game selections in 2025 while Abrams made his Midsummer Classic debut last year. Along with outfielder Dylan Crews, the Nationals have assembled an impressive nucleus of talent. Crews, the second pick in Major League Baseball's 2023 draft out of Louisiana State University, is currently on the 10-day injured list with a left oblique strain and has struggled to find a rhythm in his first 76 ball games with the Nationals. The 23-year-old Crews is one of four prospects who have received a signing bonus of at least $9,000,000 in Major League Baseball's draft history. The record of $9,250,000 was set last year by right-handed pitcher Chase Burns of the Cincinnati Reds and outfielder Charlie Condon of the Colorado Rockies. The following chart breaks down the Washington Nationals' spending on prospects in Major League ... More Baseball's draft between the 2021-2024 seasons. 2025 Bonus Pool For Washington Nationals According to Jim Callis, senior writer for MLB Pipeline, the Nationals have the fourth-highest bonus pool in this year's draft of $16,597,800 and the first pick has an $11,075,900 assigned value. Since Major League Baseball shortened its draft to 20 rounds beginning in 2021, the Nationals have surpassed the assigned value for a selection within the first 10 rounds on 12 occasions. Last year marked the first time in the 20-round draft format the Nationals didn't exceed the assigned value for their first-round selection. Seaver King, a shortstop out of Wake Forest University, was the 10th pick in the draft and the Nationals gave him a $5,150,000 signing bonus with $5,953,800 being the assigned value. Their Competitive Balance Round A selection, catcher Caleb Lomavita from the University of California, Berkeley, was the 39th pick and received a $2,325,000 signing bonus which was $70,000 below the assigned value. A recent trend has been the quick ascension of draft prospects being promoted to major league rosters. According to Baseball-Reference, six prospects who were selected in last year's draft have already made their major league debuts this season. Five of them were selected within the first 14 picks. The 2023 draft class will be represented at this year's All-Star Game by right-handed pitcher Paul Skenes of the Pittsburgh Pirates for the second time and shortstop Jack Wilson of the Athletics whose name will appear in the American League's starting lineup. Difficult Choice For Washington Nationals Some experts believe this year's draft is below average in comparison to previous ones which should slow down the recent trend of prospects making the quick jump to major league rosters. Kade Anderson, a left-handed pitcher from Louisiana State University, might be one of the few draft prospects who could be on a major league roster at some point next season. The Most Outstanding Player from the 2025 College World Series, Anderson led the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division One (D1) baseball with 180 strikeouts over 119 innings in 19 games started while posting a 12-1 record according to D1 Baseball. Scouting reports have praised Anderson's quick arm, athleticism and pitching repertoire. According to Baseball-Reference, the Nationals have selected 39 pitchers over the past four drafts with 37 coming from a junior college or four-year college program. ARLINGTON, TX - JULY 13: Ethan Holliday participates in the High School Home Run Derby during the ... More 2024 All-Star Futures Day at Globe Life Field on July 13, 2024. (Photo by Matt Dirksen/) The other prospect that is high on the Nationals' draft board is high school infielder Ethan Holliday from Stillwater, Oklahoma. The last name might sound familiar as he is the son of Matt Holliday, a seven-time All-Star outfielder over 15 seasons, and brother of Jackson, a second baseman for the Baltimore Orioles who was the first overall pick in Major League Baseball's 2022 draft. Holliday is projected to be a power-hitting third baseman with an impressive physical presence in the left-handed batter's box. While viewed as a potential superstar, Holliday is likely a couple of years away from being on a major league roster. Washington Nationals And Signing Bonus Risk Regardless of who is overseeing the Nationals, the questions remain the same when it comes to this year's draft. If the Nationals are looking for a draft prospect who could be ready for Major League Baseball within a year, what is their appetite for risk when it comes to the signing bonus? Do they feel comfortable paying a signing bonus at or near the assigned value? If not for Anderson or Holliday, do they focus their attention on the likes of college left-handed pitchers Jamie Arnold from Florida State University or Liam Doyle from the University of Tennessee with the intention of offering a signing bonus significantly below the assigned value? If the Washington Nationals believe they are a couple of years away from being a competitive ball club and don't want to pay an eight-figure signing bonus for Kade Anderson or Ethan Holliday, high school right-handed pitcher Seth Hernandez could become an intriguing option. As trepidation surrounds high school pitching prospects for a variety of reasons well beyond injuries, a move of this nature would provide the Nationals with signing bonus flexibility while spreading the savings over their remaining nine picks in the first 10 rounds of the draft. According to MLB Pipeline, the Nationals' top prospect is right-handed pitcher Travis Sykora, a third-round selection in the 2023 draft out of high school who received a $2,600,000 signing bonus. Regardless of having the first overall pick in Major League Baseball's 2025 draft, intrigue surrounds the Nationals as questions far outweigh answers when it comes to the future of the franchise.
