2025 MLB Draft Preview: scouting report
The 2025 MLB Draft is less than two weeks away — the first round kicks off on July 13, 2025 — so its time to start offering capsule looks at players the Texas Rangers could select with their top picks. The Rangers’ first round pick is at #12, their second round pick is at #52, and their third round pick is at #84.
Leading up to draft day, we will be doing writeups of some of the players who could end up getting selected by the Rangers with one of their first three picks. Today we are looking at University of Oklahoma righthanded pitcher Kyson Witherspoon.
Kyson Witherspoon is a 6’2”, 205 lb. righthanded pitcher with the University of Oklahoma. Witherspoon was ranked #418 on BA’s 2022 draft board as a Florida prep pitcher and #386 on BA’s 2023 draft board after a year at Northwest Florida State Junior College. He has spent the past two seasons as part of the OU rotation. Witherspoon turns 21 in August.
Witherspoon has a quality fastball that reports have at 95-97 mph, touching 99 mph, though MLB Pipeline describes it as having “modest” movement. He has been able to maintain that velocity late in games as well. His slider is generally viewed as his best secondary, with both horizontal and vertical movement, although he can reportedly also morph it into more of a cutter. He has a curveball to go with his slider, and his changeup is still raw but shows promise, with Keith Law putting at 55 on it.
Witherspoon has taken large strides during his college career — as a high school senior he was throwing just 88-93, per BA’s write-up of him at the time, but was seem as someone whose athleticism and projection led scouts to believe there was a lot of growth potential. His BA draft write-up after his one JuCo year had his velocity up to 92-94 mph, but with ongoing concerns about his control that kept him from being higher on the BA list.
Witherspoon’s stuff took a step forward as a sophomore with OU, and his control and command has taken a step forward this year. Reports indicate his mechanics have improved, with his athleticism allowing him to better repeat his delivery and locate his pitches better. He is, at this point, arguably the best college righthander in the draft.
As a sophomore, Witherspoon put up a 3.71 ERA in 11 starts and six relief appearances covering 80 innings, with (0 Ks against 40 walks. He dramatically lowered his walk rate as a junior, with 23 walks in 95 innings over 16 starts, with 124 Ks and a 2.65 ERA.
Baseball America has Witherspoon at #7 on their top 500 list. MLB Pipeline’s draft rankings have Witherspoon at #10. Keith Law’s top 100 list ranks Witherspoon at #10. Kiley McDaniel’s top 150 list has Witherspoon at #10. Fangraphs has Witherspoon at #20 on their board.
Baseball America’s mock draft from June 9 has the Blue Jays taking Witherspoon at #8. BA’s June 30 mock draft has Witherspoon going to the Rangers at #12. Keith Law’s mock draft has Witherspoon to the Cardinals at #5. Kiley McDaniel’s mock draft from June 18 has Witherspoon to the Giants at #13. Jim Callis’s June 12 mock draft has Witherspoon going to the Cincinnati Reds at #9. The Callis/Mayo combined mock draft from June 19 has Witherspoon going to the Reds at #9. Jonathan Mayo’s June 26 mock draft has Witherspoon going to the Jays at #8.
I decided to write up Witherspoon today because he was projected to the Rangers in the latest BA mock. It seems unlikely that he will still be on the board when the Rangers pick, but if he is, the Rangers would have to be very tempted to grab him. Quality college pitchers with frontline stuff generally don’t last to #12.
Previously: