With just days until the opening of the D1 Baseball schedule — unofficially the start of Draft Season — Joe Doyle released his Top 300 Prospects for the 2025 MLB Draft.
Sprinkled throughout the rankings are numerous New Balance Future Stars Series alums. A year ago, 96 alums were drafted in 20 rounds.
Here are the NBFSS alums in the February rankings update:
19. Kayson Cunningham, SS — Johnson HS (Texas)
Cunningham hit the New Balance Future Stars Series radar in 2018 at a Scout Day at age 12. He showed out at our 2021 Regional Combine in South Texas, drawing rave reviews from our scouting staff.
Some of the most polished skills I’ve seen on a middle infielder at this age. Consistent approach defensively. Works through the ball well. Sure-handed with the glove. Very good laterally, covers ground into the alleys. Proper throwing mechanics and on target with throws. Should continue getting stronger and working on the fundamentals to get better. Very bright future.
Short, compact approach with great legs on the backside finish. Stays through the hitting zone well with hands that are always fighting to stay inside of the target. As long as you stay within yourself consistently and not try an do too much you will be a constant threat to all fields. Supreme plate discipline is how you continue to an improve an already solid approach at the plate.
DOYLE: Cunningham isn’t the biggest guy on the field, but what he lacks in size he more than makes up for in box scores and on the base paths. He is a plus runner and is a threat on the bases. He also has quiet actions on the dirt and the arm strength necessary to stay on the left side of the dirt. Cunningham will be 19 on draft day.
Cunningham is committed to Texas.
26. Tre Phelps, 3B/OF — Georgia
Phelps came through seven NBFSS events in three years, including our 2022 Pre-Draft Combine before committing to Georgia.
DOYLE: He’s been one of the best hitters in the country going back to his freshman year where he boasted impressive contact rates, fantastic barrel awareness, an innate feel for launching the ball with the tremendous ability to avoid strikeouts. Phelps is close to a complete hitter in terms of how he’s presented himself to this point. Showing value in the field as the draft approaches will be critical. He will be a draft-eligible sophomore.
52. Brayden Jaksa, C/OF — Irvington (Calif.)
Jaksa is a 10-time NBFSS veteran, including our 2023 Underclass Combine and Underclass Elite. FSS scouts graded him as a future 55 on the 20-80 scouting scale, touting his power potential.
DOYLE: A massively imposing right-handed hitter with violent, loud tools across the board, Jaksa has been impressing scouts for a couple of years on the showcase and tournament circuit. The tools offensively are quite clear with big bat speed and huge leverage at the dish. He stays well-connected for a player of his age and size and his frame points toward more strength and feel in the box coming.
Jaksa is committed to Oregon.
61. Cooper Flemming, SS/RHP — Ganesha HS (Calif.)
Flemming, a Vanderbilt committ, competed and starred in the NBFSS National Combine last summer and repeated his performance in the Main Event at Globe Life Field in October.
DOYLE: Flemming is a well-rounded infield prospect with a good frame, projection, and balanced tools. The swing and subsequent hit tool are both strong with a quiet load, getting on plane quickly with simple mechanics. On the mound, he boasts a smooth operation with a loose arm and a fastball that jumps out of the hand. Flemming has been up to 93 featuring high spin rates with carry and tail coming from very little effort.
87. Landon Schaefer, SS — Fayetteville HS (Ark.)
Schaefer put his skills on display in the Main Event last October, drawing a future 60-grade hit tool from scout Robbie Moen.
DOYLE: Schaefer is growing into more raw power and could someday be an above-average offensive producer. He has the hands, range, and arm to play all three infield positions with the actions necessary to stay on the left side. It’s a well-balanced profile and a scout favorite.
Schaefer is headed to Arkansas.
94. Zane Adams, LHP — Alabama
Adams showed a huge ceiling at the NBFSS National Combine and National Championships in 2022 and has flashed that ability for the Crimson Tide.
DOYLE: The velocity has really ticked up over the last 12 months, now brushing 96, sitting comfortably in the low-90s deep into his outings. Adams has a promising upper-70s breaking ball that he commands well with big shape and projection thanks to its current velocity and Adams’ arm speed. It’s presented as a slider and it’ll miss bats and stay off barrels.
101. Colby Shelton, SS — Florida
Shelton was among the best players at our 2021 National Combine, drawing strong scouting grades across the board.
DOYLE: Shelton has a quiet swing from the left side with very few moving parts and a line-drive approach. He’s a bigger-bodied infielder with bat speed in the tank, but he generally saves it for BP and takes a more hitterish approach in games. He’s one of the best hitters in the country in terms of creating backspin on the baseball.
118. Luke Hill, SS — Ole Miss
Hill, a two-way prospect in high school touching the upper-80s on the mound, took part in six FSS events 2019-22, including Nationals and our 2022 Pre-Draft Combine. He batted .270 with a .385 OBP for the Bulldogs a year ago, and our staff liked his chances for power.
DOYLE: Hit-first infielder with a good feel for the barrel and a willingness to spray the ball around the yard. He’s got strong actions on the dirt with a good internal clock and a gliding gait that allows him to cover most balls. Hill has a strong arm and projects to stick at shortstop if only an average defender compared to his peers at the position.
131. Cooper Rummel, RHP — Dripping Springs HS (Texas)
Rummell, who is committed to Texas, showed pro ability as a prep star, including at the NBFSS 2022 Regional Combine in South Texas.
DOYLE: Rummel is your classic Texas-born hard-throwing righty with a mid-90s fastball and a sweeping breaking ball. He’s been up to 94 with a deceptive delivery and arm-side run. He will be 19 years old for the draft.
148. Charles Davalan, OF/2B — Arkansas
Davalan is a two-time NBFSS veteran with one of the more promising scouting reports in the system, including a future plus arm and speed, and an advanced approach at the plate.
DOYLE: Davalan works long counts and stays in the box until the pitcher makes a mistake. His game power should continue to blossom with added reps.
150. Bruin Agbayani, SS — Iolani (HI)
The Michigan commit impressed our staff at a Scout Day in 2022 when he displayed average or better future ability up and down his entire report.
DOYLE: Agbayani has a compact left-handed swing with strong hands and a short, direct path to the ball. He produces loft organically and does not sell out to launch the baseball. There’s an innate feel to create backspin and he’s shown enough strength to flash impact to all-fields.
167. Anthony Silva, SS — TCU
Silva raked his freshman year — .330/.416/.471 with 17 stolen bases, but took a step back in 2024 introducing more questions this time around after he was draft-eligible last July.
DOYLE: He’s a good hitter with strong bat-to-ball skills who works up the middle of the field. He’ll continue growing into his pro body and will begin hitting the ball harder in due time.
203. Jorian Wilson, OF — Hallettsville HS (Texas)
203. Jorian Wilson, OF — Hallettsville HS (Texas)Wilson stood out at the Main Event in October, showing athleticism, arm strength, and loud power potential that comes relatively easy.
DOYLE: While the glove is solid, it is the bat scouts rave about and it’s the bat that will ultimately dictate whether Wilson gets drafted. He possesses effortless bat speed producing ‘double-plus’ raw power. He’s short into the hitting zone and long through it with a consistent path.
Wilson is committed to Texas A&M.
211. Lucas Franco, SS — Cinco Ranch HS (Texas)
DOYLE: Franco has a short, compact swing and makes tight turns on the baseball. He’s revered for his bat-to-ball skills and patient approach at the plate. He hardly ever chases or expands the zone. Scouts would like to see the quality of contact take a jump between now and the draft (and that should come with added strength), but he puts the game in motion and allows his above-average run tool to come into play.
France is committed to TCU.
213. Griffin Stieg, RHP — Virginia Tech
Stieg jumped out at our staff back in pre-season 2020 and earned his way to our 2021 Main Event at Citi Field, projecting to the mid-90s with a chance at a big-league slider.
DOYLE: Stieg’s sinker is a hell-seeking missile. His launch height is slightly lower than average, and his approach angle is also on the flatter end of the spectrum. What separates Stieg is the elite amount of tailing action he generates with the sinker. There were times he induced more than 23 inches of lateral action on his heater.
224. Benton Hickman, RHP — Brophy College Prep (Ariz.)
Hickman is an 11-time veteran of the NBFSS, including the 2024 Main Event at Globe Life Field.
DOYLE: Hickman is an ultra-lean right-handed pitcher with a three-pitch mix and interesting metrics that should lend well toward success at any level. He’s a low-launch righty who hides the ball well throwing from a slot just 55 inches off the ground. Hickman sets up with high hands and rocks into his backside with a high leg kick generating above-average extension down the mound for a pitcher of his size.
Hickman is committed to Arizona.
232. Cannon Peebles, C — Tennessee
Peebles brings pro defensive chops to the ballpark to go with upside at the plate, both of which he showed as a prep player.
DOYLE: Peebles has made hay pummeling mistake breaking balls, but has admittedly struggled to catch up with more premium velocity. His exit velocity figures are loud, both in average and in peak.
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