2025 MLB Draft Profile: Billy Carlson
Courtesy of the Los Angeles Times
NAME: Billy Carlson
SCHOOL: Corona High School (CA)
POSITION: SS
HEIGHT/WEIGHT: 6’1″/185
B/T: R/R
D.O.B.: 7/29/2006
Commitment: University of Tennessee
Scouting Report
Billy Carlson is a member of the star-studded high school baseball team at Corona Senior High School. With three draft prospects on the squad including Seth Hernandez and Brady Ebel, scouts and evaluators have been in to see the trio play all season. Corona, California is part of a “growing inland empire” in Southern California and the public high school first established 1894 houses over 2,200 students. Famous alumni include current TCU defensive coordinator Andy Avalos, big league Tristan Beck of the San Francisco Giants and Chicago media personality Ryan Chiaverini.
Perfect Game USA rates Carlson as the top defensive player in the 2025 prep class with “elite arm strength and plus agility and actions”. He’s been a two-way player in high school but his future lies on the offensive side with pitching going on the back burner. The California prep ranks as the #7 player in the draft class according to MLB Pipeline and he checks in at #10 overall at Baseball America.
The 6-1, 185 pounder has extensive experience on the summer showcase circuit which has him firmly in the mix to be a top ten selection in the upcoming draft. MLB Pipeline notes that Carlson “impressed with athleticism and bat speed” last summer and he’s shown a line drive approach. Some scouts reportedly have hit tool concerns still but he should grow into more power.
Carlson is running much better than he did previously and his speed could end up plus. He’s a 70-grade shortstop with five tool potential at a premium position. The Tennessee commit will be 19-years-old on draft day which is also known to be a red flag or deal breaker for specific teams.
Baseball America notes that the infielder is lean and athletic. His “actions are quick, smooth and clean with soft hands and nimble footwork as one of the best defensive shortstops in the country”. Carlson displays a quick release with a plus-plus arm as well. At the plate, the shortstop is selective in his approach with one of the lowest swing-and-miss rates in the 2025 high school class.
Carlson would sometimes fall into the pattern of hitting too many balls on the ground but power has started to show up more in games. Billy Carlson looked like a legitimate two-way player in his high school career. He’s been up to 96-97 mph with his fastball and he throws strikes with two potentially above-average secondary options. His ability at a premium position however has scouts focused on his offensive and defensive game and he’s not expected to take the mound as a professional.
Why Would the White Sox Draft Billy Carlson?
In five drafts so far, the front office has selected three left-handed pitchers and two shortstops in the first round with Mike Shirley as the director of amateur scouting. Jacob Gonzalez has scuffled in Double-A and has started to improve recently after a switch to the torpedo bat. Colson Montgomery likely makes his debut in Chicago this year but many outside of the organization don’t believe that he’ll play the position long-term.
The White Sox are said to be looking for a shortstop via the draft or trade and they have been linked to the high school class in draft rumors. In mock drafts, the club has been linked Carlson, Jojo Parker, Steele Hall and Daniel Pierce. The California prepster is generally seen as the top player in the group. With the 10th overall selection, Carlson would likely be seen as the “best player available” as well.
After having the worst season in baseball history but being unable to pick in the top nine selections this July, the White Sox will likely be hunting for upside. Billy Carlson could be long gone by #10 overall but he’s a “run the card in” pick for me and I don’t believe it’d be a difficult choice to make on draft day. The infielder will be 19-years-old on draft day as well but it’s not something that has deterred the White Sox in the past and it’s not expected to be a factor here as well.
Mock Draft Outcomes
In Mock Draft 1.0 here at FutureSox, I projected Billy Carlson to the Pittsburgh Pirates with the 6th overall pick. The Bucs are said to be looking at shortstops of all varieties. Kiley McDaniel of ESPN mocked Carlson to the Miami Marlins in his latest attempt and he noted that Carlson is “heavily in the mix starting at pick five”. The latest from Jonathan Mayo of MLB Pipeline sent the California prep to the Marlins as well.
Jim Callis of MLB Pipeline projected the prep infielder to the St. Louis Cardinals with the #5 overall pick and the veteran draft writer surmised that the Cardinals would choosing between Carlson and Oklahoma prep Eli Willits. Keith Law of The Athletic recently published Mock Draft 2.0 and Billy Carlson becomes a member of the Toronto Blue Jays organization in that iteration.
Carlos Collazo of Baseball America projected Billy Carlson to the White Sox with the #10 overall pick in his latest mock draft. The lead prospect analyst for the publication noted that this was the range for the California prep but he had quite a bit to say about the White Sox. Collazo mentioned that Texas A&M outfielder Jace LaViolette could be an option for the Pale Hose. He also linked the club to Gavin Kilen and Andrew Fischer of Tennessee.
