Inbox: 2025 Draft extravaganza!

The Futures Game is tomorrow. The Draft starts Sunday. Let's go!

But first, your questions . . .

There were plenty of rumblings linking the Angels to Nolan Schanuel and Christian Moore with their last two first-round picks, but no one saw Frank Mozzicato or Kumar Rocker going that high before it happened. I believe the streak will end in 2025, however.

There's a fairly clear group of the consensus top 11 prospects, and at least nine of them will go in the first 11 picks. In MLB Pipeline's latest first-round projection, which Jonathan Mayo turned in last night, the lowest-ranked player in that area was Tennessee second baseman Gavin Kilen (No. 21), whom Mayo forecast the Athletics selecting at No. 11.

Wake Forest outfielder Ethan Conrad (No. 28) is the best candidate from outside the top 25 prospects to sneak into the top 11. I don't think that will happen, but I do think he'll go higher relative to the buzz about him and could sneak into the mid-teens.

This year's college position player crop is not up to its usual standards, and there's no clear third-best guy behind Oregon State shortstop Aiva Arquette (No. 6) and Auburn right fielder Ike Irish (No. 11). For some teams, it could be Conrad, who gives off some Chase DeLauter vibes. He had season-ending surgery after injuring his throwing shoulder diving for a ball in March, but he's physical (6-foot-3, 220 pounds), has the potential to hit for power and average, possesses solid speed and may be able to play center field.

This question parallels nicely with our first one, looking at players who could head in the opposite direction. It's Sunset HS (Portland, Ore.) left-hander Kruz Schoolcraft (No. 19), who has one of the highest ceilings in the Draft but is also a prep pitcher with a strong commitment to Tennessee. Because high school arms are so volatile, most clubs would rather take them after their first selection, and Schoolcraft's price tag could take him out of play for some teams.

Schoolcraft reclassified to the 2025 Draft two years ago. He's an imposing 6-foot-8, 229-pounder who already can pump his fastball up to 97 mph, and both his low-80s slider and low-80s changeup have the makings of plus pitches. His future is definitely on the mound, but he'd also be an early choice as a first baseman who could become a solid hitter with power to match.

The Orioles. After trading Bryan Baker to the Rays yesterday for the 37th overall pick, they have more ammunition than anyone. They have a record bonus pool ($19,144,500), four selections before the second round (Nos. 19, 30, 31, 37) and seven choices in the first three rounds.

Baltimore came in 15th in MLB Pipeline's preseason farm system ratings, and they'd place lower if we updated them today after Coby Mayo graduated to the big leagues and most of their other best farmhands have struggled. It's very possible that the Orioles' first four picks will all rank among the system's six best prospects. The Draft should pump seven or more new faces into their Top 30 Prospects list.

The best case for the Reds is that they get perhaps the most talented player in the Draft in Corona (Calif.) HS right-hander Seth Hernandez (No. 3) at No. 9. As I mentioned earlier, teams get skittish about taking prep pitchers in the first round, let alone at the top. It appears the only strong suitors for Hernandez ahead of Cincinnati are the Mariners at No. 3 and the Pirates at No. 6.

The Reds will get a talented player no matter what, but the worst scenario would be to have Hernandez gone, along with high school shortstops Ethan Holliday, Eli Willits and JoJo Parker; college left-handers Kade Anderson, Jamie Arnold and Liam Doyle; plus Arquette. I don't sense that they're on Hernandez's teammate, shortstop Billy Carlson (No. 7), so that would take the first nine players on MLB Pipeline's Draft Top 250 out of play and likely leave them picking between Irish and Oklahoma right-hander Kyson Witherspoon (No. 10).