Two weeks again, we jumpstarted our 2025 school prospects protection with a breakdown of the top-10 draft-eligible gamers to focus on in dynasty codecs. With that got here two bonus picks to increase the checklist to 12, along with a handful that “simply missed” the reduce. At present, we’ll dive into some school prospects who didn’t make the highest 10, however are already making the case to be day one picks come July. Three gamers can be highlighted at present, all of which must be very a lot in your radar for this yr’s first-year participant drafts.
EDITOR’S NOTE: Be certain to join a Razzball Commenter League or two, drafts are taking place on a regular basis, together with one this coming Saturday evening with only one spot left (3/8 at 8PM ET)<<–Click on the hyperlink and also you’re in! There’s additionally THIS ONE, taking place Monday (3/10) at 9 PM ET. Take a look at all of the leagues accessible HERE. Don’t miss an opportunity to compete towards different commenters and your Razzball writers.
Gavin Kilen, 2B, Tennessee
Taking part in his first two seasons at Louisville, Kilen transferred to reigning Nationwide Champion Tennessee this previous offseason upfront of his draft yr. Thus far, the outcomes have been absurd. By way of 13 video games, Kilen is slashing .511/.623/1.200 with seven house runs, three triples, 4 doubles, 24 runs, 19 RBI, and three steals in simply 45 at bats. That’s a couple of extra-base hit per recreation. In the meantime, he has drawn 14 walks to only three strikeouts, which jumps off the web page after strolling simply seven instances in 54 video games all of final season. The standard of competitors is a significant component right here within the early portion of the 2025 marketing campaign, however Kilen has made it clear he has the potential to go within the top-20 picks of the primary spherical. Kilen will solely play second for the Vols regardless of being the first shortstop at Louisville, a development that can doubtless proceed into professional ball because of a fringey arm. His standout instrument is the bat-to-ball expertise with a 55-grade hit instrument, however the uncooked energy is common at finest with the wood bat. Kilen has logged over 100 plate appearances on the Cape every of the final two summers, hitting simply two house runs in 52 video games for a paltry .358 slugging share. His knack for locating the barrel permits him to faucet into extra in-game energy on the school stage, however these paying a first-round-pick value in FYPD need to consider he’s able to 15-plus bombs sometime as he isn’t a serious stolen base menace. For his profession, Kilen is a .326/.382/.565 hitter with a minuscule 8.4 strikeout charge and a regarding 6.7% stroll charge, even after his selective begin to 2025.
https://x.com/BaseballAmerica/standing/1895597949411053798
Liam Doyle, RHP, Tennessee
The No. 2 Volunteers are taking part in nice baseball. With a 13-0 begin, it’s no shock they make up two-thirds of at present’s prospect highlights. A few of the performances in Knoxville have merely been too loud to disregard. As for Doyle, he represents one other offseason switch after pitching his first two years at Ole Miss and Coastal Carolina. Three colleges in three years, think about if Van Wilder was nonetheless partying it up at present. Sheeeesh. Doyle got here to Tennessee as a package deal take care of fellow Insurgent Andrew Fischer, who can be a high prospect for the 2025 MLB Draft. Doyle has all the time had stuff, however the outcomes have been missing.
2023 Coastal Carolina: 3-1, 4.15 ERA, 1.12 WHIP, 56.1 IP, 20 BB, 69 Okay
2024 Ole Miss: 3-4, 5.73 ERA, 1.26 WHIP, 55.0 IP, 21 BB, 84 Okay
After which, his first three begins of 2025 at Tennessee: 2-0, 0.61 ERA, 0.61 WHIP, 14.2 IP, 34 Okay, 3 BB
In three outings, Doyle has produced a 34-to-3 strikeout-to-walk ratio. He at the moment owns a 20.9 Okay/9 and 1.8 BB/9. His fastball has a ton of life, sitting within the mid-90s and seemingly performing as a rising heater that dominates up within the zone. He additionally throws a low-80s slider, onerous cutter, and changeup, with the slider standing out as the highest secondary providing at current. Nonetheless, the secondary stuff has been growing nicely throughout his time in Knoxville, and it’s turning into increasingly clear that Doyle is a first-round arm. Seeing as he’s at the moment ranked because the No. 75 total draft prospect per MLB Pipeline, that’s one thing to circle, underline, and spotlight all of the issues you are able to do with writing utensils previous to FYPD season.
https://x.com/PitchingNinja/standing/1890782518267302216
Marek Houston, SS, Wake Forest
Alright, time to go away Knoxville and the SEC altogether. How about some ACC ball? Houston has been steadily growing throughout his three years with the Demon Deacons, bettering from a .220/.328/.307 freshman batting line to a .326/.434/.516 clip final yr. He’s all the time been successful over energy kind whereas offering glorious protection and vary at shortstop. Houston has the instruments to play the place on the subsequent stage, and defends nicely throughout all the infield ought to his bat not develop sufficient to make him an on a regular basis participant. That stated, Houston’s offense has taken a leap every of the final two years, and he now seems poised to be an impression bat within the Wake Forest lineup. By way of 14 video games as a real junior, Houston has slashed .407/.522/.759 with 5 homers, 4 doubles, and eight steals in 54 at bats. Final season, he totaled eight homers, 16 doubles, and 4 steals in 221 at bats. The offensive enhancements for Houston are apparent, however can he impression the baseball with the wooden after revamping his strategy this previous offseason? This previous summer season on the Cape, Houston slugged .329 with two extra-base hits in 114 plate appearances. These outcomes helped pressure fall changes, however drafters should gamble because it pertains to his skill to be an impression bat on the subsequent stage.
https://x.com/PeterGFlaherty/standing/1892772569872494899
That’s all for this week, Razzball fam! It’s nice to be again. As all the time, I’m completely happy to take this dialog into the feedback part or on Twitter, the place yow will discover me @WorldOfHobbs.
