Omaha in June. The College Baseball world becomes the center of the baseball universe for two weeks during the College World Series with national coverage all over ESPN. As baseball fans, it is a great opportunity to look at some of the top draft prospects for the upcoming draft in July. Let’s take a look at some of the names that will be must-watch TV once the CWS kicks off on June 13th.
2025 MLB Draft Prospects to Know in the College World Series
Kade Anderson- SP, LSU (Mock Draft 2.0: 3)
The highest draft pick in my most recent mock draft, Anderson should be on center stage Saturday night facing off against the potent Arkansas Razorbacks lineup. Pushing a career-high in innings pitched, Anderson is coming off a shaky outing against West Virginia in the Super Regional and will be looking to bounce back. Anderson comes into the CWS with a 3.58 ERA with 168 strikeouts in 103 IP.
Anderson’s ability to generate swing and miss, while being relentless in the strike zone is a big reason why he has been one of the biggest risers this year. His best pitch is his fastball which is the prototypical elite modern day heater. It generated a 38% whiff rate, while only averaging 93.1 mph, due mostly to his 20.1 IVB. Combine that with 3 above-average off-speed pitches, and plus command, and you have a great combination of floor and ceiling in a draft that is desperate for sure things.
Aiva Arquette- Oregon St. (Mock Draft 2.0: 6)
The top college bat in a class that has no standout prospects. Arquette is entering the CWS with a slash line of .354/.466/.658 with 18 home runs and 17 doubles on the season. Combine that with only 49 strikeouts in 62 games, and you can see why many MLB teams love what they see out of Arquette.
Coming into the season, the main question surrounding Arquette was the power and approach. Both have taken a major step forward. After just 17 walks during the 2024 season, he has raised that number up to 39. Not elite plate discipline, but progress, as shown by his 22.9% chase rate. The power has also taken a step forward as he has raised his slugging percentage from .574 to .658. With the solidifying of the approach and power tool, Arquette is in serious conversations for the top of the draft.
Brendan Summerhill- Arizona (Mock Draft 2.0: 11)
I watched Summerhill play this past weekend against UNC with a scout who is selecting in the top 5. I asked what he thought Summerhill’s ceiling was in the draft, and his response was, “That’s what I’m here to find out.” It wasn’t the best day for Summerhill, but it shows just how highly he is regarded in the industry.
Summerhill battled injuries throughout the season but still put up impressive numbers. He slashed .358/.477/.585 on the season with 36 walks and 21 strikeouts. He has some of the best bat-to-ball skills and approach in the class, and if an organization believes there is more power in the tank, he could be top of the board for some teams. Standing at 6 foot 3, 200 lbs, it is easy to dream on adding more strength to his frame. There has been an increased value in bat-to-ball and approach in recent seasons, and that will play a big part in where Summerhill is selected.
Wehiwa Aloy- MIF, Arkansas (Mock Draft 2.0: 21)
The last player to pop up in my most recent Mock Draft, Aloy is coming off a season in which he was named the SEC Player of the Year, and will most likely be named the Golden Spikes Award winner. He finished the season hitting .348/.433/.668 with 20 home runs and 18 doubles. There is a lot of free swinger to his approach, with only 30 walks in 61 games, to go with whiff concerns, but the production is undeniable.
One of the things that stands out the most for Aloy is his defense. He is a plus defender and will stick up the middle at the next level. He is a freak athlete who makes hard plays look routine. He also consistently makes the routine play, and is reliable defensively, which isn’t always the case for young defenders who rely on athleticism. If you buy the athleticism to stick at SS and think the contact skills can improve, he should probably go higher than 21.
Patrick Forbes- SP, Louisville (Mock Draft 2.0: NR)
Forbes stats might not jump off the page, as he has battled injuries and inconsistencies, but when he is on the mound it is must see TV. In 66 IP this season, he has struck out 107 batters for a 14.6 K/9. He has some of the most premium stuff in the class, and when it is in the strike zone, it is extremely difficult to square up.
Forbes will match up against a really solid Oregon State lineup that includes the aforementioned Aiva Arquette, as well as some other notable names in draft circles. Forbes’s best offering is his fastball which has generated a 31.3% whiff rate and has the ability to dominate hitters at the top of the zone. He averages 95.4 and has run it up to 100 this season. He pairs that with a slider that has generated a 38.7% whiff rate on the season. Forbes has a ton of reliever risk in professional baseball, but he will be a fun watch on Friday facing off against a potential top 5 pick.
Caden Bodine- C, Coastal Carolina (Mock Draft 2.0: NR)
Bodine is a fascinating case study in the modern MLB. He is one of the best pitch framers in the country and has a legit argument to be made as the best defensive catcher in the class. With that defensive reputation, you might think he is a slouch with the bat. That is not the case. This season he has slashed .332/.466/.487 with 18 doubles and 5 home runs.
Bodine’s offensive skills are a mixed bag. He has an argument with Summerhill for the best bat to ball skills in the class with an 89.5% contact rate on the season. During his career, he has only struck out 65 times in 178 games, but the power output is concerning. On one hand, he has averaged 90.7 mph exit velocity, but that thump hasn’t translated directly to games. Coastal Carolina plays in a notoriously hitter-friendly field, so 25 career home runs is less than ideal. With that said, 2 of Bodine’s 5 2025 home runs came in the Super Regional last weekend, so if he continues to showcase a power stroke in Omaha, I think an MLB team will take him higher than most anticipate.
Zach Root- SP, Arkansas (Mock Draft 2.0: NR)
Arkansas’ ace starting pitcher is always going to be must see TV. The pitching development in Fayetteville in the last few years has been head and shoulders above the rest of the league, and Root is a part of that continued trend.
On the season, Root has pitched to a 3.59 ERA with 119 and 31 walks in 92.2 IP. It has been some ups and downs on the season, but he has shown impressive ability to miss bats throughout this year. Root is a true 4 pitch guys, and all of them grade out as above average. His best pitch is his curveball which has generated a 42.9% whiff rate on the season, and batters have only hit .143 against the pitch. He pairs that with a solid change-up (33.9% whiff) and slider/cutter (37.9% whiff). Root’s worst pitch is his fastball he has run up to 99 as recently as last weekend, almost 100 innings into the season. He might not have the ceiling of Hagen Smith, but Root is another in a long line of successful Arkansas pitchers.
Roch Cholowsky- MIF, UCLA (Mock Draft 2.0: 2026 Eligible)
This is an honorable mention because Cholowsky is a 2026 draft prospect, but he is good enough to be on this list. In all honesty, if he was 2025 draft-eligible, his name is probably at the top of this list. On the season, he has slashed .367/.494/.742 with 23 home runs and 19 doubles, while playing in the Big 10, which is not notoriously hitter friendly, like the SEC.
Cholowsky has an above-average combination of hit tool and power. On the 2025 season, he has made contact with 81.4% of the pitches he swings at, which has led to only 29 strikeouts in 63 games. He features those contact skills while having 43 extra base hits on the year, and featuring a 32.7% barrel rate. The “thump” isn’t elite with a 92.3 mph exit velocity, but he shows a good ability to hit the ball hard in the air to the pull side. Cholowsky is one of the early favorites for 1st overall in the 2026 class, and the College World Series will be where the public starts to recognize his name.
BATON ROUGE, LA – MAY 31: LSU Tigers Left-Handed Pitcher Kade Anderson (32) throws a pitch during the NCAA Division I Regional game between the LSU Tigers and Dallas Baptist Patriots on May 31, 2025, at Alex Box Stadium in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. (Photo by John Korduner/Icon Sportswire)
FAYETTEVILLE, AR – MAY 31: Arkansas Razorbacks infielder Wehiwa Aloy (9) during the NCAA Division I Regional baseball game between the Creighton Blue Jays and Arkansas Razorbacks on May 31, 2025, at Baum-Walker Stadium in Fayetteville, Arkansas. (Photo by Andy Altenburger/Icon Sportswire)
