The College World Series is a great opportunity for baseball to be introduced to casual audiences that have college allegiances, but may not be the biggest fans of the sport yet. It is a fantastic showcase of some of the best amateur baseball talent out there and there is always at least some drama to get one's blood pumping. Another added benefit is that it provides fans a real look at how some of the top MLB draft prospects perform against top competition.
While the CWS isn't the end all, be all when it comes to draft evaluations (nor should it be), we have seen guys raise their stock considerably with strong performances in the tournament. Cade Horton came into the 2022 College World Series as a talented arm, but one with very limited track record due to some pretty serious injury issues. He left the tournament as the buzz of the draft and ended up getting picked No. 7 overall by the Cubs.
With that in mind, here is a look at some of the best 2025 MLB Draft prospects still playing in the College World Series.
Here are some of the best MLB Draft prospects still playing in the College World Series that you need to watch
Before we get angry emails, we are ignoring the draft prospects whose college teams have already been eliminated. Yes, Kyson Witherspoon (Oklahoma), Marek Houston (Wake Forest), and Max Belyeu (Texas) are very good draft prospects, but their teams got bounced in Regionals, so don't kill the messenger here. With the caveats out of the way, here are some of the top draft prospects that you can still watch in the 2025 College World Series.
Jamie Arnold - LHP - Florida State
The college pitching crop in this draft class may not have a Paul Skenes-level talent, but they are still very good and it is a deep group. Arnold may be the best of them with a mid-90's fastball from the left side that has a lot of movement and wipeout slider. It would be nice to see him throw his changeup more to see if it can be another plus pitch and he will likely get his chance against a tough Oregon State team (that features another top draft prospect, shortstop Aiva Arquette) in the next round.
Kade Anderson - LHP - LSU
Hailing from Skenes' alma mater, Anderson is right up there with Arnold and Liam Doyle (more on him in a bit) as the best left-handed pitchers in the 2025 draft. Unlike Arnold, Anderson's breaking stuff lags behind his excellent changeup and his fastball has more carry than horizontal movement, though it is still an excellent pitch. LSU had to battle a bit to make it to super regionals and if they get past West Virginia, a strong start from Anderson is likely going to be part of it.
Ike Irish - C/OF - Auburn
Pivoting to bats for a moment, Irish gets overshadowed in this draft class a bit due to the presence of some exciting prep hitters as well as Arquette and Texas A&M's Jace LaViolette, but this guy can flat out hit. He probably isn't a catcher long-term and the most optimistic projections have him as a corner outfielder with first base remaining a possibility. That said, this is one of the best pure bats in the draft and he even has room to grow assuming he can tone down his aggressive tendencies at the plate. Irish could really help his draft stock with a strong performance against Coastal Carolina coming up.
Wehiwa Aloy - SS - Arkansas
Arkansas seems to always make noise in the College World Series and they are also a steady pipeline of big league talent with Aloy being just the latest example. While his swing and approach need more refinement, Aloy has big-time bat speed and plus power at a premium defensive position. He should stick at shortstop and a big series against Tennessee coming up could vault him into top half of the first round consideration.
Liam Doyle - LHP - Tennessee
Rounding out our list is Doyle who is not only a true psycho on the mound, but he may also have the best raw stuff in the draft period. There is real reliever risk with him given the amount of effort in his delivery, but he has the best fastball in the draft in reaching the upper 90's with a lot of life at the top of the zone as well as a slider that flashes plus, but is also inconsistent. There are some that think he could go in the top three picks in the draft and if he shows out against Arkansas, those people may be right.