Affect rookies definitely left their mark on the 2025 season.
Nick Kurtz made historical past with an iconic four-homer sport, on prime of among the finest debut seasons we’ve ever seen. Trey Yesavage emerged as a bona fide postseason hero, as did Roki Sasaki and Cam Schlittler. From triple-digit warmth (good day, Jacob Misiorowski) to feel-good tales and prodigious energy, rookies gave us just a little little bit of all the pieces.
Right here’s a breakdown of the 25 greatest rookies from the 2025 season, as ranked by MLB Community.
1) Nick Kurtz, 1B, ATH: It’s not hyperbole to say that Kurtz simply had among the finest rookie seasons of all time. Amongst rookie hitters to have at the very least 400 plate appearances in a season, nobody has ever posted the next OPS+ than Kurtz (173). Past successful AL Rookie of the 12 months honors, the 22-year-old additionally established himself as one of many sport’s elite sluggers. His .619 slugging share and 1.002 OPS trailed solely Aaron Choose and Shohei Ohtani (min. 450 PA). Kurtz additionally had one of many best single video games ever on July 25 in Houston, smashing 4 residence runs and recording 19 complete bases — tying the all-time single-game data.
2) Jacob Wilson, SS, ATH: These two A’s teammates couldn’t be any totally different, however Wilson is spectacular in his personal proper. The 23-year-old began the All-Star Recreation at shortstop for the American League, changing into the primary fan-elected rookie shortstop to start out the ASG. Wilson led all rookies in hits (151) and batting common (.311). In truth, amongst certified hitters, solely Choose hit for the next common than Wilson, and Bo Bichette was tied with him at .311. Wilson dazzled with elite bat-to-ball expertise — a rarity in at this time’s sport — with a 7.5% strikeout price that ranked because the second lowest in MLB.
3) Cade Horton, SP, CHC: Horton stabilized a Cubs rotation that handled a rash of accidents all through the season, pitching to a 2.67 ERA in 23 video games (22 begins). He additionally regarded the a part of a frontline starter, with a high-90s fastball and three plus non-fastball choices. In 12 begins after the All-Star break, Horton led all pitchers (min. 60 IP) with a 1.03 ERA. The following closest ERA belonged to Paul Skenes, whose 1.89 second-half ERA was almost a full run larger.
4) Drake Baldwin, C, ATL: In what was in any other case a misplaced season for the Braves, Baldwin emerged as a possible franchise cornerstone. Sean Murphy’s cracked rib in Spring Coaching opened the door for Baldwin to make the workforce, and he ran with the chance. Baldwin led all NL rookies with 3.1 fWAR, hitting 19 residence runs with an .810 OPS. He took residence 21 of 30 first-place votes to seize the NL Rookie of the 12 months Award, changing into the primary catcher to win it since Buster Posey in 2010. In complete, solely 10 catchers have gained the award since its inception in 1947.
5) Roman Anthony, OF, BOS: Anthony solely performed in 71 video games, however he certain made an enduring impression — a lot in order that he completed third in AL Rookie of the 12 months voting. The 21-year-old hit .292/.396/.463 with a 140 OPS+, the very best by a Purple Sox participant in his age-21 season since Ted Williams in 1940. Anthony paired elite plate self-discipline with a uncommon means to punish the baseball; his 60.3% hard-hit price was higher than each hitter with at the very least 100 batted balls. It’s no marvel the Purple Sox have been compelled to signal Anthony to an eight-year, $130 million contract extension in August, lower than two months after his much-anticipated MLB debut as MLB Pipeline’s No. 1 general prospect.
6) Trey Yesavage, SP, TOR: No rookie made a splash fairly like Yesavage. The righty started the 2025 season in Single-A Dunedin and ended it as a headliner within the World Collection. Yesavage recorded 12 strikeouts in Recreation 5 of the Fall Basic in opposition to the Dodgers, setting a brand new rookie document for a World Collection sport. In truth, there have solely been seven video games in postseason historical past the place a rookie struck out at the very least 11 batters, and Yesavage owns two of them (additionally Recreation 2 of the ALDS in opposition to the Yankees, when he Ok’d 11). With an excessive over-the-top arm angle and a splitter that “comes from the sky,” Yesavage helped steer the Blue Jays to the brink of a championship. Amongst all his accolades, maybe this one is most inconceivable: He made extra begins within the postseason (5) than he did within the common season (three).
7) Colson Montgomery, SS, CWS: With large uncooked energy, Montgomery secured his place as a fixture of the younger White Sox core. A primary-round decide in 2021, Montgomery benefitted from an early-season reset on the group’s Camelback Ranch advanced. All 21 of his residence runs got here after the All-Star break, with solely 4 gamers (Kyle Schwarber, Shohei Ohtani, Cal Raleigh and Junior Caminero) hitting extra residence runs than Montgomery in that span. His .529 slugging share ranked 14th greatest amongst gamers to take at the very least 250 plate appearances. He wasn’t too shabby at shortstop, both, posting +7 Outs Above Common.
8) Caleb Durbin, 3B, MIL: The Brewers didn’t win a franchise-record 97 video games final season due to superstars. Somewhat, unheralded gamers grew to become key cogs — Durbin amongst them. Acquired within the commerce that despatched All-Star nearer Devin Williams to the Yankees, Durbin grew to become Milwaukee’s on a regular basis third baseman after spending the primary two weeks of the season within the Minors. The 5-foot-7 infielder posted a 101 OPS+ with 11 residence runs and 18 stolen bases, making 119 begins on the sizzling nook.
9) Noah Cameron, SP, KC: Cameron earned the decision to the Majors on the finish of April to exchange Kansas Metropolis’s injured ace, Cole Ragans. Because it seems, he might have purchased a one-way airplane ticket. Cameron carried a no-hitter into the seventh inning of his MLB debut and subsequently emerged as a rotation fixture, ending the yr with a 2.99 ERA in 24 begins. Regardless of below-average velocity, Cameron flourished with plus command and a depraved curveball. He grew to become the third rookie to submit a sub-3.00 ERA (min. 20 begins) in Royals franchise historical past.
10) Jakob Marsee, OF, MIA: Marsee didn’t make his MLB debut till Aug. 1, however he made an instantaneous impression. He reached base 4 occasions in his debut, changing into the primary Marlins participant to take action within the first sport of a profession. In the end, the left-handed slugger hit .292/.363/.478 with a 132 OPS+ in simply 55 video games, ending eighth in NL Rookie of the 12 months voting. He earned NL Rookie of the Month honors in August, a month that featured a seven-RBI efficiency, which tied the franchise single-game document.
11) Luke Keaschall, 2B, MIN: In a misplaced yr for the Twins, Keaschall grew to become an unquestioned vivid spot. Although restricted to only 49 video games as a consequence of harm, Keaschall hit .302/.382/.445 with a 128 OPS+, recording 14 steals and 18 extra-base hits. A second-round Draft decide in 2023, he started his profession on an 11-game hitting streak, falling two shy of the Twins’ document.
12) Jacob Misiorowski, SP, MIL: Excluding possibly Yesavage, nobody burst onto the scene fairly like The Miz. Outfitted with premium velocity — a fastball that sits at 99.3 mph and a slider that averages 94.1 mph — Misiorowski grew to become an in a single day sensation. He opened his profession with an 11-inning hitless streak, the longest by solely a beginning pitcher to start their profession within the Fashionable Period (since 1900). He even earned an All-Star bid after 5 eye-popping begins. Whereas Misiorowski completed the yr with a 4.36 ERA, his underlying numbers — like a 3.62 FIP and an 11.9 Ok/9 ratio — are promising, as was the 1.50 ERA he posted within the postseason.
13) Isaac Collins, OF, MIL: Initially a ninth-round decide of the Rockies within the 2019 Draft, Collins lastly broke by means of in 2025. He hit .263/.368/.411 with a 118 OPS+ — the third-best OPS+ on the Brewers, behind Brice Turang and Christian Yelich (min. 350 PA). Collins completely resembled Milwaukee’s pesky method within the batter’s field, with a chase price within the 98th percentile. He performed above-average protection in left subject, too, with +4 Outs Above Common. Collins was traded to the Royals in December.
14) Shane Smith, SP, CWS: The White Sox felt extremely sufficient of Smith to make him the highest decide within the 2024 Rule 5 Draft. But, even of their wildest creativeness, they most likely didn’t assume that Smith would signify the group on the Midsummer Basic. However that’s what occurred, as Smith joined Dan Uggla as the one gamers in Main League historical past to make an All-Star workforce within the yr after being chosen within the Rule 5 Draft. The 25-year-old righty pitched to a 3.81 ERA in 29 begins.
15) Daylen Lile, OF, WSH: Lile closed his rookie season on a tear, hitting .391/.440/.772 in September on his technique to Nationwide League Participant of the Month and Rookie of the Month honors. The 23-year-old grew to become the primary participant since Willie Mays to document at the very least seven triples and 6 residence runs in a calendar month (Mays completed the feat in June 1957). In 91 video games, Lile hit .299 with a 137 OPS+ and 11 triples — tied for probably the most in a single season in Nationals historical past (2005-present).
16) Jack Leiter, SP, TEX: Leiter took an enormous step ahead in 2025, rising as a mainstay in one of many league’s greatest rotations. The No. 2 general decide within the 2021 Draft made 29 begins and posted a 3.86 ERA, accumulating 2.3 fWAR, which was third most amongst rookie pitchers. The 25-year-old nonetheless throws arduous — along with his fastball averaging 97 mph — however he additionally revamped his arsenal in Spring Coaching, including a kick changeup and a two-seam fastball to assault hitters in numerous methods.
17) Cam Schlittler, SP, NYY: Schlittler made a powerful impression in 14 regular-season begins, posting a 2.96 ERA and overwhelming hitters with triple-digit warmth. The Walpole, Mass., native etched himself into the Yankees-Purple Sox rivalry with a masterpiece in Recreation 3 of the AL Wild Card Collection. He grew to become the primary pitcher in postseason historical past to throw at the very least eight scoreless innings with at the very least 12 strikeouts with out allowing a stroll — all whereas vaulting the Bombers into the ALDS.
18) Agustín Ramírez, C, MIA: Ramírez rewrote the Marlins’ franchise document books with a robust rookie season. He launched 21 residence runs with 55 extra-base hits and swiped 16 bases, changing into the primary rookie in Miami historical past to achieve 30-plus doubles, 20-plus homers and 10-plus steals in a single season. And the facility was on show straight away. Ramírez wanted simply 79 video games to achieve 15 profession residence runs, making him the second-fastest Marlins participant to achieve that mark of their first Main League season, behind Giancarlo Stanton.
19) Carlos Narváez, C, BOS: Although Narváez entered the season as Boston’s backup catcher, he rapidly seized the beginning job because of a official two-way impression. He excelled defensively, posting a +12 Fielding Run Worth that ranked within the 96th percentile of MLB. By that Statcast metric, Narváez was the third-best defensive catcher in baseball, behind Patrick Bailey and Alejandro Kirk. Narváez additionally confirmed plus pull-side energy, launching 15 residence runs as a league-average bat (100 OPS+).
20) Nolan McLean, SP, NYM: McLean, New York’s top-ranked pitching prospect, didn’t make his MLB debut till Aug. 16. However the righty was properly well worth the wait. He arrived in Queens at a tenuous time, inserted right into a reeling rotation because the Mets tried to stave off a second-half collapse. McLean definitely did his half to attempt to assist flip the workforce round: He pitched to a 2.06 ERA and posted a ten.7 Ok/9 ratio in eight dynamic begins, with an uncanny means to spin the baseball.
21) Kyle Teel, C, CWS: The centerpiece of Chicago’s return package deal for Garrett Crochet, Teel regarded the half after debuting in early June. His 121 OPS+ was sixth highest amongst main catchers (outlined as gamers with at the very least 50% of their video games at catcher) to take at the very least 250 plate appearances. The No. 14 general decide within the 2023 Draft, Teel completed the yr with a .273/.375/.411 slash line.
22) Chase Burns, SP, CIN: The No. 2 general decide within the 2024 Draft, Burns took the quick monitor to the Majors. In 13 video games, he pitched to a 4.57 ERA, however that quantity doesn’t fairly inform the total story. Thanks partly to a four-seam fastball that averaged 98.7 mph, Burns recorded strikeouts aplenty. His 13.9 Ok/9 ratio was third highest amongst pitchers to throw at the very least 40 innings. At one level, he grew to become the second Reds pitcher within the final 125 years to notch 10+ strikeouts in three straight begins.
23) Chandler Simpson, OF, TB: Simpson arrived within the Majors with a fame for velocity, recent off the primary 100-stolen base season within the Minors since 2012. He certain wreaked havoc on the bases for Tampa Bay, too. His 44 steals have been tied for the second most in MLB, whereas his dash velocity graded out within the 97th percentile. He held his personal on the plate, too, posting a .295 batting common in 441 plate appearances because of wonderful bat-to-ball expertise, together with a 9.8% strikeout price.
24) Jacob Lopez, SP, ATH: When the A’s acquired Jeffrey Springs from the Rays in December 2024, in addition they netted Lopez, a former Twenty sixth-round decide with eight profession appearances within the Majors. Because it turned out, Lopez emerged as a rotation mainstay, posting a 4.08 ERA in 21 video games (17 begins). The funky left-hander doesn’t throw arduous (his fastball averaged simply 90.7 mph), and but he racked up 113 strikeouts in 92 2/3 innings. His 28.3% strikeout price ranked within the eighty fifth percentile of MLB.
25) Roki Sasaki, SP/RP, LAD: Sasaki’s evolution right into a lockdown nearer in October was among the finest storylines from the 2025 season. The Japanese phenom struggled in his first style of the Majors, pitching to a 4.72 ERA earlier than spending 4 months on the IL with a shoulder harm. However in September, Sasaki overhauled his mechanics, regained velocity and returned to the Dodgers as a reliever — and a completely totally different participant. He grew to become the workforce’s go-to high-leverage choice within the postseason, when he allowed only one run in 10 2/3 innings and helped lead L.A. to a World Collection title.
