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Draft  | Story | 12/22/2025

2025 Year in Review: Draft

Tyler Henninger
Isaiah Burrows
Tyler Kotila
2025 Year in Review: Draft

We’ve reached the end of the 2025 calendar year, and while we’ve already jumped in on the 2026 cycle with some of the fall events and post-draft content we’ve had here at Perfect Game, there’s still one more piece on the docket, and that’s the 2025 Year-In-Review piece here from the PG Draft staff. 



The 2025 MLB Draft took place in July, when many highly talented players heard their names called and continued their journey through the game to the next level. There’s already been some of those names making noise in the minors and guys who are moving up prospect lists and becoming names to know for MLB fans digging deep into the future of their organizations. While we are going to “close the book” on 2025 with this article, these players still have many years ahead of them, and many blank pages to continue writing their stories.

This cycle was interesting; it was not like some recent years, where it was a clear-cut 1:1 name for months leading up to the draft. Some players made some late pushes in performance, and organizations made some jumps that deviated from some folks' expectations, and come draft night, there was still some uncertainty on who would hear their name called first. Ultimately, Eli Willits was the first to hear his name called, as the Washington Nationals selected him with the first overall pick. Ethan Holliday, who was selected fourth overall by the Colorado Rockies, was our number one prospect on the draft board. Tyler Bremner and Kade Anderson, who were both in the first round bucket, moved up the board and heard their names called early on, shocking some.

Of the 615 players drafted, 460 were from four-year schools, 124 were from the prep/high school level, and 31 were from the JuCo level. Of all 615 players selected, 576 of those players have signed contracts with MLB organizations. 276 Right-handed pitchers were selected, 81 left-handed pitchers were selected, and three listed two-way players were a part of that group. The remaining 258-261(depending on how you count the TWP) were position players. 

It was a surprising draft that featured unique storylines we’ll delve into below as we put a bow on the 2025 MLB Draft cycle and flip the calendar to 2026. 

Willits and Bremner jump to the top of the board on draft day 

The draft class this past year did not have a consensus top prospect from start to finish. Depending on who you talked to or a certain team’s philosophy, a lot of boards had different guys at the top. That was true all the way until the end. Come draft day, there was buzz that Eli Willits would jump up to 1:1. While very few had expected this throughout the cycle, we made the change to our board and put him at No. 1 on the final board because the buzz seemed real. It was. Willits was the first to hear his name called, something that was not expected most of the cycle. With the second pick, the Angels continued the trend of surprises by selecting Tyler Bremner. While Bremner started out at the No. 2 player on the board, he had slipped a little throughout the spring. The selection of Bremner was not one that we, or many people in the industry, expected. Taking underslot deals was obviously a big driving force in the two players jumping to the top of the board on draft day, but this year just goes to show that anything can happen all the way up until the end. 

Prep shortstops shine as the strength of the class

 The 2025 prep class was touted for its depth and talent on the dirt, and boy did this year’s shortstop crop live up to the hype. Led by Willits with the first pick, 11 high school shortstops led the way of the first 28 picks. Holliday, JoJo Parker, Billy Carlson, Steele Hall, Daniel Pierce and Kayson Cunningham were just some of the names that were selected in bunches. Brady Ebel, Cooper Flemming and Nicky Becker littered more of the Top 50 as prep shortstops were selected all over different rounds of the draft. This year’s crop in particular had a rare blend of offensive upside from both sides of the plate, crisp defense and high end athleticism that really shined. Looking back on this year’s class years down the road, don’t be surprised to see so many former prep shortstops locking down the six-hole for their respective organizations.  

College arms consistently rise throughout the cycle 

It was a really unique cycle in terms of the trends of the pitchers in this class. Every year, players pitch themselves up the board, some arms move down, and injuries are bound to happen, but it sure felt like this year there were some big changes. The biggest perhaps was LSU standout Kade Anderson. The southpaw was in the second-round bucket early on, and some thought we may have been high, but things ultimately changed as the spring unfolded. Anderson moved up boards, and his incredible finish to the 2026 season saw him move into the Top 10 and Top 5 on several industry boards. On draft night, he was the third player selected, taken by the Seattle Mariners. On top of that, Tyler Bremner was deemed a first-rounder early on, sputtered a bit out of the gate, but ultimately got back in the saddle and ended up being the second overall pick in the 2025 MLB Draft. Tennessee southpaw Liam Doyle moved into the Top 5, being selected by the St. Louis Cardinals, and Kyson Witherspoon was selected 15th overall by the Boston Red Sox. While Jamie Arnold was one of the top names on the board all spring, he was another top-half first-round pick. Overall, it was a class full of movement, and the collegiate arms tended to be moving up the board with this group, and a lot of them heard their names called early on draft night.

Looking ahead to 2026

The draft class this coming year looks a little different than the 2025 class. The talent at the top is deeper and stronger. The prep class is one of the stronger classes we have seen in a long time, led by Grady Emerson and Jacob Lombard. The college class features an impressive group of bats at the top, a trio of potential top of the rotation arms, and maybe the best amateur prospect in two decades in Roch Cholowsky. Cholowsky has garnered rave reviews from the industry and has even been called the best amateur player they have seen by some scouts. While there is sure to be some changes to the board throughout the cycle, the 2026 class is gearing up to be an extremely fun group to watch and evaluate.

PG Draft Editor’s Note: Burrows to the Bigs’

While the 2025 calendar year comes to a close, we close the book on the 2025 cycle, look forward to 2026, but we will also see some change on the PG Draft Staff. One of our PG Draft Leads, Isaiah Burrows, has accepted a position to join the San Francisco Giants as an Area Scout. We’re absolutely pumped for Burrows, and expect great things from him in that role. In his time with Perfect Game, Burrows was one of the hardest-working guys on-staff, from running between fields at East Cobb in Georgia during a WWBA event or running around at the backfields in Arizona’s 110-degree heat, Burrows was always grinding. Between lengthy draft calls and debates over players, Burrows always was a huge piece of what we did, and I’ll certainly miss the fiery debates and board updates. We wish Burrows the best as he departs to join the Giants, at the change of the year.
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Draft | Story | 2/6/2026

PG Draft: Mid-Major Picks to Click
Tyler Henninger
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While Power 4 prospects tend to soak up the bulk of the industry buzz, there’s plenty of legitimate talent lurking at the mid-major level. These are competitive programs that are loaded with players who have real tools, physicality, and performance track records that translate beyond their conference. Below are nine mid-major prospects we expect evaluators to be in early and often on this spring. Ethan Norby, LHP, East Carolina (Rank: 155) Norby is an undersized left-hander, but has produced strong numbers over two years at ECU. The left-hander has produced a 3.80 ERA with 182 strikeouts over 149 1/3 innings. While the velocity does not stand out, Norby can still miss bats with the heater. It works in the low-90’s and creeps towards 95 mph at times. Quality extension for his size and high spin allow that offering to get on hitters, resulting in weak contact as well as whiffs....
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High School | General | 2/13/2026

Mid-Atlantic Region Top Teams

Tyler Russo
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Mid-Atlantic All Region & Top Tools Rk Mid-Atlantic  Record 1 Delbarton (NJ) 24-5 2 DePaul Catholic (NJ) 21-7 3 Gloucester Catholic (NJ) 24-3 4 Malvern Prep (PA) 32-5 5 St. Augustine Prep (NJ) 18-8 6 Archbishop Spalding (MD) 22-16 7 Don Bosco Prep (NJ) 26-3 8 Cedar Cliff (PA) 21-6 9 St. John's College (DC) 30-1 10 Seton Hall Prep (NJ) 22-2 11 St. Joseph's Prep (PA) 10-11 12 Christian Brothers (NJ) 22-5 13 Hazelton Area (PA) 18-6 14 Sussex Central (DE) 16-6 15 Ranney (NJ) 12-10 16 Calvert Hall (MD) 20-10 17 Radnor (PA) 11-4 18 Governor Livingston (NJ) 28-0 19 The Haverford School (PA) 5-11 20 Bergen Catholic (NJ) 16-8 21 Holy Ghost Prep (PA) 10-9 22 North Hunterdon (NJ) 14-12 23 Northern Burlington (NJ) 28-2 24 St. Albans (DC) 23-14 25 Urbana (MD) 21-4
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High School | General | 2/12/2026

Mid-Atlantic All Region & Top Tools

David Rawnsley
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The Mid-Atlantic Region lost its only Perfect Game All-American when catcher Andrew Costello left his Pennsylvania high school early and enrolled at Wake Forest for the spring semester.  The Region ends up being dominated by underclassmen, with seven juniors and even a pair of talented sophomores getting recognition. The story of the spring could very well be watching the young power arms in the Region come outdoors and show their talents on the mound.  Pennsylvania juniors Cole Kuhn and Trent Lutz have been getting lots of off-season attention along with New Jersey senior Alex Weingartner. New Jersey has a trio of high schools represented in the Perfect Game Pre-Season Top 50 High School Rankings.  Delbarton HS, behind a very strong junior class, leads the group at 29th overall, followed DePaul Catholic HS at 41st and Gloucester Catholic at 46th. C – Braeden Lipoff...
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High School | General | 2/12/2026

Coastal Region Top Teams

Tyler Russo
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Coastal All Region & Top Tools Rk Coastal Record 1 Charlotte Catholic (NC) 22-6-1 2 Metrolina Christian Academy (NC) 28-3 3 James Island Charter (SC) 30-4 4 Battlefield (VA) 23-3 5 Charlotte Christian (NC) 26-6 6 Dorman (SC) 22-7 7 Marvin Ridge (NC) 21-8 8 Grace Christian (NC) 23-7 9 Berkeley (SC) 22-10 10 T.C. Roberson (NC) 27-6 11 Lexington (SC) 22-11-1 12 Providence (NC) 23-6 13 Southside Christian Schools (SC) 33-2-1 14 Bishop O'Connell (VA) 20-6 15 Cuthbertson (NC) 26-6 16 Wesleyan Christian Academy (NC) 18-11 17 Blythewood (SC) 24-7 18 The Miller School (VA) 34-6 19 Stratford (SC) 22-6-2 20 Laney (NC) 25-7 21 Gaston Christian (NC) 18-4 22 Airport (SC) 27-6 23 Hurricane (WV) 28-7 24 Gainesville (VA) 23-4 25 Oceanside Collegiate Academy (SC) 27-8
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High School | General | 2/12/2026

Coastal All Region & Top Tools

David Rawnsley
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COASTAL REGION (NC, SC, VA, WV)  The first thing that stands out about the players on the Coastal Region team is that this is undoubtedly the fastest All-Region Team in the country.  There are four or five players who could legitimately have 80 grades on their running speed from the region and all have other tools to back up their speed. Another thing that jumps out is the quality of the juniors on the team.  While the region features only one 2025 PG All-American in left-handed pitcher Carson Bolemon, there are six juniors on the All-Region team who are ranked in the top 34 in the 2027 class, with plenty more talented underclassmen just behind them.  Three region high schools break into the Top 50 in the Perfect Game Pre-Season High School Rankings.  Charlotte Catholic at 33rd overall and Metrolina Christian Academy at 42nd represent the North Carolina schools...
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College | Story | 2/12/2026

2026 Staff Picks: College Edition

Perfect Game Staff
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2026 College Preview Index With the D-I season opening up right around the corner, our staff came together and took a shot at who they'd pick within 7 different categories. Most are self explanatory while the "Sleeping GIant" category is in reference to a draft prospect outside of our latest Top 50 on the MLB Draft Board. It's also worth noting that once a player was selected for a category, he was unavailable for others to choose, outside of the Golden Spikes category, where we do see some double-ups.  Enjoy the weekend, there's sure to be plenty of excitement as baseball is officially back across the country at all collegiate levels!  Category Cohen Sutherland Cervino Billock Henninger Rankin Russo Impact Freshman Mason Braun Angel Cervantes Cooper Underwood Marcos Paz JD Stein Alec Blair Sam Cozart Impact Transfer Jake Schaffner Will Gasparino Brady Frederick Andrew Whalen...
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High School | General | 2/11/2026

Southwest Region Top Teams

Tyler Russo
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Southwest All Region & Top Tools Rk Southwest Record 1 Casteel (AZ) 23-10 2 Basic (NV) 25-7 3 Corona Del Sol (AZ) 27-6 4 Faith Lutheran (NV) 22-18 5 Brophy College Prep (AZ) 16-13 6 Regis Jesuit (CO) 22-9 7 Queen Creek (AZ) 18-13 8 Spanish Fork (UT) 18-17 9 Mountain Ridge (UT) 20-12 10 Liberty (AZ) 17-13 11 Bishop Gorman (NV) 19-14 12 Rio Rancho (NM) 23-7 13 Cherry Creek (CO) 23-5-1 14 Palo Verde (NV) 24-10 15 Sandra Day O'Connor (AZ) 21-12 16 Pleasant Grove (UT) 23-6 17 La Cueva (NM) 25-4 18 Desert Mountain (AZ) 16-12 19 Snow Canyon (UT) 23-8 20 Hamilton (AZ) 25-9 21 Millennium (AZ) 21-10 22 Centennial (NV) 24-9 23 Valley Christian (AZ) 29-2 24 Mountain Vista (CO) 15-9 25 Williams Field (AZ) 15-11
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High School | General | 2/11/2026

Southwest All Region & Top Tools

David Rawnsley
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SOUTHWEST REGION (AZ, NM, NV, UT, CO)  The most dominant tool in the Southwest Region for the 2026 season is undoubtedly power at the plate, as most players featured below not only have the size and bat speed to drive the ball but have put up the numbers as well.  While that isn’t exactly surprising given that virtually the entire region plays at elevation, it certainly stands out on the individual top prospects. The Region features four Perfect Game All-Americans in OF Ryan Harwood, IF Rookie Shepard and C Alain Gomez-Gudino and RHP Dylan Blomker.  The 2027 class is looking very promising as well, with four juniors gaining mention on the All-Region team below and Arizona in particular having a very talented class.  Keep an eye out especially for 2027 3B Colton Floyd (Corona Del Sol HS, Ariz.), one of the best and biggest power hitters in that class. Two Region...
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Press Release | Press Release | 2/11/2026

Perfect Game Partners with Goodles

Perfect Game Staff
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    667 Progress Way | Sanford, FL 32771 | 319-298-2923  www.perfectgame.org | facebook.com/perfectgameusa | @PerfectGameUSA      FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE    PERFECT GAME ANNOUNCES PARTNERSHIP WITH GOODLES    Sanford, Florida (Wednesday, February 11, 2026) - Perfect Game, the world’s largest youth baseball and softball platform and scouting service, today announced a new partnership with  GOODLES, the brand that reimagined boxed mac and cheese, naming the brand the Official Mac & Cheese of Perfect Game. The collaboration will bring delicious, nutrient-packed mac and cheese to families and players during premiere events and tournaments.    While practice makes perfect, a player’s diet can’t be...
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College | Rankings | 2/11/2026

DII Top 25: February 11

Nick Herfordt
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Preseason rankings are less about certainty and more about expectation. Experience, continuity, and proven production tend to win in Division II baseball, but every spring reminds us how thin the margins can be. The teams below enter 2026 carrying varying combinations of momentum, pressure, and opportunity. Some are defending a standard. Others are chasing it.  At this level, projection is rarely about raw talent alone. It is shaped by familiarity, by the players who have been through a season together, by staffs that know how to manage the quiet stretches as well as the loud ones. Injuries, turnover, and postseason moments leave marks that don’t always show up in the numbers, but they shape how teams respond when games tighten.  The programs at the top of these rankings carry more than returning statistics. They carry memory and momentum. They remember what it felt like...
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High School | Rankings | 2/10/2026

Texas Region Top Teams

Tyler Russo
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Texas All Region & Top Tools Rk Texas Record 1 Grapevine 36-3 2 Memorial 28-6-1 3 Lake Travis 28-12-3 4 Kingwood 39-4 5 Aledo 31-8 6 Atascocita 33-12-2 7 Calallen 35-2 8 Pleasant Grove 36-6 9 Prestonwood Christian 25-5 10 The Bennett School N/A 11 Lovejoy 30-9 12 Allen 16-16-1 13 Prosper 33-10-1 14 Flower Mound Marcus 30-13 15 Tomball 34-7-1 16 Waco Midway 35-8 17 Dallas Jesuit 23-9-1 18 Flower Mound 21-12 19 Buda Johnson 26-13 20 The Woodlands 29-6-1 21 Katy Taylor 26-13-1 22 Rockwall Heath 15-9 23 Rockwall 29-10 24 Lutheran South 34-3-1 25 Keller 29-11
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