2025 MLB Draft Profile: Kyson Witherspoon
NAME: Kyson Witherspoon
SCHOOL: Oklahoma
POSITION: RHP
HEIGHT/WEIGHT: 6’2”, 207 lbs
B/T: R/R
D.O.B.: August 12, 2004
PREVIOUSLY DRAFTED: No
Draft Scouting Report
Kyson Witherspoon has emerged as one of the top college pitchers in the 2025 MLB Draft. A fast-rising right hander, originally from Jacksonville, Fla., he attended Fletcher High School in Neptune Beach. His identical twin brother, Malachi, also pitches in the Oklahoma rotation and was selected by the Arizona Diamondbacks in the 12th round of the 2022 MLB Draft. Kyson went undrafted and began his college career at Northwest Florida State Community College. He earned a spot on the USA Baseball Collegiate National Team ahead of his junior campaign, and he posted a 2.65 ERA with 124 strikeouts over 95 innings while facing top-tier SEC competition.
Witherspoon features a dynamic pitch mix, headlined by a fastball that sits 95-97mph and has touched 99 mph, showing riding life at the top of the zone. He’s shown the ability to manipulate fastball shape in multiple directions—cutting it with late glove-side action or running it arm-side with sinker-like movement on occasion. That gives him three distinct fastball looks and allows him to tailor movement profiles to hitters. The cutter, thrown with conviction, mirrors the fastball’s release before veering late, adding a different look within the zone, especially when used to change eye levels and set up secondary pitches.
His mid-80s slider features sharp, late break—capable of diving out of the zone for whiffs or catching hitters off guard when they’re sitting on a fastball, often inducing weak contact or dropping in for a strike. The curveball offers deeper vertical action with a late, downwards shape. Both pitches complement each other well, giving hitters contrasting looks, and are particularly effective when sequenced off his fastball.
He often uses it early in counts to steal strikes, especially by dropping it in on the hands of right-handed hitters to disrupt timing off the fastball. When located glove-side, it mirrors the slider’s path, adding some depth to his sequencing. His changeup, while currently his lowest-graded pitch, shows occasional fade and some splitter-like tendencies when executed well.
Witherspoon hides the ball effectively with a subtle delay in his delivery, dropping it just below his hip before tucking his arm behind his head, delaying visibility until the final stages of his motion and adding a layer of deception that makes it difficult for hitters to track the ball out of his hand. This sequencing adds a layer of deception and enhances the overall tunneling of his pitch mix.
All of his pitches exhibit late movement and are tough to square up, consistently limiting hard contact and generating whiffs. His fastball and off speed offerings come out of his hand with consistent arm speed. He’s also an athletic mover off the mound, showing body control and fluidity in his mechanics that allow him to repeat his delivery and field his position well.
He’s made meaningful strides with command, particularly locating his fastball arm side and elevating it for swing-and-miss results. However, his May 31 outing against North Carolina in the Chapel Hill Regional exposed how quickly things can unravel when his command falters early. After multiple defensive errors extended the first inning, Witherspoon initially retired two of the next three hitters and appeared poised to escape the jam. But with two outs, North Carolina strung together four consecutive singles—mostly attacking early in the count—to plate three runs.
Witherspoon’s pitch count ballooned, and the Tar Heels capitalized with a three-run home run to left field to cap a six-run inning. The sequence showcased how quickly things can spiral when extended innings force him out of rhythm. As the outing progressed, his sequencing lost its sharpness, and several secondaries caught too much of the plate, ultimately leading to a season-high nine runs allowed.
While the start doesn’t define his season, it highlights the importance of early rhythm and efficiency in Witherspoon’s success. When he falls behind or loses tempo, his pitch mix becomes more hittable—even if the raw stuff still flashes at a high level. Despite it being the toughest outing of his season—and arguably the most important start of his young career—Witherspoon didn’t fold. He put the adversity behind him and emptied the tank for Oklahoma, grinding through 4.0 innings and limiting the damage to just three earned runs despite the traffic and defensive miscues behind him.
Despite that volatility, the Oklahoma ace operates with confidence and pitch versatility, often mixing sliders and cutters early in counts, reminiscent of a young Dylan Cease. Physically, Witherspoon shares a similar build and level of athleticism to Chase Burns, whom fans may remember as a top pick in last year’s draft. Both are strong-framed right-handers standing around 6-foot-2, though their movements diverge significantly. Burns throws with more brute force and raw power, while Witherspoon is more fluid and controlled in his delivery, drawing closer comparisons to Dylan Cease.
Like Burns, Witherspoon can get erratic at times, particularly when his fastball command slips—but his mix and composure on the mound are more reminiscent of Cease. His willingness to throw any pitch in any count makes him difficult to time, and his mound presence remains steady even when under pressure. Witherspoon’s walk rate has improved, and his ability to generate whiffs at all levels of the zone gives him a chance to stick in a rotation long-term.
Draft Season Highlights
- 12 strikeouts over 7.0 IP vs. Minnesota (2/21)
- 12 strikeouts vs. Sam Houston (3/7)
- 11 strikeouts vs. Mississippi St. (3/21)
- 6.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 6 K vs. Vanderbilt (4/12)
- 7.0 IP, 1 H, 8 K vs. Ole Miss (5/2)
- 7.2 IP, 8 K, 0 BB vs. Georgia (5/21) (SEC Tournament)
2025 Season Stats (Oklahoma):
10-4 W/L | 95.0 IP | 2.65 ERA | 124 K | 23 BB
Why Would the White Sox Draft Kyson Witherspoon?
With the 10th overall pick in the 2025 MLB Draft, the White Sox could use a high-upside arm with proximity to the big leagues—and Witherspoon fits the bill. He possesses frontline starter traits and could progress quickly through a system that is already seeing development gains under Brian Bannister. If the White Sox and Brian Bannister get their hands on him, he could benefit from the organization’s track record in developing sliders and secondary weapons. Witherspoon may even be a candidate to add a ‘kick change’—an increasingly popular and effective pitch across the system, giving him another potential weapon to neutralize left-handed hitters.
Though the White Sox have historically leaned prep-heavy in recent drafts, their connection to Texas A&M slugger Jace LaViolette and other college talent suggests a willingness to pivot. In mock draft 1.0 here at FutureSox, James Fox projected Witherspoon to the Athletics with the #11 overall pick.
Suppose the top tier of high school shortstops—Billy Carlson, Kayson Cunningham, or JoJo Parker—are off the board. In that case, Witherspoon presents an ideal combination of stuff, maturity, and SEC-tested production. His Dylan Cease-esque profile would complement the Sox’s wave of pitching prospects and provide long-term rotation depth behind Noah Schultz and Hagen Smith.
Mike Shirley has consistently targeted high-upside arms with fastball-slider profiles in past drafts. If the White Sox are seeking the top college pitcher available when they’re on the clock, Kyson Witherspoon fits that mold. Given the organization’s reluctance to invest heavily in free agent starters, developing homegrown rotation depth remains essential to their long-term success.
