As the college baseball season approaches its conclusion, the anticipation for the MLB Draft begins to mount. While the main draft event is scheduled for mid-July, the upcoming conference tournaments will serve as significant platforms for many top prospects to showcase their skills. Success in these tournaments could significantly elevate their draft stock, prompting assessments and possible shifts in projections.

In the latest mock drafts, expert analysts are weighing in with their predictions for the upcoming selections. McDaniel's mini-mock preview covers the first 14 picks, highlighting a predominance of high school talent at the top. Leading off was Ethan Holliday, a third baseman from Stillwater High School in Oklahoma. Holliday is the son of seven-time All-Star Matt Holliday and brother of Baltimore Orioles infielder Jackson Holliday. Following Holliday, Florida State's left-handed pitcher Jamie Arnold was projected at the No. 2 spot, succeeded by Seth Hernandez, a right-handed pitcher from Corona High School in California. Other notable picks included collegiate lefties Liam Doyle from Tennessee and Kade Anderson from LSU, demonstrating a balanced mix of high school and college players in the early rounds.

Meanwhile, Mayo's comprehensive mock draft expanded to 27 players, with a significant emphasis on collegiate pitchers and high school middle infielders. The first 11 prospects listed in Mayo's mock generally mirrored McDaniel's picks, albeit with some variation in order. Mayo also began with Holliday at No. 1, followed by Arnold, but Doyle was placed at No. 3 with Oregon State's Aiva Arquette climbing to No. 4. The analyst speculated that the Colorado Rockies might select a college pitcher at No. 4, noting Arquette's impressive season with 17 home runs and an OPS exceeding 1.100 as reasons why he could be the ideal choice. Mayo also observed that Anderson fell to the Pittsburgh Pirates at No. 6, pointing to a historical reluctance of teams to draft right-handed high school pitchers, despite Anderson's position as one of the top-ranked prep players in the nation.