Ranking Jasson Dominguez, Roki Sasaki and Top 25 Rookies on MLB Rosters
It is time for Bleacher Report's first MLB rookie rankings of the new season, which will set the foundation for our monthly updates to come throughout the upcoming campaign.
New York Yankees outfielder Jasson Domínguez and Los Angeles Dodgers right-hander Roki Sasaki are two of the most hyped prospects of the new season, but as Yankees starter Luis Gil proved a year ago, it's not always the top-tier prospects who end up walking away with Rookie of the Year honors.
In the coming months, the top 25 rookies will be ranked based on their performance during the 2025 season, but for this first version the focus will be on projecting who is expected to make the biggest impact based on tools, upside and expected playing time.
Since this is a ranking of MLB rookies and not simply a list of top prospects, only players who were on Opening Day rosters and are active at the MLB level were eligible for this first list.
Nos. 25-21
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25. RP Mason Montgomery, Tampa Bay Rays
One of the better pitching prospects in the Rays system when he posted a 3.98 ERA with 144 strikeouts in 124.1 innings between Double-A and Triple-A in 2023, Montgomery made his MLB debut as a September call-up last season and had a 1.86 ERA with 17 strikeouts in 9.2 innings. The 24-year-old should be a solid weapon from the left side out of the Tampa Bay bullpen.
24. RP Ben Casparius, Los Angeles Dodgers
Casparius pitched his way onto the Dodgers' playoff roster last year after just three appearances down the stretch, and he ended up starting Game 4 of the World Series as an opener. The Dodgers have a lot of veteran arms to handle the late innings, but he could be a valuable multi-inning option in a middle relief role.
23. OF Griffin Conine, Miami Marlins
With 128 home runs over six seasons in the minors, Conine has always had playable power, the question is whether he would make enough consistent contact to tap into it at the next level. The 27-year-old posted an .825 OPS with 21 doubles, 19 home runs and 68 RBI in 112 games at Triple-A last year, and an injury to Jesús Sánchez has opened the door for him to see regular playing time to start the year.
22. IF Luisangel Acuña, New York Mets
Acuña made a splash over the final few games of the 2024 regular season filling in for an injured Francisco Lindor, going 12-for-39 with two doubles, one triple, three home runs and six RBI in 14 games. With Jeff McNeil nursing an oblique strain, he will split time at second base with Brett Baty to start the year, giving him an opportunity to carve out a bigger role.
21. SP Connor Gillispie, Miami Marlins
By my count, only 11 rookie pitchers earned a spot in Opening Day starting rotations, and Gillispie is part of that exclusive group. The 27-year-old was claimed off waivers from the Braves in January, and he had a 4.05 ERA, 1.24 WHIP and 119 strikeouts in 113.1 innings at Triple-A in 2024.
Nos. 20-16
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20. SP Richard Fitts, Boston Red Sox
With Lucas Giolito, Brayan Bello and Kutter Crawford all on the injured list, Fitts had an opportunity to break camp with a spot in the Red Sox rotation. The 25-year-old was acquired in the deal that sent Alex Verdugo to the Yankees prior to last offseason, and he had a 4.17 ERA, 1.28 WHIP and 111 strikeouts in 116.2 innings at Triple-A last year.
19. IF Will Wagner, Toronto Blue Jays
Wagner hit .305/.337/.451 with six doubles, two home runs and 11 RBI in 86 plate appearances with the Blue Jays last season after he was acquired in the deal that sent Yusei Kikuchi to Houston. The 26-year-old should see regular playing time between third base and designated hitter as long as he continues to hit, and he had an .846 OPS across four seasons in the minors.
18. SS Trey Sweeney, Detroit Tigers
Is Sweeney going to hit enough to be an everyday player? The 24-year-old took over as Detroit's primary shortstop last year after he was acquired from the Dodgers in the Jack Flaherty trade, and while he provided strong work defensively, he hit just .218/.269/.373 for an 81 OPS+ in 119 plate appearances. For now, he is platooning with Javier Báez until someone steps forward to claim the everyday job.
17. RP Seth Halvorsen, Colorado Rockies
Armed with a fastball that touches triple digits and a pair of swing-and-miss breaking pitches, Halvorsen has the stuff to close games and a clear path to do just that for the Rockies in 2025. The 25-year-old had a 1.46 ERA, 0.81 WHIP and 13 strikeouts in 12.1 innings while recording a pair of saves over 12 appearances in his MLB debut last year.
16. SP Sean Burke, Chicago White Sox
The unlikeliest Opening Day starter of 2025, Burke tossed six shutout innings of three-hit ball against the Angels to get the White Sox into the win column right away. The 25-year-old was a third-round pick in 2021 and has a starter's build with a 6'6", 240-pound frame. He also had a 1.42 ERA, 1.00 WHIP and 22 strikeouts in 19 innings last year, so he has the potential to steadily climb these rankings.
Nos. 15-11
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15. SP Will Warren, New York Yankees
Despite getting knocked around to the tune of a 5.91 ERA and 1.40 WHIP in 109.2 innings, Warren still began 2025 as one of the top pitching prospects in the Yankees system thanks to his polished three-pitch arsenal and plus command. Injuries have opened the door for him to be part of the Opening Day rotation, and that's exactly how Luis Gil's path to AL Rookie of the Year started a year ago.
14. 2B Max Muncy, Athletics
The No. 25 overall pick in the 2021 draft, Muncy might have made his MLB debut a year ago if not for two different hand injuries limiting him to 50 games at Triple-A. A strong spring training performance and an injury to Zack Gelof opened the door for him to win the starting second base job this spring, and his 50-hit, 50-power, 50-speed profile give him significant upside.
13. SP Jack Leiter, Texas Rangers
Expected to move quickly through the minors after going No. 2 overall in the 2021 draft, Leiter struggled to dial in his command while getting hit hard in the upper levels of the minors. The 24-year-old turned a corner last year with a 3.51 ERA and 110 strikeouts in 77 innings at Triple-A, and after getting his first taste of the majors last year, he started the year in the Texas rotation.
12. SP AJ Smith-Shawver, Atlanta Braves
Smith-Shawver started the 2023 season at the High-A level and ended up making his MLB debut that summer at the age of 20. He has yet to fully stake his claim to a rotation spot, but he has shown flashes when given the opportunity. The first few weeks of the season will serve as a de facto audition between Smith-Shawver and Grant Holmes to hang onto a rotation spot once Spencer Strider returns.
11. C Drake Baldwin, Atlanta Braves
One of the breakout prospects of the 2024 season, Baldwin hit .276/.370/.423 with 19 doubles, 16 home runs and 88 RBI in 124 games between the Double-A and Triple-A levels. A spring injury to Sean Murphy and the offseason decision to let Travis d'Arnaud walk opened the door for the 24-year-old to win the starting catcher job this spring.
Nos. 10-6
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10. SS Jacob Wilson, Athletics
After hitting .361 and striking out just 31 times in 697 plate appearances during his college career at Grand Canyon University, Wilson went No. 6 overall in the 2023 draft. He hit .433/.474/.668 in 226 plate appearances over three minor league levels to kick off the 2024 season and made his MLB debut on July 19, but he lasted just 28 games before suffering a hamstring injury. With a 70-grade hit tool and a solid glove, he should be a staple at shortstop for the foreseeable future.
9. SP Tomoyuki Sugano, Baltimore Orioles
Sugano was posted following the 2020 season, but he ended up re-signing with the Yomiuri Giants on a four-year, $40 million deal. The 35-year-old finally made the jump this offseason, agreeing to a one-year, $13 million contract with the Orioles to help ease the loss of Corbin Burnes. In his 12th pro season in Japan last year, he went 15-3 with a 1.67 ERA, 0.95 WHIP and 111 strikeouts in 156.2 innings.
8. OF Cam Smith, Houston Astros
Smith hit .387/.488/.654 with 22 doubles, 16 home runs and 57 RBI in 66 games as a draft-eligible sophomore at Florida State last spring, flying up draft boards with the Cubs taking him No. 14 overall in the 2024 draft. He logged a 1.142 OPS in 32 games over three minor league levels in his pro debut, and the Cubs used him as the prospect centerpiece to acquire Kyle Tucker during the offseason.
The 22-year-old hit his way onto the Opening Day roster with a .342/.419/.711 in 43 plate appearances during spring training and will have a chance to be the everyday right fielder in 2025.
7. SP Kumar Rocker, Texas Rangers
Rocker made his return from Tommy John surgery on July 5 with a rookie ball outing to start shaking off the rust. A little over two months later, he made his MLB debut after overpowering minor league hitters to the tune of a 1.96 ERA and 55-to-5 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 36.1 innings. With a 3.86 ERA and 14 strikeouts in 11.2 innings over three late-season starts, he looks the part of a future frontline starter.
6. 3B Matt Shaw, Chicago Cubs
With none of the seven players who started a game at third base last season back for the 2025 season, the Cubs made it no secret that Shaw would be given every chance to win the starting gig during spring training. The 2023 first-round pick played in the Tokyo Series and broke camp with the MLB club, and he looked ready a year ago when he hit .284/.379/.488 with 21 home runs and 71 RBI in 121 games between Double-A and Triple-A.
5. SP Jackson Jobe, Detroit Tigers
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Projection: 31 G, 21 GS, 4.69 ERA, 1.37 WHIP, 87 K, 113.0 IP, 0.2 WAR
The No. 3 overall pick and first prep pitcher off the board in the 2021 draft, Jackson Jobe has steadily developed into one of baseball's upper echelon pitching prospects.
The 22-year-old had a 2.36 ERA and 96 strikeouts in 91.2 innings over three minor league levels last year, and he was called up in the season's final days to serve as a bullpen weapon for the playoff push and into October.
Jobe broke camp with the No. 5 job in the Detroit rotation and has a chance to be a frontline starter, but the 97.1 innings he pitched last year between the minors, majors and postseason were a career high, so at a certain point his innings will likely be capped in 2025.
4. OF Jasson Dominguez, New York Yankees
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Projection: 133 G, .254/.326/.425, 44 XBH (20 HR), 72 RBI, 23 SB, 2.2 WAR
How would Jasson Dominguez be viewed as a prospect if he played for an organization other than the New York Yankees, where he has been one of the most overhyped and overscrutinized up-and-comers in the sport for years?
To call him overhyped is not to suggest he does not have all the tools to be a star, just that expectations have bordered on unreasonable throughout his pro career thanks simply to the organization he calls home.
The 22-year-old hit .309/.368/.480 in 44 games at Triple-A last season, and the Yankees gave him a clear runway to the starting left field job. With his mix of power, speed and on-base ability, he belongs squarely in the AL Rookie of the Year conversation.
3. OF Dylan Crews, Washington Nationals
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Projection: 134 G, .247/.310/.399, 45 XBH (15 HR), 64 RBI, 25 SB, 1.7 WAR
It was Dylan Crews who was viewed as the best player on the LSU roster before winning 2023 Golden Spikes honors, not teammate Paul Skenes who was ultimately taken one pick ahead of him at No. 1 overall in that year's draft.
Like Skenes, Crews flew through the minors to make his MLB debut last season, hitting .218/.288/.353 for an 82 OPS+ with nine extra-base hits and 12 steals in 31 games and showing enough upside to be a lock for a starting job on Opening Day this year.
The 23-year-old has 60-grade or better tools across the board and the potential to be a perennial All-Star once everything clicks. Will that be in 2025, or will it take him a few years to find his footing?
2. 2B Kristian Campbell, Boston Red Sox
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Projection: 122 G, .264/.347/.423, 43 XBH (14 HR), 66 RBI, 13 SB, 2.7 WAR
At this time a year ago, it would have been nothing short of unhinged to suggest Campbell would be the team's starting second baseman to kick off 2025.
A fourth-round pick in 2023, he began the 2024 season unranked among the Red Sox top 30 prospects, but he flew up leaguewide Top 100 lists as the season unfolded, hitting .330/.439/.558 with 32 doubles, 20 home runs, 77 RBI and 24 steals in 115 games while reaching Triple-A.
With the rare 60-hit, 60-power, 60-speed offensive profile, Campbell has a chance to quickly develop into one of the best offensive second basemen in the league, though he may ultimately fit best at a corner outfield spot defensively.
1. SP Roki Sasaki, Los Angeles Dodgers
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Projection: 24 GS, 10-7, 3.56 ERA, 1.14 WHIP, 160 K, 132.0 IP, 2.6 WAR
One of the most hyped prospects to ever come out of Japan and the No. 1 prospect in baseball heading into the 2025 season if you're willing to consider him a prospect, Roki Sasaki checks all the boxes to be a true frontline starter.
He made his debut in the Japanese League at the age of 19, and over four seasons with the Chiba Lotte Mariners, he logged a 2.02 ERA, 0.88 WHIP and 524 strikeouts in 414.2 innings.
The early returns this year have been ugly, with four hits, nine walks and three earned runs allowed while lasting just 4.2 innings total over his first two starts. However, he still has the 70-grade fastball and 80-grade splitter that have made him a hyped prospect for years, and it's only a matter of time before he figures it out.
