Northeast College MLB Draft Ranks: 1-15
Ranking the top college players in the northeast for the 2025 MLB Draft
It’s finally the start of ranking season! I wrote a PRIMER recently that provides a lot of detail about my process and what to expect.
Below are the top 15 college players in the northeast for the 2025 draft. I also separated some of the players into tiers. Before certain player writeups it will say “This is the start of a new tier.”
I’ll have ranking for player 16-30 ready to go within the next few days. Enjoy!
#1
Cam Maldonado offers the most complete toolset of any college bat in the northeast class, combining physicality with high-end athleticism. A tall right-handed hitter with a heavily closed stance, Maldonado generates plus bat speed and shows a clear intent to drive the ball with authority to the opposite field. He and teammate Harrison Feinberg have eerily similar setups. You can also draw some parallels between Maldonado’s stance and Giancarlo Stanton’s. Maldonado’s power plays best to the opposite field/right-center field gap, and you’ll often see him letting the ball travel deep in the zone before making contact. When you have 80 grade power like Stanton, you can be an all-time great hitter with this approach. For Maldonado, there are going to be some exploitable areas in the swing. He can be beaten inside by velocity and has shown difficulty lifting the ball to the pull side. While he can occasionally catch pitches middle-in and above the belt for pull-side power, it’s not a consistent part of his offensive profile. He also has trouble lifting balls middle-in and below the belt. Still, the impact is real—there’s enough bat speed and strength to provide value despite the holes in the swing. He makes good swing decisions and appears more confident at the plate after a lackluster sophomore season in 2024.
Maldonado is a plus runner with a plus arm. His home-to-first times were a bit inconsistent this spring, but that was caused by a hamstring injury. Maldonado earned the centerfield job for Northeastern this spring after the departure of Mike Sirota. While his reads and jumps in center field can be a bit awkward at times, he’s looked capable enough to project as an average defender there long-term. Given the tools and projection, Maldonado profiles as a power over hit type of bat who can provide value on the bases and on the defensive side of the ball. He’s likely to come off the board somewhere in the 3rd to 5th round range.
#2
I watched every Michael Salina start live on stream. It was must see viewing for me each time out. Apparently the scouting community up here agreed because the seats behind home plate were filled with familiar faces. Salina’s matchup against Tennessee was supposed to be his big moment, the perfect test against one of college baseball’s elite programs. Instead, Salina battled through discomfort and ultimately left the game after three innings. That was almost three months ago and it was the last time Salina would pitch in 2025. Salina needed TJ surgery which ended his season after only 4 starts and 17.1 innings.
Salina made starts against Gardner-Webb, Morehead State, Middle Tennessee, and Tennessee. We were two weekends away from making his first start back up home in the northeast. I wasn’t able to see Salina pitch this spring, but this was a pitcher who already won me over. That’s why I’m still ranking him this high. Coming back from surgery is no sure thing, but it’s also not a profile killer the way is was years ago. I’m sure for a lot of teams it’s to be expected for hard throwing pitchers.
My first exposure to Salina came courtesy of PrepBaseballReport.com back when he was an uncommitted senior in high school. I made sure to follow him over time. He eventually committed to George Mason but barely pitched there as a freshman. Salina then transferred to St Bonaventure and showed an uptick in stuff during the fall of 2023. His name went right to the top of my priority list for that coming spring. I was able to see him pitch against St Joseph’s (video below) and at that point I was all in. Salina then took things to an even crazier level this past fall, registering multiple 100 MPH readings on scout day and in scrimmages.
Salina isn’t the biggest guy in terms of stature at around 6’0 tall. He’s extremely physical and you can tell that he really works to get his body into peak condition. He’s also an absolute bulldog competitor on the mound and someone who inspires confidence for a team when he has the ball in a big moment. He has a high 3/4 release getting steep plane and well above average extension in his delivery. Salina is strong but also has some twitchy athleticism which allows him to move well on the mound.
Before the injury, Salina was sitting in the upper 90s and topping out at 101-102 MPH. But I think the evolution of his slider was an equally significant development as the jump in velocity. Salina was presenting an upper 90s pitcher with at least a plus slider. Those two elements, even with the injury, are such loud traits that I think it’s going to be hard for teams to ignore. If anything, some teams might feel like Salina’s injury is a way to acquire some expensive tools at a discount.
I may end up being too optimistic with Salina, but I’m going to stick to my guns on this one. There’s a reason why I was interested in this kid 3-4 years ago and all he’s done is continue to improve. I’m not ready to quit believing now. I’m not sure where Salina goes on draft day, but I would feel comfortable taking him between rounds 3-6.
#3
Not seeing two of the top three guys on this list might not be the best look for me, but what are you going to do? Niagara is 6-7 hours from me and I was banking on seeing Matt Barr either very late in the spring or during the summer in the MLB draft league. Unfortunately that didn’t work out which means Barr is a major wild card for me when it comes to rankings.
Barr first popped up on my radar this past fall when he was highlighted by PrepBaseballReport.com. At that time, Barr scraped 90 MPH but had a great frame, an electric arm, and really impressive spin ability. A few months later there was some video sent to me that showed Barr throwing mid to upper 90s with the same gift for spinning a breaking ball. I reached out to some contacts to make sure this was legit. I quickly found out that it was.
There’s not much I can tell you about Barr that you can’t find elsewhere on the internet. He was someone who I asked scouts about often and teams seemed to have a fairly similar general opinion of him. He has the ideal build, outrageous stuff, and perhaps the highest ceiling of any college player in the northeast. He’s extremely raw as a pitcher which is to be expected. You can see it in video with the repeatability of his delivery. He’s stuff has also fluctuated at times and he doesn’t always hold it well. A lot of that is because Niagara is 40 degrees and lower for the majority of the juco season. I think Chris Dryll from PBR did a great job encapsulating what Barr is all about in this tweet HERE.
There are probably teams who have Barr #1 in the northeast and you can make a strong argument that, at the very least, should be ahead of Salina. He’s only 19 and is now committed to Tennessee which will give him strong negotiating leverage. I think he will sign and I would be surprised if he’s still on the board past round 4.
#4
This is the start of a new tier. This tier lasts until #6
Full disclosure, Trevor Cohen is a personal favorite of mine. BIAS WARNING!
Back when I was at ProspectsLive.com I wrote an article prior to the 2024 season that highlighted some local college players with intriguing data points. Cohen was among the five after he put up an exceptional contact rate as a freshman. Over the past three years with Rutgers, Cohen has been one of the highest contact hitters in college baseball with a contact rate hovering in the 88-90% range each year. He’s been a pleasure to watch the past three years and someone I am genuinely excited to watch hit every time I head down to Rutgers. His high ranking here may come as a surprise to some, but it’s due in large to part to subtle and gradual improvements I’ve noticed in various areas over the course of his Scarlet Knight career. All the while he’s maintained the same level of excellence when it comes to putting the ball in play. The bat-to-ball ability is a bankable skills in my view moving forward.
There are sure to be some detractors. The ‘tweener’ label will be applied to Cohen as a player who doesn’t profile cleanly as a corner outfielder (lacking prototypical power) or a centerfielder (lacking prototypical speed). And I’d say that there is some truth to that label. It’s not an unfair observation. Cohen never received much time in center for Rutgers and he’s only hit four homers during his three year college career. However, I think there’s a little more to the story. Cohen won’t be a power threat at the next level, but he has gotten noticeably stronger since his freshman season and the exit velocity on his batted balls have ticked up year to year. His 95th percentile exit velocity of 105 MPH as of May is far from spectacular, but it’s also a jump from last year when it was around 101-102 MPH. He’s been able to impact the ball with more authority from pole to pole and to the gaps which enabled him to record 24 doubles this spring after only hitting 10 doubles in 2023 and 2024 combined.
Cohen is at his best when he’s using the middle and opposite side of the field. He’ll often employ a scissor kick in his swing which allows Cohen to stay balanced and maintain a quality bat path through the ball. A big reason why Cohen has such excellent plate coverage, makes so much contact, and is able to spray the ball all over the field is because of his scissor swing. There may be teams out there that try to get him to stay grounded more often to create more pull side power. Others may decide that this is just a natural move in his swing that isn’t worth messing with. At the end of the day you are buying the contact ability. Cohen doesn’t have the elite plate discipline of someone like Steven Kwan, but he’s a smart hitter who knows how to make the most of his offensive abilities.
I’ve gotten multiple 55 grade home-to-first times this spring for Cohen. Like with the power, Cohen has shown gradual improvement in his running. He isn’t a burner, but he’s become a better, quicker runner while also becoming a more confident and instinctual baserunner. Scouts were hoping to see Cohen in center this spring but unfortunately it didn’t happen. Cohen played right field this spring and looked excellent in my looks. He may be a plus defender in a corner which could entice some team to give him a shot in center as a pro. The arm has been inconsistent with some throws lacking carry. However, I have seen some fringe average throws from Cohen. I think there’s a chance the arm could play to a 45 grade level with pro instruction. That wouldn’t make Cohen’s an arm a weapon in right field, but I think it could be enough for Cohen to play both corner spots which would improve his versatility.
As far as comps go, the typical tweener guy will most likely work. I have heard Will Brennan from one scout and Tres Gonzalez from another. A higher end outcome could be Nick Markakis. Brennan was taken in round 8 while Cohen was taken in round 5. I think Cohen will go somewhere in the 4-6 range in July. Cohen may lake some ceiling to his profile but the team that takes him is going to get a really good ballplayer.
#5
I wrote about Caleb Leys HERE. The story is more or less the same. Leys was highly effective through 14 starts and 67 innings of work in his first year back from TJ. He’s a bulldog on the mound with some outlier traits and a shorter track record compared to other 4th year college arms. Leys could go as high as round 4 with a likely range between 4-7. Leys was named America East Pitcher of the Year. He finished the season with a 2.69 ERA and 74:27 K to BB ratio.
#6
An undersized, twitchy athlete, Dylan Palmer stands out for his elite speed and high-energy play. Though skinny and lacking physicality, he brings a slasher’s approach at the plate—aggressive, with good plate coverage and a clear intent to put the ball in play and get moving down the line. He’s quick out of the box and puts immediate pressure on the defense. There’s bottom-of-the-scale raw power, but the speed tool is game-changing—easily 70, if not an 80, and he’s a smart baserunner who takes the extra base when it’s there. He’s going to be a tough out anytime he puts the ball on the ground. Palmer put up a .400/.449/.536 line this spring and is a career .386 hitter at Hofstra. He recorded a contact rate around 90% on the season with an in-zone swing and miss rate hovering around 10%. Both are phenomenal percentages which serve his overall profile as a bat-to-ball maven who causes havoc. There are going to be questions about Palmer’s ability to impact the ball with a wood bat as he only has two homers in his college career and only one NECBL summer campaign to his name back in 2023.
Defensively, Palmer has bounced around the diamond. He’s logged time at second, third, shortstop, and center field, but has spent most of this year at third. That’s likely not a long-term fit—his arm is below average, and the errors I witnessed seemed tied to the unique angle at the hot corner and his internal clock more than hands. At second base, he’s looked much more natural. The hands are quick, transfers clean, and he compensates for the arm with fast releases. Shortstop is a better fit than third, and left or center field could be an intriguing long-term option given the speed and range. The most likely scenario is Palmer flips between second and either left or centerfield in pro ball.
There’s a bit of “Chandler Simpson lite” to the profile—top-of-the-scale speed and disruptive contact. The power is going to limit his overall upside, but there are enough tools here to place Palmer in the 5-8 round range this July.
#7
This is the start of a new tier. This tier last until #15
Ryan Daniels was a UConn freshman who arrived with some pedigree attached to his name as a PBR Super 60 participant back in 2022. He has battled injuries during his tenure at Storrs, but has put together a complete campaign as a junior. Daniels is a bat-first prospect who shares some profile similarities to Mets 11th round pick Nick Roselli. I was a huge Roselli fan so I guess it’s not surprising that I’m probably going to be a bit higher on Daniels than the consensus. Daniels has more size, and the strength to go with it, than Roselli and I have more faith that Daniels’ power will translate to pro ball.
Over the past year, Daniels has added significant strength, which has come at the cost of some athleticism. Still, the impact has been clear—he’s been one of the most statistically productive hitters in Division I baseball over the past couple of months, and the offensive data backs up the eye test. I like the approach at the plate, which he adjusts depending on the situation. He’ll load up on his back side in favorable counts to maximize impact, but will shorten up with two strikes while still being able to leave the yard. The hands are lightning quick and allows him to stay on time at the point of contact. Daniels utilizes a smaller leg lift and really digs in with his back foot, getting the most out of his lower half strength. I think Daniels sees the ball well and is able to make adjustments during at-bats that help him perform. 242 plate appearances into the season and Daniels is rocking a .361/.475/.722 batting line with 16 homers, 34 extra base hits, and an equal amount of walks and strikeouts at 39 apiece.
Physically, he appears close to maxed out. As previously mentioned, Daniels bulked up a lot over the past year. He looks less athletic and balanced on the defensive end as a result. There are going to be defensive limitations—he’s likely restricted to the right side of the infield or a corner outfield spot, and he grades out as a fringe defender at best at the keystone. A history of hip issues adds another layer of concern, especially if he is forced to transition to the outfield.
Even with those flags, the power and offensive upside give Daniels a strong foundation. He projects in the 7th–12th round range, with a chance to climb a bit further if UConn makes another postseason run and the bat keeps producing at its current level.
#8
A graduate transfer from Division III Endicott College, Jordan Gottesman has made the jump to Northeastern this spring and has quickly established himself as a legitimate draft prospect. He drew some pro interest last year but ultimately returned to school, and the decision appears to be paying off. Outside of a blowout against Campbell, Gottesman has looked the part of a pro starter since the middle of March. His box score stats have been excellent with a 2.27 ERA over 83.1 innings, 55 hits, 17 BB, and 97 K.
Gottesman has a strong, projectable frame and checks the boxes for a starting pitcher profile. He works with clean mechanics and shows an advanced feel for both command and pitchability, standing out as one of the most polished arms in the northeast. There may not be another northeast college arm with a better combo of stuff and command in the ‘25 class.
Gottesman works primarily in the 90-94 range, topping out at 95 MPH. The metrics aren’t spectacular but he commands his heater well and knows how to tunnel it with his secondary stuff. Gottesman also has a slider, changeup, and a rarely used cutter. Through April Gottesman recorded swing and miss rates above 40% on both the slider and changeup while inducing chases over 30% of the time. He has a high release and hides the ball well. He may not light up radar guns, but his ability to throw multiple pitches for strikes, miss barrels, and compete deep into outings gives him a high floor and some untapped ceiling.
With performance at the D1 level now under his belt, Gottesman has a chance to move quickly through the minors as a dependable, mature starter with developmental upside. He won’t have much negotiating leverage as a grad year player who turns 23 in August For me, that makes him even more enticing. This is a pretty good profile to bet on generally and it could come at a bargain price. Gottesman would be a priority “senior discount/bonus saver” arm for me in the 5-10 round range depending on what the signing bonus looks like.
#9
Jack Goodman is a sneaky tools bet with athleticism that may be flying a bit under the radar. He’s recorded above-average to plus 60 times with at least average raw power, and there's more physical projection than the surface numbers might suggest. After an uninspiring freshman year with Pepperdine, Goodman came back home to Massachusetts and has been a consistent performer for Northeastern at short. He’s boosted his OPS from .910 to .943 this year while increasing his home run output from 8 to 10 to date. The under-the-hood data points are consistent year-to-year and aren’t far off from Daniels’ outside of contact rate.
Goodman is a loose athlete with some twitch to his game. He’s got some herky-jerky actions with the way his hands work at the plate, but he does a good job being direct to the ball through the swing. The swing can get a bit long at times when his leg lift gets too big. While he’s not a big dude, Goodman has surprising pop and should keep pitchers honest at the next level. There are some holes in his swing that will likely limit his ability to hit for a high average at the next level.
Defensively, Goodman has a real chance to stick at shortstop, though the rhythm and footwork can get inconsistent at times. He shows plenty of arm strength across the diamond, but the throwing mechanics can get wonky, which affects his accuracy and timing. He’s a good enough athlete with a sound glove and strong arm which could allow him to provide value at multiple positions.
Overall, Goodman brings an intriguing blend of speed, strength, and positional value. With some refinement in the defensive actions and continued offensive growth, he could emerge as a solid sleeper candidate in this class. I think he fits in a similar range as Ryan Daniels (rounds 7-12) for the draft, with many teams preferring Goodman over Daniels overall.
#10
A former two-way player out of Richardson, TX, Colton Shaw has made steady strides on the mound during his time at Yale, transforming into a legitimate prospect with starter traits and upward developmental momentum. He’s a late riser on my board whose pitchability and improving stuff make him an intriguing follow.
Shaw operates from a low ¾ slot with a release height around 5 feet that adds deception and makes his stuff play up, particularly when combined with his two fastball shapes. He leans primarily on a sinker that generates ground balls and soft contact, but also flashes a four-seamer with some ride. Shaw’s average fastball velocity has increased 3 MPH from last year and is now consistently in the low to mid 90s for long stretches. He sat in the 93-96 MPH range for 3-4 innings during my Ivy League tournament look, dipping down to the 88-91 range by innings 7-8. He commands both fastballs well, but will usually go to the sinker when he’s behind and needs to get something in the zone.
His breaking ball is a sweeping slider in the low-to-mid 80s that grades out as a solid offering. The pitch had more power in my look this year than when I saw him last spring. Shaw does a good job tunneling it with his fastball. However, the changeup is the standout pitch—his go-to weapon and second most used pitch behind the sinker at around 30% usage. Shaw’s changeup has major arm-side fade and he’s not afraid to use it against both right and left handed hitters. Like his sinker, Shaw’s changeup generates a lot of weak contact, as opposing hitters have trouble laying off the pitch out of the zone.
Shaw’s approach leans more toward pitching to contact than generating swing-and-miss, but he throws consistent strikes and shows the sequencing and feel to navigate lineups effectively. Some teams may have reservations about his ability to miss bats at the next level. With starter traits, a developing arsenal, and a clear year-over-year progression, Shaw fits the mold of a late-rising arm who could exceed expectations at the next level. He’s a bit older as a senior who turns 22 in late June, though I don’t think that will limit his draft stock a ton. I may be a bit higher on Shaw due to the recency bias of seeing him put together an elite performance in a big game. He could offer teams a senior discount in the 8-10 round range or last a bit longer post-10th round. We’ll need to see if Shaw adds a little negotiating leverage by committing to a new school as a grad transfer before the draft.
#11
Brady Afthim eluded me all spring. I caught four UConn games this year, including one double header, and I didn’t see Afthim pitch once. Bummer. I saw Afthim twice last year and once in the fall, but he took things to another level in 2025. Afthim was on the draft radar last year as a junior but his stuff was inconsistent outing to outing. This year the stuff got better and it remained steady for the most part. He pitched to a 2.70 ERA in 36.2 IP while striking out 53 batters as UConn’s closer.
Afthim’s fastball ticked up this year and was usually in the 92-96 range with solid ride and flat plane. But maybe even more importantly, Afthim looked more comfortable locating and executing with the pitch which made it a more dynamic offering. Afthim’s best secondary has continued to be his mid 80s changeup while the slider improved from both a metric and results standpoint. Afthim’s slider appears to be spinning better than the past which has led to added horizontal movement. He now has three legitimate weapons he can use with a slider for righty bats and a changeup to combat lefties.
There has been considerably more buzz from scouts surrounding Afthim compared to last year even though he’s a college reliever set to turn 23 years old in November. That will limit his draft stock to some degree but I think there are several teams out there that really want to get Afthim into their system and see if another jump is possible in pro ball. Some teams will try to cut a ‘bonus saver’ deal with Afthim in the 7-10 range, but he could also go early post 10th round.
#12
I wrote about Mason Estrada HERE. As you’d expect, Estrada was stellar for MIT this spring. He had a 2.21 ERA in 10 starts and 40.2 innings with 66 strikeouts against 23 walks while only allowing 22 hits. Estrada’s stuff did fluctuate from start to start down the stretch. His stuff would also drop significantly as he pitched deeper into games. The reliever risk that I mentioned in my previous article is still present. Estrada was picked up by Tennessee in the transfer portal which should provide him with some extra leverage in negotiations as well as a strong fallback option if he chooses to stick among the college ranks. Estrada is expected to pitch for the Trenton Thunder in the MLB Draft League before the draft. Teams will be able to see him compete against some better competition and get some pitch in the process.
#13
I wrote about AJ Soldra HERE. I think what I wrote about Soldra back in DATE still holds up. He hit .330/.426/.514 this spring with a contact rate around 80% and decent batted ball data. I love the swing and the physical projection but the flaws in the approach are still part of the profile.
Soldra entered the transfer portal and was quickly scooped up by northeast powerhouse UConn. That feels a like a really good fit for Soldra and I could see him taking another step forward in Storrs, CT for his junior season. Soldra will play on the cape this summer and could potentially boost his stock by performing with wood. He has sophomore leverage heading into negotiations and may be inclined to wait another year before going pro. I wouldn’t be surprised if he ends up on campus with UConn.
#14
Callan Fang brings physicality and a starter's frame, with a deep arsenal and strong pitchability traits. After missing time early in the year due to an arm injury, he finished the season strong, though he didn’t quite take the leap some had hoped for. Fang has recorded an ERA over 4.00 each year at Harvard, with a 4.36 ERA and less than a K per inning this spring. That’s a bit underwhelming for Fang after he had a superb showing with Orleans last summer where he put up a 2.15 ERA and a 39K:9BB ratio in 29.1 innings. He’s not overly quick down the mound and takes a big, exaggerated step towards home during his delivery with a traditional ¾ release. Fang eliminated his windup at some point during the spring. In my first Look at Fang this spring, Fang alternated between using the windup— an old school over-the-head look—and working out of the stretch with no runners on base. He didn’t pitch out of the windup at all when I saw him during the Ivy league tournament. He looked more comfortable and his stuff had a bit more life, overall. A windup rework is probable for Fang in pro ball.
He relies more on command, deception, and sequencing than pure stuff. The command is solid—plenty to start—but is more above average than plus. His fastball sits in the 88-92 range and has been up to 94. It shows some carry and can play at the top of the zone, but projects as a fringy-to-average pitch that can play up with command. Fang’s low-80s slider was better than expected, showing two-plane movement at times, but it lacks consistency as a true out pitch. He also mixes in a loopy curveball in the upper 60s to low 70s that helps disrupt timing and steal strikes. It’s a pitch that has been a consistent, effective weapon all spring for Fang, though its utility in pro ball remains questionable. His best pitch is an upper 70s splitter/changeup hybrid that flashes plus. It was a real weapon last year, but didn’t have the same effectiveness this spring, as both the chase and whiff rates took a dip in 2025. This may have been due to limited feel post-injury. Presently, the arsenal is filled with a lot of 45 and 50 grades.
Overall, Fang profiles as a potential depth starter who will need either an uptick in velocity or the development of a new pitch to elevate his long-term outlook. The current ingredients suggest Fang can have a long career, with a lot of it straddling the AAA/MLB line. Despite a less than stellar season, I could see a team taking Fang in the 8-12 round area this July because of his starter traits. It’s not impossible that Fang chooses to return to Harvard for his senior season where he can get off to a healthy start to the season.
#15
I’ve been following Daniel Bucciero closely the last few years at Fordham. He has always stood out physically from his northeast peers with a strong, well-built frame at 6’2-215. His twin brother Matthew, an outfielder for Fairfield, is similarly physical and a draft prospect in his own right. Besides the great physical attributes, Bucciero performed strongly in several core data categories as a sophomore in 2024, with a contact rate around 80%, an average/max exit velocity of 90/111 MPH, and a 23% chase rate. He then had a decent 25 game Cape performance with Orleans where he hit 4 homers and finished with a .716 OPS.
At the plate, Bucciero starts with his feet shoulder length apart with a lower hand setup. There’s a hand pump before sliding his hands back, keeping them low as he pivots into contact. He rotates quickly with quality bat speed and his best swings feature a vertical bat path through the zone. A lot of his hardest hit balls are of the line drive/low flyball variety which has limited his over-the-fence power. There are plenty of northeast bats who lack the raw juice that Bucciero possesses but have higher homerun and extra base totals. Like I’ve mentioned with some of the other college bats listed here, the sample size of high velocity pitches that Bucciero has faced is quite small. There are going to be questions about Bucciero’s ability to handle higher quality arms because of that. I have some concerns with his ability to handle vertical fastballs up in the strike zone after seeing him look a bit uncomfortable against St. Joseph’s Colton Book. Book was effective by attacking Bucciero with his upper 80s invisiball up in the zone. At the pro level, there will be pitchers who can work similarly but with way more velocity. However, Bucciero reproduced his 2024 production in those core data categories, showing a well-rounded offensive game.
Bucciero is thickly built especially in the lower half with sneaky quickness to his game. He’s become a better athlete over the past year which has been most noticeable with his running and defense at third. Bucciero will now show above average speed which he used effectively to boost his stolen base total from 17 in ‘24 to 35 in ‘25. Bucciero will probably slow down as he ages, but instead of going from an average-to-fringy runner to below average, he could maintain average running ability for a good portion of his pro career. He has made significant, observable improvements defensively at the hot corner. His feet appear less heavy and he’s now solid at charging balls and making throws on the run. Previously, I thought Bucciero was in danger of being moved to a corner outfield spot. But after seeing him multiple times in person and on streams, I think he’ll be a solid average defender at third moving forward.
It feels wrong to have Bucciero this low because he performed well enough while making meaningful strides across multiple areas this spring, including his approach at the plate, defensive reliability, and overall athleticism. He’s part of this larger third tier of players that I’ve constructed and there’s a strong argument to be made that Bucciero could slot ahead of several names ahead of him. Bucciero won’t turn 18 until October, making him young for the 2025 college class. That plus the all-around performance from a data perspective should make him popular in draft models. There’s a chance a team takes him prior to round 11, but my guess is he’ll go in the 11-14 round range.