The 25 best MLB players age 25 or under

Let’s kick off this list with one of the absolute superstars in our sport, Kansas City shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. The 24-year-old has been an ascending phenom since the day the Royals made him the 2nd overall pick in the 2019 draft, and after delivering a pair of tremendous seasons in his first two big league campaigns, he took it to a whole new level in year three. In 161 games in 2024, Witt slashed .332/.389/.588 with 32 home runs, 109 RBI, 45 doubles, 11 triples, and 31 stolen bases. He made his first all-star team, participated in his first home run derby, and even collected his first Gold Glove award. Most importantly, he led Kansas City to the second round of the postseason, and he’s the primary reason the Royals have so much optimism for the near-term future. 

Diamondbacks outfielder Corbin Carroll was the National League Rookie of the Year in 2023, and while his sophomore season wasn’t quite as good, he still easily slots into this list. Last season the 24-year-old slashed .231/.322/.428 in 158 games, while adding 22 homers, 74 RBI, 22 doubles, and 35 stolen bases. He struggled extensively during the season’s first half but looked much more like himself after the all-star break, and the Diamondbacks are confident he’ll return to his all-star form in 2025 and beyond. 

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. has been an annual entrant on this list, though this is the last time the Blue Jays slugger will qualify as he’ll turn 26 during spring training. After a pair of relatively down years by his own standards, Guerrero rebounded in an enormous way in 2024. Participating in all but three of Toronto’s games, he slashed .323/.396/.544 with 30 homers, 103 RBI, and 44 doubles. He was selected to his 4th American League all-star team, and heading into 2025 remains the undisputed face of the Blue Jays franchise. 

The Orioles are stocked with young position player talent, but the best of the bunch is clearly their 23-year-old shortstop, Gunnar Henderson. After an excellent showing as a rookie in ’23, Henderson used the 2024 campaign to establish himself as one of the best players in the entire sport. Playing in 159 of the O’s contests, he slashed .281/.364/.529 with 37 home runs, 92 RBI, 31 doubles, seven triples, and 21 stolen bases. He was chosen to participate in both the all-star game and the Home Run Derby for the first time, and he’ll undoubtedly pile up many more accolades moving forward. 

There may not be a more physically gifted athlete in the Major Leagues today than Cincinnati shortstop Elly De La Cruz. The switch-hitting 22-year-old can simply do everything on a baseball field, and as scary as this sounds for opposing teams–he’s just barely scratched the surface of his potential. Last season De La Cruz slashed .259/.339/.471 with 25 home runs, 76 RBI, 36 doubles, 10 triples, and 67 stolen bases, while playing tremendous defense at arguably the most important position on the field. He was selected to his first National League all-star team last summer, and it’s a pretty safe assumption he’ll be an annual participant at the Midsummer Classic for the foreseeable future. 

The Braves were decimated by injuries in 2024 and one of the players whose absence hurt tremendously was their dynamic center fielder, Michael Harris II. A hamstring injury cost Harris two months during the middle of the summer, and it’s fair to wonder if Atlanta’s season would have turned out differently had he stayed healthy. In the 110 games he did play in, Harris slashed 264/.304/.418 with 33 extra-base hits, 48 RBI, and 10 stolen bases. Additionally, he’s one of the most gifted defensive outfielders in our sport and seemingly produces a new highlight reel catch every night. The Braves are a better team on both sides of the ball with Harris in their line-up, and this past summer provided a succinct illustration of just how valuable he really is. 

Lefty MacKenzie Gore was the centerpiece of the return the Nationals got from San Diego in the high-profile Juan Soto trade a few summers ago, and while it took some time, he’s starting to come into his own as a frontline starting pitcher. In a career-high 32 starts in 2024, Gore won 10 games while pitching to a 3.90 ERA in 166.1 innings and punching out 181 hitters. He struggled a bit with command, issuing 76 free baserunners via a walk or hit batsman, which is really the only thing preventing him from being a legitimate ace in the big leagues. If the 25-year-old can rectify that issue in ’25 and beyond, the Nationals will have one of the best pitchers in the National League-leading their staff. 

Mariners outfielder Julio Rodriguez was a sensation in each of his first two Major League seasons, but year three was a bit of a struggle for the 23-year-old. Rodriguez’ stat line of a 273/.325/.409 slash line with 20 home runs, 68 RBI, 17 doubles, and 24 stolen bases easily established new career lows across the board. Which in my opinion is actually good news, as strange as that may sound. A down season for J-Rod represents an above-average season for most Major Leaguers, and with multiple all-star campaigns already under his belt, Seattle knows he’s capable of much more. I look for a motivated Rodriguez to show up to spring training in February eager to remind the baseball world just how dynamic he really is. 

The leap Mets’ third baseman Mark Vientos made last season was one of the best stories of the 2024 campaign. After struggling to make an impact in sporadic playing time between ’22 and ’23, and then getting undeservingly sent back to Triple-A to begin the 2024 season, it would have been easy for Vientos to sulk and feel sorry for himself. Instead, he forced his way back to the big leagues with a sensational April, and once he got to Queens he made it clear he was here to stay. The 24-year-old ended up playing in 111 games for the Mets, in which he slashed .266/.322/.516 with 27 home runs and 71 RBI. In the playoffs, he crushed five more long balls in 13 games, and it certainly looks like the Mets have their first long-term answer at the hot corner since David Wright. 

Righty Tanner Bibee was the Guardians 5th round pick in the 2021 draft, and he’s certainly rewarded Cleveland for that selection. After an excellent rookie season in 2023, Bibee was able to prove his early success was not a fluke as a sophomore. In 31 starts last year, the 25-year-old went 12-8 with a 3.47 ERA and a 1.12 WHIP, while striking out 187 hitters in 173.2 innings and holding the opposition to just a .230 batting average. The Guardians were one of the best teams in the American League all season long in 2024, and as they look to take the next step in ’25, they’re excited to have Bibee leading their rotation. 

Expectations for right-hander Paul Skenes couldn’t have been higher from the moment the Pirates selected him with the first pick in the draft coming out of LSU in 2023, yet somehow he may have even exceeded them during his rookie campaign. In 23 starts in 2024, Skenes delivered a 1.96 ERA with an 0.95 WHIP while surrendering just a .198 batting average against and striking out an eye-opening 170 hitters in 133 innings. Not only did he qualify for the NL all-star team– he was the starting pitcher for the senior circuit at the Midsummer Classic. The sky is the limit for Skenes moving forward, and he’s the primary reason fans in Pittsburgh are so excited for the future. 

The Orioles have the most enviable young core in baseball, and while we’ve already discussed Gunnar Henderson, let’s talk about one of their other infielders, Jordan Westburg. Splitting time between 2nd and 3rd base in 2024, the Mississippi State product slashed .264/.312/.481 with 18 home runs, 63 RBI, 26 doubles, and five triples in 107 games. Baltimore selected the 25-year-old with the 30th overall pick in the draft in 2020, and then watched him consistently put up big numbers in the minor leagues. The O’s believe–and for good reason–that Westburg has only scratched the surface of what he can ultimately become at the game’s highest level, and they’re excited to watch him continue to develop. 

Garrett Crochet is a name baseball fans are going to be hearing a lot this winter, for obvious reasons. The 25-year-old is the best player on a White Sox team that just set a new Major League record for losses in a single season and needs a plethora of help at nearly every position. The fastest way for Chicago to expediate its rebuild is to deal Crochet for a bounty of talented prospects, which is exactly what we all expect them to do in the coming weeks and months. Last season the southpaw pitched to a 3.58 ERA with a 1.07 WHIP in 146 innings spanning 32 starts, while punching out 209 hitters and delivering a .222 batting average against. Essentially every team in baseball would want a young, controllable, ace of Crochet’s caliber atop their rotation, and his market will understandably be robust. 

Red Sox first baseman Triston Casas was a member of this list a year ago, but unfortunately ended up losing most of his 2024 campaign to a rib injury. In the 63 Boston games he was able to participate in, he still did impress, slashing .241/.337/.462 with 13 home runs in 212 at-bats, but it’s still hard to say the year wasn’t a disappointment for both he and the Red Sox. Casas clearly possesses extreme left-handed power, and Boston is really hoping to get a legitimate look at what he can do over a full and healthy six months in 2025. 

Here are the Orioles again with yet another homegrown young star making this list. Baltimore took outfielder Colton Cowser with the 5th overall pick in the 2021 draft, and he certainly looks like another huge hit for the team’s amateur scouting department. As a rookie in ’24, the Houston, TX native slashed .242/.321/.447 with 24 home runs, 69 RBI, 24 doubles, three triples, and nine stolen bases. He’s currently a finalist to be named American League Rookie of the Year, and figures to have a good chance to win the award over Yankees’ Luis Gil and Austin Wells. 

The Tigers abrupt turnaround in 2024 was one of the season’s most exciting developments, as for the first time in a long time, one of the country’s best baseball cities was able to come alive with excitement. Detroit reached the postseason for the first time in a decade last month, knocked out the Astros in the first round, and took the Guardians to a decisive game five in the divisional round. The future is bright in Motor City, and a big reason why is Riley Greene’s ascension into stardom. The Tigers made Greene the 5th overall pick back in 2019, and after struggling with injuries early in his career, he was finally able to deliver the season Detroit had been waiting for in ’24. In 137 games, the left-handed slugger slashed .262/.348/.479 with 24 home runs, 74 RBI, and 27 doubles. The Tigers are excited to watch him build on that in ’25 and beyond. 

Sticking with Detroit, let’s talk about the impact 23-year-old second baseman Colt Keith was able to make as a rookie last season. The Zanesville, OH native made the Tigers opening day roster coming out of spring training and never looked back, slashing .260/.309/.380 with 13 home runs, 61 RBI, 15 doubles, and four triples. Keith has established himself as an integral part of a pretty impressive young core in Detroit, and it will be exciting to see what he and the Tigers can accomplish moving forward.  

San Diego’s Fernando Tatis Jr. went from being baseball’s golden boy when he first debuted, to a maligned villain when he was suspended for PED use. And now, at still only 25 years old, he’s back to re-establishing himself as one of the most talented players in the game. Injuries limited to Tatis to only 102 games in 2024, but when healthy he slashed an impressive .276/.340/.492 with 21 homers and 21 doubles. In the postseason he was magnificent, hitting .423 with four home runs, seven RBI, and three doubles in San Diego’s seven playoff games, looking every bit like the player most experts predicted to be a future MVP winner when he was still a rookie. Heading into 2025, the Padres are looking forward to seeing what Tatis can do over the course of a full and healthy 162-game season. 

The Cardinals used their 2nd round draft pick in 2020 to select Masyn Winn coming out of Kingwood High School in Texas with an eye towards him becoming their shortstop of the future. Just a few short years later and it’s looking like the organization nailed it with that vision. After getting a big league cup of coffee in ’23, last season was Winn’s official rookie campaign, and he was unbelievably impressive all year long. Playing in 150 of St. Louis’ contests, the 22-year-old slashed .267/.314/.416 with 15 home runs, 57 RBI, 32 doubles, five triples, and 11 stolen bases. The Cardinals organization seems headed for some sort of a retooling, but it’s obvious shortstop is one position they won’t have to worry about any time soon. 

Right-handed swinging slugger Wyatt Langford was considered one of the most polished offensive prospects in the 2023 draft, and the University of Florida product certainly made good on his prospect hype as a rookie in ’24. Langford made the Rangers opening day roster coming out of spring training, and in 134 games he slashed .253/.325/.415 with 16 home runs, 74 RBI, 25 doubles, four triples, and 19 steals. As the 22-year-old gets more and more acclimated to the sport’s highest level he should just keep getting better, and I wouldn’t be surprised if a 30/30 season is in his future. 

Baltimore, MD, born Jackson Merrill was the top-ranked prospect in the San Diego system while playing predominantly shortstop coming up through the minor leagues. The Padres organization values defensive athleticism all over the diamond, and eventually they made the somewhat curious decision to move Merrill to center field to expediate his path to the big leagues. It’s safe to say that worked wonders for all parties involved. As a rookie in ’24, the 21-year-old slashed .292/.326/.500 with 24 home runs, 90 RBI, 31 doubles, six triples, and 16 stolen bases. He then added a handful of huge hits in October, and heading into ’25 Merrill looks like an absolute superstar. 

Milwaukee outfielder Jackson Chourio didn’t even turn 20 years old until last March, and what he was able to accomplish as a Major League rookie at such a young age in 2024 was simply astonishing. Playing in 148 of the Brewers games, Chourio slashed .275/.327/.464 with 21 homers, 79 RBI, 29 doubles, four triples, and 22 stolen bases. To put an exclamation point on his excellent season, he then hit .455 with a pair of homers during the Brewers three game Wild Card series loss to the Mets. Heading into 2025 Chourio looks like one of the brightest young stars in the game, and Milwaukee is thrilled to have him on its side for many years to come. 

Coming off back-to-back 100+ loss seasons the Rockies clearly have a lot of issues they need to address, but don’t count the shortstop position as one of them. Young Ezequiel Tovar impressed immensely as a rookie in 2023, and as a sophomore last year blossomed into easily Colorado’s best player. Appearing in all but five of the Rockies games, Tovar slashed .269/.295/.469 with 26 home runs, 78 RBI, and a National League-high 45 doubles. He could stand to increase his walk rate to push his OBP up, but at just 23-years-old Tovar is far from a finished product, and the sky appears to be the limit for his talent. 

The Yankees used their first-round selection in the 2019 draft on high school shortstop Anthony Volpe, and while he hasn’t blossomed into the star many forecasted he’d be during his trek through New York’s system, he’s been more than serviceable at a premium position in each of his two big league seasons. Last year Volpe played in all but two of the Bombers regular season games, and slashed .243/.293/.364 with 12 home runs, 60 RBI, 27 doubles, seven triples, and 28 stolen bases. He capped his year with a memorable grand slam in the only game the Yankees won in the World Series, and heading into 2025 he’s firmly entrenched as New York’s shortstop. 

Washington acquired mammoth left-handed slugger James Wood from the Padres in the same Juan Soto trade that netted it the earlier mentioned MacKenzie Gore, and he too looks like a building block for the Nationals. Wood appeared in 79 games for Washington in 2024 after being promoted midsummer, and impressed, slashing .264/.354/.427 with nine home runs and 41 RBI. He added 13 doubles, four triples, and 14 stolen bases, and fans in D.C. are excited to see what he can accomplish in his first full Major League campaign in ’25.