SNAFU
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#26 Liam Doyle- Cardinals
2025 Ranking: N/A
The No. 5 pick in the 2025 draft out of Tennessee, Doyle had the best fastball in the class, sitting 96-99 all spring and living up at the top of the zone with the pitch, missing bats over 40 percent of the time that hitters tried to offer at it. He has four pitches, with a plus splitter, an average to above-average slider and a potentially plus cutter. He throws everything for strikes, working well to both sides of the plate and getting some added deception from his delivery. Some teams were concerned about his ability to repeat his delivery as a starter, which I didn’t share, and the biggest issue I could see about his ability to stay a starter is that he throws so hard all the time — several miles an hour above where he was the year before, while he was at Mississippi. He moves well on the mound and should be able to make some small adjustments to try to tighten up the slider and separate it more from the cutter, beyond which I don’t think he has much left to do before he would be ready to pitch in some role in the majors. He’ll probably start in Double A, but don’t be surprised if he debuts this year as long as he stays healthy, with at least No. 2 starter upside.
#69 Gavin Kilen
2025 Ranking: N/A
Kilen was a top-10 talent in the 2025 draft in my view, and was a steal for the Giants at pick No. 14. He was one of the best hitters in the SEC last spring and he rarely swung and missed, while showing surprising power for a smaller-framed player. He got stronger last offseason after transferring to Tennessee, adding 2 mph to his average exit velocity and maxing out over 110 mph, all while striking out just 11 percent of the time in an era when a number that low is usually a typo. He played more second than short for the Volunteers, then played both in his 10-game pro debut. There’s no realistic chance he sticks at shortstop in pro ball as he doesn’t have the arm or the lateral range for it. His brief time in Low A was unimpressive as he tried to play through a bone bruise in his hip that he suffered back in the SEC championship game, eventually shutting it down in mid-August. He’s a high-floor player with an excellent chance to be an everyday second baseman thanks to his high contact rates, above-average power and solid-average defense at worst at the keystone.
2025 Ranking: N/A
The No. 5 pick in the 2025 draft out of Tennessee, Doyle had the best fastball in the class, sitting 96-99 all spring and living up at the top of the zone with the pitch, missing bats over 40 percent of the time that hitters tried to offer at it. He has four pitches, with a plus splitter, an average to above-average slider and a potentially plus cutter. He throws everything for strikes, working well to both sides of the plate and getting some added deception from his delivery. Some teams were concerned about his ability to repeat his delivery as a starter, which I didn’t share, and the biggest issue I could see about his ability to stay a starter is that he throws so hard all the time — several miles an hour above where he was the year before, while he was at Mississippi. He moves well on the mound and should be able to make some small adjustments to try to tighten up the slider and separate it more from the cutter, beyond which I don’t think he has much left to do before he would be ready to pitch in some role in the majors. He’ll probably start in Double A, but don’t be surprised if he debuts this year as long as he stays healthy, with at least No. 2 starter upside.
#69 Gavin Kilen
2025 Ranking: N/A
Kilen was a top-10 talent in the 2025 draft in my view, and was a steal for the Giants at pick No. 14. He was one of the best hitters in the SEC last spring and he rarely swung and missed, while showing surprising power for a smaller-framed player. He got stronger last offseason after transferring to Tennessee, adding 2 mph to his average exit velocity and maxing out over 110 mph, all while striking out just 11 percent of the time in an era when a number that low is usually a typo. He played more second than short for the Volunteers, then played both in his 10-game pro debut. There’s no realistic chance he sticks at shortstop in pro ball as he doesn’t have the arm or the lateral range for it. His brief time in Low A was unimpressive as he tried to play through a bone bruise in his hip that he suffered back in the SEC championship game, eventually shutting it down in mid-August. He’s a high-floor player with an excellent chance to be an everyday second baseman thanks to his high contact rates, above-average power and solid-average defense at worst at the keystone.
