Seven former Day 1 MLB draft picks showing signs of breakthroughs early this season

SPORTIVO
Article arrow_drop_down

When players are selected in the first or second round of an MLB draft, the expectations for their future are high. Although some make it to the big leagues within a few years and find a regular role, a significant percentage never reach The Show and others who are slow to develop take a lot more time before they’re major-league ready.

Advertisement

Every season, I find it exciting when a former top prospect — who most think will not become a productive big leaguer — suddenly realizes his potential and is able to show he was worthy of a first- or second-round selection.

Let’s look at some of those Day 1 picks who are making statements early this season, playing like scouts and analysts originally thought they would when they were drafted. Time will tell if they’re able to sustain their success, but these players are off to promising starts.


1. Kyren Paris, OF, Angels

The Angels selected Paris in the 2019 second round out of Freedom High School (Oakley, Calif.). The first round of that draft produced Bobby Witt Jr., Adley Rutschman, Riley Greene and Corbin Carrol, and Gunnar Henderson was the first pick in Round 2. Despite being a second-rounder, Paris flew under the radar as a prospect for much of his minor-league career. Until now.

Paris, 23, burst onto the big-league scene this year with five homers, 12 runs scored and eight RBIs in his first 28 bats, along with four stolen bases in as many attempts. He’s showing improved strength and star-level athleticism. Now, let’s see how he does over a larger sample. I’m not promising this is real, but like the Eiffel Tower, he’s certainly gotten our attention.

go-deeper

GO DEEPER

Kyren Paris’ swing change has Angels fans excited again. But will he play every day?

2. Tyler Soderstrom, 1B, Athletics

When the A’s took Soderstrom in the 2020 first round out of Turlock (Calif.) High School, a lot of teams called it an “overdraft” because baseball people questioned if he could stay at catcher and didn’t think he’d hit enough to play first base. They were right about him needing to move to first base (although he still catches occasionally), but Soderstrom, 23, silenced critics from an offensive perspective in 2022 when he hit 29 home runs and drove in 105 runs across three minor-league levels.

Advertisement

Soderstrom made his major-league debut in 2023 and hit just .160, allowing the doubters to say, “I told you so.” I asked A’s executives Billy Beane and David Forst about him after that season and their strong endorsements helped convince me he’d become a middle-of-the-order impact bat. However, last July they drafted first baseman Nick Kurtz, another slugger with big-time power, at No. 4, adding to the noise that the A’s weren’t sold on Soderstrom’s future as their long-term first baseman.

Well, I think Soderstrom may have finally silenced the critics once and for all by starting this season on fire. He’s slashed .354/.426/.771 (1.197 OPS) with six home runs and 10 RBIs. Just watching his approach and consistency makes me a believer, but the underlying metrics also are promising. He ranks in the top percentile in batting run value, the 89th percentile in barrel rate and the 77th percentile in bat speed. He’s arrived.

Meanwhile, Kurtz has six homers in 48 at-bats in Triple A. So now the big question for the A’s is, how can they fit both Soderstrom and Kurtz in a lineup that already has Brent Rooker signed long-term as the DH?

3. Casey Mize, RHP, Tigers

Mize was the first player taken in the 2018 draft with most scouts believing the Auburn product would get right to the big leagues and anchor the Tigers’ rotation for years to come. He posted a 3.95 ERA that year over five minor-league starts. In 2019, his first full year in the minors, he went 8-3 with a 2.55 ERA over 21 starts, sparking the belief he’d make it to the big leagues in 2020 — which he did. However, his major-league debut was disappointing as he posted a 6.99 ERA over seven starts. In 2021, he went 7-9 with a 3.71 ERA, and at that point evaluators were calling him a back-of-the-rotation starter who would never live up to his 1-1 status. Those rumblings intensified after he underwent Tommy John surgery, which wiped out the final four and a half months of 2022 and all of his 2023 season.

He returned to the majors last year, posting a 5.01 ERA over 20 starts and two relief appearances. Then this spring training, Mize, 27, started to show that No. 1 pick stuff again. His fastball velocity spiked, and in four spring starts and two relief appearances, he struck out 25 in 19 innings; scouts said it was the best stuff they’d seen from him, including his time at Auburn.

Advertisement

Mize’s fastball is now consistently in the 95-mph range and he’s owning the top of the zone. Hitters are batting just .222 against his slurve and they’ve yet to get hit off his split-finger (0-for-10). His control and command have been differentiators. His composure is back. He’s 2-0 with a 0.77 ERA in two starts. He has the potential to be a game-changer for the Tigers, increasing their chances of winning the AL Central if he can keep this up.

4. Spencer Torkelson, 1B, Tigers

Torkelson, like Mize, was also a No. 1 pick (2020). The Arizona State product hit 54 home runs over three college seasons. He made his pro debut in 2021, where across three levels he hit 30 home runs with 91 RBIs. He made it to the majors in 2022 but batted just .203 with eight home runs. In 2023, his power arrived in the big leagues when he hit 31 home runs, but he batted just .233. Then last year he showed little-to-no improvement, hitting .219 with 10 homers over 92 games in the majors.

Torkelson’s 2024 performance was so bad that in the offseason, president of baseball operations Scott Harris announced Colt Keith would be moved to first base and Torkelson would have to make the team either as a DH or a backup. Talk about a wake-up call. He wasn’t even given another opportunity to win the job in spring training. However, Torkleson, 25, changed his approach at the plate, fixed his mechanics on his back side and became more forward facing. He now just drops the barrel head — and damage follows.

He’s back to playing mostly first base, and his strong start includes a .311/.415/.622 slash line (200 OPS+) with three homers and five doubles. I’m a believer. I’ll be surprised if he doesn’t hit 30 homers and drive in 100 runs this season while setting career highs in average and on-base percentage.

5. Max Meyer, RHP, Marlins

Meyer was the third player drafted in 2020. The following year, in his first minor-league season, the Minnesota product walked 42 in 111 innings. Then in 2022, he posted a 3.69 ERA over 13 starts. He made his major-league debut that season but soon after underwent Tommy John surgery, which forced him to miss all of 2023. He returned to the mound last year and posted a 4.34 ERA over 15 starts in Triple A, allowing 3.7 walks per nine innings and 9.62 hits per nine before being promoted to the majors. He made 11 starts for Miami, logging a 5.68 ERA and 1.421 WHIP.

However, this year has been a much different story and Meyer has made a huge early statement. In spring training, he walked only two in 14 innings. That improved control has continued in his first three regular-season starts as he’s posted a 2.00 ERA with 19 strikeouts and five walks over 18 innings. At 26, he’s healthy, in his prime and positioned to live up to his lofty draft status.

6. Nick Lodolo, LHP, Reds

In the offseason, I asked Reds president of baseball operations Nick Krall and general manager Brad Meador for their top breakout candidate of 2025 and they both quickly responded with Lodolo. He’s rewarded their confidence so far with a 0.96 ERA in three starts, allowing only one walk over 18 2/3 innings with elite control and command.

Advertisement

The big lefty went 9-6 last year with a 4.76 ERA over 21 starts. He struck out 122 strikeouts in 115 1/3 innings. Lodolo, 27, throws both a two- and four-seamer along with one of the best changeups in the league (.042 batting average against) and a solid curveball (.182 BAA). However, it’s his ability to live on the black and win at both the top and bottom of the strike zone that’s special.

The Pirates drafted Lodolo with the 41st pick in 2016 out of high school, but he didn’t sign. The Reds drafted him at No. 7 in 2019 out of TCU. It’s taken him six years to reach this point, a little bit longer than they would have hoped, but better late than never.

7. Brice Turang, 2B/SS, Brewers

Turang was the Brewers’ first-round pick out of Santiago High School (Corona, Calif.) in 2018, the same draft that produced Logan Gilbert, Alec Bohm, Jonathan India and Shane McClanahan. He spent five years in the minors before finally reaching the majors in 2023, when he hit .218 with a .285 on-base percentage and only six homers, but he did steal 26 bases and play elite defense at second base. Last year, his first full season in the big leagues, he improved his batting average (.254) and OPB (.316) while stealing 50 bases. He won his first Gold Glove Award and had a 4.7-WAR season, but now he’s starting to look like the all-around good player (as opposed to just a speed-and-glove guy) that the Brewers hoped he’d become when they drafted him.

Turang has batted .296/.328/.481 in 58 plate appearances. He’s hit three home runs, and it looks like his power could be ready to arrive. He’ll play all season at 25, the beginning of the prime years for most players. I’m excited to see if he can keep it up offensively and take a significant step forward this season.

go-deeper

GO DEEPER

Ranking 11 recent MLB extensions: Which teams did the best deals? Who overpaid?

(Top image: Kyren Paris: Ronald Martinez / Getty Images; Casey Mize: Elsa / Getty Images)

This news was originally published on this post .

About the author

About the author call_made

SPORTIVO

More posts

trending_flat
Fantasy Baseball Rankings Movers: No doubting Zach Neto anymore; Andy Pages, Jordan Beck also move up

Most every week, Scott White will highlight some of the more notable changes to his rest-of-season rankings. You'll find said rankings here and are urged to bookmark them if you haven't already. There's no better resource for gauging player value throughout the long season. Let's kick off this week with one of the most frequently asked questions this time of year. Q: Why do you rank [player who's been bad so far] ahead of [player who's been good so far]? A: Because I'm ranking for the next 21 weeks, not the last five. Some will interpret this as a smart aleck response, but I can only comprehend the question as a misunderstanding of what rankings are. If you want to know how a player has performed relative to others so far, you go to the sortable stats page. If you […]

trending_flat
Here’s how Seahawks plan to use Jalen Milroe in 2025, and it won’t be like Taysom Hill

Imagn Images The Seattle Seahawks have completely revamped their quarterback room this offseason, as they traded Geno Smith to the Las Vegas Raiders, signed Sam Darnold in free agency, brought back Drew Lock, traded Sam Howell to the Minnesota Vikings and drafted former Alabama signal-caller Jalen Milroe in the third round at No. 92 overall. The rookie is not expected to compete with Darnold for the starting job, but you will see him take the field in 2025. "He's a unique, special athlete, special young man," Seahawks general manager John Schneider said, via ESPN. "We're going to develop him as a quarterback. But with that, he can add something special as we go."That "something special" is what Milroe provides as a runner. In fact, several coaches and scouts said they believe he is the best running quarterback they've ever seen -- better than Lamar […]

trending_flat
Pacers beat Bucks 119-118, Was this Giannis’ final game with the Bucks? | Breakfast Ball

breakfast ball Video Details The Milwaukee Bucks blew a 7-point lead in 35 seconds to the Indiana Pacers which sent them home. Giannis Antetokounmpo got into a scuffle after the game and refused to comment on his future with the Bucks. Craig Carton, Danny Parkins, and Mark Schlereth ask if Giannis is moving on after this disappointing season. 1 MIN AGO・breakfast ball・5:10

trending_flat
2025 CJ Cup Byron Nelson free picks, odds: Golf model reveals top 3 predictions, including 40-1 longshot

Getty Images After a week of team play at the Zurich Classic the PGA Tour heads to TPC Craig Ranch just outside of Dallas, for the 2025 CJ Cup Byron Nelson beginning on Thursday at 7:50 a.m. ET. Texas natives Scottie Scheffler and Jordan Spieth are the favorites in the 2025 CJ Cup Byron Nelson odds via FanDuel Sportsbook. Scheffler is +280, with Spieth at +1800. Sungjae Im (+2200) and Byeong Hun An (+2500) are the only other golfers getting lower than +3000 in outright winner bets. There are also PGA odds for top-five, top-10, head-to-head and more to consider. Before locking in your 2025 CJ Cup Byron Nelson picks, be sure to see the PGA predictions rom the proven model at SportsLine.SportsLine's proprietary model, built by DFS pro Mike McClure, is up more than $9,000 on PGA best bets since […]

trending_flat
Thierry Henry criticizes Arsenal after Champions League semifinal loss to PSG: ‘A lot needs to be changed’

Getty Images Arsenal legend Thierry Henry was critical of the Gunners' performance in the first leg of the UEFA Champions League semifinals, arguing they made "so many mistakes" as Paris Saint-Germain registered a 1-0 win on Tuesday.The French champions scored the game's lone goal in the fourth minute, courtesy of Ousmane Dembele, which was reflective of the visitors' impressive early start. Arsenal settled into the match later in the first half and were perhaps at their most dominant in the last 20 minutes, though Henry was complimentary of PSG manager Luis Enrique's ability to manage that final stretch of the game."Paris Saint-Germain were far superior for me in this game so a lot needs to be changed in order for Arsenal to make sure they can beat Paris Saint-Germain over there and it's going to be a different ballgame," Henry […]

trending_flat
Three best NBA player props, odds for Wednesday, April 30: Use Luka Doncic in NBA Playoff picks

Imagn Images Game 5 of the Los Angeles Lakers vs. Minnesota Timberwolves series having a clinching scenario attached to it may not have surprised many NBA fans heading into the matchup, but the Lakers facing the win-or-go-home outcome may have. The Lakers duo of LeBron James and Luka Doncic had the second-shortest odds to advance out of the Western Conference entering the NBA playoff bracket, yet they are one loss away from a first-round exit. The Lakers are 5.5-point favorites on Wednesday in the lates NBA odds and James and Doncic won't make advancing in Los Angeles easy on Minnesota. How should the stakes of this contest affect your NBA player props? Doncic has a total points + rebounds + assists total at 47.5, while James' over/under is 42.5 on FanDuel Sportsbook, so should you include either of these players […]

Related

trending_flat
Fantasy Baseball Rankings Movers: No doubting Zach Neto anymore; Andy Pages, Jordan Beck also move up

Most every week, Scott White will highlight some of the more notable changes to his rest-of-season rankings. You'll find said rankings here and are urged to bookmark them if you haven't already. There's no better resource for gauging player value throughout the long season. Let's kick off this week with one of the most frequently asked questions this time of year. Q: Why do you rank [player who's been bad so far] ahead of [player who's been good so far]? A: Because I'm ranking for the next 21 weeks, not the last five. Some will interpret this as a smart aleck response, but I can only comprehend the question as a misunderstanding of what rankings are. If you want to know how a player has performed relative to others so far, you go to the sortable stats page. If you […]

trending_flat
Here’s how Seahawks plan to use Jalen Milroe in 2025, and it won’t be like Taysom Hill

Imagn Images The Seattle Seahawks have completely revamped their quarterback room this offseason, as they traded Geno Smith to the Las Vegas Raiders, signed Sam Darnold in free agency, brought back Drew Lock, traded Sam Howell to the Minnesota Vikings and drafted former Alabama signal-caller Jalen Milroe in the third round at No. 92 overall. The rookie is not expected to compete with Darnold for the starting job, but you will see him take the field in 2025. "He's a unique, special athlete, special young man," Seahawks general manager John Schneider said, via ESPN. "We're going to develop him as a quarterback. But with that, he can add something special as we go."That "something special" is what Milroe provides as a runner. In fact, several coaches and scouts said they believe he is the best running quarterback they've ever seen -- better than Lamar […]

trending_flat
Pacers beat Bucks 119-118, Was this Giannis’ final game with the Bucks? | Breakfast Ball

breakfast ball Video Details The Milwaukee Bucks blew a 7-point lead in 35 seconds to the Indiana Pacers which sent them home. Giannis Antetokounmpo got into a scuffle after the game and refused to comment on his future with the Bucks. Craig Carton, Danny Parkins, and Mark Schlereth ask if Giannis is moving on after this disappointing season. 1 MIN AGO・breakfast ball・5:10

trending_flat
2025 CJ Cup Byron Nelson free picks, odds: Golf model reveals top 3 predictions, including 40-1 longshot

Getty Images After a week of team play at the Zurich Classic the PGA Tour heads to TPC Craig Ranch just outside of Dallas, for the 2025 CJ Cup Byron Nelson beginning on Thursday at 7:50 a.m. ET. Texas natives Scottie Scheffler and Jordan Spieth are the favorites in the 2025 CJ Cup Byron Nelson odds via FanDuel Sportsbook. Scheffler is +280, with Spieth at +1800. Sungjae Im (+2200) and Byeong Hun An (+2500) are the only other golfers getting lower than +3000 in outright winner bets. There are also PGA odds for top-five, top-10, head-to-head and more to consider. Before locking in your 2025 CJ Cup Byron Nelson picks, be sure to see the PGA predictions rom the proven model at SportsLine.SportsLine's proprietary model, built by DFS pro Mike McClure, is up more than $9,000 on PGA best bets since […]

trending_flat
Thierry Henry criticizes Arsenal after Champions League semifinal loss to PSG: ‘A lot needs to be changed’

Getty Images Arsenal legend Thierry Henry was critical of the Gunners' performance in the first leg of the UEFA Champions League semifinals, arguing they made "so many mistakes" as Paris Saint-Germain registered a 1-0 win on Tuesday.The French champions scored the game's lone goal in the fourth minute, courtesy of Ousmane Dembele, which was reflective of the visitors' impressive early start. Arsenal settled into the match later in the first half and were perhaps at their most dominant in the last 20 minutes, though Henry was complimentary of PSG manager Luis Enrique's ability to manage that final stretch of the game."Paris Saint-Germain were far superior for me in this game so a lot needs to be changed in order for Arsenal to make sure they can beat Paris Saint-Germain over there and it's going to be a different ballgame," Henry […]

trending_flat
Three best NBA player props, odds for Wednesday, April 30: Use Luka Doncic in NBA Playoff picks

Imagn Images Game 5 of the Los Angeles Lakers vs. Minnesota Timberwolves series having a clinching scenario attached to it may not have surprised many NBA fans heading into the matchup, but the Lakers facing the win-or-go-home outcome may have. The Lakers duo of LeBron James and Luka Doncic had the second-shortest odds to advance out of the Western Conference entering the NBA playoff bracket, yet they are one loss away from a first-round exit. The Lakers are 5.5-point favorites on Wednesday in the lates NBA odds and James and Doncic won't make advancing in Los Angeles easy on Minnesota. How should the stakes of this contest affect your NBA player props? Doncic has a total points + rebounds + assists total at 47.5, while James' over/under is 42.5 on FanDuel Sportsbook, so should you include either of these players […]

Be the first to leave a comment

Leave a comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Sportivo bridges the gap between talent and opportunity.

About SPORTIVO

Sportivo Network is a dedicated social platform for sports enthusiasts, athletes, and scouts. Whether you’re an aspiring athlete looking for opportunities, a coach searching for talent, or simply a sports lover wanting to connect with like-minded people, Sportivo is your go-to network. With features like direct messaging, profile showcasing, and talent scouting, Sportivo bridges the gap between talent and opportunity. Here, you can share your achievements, interact with professionals, and open doors to the next level in your sports journey. Join Sportivo Network – because every great athlete deserves to be discovered!
Copyright © 2025 SPORTIVO News. and SPORTIVO Network. All rights reserved.

Login to enjoy full advantages

Please login or subscribe to continue.

Go Premium!

Enjoy the full advantage of the premium access.

Stop following

Unfollow Cancel

Cancel subscription

Are you sure you want to cancel your subscription? You will lose your Premium access and stored playlists.

Go back Confirm cancellation