Padres select LHP Kruz Schoolcraft with 2025 first-round pick
Sunset Athletics
The San Diego Padres selected with their first-round pick in the 2025 MLB Draft.
A.J. Preller and Co. built a reputation for impressive scouting and talent evaluation.
Even after a trade deadline that saw the Padres deal away a fair amount of top-end talent from their farm system, the team has started to replenish their farm, and this Draft is a prime opportunity to add.
With San Diego’s draft strategy, the team has gone with pitching in the early rounds in the last few even years (Kash Mayfield in 2024, Dylan Lesko in 2022, Justin Lange in 2020). In odd-numbered years, they have gone for position players (CJ Abrams in 2019, Jackson Merrill in 2021, Dillon Head in 2023). Correlation does not equal causation, and with their limited bonus pool, the Padres could look to get the most talent for their buck in Round 1.
While the team’s top prospect list is loaded with pitching, the Padres are looking for the best player they can draft at No. 25, being linked to both pitchers and position players in the buildup to the draft.
With the 25th overall pick in the 2025 MLB Draft, the San Diego Padres have selected LHP Kruz Schoolcraft from Sunset High School in Beaverton, Oregon.
Schoolcraft is one of the more interesting prospects out of the draft, as he has been mostly seen as a pitcher with some interesting tools at the plate. He is an imposing figure on the mound, as his 6-foot-8 frame allows his extension to get more perceived velocity on the fastball. He has a solid three-pitch mix for his age, with a two-plane slider and 55-grade changeup.
Schoolcraft, ranked at No. 19 on MLB Pipeline’s Top 250 Draft Prospects, is similar to Boston Bateman, who the Padres took in the second round last year.
With their first-round pick now locked in, the Padres remain on the hunt for value in the draft, with their next pick at No. 99.
Stay tuned as we keep you up to date on the latest selection for the San Diego Padres.
A born and raised San Diegan, Diego Garcia is a lifetime Padres fan and self-proclaimed baseball nerd. Diego wrote about baseball on his own site between 2021-22 before joining the East Village Times team in 2024. He also posts baseball content on his YouTube channel “Stat Nerd Baseball”, creating content around trades, hypotheticals, player analyses, the San Diego Padres, and MLB as a whole.
A 2024 graduate of San Diego State, Diego aims to grow as a writer and content creator in the baseball community.