The Astros selected Xavier Neyens, a third baseman out of Mount Vernon (Wash.) high school, with the No. 21 overall pick in the 2025 MLB Draft on Sunday.
MLB Pipeline’s No. 25 prospect and the 10th-best high school position player, Neyens stands at a towering 6-foot-4 as an 18-year-old. The young third baseman features some of the best raw power of any hitter in this Draft, especially among high school players. MLB Pipeline gives Neyens a 65 grade on the 20-80 scouting scale, one of the top power grades in this year’s Draft class.
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There are some swing-and-miss concerns with Neyens, but Pipeline cites an “outstanding approach” that helped lead him to getting to power to all fields as a high schooler. While one might think a 6-foot-4 high school hitter won’t stick at third base, Pipeline claims that he is “athletic with a solid chance to stick at third despite his size.” With plus arm strength that was seen when Neyens was throwing 95 mph on the mound, he certainly has the tools to make it work at third base.
Committed to play at Oregon State, Neyens is widely believed to sign given how high he was selected in the Draft. If Neyens develops into a quality prospect, he has the chance to become the best high school prospect from the state of Washington since Corbin Carroll, who was selected in the 2019 Draft.