Every MLB Roster's Best-Kept Secret for 2025 Season
Part of what makes a good team great—or gives you hope if you root for a struggling team—is players outperforming their preseason expectations.
To that end, we've taken a look at the best-kept secret for each MLB team so far in 2025. This might be a young player who's coming of age, or a veteran who's outperforming what he's done to this point in his career.
It should be noted, this story is written from a national perspective. If you follow a team for all 162 games, there's probably not a name that's going to shock you. But for fans looking to gain an understanding of the most underrecognized players across the sport, this is for you.
AL East
1 of 6
New York Yankees: Fernando Cruz
Fernando Cruz is working his way back from right shoulder inflammation, but he had a 2.66 ERA in 21 games before being sidelined. Acquired in the trade that sent Jose Trevino to the Cincinnati Reds in the offseason, Cruz has a 13.3 K/9 across 23.2 innings pitched in his first season with the Yankees.
Tampa Bay Rays: José Caballero
José Caballero stole an AL-best 44 bases for the Rays a year ago, so he's not exactly coming out of nowhere. With that said, he was thrown out an MLB-worst 16 times. So far this season, he has had a better rate of success stealing bases, as he's been successful on 19 of 23 attempts. He's also increased his OPS from .630 last season to a much more respectable .735 mark.
Toronto Blue Jays: Addison Barger
A sixth-round pick in the 2018 draft, Addison Barger has looked like a potential long-term cog for the Blue Jays early this season. In 37 games, he has 11 doubles, an .801 OPS and a 1.2 WAR, per FanGraphs. He's also given Toronto some nice defensive flexibility, seeing time at third base and both corner outfield positions.
Boston Red Sox: Brennan Bernardino
Brennan Bernardino was a pretty effective reliever out of Boston's bullpen two years ago, before a disappointing 2024 saw him post a 4.06 ERA. Still, he has made 55-plus appearances in consecutive seasons, and he has been very effective over 27 games this season with a 1.27 ERA and 3.34 FIP.
Baltimore Orioles: Bryan Baker
It was a nightmarish first two months of the season for the Orioles, but Bryan Baker was one of the few bright spots. Across his first 26 games of the season, he has a 2.88 ERA. His 3.93 FIP suggests some regression could be coming, although to this point, he's been an effective bullpen arm.
AL Central
2 of 6
Detroit Tigers: Will Vest
Will Vest was a very effective reliever for A.J. Hinch and the Tigers the last two seasons, but he has managed to be even better in 2025. Over his first 25 appearances of 2025, he has a 2.00 ERA and eight saves. The 29-year-old has two remaining arbitration years, so the Tigers currently have one of the better bullpen bargains in baseball with Vest making only $1.4 million.
Cleveland Guardians: Daniel Schneemann
The Guardians traded Andrés Giménez to the Blue Jays in the offseason, and Daniel Schneemann, if nothing else, is proving to be a great bridge option until whenever the injured Travis Bazzana is ready to take over.
In 46 games, Schneemann has seven home runs, a .779 OPS and two outs above average at second base. The even better news for the Guardians is that he has experience playing every position on the diamond except first base and catcher, so it's not as though he won't have a fit in Cleveland whenever Bazzana takes over at second base.
Minnesota Twins: Louis Varland
Across an MLB-leading 29 appearances, Louis Varland has a 2.73 ERA and 3.16 FIP this year. It's been a welcome development for the Twins considering the 27-year-old had a 5.51 ERA and 5.07 FIP in 38 career MLB appearances prior to 2025.
Kansas City Royals: Noah Cameron
With Cole Ragans, Seth Lugo, Kris Bubic and Michael Wacha, the Royals already had one of the better rotations in the American League. It's gotten even better since Noah Cameron was first promoted in late April. Cameron—a seventh-round pick in the 2021 draft—is 2-1 with a minuscule 1.05 ERA in his first four starts of the season. Both his 3.79 FIP and 5.6 K/9 lead you to believe he's going to have trouble continuing to pitch like a frontline starter, but if he even ends up performing like a strong back-end-of-the-rotation arm over the long term, it will be a victory for the Royals.
Chicago White Sox: Mike Vasil
Is Vasil's 4.54 FIP concerning? You bet. But there aren't a ton of great choices for the White Sox, and his back-of-the-baseball-card numbers so far are really good. In 17 games, he has a 2.10 ERA. That and his 1.1 WAR—per Baseball Reference—are worth a mention, even if it might come crashing down at some point.
AL West
3 of 6
Seattle Mariners: Gabe Speier
Gabe Speier had been a league-average reliever across the first six years of his career, posting a 4.18 ERA and 98 ERA+ (100 is the league average) between the Kansas City Royals and Mariners. But he's been tremendous in his first 25 games this year, with a 2.01 ERA and 185 ERA+. He's always been able to strike batters out, but the major key appears to be his BB/9 dropping from 5.3 last season to 1.6 in 2025.
Houston Astros: Bennett Sousa
In a bullpen headlined by Josh Hader, the Astros might have unlocked another lefty weapon. Bennett Sousa has 2.50 ERA in 15 games this year. Granted, that's a small sample size. But unlike some of the other arms discussed on this list, his advanced stats—such as a 3.14 ERA and 2.03 FIP—suggest what he's done so far is sustainable.
Texas Rangers: Robert Garcia
The Rangers made a shrewd move in the offseason in acquiring Robert Garcia from the Washington Nationals, betting that he was closer to the 2.38 FIP he posted in 72 games last year, as opposed to the 4.22 ERA. So far, general manager Chris Young looks smart for the pickup, as Garcia has a 2.25 ERA in 28 games for the Rangers, who desperately needed bullpen help after not retaining Kirby Yates or David Robertson.
Los Angeles Angels: José Soriano
The tides don't necessarily seem to be turning for the Angels as a team, but José Soriano has turned into a quality starter. He was used exclusively out of the bullpen in his rookie season in 2023, but since the start of the 2024 campaign, he has a 3.42 ERA and 3.78 FIP across 181.2 innings pitched. The 26-year-old might not be a frontline starter, but he's developed into a strong option for the middle of a rotation, one that can't become a free agent until after the 2028 season.
Athletics: Jacob Wilson
If Jacob Wilson played on a more high-profile team, he'd already be a household name. As is, he's headed that way anyway. He is hitting .345 with 12 doubles and an .883 OPS. He hasn't graded out well defensively, as he has minus-5 defensive runs saved. But if he continues to hit at this level, Wilson is probably going to run away with the AL Rookie of the Year Award.
NL East
4 of 6
Philadelphia Phillies: Tanner Banks
The Phillies are a veteran-heavy team, and many of their players were acquired externally, either through trades or signings. That makes it difficult to find players on their roster who are flying under the radar. We'll give a nod to left-handed reliever Tanner Banks, who has a 3.28 FIP in 25 appearances this season and has taken on a greater role since José Alvarado was suspended for 80 games following a PED violation.
New York Mets: Reed Garrett
Reed Garrett had a 5.22 ERA in 84 career relief appearances spanning four seasons entering this year. And yet, he looks like an All-Star candidate, having posted a lights-out 0.73 ERA in 25 games this season. The 32-year-old righty was claimed off waivers by the Mets in June 2023, and in less than two years, they've turned him into a super-effective option in the arm barn.
Washington Nationals: Cole Henry
Cole Henry has a 2.14 ERA in 18 games for the Nationals this season. Continued production at a level even close to that would make the former second-round pick a godsend considering Dave Martinez's squad is 28th in bullpen ERA at 6.03.
Atlanta Braves: Daysbel Hernández
Daysbel Hernández can be a bit wild, but he's flashed a high ceiling so far in 2025. He needs to cut down on the amount of walks he hands out, as he's got a 6.8 BB/9. Despite that, he has a 2.25 ERA and a Baseball Savant page that paints the picture of someone who could be a back-end-of-the-bullpen arm for some time.
Miami Marlins: Valente Bellozo
The Marlins don't have a ton going for them, but it's worth pointing out Valente Bellozo has a 2.89 ERA across 28 innings, with five of his seven outings having been starts. His 4.59 FIP is a red flag, but in the early going, he has been a positive development for the Fish.
NL Central
5 of 6
Chicago Cubs: Caleb Thielbar
At 38 years old, Caleb Thielbar is easily the oldest player to appear on this list. But after eight seasons with the Twins, he seems to have found something in his first campaign with the Cubs. Across 23 games this season, he has a 2.29 ERA.
St. Louis Cardinals: Kyle Leahy
One of the reasons the Cardinals have been able to outperform spring training expectations to this point is that Kyle Leahy has been an excellent setup man for Ryan Helsley. Across 30.1 innings pitched this season, Leahy has a 2.08 ERA.
Milwaukee Brewers: Abner Uribe
Somewhere, Abner Double is smiling that his name lives on with such an effective reliever. Uribe has a 1.65 ERA and 2.98 FIP over 28 appearances this year, while posting a 12.2 K/9. The Brewers have seen both Josh Hader and Devin Williams depart in recent years, but they always seem to have a next man up.
Cincinnati Reds: Lyon Richardson
As we continue the NL-central reliever tour, Lyon Richardson has impressed in limited appearances this season, allowing only two earned runs over 14 innings. His 4.51 FIP and 3.93 ERA suggest he's going to struggle to maintain his positive results, but for now, he's been a nice development for Terry Francona and company.
Pittsburgh Pirates: Dennis Santana
Get ready to hear Dennis Santana's name quite a bit in the coming weeks. He was designated for assignment by the Yankees last June, but he has developed into one of the better relievers in baseball since being claimed by the Pirates. With a 1.48 ERA in 25 games, he is not only an All-Star candidate, but he also figures to be one of the more-coveted trade chips in advance of the July 31 trade deadline, especially since he can't become a free agent until after the 2026 season.
NL West
6 of 6
Los Angeles Dodgers: Jack Dreyer
In a bullpen that has been without Kirby Yates, Evan Phillips and Michael Kopech and gotten disappointing results from Tanner Scott, Jack Dreyer has helped to keep the defending World Series champions above water. The 26-year-old rookie has a 2.97 ERA to show for his first 23 games of the season.
San Diego Padres: Gavin Sheets
Gavin Sheets is hardly an unknown, given he was a second-round pick by the White Sox in the 2017 draft. But after four seasons with the Chi Sox, a change of scenery has done wonders for him. Coming into 2025, he was a career .230 hitter with a .680 OPS. In his first season with the Padres, he is hitting .269 with 11 home runs and an .822 OPS.
San Francisco Giants: Randy Rodríguez
Randy Rodríguez posted a 4.30 ERA across 35 games in his rookie season of 2024, but he's returned as one of the best relievers in baseball in his second year. In 24 appearances this season, he has a minuscule 0.70 ERA. Additionally, his 1.61 expected ERA and 1.25 FIP back up just how good he's been.
Arizona Diamondbacks: Shelby Miller
Shelby Miller is pitching in his 13th season, but he has been downright dominant so far with the Diamondbacks after an underwhelming campaign a year ago with the Tigers. The 34-year-old has a 1.99 ERA over 23 games, a major shot in the arm for a bullpen that is without A.J. Puk.
Colorado Rockies: Jordan Beck
There's not really anything to smile about when you're already one of the worst teams in MLB history. But if you're the most optimistic Rockies fan in the world, Jordan Beck has eight home runs and an .810 OPS in his second MLB season. Start building the parade float.
