NL West 2025 draft report card: Rockies grab strong class; Padres stay in character

With the 2025 MLB Draft now in the books, here’s my look at each National League West team’s draft class. I focus on the top 10 rounds, since those are the picks that count toward each team’s bonus pool. Players taken after the 10th round may be paid up to $150,000 without counting against the bonus pool, so the best prospects taken in Rounds 11 through 20 rarely end up signing.

The number in parentheses after each player’s name indicates the round in which he was taken; a letter (A, B, or C) after a number indicates that it was a supplemental pick between rounds, either for losing a free agent or from the competitive balance lottery. I do assume that all players taken in the top 10 rounds will sign, although each year there are roughly two to five players who don’t for various reasons. I also skipped over college seniors who were probably selected as money-saver picks, agreeing to bonuses under their slot figures so their teams can go over slot for other players, or other players who appear to be more about under-slot bonuses than major-league potential.

Finally, I don’t give letter grades for drafts. I think that whole idea is absurd. The best I can offer is to tell you that I think teams did well or not well based on what I know about the players available at those picks, and in general I prefer to talk about specific picks than try to sum up months of work for each scouting department in a pithy line or two.

(Note: Scouting grades are on a 20-80 scale. Click here for my top-100 draft prospect list.)

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Arizona Diamondbacks: Kayson Cunningham, Patrick Forbes both have upside

The Diamondbacks started out with shortstop Kayson Cunningham (1), one of the top prep bats in the class, and, of course, another fun-sized pick from the organization that brought you Corbin Carroll and Slade Caldwell. Cunningham has a great swing and excellent contact skills, while he’s pretty strong for a shorter player and at least should have real gap power to support higher batting averages going forward. He has a chance to stick at short, with second base most likely. 

They used their extra pick, acquired for the loss of Christian Walker in free agency, to select Louisville right-hander Patrick Forbes (1C), who’s consistently mid-90s, touching 100, with a plus slider that led him to a strikeout rate over 36 percent this spring. He can change the shape of the slider and gets more horizontal break on it from a lower slot, but he doesn’t have a functional pitch for lefties and he’s had injury issues already. If he figures out lefties and makes marginal improvements to his control, he could be a No. 2 starter, but there is definitely reliever risk here. 

Georgia right-hander Brian Curley (3) is 5-feet-10 — seriously, do they have low ceilings at Chase Field? He transferred to Georgia from VCU and improved across the board. He sat 95-98 as a starter with a no-windup delivery, getting good carry up top on the pitch, with an above-average slider and average curveball and cutter. He has no pitch for lefties at all and the delivery has enough effort that he looks much more likely to be a reliever.

Hebron (Ga.) Christian Academy righty Dean Livingston (4) is a classic projection pitcher, with room to add maybe 20 pounds, so his 91-93 mph fastball now might be 95+ in a few years. There’s a plus slider in here, but right now it’s wildly inconsistent and you might have to give it a present grade of 40. The delivery works and he has a little less pitching experience than most guys, as he wasn’t a full-time starter until this year. This is a great spot for a long play like him.

Nathan Hall (5) barely played for two years at Clemson, so he did what I assume is the most heretical thing you could do — he transferred to South Carolina. The Gamecocks gave him playing time and he hit .322/.397/.486 with almost as many walks as strikeouts while serving as their everyday center fielder. He has a somewhat flat swing that puts the ball on the ground too often, even though he has enough top-end power to maybe get to 10-12 homers a year, and he isn’t as selective as the stat line might imply. He’s a deceptively good runner for his size, and might stick in center. I can see a fourth outfielder here pretty easily. 

Vanderbilt right-hander Sawyer Hawks (6) is a good senior sign, working 93-95 with a high induced vertical break, a short cutter-like slider, and a solid, if slightly firm, changeup. He’s a straight reliever, with a delivery that’s almost right over the top. He had a 1.60 ERA for the Commodores this year, walking just 6.6 percent of batters.

Wake Forest lefty Joe Ariola (7) made two starts for the Demon Deacons and moved to the bullpen because he couldn’t throw strikes. He ended the year with 28 walks in 24 innings (23 percent), so while he has great pure stuff, that’s unplayable control.

Colorado Rockies: Excellent draft begins with top prospect Ethan Holliday

I know it’s trendy to knock the Rockies but I think they had a very strong draft this year. They ended up with my No. 1 player, shortstop Ethan Holliday (1), and if you don’t know about him by now I’m not sure what to tell you. He’s Matt’s son, Jackson’s brother, with more power than Jackson and a lower present hit tool than Jackson had in the draft, although I think some of Ethan’s issues with breaking stuff are due to a correctable soft front side. He could stay at shortstop as long as he doesn’t get too big for it. His hands, arm and instincts are all at least above-average. There’s some risk here, as he has not demonstrated the kind of consistent hit tool you typically want at this spot in the draft (pick No. 4), with the enormous reward of a 30-homer type of bat at shortstop if everything clicks. 

Right-hander JB Middleton (2) is a high-probability back-end starter, up to 97 with a four-pitch mix. He has plus control to make up for the lack of a clear out-pitch and the weapons to get right- and left-handed batters out. He’s a good candidate for some pitch design help, whether it’s to tweak the slider to get more bite to it or help him add a new pitch, as the delivery really works and he throws a ton of strikes. 

Texas outfielder Max Belyeu (2C) seems like great value at this spot — I had him ranked 41st and the Rockies got him at pick 74 — after his spring was wrecked by a thumb injury that clearly sapped his power following his return. He’s a corner outfielder with above-average pop who needs to tighten up his swing decisions, chasing way too many pitches out of the zone right now. He’s better than what we saw from him this year. 

USC third baseman Ethan Hedges (3) went from two homers last year for the Trojans to 14 this year, although his batted-ball data points more to average power. He doesn’t hit spin well at all, and projects as a lower-OBP guy with maybe 15-18 homers at his peak. He also threw 15 innings in relief this year, topping out at 95 with a high-effort delivery, so he clearly has the arm to play anywhere on the field.

UC Irvine right-hander Riley Kelly (4) moved from the Anteaters’ bullpen to the rotation this year and blossomed, making 12 starts along with five relief appearances and lowering his ERA by a run and a half. He’s up to 96 but he sits more 91-93, generating a ton of whiffs on his 82-85-mph straight change, although his 11/5 curveball looks like it should be his best pitch. He has 45 control right now, but if that gets to 50, he’s a starter. 

Wake Forest outfielder Cameron Nelson (5) was age-eligible for the draft as a sophomore, a 70 runner with a plus arm who barely played this year, getting into just 21 games with 91 PA for the Demon Deacons. He did hit .319/.489/.485 and struck out only 13 times. I don’t love the swing but the speed and contact are a good combo.

Louisville catcher Matt Klein (6) played 33 games around a broken arm this spring, hitting about as well as he had as a sophomore, with a low strikeout rate (11 percent) and below-average power. He has a chance to be a second-division regular and probably would have gone a round or two higher if he’d played the full spring. 

First baseman Tanner Thatch (8) is a big exit-velocity guy who hit .325/.409/.538 for UNC Wilmington, a hit-over-power type who needed to perform better in the weak pitching of the CAA. South Florida righty Austin Newton (10) is a big fella at 6-feet-7, 252. He pounds the zone with a 93-96 mph sinker and mid-80s slider. Between school and some time in the Draft League this year, he’s walked just eight batters in 38 2/3 innings (5.2 percent). 

The Rockies also rolled the dice on Derrick Smith (17), North Carolina State’s closer in 2024 who threw just three innings in 2025 — walking six and striking out eight — due to injury and ineffectiveness. He’s walked 11 in nine innings so far on the Cape, too. In 2024, he was 92-95 on a fairly true four-seamer but his slider was a plus pitch with hard, late vertical break.

Los Angeles Dodgers: Despite late first selection, a strong first two picks lead solid class

The Dodgers didn’t pick until 40 because their owners are actually willing to invest in the big-league payroll, but they made the most of it, landing Arkansas lefty Zach Root (1A) with that pick and fellow Razorback Charles Davalan (1A) at pick 41. 

Root is a five-pitch lefty with a plus curveball and changeup, missing some bats with everything but the fastball, which generated just a 9 percent whiff rate this year despite velocity up to 98 mph. He was much worse in conference play, as good hitters could square up the heater, and he’ll have to try to alter its shape or switch to a two-seamer, as he already has gone away from throwing the fastball — he threw it just 37 percent of the time this spring. 

Davalan is an outfielder from Canada who, like Root, transferred to Arkansas just this spring. He had a clear first-round bat, with exceptional contact skills and a hard-hit rate of 47 percent this spring. If he can play center, which he did in 18 games this year, he’s going to be one of the biggest steals of the draft. 

Right-hander Cam Leiter (2), nephew of Al and Mark, missed the entire spring after shoulder surgery last autumn, so he hasn’t pitched since the first half of the 2024 season. Prior to the injury, he was 95-96 with an above-average changeup, huge break on a curveball, and 40 control, working with above-average extension out front. I just have no idea what to expect from him once he’s back, as he has barely pitched in college. 

Cincinnati outfielder Landyn Vidourek (3) struck out too often this spring, especially for someone in a mid-major conference, with an in-zone whiff rate well below the Division 1 median. He needs a better two-strike approach as well, as he expands too much and gets himself out, rather than trying to make more contact and let his strength come into play. He’s a plus runner with some of the best batted-ball data in the class, including a hard-hit rate of 55 percent and a dozen balls hit into play at 110 mph+ this year. It’s a reach in the third round, but this is the Dodgers’ sort of upside play. He’ll be 22 in November. 

Shortstop Aidan West (4) was one of the top prospects in the mid-Atlantic this year, showing quick hands and a great swing, but he struggled with contact at showcases last summer and fall. He’s going to move off short and may have the speed for center. Rice right-hander Davion Hickson (5) moved from the Owls’ bullpen to the rotation this year and struck out 90 in 73 innings (27 percent) with a 3.82 ERA. His fastball is light, with a lot of 90-92, and his best pitch is probably his above-average changeup, which helped him get lefties out a little better than righties this year. He flies open some at his release so his command and control, especially to his glove side, need work. 

Mason Ligenza (6) is such a Dodgers pick — they took a similar guy out of northeastern Pennsylvania last year in Chase Harlan. Ligenza is from way northern PA, a very small town (Tamaqua), and he has plus power from a huge swing and long levers on his 6-6 frame. There’s definitely swing and miss here and the Dodgers are probably the right org to help him tame his swing a little to get to more contact. He moves well and should at least start out in center field, with a good chance he goes to right as he fills out.

MIT right-hander Mason Estrada (7) committed to transfer to Tennessee for 2026, but the aerospace engineering major may have to put that on hold now. He hit 96 at the MLB Draft Combine last month with a high-spin slider, coming online to the plate but with a violent delivery that’s going to force him to the bullpen. 

Right-hander Jack O’Connor (8) could have had seven figures, at least, out of high school, but chose to go to Virginia instead, where he had a strong freshman year, throwing 65 1/3 innings with a 3.86 ERA, but missed most of the last two seasons with a lat and then an elbow injury. He threw just 28 innings combined the last two years, with a 7.62 ERA. When he’s on the mound, he’s still 93-95 with a 55 slider. He last tried to pitch on April 25 at Georgia Tech at a game I was at, but took himself out after three pitches, eventually undergoing an internal brace procedure on his elbow on May 28. 

I don’t know if they can sign right-hander Sam Horn (17), who is fighting to be Missouri’s starting quarterback this fall, but he has elite stuff and big upside as a starter if he decides to pursue baseball.

San Diego Padres: Kruz Schoolcraft fits their mold, while Ty Harvey is a steal from Round 5

Stop the presses: The Padres took a giant high school pitcher in the first round. Kruz Schoolcraft (1) is 6-feet-8, left-handed, athletic, can swing the bat, and has been up to 98. He’s been inconsistent, sometimes flashing a plus slider, sometimes showing an above-average changeup, while the foundation is good — he can generate spin and he turns the changeup over well, so you can dream on both and see a guy who might have three above-average pitches. He’s just a long way from big-league ready. 

Outfielder Ryan Wideman (3) moved to Western Kentucky this spring out of junior college, posting a hard-hit rate over 50 percent and showing 70 speed while also chasing pitches out of the zone an alarming 40 percent of the time — and that’s against mid-major competition, not the SEC. He takes a big swing where he gets his front foot down late, perhaps something the Padres can help him calm down. He was going to transfer to Clemson but now I assume he’ll sign. 

St. Bonaventure right-hander Michael Salina (4) hit triple-digits this year before blowing out his elbow, although the four starts he did make were a step forward from his 2024 performance. His sharp, downward-breaking slider might be plus, although there’s enough effort to the whole thing that I think he’s more likely to be a reliever than a starter. 

Catcher Ty Harvey (5) was a second-round talent who flew a bit under the radar this spring until he hit a ball 115 mph at the MLB Draft Combine in June. It is a great swing, one of the best ones in the draft, quiet and simple to the ball with power and loft through contact, and he hit well at showcases last year. He’s a plus runner and has a plus arm, with a good shot at sticking behind the plate given his athleticism. He’ll turn 19 in late July. 

They went for seniors and fifth-year players in rounds 6-10, presumably to pay Harvey well over slot.

San Francisco Giants: Gavin Kilen an excellent first pick for class limited by small bonus pool

I loved the Giants’ first-round pick, Tennessee infielder Gavin Kilen (1), who has that magic combination of “hits it hard” and “doesn’t swing and miss.” He walked more than he struck out this year, whiffed on pitches in the zone just 10 percent of the time, and had whiff rates under 20 percent on all pitch types, according to data from Synergy. His hard-hit rate was 51 percent and he topped out at 110 mph. He’s on the smaller side and some scouts questioned whether his power would hold up with wood. I think it’s more likely that he makes enough hard contact to hit for high batting averages and OBPs, and maybe ends up with solid-average power, 15ish homers a year. They announced him as a shortstop but he’s going to second base. 

Rutgers outfielder Trevor Cohen (3) was one of the bigger surprises on Day 1, but he has some similarities to Kilen — Cohen also doesn’t swing and miss much, especially not on pitches in the zone, walking twice as often as he struck out, and he did top out around 110 mph. He also hit all of two homers all spring, despite facing Big Ten pitching most of the year, as it’s a flat swing and he opens his hips pretty early, producing a lot of weak contact as well. He played right field all spring for Rutgers but he might have the legs for center.

Stetson shortstop Lorenzo Meola (4) gets good marks for his defense, and his offensive profile looks better under the hood than it does on the surface — he makes a good bit of hard contact and his higher-than-you-want strikeout rate is mostly a function of him having no two-strike approach, unless “swing at everything” counts as a two-strike approach. There may be some untapped potential here. 

Lefty Jordan Gottesman (6) was a fifth-year senior at Northeastern and is probably a money-saver, as the Giants had a limited bonus pool with no second- or fifth-round picks. He spent four years at Division III Endicott College, then had a dominant spring for Northeastern, posting a 2.27 ERA while walking just 5.3 percent of batters. He sits 91-92 and has an average slider, dominating lefties, and could end up a fifth starter in a perfect world. His teammate, outfielder Cameron Maldonado (7), is a plus runner with some pop, although he doesn’t hit stuff that breaks, shakes, shimmies or wiggles. 

The Giants are likely taking some of that savings on Gottesman to sign high school right-hander Reid Worley (9) from Georgia. He uses a bizarre grip on his breaking ball that generates spin rates over 3000 rpm. He’s been up to 93 and has some projection to his 6-2 frame, with a very young build.

(Top photos: Kruz Schoolcraft and Ethan Holliday: Mike Janes, Tracy Proffitt / Four Seam Images / Associated Press)