2025 MLB Draft: Top 200 College Prospects

September 4, 2024

EDITOR’S NOTE: The following rankings and evaluations by FSS PLUS are based on subjective analysis and industry sources, and do not influence, are not influenced by, or are affiliated with the opinions and reports of Future Stars Series scouting and development staff.

The 2025 Draft is right around the corner so it’s time for an update to the Future Stars Series PLUS Top 200 college prospects. This board is built on three pillars. Live looks, data evaluation, and intel/conversations provided from within the industry. These players have a ton of time and projection ahead of them, so expect this list to change considerably as we approach the 2025 Draft.


1. Jace LaViolette, OF — Texas A&M
HOMETOWN: Katy, Texas
HEIGHT: 6-6
WEIGHT: 230
BAT/THROW: L-L

One of the more physical players in this class, Laviolette shows over the fence power to all fields and a powerful left-handed swing. The 6-foot-5-inch Aggie hit 21 homers as a true freshman and stole 18 bases along the way. He parlayed that teenage performance into 29 more homers as a sophomore adding seven stolen bases for good measure.

Laviolette personifies the lefty-loop zone. The bat path is a joy to watch, and conducive to utilizing his double-plus raw power. LaViolette has fluid motions at the plate and violent hips that clear, making way to significant thump.

Already very strong, LaViolette figures to be one of the slugging mainstays in the class. In terms of his approach, LaViolette posted well-above average chase rates as a teenager, and although his contact rates leave a bit to be desired, he has a ton of time to polish up those skills. His fly ball rates tend to ensure a hefty slash line regardless of any swing-and-miss he’ll display.

Defensively, he’s destined for a corner where his above average speed projection and above average throwing arm will stick long-term. LaViolette glides in the outfield and has shown tremendous feel for routes and spacial awareness. He can play an average centerfield in a pinch too.


2. Cam Cannarella, SS/OF — Clemson
HOMETOWN: Hartsville, South Carolina
HEIGHT: 6-0
WEIGHT: 180
BAT/THROW: L-R

Cannarella instantly became one of Clemson’s best hitters after stepping on campus in the fall of 2022. He possesses borderline elite bat-to-ball skills and a selective, keen eye at the plate. He takes his walks and is a menace on the base paths though he was forced to play more station-to-station in 2024 while dealing with a shoulder injury.

While Cannarella doesn’t possess much more than average raw power, it’s further diluted by his higher-than-preferred ground ball rates. Those will need to improve if he’s to realize his top-ten pick upside. There’s enough raw power to force pitchers to be careful with him and Cannarella has shown innate feel for the fat part of the bat highlighted by an average exit velocity in as a sophomore that approached 91 mph.

One of his greatest tools might be his fiery persona and bulldog mentality in the field. Everyone knows when Cannarella is in the lineup. He’s a vocal and physical leader who demands the respect of his teammates, and more effusively the opposition.

Cannarella has fantastic arm strength and figures to stick in centerfield but could be moved back to shortstop, his original position, in professional baseball. He projects an above-average to plus pure hitter and an above average glove, maybe half-a-grade better depending on his eventual position. His left-handed swing is revered by scouts.


3. Jamie Arnold, LHP — Florida State
HOMETOWN: Tampa, Florida
HEIGHT: 6-1
WEIGHT: 195
BAT/THROW: L-L

Jamie Arnold is a metric freak. His ability to create velocity and angles from a 54-inch release height is reasonably unprecedented. Arnold has an extremely flat approach angle with a fastball that absolutely feasts at the top of the zone. He’s been up to 97 but more impressively holds 93-95 into the deepest innings of his starts. It’s very comfortably a ‘plus’ fastball and the argument could be made it’s a double-plus weapon.

Arnold sweeper is just as impressive a pitch featuring considerable depth and enough lateral action to get left-handed hitters looking foolish on the regular. There’s also a changeup that is more solid average, but considering the nature of his fastball, hitters are forced to respect the top of the zone allowing the cambio to play to levels above its metrics. Throw in the fact he throws strikes aplenty and you’ve got a reasonably complete package on the bump with SP1 upside.

Arnold has simple, easy mechanics with that deceptive arm slot and his looseness, athleticism and elasticity suggest more is coming in the velocity department. He’s one of the more impressive college pitchers to become available in recent years. It’s something of a super-up version of Cooper Hjerpe.


4. Tyler Bremner, RHP — UC Santa Barbara
HOMETOWN: San Diego, California
HEIGHT: 6-2
WEIGHT: 190
BAT/THROW: R-R

Bremner is a super athletic righty with a fantastic operation on the mound. The fastball has teeth and is already up to 98 with big vertical carry. The changeup is his best secondary with strong fading action and higher spin rates giving it arm-side action. Bremner has shown a willingness to throw the changeup to left-handed hitter and right-handed hitters and has dominated on both fronts. The conviction, arm action and life on the pitch clearly point toward a ‘plus’ offering with a chance of reaching even higher grades.

Bremner’s sweeper has taken strides over the last twelve months and has flashed ‘plus’. At its best Bremner is generating close to twelve inches of sweep on that pitch and will routinely grab 85-86 mph, topping out at 88. He’s still able to generate substantial vertical plane on that pitch too. Landing it where he wants will be important in his developmental upside, but the pure traits, shapes and spin are tantalizing.

The entire arsenal is thrown out of a deceptive slot; tough for the opposition to pick up, let alone square up. It’s all complimented by above average control for the strike zone.

Scouts love what this could become – a mid-90s, explosive arm with starters traits and a metric-darling. He’s got a shot at possessing three above-average to ‘plus’ pitches. Bremner has first round stuff, a top-shelf pitcher’s frame and projection in a lean physique. He checks a whole bunch of boxes.


5. Brendan Summerhill, OF — Arizona
HOMETOWN: Chicago, Illinois
HEIGHT: 6-3
WEIGHT: 205
BAT/THROW: L-R

Summerhill is a long-levered, angular outfielder with a sweet, lofty left-handed swing and present game power largely due to his feel for backspinning the baseball. He’s peaked at 110 mph in terms of exit velocities, but proponents of the profile point toward his leaner frame with strength projection on the horizon as reason to believe there’s louder contact in the tank. It’s a quiet swing with pull-side authority with almost zero holes in his stroke. Summerhill posts elite whiff rates and is among the best in the country in terms of in-zone swing-outcome production. There’s a whole lot of polish here and there may be more impact on the way.

Summerhill has got a strong arm, best suited for a corner. He’s also presently an above average runner but he occasionally clocks ‘plus’ run times. His frame projects a potential 6-foot-4-inch, 215-pound slugger in due time as he mature into his professional physical form. Summerhill has played some centerfield for the Cats, and if he doesn’t grow off the position, has the upside of a guy who can play all three outfield positions. All he’s done to this point is hit in Tucson and his profile continues to trend upward.


6. Aiva Arquette, SS — Oregon State
HOMETOWN: Honolulu, Hawaii
HEIGHT: 6-4
WEIGHT: 220
BAT/THROW: R-R

Saint Louis HS is the home of several extremely accomplished quarterbacks that have played long careers in the NFL, but they’re making headlines with baseball scouts this time around. Arquette made his way from the island and became something of a star at the University of Washington. He transferred to Oregon State for his draft-eligible 2025 campaign after UW’s Head Coach Jason Kelly left for Texas A&M following the 2024 season.

Arquette is long and projectable on the dirt and may ultimately shift to third base if he adds more physicality. As things stand he’s a rangy infielder and a steady second baseman with a solid arm and gliding, quiet actions. Arquette showcases a strong internal clock with soft hands and balance on the infield. Skeptics have long looked at his size as reason to believe he’s destined for the outfield. He’s continuously proved those doubters wrong.

Arquette’s bat took mammoth strides during his sophomore year and it now represents one of the more complete offensive profiles in the country. There’s bat-to-ball skills and huge exit velocities, both of which were shown off on the Cape too. Arquette has a steady approach and a willingness to use right field, a rare trait for players his size. It’s raw power that plays into right-center field with backspinning batted balls that cut through thick, wet Pacific Northwest air. If there’s one nitpicking trait scouts would like to see Arquette improve as the Draft nears it would be his patience at the plate. More specifically late in counts. He’s in no rush to take walks and can get overanxious on spin. Still, that’s a rather minor wart on a scouting report covered with above average tools throughout.

The 95th percentile outcome on a player like Arquette is something of a Troy Tulowitzki. He’ll need to further prove he’s a shortstop through and through should he hope to land those lofty comparisons when July rolls around.


7. Devin Taylor, OF — Indiana
HOMETOWN: Cincinnati, Ohio
HEIGHT: 6-0
WEIGHT: 215
BAT/THROW: L-R

Taylor is a prototype spark plug with a beautifully violent left-handed swing and premium bat speed. He’s shown a grand willingness to take his walks and let his athleticism play on the base paths. Taylor has got significant raw power, especially to the pull-side, though he’s shown the ability to get into the baseball and sizzle one over the fence to the backside too. Taylor has a chance to post 25-homer seasons at the next level with a hit tool that should buoy a strong offensive profile.

Taylor is a solid average runner and should stick in left field going forward. He’s not the most efficient route runner and likely won’t win any gold gloves out there, but he gets the job done. The arm is also fringy. There’s still some projection in the body too with long limbs and sloping shoulders, though he is a barrel-chested, powder-keg built frame.

The bat is largely going to carry his draft stock and scouts like hos projectable the swing is into the pro game. Taylor can do a little bit of everything and really kick-starts the Hoosiers in a lot of ways.


8. Luke Stevenson, C — North Carolina
HOMETOWN: Wake Forest, North Carolina
HEIGHT: 6-1
WEIGHT: 200
BAT/THROW: L-R

A draft-eligible sophomore, Stevenson walked away from a good paycheck during the 2023 Draft in order to enroll at Chapel Hill. Lauded for his polished hit tool and raw power, Stevenson gets high marks from scouts on his ability to slow down the game at the plate. He takes his walks and puts a jolt into the baseball when mistakes are left over the heart of the plate. Stevenson looked like the total package at times in 2024 as a true freshman with the occasional streaky bouts of getting fooled by the accelerated college game. He has a short, simple, cut-off swing from the left side with a tight, compact turn. He’s got extremely fast hands with considerable raw power that will effortlessly translate to the pro game. There’s some Kyle Schwarber in the operation. Stevenson swings a heavy barrel with loud exit velocities. It’s legitimate impact upside.

Defensively, Stevenson gets green checks for his ability to receive the baseball and has flashed easy ‘plus’ arm strength. Already a thick profile, Stevenson figures to stay behind the plate so long as he doesn’t outgrow the flexibility required to catch. As presently constructed, scouts believe he’s comfortably the best defensive catcher in the 2025 Draft with a chance to be one of the more complete catching prospects to come out of the college game in the last handful of years. This is what they look like. Tons of strength in the lower-half and core. He’s pro-ready.


9. Gavin Kilen, SS — Tennessee
HOMETOWN: Milton, Wisconsin
HEIGHT: 5-11
WEIGHT: 180
BAT/THROW: L-R

A decorated bluechip hailing from Milton, Wisconsin, Kilen is a talented hitter and defender with considerable ceiling. The midwest has become a hotbed for producing talented baseball prospects the last five years or so and Kilen continues that trend. His brand is that of a sound hitter with impact still coming.

Kilen is extremely aggressive in the box and has a tendency to swing at more pitches than he probably should resulting in well-below average chase rates. Still, he battles, draws long counts, and has largely avoided bloating his strikeout rates. There’s real feel to hit with elite bat-to-ball skills and a willingness to use all-fields.

Kilen saw his exit velocities make huge strides in 2024 highlighted by a peak batted-ball event north of 111 mph. He’s growing into average raw power and could be a threat to hit north of 15 homers in 2025.

He’s a sound glove with above average arm strength and an internal clock. He has the size, speed, hands and lateral range to play shortstop at the next level. A 13th-round pick by the Red Sox in the 2022 Draft, Kilen has done well for himself electing to go to college and bet on his abilities. The whole profile is reasonably polished with more impact on the horizon.


10. Ike Irish, C — Auburn
HOMETOWN: Hudsonville, Michigan
HEIGHT: 6-2
WEIGHT: 203
BAT/THROW: L-R
 
A highly-recruited prepster out of Michigan in 2022, Irish was one of the premier high school catching prospects available in that draft. 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.
 
Irish has an above average arm and is a physical specimen behind the plate, giving up the body to block balls in the dirt and keep runners at bay. If he hits enough to let all his tools scream, and to this point the hit tool as proven awfully advanced, he’s got a shot to go early in 2025.

2024 RANKINGS: THE TOP 600


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