Arizona State Baseball Continues to Leave Their Mark on MLB Draft Boards: Breaking Down Each of Their Nine 2025 Draft Picks

Arizona State Baseball has long laid claim to being “MLB U” by having the most players drafted in the MLB Draft by any collegiate program in history. That legacy continued this week when the MLB draft kicked off and the Sun Devils had a total of nine players drafted in this year's draft. These nine players included some that I got a close view of during my time as an Analytics Student Manager for the team in 2023.  

This ASU MLB draft class is oozing with potential and many fun organizational matches. So with that, let's get into the picks. 

Round 2, Pick 46: 1B/OF Brandon Compton to the Miami Marlins

Compton’s raw power is truly special and I actually think might be somehow undervalued by many draft analysts. Compton’s raw power to all parts of the field is a spectacle to anyone that watches him take batting practice like I did all the way back in 2023 when Compton was just a Red Shirt Freshman. But Compton has grown his game in a lot of ways since I was with the team in 2023. 

Compton would go on to have a slashline of .310/.401/.568 and hit 23 Home Runs in 2024 and 2025 combined. For someone with such power, Compton also showed a disciplined eye at the plate which is definitely something the Marlins hope stays true as Brandon Compton moves up to the next level. Compton just has to refine his raw ability and he will be a prospect primed to explode onto the scene. 

To be truthful, as someone rooting for Brandon Compton’s development, I wish he hadn’t gone to an organization like the Marlins that doesn’t have a solid track record of developing prospects. Because the Marlins do have a special prospect to try and develop in Compton. As crazy as it seems to say, with proper development the ceiling of Brandon Compton is that of a Kyle Schwarber type player. Elite power and ability to get on base, but you will likely never see plus defensive value at First Base or the Outfield. 

Round 3, Pick 98: LHP Ben Jacobs to the Detroit Tigers 

In 26 starts for the Sun Devils Ben Jacobs culminated a 4.99 ERA, 1.48 WHIP with an opposing Batting Average of .241. I do think though some of Jacobs’ numbers, like his ERA, are inflated due to a home ballpark in Phoenix Municipal Stadium that is very hitter friendly. While Jacobs doesn’t have stuff that immediately jumps out to you, his pitch mix has shown effectiveness, especially when generating whiffs. His Fastball averages around 92 mph but is deceptive and is the catalyst for the whiffs he generates. 

I think there is a lot of growth, especially with his control, that is needed for Ben Jacobs to reach his full potential of being a quality MLB starting pitcher. The Tigers will also probably look to add another effective breaking pitch to his repertoire to pair with his Fastball and Changeup. But I do like the organizational fit and believe that with continued development Jacobs’ 33% Strikeout Percentage could stay near that level, which would make him a very solid starting pitching prospect for the Tigers. 

Round 6, Pick 182: RHP Lucas Kelly to the Seattle Mariners

I couldn’t love this pick anymore for a multitude of reasons. To start, the Mariners have a pitching development and scouting program that has now gained warranted league wide respect. The Mariners have found a way to get the most out of their pitchers especially when it comes to the bullpen. Lucas Kelly, I believe, will be yet another case example of the Mariners getting the most out of a Pitcher. 

It’s also easy to see why the Mariners liked him so much. Kelly has a low arm slot and a fastball that can ramp up all the way to 99 mph but does sit in the high-90’s. Kelly’s main development point will be upgrading his cutter/slider which is something the Mariners have a solid track record of doing. With Kelly's fastball metrics and peculiar arm slot, I'm confident he will fly up the Mariners system and before we know it will be making appearances at T-Mobile Park.  

Round 8, Pick 229: OF Isaiah Jackson to the Los Angeles Angels 

Isaiah Jackson probably for a lot of MLB teams was the most intriguing prospect in this group of players around the 8th round. Jackson is elite defensively in Centerfield with his ball tracking and ability to make the spectacular plays, particularly around the outfield wall. Jackson’s arm for a Centerfielder isn’t as strong as many teams would desire, but Jackson is definitely still a plus defensive centerfielder. 

But what will make or break Isaiah Jackson’s MLB future is his bat. The power potential is real for Jackson with him hitting 18 Home Runs for the Sun Devils in 2025. But what many teams are likely afraid of is the swing and miss struggles Jackson has shown at times at ASU, even though they are trending in the right direction as of last season. Swing and miss is always something organizations in 2025 are keeping an eye out for because it is usually something that doesn’t get better naturally as a player moves up levels. But if Jackson can find a way to not chase pitches outside the zone, there is no question in my mind that Isaiah Jackson will make the Major Leagues one day. 

Round 8, Pick 243: RHP Jack Martinez to the Arizona Diamondbacks

This is a real fun pick to me, not just because of Martinez staying local to Arizona, but also seeing how the DBacks develop Martinez. Seeing whether the DBacks keep him in a starting role or move him to the bullpen will be very interesting. 

Martinez’s delivery is very unorthodox, far from the steady and repeatable delivery many MLB teams are looking for with their starting pitchers. But Martinez showed the ability to rack up Strikeouts at ASU last year and for much of the season was their most reliable starter. He has a really good fastball that sits in the Mid-90’s but can get up to the High-90’s.

I’m very excited to see what type of tweaks the DBacks make to Martinez or maybe they just stick with his current mechanics. Regardless, I can’t wait to see how it plays out. 

Round 8, Pick 246: INF Kyle Walker to the Houston Astros

Kyle Walker going into this past season, his first with ASU, had high expectations. Walker had a track record of success at Grambling State that landed him on many preseason Golden Spikes Award watchlists when he made the transfer to Arizona State. While Walker didn’t quite fully live up to that expectation, Walker showed the quality ballplayer he can be. Walker has always hit for a high average in his collegiate career, with his .352 BA last year at ASU actually being the lowest in his collegiate career. So teams looking at Walker in this draft likely weren’t worried much about any issues making contact at the next level. 

Walker’s main drawbacks as a prospect are that while he is athletic, he doesn’t appear to have the ability to move around the field positionally away from second base. Many teams prefer to have prospects that start at Shortstop and eventually, as they move up, may move over to Second Base or other positions as needed. The other thing that may have hurt his prospect status is undersized second base prospects, even highly drafted ones like Nick Madrigal in 2018, don’t always have the ceiling that other draft picks could. But the Astros clearly would not be the organization to be afraid to draft an undersized second baseman with good bat-to-ball ability. Knowing the Astros, this pick will probably work out perfectly for them which will annoy me as a Mariners fan but make the ASU and Kyle Walker fan in me happy. 

Round 9, Pick 264: OF Kien Vu to the Cincinnati Reds

Full transparency, I’m a big Kien Vu fan. Vu provides athleticism that allows him to be elite in the outfield. Vu played in the corners mostly due to Isaiah Jackson patrolling Centerfield for the Sun Devils but I believe at the next level you will see a lot of Vu in Centerfield. Vu’s athleticism pairs with a strong arm that I believe will make Vu an elite defender as he moves up the Reds system. 

I’ve had this comp for Vu since I first watched him in 2023, and I'm sticking with it. I see a lot of Ender Inciarte in Kien Vu. But also, if Vu’s power develops he also could look very similar to current Reds outfielder Jake Fraley which would be amazing value to get in the ninth round. 

I’m all in on Kien Vu. 

Round 9, Pick 280: RHP Will Koger to the San Diego Padres

Will Koger is a relief prospect with a good fastball and slider combo that is the exact type of lottery ticket a lot of teams love to take around this point in the draft. With Will Koger it may be easy to look at the 6.38 ERA and not like the pick. But, as I said, Phoenix Municipal Stadium is a tough stadium to pitch in and the stuff is there to justify drafting him at this slot. It’s just a matter of putting him into the Padres pitching lab and seeing what it turns Koger into. 

Round 10, Pick 293: Matt King to the Pittsburgh Pirates

Matt King has a lot of potential for a round ten pick. King showed multiple hot stretches in 2025 for the Sun Devils, which culminated in him leading the team in multi-hit games and finishing the season with a slash-line of .403/.464/.593. King has always hit at the collegiate level and shown the ability to make consistent contact. So on the offensive side there is a lot to like about Matt King as a prospect.

Like I said, I love the value this round ten pick can have for the Pirates. King is the exact type of lottery ticket prospect you love to get your hands on at this point in the draft. While he may be older for prospects that will start at the level he will likely start at next year in his first full season of professional baseball. King’s offensive hot streaks are the exact type of thing an organization would like to see if they could harness and try to catch lightning in a bottle. 

Overall, I couldn’t be more excited to see where this class goes and to follow their careers all the way up through the system. I believe many of these guys will work their way up to the big leagues to add on to the incredible MLB legacy ASU Baseball has created.