With the 2025 MiLB season winding down, we can now take a look at how the newest Minor Leaguers did during their first pro campaigns. Many of the players taken in the first round this past July made their pro debuts. However, many won’t until 2026.
A Look at the Stats
Here’s a look at the numbers on every single first-rounder from this past July:
| Pick | Name | Team | Position | 2025 Stats |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Eli Willits |  | SS | .300/.397/.360, 0 HR & 2 XBH over 15 GP (A) |
| 2 | Tyler Bremner |  | P | Did not play |
| 3 | Kade Anderson |  | P | Did not play |
| 4 | Ethan Holliday |  | SS | .239/.357/.380, 2 HR & 6 XBH over 18 GP (A) |
| 5 | Liam Doyle |  | P | 2.45 ERA, 6 K, 2 BB over 3.2 IP (A and AA) |
| 6 | Seth Hernandez |  | P | Did not play |
| 7 | Aiva Arquette |  | INF | .242/.350/.323, 1 HR & 6 XBH over 27 GP (A+) |
| 8 | JoJo Parker |  | SS | Did not play |
| 9 | Steele Hall |  | SS | Did not play |
| 10 | Billy Carlson |  | SS | Did not play |
| 11 | Jamie Arnold |  | P | Did not play |
| 12 | Gavin Fien |  | SS | .220/.267/.341, 0 HR & 4 XBH over 10 GP (A) |
| 13 | Gavin Kilen |  | INF | .205/.279/.282, 0 HR & 2 XBH over 10 GP (A) |
| 14 | Daniel Pierce |  | SS | Did not play |
| 15 | Kyson Witherspoon |  | P | Did not play |
| 16 | Marek Houston |  | SS | .270/.330/.350, 1 HR & 6 XBH over 24 GP (A and A+) |
| 17 | Ethan Conrad |  | 1B/OF | Did not play |
| 18 | Kayson Cunningham |  | SS | .255/.308/.277, 0 HR & 1 XBH over 11 GP (A) |
| 19 | Ike Irish |  | C/OF | .230/.296/.297, 1 HR & 3 XBH over 20 GP (A) |
| 20 | Andrew Fischer |  | 1B/3B | .311/.402/.446, 1 HR & 7 XBH over 19 GP (A+) |
| 21 | Xavier Neyens |  | SS | Did not play |
| 22 | Tate Southisene |  | SS | .219/.242/.297, 0 HR & 4 XBH over 15 GP (A) |
| 23 | Sean Gamble |  | OF | Did not play |
| 24 | Jordan Yost |  | SS | Did not play |
| 25 | Kruz Schoolcraft |  | P | 10.80 ERA, 4 K, 3 BB over 1.2 IP (A) |
| 26 | Gage Wood |  | P | 4.50 ERA, 5 K, 2 BB over 2 IP (A) |
| 27 | Jace LaViolette |  | OF | Did not play |
| 28 | Josh Hammond | | SS | Did not play |
| 29 | Patrick Forbes | | P | Did not play |
| 30 | Caden Bodine | | C | .326/.408/.349, 0 HR & 1 XBH over 11 GP (A) |
| 31 | Wehiwa Aloy | | SS | .288/.356/.500, 2 HR & 12 XBH over 20 GP (A) |
| 32 | Brady Ebel | | 3B | .241/.333/.259, 0 HR & 1 XBH over 16 GP (A) |
| 33 | Marcus Phillips | | P | Did not play |
| 34 | Michael Oliveto | | C | Did not play |
| 35 | Luke Stevenson | | C | .280/.460/.400, 1 HR & 6 XBH over 22 GP (A) |
| 36 | Riley Quick | | P | Did not play |
| 37 | Slater de Brun | | OF | Did not play |
| 38 | Mitch Voit |  | 2B | .235/.343/.294, 1 HR & 3 XBH over 22 GP (A) |
| 39 | Dax Kilby |  | SS | .353/.457/.441, 0 HR & 4 XBH over 18 GP (A) |
| 40 | Zachary Root |  | P | Did not play |
| 41 | Charles Davalan | | OF | .500/.541/.735, 1 HR & 5 XBH over 8 GP (A) |
| 42 | Brendan Summerhill | | OF | .333/.429/.444, 0 HR & 3 XBH over 5 GP (A) |
| 43 | Cam Cannarella | | OF | .284/.333/.375, 0 HR & 7 XBH over 22 GP (A+) |
All stats are regular-season only.
Notes
Last year, 14 of the 39 first-rounders (35.9%) did not play a single game during their draft year. This year, 21 of 43 (48.8%) did not play.
Some of that is based upon circumstance. Many teams, over the years, have been very careful with high-end college pitching prospects due to the sheer volume of innings thrown. Kade Anderson threw 119 innings for LSU’s title team before being drafted. Zachary Root (99.1 IP), Kyson Witherspoon (95 IP), and Jamie Arnold (84.2 IP) all logged significant innings, as well.
None of those pitchers played in 2025 professionally.
On top of those names, there were injuries. Jace LaViolette had hand surgery. Ethan Conrad hasn’t played since early 2025 thanks to shoulder surgery.
But getting back to those who did play, there were highlights — even though only one first-rounder made it as high as Double-A, compared to three in 2024.
The top pick, Eli Willits, hit .300 for Low-A Fredericksburg, which made the Carolina League playoffs. As for Ethan Holliday, who received a lot of hype alongside his former high school rival Willits, he, too, played in Low-A. Holliday cracked six extra-base hits with Fresno (A) but struck out a lot in his first taste of pro ball.
He struck out 33 times across 18 games with the Grizzlies. Across the last three walks of the season in that circuit, his 37.7% K% (23 K over 61 PA) was second-worst.
The other top-five pick to see action was Liam Doyle, the Cardinals’ first-rounder. Doyle made two regular-season appearances, one in Low-A and one in Double-A. In his first start, Doyle hit as high as 98 MPH but sat more in the 95-97 MPH range, a tick below where he was in college.
And that’s not surprising. Paul Skenes, for example, can gas it up when need be now but regularly hit 101-102 MPH as a pitcher with LSU when he pitched once a week.
Still, his fastball played up well, especially in that second start. He also mixed in a curveball, changeup, and slider.
Getting back to some of the other bats, Caden Bodine and Wehiwa Aloy produced in their first pro action. Aloy, the 2025 Golden Spikes winner, smacked 12 extra-base hits for Delmarva across 20 games. Bodine, meanwhile, posted a .408 on-base percentage, in line with his reputation from college.
Charles Davalan, Aloy’s teammate with Arkansas, picked up five extra-base hits across eight games with Rancho Cucamonga.
Dax Kilby, meanwhile, hit .353 and walked more (13) than he struck out (11). The 18-year-old proved to be a demon on the basepaths, as he stole 16 bases across 18 games for Tampa. However, the wiry shortstop didn’t hit for a ton of power (2.5% Barrel/PA)
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