No. 5 Pick Doyle Highlights Day One of 2025 MLB Draft for Futures League Alums

ROCKLAND, Mass. 一 A record seven Futures League players were selected across the first three rounds of the 2025 Major League Baseball (MLB) Draft on Sunday night, including the first top-10 draft selection in league history. 

Reigning Southeastern Conference Pitcher of the Year and Golden Spikes Award finalist Liam Doyle (Nashua '22) set a new bar for the league's highest-ever draftee for the second time in three years, earning the St. Louis Cardinals' No. 5 overall selection out of the University of Tennessee. 

Widely regarded as having the best-rated fastball in the entire draft class, Doyle showcased his stuff by recording a Division 1-leading 15.64 strikeouts per nine innings and going 10-4 with a 3.20 ERA in 19 appearances during his unanimous first-team All-American junior campaign. The Derry, N.H., native and graduate of Granite State power Pinkerton Academy began his collegiate journey with a Futures League stint in Nashua, where he went 2-0 with a 2.84 ERA and 14 strikeouts in 12.2 innings pitched.

Prior to Doyle, the Futures League's high draft mark was set in 2023, as University of Maryland product Matt Shaw (Worcester '20-'21) began his ascent to Chicago Cubs top prospect status when he was drafted 13th overall. Doyle is just the eighth Cardinals draftee ever with league ties.

In the second round, 2025 Dick Howser Trophy winner and Atlantic Coast Conference Player of the Year Alex Lodise (New Britain '23) went to the Atlanta Braves at No. 60 overall. Lodise will join the Atlanta organization's infield depth chart after hitting .394 with 17 home runs and 68 RBI for Florida State University. In six Futures League games for the Bees just two summers ago, he posted a .320 average with three of his eight hits going for extra bases.

Shortly before Lodise's selection, the Seattle Mariners made fellow shortstop Nick Becker (Vermont '25-rostered) their No. 57 pick. The University of Virginia commit was drafted out of Don Bosco Prep in his native New Jersey and heard his name called before reporting to play for the Lake Monsters this summer.

A run of three straight Lake Monsters drafted began with the Boston Red Sox tapping on a player with a Futures League past in Virginia second baseman Henry Godbout (Vermont '22). The No. 75 overall pick earned his second All-ACC honor in 2025, hitting .309 with 10 doubles, eight homers and 37 RBI. Godbout went 14-for-32 and drove in 10 in nine summer games prior to his freshman season with the Cavaliers. The New York City native is the 18th all-time Futures League product to be drafted or sign with the Red Sox.

The very next pick went to the Chicago White Sox who selected Georgia Tech's Kyle Lodise (Vermont '23) to open the third round. Lodise hit .329 with 16 homers, 61 RBI and 13 stolen bases this spring, having joined the Yellow Jackets after beginning his college career at Augusta. He was a Brooks Wallace Award semifinalist as the nation's top shortstop. In the Futures League, Lodise was Vermont's top run producer with 28 RBI to go along with a .252 average back in 2023.

The final Lake Monster to go off the board on Sunday was Rutgers University product Trevor Cohen (Vermont '23), who was taken 85th overall by the San Francisco Giants. Cohen had 223 hits to his name at Rutgers, including a Big Ten record-setting total of 56 in league games this season. Improving his statistics year-over-year as a Scarlet Knight, he hit .387 with 24 doubles, 36 RBI and 30 walks to just 15 strikeouts as a junior. The outfielder was a Vermont stalwart in 2023, playing in 35 games with a .267 average, 27 runs scored and nine RBI.

A Futures Leaguer just last summer, University of Cincinnati outfielder Landyn Vidourek (New Britain '24) was the final third-round pick at No. 104 overall to the defending World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers. Vidourek recorded five RBI and eight runs scored in 11 games for the Bees, turning his efforts into a monster 2025 college season in which he hit .304 with 10 doubles, 14 homers, 47 RBI, 56 runs scored and 43 stolen bases.

The 2025 MLB Draft resumes at 11:30 a.m. Monday with the fourth through 20th rounds.

For the latest news and information on the Futures League throughout the year, visit thefuturesleague.com and follow the league's Facebook, X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram pages.