In last year’s Draft, a total of 10 high school players were taken in the first round. Only one, Konnor Griffin, went in the top 10 and he was joined by Bryce Rainer as the only prepsters in the top 15 picks. Just two of those 10 first-rounders were pitchers, with lefties Cam Caminiti and Kash Mayfield going back-to-back at Nos. 24 and 25.

As of now, it sounds like history might repeat itself, at least in terms of high school hitters ruling the day when the 2025 Draft rolls around. Some evaluators think this year’s younger crop is deeper than it was a year ago, but it’s still extremely bat-heavy.

• Top 20 college prospects for the 2025 Draft

This top 20 reflects that, with just three pitchers on the list (four, if the two-way player ends up on the mound). Starting with a very familiar name at the top, it’s a group dominated by Corona High School in California, the 2024 National High School Invitational winner, with three players from that stacked roster landing on the list.

1. Ethan Holliday, SS, Stillwater HS (Okla.)
That’s right, it’s another Holliday, and some think Ethan has the chance to be better than his older brother, Jackson, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2022 Draft. He’s gotten taller and stronger, showing off physicality that belies his years. The Oklahoma State recruit has the chance to hit for average and easy power. He has good actions and enough arm for shortstop, but with his 6-foot-4 frame, he could end up at third base. But it’s the offensive potential that has him atop this list and makes him an early contender for No. 1 overall pick.

2. Seth Hernandez, RHP, Corona HS (Calif.)
The top prep pitcher in the class, Hernandez earned National High School Invitational MVP honors after helping Corona win the tournament with a complete-game shutout in the championship game against powerhouse Orange Lutheran. He’s an athletic 6-foot-4 and already has a fastball that sits 94-95 mph and touches the upper 90s, a hard low-80s slider and an outstanding changeup, both of which miss a ton of bats.

3. Xavier Neyens, 3B, Mount Vernon HS (Wash.)
Neyens made some excellent adjustments to his swing to have more impact and he had one of the best summers of any prep player on the showcase circuit. He has power to all fields and gets to it frequently, and while he did strike out some, the Oregon State recruit has drawn comparisons to a left-handed-hitting Austin Riley. An arm that fires 95-mph fastballs from the mound works from the hot corner too.

4. Kruz Schoolcraft, LHP, Sunset HS (Ore.)
At 6-foot-8, Schoolcraft commands a huge presence whether he’s on the mound or at the plate. He can really impact the ball as a left-handed hitter with tremendous raw power. On the mound, he’s a southpaw who looks like he’s playing catch at 96 mph. He has feel for a slider and changeup as well, with some feeling he could have three plus pitches in the future.

5. Kayson Cunningham, SS, Lady Bird Johnson HS (Texas)
A super high-energy player, Cunningham has hit pretty much everywhere he’s been, including slashing .417/.483/.542 with 12 RBIs for Team USA during its 18U qualifier and picking up a pair of hits with three steals in MLB’s High School All-American Game. He has excellent barrel control and makes a ton of contact with gap power right now. He’s not the biggest guy in the world at 5-foot-9, but he has the hands and actions for shortstop, though some see a future at second base for the Texas recruit.

6. Billy Carlson, SS/RHP, Corona HS (Calif.)
Another member of the NHSI-winning Corona team, Carlson is a Vanderbilt recruit with skills on both sides. He’s very athletic with good bat speed at the plate, using more of a line-drive approach at present. He has excellent actions and a plus arm at shortstop and should be able to stick there. Some might like him better on the mound, where that arm has been up to 95-96 mph at times with good breaking stuff.

7. Eli Willits, SS, Fort-Cobb Broxton HS (Okla.)
The son of former big leaguer Reggie Willits, Eli Willits is a switch-hitter who reclassified from the 2026 class to this one and earns praise for his grittiness and baseball IQ. At the All-American Game in August, he walked, then stole second and third to show the kind of table-setter he can be. He has good feet and hands for shortstop, though some think he could be an asset in center. At the plate, he’s a tough out with a line-drive approach and gap power. He’s committed to Oklahoma, where his dad is a coach.

8. Brady Ebel, SS, Corona HS (Calif.)
Ebel has grown up around the game, with father Dino currently the Dodgers’ third-base coach, and his game reflects that. He has one of the best approaches in the Draft with the ability to find the barrel from the left side of the plate consistently. He’s hit-over-power right now, but there could be more pop to come in his 6-foot-3 frame. He may not have a true plus tool, but he does everything well, though the LSU recruit might eventually need to slide over to third.

9. Coy James, SS, Davie High School (N.C.)
A Team USA veteran, including as an underclassman on the 18U team last summer, James is a strong right-handed hitter who finds the barrel consistently with a smooth and natural swing. There’s some power for him to tap into as well and the Mississippi recruit has the chance to stick at shortstop thanks to excellent defensive instincts.

10. Sean Gamble, SS/OF, IMG Academy (Fla.)
A native of Iowa, Gamble moved to IMG in Florida to get more exposure. And he’s hit, and hit everything hard, for a long time. He has a natural left-handed swing and is adept at finding the barrel and using the whole field. A solid athlete with good speed, if he’s going to stick on the dirt, it would likely be at second, though center field could be a good future fit for the Vanderbilt recruit.

11. Quentin Young, 3B/OF, Oaks Christian HS (Calif.)
The nephew of Dmitri and Delmon, Young is another player who reclassified from the 2026 Draft class to this one. Not that you’d think he's a year younger based on his size: He’s a legit 6-foot-5. He has tremendous raw power and huge upside offensively. He moves surprisingly well at shortstop, but most see a move to third or the outfield in his future, where his easily plus arm is also an asset. He’s committed to LSU.

12. Dean Moss, OF, IMG Academy (Fla.)
A California native, Moss moved across the country to IMG in eighth grade and was actually robbed of an extra-base hit by fellow IMG-er Sean Gamble in MLB’s All-American Game. He’s a fearless hitter with tremendous bat speed, using the entire field with an excellent left-handed swing. The LSU recruit is a center fielder right now, but could end up in a corner.

13. Cameron Appenzeller, LHP, Glenwood HS (Ill.)
Committed to South Carolina, Appenzeller is a 6-foot-5 lean left-hander with a ton of projection. He put his name on the map with a strong showcase circuit, throwing three shutout innings with four strikeouts in the Area Code Games for one example. He can touch 94 mph with his fastball, but there’s more in the tank. He can miss bats with his upper-70s slider and there’s some feel for his mid-80s changeup.

14. Gavin Fien, 3B, Great Oak HS (Calif.)
Fien swung a hot bat all summer, hitting his way onto Team USA and then finishing with a .400 average in the 18U team’s World Cup qualifier in Panama. He also was the MLB Develops MVP of the High School All-American Game after he recorded a pair of hits and RBIs, smashing three balls total over 100 mph. He’s a line-drive hitter with pop, making an unorthodox setup with high hands work. The Texas recruit could fit well in a corner somewhere, either third, first or the outfield, in the future.

15. Ty Peeples, OF, Franklin County HS (Ga.)
An athletic left-handed hitter, Peeples has a smooth swing with bat speed and a bit of whippiness through the zone. He has some pop now and could grow into even more as he fills out his 6-foot-2 frame. The Georgia recruit runs well and plays solid center field, though he might be best suited for a corner if he slows down as he matures.

16. Lucas Franco, SS, Cinco Ranch HS (Texas)
Committed to Texas Christian, Franco is an athletic left-handed-hitting infielder with a chance to hit for average and power in the future. It’s hit-over-pop right now, with a solid overall approach helping him make consistent contact and more thump to come as he matures. He has solid actions defensively and the chance to stick at short, but like with all middle infielders his size (6-foot-3), there’s always talk about a potential need to slide to third if he slows down noticeably.

17. Brock Sell, OF, Tokay HS (Calif.)
Thought to be the best prepster in northern California, Sell might not have the highest ceiling in the class, but he is considered to be one of the best pure high school bats out west. He has a real feel for hitting that reminds some of Nick Yorke, a 2020 first-rounder from the area, and there could be more power to come. Sell has excellent speed, which helps him on both sides of the ball. He’s committed to Stanford.

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18. Jaden Fauske, C, Nazareth Academy (Ill.)
Left-handed-hitting catchers are always a hot commodity, and the more time Fauske spends behind the plate, the more he has the chance to land high on Draft boards. He has a natural feel for hitting and was starting to drive the ball more as the summer wore on. He has a solid arm and hands behind the dish, though the Louisville recruit has seen time at other positions as well.

19. Tate Southisene, SS/OF, Basic HS (Nev.)
Tate’s older brother, Ty, was the Cubs’ fourth-round pick in the 2024 Draft and Tate’s performance this summer has moved him way up follow lists. He’s hit everywhere he's gone with a solid overall approach and enough bat speed to imagine solid power even though he’s a sub-6-footer. He has the chance to play shortstop with solid actions and enough arm, but some evaluators like the Southern Cal recruit in the outfield as well.

20. Slater de Brun, OF, Summit HS (Ore.)
At 5-foot-9, de Brun screams top-of-the-order sparkplug. A member of USA Baseball’s 18U team that played in Panama, de Brun has a keen eye at the plate, seeing a ton of pitches and understanding his role is to get on base. He makes a lot of good contact as well, then uses his easily plus speed to wreak havoc on the basepaths. The Vanderbilt recruit also utilizes his wheels well to cover extensive ground in center field.