Kiley McDaniel's favorite Day 1 draft picks, biggest surprises and best available Day 2 prospects

With Day 1 of the 2025 MLB draft complete, it's clip to look astatine which picks successful the archetypal circular stood retired most.

After weeks of speculation astir the assorted directions the Washington Nationals could spell with the No. 1 pick, they amazed the manufacture by taking Oklahoma precocious schoolhouse shortstop Eli Willits -- and the Los Angeles Angels followed up with a astonishing prime of their ain astatine No. 2 by taking UC Santa Barbara pitcher Tyler Bremner

Though the quality of the shot draught means that immoderate of the picks we aren't rather definite astir connected Day 1 volition go clearer erstwhile we spot however teams dispersed their bonus allotment astir aboriginal successful the draft, present are the aboriginal picks I liked the astir and immoderate eye-opening selections on with the apical players inactive disposable entering Day 2.

Five favourite moves

Mariners and Pirates get their guys

The buzz starring up to the draught was that Kade Anderson was atop the Mariners' draught committee and Seth Hernandez was the apical people (after Willits, who wasn't going to get there) of the Pirates. Seattle was the different squad taking a agelong look astatine Hernandez, but the shenanigans astatine the apical 2 picks (more connected that later) means that some Seattle and Pittsburgh got their preferred arms.

A's prime Arnold and Taylor

The Athletics had lone 2 picks connected Day 1 but received fantabulous values astatine each. Jamie Arnold was the apical imaginable successful the draught entering the play and seemed primed to spell determination betwixt No. 2 and No. 8 aft an uneven season. He someway was the imaginable near holding the abbreviated straw, falling to the 11th pick. Devin Taylor was successful the premix astatine aggregate picks successful the comp circular but lasted 5 selections into the 2nd round.

Twins clasp hazard with Quick and Young

The Twins took 2 hit-first assemblage infielders arsenic their archetypal picks past twelvemonth (Kaelen Culpepper and Kyle DeBarge), took different 1 successful the 2023 2nd circular (Luke Keaschall), and 2 much successful the apical 2 rounds successful 2022 (Brooks Lee, Tanner Schobel) -- and besides took 1 with their archetypal prime this twelvemonth successful Marek Houston.

What funny maine though is what Minnesota did aft that, taking large swings with the upside of Riley Quick (four imaginable positive pitches but below-average command) and Quentin Young (80-grade powerfulness imaginable with large questions connected interaction rate).

Phillies effort to leap the reliever commercialized market?

Gage Wood has a accidental to commencement agelong word but tin besides spell consecutive to the precocious minors -- if not the large leagues -- and perchance assistance the bullpen aboriginal this season, similar a commercialized deadline addition. The Phillies' adjacent pick, Cade Obermueller, is different imaginable starter who besides could determination rapidly arsenic a lefty turning 22 aboriginal this period with 2 knockout pitches successful his fastball/slider combo. Odds are bully that astatine slightest 1 of them tin supply large league worth successful the adjacent 12 months if Philly wants to utilize them that way.

The Red Sox onshore Witherspoon, Phillips and Eyanson

The Red Sox are funny successful creating much pitching extent and selected a fig of absorbing arms connected Day 1. Kyson Witherspoon had a batch of involvement successful the apical 10, but the Red Sox got him astatine No. 15.

He'll request to sharpen his execution a notch and his abbreviated limb enactment is unique, but there's midrotation upside. Marcus Phillips has a accidental to commencement but could besides bring different distinctive look arsenic a late-inning limb with 4 positive pitches from a debased slot and a triple-digit fastball. Anthony Eyanson is simply a antithetic sort, with fringy fastball velocity but standout bid on with a slider and splitter that support hitters off-balance.

Five eye-openers

Eli Willits astatine No. 1

The buzz up of the draught was that determination were 3 players successful play for the apical prime and Willits was my third-ranked subordinate successful the class, truthful the aforesaid radical is what I would've been considering -- and I emotion Willits arsenic a player. The bonus volition beryllium a origin successful evaluating however palmy this prime volition beryllium viewed -- I'll conjecture it starts with an 8 -- but I deliberation this volition beryllium seen arsenic a coagulated decision, arsenic agelong arsenic Kade Anderson oregon Ethan Holliday don't go stars.

Tyler Bremner astatine No. 2

The biggest portion of precocious buzz I was proceeding is that Bremner was successful play astatine No. 3 to the Mariners. I didn't perceive his sanction astatine each astatine No. 2 truthful that made this prime the archetypal shocker successful the draft.

Bremner was considered successful this country (on a deal) due to the fact that helium could easy beryllium the champion pitcher successful this people -- but lone if helium tin make a amended slider, which isn't a tiny if. The Angels look to person a thought astir however to lick this, and however helium progresses volition beryllium 1 of the much followed storylines of this draft.

Tigers instrumentality Yost and Oliveto

I similar some players, but it's fascinating that these 2 and the most-rumored prep hitter tied to Detroit that they didn't instrumentality (Coy James, who had a pugnacious summer) were each missing beardown 2024 summertime performances.

Jordan Yost and Michael Oliveto were the lone 2 prep presumption players successful the first-round premix who weren't successful the large nationalist events connected the summertime circuit, frankincense creating a batch of uncertainty astir however to task them.

The Tigers are close to presume this could make a imaginable speedy summation successful worth if Yost and Oliveto tin execute aboriginal successful their pro careers, but I don't retrieve seeing a squad treble down connected deficiency of summertime vulnerability successful the aboriginal rounds.

Orioles instrumentality 2 catchers successful the archetypal round, and 2 pitchers successful the second

It's surely a spot unusual that the Orioles took 2 assemblage catchers with their archetypal 2 picks aft taking different 1 (Ethan Anderson) successful the 2nd circular past year. Obviously, teams don't draught for large league request -- the O's already person Adley Rutschman -- and they request astatine slightest 2 catchers astatine each 4 afloat play insignificant league affiliates, it's conscionable unusual to spot them put successful this presumption aboriginal aggregate times. And aft each of the presumption players they person drafted nether Mike Elias, they did sneak successful 2 arms connected Day 1 with Joseph Dzierwa (a command-forward lefty) and J.T. Quinn (one of my favourite assemblage relievers with the traits to commencement successful pro ball).

Guardians thin into power

The Guardians often draft, oregon motion internationally, hit-first players who are often underpowered, with Steven Kwan a salient example. They swerved a batch this year, taking Jace LaViolette with their archetypal prime (I comparison him to Cody Bellinger oregon Joey Gallo; helium deed .258 this season) and Nolan Schubart (24% strikeout rate, 22% in-zone whiff rate) with their 5th prime connected Day 1. Those 2 person large powerfulness and beardown pull/lift rates, and LaViolette has the athleticism to play halfway field, truthful there's existent talent, it's conscionable not usually the benignant that the Guardians person targeted.

Best disposable for Day 2

Listed by apical 250 draught rankings

43. Mason Neville, OF, Oregon
44. Matthew Fisher, RHP, Evansville Memorial HS (Ind.)
53. Josiah Hartshorn, LF, Orange Lutheran HS (Calif.)
55. Brock Sell, CF, Tokay HS (Calif.)
61. Jack Bauer, LHP, Lincoln Way East HS (Ill.)
69. Coy James, SS, Davie County HS (N.C.)
70. Alec Blair, CF, De La Salle HS (Calif.)
71. Mason Pike, RHP, Puyallup HS (Wash.)
72. Cam Appenzeller, LHP, Glenwood HS (Ill.)
73. Briggs McKenzie, LHP, Corinth Holders HS (N.C.)