As the 2025 baseball season get underway, several “lists” come out. One of the most interesting lists our there are prospect lists and in particular the Top Draft Prospects list that is released by MLB Pipeline.
This list is a good one to reference as MLB Pipeline is made up of seasoned MLB scouts and former executives that really know what MLB clubs are looking for. Their list for the 2025 MLB Draft eligible players was released recently and there was a good group of players with ties to the Sooner State on there.
A total of six players from Oklahoma were listed and let’s take a look at where MLB Pipeline has them ranked and what they have to say about them.
1. Ethan Holliday (SS/3B), Stillwater High School
Holliday is the son of former MLBer Josh Holliday and younger brother of Jackson Holliday who was drafted #1 overall in 2022 and made his MLB debut last year. He looks to keep up with his brother and be drafted #1 overall.
Here is what MLB Pipeline had to say:
Scouting grades: Hit: 50 | Power: 65 | Run: 50 | Arm: 55 | Field: 50 | Overall: 60
Ever since Jackson Holliday went No. 1 overall in the 2022 Draft, he has told people that his younger brother is better than he was at the same stage. Ethan is more physical and powerful than Jackson and much more closely resembles their father, seven-time All-Star Matt. Both brothers scuffled on the showcase circuit entering their Draft years, but while Jackson was considered a second-round talent at that point, Ethan is a leading candidate to get taken No. 1 in July.
Holliday may have the most usable left-handed power in the Draft and he generates it with little effort. Still adding to his 6-foot-4 frame, he already has plenty of strength and an easy left-handed swing with plenty of bat speed and leverage. He tried to do too much when he got pitched around on the circuit last summer, leading to some swing-and-miss concerns, but he should develop into at least an average hitter with 35-homer pop and plenty of walks.
Holliday moves well for his size and has average speed, though he’ll probably lose a step as he continues to mature physically. He has nice actions and solid arm strength at shortstop, but he won’t cover enough ground to stay there on a long-term basis. The Oklahoma State recruit projects better as a slugging third baseman and could be a quality defender on the hot corner.
11. Eli Willits (SS), Ft Cobb-Broxton High School
There are a lot of similarities between Willits and Holliday. Both are smooth SS’s who can hit. Being a switch hitter, Willits bast mostly from the left side like Holliday. Willits also comes from a baseball family as his dad, Reggie, played in the big leagues and is currently a coach at OU. His brother, Jaxon, is a SS at OU and did receive some draft buzz in 2023.
Willits also wasn’t supposed to be in this draft class, but he reclassified from a 2026 grad to a 2025 graduate year.
Here is what MLB Pipeline has to say about him:
Scouting grades: Hit: 60 | Power: 45 | Run: 55 | Arm: 55 | Field: 55 | Overall: 55
Willits comes from a baseball family, with father Reggie playing in the big leagues before coaching with the Yankees and returning to his alma mater as the associate head coach at Oklahoma — where Eli’s brother, Jaxon, starred as a freshman last spring. Willits also is committed to the Sooners but is unlikely to get to Norman because he’s a slam-dunk first-round pick after reclassifying from the 2026 class. He draws some comparisons to Anthony Volpe with better physical tools at the same stage, and he’ll likely be the youngest true prospect in the 2025 crop at 17 years, 7 months on Draft Day.
A switch-hitter who’s more proficient from the left side, Willits is exceedingly polished at the plate for his age. He has outstanding bat-to-ball skills, making consistent line-drive contact while rarely straying from the strike zone. He may never have more than average raw power, but his hitting ability should enable him to tap into most of it and provide 15 homers per season.
Willits has the nonstop motor and instincts to get the most out of his physical tools. He earns solid grades for his speed, arm strength and defensive play at shortstop, and scouts won’t be shocked if they become pluses once he’s fully developed. There’s no reason he shouldn’t stay at shortstop but he’d also profile well in center field.
26. Kyson Witherspoon (RHP), University of Oklahoma
Witherspoon is in his junior year at OU. He and his twin brother, Malachi, came to Norman last season from NW Florida JC. Witherspoon worked his way into the Saturday starter role for the Sooners.
Over the summer, Witherspoon (and his brother) pitched in the USA Baseball system and turned some heads. He has shot up the charts and is receiving some preseason accolades on some All American teams and he was named to the Preseason All-SEC 2nd team on Wednesday.
From MLB Pipeline:
Scouting grades: Fastball: 60 | Slider: 60 | Changeup: 45 | Control: 45 | Overall: 50
Scouts have followed the Witherspoon twins since high school, with the Diamondbacks trying to sign Malachi to an over-slot bonus as a 12th-rounder in 2022. Though they have similar stuff, Kyson since has surpassed him as a prospect after performing significantly better in their first two college seasons at Northwest Florida State JC and Oklahoma. He has much more of a starter look and could climb into the first round in a thin college pitching class.
Witherspoon has swing-and-miss stuff, starting with a mid-90s fastball that peaks at 99 mph and stands out more for its power than its modest life. His mid-80s slider can touch 91 mph while featuring both horizontal action and depth, and he’ll occasionally turn it into a low-90s cutter. His upper-80s changeup is a work in progress that gets too firm but will show interesting fade at times.
Witherspoon uses a compact arm action to generate quality stuff with little effort. With his athleticism and mechanics, he should be able to develop at least average control and command. When he misses the strike zone, he often does so by too big a margin to induce chases, and improved ability to locate his pitches could make him even more overpowering.
30. Nolan Schubart (OF), Oklahoma State University
Schubart has become one of the best overall (not just power) hitters in college baseball. The junior from Michigan has had 2 monster years for the Pokes. He’s been tabbed the Big 12 Preseason Player of the Year by most outlets.
Per MLB Pipeline:
Scouting grades: Hit: 45 | Power: 60 | Run: 30 | Arm: 40 | Field: 30 | Overall: 50
Schubart played for a St. Mary’s Prep (Orchard Lake, Mich.) juggernaut that captured three straight titles in his three full seasons and included two players who signed for seven-figure bonuses (Brock Porter out of high school, Alex Mooney following two years at Duke) and two who could be first-round picks in 2025 (Schubart and Auburn catcher Ike Irish). He fell two hits shy of winning the Big 12 Conference triple crown last spring, batting .370 with 23 homers and 68 RBI in 49 games. He continued to rake during the summer, slashing .341/.565/.773 between brief stints with the U.S. collegiate national team and in the Cape Cod League.
While Schubart is pretty much a one-tool guy, prodigious left-handed power is always in demand, and he owns plus-plus raw pop thanks to his combination of bat speed, massive strength and a stroke designed to launch balls in the air. He can drive the ball out of any part of any ballpark and will take walks when pitchers refuse to challenge him. He comes with concerns about how he’ll handle pro pitching, however, because he struck out at a 27 percent clip last season and had a 30 percent whiff rate on swings within the strike zone.
Schubart has to hit because he offers little value outside of the batter’s box. He’s a well-below-average runner with range to match in left field and a below-average arm. He’ll almost certainly shift to first base at the next level and could wind up at DH.
59. Carson Brumbaugh (SS), Edmond Santa Fe High School
Brumbaugh is the 3rd SS from the Sooner State on this list. Along with Holliday and Willits, Brumbaugh has some MLB pedigree in him. His dad, Cliff, played in the MLB for the Rangers and the Rockies.
Brumbaugh is currently committed to Arkansas after decommitting from Tennessee in the fall.
It’ll be interesting to see what happens with Brumbaugh as he also has touched 96 on the radar while pitching.
Per MLB Pipeline:
Scouting grades: Hit: 50 | Power: 50 | Run: 50 | Arm: 60 | Field: 55 | Overall: 50
Oklahoma high schools feature three of the best shortstops in the 2025 Draft, and all three have big league bloodlines. Ethan Holliday (Stillwater) is a potential No. 1 overall pick, Eli Willits (Fort Cobb-Broxton) won’t go too far behind him and Brumbaugh could factor into the second round. Though the son of former Rangers and Rockies outfielder Cliff Brumbaugh has run his fastball up to 96 mph and flashed a quality slider, teams prefer him as a position player. He missed much of last summer’s showcase circuit after breaking the hamate bone in his left hand and later fracturing a finger, so the Arkansas recruit could rise up boards as teams get a better look at him this spring.
A right-handed hitter, Brumbaugh already possesses solid raw power thanks to his bat speed and the strength in his 6-foot-2 frame. He also has a knack for putting the barrel on the ball and should have 20-homer power once he’s completely developed. He doesn’t try to do too much at the plate and shows a willingness to use the opposite field.
Brumbaugh has average speed and the instincts to play quicker than that on the bases and in the field. His athleticism helps him cover ground at shortstop and he has the arm strength to make any throw necessary. If he loses a step and has to shift to third base in the future, he has enough offense to profile as a regular there.
63 Gave Davis (RHP), Choctaw High School/Oklahoma State
One of the top arms nationally in the 2022 high school class, Davis has not lived up to that level his first 2 years at Oklahoma State. That is not to say he was terrible in Stillwater. His sophomore year showed promise and he still has a fastball that is in the upper 90s that can touch 100 on the gun.
Already sitting in the 2nd-3rd round area on this list, if Davis has a good year in 2025, he could move up to high 2nd round and maybe the 1st round.
Per MLB Pipeline:
Scouting grades: Fastball: 65 | Slider: 55 | Changeup: 50 | Control: 40 | Overall: 50
Davis has yet to put everything together at Oklahoma State, but as a 6-foot-9 right-hander who can reach triple digits with his fastball, his upside is obvious. His stuff improved and he made some progress with his control and command during his first two years with the Cowboys, but he still has a long way to go. He missed fall practice after breaking his collarbone in an off-field accident.
Davis’ heater parks at 94-97 mph and touches 100 with some mild armside run, and his size creates very steep downhill plane. He also misses bats with a tight upper-80s slider that reaches 92 mph, and he can turn it into a harder cutter. His mid-80s changeup lacks reliability but features quality fade and tumble when it’s on.
Carrying just 217 pounds on his huge frame, Davis could add even power once he gains some projectable strength. The biggest question is whether he can keep his long limbs in sync consistently enough to locate his pitches well enough to be a starter. If he winds up in the bullpen, he has the stuff for a high-leverage role.
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