MLB 2025 Draft Teaser: New Talents Set to Emerge this All-Star Weekend
As baseball enthusiasts gear up for the 2025 MLB Draft, the event is booked to commence on the forthcoming All-Star weekend in Atlanta. This article provides all the necessary details you need to know about this infographic gathering of new talent, including introduction to leading prospects, first round projections, and a brief touch on the decades-old history of this significant day in the baseball calendar.
The draft’s first day, Sunday, July 13, will start at 6 p.m. ET, and can be viewed live on the ESPN and MLB Network. The following day, Monday, July 14, the action resumes at 11:30 a.m. ET. Fans who have familiarised themselves with previous MLB drafts will notice that this incarnation, a two-day, 20-round affair, is much more condensed.
Compared to the previous format, which boasted up to 50 rounds in its prime, the number may seem diminished. However, even with it cut back to 20 rounds since 2021, the MLB Draft still holds the record for the most rounds among the major U.S. sports. The reduction from 40 to 20 rounds occurred in 2021, following a brief five-round draft in the pandemic-stricken 2020 season.
The MLB has been gradually reducing the extent of its draft for some years now, and rumors suggest that we may soon see another halving of the rounds down to 10. All eyes are now on the upcoming negotiations for the next collective bargaining agreement, where such changes might be finalized.
In a significant change from previous years, the first day of the 2025 draft will conclude with the completion of Round 3. Traditionally, day one finishes after the Competitive Balance Round B selection, followed by any additional picks justified by compensation. This adjustment has been implemented to accommodate an expanded Day 2, which will now cover Rounds 4 to 20.
In the talent pool for this year’s draft, Ethan Holliday, a high school shortstop from Oklahoma leads the list. If the name strikes a chord, it’s because Ethan is the younger sibling of Orioles second baseman Jackson Holliday, who was the frontrunner out of high school in the 2022 Draft. If selected, they would make history as the first pair of brothers to achieve the 1-1 status in MLB Draft history.
Although Ethan possesses the credentials, there’s no guarantee of a No. 1 pick. The MLB Draft Lottery that took place last December established the Nationals as the first team to draft. In the pursuit of countering any consistent luxury tax breaches, teams such as the Yankees, Mets, and Dodgers saw their first-round picks bumped down by a margin of 10 slots.
Interestingly, this lottery turned out to be a mixed bag for teams. Seattle Mariners ended up with the most significant draft pool, while the Yankees found themselves with the least. Despite the absence of salary caps for roster-building in baseball, MLB places restrictions for draft bonuses annually.
If a team can’t sign a top-10 round entrant, the value accorded to that slot is deducted from their bonus pool. As such, it’s usually expected that all players picked in the top-10 rounds will be signed. Last year, however, four draftees from the top-10 rounds chose not to sign.
Eligibility for the draft is open to residents and students in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. Following the signing, the new recruit’s journey usually kicks off in Low-A or High-A affiliates, especially if they are a college position player. Some college pitchers follow suit, but considering the number of pitches already thrown in their regular season, they might not see game time until fall instructional league camps or the next spring.
High school draftees generally don’t debut in the minor leagues in their draft season. This lack of participation is due to the revised schedule for Rookie-level leagues, which are set to conclude prior to the draft signing deadline on August 1, and the 2021 elimination of the short-season level.
High school draftees usually receive their first taste of professional baseball at their teams’ minor league complexes, possibly featuring in fall instructional league games. A marginal number might even progress up to Low A. A rare few might march all the way to their major-league debut in the very season they were drafted.
While this may sound improbable, history speaks otherwise. Nolan Schanuel, the LA Angels’ first-round pick in 2023 at No. 11, made his Major League debut the same year he was drafted. Given the faster player progression we see today, there might be a handful of rookies from the 2025 draft already warming up for their Major League debut.