The 2025 MLB draft has come to a close, all 20 rounds, and it was an eventful one. For the Mets, the big story was that they would only pick once in the first hundred picks, and with their pick, the 38th, they selected two-way player Mitch Voit. With the 102nd pick, they went with shortstop Antonio Jimenez.

After selecting a couple of high-upside position players on Day 1, the Mets shifted their focus almost entirely to pitching on Day 2 of the 2025 MLB Draft. From rounds 4 through 20, New York selected 17 players—14 of them pitchers.

Peter Kussow. Photo from The Freeman

Round 4: Peter Kussow, RHP — Arrowhead HS (WI)

Peter Kussow’s delivery is clean and athletic, especially for a pitcher his size, and he repeats his mechanics well for a prep arm. The 18-year-old has been up to 96-97 mph with armside run (per MLB Pipeline), and he’s shown glimpses of a sharp mid-80s slider with terrific shape. The curveball and changeup are still works in progress, but the feel is there, and he’s already demonstrated a decent understanding of how to sequence his pitches.

Given that his background is in the north, he likely hasn’t thrown nearly as many innings as many of his peers, which could leave room for a velocity spike and rapid gains once he enters pro ball. The Mets likely see him as a blank canvas with a high ceiling, and if they can sign him away from Louisville, he’ll instantly become one of the more intriguing arms in the Mets’ system.

Kussow was 4-1 with a 1.47 ERA in his senior year for Arrowhead Union High School, striking out 64 while walking nine in 33 1/3 innings.

Round 5: Peyton Prescott, RHP — Florida State

Peyton Prescott, 21. was pitching his way into top-three round consideration early this spring, touching triple digits coming out of the Seminoles bullpen. But a UCL injury in June shut him down, and he underwent Tommy John surgery shortly after. He might not pitch in a professional game until 2026, but the Mets clearly believe in his arm.

Mets director of amateur scouting Drew Toussaint understands the gamble the organization is making with Scott (via Anthony DiComo of MLB.com), saying, “All those injuries are risky. Obviously, we’re taking a chance and hoping that the player comes back … to form. It’s always a risk, and we take that all into consideration when we’re taking the player.”

Round 6: Nathan Hall, RHP — Central Missouri

Nathan Hall, a red-shirt sophomore out of Central Missouri is another gamble by Mets personnel. He’s another flamethrower recovering from elbow issues, specifically an internal brace surgery that did not include Tommy John surgery. Before his injury, the Division II standout showed an explosive fastball that touched 98 mph and carried late life up in the zone. Hall had been rising on draft boards all spring before being shut down, and the Mets swooped in, taking him in the sixth round.

Hall likely profiles as a reliever long-term, but there’s a chance he builds enough command to give starting a shot in pro ball. Either way, it’s another bet on pure arm talent.

Cam Tilly. Grayson Belanger/Auburn Tigers

Round 7: Cam Tilly, RHP – Auburn

New York selected right-hander Cam Tilly out of Auburn with their seventh-round selection. Tilly, a college sophomore, is another project that could see late innings in a major league bullpen if he can continue to refine his command. He touches the upper 90’s with his fastball, per FanGraphs, but where he could really make a name for himself is with his biting slider that spins at over 3,000 rpm.

Still, his results at Auburn were inconsistent, and his command remains a work in progress. However, Tilly has already grown into his strength and shows a knack for improving his pitch mix. As he’s just 21 years old, the Mets clearly believe in his potential to develop into a reliable bullpen arm in the coming years.

Round 8: Camden Lohman, RHP – Fort Zumwalt North HS (MO)

High school senior Camden Lohman is a prep right-hander whom prospect outlets have very varied opinions on. MLB Pipeline ranks him 220th in this draft class, giving him 50 grades on all of his pitch offerings, including a fastball that has touched 95 mph. However, Baseball America ranks him far below 220, at 490th in the class. BA questions his secondary pitches, noting that his best secondary pitch is fringe-average and his third and fourth pitches (slider and splitter) are virtually non-existent.

Most scouts agree that at 6’4″ and just 185 pounds, Lohman has plenty of room to add strength and velocity. He’s already seen a significant uptick, going from the high 80s as a junior to consistently sitting in the low to mid-90s this spring.

However, this is a developmental project. The Mets have been aggressive in recent drafts when it comes to identifying high school pitchers with velocity and projection, and Lohman fits that mold. Whether or not he signs depends on how much flexibility the club has left in their bonus pool.

Round 9: Anthony Frobose, SS – Lakeland HS (NY)

Frobose, 19, broke up the pitching trend, becoming the Mets’ first position player picked on Day 2. A local product from Westchester County and a Rutgers commit, Frobose is known more for his glove than his bat. He’s a fluid, instinctive defender with soft hands and above-average arm strength, and a guy who is likely to stick at shortstop long term.

“Super athletic kid, chance to stay on the dirt at shortstop. Real toolsy, plus runner, can really throw. And we like the swing, a fluid swing. And so we think it’s some huge upside, and it all checked out. We like the family. A local kid that we’re excited about,” Drew Toussaint said, per DiComo.

Trey McLoughlin

Round 10: Tyler McLoughlin, RHP – Georgia

McLoughlin is a durable right-hander with a four-pitch mix and solid SEC experience. He projects as organizational depth with a chance to develop into a middle-inning reliever. He’s on the older side of the draft at 23.

Round 11: Wyatt Vincent, SS – Nixa HS (MO)

Vincent is an 18-year-old outfielder out of high school. As a multi-sport athlete, he has both plus speed and general athleticism. At the moment, it seems as if he’s unsure if he prefers the college or pro route, according to Springfield News-Leader.

Round 12: Truman Pauley, RHP – Harvard

The 21-year-old transitioned from the bullpen to Harvard’s rotation in 2025 and struck out over 28 percent of opposing hitters. Pauley features a fastball with late life and a promising slider, giving him starter upside if the command improves. When he’s in the zone, it’s a tough time for hitters, per Brian Recca on X.

Round 13: Frank Camarillo, RHP – UC Santa Barbara

Camarillo, 21 had a 6.53 ERA with UCSB but has looked spectacular in the Cape Cod League so far, with a 1.20 ERA over 15 innings. He had a 2.38 strikeout-to-walk ratio with the Gauchos but has walked just three with 16 strikeouts over his 15 innings in summer league.

Round 14: James Smith IV, RHP – Memphis

James Smith IV is a projectable right-hander with a long frame, some deception, and a fastball that plays up thanks to extension. He’ll need refinement, but the raw ingredients are intriguing. “Our area scout did a really good job of scouting him. He didn’t throw a lot of innings this year, but it was really exciting. He got hurt, and we were one of the teams that were able to see him and capitalize on his talent. We’re really excited about that one,” Toussaint said, via DiComo.

Round 15 : Conner Ware, LHP – LSU

The only southpaw the Mets picked, Conner Ware is a 21-year-old junior who showed quality movement on his fastball and a sweeping breaking ball in limited action at LSU, per D1 Baseball’s David Seifert and other evalutors. He could fit as a situational bullpen piece with further development.

Rounds 16-20:

With the final five rounds of the draft, the Mets selected four pitchers and a hitter in:

  • Zack Mack (RHP, Loyola Marymount University) – A “Swiss Army Knife” for Loyola, and a physical specimen at 6’5″, 240 pounds.
  • Sam Robertson (SS, Northwest Shoals CC) – Swiped 60 bases in 55 games at the junior college level, but outside of the speed, there’s little that stands out offensively or defensively.
  • Dillon Stiltner (RHP, Trinity Christian School, Georgia) – Prep prospect with a low 90’s fastball with sink at 6’2″, 195 pounds, according to BA and other evaluators.
  • Joe Scarborough (RHP, Jacksonville State, Alabama) – 21-year-old reliever with two-way experience. Extremely erratic, issuing 21 free passes, hitting 7, and throwing 7 wild pitches over just 18 1/3 innings.
  • Garrett Stratton (RHP, Rice University) – College reliever, recently transferred to Notre Dame after three years with Rice.

Betting on Development

For the Mets, the theme on Day 2 was obvious. Continuing a long-standing trend that is particularly evident under David Stearns, the front office leaned heavily into its confidence in developing pitchers, even those with injury concerns or shaky command. Many of the picks were high-effort bullpen corps, and several are recovering from or coming off surgery. This draft class may take time to produce results. But if just a few of these power arms hit, it could pay significant dividends for future Mets bullpens and rotations.