MLB Draft 2025: MLB Pipeline updates their draft rankings

MLB Pipeline updated their draft rankings. It will be fascinating to see who the Nationals take at the top of the draft

MLB Pipeline released their updated top 150 rankings for the 2025 MLB Draft. There is a lot of uncertainty around the top of a class where the Nationals are picking number one. This is very different from the other two times the Nats had the number one pick, when Stephen Strasburg and Bryce Harper were the obvious selections.

I have written about eight different players so far in my quest to find a number one pick in this class. Most years there are not this many guys with a chance to go number one. Pipeline wrote in length about the uncertainty at the top of the class.

For MLB Pipeline, Ethan Holliday remains their number one prospect. His hold on that number 1 spot is tenuous. Holliday has impressive power and those family bloodlines. However, there are some swing and miss concerns, but those are not on the level of a guy like Elijah Green. Holliday also has very impressive plate discipline.

While it would be nice to have an obvious 1-1, this uncertainty gives the Nats a lot of options. They could go under slot, like they did last year with Seaver King. In fact, it is very likely they will go under slot. Since 2012, Spencer Torkelson is the only number one pick to get slot or above. The question is how far under slot will the Nats go.

One blurb of the Pipeline piece that intrigued me was when they said the Nationals are believed to be focusing most of their efforts on Holliday, Seth Hernandez, Jamie Arnold, and Aiva Arquette. This news could narrow the playing field in the race for the first pick.

Pipeline has Hernandez as their second best player. Hernandez has a chance to be the first ever high school right hander to be selected first overall. While there is some risk that comes with that, recent highly drafted high school righties like Hunter Greene and Jackson Jobe show the upside.

Jamie Arnold is seen as the safest player in the draft. The southpaw is close to the big leagues and his deceptive low release draws Chris Sale comparisons. Pipeline has him as their number 3 player.

Aiva Arquette is the highest ranked college bat in the draft, so it makes sense why the Nats are looking at him closely. He is having a huge year at Oregon State after transferring from Washington. Arquette is 6’5, has big power and a chance to stick at shortstop. That along with his production is an exciting package.

This race for number one is going to be a fascinating watch as the year progresses. While there is no clear cut number one, there are so many ways the Nats can go. With a high school hitter, a high school pitcher, a college pitcher, and a college hitter, every demographic has a player that could go number one.

It is up to Mike Rizzo along with Danny Haas and Brad Ciolek to comb through the uncertainty and find the best guy. All four candidates have their pros and cons. This pick will tell us so much about what this front office is thinking and what their vision for the team is.