2025 MLB expert mock draft: We make picks for all 30 teams - ESPN

The 2025 MLB draft is just around the corner, with the first round set to take place on July 13 in Atlanta.

While most of our mock drafts leading up to draft day focus on who we believe teams will take, we decided to have some fun by asking our MLB experts to play GM and make the picks they believe all 30 teams should make in the first rounds of this year's draft.

For this exercise, Kiley McDaniel made the picks for all NL East and AL East teams, David Schoenfield for the two Central divisions, and Jeff Passan for the West division teams. To add to the intrigue, we decided to allow our GMs to trade draft picks at any point in the process.

Who went off the board first? Which MLB stars were traded in our mock draft? And where did the GM trash talk heat up? Here's how the first 40 picks of the 2025 MLB draft would play out if we were calling the shots.

Pick: Kade Anderson, LHP, LSU

Nationals GM McDaniel: There's a tightly packed group at the top of this year's class with no clear best prospect, so I offered Mariners GM Jeff Passan the No. 1 overall pick for the third and 35th pick… and he turned me down.

I'll stick with the pick and take Anderson, who is considered the best combination of potential and proximity to the big leagues. His timeline to the big leagues fits the general timeline of the Nationals' wave of talent coming up (Travis Sykora, Luke Dickerson, Jarlin Susana, Seaver King, Cade Cavalli), the group that just showed up in the big leagues (James Wood, Dylan Crews, Brady House, Daylen Lile) and core (MacKenzie Gore and C.J. Abrams) already starring in the majors. With some smart moves, this could be a competitive team in the next year or two.

Pick: Liam Doyle, LHP, Tennessee

Angels GM Passan: The Angels love