Inside The Cardinals

Cardinals Predicted To Add 'Slam Dunk' With Yankees Connection

The Cardinals have a big decision to make in a month...
Patrick McAvoy|
Aug 14, 2023; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; A detailed view of a New York Yankees hat and glove on the bench against the Atlanta Braves in the third inning at Truist Park. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images
Aug 14, 2023; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; A detailed view of a New York Yankees hat and glove on the bench against the Atlanta Braves in the third inning at Truist Park. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

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St. Louis CardinalsNew York Yankees

We are just about one month away from the 2025 Major League Baseball Draft kicking off from Atlanta, Georgia.

The draft will begin on July 13th. It will be a big weekend for the Cardinals as they have the No. 5 overall pick. Mock drafts have popped up left and right and Baseball America's Carlos Collazo dropped his fourth of the season on Monday and predicted that the Cardinals will roll with high school shortstop Eli Willits.

"No. 5. Cardinals — Eli Willits, SS, Fort Cobb-Broxton (Okla.) HS," Collazo said. "It sounds like the Cardinals could have a shot at anyone in the draft outside of Ethan Holliday. They might be in a situation where they are hoping someone cuts a deal in front of them and pushes more of their top targets down the board (though, to be fair, every team in the draft hopes for this). In this scenario, Willits feels like the favorite if the team wants to take a hitter, and Jamie Arnold could be the top option if the team would prefer to take a pitcher."

MLB.com has Willits as the No. 5 prospect in the draft class and called him a "slam dunk" early first-round pick.

"Willits comes from a baseball family, with father Reggie playing in the big leagues before coaching with the (New York Yankees) and returning to his alma mater as the associate head coach at Oklahoma -- where Eli's brother, Jaxon, is starring as a sophomore," MLB.com said. "Willits also is committed to the Sooners but is unlikely to get to Norman because he's a slam-dunk early first-rounder after reclassifying from the 2026 class. He draws some comparisons to Anthony Volpe with better physical tools at the same stage, and he'll likely be the youngest true prospect in the 2025 crop at 17 years, 7 months on Draft Day."

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Patrick McAvoy
PATRICK MCAVOY

Patrick McAvoy's experiences include local and national sports coverage at the New England Sports Network with a focus on baseball and basketball. Outside of journalism, Patrick also is pursuing an MBA at Brandeis University. After quickly rising as one of the most productive writers on the site, he expanded his reach to write for Baseball Essential, a national baseball site in Sports Illustrated Media Group. For all business/marketing inquiries regarding Inside The Cardinals, please reach out to Scott Neville: nevilles@merrimack.edu

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