As the college baseball season approaches its conclusion, the anticipation for the Major League Baseball (MLB) draft is on the rise. The draft event itself is scheduled for mid-July, yet many of the top prospects will be showcasing their skills during the upcoming conference tournaments, which serve as critical platforms for their assessment. Performances in these tournaments could significantly influence their positions on various draft boards.

Examining recent expert mock drafts provides insight into how the landscape is shaping up. McDaniel released a refreshed top-150 prospect ranking, along with a mini-mock draft projecting the first 14 picks. The early selections reflect a strong emphasis on high school talent, with four of the first seven picks being high school players. McDaniel indicated Stillwater High School's third baseman Ethan Holliday, the son of seven-time All-Star Matt Holliday and brother of Baltimore Orioles infielder Jackson Holliday, as the likely first choice, while also noting the open nature of the draft order.

Following Holliday in McDaniel's projection are Jamie Arnold, a left-handed pitcher from Florida State, and Seth Hernandez, a right-hander from Corona High School in California. They are followed by collegiate lefties Liam Doyle from Tennessee and Kade Anderson from LSU. Shortstops Billy Carlson and Eli Willits round out the top selections before Oregon State's Aiva Arquette and Texas A&M's Jace LaViolette, and Oklahoma righty Kyson Witherspoon close out the first round. Mayo's mock draft goes deeper, featuring 27 players, predominantly comprising college pitchers and high school middle infielders, with notable similarities to McDaniel's choices in the earlier picks.