The MLB released the top 100 prospect rankings for the 2025 MLB draft that will take place next summer. Here is a rundown of the five highest-ranked college baseball pitchers to watch for next season.
A.J. Russell, RHP, Tennessee Volunteers (Draft Prospect Rank, 43rd)
A.J. Russell missed a lot of Tennessee’s 2024 national championship run because of injury. However, a healthy 2025 season can show just how impactful he can be.
In 2023, Russell saw 30.1 innings of action and was on fire. He had a 0.89 ERA and struck out 47 batters. He gave up just nine hits against the 105 batters he faced.
For him, the 2024 season got off to a promising start. Tennessee faced off against the Texas Tech Red Raiders at the beginning of the season, and Russell pitched a gem. He pitched 4.1 innings, struck out 10 batters, and allowed just one walk.
AJ Russell. 29 pitches. 25 heaters.
6 Ks to start the game 👀👀 pic.twitter.com/dyTDlNe2nZ
— 11Point7 College Baseball (@11point7) February 17, 2024
Unfortunately, the injuries forced him to miss large chunks of the season. Russell would play in two games during March and two during the SEC Tournament.
A healthy Russell has a chance to be the headliner in head coach Tony Vitello’s rotation in Knoxville. With his draft stock being in the top 50 on MLB.com, a good fully healthy season in the starting rotation could see him get draft stock towards the top rounds.
Chase Shores, RHP, LSU Tigers (Draft Prospect Rank, 38th)
Chase Shores was the number one right-hander from Texas in the 2022 high school class.
Like Russell, 2025 should offer everyone a better look at Shores. He received a medical redshirt during the 2024 season after Tommy John surgery and even saw limited time in Baton Rouge during the 2023 season.
During his freshman campaign, he threw 18.1 innings, recording a 1.96 ERA. He made four starts in seven appearances, making him a likely candidate for the starting rotation for head coach Jay Johnson’s squad next season.
Chase Shores tallies his first career strikeout 🤩
📺 SECN+ pic.twitter.com/vfWz2D1oXG
— LSU Baseball (@LSUbaseball) February 19, 2023
Shores is a pitcher who can touch 100 miles per hour, and a good 2025 season with LSU can make him one of the biggest names in the 2025 draft when it comes to pitching.
Kyson Witherspoon, RHP, Oklahoma Sooners (Draft Prospect Rank, 26th)
Kyson Witherspoon enters the 2025 season as Oklahoma’s headlining name to their rotation, if not their entire team. His 26th place ranking on the 2025 draft prospects board shows his borderline first-round pick potential.
After a JUCO season at Northwest Florida State College, Witherspoon transferred to Oklahoma and showed great things in 2024. His great 8-2 record in 11 starts was accompanied by a 3.79 ERA.
He also finished with 86 strikeouts in 76.0 innings of work. While pitching to 330+ batters, he allowed a .222 opposing batting average. Witherspoon was ranked in the top 10 in the Big 12 in most pitching statistics a season ago.
Kyson Witherspoon looked good in his inning of work.
He struck out 2 and his fastball was sitting at 97-98. pic.twitter.com/FAVEgvI7kO
— Sooner State Baseball Report (@SoonerStateBSBL) October 25, 2024
Now that he is in the SEC, Witherspoon is set to be put on the national stage and is coming into the conference as one of the best pitchers. He may even end up as one of the best pitchers in college baseball, further solidifying his first-round draft stock.
Tyler Bremner, RHP, UC Santa Barbara Gauchos (Draft Prospect Rank, 4th)
The 2024 season was a phenomenal breakout year for UC Santa Barbara’s Tyler Bremner. He finished with a 2.23 ERA and a 7-0 record. He had a solid strikeout rate with 58 in 44.1 innings of work.
Bremner also did not give up hits and walks often. He allowed 23 hits and 14 walks out of the 169 batters he faced. He allowed a .167 opposing batting average.
The crazy season he had led to him getting second-team All-American honors from Perfect Game. He was also named to the All-Big West team.
His efforts played a big role within UCSB’s elite pitching staff. It led to a very successful season for the Gauchos. The team finished 44-14 overall and won the Big West championship. This led to them hosting a regional in the 2024 NCAA Tournament.
Shifting focus to 2025, RHP Tyler Bremner (@UCSB_Baseball) is one of my favorite College arms in the class. As a freshman, Bremner split time between the bullpen and the rotation and pitched his way to a modest 5.37 ERA with an impressive strikeout-to-walk ratio of 80-to-17… pic.twitter.com/qyhudrkBmk
— Peter Flaherty III (@PeterGFlaherty) December 21, 2023
Bremner has been back and forth between relief and starting roles throughout his career in Santa Barbara. The 2025 season should give him a good opportunity to be the headlining weekend starter for head coach Andrew Checketts. If he fulfills this role well, he can be one of the best pitchers available when the draft rolls around next summer.
Jamie Arnold, LHP, Florida State Seminoles (Draft Prospect Rank, 3rd)
Jamie Arnold has a true shot at being the best pitcher in college baseball all season. In 2024, he put on a show for Florida State with an 11-3 record in 18 starts. He finished with a 2.98 ERA.
Arnold also finished with 159 strikeouts, the third-most in the country and the most in the ACC. He was a Golden Spikes Award semi-finalist named to the All-ACC team.
Arnold also has a great ability to go deep into starts during his outings. In all but two games in 2024, he went at least 5.0 innings. This shows his ability to get out of trouble and make the most out of his starts.
Next season, Arnold will have the Seminoles in a position to win a lot of games. When he is on the mound, it will be a challenge for opponents to get offense going. He has a chance to solidify himself as a possible first overall selection and a candidate for the 2025 Golden Spikes Award.
Three Other Pitchers to Watch in Draft Prospect Rankings
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