ATLANTA — The 2025 Major League Baseball draft is set to kick off tonight at 6 p.m. ET with a focus on left-handed pitchers, organizations looking to make strategic moves, and a surge of talented shortstops. ESPN and MLB Network will provide live coverage as Commissioner Rob Manfred announces the Washington Nationals’ first pick at the Battery’s Roxy Theater.
The Nationals, winners of the draft lottery, are expected to choose Oklahoma prep shortstop Ethan Holliday, son of All-Star Matt Holliday and brother of Jackson Holliday, the top pick in 2022 by the Baltimore Orioles. This would make the Hollidays the second set of brothers, after NFL quarterbacks Peyton and Eli Manning, to be drafted first overall.
However, strong competition from standout college players like LSU’s Kade Anderson and Liam Doyle, along with Holliday’s schoolmate Eli Willits, could shake up the draft order. The first rounds, including compensation selections, will take place on Sunday, with rounds 4 through 20 following on Monday.
For those tuning in, the draft starts at 6 p.m. ET on Sunday, July 13, and can be watched on ESPN or MLB Network via live stream on FuboTV. USA TODAY Sports’ mock draft predicts Ethan Holliday to be the top pick by the Washington Nationals, followed by a lineup of top prospects from various schools and positions.
Be sure to follow Gabe Lacques’ detailed MLB mock draft for the full list of predicted selections.
1. Pittsburgh Pirates
2. Cincinnati Reds
3. Texas Rangers
4. Tampa Bay Rays
5. Minnesota Twins
6. St. Louis Cardinals
7. Chicago Cubs
8. Seattle Mariners
9. Baltimore Orioles
10. Milwaukee Brewers
11. Atlanta Braves
12. Kansas City Royals
13. Detroit Tigers
14. Philadelphia Phillies
15. Cleveland Guardians
16. Los Angeles Dodgers
Competitive Balance Round B
17. Cleveland Guardians
Compensation picks
18. Tampa Bay Rays (compensation for unsigned 2024 No. 66 overall pick Tyler Bell)
19. Milwaukee Brewers (compensation for unsigned 2024 No. 67 overall pick Chris Levonas)
Competitive Balance Round B
20. Baltimore Orioles
21. Cleveland Guardians (acquired from the Diamondbacks in the trade for Josh Naylor)
22. Kansas City Royals
23. St. Louis Cardinals
24. Pittsburgh Pirates
25. Colorado Rockies
Compensation pick
26. Boston Red Sox (compensation for Nick Pivetta. The Padres forfeited their second-round pick for signing Pivetta.)
Third round
27. Chicago White Sox
28. Colorado Rockies
29. Miami Marlins
30. Los Angeles Angels
31. Washington Nationals
32. Toronto Blue Jays
33. Pittsburgh Pirates
34. Cincinnati Reds
35. Texas Rangers
36. San Francisco Giants
37. Tampa Bay Rays
38. Boston Red Sox
39. Minnesota Twins
40. St. Louis Cardinals
41. Chicago Cubs
42. Seattle Mariners
43. Arizona Diamondbacks
44. Baltimore Orioles
45. Milwaukee Brewers
46. Houston Astros
47. Atlanta Braves
48. Kansas City Royals
49. Detroit Tigers
50. San Diego Padres
51. Philadelphia Phillies
52. Cleveland Guardians
53. New York Mets
54. New York Yankees
55. Los Angeles Dodgers
Compensation pick
56. Los Angeles Angels
The 2025 MLB Draft comprises 20 rounds with a total of 615 selections. Eligibility for the draft requires players to meet certain criteria, including being residents or attending school in the United States, Canada, or U.S. territories. Players must have graduated from high school, with additional eligibility rules for college and junior college players. International signings have a separate process for MLB teams.
