- Copyright 2025 © CollegeFootballPoll.com
- About CFP / Contact
- Legal Statements
Pitcher Kade Anderson of the College World Series Champion LSU Tigers was projected to be the first player taken in the 2025 MLB Draft, according to several mock drafts that were revealed prior to the start of the festivities which began last night. But given that the Washington Nationals had fired the club's manager, Dave Martinez, and it's general manager, Mike Rizzo, on July 6, it shouldn't have been too surprising that the Nats went in another direction.
The draft comes just ahead of Tuesday night's 2025 MLB All-Star game in Atlanta where Shohei Ohtani (LA Dodgers) and Aaron Judge (NY Yankees) are favored to capture the game's MVP award.
Instead of taking Anderson, who was 12-1 this past season for LSU, the Nationals went with Eli Willits, the 17-year-old shortstop out of Fort Cobb-Broxton HS in Fort Cobb, Oklahoma. At just 216 days past his 17th birthday, Willits became the third-youngest player ever to be drafted with the first pick, trailing only Ken Griffey Jr. and Tim Foli.
The younger Griffey was 17 years, 193 days when the Seattle Mariners drafted him No. 1 in 1987. His dad played from 1973-1991 and ended his career alongside his son in Seattle by playing 51 games together. The father is a member of the Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame, but not the National Baseball HOF in Cooperstown.
The older Griffey was taken in the 29th round with the 682nd pick over-all in the 1973 MLB Draft. Two years later, in 1975, he was a World Series Champion. The next season, the Reds won a second straight world title while Griffey earned his first of three all-star team nominations while earning $85,000 for a season's work. He was the MVP of the 1980 All-Star game and, for his career, he hit .296 with 152 home runs and 859 RBI.
Griffey's son, simply known as "The Kid", had a lifetime average that was slightly below his father's at .284, but he blasted 630 home runs (7th all-time), had 1,836 RBI, and was a 13-time All-Star. Junior was elected to the Hall in 2016 with 99.32% of the vote, breaking the record that had been held by pitcher Tom Seaver for 24 years.
Tim Foli was the top pick in 1968 by the New York Mets when he was 180 days past his 17th birthday. However, Foli was not a part of the 1969 World Champion "Amazing Mets" team as he was playing with the single-A Visalia (California League) Mets after a year in rookie ball with the Marion (Virginia) Mets of the Appalachian League.
Foli finished his MBL Career in 1985 with a second stint with Pittsburgh. His longevity was largely dependent on his defensive skills at shortstop. He was a member of the last 1979 Pirate team to capture a World Series title in 1979.
That brings us back to Eli Willits who reclassified from the Class of 2026. He is the son of current Oklahoma associate head coach, Reggie, who played the 2006 through 2011 seasons with the Angels and later served as a coach of the Yankees from 2018 through 2021.
As for Kade Anderson, the player voted most outstanding of the College World Series was chosen by Seattle with the third over-all pick.
Meanwhile, the Angels skipped over him to take RHP Tyler Bremner (UC-Santa Barbara) with the second pick. He was projected by many to be the first righty taken.
After the first three rounds were completed on Sunday, the draft will be completed today with rounds 4 through 20, beginning at 11:30 a.m. on MLB.com.
All Star events include the Home Run Derby tonight (Monday) at 8 p.m. on ESPN and the All-Star game itself on Tuesday at 8 p.m. om FOX. (All times eastern).