Major League Baseball has never had as much talent as it does right now. Year after year, teams get better at evaluating and developing young potential, and players enter affiliated ball bigger, faster and stronger than their predecessors. And as the league continues to root out service time manipulation with mechanisms like the Prospect Promotion Incentive plan, teams are putting their best young players in the majors as soon as they think they’re ready.
As a result, the prevalence of young stars is at an all-time high. Entering the 2025 season, there’s an abundance of young players who are already household names (or close to it). So it feels like the right time to break out SI’s top 25 players under 25.
Limiting the list to 25 names was a challenge, with plenty of deserving players left on the cutting room floor.
First, some observations on this group. The list skews toward hitters, as clubs tend to allow young hitters to play without any guardrails more quickly than pitchers. One of the goals of this exercise was to strike some sort of balance between projection and instant impact, with an emphasis on short-term projection rather than a player's five- and 10-year outlook. This is not a top prospects or trade value list, but rather a collection of the best players under 25 years old right now that will have the biggest impact on the 2025 season. On the hitters’ side, you’ll find a lot of up-the-middle players on the defensive spectrum, because that’s generally where the best and most athletic prospects start their careers before aging out to the corners.
Lastly, the overarching aim here is to celebrate the wave of young talent that’s already arrived at the game’s biggest stage. The stars of tomorrow are coming, but this group of players—and the ones who just missed the cut—are already driving the game today.
The ages listed are how old the players will be on Opening Day. WAR figures are pulled from Baseball-Reference.
25. Anthony Volpe, SS, New York Yankees
Age: 23
Career WAR: 6.7
In his two years as the Yankees’ starting shortstop, Volpe has done a lot of positive things. He’s missed just five out of 338 games (postseason included), posted a 20–20 campaign and won a Gold Glove as a rookie, and hit .286/.407/.408 during his first playoff appearance to help guide New York to the World Series. While his minor league stats (an .881 OPS) and age suggest he has room for offensive improvement, his bat has lagged behind his defense considerably to start his big-league career. Volpe’s defense assures he’ll still be a valuable player, and if his hitting can progress, this ranking will prove to be far too conservative.
24. Colton Cowser, OF, Baltimore Orioles
Age: 24
Career WAR: 2.3
Last year’s American League Rookie of the Year runner-up was the third-best hitter (minimum 450 plate appearances) in the loaded Orioles’ lineup by OPS+ (123). He led all AL rookies in home runs (24) and runs scored (77) and finished the year on a tear, batting .267/.337/.477 after the All-Star break. If he can get his strikeout rate under 30%, Cowser will make even more strides offensively.
23. Taj Bradley, SP, Tampa Bay Rays
Age: 24
Career WAR: 1.2
Bradley enjoyed success at the major league level for the first time last season, averaging better than 10 strikeouts per nine innings over 138 frames. He upped the usage of his splitter from 13.8% in 2023 to 26.9% in ‘24, with a devastating effect: hitters managed just a .194 xBA with a 33% whiff rate against the pitch. Three of Bradley’s four pitches recorded whiff rates over 30%, making his arsenal among the most intriguing in the league.
22. Jared Jones, SP, Pittsburgh Pirates
Age: 23
Career WAR: 1.8
Were it not for his high-profile rotationmate (more on him later), Jones would be the talk of the town in Pittsburgh. The hard-throwing righty blew hitters away to open the season, posting a 3.56 ERA with a 26.4% strikeout rate through his first 16 starts before a lat strain landed him on the injured list. He wasn’t quite as sharp after returning, but the talent is undeniable, and if he can develop a competent third pitch to work off his fastball and slider, he’ll jump a level.
21. Spencer Schwellenbach, SP, Atlanta Braves
Age: 24
Career WAR: 2.7
Among the trio of 2024 high-profile Braves pitching prospects that included AJ Smith-Shawver and Hurston Waldrep, Schwellenbach may have finished third in the Most Georgia Name contest, but he unequivocally made the biggest impact as a rookie. He posted an 8–7 record and 127 strikeouts over 21 starts with sub-3.50 marks in ERA, xERA and FIP. The righthander has a six-pitch mix—five of which he used at least 12% of the time—to keep hitters guessing and offer cover for what’s just an O.K. fastball. Pinpoint command gives him a high floor, and his ability to miss bats with a bevy of options creates an impressive ceiling.
20. Pete Crow-Armstrong, CF, Chicago Cubs
Age: 23
Career WAR: 2.2
The sole return in the Javier Báez trade, Crow-Armstrong has exhibited exceptional speed and defense as standout traits since entering professional baseball. His center field defense is so good—he led all center fielders in Fielding Run Value last year and was fifth in Outs Above Average—that he needs only a passable bat to be an above-average regular. He did just enough at the plate in 2024, posting a .237/.286/.384 slash line and an 88 OPS+. Add in Crow-Armstrong’s strong base running (27 stolen bases in 30 attempts) and you have a very good player. If he makes a big stride at the plate, he’s a no-doubt All-Star.
19. Francisco Alvarez, C, New York Mets
Age: 23
Career WAR: 1.9
Alvarez didn’t have the best 2024 campaign, but catchers who can hit 25 home runs (as a 21-year-old rookie Alvarez did in ‘23) don’t grow on trees. An adept pitch framer, Alvarez’s ability to control the strike zone could actually become more of an asset with MLB’s new ABS challenge system. Frankly, this ranking leans a bit more on projections than others, as there simply aren’t many catchers with 115 mph maximum exit velocities like Alvarez’s. A retooled, less pull-happy approach could close up some holes in his swing and lead to a breakout ‘25 season.
18. Lawrence Butler, RF, Athletics
Age: 24
Career WAR: 2.5
Butler established himself as a notable prospect despite running a near-30% minor league strikeout rate. So the fact that he was able to trim that down to a respectable 23.9% in his first full season in the majors was extremely encouraging. Butler did a lot of things well offensively in 2024, launching 22 homers in 451 plate appearances while going a perfect 18-for-18 on stolen base attempts. He’s a 30–30 threat in ‘25.
17. Ezequiel Tovar, SS, Colorado Rockies
Age: 23
Career WAR: 5.9
Tovar’s calling card is his defense, which earned him the distinction of being the youngest player to win National League Gold Glove honors at shortstop last season. Offensively, though, he’s got a lot of work to do. He owns a 27.9% career strikeout rate and a paltry 3.7% walk rate. He hits the ball hard enough, managing 26 home runs in 2024. Add it all together, and he was slightly above league-average offensively (103 OPS+). If he can improve his swing decision-making from “calamitous” to simply “bad,” there’s room for growth into an All-Star caliber player.
16. Wyatt Langford, OF, Texas Rangers
Age: 23
Career WAR: 3.9
Langford needed just 47 minor league games after Texas took him with the No. 4 pick in the 2023 draft to prove himself ready for an everyday role. He sputtered out of the gates last year but finished strong, batting .263/.337/.458 with 15 homers and 18 stolen bases over his final 100 games. Langford might “just” be a corner outfielder, but he plays good defense there and runs very well to support a stellar hit tool that should carry him far.
15. Zach Neto, SS, Los Angeles Angels
Age: 23
Career WAR: 6.8
Like Langford, Neto was fast-tracked to the big leagues after just 48 games in the minors. He held his own as a rookie in 2023, then broke out in ‘24, swatting 23 homers with 30 stolen bases and a 113 OPS+ in 155 games. Shoulder surgery will cost him the start of the ‘25 campaign, though the Angels expect him back sometime in April. If he makes a full recovery, he should be back on his way to becoming among the best shortstops in the league.
14. James Wood, LF, Washington Nationals
Age: 22
Career WAR: 1.1
Wood owned the mantle of “best prospect in baseball” last year, then proved worthy of the title with an impressive debut. He hit .264/.354/.427 (good for a 122 OPS+) in 79 games, with nine homers and 14 stolen bases. At 6'7", he has as much power as any player in the game. If he can keep his strikeouts to a manageable rate, he’ll become among the league’s most intimidating hitters.
13. Roki Sasaki, SP, Los Angeles Dodgers
Age: 23
Career WAR: 0.0
Here’s where we get to full-on projection mode. Figuring out where—and whether—to include Sasaki here required some consideration. This list aims to highlight the best present-day players under 25, and where do you slot a player who’s yet to step foot in a major league game? Given how dominant he was in NPB—a 32.7% strikeout rate and 2.10 ERA over nearly 400 innings—and the unanimous praise from the scouting community, Sasaki earns a spot smack dab in the middle.
12. Masyn Winn, SS, St. Louis Cardinals
Age: 23
Career WAR: 4.4
After a 37-game cup of coffee in 2023 that saw him hit .172, Winn held down the starting shortstop job in St. Louis all year in ‘24, combining elite defense with strong base running and a 102 OPS+. If he lacks top-end range, he makes up for it with a cannon for a right arm. Winn’s overall profile (stellar defense combined with league-average hitting) is similar to Tovar’s, but the pair achieve a 100-ish OPS+ in vastly different ways. Winn’s more well-rounded, contact-heavy approach at the plate gives him less risk and volatility, earning him a higher spot on the list.
11. CJ Abrams, SS, Washington Nationals
Age: 24
Career WAR: 6.8
A scintillating first half in 2024 earned Abrams his first All-Star nod and seemed to portend a true breakout campaign. But the skilled shortstop lagged in the second half, then saw his season end with an embarrassing demotion in late September. With that unfortunate development seemingly behind him, Abrams still has all the tools to be one of the best players in the league. Even if his subpar range eventually sees him change positions, he has enough offensive upside to remain an elite player.
10. Jackson Chourio, LF, Milwaukee Brewers
Age: 21
Career WAR: 3.8
Under the weight of a historic contract extension that predated his first big-league game, Chourio debuted as a 20-year-old last season and took some time to get his feet wet. But once he figured things out, he really figured things out: he hit .303/.358/.525 from June 1 through the end of the year, with 16 home runs and 15 stolen bases. He played exclusively in the corners last season after primarily occupying center field in the minors. If Chourio ever finds his way back to center and maintains his offensive production, then we’re talking about an MVP candidate. In the meantime, we’ll have to settle for an All-Star with a sky-high ceiling.
9. Riley Greene, LF, Detroit Tigers
Age: 24
Career WAR: 8.6
After two up-and-down, injury-marred seasons, Greene made it through 2024 mostly healthy and extremely productive, posting a 133 OPS+ to earn his first All-Star selection. Even with that strong performance, his offensive profile—a double-digit walk rate, a 90th percentile barrel rate and an 85th percentile bat speed—gives the feeling that there’s more in the tank.
8. Michael Harris II, CF, Atlanta Braves
Age: 23
Career WAR: 11.7
It’s easy to look at Harris’s trajectory and think his arrow is trending downward, though that would be a misguided conclusion. The 2022 National League Rookie of the Year has consistently been among the best defensive center fielders in baseball for three years, and his middling ‘24 offensive production (a 99 OPS+ with 16 homers and 10 stolen bases) feels more likely the result of whatever Monstar-ification the Braves endured team-wide last season than any underlying issues. Harris still has good speed, makes consistent enough contact and hits the ball hard enough to clock a .284 xBA and .344 xwOBA.
7. Jackson Merrill, CF, San Diego Padres
Age: 21
Career WAR: 4.4
In most other years without Paul Skenes as his competition, Merrill would have been a runaway Rookie of the Year winner after he produced a 127 OPS+ with 24 homers and 16 stolen bases in his age-21 season. Even though he chases a lot and doesn’t walk much, he routinely makes elite contact. Developing better control of the strike zone is the next step in the progression of a budding superstar.
6. Corbin Carroll, RF, Arizona Diamondbacks
Age: 24
Career WAR: 9.9
For the better part of three months last season, Carroll looked broken. Then, suddenly, he wasn’t. His .619 OPS through the end of June transformed into an .889 mark from July through the end of the year, and the 2023 Rookie of the Year finished with a robust 22 homers, 35 stolen bases and a 107 OPS+. That strong finish did enough to make his first-half struggles look more like an outlier. Expect something more resembling his standout first season to come in ‘25.
5. Julio Rodríguez, CF, Seattle Mariners
Age: 24
Career WAR: 15.9
A lot of what I wrote about Carroll can apply to Rodríguez. First-half struggles (a .327 slugging percentage through the end of June) caused some mild panic, though he finished the season on a tear, batting .312/.364/.528 from July 1 on to assuage concerns. We’ve seen enough from J-Rod to pencil him down as a 30–30 threat every year throughout the duration of his prime.
4. Elly De La Cruz, SS, Cincinnati Reds
Age: 23
Career WAR: 6.0
De La Cruz tantalized as a rookie in 2023, then blew the doors off of what even the most optimistic evaluators could have predicted in ‘24: 25 homers, 10 triples, 67 stolen bases and the league’s third-fastest sprint speed, all crammed into a 6'5" frame. De La Cruz already produces like an MVP candidate. He’s a player whose abilities feel limitless—a pretty exciting descriptor for someone who just turned 23 in January.
3. Gunnar Henderson, SS, Baltimore Orioles
Age: 23
Career WAR: 16.2
On an Orioles team with no shortage of impact bats, Henderson stood head and shoulders above everybody. He clobbered 37 homers, stole 21 bases in 25 attempts, posted a double-digit walk rate and logged a strikeout rate (22.1%) better than league average, all while providing strong defense at shortstop. Top-end bat speed, strike zone control and contact quality at a premium position are the stuff MVP candidates are made from. Expect him to claim some real hardware sooner rather than later.
2. Paul Skenes, SP, Pittsburgh Pirates
Age: 22
Career WAR: 5.9
Allow SI’s Tom Verducci to extoll Skenes’s accomplishments to date. Aces like this are a dying breed, but along came Skenes to awe us all with his dominance. Few figures can inspire the masses like an archetypal starting pitcher. Skenes fits the bill and then some, and seems to have all the makings of a perennial Cy Young Award candidate.
1. Bobby Witt Jr., SS, Kansas City Royals
Age: 24
Career WAR: 14.7
The fight for the top spot here was not an easy one to settle. It was a three-horse race, and on a different day, I might land on a different order. But today, Witt is the choice. Where Henderson plays good defense, Witt plays outstanding defense. De La Cruz is fast, but Witt is the fastest. And Skenes is incredible, but the inherent risk of being a hard-throwing pitcher tilted the scales ever so slightly in Witt’s favor. And after posting the fifth-highest OPS+ (171) in the league, Witt is comfortably among the best hitters in the game. Back-to-back 30–30 seasons is a great base line for a player yet to enter his physical prime. With all he’s accomplished so far, where do you even put a ceiling for a player like Witt? It’s nearly impossible to answer, because there aren’t many players like him.
This article was originally published on www.si.com as The 25 Best MLB Players Under Age 25 for the 2025 Season.
