We are under 1.5 months away from the 2026 MLB Draft. With that, it’s time to start taking a look at how the first round picks from the 2025 draft have gotten their professional careers started. The adjustment to the professional ranks can be rough for even the most promising prospects, so some take longer to get their feet under them than others. While guys like Tyler Bremner and Kade Anderson have had no problem adjusting, others have had a harder time looking like the first-round picks they were.

2025 MLB First Round Picks Who Are Struggling

Sean Gamble – Pick #23

Thanks to the prospect promotion incentive, the Kansas City Royals had two first-round picks in the 2025 MLB Draft. With the first of those two picks, KC selected Sean Gamble out of IMG Academy. Beyond his smooth left-handed swing, scouts were drawn to Gamble for his above-average speed and athleticism, which allow him to play both the outfield and the middle infield.

To start his pro career, though, Gamble has been unable to show off his speed because he’s struggling to get on base. Through 35 games in A-ball, the Royals farmhand is hitting .114 with a .205 OBP, .362 OPS, and 46 strikeouts in 140 at-bats. Gamble has only managed four extra-base hits this season, and while his power will continue to develop as he gets older, the biggest concern is his strikeout rate.

TIME TO GAMBLE 🎰🎰🎰

The Royals select Sean Gamble with their first pick in the 2025 MLB Draft

The 2B/OF is from IMG Academy and was originally committed to Vanderbilt

Welcome to Kansas City, Sean‼️ #FountainsUp

pic.twitter.com/2uNXyNXQub

— SleeperRoyals (@SleeperRoyals) July 14, 2025

Among eligible hitters in the Carolina League, Gamble has the 24th-highest strikeout rate at 29.3%, and the 4th lowest ISO at .043, per FanGraphs. When it comes to hitters who were drafted as prep prospects, high strikeout rates can be common early in a career. In Gamble’s case, though, he’ll need to find a way to piece together better at-bats, as he also has the 10th-lowest walk rate in the Carolina League (7.6%).

Kruz Schoolcraft – Pick #25

High school southpaws are typically boom-or-bust prospects, which the Padres tend to target. Standing at 6’8″ and throwing in the upper-90’s from the left side, Kruz Schoolcraft certainly has a high ceiling. Early in his career, though, his command has burned him. In seven starts and 17.2 innings, Schoolcraft has issued 20 free passes while striking out 18 on the way to an 8.15 ERA.

By falling behind hitters so often, the Padres second ranked prospect has a batting average allowed of .348 and a WHIP of 2.49. With elite stuff in high school, Schoolcraft could get away with falling behind early in the count, but in the professional ranks, the most important pitch is strike one. Well, in Schoolcraft’s case, he has a first-pitch strike percentage of 47.8%.

When it comes to expected numbers, there is not much to be optimistic about either, as FanGraphs has Schoolcraft with a 6.75 FIP and a 7.63 xFIP.

Kruz Schoolcraft last night for Single-A Lake Elsinore:

4 IP, 1 R, 0 ER, 3 H, 2 BB, 2 Ks

7 whiffs
28% whiff rate
Topped out at 98 mph pic.twitter.com/Yy9UDRyeR4

— Clark Fahrenthold (@CFahrenthold11) May 9, 2026

Jace LaViolette – Pick #27

College hitters, especailly those coming from the SEC, tend to have a bit of an advantage when getting into professional baseball, as they are used to seeing high-caliber pitching on a consistent level. For Jace LaViolette, that has not proven to be the case, as the Guardians’ first-round pick is hitting .216 with a .422 SLG and 55 strikeouts.

Cleveland knew they were taking a swing with LaViolette in the hopes that they could tap into the raw power coming from his 6’6″ frame. While that power was on display at Texas A&M, so were his swing-and-miss woes, which have carried over into High-A, as he leads the Midwest League with a 41% strikeout rate, and has the 13th highest swinging strike rate (17.1%).

Cleveland #Guardians 22yr old OF prospect Jace LaViolette reached base 4x tonight (3-4 3R HR 2RBI BB) driving in a pair of runs on his 6th HR of the season in Lake County’s win over Lansing. #GuardsBall pic.twitter.com/1fs5AVGTxJ

— Guardians Prospective (@CleGuardPro) May 20, 2026

Now, it is worth noting that LaViolette has shown slight improvement between April and May. While he still has 20 strikeouts in 50 at-bats in May, he has also managed to double his RBI total and match his home run total from April in six fewer games and 16 fewer at-bats.

Main Image Credit: Jake Crandall / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images