Brett Davis-Imagn Images
By Chris Marler
The first round of the 2025 MLB Draft is in the books after 43 total selections were made across a little over three hours.
It was a bizarre start, all things considered, with some major surprises right out of the gates as the first two picks weren’t even amongst the betting favorites on most boards. The Nationals shocked the baseball world by choosing high school shortstop Eli Willits over Kade Anderson and Ethan Holliday. Then the Angels followed suit, when they selected RHP Tyler Bremner from UC Santa Barbara.
Another surprise was the lack of college players drafted and the incredible string of picks at only two positions. The first 16 picks of the first round were all shortstops or pitchers, regardless of school or level. In all, 30 of the 43 players selected in Round 1 were either a shortstop or pitcher.
Additionally, half of the first 30 overall picks were high schoolers, including eight of the first 13 and 14 of the first 24. The 19 total selections in round one from the high school ranks was the second most in any draft over the last five years.
A total of 24 college players were drafted in round one, and in keeping with tradition, the SEC dominated the college ranks once again.
The SEC had 13 players selected in the first round, more than twice as many as any other conference. Seven teams had at least one player selected, while Arkansas and Tennessee led the way with four players each.
For perspective, that’s as many first round picks as the entire Big Ten has produced over the last five MLB Drafts combined.
Here’s a look at each SEC player selected in Round 1 for the 2025 Draft, as well as the current totals of first round picks for every SEC team all-time.
2025 Draft First Round Picks
No. 3 SEA – LHP Kade Anderson (LSU)
No. 5 STL – LHP Liam Doyle (Tennessee)
No. 13 SF – SS Gavin Kilen (Tennessee)
No. 15 BOS – RHP Kyson Witherspoon (Oklahoma)
No. 19 BAL – C Ike Irish (Auburn)
No. 20 MIL – 3B Andrew Fischer (Tennessee)
No. 26 PHI – RHP Gage Wood (Arkansas)
No. 27 CLE – OF Jace LaViolette (Texas A&M)
No. 31 BAL – SS Wehiwa Aloy (Arkansas)
No. 33 BOS – RHP Marcus Phillips (Tennessee)
No. 36 MIN – RHP Riley Quick (Alabama)
No. 40 LAD – LHP Zach Root (Arkansas)
No. 41 LAD – OF Chales Davalan (Arkansas)
Most First Round MLB Draft Picks All-Time by SEC School (First Round picks in 2025)
1. Texas – 43
2. Vanderbilt – 29
3. Tennessee – 27 (4)
T4. Florida – 25
T4. LSU – 25 (1)
6. Oklahoma – 22 (1)
T7. Mississippi State – 20
T7. South Carolina – 20
T7. Texas A&M – 20 (1)
10. Georgia – 15
11. Arkansas – 14 (4)
12. Auburn – 10 (1)
T13. Alabama – 9 (1)
T13. Missouri – 9
15. Kentucky – 8
16. Ole Miss – 8
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