2025 MLB Draft Brings New Chase Cards into the Fold for Collectors

Pictured: 2025 Panini USA Baseball Stars & Stripes #SSM-EW Eli Willits 18u Patch Auto

Collectors that like to jump on prospects early, Sunday was Christmas in July. The 2025 MLB Draft went three rounds deep, allowing fans to see who will come up through the ranks while giving rookie and prospect collectors an idea on who to focus on in the coming weeks and months. Even for the casual fans, the early part of the draft was full of intrigue beyond chasing cards.

The draft started with a surprise. If you’ve followed mock drafts or player rankings at the high school and/or collegiate levels, many believed either LSU LHP Kade Anderson or Oklahoma high school prospect Ethan Holliday would go No. 1 with the other to follow. That did not happen. The Nationals shifted gears opting for a different Oklahoma high school talent, shortstop Eli Willits. The 17-year-old switch hitter is an A-plus defender that projects to hit for good average without the pop.

The next surprise was pick No. 2, the Angels selected UC Santa Barbara RHP Tyler Bremner. Bremner started off his 2025 season rough but turned it around to be projected as a top five pick.

Finally… if you will, at picks No. 3 and 4, the Mariners took Kade Anderson, expected to be the next Paul Skenes with less power but amazing stuff, and the Rockies took Ethan Holliday, the son of Matt Holliday, brother to Jackson.

One would think it was the NFL Draft seeing 12 SEC players selected in the first round. Arkansas (4) and Tennessee (4) made the conference proud. Pitcher Liam Doyle was the first SEC player off the board. Sticking with the Volunteers, 2B Gavin Kilen went No. 13, 3B Andrew Fischer went No. 20, and P Marcus Phillips at No. 33 to the Red Sox.

Going into the second round, more University of Tennessee players were drafted: P AJ Russell (Rangers, No. 52), SS Dean Curley (Guardians, No. 64), and P Tanner Franklin (Cardinals, No. 72). In the third round, Nate Snead was taken at pick No. 105 by the Angels.

Pitcher Gage Wood was the first Arkansas player selected at No. 26 to the Phillies. The Orioles took SEC Player of the Year, SS Weihwa Aloy, at No. 31, with the Dodgers taking Arkansas pitchers Zachary Root at No. 40 and Charles Davalan at No. 41.

A cool moment for Wake Forest fans seeing SS Marek Houston taken at No. 16 by the Twins and OF/1B Ethan Conrad going at No. 17 to the Cubs.

One can easily guess where scouts were hanging out this spring – at Corona High School in California. RPH Seth Hernandez (Gatorade POY – Vanderbilt commit) went No. 6 to the Pirates, SS/RHP Billy Carlson (Tennessee commit) was selected at No. 10 by the White Sox, and SS Brady Ebel (LSU commit) was taken at No. 32 by the Brewers.

2025 MLB Draft: First Round Picks

Eli Willits, SS, Fort Cobb-Broxton HS (OK) – Washington Nationals

Tyler Bremner, RHP, UC Santa Barbara – Los Angeles Angels

Kade Anderson, LHP, LSU – Seattle Mariners

Ethan Holliday, 3B/SS, Stillwater HS (OK) – Colorado Rockies

Liam Doyle, LHP, Tennessee – St. Louis Cardinals

Seth Hernandez, RHP, Corona HS (CA) – Pittsburgh Pirates

Aiva Arquette, SS, Oregon State – Miami Marlins

JoJo Parker, SS, Purvis HS (MS) – Toronto Blue Jays

Steele Hall, SS, Hewitt-Trussville HS (AL) – Cincinnati Reds

Billy Carlson, SS, Corona HS (CA) – Chicago White Sox

Jamie Arnold, LHP, Florida State – Oakland Athletics

Gavin Fien, SS/3B, Great Oak HS (CA) – Texas Rangers

Gavin Kilen, 2B, Tennessee – San Francisco Giants

Daniel Pierce, SS, Mill Creek HS (GA) – Tampa Bay Rays

Kyson Witherspoon, RHP, Oklahoma – Boston Red Sox

Marek Houston, SS, Wake Forest – Minnesota Twins

Ehtan Conrad, OF/1B, Wake Forest – Chicago Cubs

Kayson Cunningham, SS/2B, Johnson HS (TX) – Arizona Diamondbacks

Ike Irish, C/OF, Auburn – Baltimore Orioles

Andrew Fischer, 3B, Tennessee – Milwaukee Brewers

Xavier Neyens, 3B, Mount Vernon HS (WA) – Houston Astros

Tate Southisene, SS, Basic HS (NV) – Atlanta Braves

Sean Gamble, 2B, IMG Academy (FL) – Kansas City Royals

Jordan Yost, SS, Sickles HS (FL) – Detroit Tigers

Kruz Schoolcraft, LHP/1B, Sunset HS (OR) – San Diego Padres

Gage Wood, RHP, Arkansas – Philadelphia Phillies

Jace LaViolette, OF, Texas A&M – Cleveland Guardians

Prospect Promotion Incentive Pick

Josh Hammond, SS, Wesleyan Christian Academy (NC) – Kansas City Royals

Compensation Picks

Patrick Forbes, P, Louisville – Arizona Diamondbacks

Caden Bodine, C, Coastal Carolina – Baltimore Orioles

Weihwa Aloy, SS, Arkansas – Baltimore Orioles

Brady Ebel, SS, Corona HS (CA) – Milwaukee Brewers

Competitive Balance Round A

Marcus Phillips, P, Tennessee – Boston Red Sox

Michael Oliveto, C, Happauge HS (NY) – Detroit Tigers

Luke Stevenson, C, North Carolina – Seattle Mariners

Riley Quick, P, Alabama – Minnesota Twins

Slater de Brun, OF, Summit HS (OR) – Baltimore Orioles

Continued First Round (CBT Penalties)

Mitch Voit, TWP, Michigan – New York Mets

Dax Kilby, SS, Newnan HS (GA) – New York Yankees

Zachary Root, P, Arkansas – Los Angeles Dodgers

Continued Competitive Balance Round A

Charles Davalan, OF, Arkansas – Los Angeles Dodgers

Brendan Summerhill, OF, Arizona – Tampa Bay Rays

Cam Cannarella, OF, Clemson – Miami Marlins