2025 MLB Draft LHP Rankings

How I see the Top 80 LHP for the 2025 MLB Draft

This is how I would rank the Top 80 left handed pitchers in the 2025 MLB Draft as we start to approach the draft. This isn’t intended to be writeups on players, but just to give you an idea where I feel they rank with some comments related to that.

Note that this is the position these players are being drafted at and will likely get a look here first.

This is a very strong group of lefties. The Top 3 all could see themselves go in the Top 5 picks and much of the Top 10 have first round buzz. If there is a weakness I would say it is that the college pitching does drop a little after the Top 3 and is filled more with backend guys and relievers.

The positive of this class is the top of the class is elite, even beyond the Top 3 there are so many guys with traits deserving of being mentioned in the first round.

Due to the sheer volume I limited the write-ups to the Top 25. If you have any questions about the guys outside of the Top 25, leave a comment and I will get back to you.

1.Kade Anderson, LSU

The top pitcher in the draft, and in the running for the top overall player. He’s got potentially two plus pitches in the fastball and curve with an above average slider and above average command. His changeup is the weakest pitch, but it’s still a fringy offering as a fourth pitch.

2.Jamie Arnold, Florida State

Arnold was the top pitcher in this draft until Anderson overtook him fairly late in the year. He brings a plus fastball and slider with an above average change and command. He’s got top of the rotation upside with a fairly high floor as a lefty with his stuff and command.

3.Liam Doyle, Tennessee

Doyle came from Ole Miss this year and burst out. He can touch 100 MPH from the left side and it’s a potential 70 grade pitch. The splitter is also above average potential pitch for him with a chance to get to average with the slider and cutter. He also has average command, so he’s not one of those big velo guys who can’t throw strikes. He’s got big upside, but also has some risk because the secondaries need further development and he has a delivery with a lot of effort.

4.Kruz Schoolcraft, Oregon HS

A legit two way star who has massive power potential, but has even higher upside as a pitcher. He can already touch 97 MPH and has an above average to potentially plus change with continued improvement with its consistency. He also has the makings of an above average slider. Despite being a 6’8 pitcher he is already a strike thrower with the potential for average command. He has the most upside of any lefty in this draft.

5.Talon Haley, Mississippi HS

An old for the class athletic lefty with a great story. He has already come back from two TJ’s and cancer. He’s a helium guy who emerged with a fastball up to 97 MPH and a plus curve and has two more solid offerings with a feel for his command. The health history and being 19 already may scare some teams, but he has the look of a first rounder based on athleticism and stuff with the ability to command it.

6.Cameron Appenzeller, Illinois HS

Appenzeller is a projectable arm already touching 94 MPH with the fastball, a plus slider, and above average change and above average command. He’s a two sport guy as well, so additional growth can happen as he starts to focus on just baseball. How much upside he eventually has pretty much depends on the growth of his fastball.

7.Zach Root, Arkansas

Root is more high floor, low ceiling. He doesn’t have a true plus pitch and his fastball plays at more average despite touching 97. His secondaries are his better pitches, with the change and curve being above average pitches with a slider that can also get some whiffs. His command also comes in as potentially above average. Root is probably more of a back end starter with #4 upside, but his floor is high with his command and a pair of above average pitches.

8.Jack Bauer, Illinois HS

Bauer is famous for hitting 103 MPH with his fastball this spring. He can spin his slider up to 3000 RPM, though isn’t exactly consistent with it. The little used change also has the same issues, though is more fringy to average. His strike throwing is his biggest issue, but he has some chance to get to fringy there. The upside is big and the fallback of being a reliever is also an option if he can’t throw enough strikes to make it as a starter.

9.Uli Fernsler, Michigan HS

Fernsler is a young for the class lefty with some projection remaining on his body. He doesn’t have the biggest fastball delivery, but he is able to get it to play better than the radar gun readings with a release that’s tough on hitters. He has a slider and change that could both be above average and a slider that has a chance to be average. Command is above average to possibly future plus for him. With great command and possibly three above average pitches from a cold weather arm with some projection remaining, the upside can be high if he can add just a little more velo - though there is some floor for him as a prep prospect.

10.Briggs McKenzie, North Carolina HS

McKenzie has one of the better curveballs in the prep class with a fastball and change that can get to average with more consistency for the fastball and continued improvement with the change. He is a strike thrower as well. He brings #3/4 upside with slightly more if he can add a little to the fastball that already touches 95 MPH.

11.Johnny Slawinski, Texas HS

Projectable lefty who can touch 95 MPH and has two average secondaries in change and slider plus a curve which is a fringy fourth pitch. Nothing is plus, though he is a projectable four sport athlete who has shown improvement with the slider already this year and may continue his development. He also has a solid feel for strike throwing.

12.Aiden Stillman, Florida HS

Projectable lefty with three above average pitches and solid feel for command. Nothing is plus unless he adds to the fastball. His change lags behind at the moment and projects as a fringy pitch, but with more reps could grow into a fourth average pitch.

13.Cooper Underwood, Georgia HS

Projectable lefty up to 93 MPH, which plays up because of the life on it. Has a plus curve and a slider that is above average with average change and command. He has all the makings of a middle of the rotation starter, especially when he fills in his 6’3, 170 pound frame.

14.Jared Spencer, Texas

Looking like a first rounder after transferring from Indiana State thanks to a fastball up to 98 MPH and a plus slider with a new, promising change. A shoulder surgery ended his season early and clouds his draft status a little. He will need to improve his command in addition to getting healthy.

15.Joseph Dzierwa, Michigan State

A productive college arm who broke out this year thanks to a plus changeup and plus command. He didn’t produce a ton of swings and misses this year in the Big Ten, and the fastball is more of an average pitch with a fringy slider. He’s probably a little limited on ceiling because of the fastball and only one better than average pitch, but he has a high floor as a lefty with a plus change with plus command.

16.JD Thompson, Vanderbilt

Very similar to Carter Holton last year, JD Thompson is an undersized Vandy lefty with a plus fastball and three secondaries that grade as about average. He’s got above average command, but the lack of an above average secondary gives him some reliever risk.

17.Frank Cairone, New Jersey HS

Young for the class with an above average fastball up to 94 MPH and an excellent plus slider. Recently added a cutter than could grow into an average pitch and has a change that is below average. He will need to likely improve on the change to remain a starter and also refine his command which could grow into fringy, but he has the stuff to be an impact reliever if he can’t do that.

18.Landon Beidelschies, Arkansas

Beidelschies can get his fastball up to 98 MPH and has a slider that can be a plus pitch at times with average command. He looks like a reliever though as his third pitch is a definitely below average and lightly used changeup. Without more work on the changeup the bullpen is calling his name.

19.Xavier Mitchell, Texas HS

An old for the class projectable lefty up to 94 MPH with a plus curve. His change is more of a 40 pitch and will need to improve for him to remain a starter, but he does have average command potential.

20.Cade Crossland, Oklahoma

The plus change is his best pitch, especially mixed with a fastball up to 98 MPH and solid command. His slider and curve are both fringy and can blend together, leading to some thought that he combines them into one pitch.

21.Austin Weiss, Maryland HS

Lefty with a fastball up to 95 MPH and a swing and miss slider who has average command and the potential for his change to be fringy with more development.

22.Cade Obermueller, Iowa

An undersized pitcher with great feel for spin. Gets his fastball up to 97 MPH with his plus slider and solid change. He should have fringy enough command to be able to start and profile as a #4 starter.

23.Ben Jacobs, Arizona State

A four pitch mix guy with a swing and miss change and average fastball and slider, plus a fringy curve. Has fringy command, but looks like he has the pitch mix to be a backend starter.

24.Justin Lamkin, Texas A&M

Lamkin is a command oriented pitcher with average stuff who profiles as a backend starter because he doesn’t have a swing and miss offering.

25.Brody Irlbeck, Missouri HS

A plus change is Irlbeck’s go to pitch with average fastball and slider to go with a fringy curve and above average command. He’s got all the makings of a backend starter, but even has a chance to surpass that with some added velo.

26.Pico Kohn, Mississippi State

27.Alan Soler, Florida HS (OF)

28.Ryan Prager, Texas A&M

29.Shane Sdao, Texas A&M

30.Caden Crowell, Indiana HS

31.Myles Patton, Texas A&M

32.Brandon Arvidson, Tennessee

33.Joe Ariola, Wake Forest

34.Ethan Rogers, Missouri HS

35.Dylan Brown, Old Dominion

36.Jack McKernan, Texas HS

37.Kyle McCoy, Maryland

38.Nicholas Frusco, New York HS

39.Jackson Steensma, Appalachian State

40.Ben Moore, Old Dominion

41.Matthew Dallas, Wake Forest

42.Ben Abeldt, TCU

43.Zane Adams, Alabama

44.Caden Hunter, USC

45.Maddox Miller, Mississippi HS

46.Grant Richardson, Grand Canyon

47.Mason Peters, Dallas Baptist

48.Miller Green, Vanderbilt

49.Conner Ware, LSU

50.Dominic Fritton, NC State

51.Luke Harrison, Texas

52.Alton Davis, Georgia

53.Jackson Hoyt, Florida HS

54.Joey Volini, Florida State

55.Hunter Elliott, Ole Miss

56.Shane Brinham, Canada HS

57.Evan Blanco, Virginia

58.Gavin Lauridsen, California HS

59.Trey Morris, California HS

60.James Tallon, Duke

61.Pierce Coppola, Florida

62.Nelson Keljo, Oregon State

63.Folger Boaz, North Carolina

64.Braeden Sloan, TCU

65.Luke Smyers, Virginia HS

66.Ryan Ure, Oklahoma State

67.Holden deJong, New Jersey Tech

68.Andrew Healy, Duke

69.Alex Barr, Indiana HS

70.Owen Proksch, Duke

71.Caleb Leys, Maine

72.Ryan DeSanto, Penn State

73.Caleb Deer, Kansas JUCO

74.Antoine Jean, Houston

75.Hudson Barrett, UC Santa Barbara

76.Grayson Grinsell, Oregon

77.Preston Prince, Rutgers

78.Brad Hodges, Virginia

79.Jonathan Gonzalez, Stetson

80.Matthew Becker, South Carolina