ATLANTA – Among the 615 picks in the 2025 Major League Baseball Draft, several players with ties to the Natural State heard their names called. There were also a bevy of draft picks who could find themselves playing in North Little Rock on their way to the show.
Pro Hogs in the Making
Arkansas pitcher Gage Wood celebrates after striking out the final Murray State batter in the eighth inning of an NCAA College World Series baseball game in Omaha, Neb., Monday, June 16, 2025. (Chris Machian/Omaha World-Herald via AP)
Arkansas batter Wehiwa Aloy (9) runs to first base against Little Rock during an NCAA baseball game on Tuesday, April 22, 2025, in Fayetteville, Ark. (AP Photo/Michael Woods)
Photo by John D. James
Photo by John D. James
On Sunday, a program-record four Arkansas Razorbacks heard their names called in the first round of the draft, with the highest being Gage Wood at pick No. 26 by the Philadelphia Phillies. Wehiwa Aloy followed soon after at pick No. 31 by the Baltimore Orioles. The Los Angeles Dodgers concluded the first round for Arkansas, using pick No. 40 on pitcher Zach Root and pick No. 41 on outfielder Charles Davalan.
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During the draft’s second day on Monday, seven more Hogs were chosen, beginning with Christian Foutch going to the Boston Red Sox at pick No. 148.
Hogs chosen in the 2025 MLB Draft:
No. 26 – Philadelphia Phillies – Gage Wood, RHP, Arkansas
No. 31 – Baltimore Orioles – Wehiwa Aloy, SS, Arkansas
No. 40 – Los Angeles Dodgers – Zach Root, P, Arkansas
No. 41 – Los Angeles Dodgers – Charles Davalan, OF, Arkansas
No. 148 – Boston Red Sox – Christian Foutch, P, Arkansas
No. 158 – Kansas City Royals – Aiden Jimenez, P, Arkansas
No. 187 – Atlanta Braves – Landon Beidelschies, P, Arkansas
No. 203 – Pittsburgh Pirates – Brent Iredale, 3B, Arkansas
No. 236 – San Francisco Giants – Ben Bybee, P, Arkansas
No. 336 – Houston Astros – Justin Thomas, OF, Arkansas
No. 485 – Milwaukee Brewers – Parker Coil, P, Arkansas
Gage Wood drafted 26 overall to Philadelphia in the 2025 MLB Draft
From the Natural State to the Show
Central Arkansas pitcher Charlie Christensen (35) throws during an NCAA baseball game on Tuesday, March 21, 2023, in Baton Rouge, La. (AP Photo/Matthew Hinton)
Another college player from Arkansas to hear his name on Monday was former University of Central Arkansas Bear Charlie Christensen. The 6-foot-4 pitcher from Olathe, Kansas, was chosen with pick No. 459 by the Detroit Tigers. Former Little Rock Trojans pitcher Jackson Wells was not drafted but signed a free agent deal with the Houston Astros on Monday.
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A pair of high schoolers from Arkansas were also selected in the draft on Monday. McLane Moody of Northside High School was chosen with pick No. 443 by the Pittsburgh Pirates, and shortstop Landon Schaefer from Fayetteville High School was chosen with pick No. 611 by the Philadelphia Phillies.
Future Arkansas Travelers
LSU starting pitcher Kade Anderson (32) throws against Coastal Carolina in the first inning of Game 1 of the NCAA College World Series baseball finals in Omaha, Neb., Saturday, June 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Rebecca S. Gratz)
Since becoming the Double-A affiliate of the Seattle Mariners in 2017, the Arkansas Travelers have been home to many of the team’s top picks on their way to the majors, like Logan Gilbert, George Kirby, Emerson Hancock and Cole Young.
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On Sunday, the Mariners drafted LSU pitcher Kade Anderson with the No. 3 pick in the draft and then added North Carolina Tar Heels catcher Luke Stevenson with pick No. 35. They added 12 more pitchers to their already stacked arsenal, including Miami’s Griffin Hugus at No. 91 and Dallas Baptist’s Mason Peters at pick No. 122.
With four of the Mariners’ recent first-round picks currently in High-A and a slew of draft picks soon to be moving through the system, Travs fans can expect to see plenty of future stars in the home dugout in the coming years.
GALLERY: A look at MLB stars that have played baseball at Dickey-Stephens Park
Future Texas League Visitors
Tennessee pitcher Liam Doyle (12) throws to a batter during an NCAA regional baseball game against Miami on Friday, May 30, 2025, in Knoxville, Tenn. (AP Photo/Wade Payne)
In addition to Seattle’s first-round picks coming to North Little Rock, several other teams in the Texas League made notable selections that could be making their way to CHI St. Vincent Field at Dickey-Stephens Park in the future.
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A pair of the best college pitchers in the country could be making their way through central Arkansas soon with the St. Louis Cardinals drafting Tennessee’s Liam Doyle and the Oakland Athletics picking Florida State’s Jamie Arnold at pick No. 11.
Other future Texas Leaguers that Hog fans can look forward to seeing play in Arkansas again include Root and Davalan with the Tulsa Drillers, Justin Thomas with the Corpus Christi Hooks, and Aiden Jimenez with the Northwest Arkansas Naturals.
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