Oregon outfielder Mason Neville (26) prepares to bat during the game against Oregon State on Tuesday, April 29, 2025 at Goss Stadium in Corvallis, Ore. Abigail Dollins/Statesman Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Oregon Ducks' Mason Neville Projected To Go In First Round Of MLB Draft To Top Team

Originally posted on Oregon Ducks on SI
By Gabriel Duarte | Last updated May 15, 2025 5:39 PM ET

The Oregon Ducks are on the verge of returning to the postseason for the fifth consecutive season, in part thanks to the stellar play of outfielder Mason Neville, who has been on the radar of MLB teams for some time.

Neville, who was selected out of Basic High School in the 18th round of the 2022 MLB Draft, has been one of the best players in the country this season and is beginning to see his draft projections skyrocket, being slotted to go in the first round in Baseball America's latest mock draft.

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In Baseball America's most recent mock draft, they have the New York Mets selecting Neville with the No. 38 pick in the first round. Neville would be a Competitive Balance Round A pick, which would be the highest a Duck has been selected since Aaron Zavala was taken in the second round of the 2021 MLB Draft.

Oregon's single-season home run and walk record holder, Neville has been on fire this season, breaking out and hitting .322 with 26 home runs, 56 RBIs, and 51 walks. The current NCAA leader in home runs, Neville is one of the top contender for the Golden Spikes Award, which is given to the best college player in the country. He's lead the Ducks to a 38-13 record as they gear up for a run in the 2025 Big Ten Baseball Tournament.

Carlos Collazo of Baseball America said that Neville's power and decision making at the plate has him soaring up draft boards.

"Neville has had a tremendous junior season with Oregon and is leading all D-I hitters with 25 home runs. He entered the spring with real questions about his swing decisions but has made strides in that department with a career-best strikeout rate to go with solid speed and a lefthanded-hitting center field profile," Collazo said.

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Oregon coach Mark Wasikowski commended Neville for taking the jump from his sophomore season last year to his junior season this year. Neville has hit ten more home runs, 13 more RBIs, and most impressively, has been hitting nearly 50 points higher on his batting average.

"He's crushing it in the weight room. At one point when we first got him, he wasn't very strong guy. He had a great frame. He's super athletic. He was twitchy, but he wasn't very strong. He didn't have physicality to him, and he's worked to be able to do that. So he's held himself accountable. And so I really credit Mason for making the changes he needed to become the player that he is," Wasikowski said.

Neville's stock can continue to skyrocket with a strong run in the postseason. The Ducks' regular season isn't over just yet. Oregon will travel to Iowa to take on the Hawkeyes in their final series of the regular season from May 15-17.