The 2025 MLB Draft took place across Sunday and Monday in Atlanta. The Athletics added BLANK players to their system, headlined by their first-round selection, Jamie Arnold. ESPN’s Kiley McDaniel had the A’s Day 1 tandem (Arnold and Devin Taylor) as one of his five favorite moves. Of the 19 selections, 11 are pitchers, two outfielders, three infielders, and three catchers. The A’s went with just two high school selections compared to 17 college players.
Round 1, 11th overall: Jamie Arnold, LHP, Florida State
The Athletics came away with one of the most talented arms in the draft, one that most thought would be gone by the time they selected. In three seasons at Florida State, he racked up 327 Ks in 234.1 innings with a 3.61 ERA. In his final collegiate season, he made 15 starts, threw 84.2 innings, and finished with a 2.98 ERA to go with an 8-2 record and 119 Ks.
With his unorthodox arm angle from the left side, the former Seminole star has drawn comparisons to Chris Sale. Arnold’s fastball sits mid-90s and can touch 97 MPH and his slider is devastating from his unique delivery.
Jordan Shusterman of Yahoo Sports compiled a spreadsheet of 14 mock drafts to track the accuracy of the picks. The final tally for Arnold’s predicted landing spot were: 2nd twice, 5th, 6th twice, 8th five times, 9th three times, and 11th (kudos to Eric Longenhagen). For a team that desperately needs high-end pitching, getting to select the 21-year-old at #11 is a huge win for the A’s.
Round 2, 48th overall: Devin Taylor, OF, Indiana
Ranked 30th on MLB Pipeline’s list of draft prospects, the Athletics again were able to get great value with their selection of Taylor. The career leader in home runs for the Hoosiers, Taylor was regarded as one of the most well-rounded college hitters in the draft.
For the 2025 season, he slashed .374/.494/.706 with 18 home runs and 12 steals.
(No 3rd round selection due to signing Luis Severino)
Round 4, 110th overall: Gavin Turley, OF, Oregon State
Drafted by the Arizona Diamondbacks in Round 19 out of high school in 2022, he has now been drafted again after a successful three seasons with the Beavers. This season was his best as he hit 20 HRs, 13 doubles, and slashed .351/.472/.649. He finished his college career with 53 HRs and was ranked the 78th best prospect by MLB Pipeline.
Round 5, 141st overall: Zane Taylor, RHP, UNC Wilmington
Here are Taylor’s 2025 ranks in NCAA Division-1 baseball: 1st in WHIP, 3rd in ERA, and 1st in K/BB ratio. MLB Pipeline’s #174 prospect, he struck out 105 batters (only 11 walks) in 95.2 innings with a 1.98 ERA. He’s already 23 years old, so there might be less upside than other pitchers, but he limited baserunners in college and the Athletics need reliable arms.
6th: Grant Richardson, LHP, Grand Canyon
7th: Logan Sauve, C, West Virginia
8th: Corey Braun, LHP, South Florida
9th: Daniel Bucciero, 3B, Fordham
10th: Samuel Dutton, RHP, Auburn
11th: Bobby Boser, SS, Florida
12th: Alex Barr, LHP, Kankakee Valley (HS)
13th: Bryan Arendt, C, UNC Wilmington
14th: Griffin Kim, LHP, West Virginia
15th: Diego Rosa, C, International Baseball Academy & High School (Puerto Rico)
16th: Jackson Phipps, LHP, Jacksonville State
17th: Jared Davis, SS, Virginia Tech
18th: Jay Dill, RHP, Troy
19th: Itsuki Takemoto, RHP, Hawaii
20th: Kade Brown, RHP, Sacramento State
(Top photo courtesy of Eric Nguyen)
