photo credit: Craven Whitlow
Over the next two days, more than 600 players will have their dreams come true by hearing their name called during the 2025 MLB Draft — and several will have ties to Arkansas baseball.
It is expected to be a historic draft for the Razorbacks, who are likely to have multiple first-rounders for the first time ever and could have as many as 11 or 12 current players selected during the 20-round event, which begins Sunday night and goes through Monday. They are also at risk of losing several incoming players — from high school, junior college and even the transfer portal.
Best of Arkansas Sports has published well over 5,000 words about the players to keep an eye on during the draft, including our latest intel on them, in our two-part preview series, which looked at the current Razorbacks and newcomers.
As those players get drafted, we’ll be updating this piece with all of the information you need to know — team, pick number, slot value, additional context behind the selection and, eventually, signing bonus. Follow along with us!
How to Watch the 2025 MLB Draft
Day 1 — Sunday, July 13 — 5 p.m. CT (ESPN, MLB Network, MLB.com)
Day 2 — Monday, July 14 — 10:30 a.m. CT (MLB.com)
(NOTE: The draft used to be a three day event, but it has been condensed into two days this year. The first three rounds will be Sunday, with Rounds 4-20 to follow on Monday.)
*You can keep up with every pick using MLB.com’s Draft Tracker, too*
Arkansas Baseball Signing Tracker
Now that the 2025 MLB Draft is in the books, follow along here for updates as the drafted players sign with their professional teams.
RoundPickNameTeamSlot ValueSigning Bonus126Gage WoodPhiladelphia Phillies$3,492,200$3,000,000131Wehiwa AloyBaltimore Orioles$3,042,800$3,042,800140Zach RootLos Angeles Dodgers$2,443,600141Charles DavalanLos Angeles Dodgers$2,386,9005148Christian FoutchBoston Red Sox$479,800$400,0005158Aiden JimenezKansas City Royals$434,400$431,9006187Landon BeidelschiesAtlanta Braves$338,900$297,5007203Brent IredalePittsburgh Pirates$297,4008236Ben BybeeSan Francisco Giants$232,000$229,50011336Justin Thomas Jr.Houston Astrosn/a13400Dylan Grego (portal commit)San Diego Padresn/a15443McLane Moody (HS signee)Pittsburgh Piratesn/a16484Denton Biller (JUCO signee)Baltimore Oriolesn/a16485Parker CoilMilwaukee Brewersn/a20611Landon Schaefer (HS signee)Philadelphia Philliesn/awill not sign
NOTE: There are no slot values for Rounds 11-20. Instead, teams are allowed to sign those players for up to $150,000 and anything above that counts against their bonus pool.
Arkansas Baseball on Day 1 of 2025 MLB Draft
The first day of the MLB Draft will include Rounds 1-3, as well as all of the so-called “sandwich” picks in the prospect promotion incentive, compensatory and competitive balance rounds. In total, 105 players will be drafted Sunday night.
Gage Wood — RHP — Philadelphia Phillies
School: Arkansas
Pick: 1st round, 26th overall
Slot value: $3,492,200
Signing bonus: $3,000,000
Less than a month removed from throwing the first no-hitter at the College World Series since 1960, Gage Wood has been selected 26th overall by the Phillies.
It was a stellar ending to a season that was marred by a shoulder injury that sidelined him for several weeks. In 10 starts, the Batesville native posted a 3.82 ERA with a whopping 69 strikeouts in only 37 2/3 innings. He also held opponents to a minuscule .194 batting average.
This marks the first time in UA history that it has produced first-round picks in back-to-back seasons. Hagen Smith went No. 5 overall to the White Sox last year.
UPDATE (2:07 p.m. CT, July 22): According to MLB.com’s Jim Callis, Gage Wood has signed with the Phillies for a $3 million signing bonus. That is about 85.9% of the slot value for pick No. 26. It is also slighly less than Wehiwa Aloy reportedly received from the Orioles five picks later, meaning it is believed to be the fifth-largest signing bonus ever for an Arkansas baseball draftee.
Wehiwa Aloy — SS — Baltimore Orioles
School: Arkansas
Pick: 1st round, 31st overall
Slot value: $3,042,800
Signing bonus: $3,042,800
Fresh off becoming the third Golden Spikes Award winner in school history, Wehiwa Aloy is the second Arkansas baseball player off the board in the 2025 MLB Draft, going to the Orioles with the 31st overall pick.
A transfer out of Sacramento State, the Hawaiian spent the last two years playing for the Razorbacks. He was solid as a sophomore, earning second-team All-SEC honors, but took his game to another level as a junior this season. In addition to hitting .350, Aloy smacked a team-high 21 home runs and had 68 RBIs.
With Wood going five spots earlier, this marks the first time in UA history that two Razorbacks were selected in the first round of the same MLB Draft.
UPDATE (9:04 a.m. CT, July 19): Wehiwa Aloy has signed with the Orioles and will receive the full slot value – $3,042,800 – as his bonus, according to MLB.com’s Jim Callis. It’s believed to be the fourth-largest signing bonus for an Arkansas baseball draftee, behind only a trio of top-10 picks: Hagen Smith ($8 million), Heston Kjerstad ($5.2 million) and Andrew Benintendi ($3.59 million). Gage Wood will likely receive a similar bonus.
Zach Root — LHP — Los Angeles Dodgers
School: Arkansas
Pick: 1st round, 40th overall
Slot value: $2,443,600
After just one year with the Razorbacks, Zach Root is a first-round pick. The Dodgers took him 40th overall.
The heralded transfer out of East Carolina had some up-and-down moments, but was ultimately a first-team All-SEC selection. Root finished with a 3.62 ERA and 126 strikeouts in 99 1/3 innings.
Three first-round picks puts Arkansas in rare territory. It is just the 17th college team in 61 years to have a trio of first-rounders in the same year, with 14 of those instances happening since 2004.
Charles Davalan — OF — Los Angeles Dodgers
School: Arkansas
Pick: 1st round, 41st overall
Slot value: $2,386,900
The Dodgers went back-to-back with Razorbacks, taking Charles Davalan 41st overall near the end of the first round.
The Montreal, Quebec, native slashed .346/.433/.561 out of the leadoff spot and put up 14 home runs, 60 RBIs and 10 stolen bases, an impressive jump from the numbers he put up as a freshman at Florida Gulf Coast.
His selection gives Arkansas a bit of MLB Draft history, as it becomes the second college to ever produce a quartet of first-rounders in one year. Tennessee is the other team to do it, and the Vols also did it this year.
Arkansas Baseball on Day 2 of 2025 MLB Draft
The second day of the MLB Draft will include Rounds 4-20, which consists of the final 510 selections.
Rounds 4-10
Mason Neville — former OF — Cincinnati Reds
School: Oregon
Pick: 4th round, 114th overall
Slot value: $667,700
Signing bonus: $697,500
A former top-100 recruit, Mason Neville signed with Arkansas out of high school and actually made it to campus despite the Reds taking him in the 18th round of the 2022 MLB Draft.
He figured to compete for a spot in the Razorbacks’ outfield in 2023, but despite some early flashes that fall, the Las Vegas native struggled mightily as a freshman. He went just 3 for 27 (.111) with 20 strikeouts in limited action.
Following a transfer to Oregon, though, Neville lived up to the hype. He hit .268 with 16 home runs as a sophomore and was even better as a junior this past season, when he upped his average to .290 to go along with 26 homers.
He is a rare example of a player to transfer out of Arkansas and still be a high draft pick. The most notable example of that was Jackson Rutledge, the big right-hander who went to San Jacinto C.C. and became the 17th overall pick in 2019.
Christian Foutch — RHP — Boston Red Sox
School: Arkansas
Pick: 5th round, 148th overall
Slot value: $479,800
Signing bonus: $400,000
Armed with a fastball that touches triple-digits and a nasty splitter, Christian Foutch had some of the best stuff on Arkansas’ staff the last three years and is now a fifth-round pick by the Boston Red Sox.
After posting a minuscule 0.81 ERA in 22 1/3 innings as a sophomore, the Littleton, Colo., native was expected to be the Razorbacks’ closer this year and figured to be a guy who could climb into the top three rounds of the draft. Instead, he struggled with consistency and ended up just being a bullpen arm instead of the designated closer. He finished with a 4.09 ERA, but did have 31 strikeouts in 22 innings while holding opponents to a .182 batting average.
UPDATE (2:31 p.m. CT, July 21): According to the Baseball America database, Christian Foutch has signed with the Red Sox and will receive a $400,000 signing bonus. That is about 83.4% of the slot value for pick No. 148.
Aiden Jimenez — RHP — Kansas City Royals
School: Arkansas
Pick: 5th round, 158th overall
Slot value: $434,400
Signing bonus: $431,900
This is the first significant loss for the Razorbacks, as Dave Van Horn was hoping Aiden Jimenez would return in 2026 and be a part of his weekend rotation after being arguably their top bullpen weapon in 2025. He finished the year with a 3.40 ERA in 42 1/3 innings, but those numbers were skewed by a couple of poor starts.
However, the Elk Grove, Calif., native’s combination of velocity and command, not to mention an excellent slider, made him too good of a prospect for the Royals to pass up. They took him in the fifth round Monday.
As a redshirt sophomore, Jimenez technically has an extra year of leverage if he wanted to come back to school, but that is unlikely because more than 99% of the players taken in the top 10 rounds of the last four drafts have signed. He also had Tommy John surgery that wiped out his sophomore year at Oregon State, so he might be ready to get paid and not risk it with another year in college.
UPDATE (2:33 p.m. CT, July 21): Aiden Jimenez has signed with the Royals and will receive a signing bonus of $431,900, according to the Baseball America database. The right-hander is likely receiving the full slot value for pick No. 158, though, as he’ll almost get the $2,500 difference from the “contingency bonus” that doesn’t count toward Kansas City’s bonus pool.
Landon Beidelschies — LHP — Atlanta Braves
School: Arkansas
Pick: 6th round, 187th overall
Slot value: $338,900
Signing bonus: $297,500
Another heralded transfer for the Razorbacks, Landon Beidelschies was widely considered one of the two best left-handers in the portal last offseason after serving as Ohio State’s ace in 2024.
While he had an up-and-down year at Arkansas, the Canfield, Ohio, native has impressive stuff and was perhaps a little better than his 4.82 ERA indicates. He had 70 strikeouts in 61 2/3 innings and his biggest issue was allowing home runs, as 14 long balls accounted for a big chunk of the runs he gave up.
UPDATE (8:58 p.m. CT, July 18): According to Baseball America’s database, Landon Beidelschies is the first Arkansas draftee to sign a professional contract. He recieved a bonus of $297,500, which is 87.8% of the slot value for pick No. 187. He likely actually got an even $300,000, as teams are allowed to give $2,500 that doesn’t count toward their bonus pool.
Landon Schaefer Coming to Arkansas
Despite being considered a top-150 draft prospect, Landon Schaefer has decided to delay his professional career and come to school, he confirmed to BoAS on Monday during the seventh round of the MLB Draft.
Checking in at No. 71 in Perfect Game’s rankings for the Class of 2025, he is Arkansas’ highest-ranked signee this year. The Fayetteville High product will likely immediately compete for playing time with the Razorbacks. Here’s our profile of Schaefer, with insight from former women’s basketball coach Mike Neighbors.
Brent Iredale — 3B — Pittsburgh Pirates
School: Arkansas
Pick: 7th round, 203rd overall
Slot value: $297,400
The Razorbacks had to sweat it out last summer when Brent Iredale was a heralded JUCO prospect, but he made it to campus and ended up becoming a seventh-round pick after one season in Fayetteville.
The Australian got off to a super hot start, but struggled once SEC play rolled around. He still ended up slashing .286/.450/.544 with 14 home runs and 57 RBIs, though. It helps that he was still getting on base quite a bit even when the hits dried up, as he led the team in both walks (46) and HBPs (21).
Ben Bybee — RHP — San Francisco Giants
School: Arkansas
Pick: 8th round, 236th overall
Slot value: $232,000
Signing bonus: $229,500
Another “borderline” prospect for Arkansas, Ben Bybee’s college career is likely over after being taken by the Giants in the eighth round. That is at the back end of the range a source told BoAS to watch for him heading into the draft.
While he never quite put it all together, the right-hander’s 6-foot-6, 230-pound frame and ability to throw strikes made him an intriguing professional prospect. With a diverse offering and mid-90s velocity, Bybee posted a 4.38 ERA with 42 strikeouts in 37 innings as a junior.
The Razorbacks have now seen nine players taken, which is a school record for the top 10 rounds and matches the school record for the top 20 rounds. It equals the 20-round mark set by 2022, 2021 and 2018 teams. The overall record is 11 players drafted in 2013 and 2018, but each of those teams had players taken in Rounds 21-40.
UPDATE (2:36 p.m. CT, July 21): Similar to Jimenez, Ben Bybee is reportedly receiving a signing bonus from the Giants that is $2,500 shy of the slot value for pick No. 236. However, he’s almost certainly still getting the full slot value, as the $2,500 “contingency bonus” doesn’t have to count toward San Francisco’s bonus pool.
Maximus Martin — former SS commit — Boston Red Sox
School: Kansas State
Pick: 10th round, 298th overall
Slot value: $191,300
Signing bonus: $191,300
This name should be familiar to Arkansas baseball fans, as Maximus Martin initially committed to the Razorbacks out of the transfer portal last summer. However, he ended up flipping to Kansas State, likely because of how well Arkansas made it through last year’s MLB Draft.
Instant Analysis of First 10 Rounds
Dave Van Horn has to feel really good about how the 2025 MLB Draft has unfolded for the Arkansas baseball program so far.
Not only did the Razorbacks have the most players taken in the top 10 rounds in school history, but they made it through the first 315 picks without a single high school signee or transfer portal commit taken.
The biggest news, of course, is top signee Landon Schaefer announcing he would come to school. With Perfect Game’s No. 4 signing class in the country, though, there were several other players Arkansas was worried about losing. That includes a trio of big, projectable pitchers in McLane Moody, Joey Lorenzini and Jordan Martin. Carson Brumbaugh was viewed as a threat to leave, too.
With Aiden Jimenez and Ben Bybee getting drafted, they are likely gone, which is tough, but that’s nothing compared to who has NOT been picked — a list that includes a couple of other borderline Razorbacks: Justin Thomas Jr. and left-hander Parker Coil. Shortstop Dylan Grego (Ball State) and outfielders Maika Niu (Marshall), Zack Stewart (Missouri State) and Damian Ruiz (Lamar) also haven’t been selected. All of them were viewed as possible draft picks.
Getting them through the first 10 rounds is certainly a good sign, but Van Horn and the Razorbacks are not in the clear just yet. The 11th, 12th and 13th rounds are traditionally where teams might sneak up and grab a player whose talent is probably worthy of the top 10 rounds, but slipped because of signability concerns. If they draft them after the 10th, they don’t have to worry about losing any of their bonus pool if they don’t sign. They can also give them $150,000 before putting any overage toward the pool, so it’s strategic to save those talented players for that range.
For example, seven players taken in Rounds 11-13 last year still received signing bonuses of at least $500,000.
Rounds 11-20
Picks in the final 10 rounds of the draft do not have designated slot values. Instead, players can sign for up to $150,000 with no penalty to the team. Anything over that would count toward that team’s bonus pool for the top 10 rounds.
Justin Thomas Jr. — OF — Houston Astros
School: Arkansas
Pick: 11th round, 336th overall
He lasted until the 11th round, but Justin Thomas Jr. is finally selected by the Astros with the 336th overall pick.
Thanks to a super hot finish to the season, in which he went 8 for 11 over the Razorbacks’ final three games in Omaha, the JUCO transfer ended the year slashing .303/.438/.515 as their primary 9-hole hitter. Thomas also smacked 9 home runs and had 38 RBIs to go along with 7 stolen bases.
While he isn’t a lock to sign, being taken in the 11th round indicates Houston likely wants to get a deal done. Unless the Diego Pavia rule becomes permanent, Thomas would be a senior next season and have no leverage for the 2026 draft, so he will probably end up signing.
This marks just the fourth time Arkansas has seen double-digit players taken in the same MLB Draft. It had 11 selected in 2013 and 2018, plus 10 taken in 1985. Each of those years included multiple players taken after the 20th round, though, so this is a 20-round record for the UA — in just the 11th round.
Dylan Grego — SS transfer commit — San Diego Padres
School: Ball State
Pick: 13th round, 400th overall
When we interviewed Ball State head coach Rich Maloney, the longtime skipper said he had heard Dylan Grego could go anywhere from the 6th to 12th round. He was off by one round, as the Padres took him in Round 13.
Coming off a breakout junior campaign in which he hit .376 with 14 home runs and 55 RBIs as a switch-hitter and earned MAC All-Defensive Team honors as a shortstop, the Kansas City native was viewed as a potential replacement for Wehiwa Aloy.
Now, the Razorbacks must wait to see what he does. As a true junior, there’s a good chance Grego opts to sign and begin his professional career. Of course, getting heralded high school signee Landon Schaefer to school makes it a little easier of a pill to swallow.
McLane Moody — RHP signee — Pittsburgh Pirates
School: Fort Smith (Ark.) Northside
Pick: 15th round, 443rd overall
An in-state prospect out of Fort Smith Northside, McLane Moody was viewed as a legitimate top-250 prospect because of his massive 6-foot-7 frame. However, he slipped to No. 443 overall, where the Pirates scooped him up, likely because of signability concerns.
The 15th round has traditionally been wait-and-see territory, as Moody now has two weeks to decide if he’ll sign professionally or come to school. This is the part of the draft where teams might reach on a player it isn’t confident in signing, but there’s also a chance Pittsburgh dips into its bonus pool to spend over the $150,000 allowed for this range and gets him to sign.
If he does make it to campus, he’ll be yet another big arm — both literally and figuratively. Not only does he have massive size, but The Athletic’s Keith Law predicts he’ll be touching 99 mph by the time he leaves Arkansas if he takes the college route.
Jordan Martin Coming to Arkansas
Jordan Martin, the top pitcher signee in Arkansas’ 2025 signing class, has informed BoAS that he is “100% a hog!” Checking in as the No. 75 overall recruit in the country, the big right-hander was viewed as a draft risk. However, the Jefferson City, Mo., shut down those concerns at the tail end of the 15th round. Check out our breakdown of Martin here.
Denton Biller — LHP — Baltimore Orioles
School: Johnson County C.C.
Pick: 16th round, 484th overall
He didn’t appear on any top prospect lists, but Denton Biller was an honorable mention NJCAA All-American at Johnson County C.C. — the same school that produced Brady Slavens.
With a four-pitch mix that includes a fastball that’s been up to 95 mph, Biller racked up 69 strikeouts in 64 1/3 innings. If he makes it to campus, he’d be a redshirt sophomore after not pitching in 2024.
Parker Coil — LHP — Milwaukee Brewers
School: Arkansas
Pick: 16th round, 485th overall
Similar to Moody, Parker Coil was selected in the range of the MLB Draft — the 16th round by the Brewers — that Arkansas will be in wait-and-see mode for the next couple of weeks.
A back injury that sidelined him for a good chunk of the season likely prevented the left-hander from getting picked earlier. When healthy, he was very good for the Razorbacks, posting a 1.27 ERA in 21 1/3 innings.
With 11 total draft picks, Arkansas has equaled its 2013 and 2018 teams for the most in school history. Both of those years were before the draft was shortened from 40 to 20 rounds.
Landon Schaefer — SS signee — Philadelphia Phillies
School: Fayetteville (Ark.) High
Pick: 20th round, 611th overall
The Phillies opted to take a late flier on Landon Schaefer, the Hogs’ top high school signee, but the talented shortstop has already told BoAS that he plans to come to school. This is similar to the Reds using their 20th-round pick on Gabe Gaeckle in 2023.
UPDATE: Schaefer has confirmed to BoAS that this selection doesn’t change his plans. He’s still coming to school.
Jackson Wells Signing as UDFA
Right-hander Jackson Wells, a transfer commit out of Little Rock, is signing with the Houston Astros as an undrafted free agent and will not come to Arkansas, he confirmed to BoAS.
The Rogers native spent the last three seasons with the Trojans, leading all of DI in ERA during the 2023 season.
Dylan Carter Signing with Giants
After exhausting his collegiate eligibility, right-hander Dylan Carter is signing with the San Francisco Giants as an undrafted free agent, BoAS has learned.
Originally from Bentonville, Carter joined the Razorbacks as a transfer from Crowder C.C. and was a critical piece of the bullpen in 2023 and 2025, sandwiched around Tommy John surgery.
Logan Maxwell Signing with Yankees
Another senior out of eligibility, Logan Maxwell will be continuing his baseball career as an undrafted free agent with the New York Yankees, BoAS has learned.
As a transfer from TCU, the Lima, Ohio, native joined the Razorbacks with one primary individual goal: to rediscover his power. Sure enough, after hitting only five home runs in three seasons with the Horned Frogs, Maxwell smacked 13 long balls this past season — all while maintaining a team-high .356 batting average.
Other Picks from Arkansas
RHP Charlie Christensen — Central Arkansas — Detroit Tigers — 15th round, 459th pick
RHP Landry Jurecka — Queens University — San Diego Padres — 18th round, 550th pick (from Greenwood, Ark.)
What to Know About the MLB Draft
Traditionally a 40-round event, the MLB Draft has been permanently shorted to 20 rounds. That has been its length the last four years.
The MLB Draft is not as straightforward as its counterparts in the NFL and NBA. In addition to making selections based on merit, teams have to consider each player’s “signability” — how likely he is to sign a professional contract.
High school and junior college prospects can choose to honor their commitments and college players with remaining eligibility can return to school if they don’t receive their desired signing bonus, giving them leverage in contract negotiations. Seniors do not have that advantage, leading to significantly smaller bonuses.
In 2012, a new wrinkle was introduced to the draft: slot values and bonus pools. Each pick in the top 10 rounds is assigned a recommended signing bonus amount – or slot value – with teams being allowed to spend up to the combined value of their top-10 round picks’ slot values – or bonus pool.
Players selected in the 11th round and beyond can receive signing bonuses up to $150,000 (previously $125,000) before it factors into the equation, with the excess counting toward the bonus pool. The signing deadline is July 28 at 4 p.m. CT this year.
If a team does not sign a player taken in the first 10 rounds, it loses that pick’s slot value from its bonus pool. That is why it’s rare for teams not to sign their early draftees, especially those with seven-figure slot values.
In the four years of the 20-round draft era, only 11 of 1,257 players (0.88%) taken in the top 10 rounds failed to sign. It becomes more likely that players don’t sign in the back half of the draft — 5.8% in rounds 11-15 (35 of 600) and 24.3% in rounds 16-20 (146 of 600).
BoAS 2025 MLB Draft Preview
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More coverage of Arkansas baseball and the 2025 MLB Draft from BoAS…