If history is any indication, some players selected in the 2025 Draft will be competing for Rookie of the Year honors in 2026. The 2025 Draft didn’t see quite as many decorated college hitters selected in the first round as the two years prior, but there are still a handful of names we could see in big league uniforms as early as next summer.
Prospects are being raced up to the big leagues at record pace. The 2024 draft has already seen five first-rounders debut less than a year after they were drafted. Indeed, Chase Burns, Jac Caglianone, Nick Kurtz, Christian Moore, and Cam Smith are all already adding value to their big league ballclubs. Smith and Kurtz are currently vying for Rookie of the Year honors in 2025.
The 2023 draft was even more gaudy. Angels first baseman Nolan Schanuel debuted for Los Angeles a month and a half after being drafted. Six more players drafted in the first round that year debuted less than a year after being selected. Jacob Wilson, Paul Skenes, Dylan Crews, and Wyatt Langford have become household names in many markets. Chase Dollander is a staple in the Rockies rotation.
College talent is more advanced than ever.
Jamie Arnold, LHP — Athletics
The 11th overall pick in the 2025 Draft, Arnold brings an advanced arsenal and unique operation to the Athletics organization. A fastball up to 97 mph and two plus secondaries in the slider and changeup, the former Florida State bluechip could be pitching in the green and gold next spring.
Arnold is coming off a junior year where he struck out 119 batters in just 84.2 innings. He walked just 27 hitters along the way.
The Athletics are looking for help in their rotation. The young, upstart lineup is scoring runs at a healthy clip thanks to contributions from names like Wilson and Kurtz. Adding a player like Arnold who can stymie the opposition could elevate the Athletics into their next competitive window.
Draft Class Rankings: NL Central | AL West | NL East
Tyler Bremner, RHP — Los Angeles Angels
The No. 2 overall pick in the 2025 Draft, the Angels surprised pundits by selecting Bremner as high as they did. The Angels are no stranger to racing prospects to the big leagues. Over the last three years, they’ve pushed shortstop Zach Neto, Schanuel, and Moore to their big league debuts all within one year of being selected. Like the Athletics, Los Angeles also needs help on the mound.
Tyler Bremner into the fourth inning for the first time this year. Punches out his first batter of the game with his patented cambio. pic.twitter.com/c4NgnuOK2e
— Joe Doyle (@JoeDoyleMiLB) March 1, 2025
Bremner is coming off a junior year where he struck out 111 batters in just 77.1 innings. He walked just 19 hitters along the way.
Bremner isn’t quite the finished product that Arnold is, but that might not matter to the Angels. If/when he gets to a place they believe he can help the team win games, he may be up. That could be as early as May or June 2026.
Liam Doyle, LHP — St. Louis Cardinals
The No. 5 overall selection this year, Doyle has the single-best pitch in the class in his fastball. He’s been up to 99 and has shown capable of hanging onto 94-97 into the later innings. The Cardinals don’t have a track record of rushing prospects to the big leagues, but could this be the outlier?
Doyle is coming off a junior year where he struck out 164 batters in just 95.2 innings. He issued just 32 free passes.
The Cardinals will likely prefer to develop Doyle at a more moderate pace. But if they’re in a playoff race in June, could Doyle come up and add some firepower to a Cardinals rotation currently lacking high-end stuff?
Ike Irish, C/OF — Baltimore Orioles
The No. 19 pick in the 2025 Draft, Irish slipped to Baltimore after being graded out as a Top 10 prospect in the class. He was the best hitter in the SEC in 2025, and that honor generally means quick success at the next level. If the Orioles bail on his chances to catch, could he be manning right field at Camden Yards in 2026?
Irish had a tremendous 2025 at Auburn, slashing .364/.469/.710 with 19 homers and eleven stolen bases. He had nearly a 1-to-1 strikeout-to-walk ratio.
It’s unlikely Ryan O’Hearn will be back in Baltimore in 2026. Centerfielder Cedric Mullins will also likely be gone. Adding to the intrigue is the porcelain nature of corner outfielder Tyler O’Neill. There may very well be a spot for Irish as early as next spring in Baltimore.
Cam Cannarella, OF — Miami Marlins
Perhaps the surprise in this crop of players, Cannarella is something close to a finished product who could man centerfield in Miami as early as next summer. It’s advanced bat-to-ball skills, a strong approach, and up-the-middle tools that the Marlins could use right away. Depending on the level of projection the organization sees in his slender frame, he could be shipped up to Miami at Mach speed if they deem he’s ready.
Cannarella is coming off a strong junior year where he slashed .353/.479/.530 with five homers. He had ten more walks than he had strikeouts. More importantly, the shoulder is close to full strength and he’s likely to get the green light in 2026 to steal bases. He’ll need to post gaudy stolen base totals next summer if he hopes to capture rookie of the year votes.
The Marlins have opportunities for the huge pool of college hitters they drafted in 2025. Cannarella is as good a bet as anyone to get an early crack at playing time. Fellow second-round outfielder Brandon Compton could also get an early opportunity.
CAM. CANNARELLA. GOODNESS.
? ESPN | @ClemsonBaseball pic.twitter.com/IdxkgNBFZW
— ACC Baseball (@ACCBaseball) June 9, 2024
Gone are the days of prospects taking years to arrive in Major League Baseball. Players are debuting quicker than we’ve seen in decades. The 2025 draft will yield big league fruit in the next twelve months. Names like Arnold, Doyle, Irish, Cannarella, and Bremner all potentially represent the next wave.
- Five 2025 draft picks that could win Rookie of the Year in 2026 - July 21, 2025
- 2025 MLB Draft: The predictions you didn’t know you needed - July 16, 2025
- Best available on day two - July 14, 2025
