Who is Xavier Neyens? Meet Astros' No. 21 pick in 2025 MLB Draft from Washington powerhouse

The 2025 MLB draft got underway on Sunday ahead of the All-Star festivities. The Houston Astros selected Mount Vernon High School star Xavier Neyens with the No. 21 pick.

The Astros had been scouting the young infielder since last season, and he was at Daikin Park for a pre-draft workout in front of general manager Dana Brown.

“He put on a show,” Astros scouting director Cam Pendino said. “He did his thing. It was pretty impressive what he was able to do, and we were fired up to get him.”

The 18-year-old came into the draft as the 25th-ranked prospect and the 10th-ranked high school player, per MLB Pipeline. He is committed to Oregon State, and his stock as a power-hitter rose after leading Mount Vernon to their third state title this year.

“He hits balls that I didn’t think could ever travel as far as they do,” Mount Vernon coach Tony Wolden said. “It’s amazing to see the ball come off his bat.”

He finished the season batting .456 with eight home runs, 10 doubles, 27 RBIs and 49 runs scored in 28 games. Although one of the most powerful bats in the class, Neyens dropped to No. 21 (predicted to go No. 8 in the mock drafts) because of concerns over his swing-and-miss rate.

Astros could use Xavier Neyens at third despite strong groundwork at shortstop

Xavier Neyens is the first position player out of high school drafted by the Astros in the first round in 10 years. While the Astros have previously picked shortstops in the first round, Carlos Correa (2012), Alex Bregman (2015) and Brice Matthews (2023), Neyens could be tried at third base by Houston.

“We see that as a strong potential there, but if not, third base would be an obvious fallback. We think he could be a really, really good third baseman because of the actions in the arm,” Pendino said. “We’re giving him every chance to stick at shortstop until he proves us wrong. We think he is a shortstop, and we’re excited about that.”

While Neyens' hitting power makes him a key offensive asset, the 18-year-old also served as a closer for the Bulldogs. His fastballs can go as high as 95 mph, per MLB Pipeline.

About the author

Chaitanya Prakash is an editor who covers US Sports at Sportskeeda. His first brush with sportswriting was in 2012 when the greatest football manager of all time, Sir Alex Ferguson, bid farewell to the beautiful game.

Although having started out professionally as a cricket writer in 2022, Chaitanya's curiosity and indiscriminate interest in all sports in general eventually introduced him to America's favorite pastime.

While Chaitanya's favorite player from the current crop is the dynamic Venezuelan Ronald Acuna Jr., his all-time favorite, however, is Pedro Martinez, for his self-belief and consistency. He also rates Jose Bautista's iconic bat flip in 2015 as his favorite moment in baseball history.

Chaitanya specializes in reporting on technical aspects of the game or analyzing patterns behind specific plays. He also likes pondering over players' self-assessments following the conclusion of a game as it helps him get an idea of how they think about the sport in general.

When not cheering for his favorites across sports, Chaitanya likes being transported to the past through a good war documentary or a historical documentary in general.

Know More

Edited by Chaitanya Prakash