By Colin Kasperbauer
With so much talent spread across College Baseball, there are many different places MLB teams will turn to for their 2025 selection. Some, naturally, have garnered hype due to their play last year, whether in college or summer ball. The players listed below are at the top of many draft boards to start 2025, and all could find themselves in the conversation for the Number 1 overall pick in July.
Jace LaViolette - OF - from Texas A&M University. LaViolette is a 6 foot 6, 230 pound athletic freak and is the first projected player to get selected from NCAA D1 baseball in the 2025 MLB Draft. In 68 games last season, LaViolette hit .305 with 29 homers and 16 doubles. He had an impressive OPS of 1.187 and a .726 slugging percentage while showing great plate discipline, having 68 BB. As a freshman, Jace hit .287 with 21 homers and 10 doubles for the Aggies. With his arm strength, Laviolette is most projectable as a right fielder and is on the preseason Golden Spikes Award watch list. The Aggies open the season at home against Elon on Friday night.
Tyler Bremner - RHP - from UC Santa Barbara. Bremner arguably has the best three pitch mix in the 2025 draft class. The 20 year old from San Diego has a fastball that reaches 98 mph, a wipeout slider at 87 mph, and a change-up that some scouts have as a 70 grade. During his 2025 campaign, Bremner had video game-like numbers, recording an 11-1 record with an ERA of 2.54 during 88 2/3rds innings pitched while striking out 104 batters. He will be the Friday guy for the Gauchos this season, and he is the preseason Pitcher of the Year in the Big West. UC Santa Barbara opens their season at home against the Campbell Camels.
Jamie Arnold - LHP - from Florida State University. Arnold has developed a ton since he was a freshman and is now in the conversation for preseason National Player of the Year. He has a fastball that touches 97 and a wipeout slider around 85 mph (both graded at 60 according to MLB.com). Arnold had a great 2024 season, posting an ERA of 2.98, with an 11-3 record. He proved he can handle a full college season, throwing 105.2 innings while striking out an impressive 159 batters. The Seminoles open their season at home against James Madison University.
Aiva Arquette - 2B - from Oregon State University. The Kailua, HI native had a great 2024 season with the Washington Huskies, hitting .325 with 12 homers and 14 doubles, and now is in Corvallis for 2025. In two years of work as a Husky, he hit .311 with 17 homers and 47 RBIs in 285 PA. He spent his summer in The Cape Cod League, playing shortstop for the Chatham Anglers and batted .291 with a .793 OPS in 117 PA. Arquette is a preseason All-American, according to the NCBWA. The Beavers open their season against the Xavier Musketeers in Surprise, Arizona.
Brenden Summerhill - OF - from the Arizona Wildcats. The 6’3” Junior OF from Chicago, IL broke into mock drafts after having a tremendous 2024, not only for the Cats, but in the Cape as well. Summerhill batted .324 for Arizona with 8 homers, 18 doubles, and 59 RBI’s. He then went on to be an All-Star in the Cape Cod League, playing CF for the Wareham Gatemen. Summerhill hit .286 with an OPS of .798 during 24 games of work last summer. He has played mainly right field during the fall for the Cats, but he is athletic enough to move around the OF. Summerhill is on the preseason Golden Spikes Award watch list. Arizona starts their season at the Shriners Children’s College Showdown vs the Ole Miss Rebels at Globe Life Field in Arlington, TX.
Luke Stevenson - C - from the University of North Carolina Tar Heels. Stevenson enters 2025 as the top collegiate draft-eligible sophomore, according to most sources. He is the best defensive catcher in a loaded catcher draft class, with a rocket of an arm and big power potential. As a Freshman, Stevenson batted .284 with 14 homers and 8 doubles, while slugging .535 and having an OPS of .955. The Wake Forest, North Carolina native played for the USA Collegiate National team over the summer. Stevenson is on the preseason Golden Spikes Award watch list. The Tar Heels open at home against the Texas Tech Red Raiders.
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