MLB's 25 Best Players Under 25 Years Old in 2025
This year's "25 Best Under 25 Years Old" list features some familiar names that ranked highly a year ago, including Bobby Witt Jr., Gunnar Henderson and Julio Rodríguez.
However, there are also several notable newcomers, headlined by Paul Skenes and Jackson Merrill who battled it out for NL Rookie of the Year honors with fantastic big-league debuts.
Ahead, we've ranked the 25 best players under 25 years old entering the 2025 season based on a combination of production to date and future outlook.
The age cutoff for inclusion is March 27, 2025, which is leaguewide Opening Day, and only players with MLB experience were considered for a spot in the rankings. However, you can expect to see a few more exciting young names added to this list in the future with several of the game's top prospects knocking on the door.
For now, here are the 25 best under 25.
Honorable Mentions
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Hitters
IF Luisangel Acuña, NYM
3B Junior Caminero, TB
OF Evan Carter, TEX
OF Dylan Crews, WAS
OF Jasson Dominguez, NYY
OF Sal Frelick, MIL
2B Nolan Gorman, STL
C Iván Herrera, STL
2B Jackson Holliday, BAL
3B Jace Jung, DET
1B Colt Keith, DET
IF Brooks Lee, MIN
1B Kyle Manzardo, CLE
OF Jhonkensy Noel, CLE
3B Connor Norby, MIA
OF Andy Pages, LAD
IF/OF Ceddanne Rafaela, BOS
SS Brayan Rocchio, CLE
1B Nolan Schanuel, LAA
1B Tyler Soderstrom, ATH
SS Trey Sweeney, DET
OF Jordan Walker, STL
SS Jacob Wilson, ATH
Pitchers
SP Jonathan Cannon, CWS
SP Kyle Harrison, SF
SP DJ Herz, WAS
RP Porter Hodge, CHC
SP Jackson Jobe, DET
RP Ben Joyce, LAA
RP Orion Kerkering, PHI
SP Rhett Lowder, CIN
RP Justin Martínez, ARI
SP Eury Pérez, MIA
Nos. 25-21
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25. SP Simeon Woods Richardson, Minnesota Twins (Age: 24)
The Twins rotation ranked 22nd in the majors with a 4.36 ERA last season, and things could have been much worse if Woods Richardson had not broken through to solidify a spot at the back of the staff. He made 28 starts and posted a 4.17 ERA, 1.29 WHIP and 117 strikeouts in 133.2 innings.
24. SP Taj Bradley, Tampa Bay Rays (Age: 24)
Bradley flashed swing-and-miss stuff with 129 strikeouts in 104.2 innings as a rookie, but he struggled to a 5.59 ERA in the process. He took a significant step forward last year and finished with a 4.11 ERA, 1.23 WHIP and 154 strikeouts in 138.0 innings, which trailed only Zack Littell (156.1 IP) for the team lead in innings pitched.
23. 2B Luis Garcia Jr., Washington Nationals (Age: 24)
García made his MLB debut a few months after his 20th birthday during the shortened 2020 season, and he hit .265/.295/.395 for a 92 OPS in 1,245 plate appearances over his first four seasons in the majors. He took a significant step forward at the plate last year, hitting .282/.318/.444 for a 115 OPS with 44 extra-base hits, 22 steals and 2.2 WAR in 140 games.
22. OF Pete Crow-Armstrong, Chicago Cubs (Age: 22)
Elite defense (11 DRS, 7.7 UZR/150) and top-of-the-scale speed (27 of 30 SB) helped keep Crow-Armstrong in the everyday lineup while he found his footing at the plate, and he hit his stride during the second half when he hit .284/.337/.466 with 16 extra-base hits and 32 runs scored over his final 52 games.
21. SP Jared Jones, Pittsburgh Pirates (Age: 23)
Before Paul Skenes burst onto the scene, Jones looked like baseball's best rookie pitcher, posting a 3.05 ERA, 0.97 WHIP and 68 strikeouts in 59 innings over his first 10 starts with seven quality starts along the way. He finished with a 4.14 ERA, 1.19 WHIP and a 132-to-39 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 121.2 innings over 22 starts.
Nos. 20-16
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20. SS CJ Abrams, Washington Nationals (Age: 24)
Abrams was an All-Star for the first time last year when he posted a 110 OPS with 29 doubles, 20 home runs, 65 RBI, 31 steals and 3.4 WAR. He struggled to a .203 average and .586 OPS in 204 plate appearances after the All-Star break, so he enters the 2025 season with something to prove.
19. C Francisco Alvarez, New York Mets (Age: 23)
The Mets went 65-35 (.650) when Alvarez was in the lineup last season, compared to 24-38 (.387) without him, so his impact stretches beyond just his surface-level numbers. After slugging 25 home runs as a rookie, he posted a 101 OPS with 14 doubles, 11 home runs and 47 RBI in 342 plate appearances last year.
18. OF James Wood, Washington Nationals (Age: 22)
The No. 11 prospect in baseball at the start of the 2024 season, Wood made his MLB debut on July 1 and flashed some of his huge offensive upside while posting a 122 OPS with 26 extra-base hits, nine home runs, 41 RBI and 14 steals in 79 games. With loud batted-ball metrics, he has the highest ceiling among the Nationals' collection of young hitters.
17. SS Anthony Volpe, New York Yankees (Age: 23)
After posting a 20/20 season and while winning AL Gold Glove honors in a 3.3-WAR rookie season, Volpe took a modest step forward offensively last year, improving his batting average (.209 to .243) and strikeout rate (27.8 to 22.6 percent) while tallying 27 doubles, 12 home runs, 60 RBI and 28 steals in 160 games. Can he take another step forward in 2025?
16. SP Spencer Schwellenbach, Atlanta Braves (Age: 24)
Schwellenbach made his MLB debut at the end of May and went on to post a 3.35 ERA, 1.04 WHIP and 127 strikeouts in 123.2 innings, and his 3.29 FIP point to the potential sustainability of that early success. His emergence also made it easier to let Max Fried and Charlie Morton walk in free agency.
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Nos. 15-11
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15. OF Lawrence Butler, Athletics (Age: 24)
Butler struggled to the point of being demoted to the minors for a month last season after breaking camp with a spot on the Opening Day roster, but he returned for good on June 18 and flashed star potential in the second half. He hit .291/.330/.565 with 20 doubles, 20 home runs, 50 RBI and 15 steals in 330 plate appearances over his final 84 games.
14. SS Ezequiel Tovar, Colorado Rockies (Age: 23)
Only Shohei Ohtani (99), Aaron Judge (95), Bobby Witt Jr. (88), Jarren Duran (83), José Ramírez (80) and Juan Soto (76) had more extra-base hits than the 75 that Tovar tallied last season while also winning NL Gold Glove honors at shortstop. On the flip side, he also posted an ugly .295 on-base percentage and struck out 200 times, so his overall game is still a work-in-progress.
13. SS Zach Neto, Los Angeles Angels (Age: 24)
Neto led the Angels roster with 5.1 WAR last season, posting a 113 OPS with 34 doubles, 23 home runs, 77 RBI, 70 runs scored and 30 steals in 155 games. The Campbell University product is not that far removed from being the No. 13 overall pick in the 2022 draft, and his early success has helped legitimize the organization's recent philosophy of rushing top picks to the majors.
12. OF Wyatt Langford, Texas Rangers (Age: 23)
Langford played 44 games in the minors after going No. 4 overall in the 2023 draft, and the Rangers saw enough in that brief pro debut and his strong showing last spring to put him on the Opening Day roster. He settled in nicely as the season unfolded and finished with a 111 OPS while tallying 25 doubles, 16 home runs, 74 RBI, 19 steals and 3.9 WAR in 134 games.
11. SS Masyn Winn, St. Louis Cardinals (Age: 22)
Winn looked overmatched in his first MLB action down the stretch in 2023, but he quickly proved himself as the shortstop of the present and future last season when he posted a 102 OPS with 32 doubles, 15 home runs, 57 RBI, 85 runs scored, 11 steals and 4.9 WAR in 150 games. His 14 Defensive Runs Saved also led all shortstops, and he is good enough defensively that is offensive production is icing on the cake.
Nos. 10-6
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10. OF Riley Greene, Detroit Tigers (Age: 24)
After showing solid potential during his first two seasons in the majors, Greene turned in a legitimate breakout performance last year to earn his first All-Star selection. The No. 5 overall pick in the 2019 draft hit .262/.348/.479 for a 133 OPS 27 doubles, 24 home runs, 74 RBI and 5.4 WAR in 137 games. He is the closest thing the Tigers have to an offensive face of the franchise.
9. OF Michael Harris II, Atlanta Braves (Age: 23)
Harris has logged three straight 3-WAR seasons to begin his big-league career, posting a 116 OPS while averaging 33 doubles, 24 home runs, 76 RBI and 22 steals per 162 games. Aside from his impactful mix of power and speed offensively, he also put up elite defensive metrics (11 DRS, 11.7 UZR/150) in center field.
8. OF Corbin Carroll, Arizona Diamondbacks (Age: 24)
Carroll got off to a slow start to the 2024 campaign after putting together one of the best rookie seasons in recent memory while helping the D-backs reach the World Series. He ultimately righted the ship and posted a .919 OPS with 17 home runs and 17 steals in 64 games after the All-Star break, finishing with 3.4 WAR on the year.
7. SS Elly De La Cruz, Cincinnati Reds (Age: 23)
De La Cruz led the majors with 67 steals last season while posting a 119 OPS with 36 doubles, 10 triples, 25 home runs, 76 RBI and 105 runs scored in 160 games during a 5.2-WAR season. He also struck out 218 times and made 29 errors at shortstop, but there is no denying he is one of baseball's most electric young players.
6. OF Jackson Chourio, Milwaukee Brewers (Age: 21)
Chourio was the youngest player to appear in the majors last season, and after some initial ups and downs, he settled in as one of the most productive offensive players in baseball. From June 1 through the end of the season, he hit .303/.358/.525 with 25 doubles, 16 home runs, 63 RBI and 15 steals in 98 games. His two-homer performance against the Mets in Game 2 of the Wild Card Series was the cherry on top of a stellar debut.
5. OF Jackson Merrill, San Diego Padres
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Age: 21
It was a big ask for Jackson Merrill to learn to play center field on the fly while making his MLB debut as a 20-year-old, and he passed that test with flying colors in a fantastic rookie season.
He hit .292/.326/.500 for a 127 OPS+ with 31 doubles, 24 home runs, 90 RBI, 77 runs scored, 16 steals and 4.4 WAR in 156 games, and posted solid defensive metrics (0 DRS, 8.0 UZR/150) in center field after playing almost exclusively shortstop in the minors.
He also went 6-for-24 with one double, one triple, one home runs and five RBI in seven playoff games, and it looks like the Padres have a homegrown star to join their collection of high-priced veterans.
4. OF Julio Rodriguez, Seattle Mariners
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Age: 24
It speaks to just how good Julio Rodríguez was during the first two seasons of his big-league career that his 2024 season was viewed as a disappointment.
After winning 2022 AL Rookie of the Year honors and then posting a 30/30 season and finishing fourth in 2023 AL MVP voting, he posted a career-low 4.3 WAR last year while posting a 119 OPS with 20 home runs and 24 steals in 143 games.
He hit .328/.349/.546 with five doubles, seven home runs and 22 RBI over 26 games in September to finish the season on a high note, and there is no reason to think he won't be back to MVP-caliber production in 2025.
3. SS Gunnar Henderson, Baltimore Orioles
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Age: 23
Gunnar Henderson set the bar high with a 6.2-WAR season and unanimous AL Rookie of the Year honors in 2023, but he still managed to take his game to another level last year.
He posted a 159 OPS+ with 31 doubles, 37 home runs, 92 RBI, 118 runs scored, 21 steals and 9.1 WAR in 159 games, earning his first All-Star selection and finishing fourth in AL MVP balloting.
Much of that production came during the first half, and he slumped to a .799 OPS with nine home runs and 29 RBI after the All-Star break, so he still has something to prove heading into his third full season in the majors.
2. SP Paul Skenes, Pittsburgh Pirates
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Age: 22
If Paul Skenes had broken camp with a spot in the Pirates rotation, there is a very real chance he would have joined Fernando Valenzuela as the only pitchers in MLB history to win Cy Young honors as a rookie.
The No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 draft instead had to wait until May 11 to get his first taste of big-league action, and he went on to absolutely steamroll opposing hitters, finishing 11-3 with a 1.96 ERA, 0.95 WHIP and 170 strikeouts in 133 innings.
He started the All-Star Game, won NL Rookie of the Year and finished third in NL Cy Young voting, breathing life into a Pirates franchise that has been an afterthought for the better part of a decade.
1. SS Bobby Witt Jr., Kansas City Royals
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Age: 24
Bobby Witt Jr. put together a 2024 season that would have won him AL MVP honors in a lot of other years, but instead he settled for a runner-up finish to Aaron Judge in the balloting.
He hit .332/.389/.588 for a 171 OPS+ with 211 hits, 45 doubles, 11 triples, 32 home runs, 109 RBI, 125 runs scored, 31 steals and 9.4 WAR in 161 games. He won the AL batting title, led the league in hits and also became the first shortstop in MLB history to record back-to-back 30/30 seasons.
Lost in the shuffle of those gaudy offensive numbers, he also made significant strides defensively, winning AL Gold Glove honors to stake his claim to the title of best shortstop in baseball. He also led a Royals team that lost 108 games the previous year to a surprise playoff appearance.
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