The 2025 MLB Draft kicks off tonight, with the first round beginning in Atlanta.
MLB odds for who will go first overall long had Ethan Holliday — a high-school infielder and brother to Jackson Holliday — favored to land with the Washington Nationals... but the odds have recently shifted to see a college pitcher go No. 1.
Will LSU's Kade Anderson follow in Paul Skenes' footsteps? Let's look at the latest MLB Draft odds.
2025 MLB Draft: Odds to go first overall
| Player (Position - School) |  |
 |
|---|---|---|
| Kade Anderson (LHP - LSU) | -220 | -320 |
| Ethan Holliday (SS/3B - Stillwater High School) | +200 | +155 |
| Aiva Arquett (SS - Oregon State) | +1200 | +2400 |
| Seth Hernandez (RHP - Corona High School) | +1500 | +2900 |
| Liam Doyle (LHP - Tennessee) | +2000 | +4200 |
| Any Other Player | +500 | OTB |
| Jamie Arnold (LHP - Florida State) | +2500 | +4200 |
| Billy Carlson (SS - Corona High School) | +7500 | +5000 |
| Kyson Witherspoon (RHP - Oklahoma) | +10000 | +5000 |
| Jace LaViolette (OF - Texas A&M) | +20000 | OTB |
Odds last updated on 7-13.
Favorites to be picked first overall in the 2025 MLB draft
The Nats are currently expected to go with a pitcher, with the odds suggesting they will go the college route and take LSU standout Kade Anderson, who is currently first on the odds board. The 6-foot-2 lefty went 12-1 with a 3.33 ERA as a sophomore for College World Series champion LSU this season, including a complete game shutout (with 10 strikeouts) in the first game of the CWS Final.
His strong performances in the CWS saw him jump from No. 2 to No. 1 on the odds board over the last month, leapfrogging Ethan Holliday, a high school senior out of Stillwater, OK. His older brother, Jackson Holliday, was the last high-schooler to go first overall when the Baltimore Orioles picked him in 2022. Before that, Royce Lewis was the last prep star to go No. 1 (to the Minnesota Twins in 2017).
Ethan is larger than his brother, standing at 6-foot-4 (Jackson is 6-foot), and has considerable power from the left side. He has elite plate discipline for an 18-year-old, and while the Washington Nationals may more desperately need to add a pitcher to their young core, the younger Holliday may be too good to pass up.
The Athletic's Keith Law considered this a fairly weak draft class up top and isn't as keen on Anderson as the oddsmakers, ranking him third in his latest draft rankings. Still, he sees him as a polished enough player who could believably reach the majors within 18 months of being drafted, which is less likely for a high school player even of Holliday's pedigree.
Instead, Law ranks Tennessee lefty Liam Doyle (+1500 to +4200) as the best pitcher in the class (and second overall to Holliday). Doyle struck out 164 batters in 95 2/3 innings in 2025. He sits 96-99 with his fastball and doesn't issue a lot of walks.
The 2025 landscape is notably different because last year's draft was extremely college-heavy. Each of the first eight players selected in the first round was a college player (two pitchers, six position players). Infielder Konnor Griffin was the first prep player taken, going to the Pittsburgh Pirates with the ninth-overall selection.
2025 1st Round MLB Draft order
Washington Nationals
Los Angeles Angels 
Seattle Mariners
Colorado Rockies
St. Louis Cardinals
Miami Marlins
Toronto Blue Jays
Cincinnati Reds 
Chicago White Sox 
A's
Texas Rangers 
San Francisco Giants
Tampa Bay Rays 
Boston Red Sox
Chicago Cubs 
Milwaukee Brewers 
Houston Astros
Atlanta Braves
Kansas City Royals
San Diego Padres
New York Mets
New York Yankees
Los Angeles Dodgers- The Nationals won the draft lottery at the 2024 Winter Meetings. They had a 10.2% chance of receiving the top pick before the team was called. This marks the third time that the Nationals will make the first selection at the draft, after taking Stephen Strasburg and Bryce Harper in back-to-back years (2009, 2010).
- Despite finishing with the worst record in baseball, the Chicago White Sox will select 10th due to draft lottery rules.
- The Royals received a "prospect promotion incentive pick" because Bobby Witt Jr. was an MVP finalist before reaching arbitration.
- The Diamondbacks, Orioles, and Brewers each received compensation picks for Christian Walker, Corbin Burnes, Anthony Santander, and Willy Adames signing with other teams after being tendered qualifying offers.
- The Dodgers, Mets, and Yankees exceeded the second surcharge threshold of the competitive balance tax and each received a 10-pick penalty for their first draft picks.
- The Red Sox received the 33rd pick (from Competitive Balance Round A) from the Brewers in exchange for SP Quinn Priester.
- The Dodgers received the 41st pick from the Reds in the Gavin Lux deal.
- The Rays received the 42nd pick from the A's in the trade for Jeffrey Springs and Jacob Lopez.
Popular MLB futures markets
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Recent MLB Draft history
Here is a look back at the last 10 first overall selections:
| Year | Player | Position | Team |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Travis Bazzana | 2B |  Guardians |
| 2023 | Paul Skenes | RHP |  Pirates |
| 2022 | Jackson Holliday | SS |  Orioles |
| 2021 | Henry Davis | C | Pirates |
| 2020 | Spencer Torkelson | 1B |  Tigers |
| 2019 | Adley Rutschman | C | Orioles |
| 2018 | Casey Mize | RHP | Tigers |
| 2017 | Royce Lewis | SS |  Twins |
| 2016 | Mickey Moniak | CF |  Phillies |
| 2015 | Dansby Swanson | SS |  Diamondbacks |
Covers MLB betting tools
Understanding MLB Draft betting
Most sportsbooks will display odds in the American format as listed above. When Jonathan India emerged as the National League Rookie of the Year in 2021, his odds had a minus (-) sign ahead of the number down the stretch.
Jonathan India -1200
That means that a bettor in September had to wager $1,200 to win $100 by betting on India to win NL Rookie of the Year. Before the season starts, almost every player will have a plus (+) sign ahead of their odds.
Reid Detmers +2000
That means a bettor would profit $2,000 for a $100 wager on Detmers before the season started if he's ultimately successful.
If American odds aren't your thing, simply use a tool like our odds converter to switch the odds to decimal or fractional format. Most online sportsbooks also give you the option to change the odds format that you see.
2025 MLB Draft FAQ
LSU left-hander Kade Anderson is the current favorite to go first overall to the Washington Nationals.
The 2025 MLB draft will be held from July 13-14 in Atlanta, GA
The Washington Nationals have the top selection in this year's draft.
The Cleveland Guardians selected Oregon State second baseman Travis Bazzana first overall in 2024.
