MLB Draft preview: Will LI stars Jayden Stroman, Michael Oliveto hear their names called?
Patchogue Medford's Jayden Stroman. Credit: Bob Sorensen
Major League Baseball will hold its 2025 Amateur Draft beginning on Sunday night in The Battery at Truist Park in Atlanta. A total of 615 players from high schools and colleges will be selected.
The first three rounds and six compensatory rounds will begin at 6 p.m., with coverage on ESPN, MLB Network and MLB.com. Rounds 4-20 will be broadcasted on MLB.com on Monday, starting at 11:30 a.m.
The Washington Nationals won the draft lottery and own the first overall selection. Draft experts expect them to take either lefthanded pitcher Kade Anderson, 21, from LSU or infielder Ethan Holliday, 18, from Stillwater (Oklahoma) High School.
LSU starting pitcher Kade Anderson throws against Coastal Carolina in the first inning of Game 1 of the NCAA College World Series in Omaha, Neb., on June 21. Credit: AP
Anderson, who underwent Tommy John surgery as a junior in high school, has a strong four-pitch mix (fastball, curveball, slider, changeup) that has impressed scouts. He is ESPN’s top draft prospect, ranked narrowly ahead of Holliday. Anderson had a 3.38 ERA in 157 ⅓ innings in two seasons at LSU, striking out 239 batters.
Holliday, a lefthanded hitter with speed and strong defensive grades, is MLB.com’s top-ranked prospect, one spot ahead of Anderson. He is the younger brother of Baltimore Orioles second baseman Jackson Holliday and son of former major-league All-Star Matt Holliday.
Other likely top-five selections are righthanded pitcher Seth Hernandez, 19, from Corona (California) High School, lefthanded pitcher Jamie Arnold, 21, out of Florida State and shortstop Eli Willits, 17, from Fort Cobb-Broxton (Oklahoma) High School.
The Mets and Yankees would be slated to pick 28th and 29th, respectively, but because both franchises spent over MLB’s tax threshold, their picks are each pushed back 10 spots. The Mets pick at No. 38 and the Yankees at No. 39. Neither club will pick again until the end of the third round — the Mets at 102 and the Yankees at 103.
On Monday, they will have the third-to-last and second-to-last selections from rounds four through 20.
LONG ISLAND PROSPECTS
Several players with ties to Long Island have generated draft interest, some of whom may even go on the first night. They include:
Jayden Stroman, RHP, Patchogue-Medford HS
The 18-year-old Virginia commit is the younger brother of Yankees starting pitcher Marcus Stroman. Jayden Stroman, who has reached 98 MPH with his fastball, was not primarily a pitcher until this year. As a hitter, he boasts elite sprint speed and power from both sides of the plate. However, it's his arm that has scouts enamored. If drafted, however, Stroman may choose not to sign because of his determination to go to college. He even flipped his commitment from Duke to Virginia just to play for coach Chris Pollard, who originally recruited him to Duke. Still, he is MLB.com’s highest-ranked draft prospect from Long Island.
Michael Oliveto, C, Hauppauge HS
The 18-year-old Yale commit has a smooth lefthanded swing that has allowed him to hit a Suffolk-best 17 home runs since 2024. The 6-3, 185-pound catcher threw out 10 attempted base-stealers at second this season, and picked off four others. Though he brings defensive versatility and has played all over the diamond, scouts insisted on seeing him behind the plate this year. He is ranked No. 50 on ESPN’s final draft prospects list.
Joe Ariola, LHP, Wake Forest
The 6-2, 190-pound Chaminade alumnus and Malverne native sits between 92 and 94 MPH with his fastball and has topped 96, per MLB.com. Scouts have given high grades to his fastball and curveball. Ariola, 21, averaged 12.2 strikeouts, 7.3 hits and 0.7 home runs-per-nine innings between Wake Forest and summer league levels. With Wake Forest this spring, he struck out 14.6 batters and allowed 5.5 hits per nine innings.
Nick Frusco, LHP, Miller Place HS
Frusco is listed at 6-5, 210, according to Baseball America. His fastball, which has been clocked at 93, sits between 88-91. Frusco also features a wipeout slider that sits in the low 80s and a promising changeup. He finished his high school career with a 0.75 ERA and an .099 batting average against.
Jordan Serrano, OF, The Stony Brook School
The 19-year-old from Somerdale, N.J., has flashed plenty of explosiveness. The 6-1, 190-pound righthanded hitter possesses tremendous speed, running the 60-yard dash in 6.3 seconds. The Wake Forest commit is known for his fast hands and the ability to turn on inside pitches. His top exit velocity, per Prep Baseball Report, is 106.6 mph.
More MLB news
