Indiana baseball makes ESPN’s first-round splash in 2025 MLB Draft projection

Indiana Hoosiers baseball has been flying under the radar in recent years — but that could be changing with Devin Taylor making noise ahead of the 2025 MLB Draft.

Taylor has the chance to do something no Hoosier has done in over a decade: hear his name called in the first round. The last Indiana player to pull that off? Former Chicago Cubs star and current Phillies slugger Kyle Schwarber, who went fourth overall in 2014.

For a program hungry to get back on the national stage, Taylor’s rise is a big deal.

On Monday morning, ESPN released its latest “MLB Experts Mock Draft,” and Taylor landed squarely in first-round territory — projected to go No. 24 overall to the Detroit Tigers.

“The Tigers have terrific organizational depth at the big league and minor league levels, so this pick could go in any direction,” ESPN’s David Schoenfield wrote. “Taylor was a three-year standout for the Hoosiers, hitting .374/.494/.706 with 18 home runs and drawing 52 walks against just 30 strikeouts this season. He's limited to corner outfield but possesses bat speed and strength and also performed well in the Cape last summer.”

Taylor didn’t just put up numbers — he turned heads. The Hoosiers slugger mashed 18 home runs, hit .374, and showed off a good eye at the plate, drawing nearly twice as many walks as strikeouts. But it’s more than stats that has scouts circling his name. 

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His quick hands, raw power, and ability to stay patient in the box make him one of the more talked-about college bats heading into this year’s draft.

If he does go in the first round, it wouldn’t just be a big moment for Taylor — it would be a sign that Indiana baseball is headed back in the right direction. It’s been over a decade since the Hoosiers had a player drafted that high, but Taylor has a real shot to change that.

All eyes will be on him when draft night arrives.