5 prospects MLB mock drafts have the Cardinals selecting with the 5th overall pick

SS Eli Willits, Fort Cobb-Braxton High School (Prospects Live)

Another high school shortstop has been mocked to the Cardinals in recent days, as Prospects Live had Eli Willits going number five overall in their recent 2025 MLB Mock Draft.

Willits is another player whom most hardcore Cardinals fans probably have not heard of, but he was ranked as the fourth-best prospect in the class by MLB Pipeline and sixth best by Baseball America. Son of former Angels outfielder Reggie Willits, the 6'1 shortstop has baseball in his blood, and he's made good on that promise so far as an amateur.

Willits will probably be the youngest top-end prospect in the class come draft day (he'll be 17 years, 7 months old on draft day), and has drawn comparisons from scouts to a player like Anthony Volpe. As a switch-hitter, Willits is better from the left side and is one of the most polished hitters you'll see at his age. He has exceptional bat-to-ball skills, staying within the strike zone and hitting line drives at a high level. He's not someone who many expect to grow above average power, but he should be a well-rounded player at the plate.

Willits is not the same athlete that Carlson is, but he's not far off either. He's a plus runner himself with a good arm and feel for the shortstop position, so he could very well stick at the position long-term. While you bet on the athleticism with Carlson, Willits is a player whose polish at such a young age allows you to dream on what kind of player he can be down the line.

It's not wise to try and predict the timeline of any prospect before they've even been drafted, but even for someone as polished as Willits may be, the 17-year-old would likely be a long-term project for the Cardinals to develop. Again, that's not a bad thing, as if he's the best talent on the board, it is worth the wait. Chaim Bloom's front office in Boston had a ton of success in developing bats, and the Red Sox are now seeing the fruit of that with Kristian Campbell, Roman Anthony, and Marcelo Mayer.

Ultimately, the direction the Cardinals will go in on draft night remains uncertain, but there are quite a few players who seem to be good fits for them as things currently stand. If someone like Holliday or Hernandez were to fall to them, I believe they'd be in strong consideration (especially Holliday), but these five prospects seem to be the strongest candidates for the Cardinals at number five as things currently stand.