Predicting MLB's Best Players in 5 Years
One of the more exciting aspects of the new MLB season is taking inventory and sizing up all of the young talent the game has to offer.
As much as established stars drive the game, what keeps it interesting is the constant development of new names.
We understand who the best players in the game are right now. You likely wouldn't be here without that base knowledge. For MLB's 25 best players under 25 years old, look no further than here.
In this exercise, though, we take a different spin and predict who some of the best players in baseball will be five years from now.
Some of those listed here have already established themselves in some way as big league talents, but they are still young enough to be seen as one of the future greats.
Others are prospects who, if you don't know already, you should learn about very soon.
With that in mind, let's get to it.
RHP Brayan Bello, Boston Red Sox
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Already one of the better groundball artists in the game at just 24, Brayan Bello's game figures to age well.
He slowed down toward the end of last season, going from a 3.04 ERA and .239 opposing batting average before the All-Star break, to a 5.49 ERA and .302 opposing batting average after it.
Bello looked like an ace in May and June, though, while his changeup remains elite as a putaway pitch. He gives up hard contact, but he balances it with impressive command and a groundball percentage that ranked in the 92 percentile last season.
The areas he needs to improve are in strikeouts and hard hit rate. He did not strike out a ton of batters with a mere 19.8 percentage, and his hard hit percentage (44.3) ranked in the 13 percentile.
The 17.1-percent home run/flyball ratio has to come down, but Bello is already viewed by the Red Sox as a core piece of the franchise. He told reporters at spring training in Fort Meyers, Florida that his agents were engaged in early extension talks with the team.
It's easy to see Bello taking the mound for the Red Sox on Opening Day this season, and many more in the coming years.
SS Jackson Holliday, Baltimore Orioles
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Whenever you hear someone use the sports cliche "can't-miss-prospect," this guy is who they're talking about.
All Jackson Holliday has done since beginning his professional career is excel. As the No. 1 overall pick in the 2022 draft, he just had his first full professional season and was a success at all three minor league levels.
The 20-year-old had a composite slash line of .323/.442/.499, including an 18-game stretch in Triple-A where he hit .267/.396./.400 with a 90 mph average exit velocity.
He has "future MVP" written all over him. An exceptional left-swinging hitter with natural shortstop ability who can play all over the infield, he hits for average with a strong walk rate.
The son of Matt Holliday is widely considered the best minor league prospect in baseball, and he should contribute to the Orioles in 2024. He should be a household name five years from now...and probably sooner than that.
RHP Paul Skenes, Pittsburgh Pirates
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Unlike Bello, Paul Skenes is a strikeout machine with prototypical power for a pitcher of his stature. At 6'6" and over 260 pounds, he is a towering figure on the mound with the stuff to back it up.
The 21-year-old struck out 45 percent of the batters he faced in his final season with the LSU Tigers, where he won a College World Series, thanks to his 98 mph fastball and a nasty slider.
Keith Law of The Athletic noted his compact arm action allows Skenes to "get away with some iffy fastball command and below-average life on the pitch." You can do that when you have unteachable physical traits.
He was the top pick by the Pirates in last year's draft and is considered the top pitching prospect in baseball, according to MLB Pipeline.
Skenes still needs to work on his command, mixing in his changeup and developing a two-seam fastball to make up for the shape of his four-seamer. The common criticism is that while the velocity is elite, the shape of it is "dead zone" and easy to track.
Expect him to make those adjustments, certainly over the next half decade. Finally, the Pirates have a cornerstone pitcher they can build around.
OF Corbin Carroll, Arizona Diamondbacks
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The reigning NL Rookie of the Year and playoff hero should be a perennial All-Star in five years. Corbin Carroll's combination of power and speed is just too enticing to overlook.
The 23-year-old slashed .285/.362/.506 with 25 home runs and 54 stolen bases. Only Ronald Acuña Jr. had more stolen bases in what was a historic season for the NL MVP.
Carroll was also top-15 in wRC+ (133). Only Acuña, Mookie Betts and Kyle Tucker had a higher wRC+ among right fielders. Only Juan Soto had a higher wRC+ among left fielders.
Carroll was easily one of the best corner outfielders in the game. In addition to what he did at the plate, he was also one of the top defensive players in both left field (+3 outs above average) and right field (+2 outs above average).
With Carroll entering the second season of a eight-year, $111 million contract, he is clearly the player Arizona will build around after making a World Series run in his NL ROTY season.
OF Wyatt Langford, Texas Rangers
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Here is another player with a phenomenal power-speed combination.
In just 44 minor league games, Wyatt Langford hit 10 home runs, stole 12 bases and slashed .360/.480/.677. He also had more walks than strikeouts, indicating plate discipline that should translate to the big leagues.
His performance across 200 professional plate appearances, which includes reaching base 14 times in 26 trips to the plate in Triple-A, is promising. His swing is effortless in both the bat speed and pure strength.
The 22-year-old still has to answer questions about his defense, where his instincts are lacking but speed allows him to cover plenty of ground.
MLB Pipeline has Langford as the sixth-ranked prospect in baseball, just behind fellow Rangers outfielder Evan Carter.
At spring training this week, Rangers pitching coach Mike Maddux said Langford was "the best player on the field." That is lofty praise coming from one of the most respected pitching coaches in baseball with the World Series champions
Expect to see the former Florida Gators standout in the majors sometime this spring. In five years, expect him to be one of baseball's top left fielders.
Catcher Adley Rutschman, Baltimore Orioles
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You don't have to wait five years for this one. Adley Rutschman is already stating a case for best all-around catcher in baseball.
Last season, he led catchers in wRC+ (127) and was second in fWAR (5.1). He was also one of the better defensive catchers. All arrows are pointing up for Rutschman.
His .292 xBA last season ranked in the 94th percentile, as did his 15.6 whiff percentage. He was seventh in walk to strikeout ratio, just ahead of elite players like Mookie Betts and Kyle Tucker.
Becoming arguably the best catcher in the AL at age 26, with Rutschman's ability both at the plate and from behind it, suggests he's likely to still be in his prime five years down the road.
The Orioles also have a lot of young talent around him. They have made one of more remarkable turnarounds in baseball in the last couple of years, as they continue building around Rutschman and two other players mentioned on this list.
RHP Eury Pérez, Miami Marlins
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There is good reason for B/R writer Joel Reuter suggesting Pérez could be a perennial Cy Young candidate.
At age 20, Pérez is a few years away from reaching his full potential, which seems enormous based on a small sample size.
Through 91.1 innings pitched last season, Pérez tossed a 3.15 ERA and 1.13 WHIP with 108 strikeouts. His 10.64 strikeouts per nine innings ranked 17th among pitchers with at least 90 innings pitched.
Pérez is a significant reason why the Marlins were able to make the postseason in 2023. He does not turn 21 until April 15, so Pérez figures to be a big part of their future.
At spring training, he is already turning heads with a new-look curveball that he's still working on controlling, but is throwing with more spin. To think someone this good has so much room to grow should worry opposing batters over the next five years and beyond.
OF Evan Carter, Texas Rangers
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Evan Carter does not have a large body of work, but what he's done so far in the big leagues is eye-popping. He was almost like a secret weapon for the Rangers in their World Series run, having only factored into the mix after Sept. 8.
In 75 plate appearances after making his MLB debut on that date, he slashed .306/.413/.645. He had five home runs and 10 extra-base hits in 75 plate appearances.
During the regular season, Carter was especially good when he was behind in counts, slashing .368/.368/.895 for a 1.263 OPS, although those specific numbers dipped in the postseason, where he was still excellent overall (.300/.417/.500 slash line).
Going into his first full season, expectations for the 21-year-old outfielder are now sky-high, as they should be. Between Carter and Wyatt Langford, look out for this Rangers outfield. It should be one of the premier units for a long time.
RHP Bobby Miller, Los Angeles Dodgers
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Bobby Miller might not ever become the Dodgers' ace if Yoshinobu Yamamoto lives up to the hype and his contract.
So, the idea of having a No. 2 starter be this good at the age of 24 must have Dodgers fans in a frenzy, as if landing Shohei Ohtani isn't already enough to do it.
The Dodgers lucked out last season with Miller showing himself ready to carry a much heavier load than originally expected, due to the rash of injuries to their rotation.
He pitched to a solid 3.76 ERA, 1.10 WHIP with 119 strikeouts over 22 starts and 124.1 innings pitched. Of pitchers who threw at least 120 innings, he had the ninth-best xERA (3.45) and was 16th in FIP (3.51).
The most impressive part about Miller is his full arsenal of pitches. The fastball velocity is in the 98th percentile, while his changeup and curveball are his top putaway pitches.
He throws the slider mostly to right-handed batters, while the curveball and changeup is used more on lefties. Then he has the sinker to induce ground balls.
Miller is really just a well-rounded pitcher who, if he remains healthy, should be a mainstay at the Midsummer Classic.
CF Julio Rodríguez, Seattle Mariners
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He is one of MLB's best players of the last two years and is certain to be one of the best for the next five.
At just 23 years old, Julio Rodríguez has already solidified himself as one of the game's brightest stars. On top of his overall production, he has shined in some of the biggest moments, putting on dazzling performances in the last two Home Run Derby competitions, where he's been an All-Star both seasons.
He also helped lead the Mariners to their first postseason appearance in more than 20 years, snapping the game's longest postseason drought.
Everyone who cares about baseball knows who Rodríguez is at this point. But it's worth mentioning again that he is only 23 years old. In fact, he only turned 23 at the end of December.
Assuming health, we have a long way to go on this ride.
Last season, Rodríguez was top-10 in fWAR among all batters and a top-four defensive center fielder by runs prevented and outs above average.
He regressed a bit as a hitter in his second season, but he was still a tremendous asset.
This is a bona fide, stud franchise player who should entertain baseball fans for years to come.
SS Bobby Witt Jr., Kansas City Royals
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If an 11-year deal worth up to $377 million doesn't produce one of the game's best players, then something went terribly wrong.
Fortunately for the Royals, they have good reason to believe Bobby Witt Jr. will live up to the billing. The shortstop showed improvement from his rookie season to year two.
With 62 more plate appearances, the 23-year-old saw his OPS jump from .722 in 2022 to .814 in 2023. He went from 20 home runs two seasons ago to 30 homers last season and from 30 stolen bases to 49.
Witt improved in just about every area, but especially defensively. As a rookie, he was at -9 outs above average, which ranked 35th. Last season, he was +14 outs above average, which was the third-best clip at the position.
His xBA (.294) and xSLG (.533) last season both ranked in the top five percent of baseball, while his xWOBA (.369) ranked in the top nine percent.
All of this goes to illustrate Witt is trending in the right direction, and every sign points to him being not only one of the best players of the present but also of the future.
SS/3B Gunnar Henderson, Baltimore Orioles
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Once you finish eighth in AL MVP balloting and become the unanimous AL Rookie of the Year after heading into the season as the No. 1 prospect in baseball, it's hard to imagine that not materializing into superstardom.
That's what Gunnar Henderson is. Not quite a superstar just yet, but he's well on his way. Last season, he ranked 21st in fWAR (4.6) among position players with at least 600 plate appearances. His 123 wRC+ was also among the game's best.
More impressively, his 6.2-bWAR trailed only Shohei Ohtani (10.0), Mookie Betts (8.3), Ronald Acuña Jr. (8.2), Gerrit Cole (7.4), Matt Olson (7.4), Marcus Semien (7.4), Corey Seager (6.9) and Freddie Freeman (6.5).
Every one of those players would be considered among the best in today's game, so Henderson is already in elite company. It feels safe to bet on him being there in five years, when he'll still only be 27 years old.
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