Hello, dear Razzball readers! Although it has been many moons since we last checked in on the college game, my crack staff has been busy analyzing and organizing reports on countless prospects across the sport’s landscape. My crack staff consists of two dogs with ADHD, an eight-month-old infant, my retired neighbor named Bill, and a cardinal who has been endlessly pecking on my window. His name is Jean Claude.
Suffice to say, I have had my work cut out for me. Bill has spent significantly more time woodworking and making homemade canes in his garage than scouting this offseason. Not to mention, he sometimes takes the “crack” in crack staff a bit too literally. As for Jean Claude, well, he still thinks the love of his life is on the other side of the glass windows. He has been relegated to a new social role, Tweeting. The change has been quite unproductive.
As for myself, the top-10 prospects for the beginning of the 2025 college baseball season have been completed. It is not a dazzling class, but it isn’t shallow, either. Still, as I wrote these breakdowns, I couldn’t help but feel that it was one of the weaker top-10s since I started covering college prospects at Razzball in 2020. Sure, Jace LaViolette, Jamie Arnold and Cam Cannarella are awesome, but none of them scream slam-dunk, 1-1 overall to me. And the 8-10 spots could be beefier. Like a Runza.
As always, this list is a lot different than the industry consensus and what you’ll see elsewhere. These rankings take future fantasy contributions into account, especially a player’s ability to assist across multiple statistical categories. So, who is at No. 1 this year, and are there any major surprises? Here’s the list:
1. Cam Cannarella, OF, Clemson (BA #6, #15 MLB): Twitchy athlete and true five-tool impact as a true centerfielder. Can make the highlight reel play coming in, going straight back and into the gaps. Not imposing whatsoever at 6-foot and 180 lbs., but there’s room to add muscle where average to plus power already exists. Shows more in-game than raw pop as a .363/.440/.560 career hitter with 18 homers and 24 steals in 117 collegiate games. 14.4 K% and 11.7 BB% at Clemson. Quick, jerky left-handed swing stays long through ball with a Yelich-esque finish. Projects as a top three-to-five starting CF at the game’s highest level.
2. Jace LaViolette, OF, Texas A&M (BA #1, MLB #1): Widely regarded as the top overall player in the 2025 draft class, rivaling prepster Ethan Holiday for the No. 1 spot. Plus athlete. Athletic at 6-foot-6 and 230 lbs. Linebacker build. Primary tool is plus raw power that showed early and often in college and he runs well enough to start in center for the Aggies. Likely destined to play corner OF in pro ball, likely RF due to above average arm. Owns a career .297/.433/.683 batting line in college with 50 homers, 26 doubles and 25 steals in 132 games. Had struck out at a 25.4% clip compared to a 18.2% walk rate. Hit tool is average. Compares to Jac Caglianone with a less-advanced hit tool and worse knack for finding the barrel, but better overall swing profile, especially in regard to chase rate. 40-homer potential.
3. Jamie Arnold, LHP, Florida State (MLB #3, BA #4): Unique, high-hand delivery paired with a low-three quarters/sidearm slot from the left side. Stuff plays up as a result. Not imposing at 6-1. Heater sits 92-95. Will typically top at 96 but touches 97 with riding life. Also throws a plus sweeping slider and average changeup. Velo band maxes around 14 mph. Has gone 13-8 with a 3.97 ERA, 1.26 WHIP, 12.5 K/9 and 3.2 BB/9 in 149 2/3 college frames. Broke out with 2.98 ERA, 13.5 K/9 and 2.2 BB/9 as a sophomore in 2024.
4. Tyler Bremner, RHP, UC Santa Barbara (BA #3, MLB #4): Top right-handed pitcher in the class, prep or college. Fastball averages over 95 mph and tops at 98 with riding life. Also commands a 70-grade changeup with late fade (46% whiff rate). Has shown improvement with average-to-plus slider. Has worked as a reliever and starter in college. Owns a 3.63 ERA, 1.10 WHIP, 11.5 K/9 and 2.4 BB/9 in 144 career innings (36 appearances, 17 starts). Made 19 outings in sophomore 2024 season, starting nine and went 11-1 with a 2.54 ERA, 0.88 WHIP, 10.6 K/9 and 2.11 B/9.
5. Devin Taylor, OF, Indiana (BA #8, MLB #20): Has hit .338/.441/.655 in two seasons at Indiana with 36 homers, 24 doubles, four triples and six steals in 114 games. Has drawn nearly as many walks as strikeouts for a 15.9 K% and 13.8 BB%. Slugged .510 on the Cape, launching five homers in 29 games while hitting .296 with a .397 OBP. Likely destined for corner OF but most likely a RF due to average arm. Plus hit and raw power. Will need to watch chase rate in pro ball but will has 30-plus home runs in his bat if he can maintain his contact profile.
6. Ethan Petry, OF, South Carolina (BA #26, MLB #29): Burst onto scene as 2023 SEC Freshman of the Year by hitting .376/.471/.733 with 23 homers, 10 doubles and four steals in 63 games. He regressed to a .306/.471/.639 line as a sophomore in 2024. Part of that was due to his strikeout rate jumping from 21.4% to 25.3%, although his walks also rose from 12.0% to 17.6%. Also excelled on the Cape in 2024, slashing .360/.480/.760 with 11 tanks in 31 games while fanning at a 20.8% clip. His swing projects well with wood. Plus raw power. Average hit tool. Below average range in RF. Will play 1B as a pro. RH swing covers plate well but has shown a tendency to be incredibly streaky.
7. Nolan Schubart, OF, Oklahoma State (BA #20, MLB #30): Might be the steal of the draft class. Advanced LH hitter with a 6-foot-5, 220-lb. frame. Primary position is hitter. Below average runner and fringy arm. Plays corner OF at OSU but will be limited to 1B/DH as a pro. Offensive upside is obvious, as he’s batted .352/.480/.743 with 40 homers and 30 doubles in 110 games. 30.0% strikeout rate. Walks at 18.8% clip. Hit .370/.513/.838 with slightly improved 27.4 K% as a sophomore in 2024. Played on 2024 Cape and slashed .300/.476/.667 with three homers in nine games. Ball is loud off his bat. Covers entire plate well, but struggles with the strikeout and his limited defensive projections cap his draft capital.
8. Aiva Arquette, 2B, Oregon State (MLB #7, BA #19): The top transfer in the 2024 cycle. 6-foot-4, 220-pounder who has primarily played the keystone. Scouts bullish he has the athleticism to play short long term. Starred at Washington from 2023-24, hitting .311/.386/.575 with 17 homers, 14 doubles and nine steals in 63 games. Whiffed at a 20% clip while walking at a 9.1% rate. Vaulted up as a prospect after slashing .291/.357/.437 on the 2024 Cape, launching three homers in 29 games.
9. Nick Dumesnil, OF, California Baptist (BA #15, MLB #35): One of the 2024 stars of the Cape Cod League, hitting .320/.382/.500 with four homers, 10 doubles and league-high 25 steals. Athletic. Five-tool player. Could stick in CF long term but more likely a corner OF. Has slashed .357/.434/.661 with 19 bombs, 24 doubles and 14 steals in 81 college games. 15.6 K% and 7.5 BB%. Pre-swing hand and barrel location provokes images of Paul Goldschmidt albeit with less of a crouch. Load is simple and strikes ball with controlled violence. Punishes fastballs and breaking mistakes, but has struggled on well-executed breakers.
10. Luke Stevenson, C, North Carolina (MLB #13, BA #44): Eligible as a true sophomore. Plus pull-side power with ability to be a plus hitter to all fields. Top defensive catcher in the 2025 class. Slashed .284/.420/.535 with 14 homers, a 20.4 K% and 17.8 BB% in 64 games as a freshman in 2024. Elite real-world prospect, as he is an elite defender and has positive intangibles. The bat will continue to develop but with a 45-hit/55-power combo, this is as high as I’ll put him for now. Another step forward offensively this season and Stevenson could be a top-15 overall pick.
11. BONUS – Max Belyeu, OF, Texas (MLB #14, BA #41): Burst onto the collegiate scene as a sophomore, earning Big 12 Player of the Year honors. Relatively inexperienced college bat with just 270 career plate appearances, but commands a .326/.416/.639 slash line with 18 homers and 16 doubles in 74 games. Moderate 19.3 K% paired with 10.4 BB%. Above-average to plus hit and power tools. Projects as a corner outfielder with a plus arm. Has tendency to make highlight reel plays but takes questionable routes at times.
12. BONUS – Kyson Witherspoon, RHP, Oklahoma (MLB #26, BA #38): Pitched to a 3.71 ERA, 1.36 WHIP, 10.1 K.9 and 4.5 BB/9 in 80 innings in his first Division I season with the Sooners in 2024. Spent first two years at Northwest Florida State College, posting a 3.10 ERA with 72 strikeouts in 69 2/3 frames. Plus heater and slider, sitting mid 90s and reaching 98-99. Unique arm action, going from behind right hip to a quick, compact release near the ear.
Just Missed: Chris Arroyo, 1B, Virginia; Gavin Kilen, 2B, Tennessee; Brendan Summerhill, OF, Arizona; Andrew Fischer, 3B, Tennessee; Henry Ford, 1B, Virginia; Nate Snead, RHP, Tennessee; Marek Houston, SS, Wake Forest; Dean Curley, SS, Tennessee; Trent Caraway, 3B, Oregon State; Ike Irish, C, Auburn; Murf Gray, 3B, Fresno State
That’s all for this week, Razzball fam! It’s great to be back. As always, I’m happy to take this conversation into the comments section or on Twitter, where you can find me @WorldOfHobbs.
