Baltimore Orioles select Vanderbilt OF commit Slater de Brun in 2025 MLB Draft

Vanderbilt outfielder commit Slater de Brun has been selected in the 2025 MLB Draft. He was drafted with the No. 37 overall pick by the Baltimore Orioles.

The 5-foot-10, 187-pounder out of the Pacific Northwest boosted his draft stock after strong performances at both the Perfect Game National and World Series. de Brun was also a part of USA Baseball’s 18U team, winning gold medal for Team USA. Although, he was sidelined with a broken thumb during the bulk of that run.

Playing for Summit (OR) High School this past season, de Brun helped lead his team to a 5A Oregon state championship. He went 0-2 during the matchup but made the most of his plate attempts by adding two RBIs.

Still, he’s undersized for an outfielder but at 18, there’s room to grow. Due to his size and abilities, he’s drawn comparisons to 2024 All-American Slade Caldwell. Caldwell was selected No. 29 overall in the 2024 MLB Draft by the Arizona Diamondbacks. He clocked in a whopping 5-foot-9 and 182 pounds when he was drafted.

“Power may never be a huge part of his game, but while some evaluators worried about impact, de Brun showed up this spring with added strength and more ability to drive the ball from the left side of the plate, displaying more physicality than Carroll at this stage,” his MLB scouting report reads.

“de Brun’s speed is also a huge asset in the outfield. He has plus range and is an excellent defender who can play center field for a long time. Teams will want to be convinced the Vanderbilt recruit can impact the ball enough in the spring, but those who believe in him as a future table-setter will consider de Brun in the same area as Caldwell and Carroll.”

While de Brun came highly regarded during the 2025 MLB Draft, the budding star has been committed to Vanderbilt since Oct. 2023. Like many of the highly-selected preps prospects in this year’s cycle, he has the choice to either sign his pro contract or head to Nashville to play for the Commodores.

Given his long-standing commitment to Vanderbilt, it’ll be interesting to see where the talented outfielder plays his next baseball. Either way, the expectation for him to become a member of a big league lineup one day is there. Despite his size, de Brun is an MLB-draftee as one of this top-rated prospects in this cycle.