This is a list not of the 50 best players in MLB — Buster Posey is no longer one of the best hitters in our sport — but, rather, of the top 50 people set to influence the 2025 MLB season. Think of these individuals as the predominant characters in your favorite TV show, with the season premiere airing on Thursday.
On this list are All-Stars, prospects and some players you’ve maybe never heard of, as well as owners, managers, front-office execs and four guys named Jackson (that’s one more than last year).
The hope is that this list helps you sort out what to know and whom to care about as the 2025 MLB season begins. (Stay tuned for the top half of the list on Wednesday.)
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A minor-league unicorn
50. Chandler Simpson, Rays outfielder
Meet the fastest man in baseball. Simpson is a burner, a comet, a cheetah on rocket fuel, Usain Bolt in baseball pants. Across 110 minor-league games last year, the fleet-footed Atlantan nabbed 104 bases. His .355 batting average was buoyed by that outrageous speed, which allowed him to turn infield nubbers and routine grounders into base hits. Simply by existing, Simpson puts immense pressure on pitchers, infielders, catchers and slow people who hate themselves.
And while he’s relatively new to center field, his speed will also lead to some eye-popping catches.
Simpson does not have an over-the-fence homer as a pro, and he had just one in three college seasons, but he has elite bat-to-ball skills. The 24-year-old ran a 93% contact rate last year — Luis Arraez and Steven Kwan were the only qualified big leaguers above 90 — which lets his wheels do the talking.
Simpson will start the year in Triple-A, but at some point this season, this dude is going to show up and conjure a run of jaw-dropping, viral baserunning moments. All those tall tales about Cool Papa Bell? How he’d flip the switch and jump into bed before the lights went out? About Chandler Simpson, it’s all true.
Youngins readying to shine
49. James Wood, Nationals outfielder
48. Junior Caminero, Rays infielder
Neither of these guys can claim rookie status anymore, but effectively, they’re still unproven newbies, baby deer with enormous potential, slumbering superstars waiting to explode.
Wood, 6-foot-7 with spindly limbs, is built like an NBA wing. He debuted last July, and in 336 plate appearances, he showcased a phenomenal understanding of the strike zone; posting a 96th-percentile chase rate is a preposterous accomplishment for a rookie. But that selectiveness often led to passiveness. And considering that Wood has huge juice, the Nats want him to be more aggressive when he gets something to drive.
Caminero is a very different player. He’s like a thicker version of young Javy Baez, but without the defensive wizardry. Still, we’re talking about generational bat speed here, bat speed that lets Caminero do things other players can’t.
Simply put: If Wood and Caminero play at an All-Star level, there’s a good chance their teams are in the playoff hunt. More notably for casual fans, the best versions of Wood and Caminero are highlight-reel heroes capable of jaw-dropping baseball moments.
A crucial hurler
47. Clay Holmes, Mets starting pitcher
The Mets spent a small fortune on Juan Soto, but the rest of their roster, as evidenced by a $332 million payroll, isn’t exactly bargain-bin fodder. New York should have a fantastic lineup, helmed by Soto, Francisco Lindor and Pete Alonso. The pitching, however, is far from a sure thing. The Mets’ rotation, which seemed light entering spring training, is now without Sean Manaea and Frankie Montas, both of whom suffered injuries early in camp.
Enter Holmes, who spent most of the past three seasons closing games for the Yankees.
The Mets saw something in the 32-year-old sinkerballer, signing him to a three-year deal with the intention of converting him to a starter. Early returns have been stellar. Holmes looked sensational in spring training, even earning the nod to start on Opening Day. Whether he can sustain this success into the season as his workload grows remains to be seen, but he is suddenly a very important person for a Mets team with very large dreams.
An aside: Imagine telling Yankees fans last summer that Clay Holmes would be starting on Opening Day for the Mets and that Mets fans would be stoked about it. Time moves fast.
The future of a turbulent franchise
46. Lawrence Butler, A’s outfielder
The nomadic A’s enter Year One in West Sacramento as something of a cheeky playoff dark horse. That’s because after leaving Oakland in the lurch, the Athletics spent some real money this winter. A good chunk of that ($65.5 million over three years) went to Butler, who had a breakout second half in 2024, including the league’s 10th-highest wRC+ after the All-Star break.
That was enough to convince this organization to give the 24-year-old slugger an extension, essentially making him the face of the post-Oakland A’s alongside fellow extended slugger Brent Rooker. But Butler is much younger than Rooker and has a much, much higher ceiling. Whether the 2025 A’s are a weird novelty or an actually good ballclub likely depends on whether Butler can continue delivering down-ballot-MVP-level production.
Diamondbacks named Corbin
45. Corbin Carroll, D-backs outfielder
44. Corbin Burnes, D-backs starting pitcher
The 2024 Diamondbacks, who spent October on the couch, were a superior team to the 2023 Diamondbacks, who were three wins away from a world championship. Such is the wonkiness of ball; it’s better to be lucky than good, better to be random than specific.
But that bizarro-world tiebreaker — ensured by a Mets-Braves doubleheader split in the final games of the season — wasn’t the only thing that kept the 89-win Snakes out of the playoffs. Corbin Carroll, hailed as a potential MVP candidate, was catastrophically bad for four months before finally catching fire in August.
Also, Arizona’s pitching staff had the fourth-worst team ERA in baseball before adding a new ace in a winter surprise. That makes these Corbins — two of the only three MLBers ever with that first name (shout-out Corbin Martin, who was also a D-back) — absolutely crucial characters.
An owner under fire
43. Stu Sternberg, Rays owner
Sternberg took over control of the organization in November 2005. Since Opening Day 2008, only the big-spending Yankees and Dodgers have compiled more regular-season wins than his low-budget operation. On the field, Sternberg’s tenure has been a rousing success.
Beyond the diamond, however, things have been much stickier.
Tampa’s stadium situation was complex before a hurricane blew the roof off Tropicana Field, forcing the Rays to play this season at the Yankees’ spring training park across the bay. The damage to the Trop also led to the disintegration of a stadium deal between the team and Pinellas County. Now the organization is back at square one, with its home dilapidated and its future uncertain.
All this chaos is beginning to chip away at Sternberg’s reputation. Earlier this month, The Athletic reported that a number of owners and league officials wish to pressure Sternberg into selling the Rays. How Sternberg responds and whether he can gain some clarity on his team’s stadium situation could have enormous repercussions for the entire sport. Commissioner Rob Manfred has said multiple times that he doesn’t anticipate MLB expanding to 32 teams until the Rays and A’s stadium situations are rectified. The ball appears to be in Sternberg’s court — or, rather, dome.
The next Japanese game-changer
42. Munetaka Murakami, Yakult Swallows third baseman
In 2022, a 22-year-old Murakami clobbered 56 homers, breaking the single-season NPB record for a Japanese-born player and putting him on the radar of MLB scouts. His offensive numbers have tailed off slightly since his massive output that year, but the 6-foot-2, 250-pound slugger is still one of the best hitters in Japan.
An extension he signed after 2022 includes a stipulation that the Swallows make him available to MLB teams after the 2025 season. If Murakami cranks 50 homers, expect the thick third baseman to be a major storyline next winter.
The old-guard aces fighting against time
41. Max Scherzer, Blue Jays starting pitcher
40. Justin Verlander, Giants starting pitcher
Time, like a coddled child, cannot lose. In fact, it has never once lost. Every ballplayer, from the Hall of Famers to the weekend warriors, must one day hang ‘em up. The raging against that inevitability is equally heroic and tragic because the end is inevitable.
One day, Scherzer and Verlander will enter the Hall of Fame. They might even do so alongside each other as the old-school aces of a bygone era of pitching. But now, in the twilight of their careers, entering their age-40 and 42 seasons, respectively, Scherzer and Verlander are hoping to keep the light burning for at least another season.
Both find themselves in new uniforms, surrounded by the unfamiliar. Their world-beating powers — velocity, flexibility, durability — have faded with age. Can Scherzer and Verlander turn the clock back one more time? Can they be competent contributors for clubs on the fringes of the playoff picture? Will strong first halves warrant deadline moves to real contenders? Or has Father Time arrived in earnest?
A new head honcho with big plans
39. Buster Posey, Giants president of baseball operations
This kind of thing happens a lot in European soccer: Franchise icon returns to beloved club as manager or back-room string-puller in an attempt to guide said club back to glory.
But in the modern era of MLB, a move such as the one San Francisco pulled with Posey is pretty unprecedented. Considering his dearth of experience in an MLB front office, it was a surprise that Posey was named Giants POBO in September. Publicly, the future Hall of Fame catcher has championed a “new culture,” which is the same empty nothing-speak as when a politician uses the word “values.” It seems, given the analytical nature of the previous Giants regime, that Posey is going to zag a bit and adopt what might be seen as a more old-school approach. Most of his hires thus far have been related to the golden era of Giants baseball, of which Posey was a part.
What Buster Posey, the executive, looks like is mostly a mystery. A full season will provide a glimpse into how the 37-year-old plans to run things from his front-office perch.
Mike Trout
38. Mike Trout, Angels right fielder
The Millville Meteor has averaged just 67 ball games a season since 2021. Injuries have, thus far, robbed Trout of his 30s and robbed the viewing public of witnessing his generational excellence. This spring, for the first time, we saw a meaningful change in strategy for the thick-necked New Jerseyan. After a decade in center field, Trout has moved to right, hoping the new position will take less of a toll on his body.
Amid all the knocks, ailments and time on the shelf, Trout has continued to produce in his limited windows of health. No matter what happens to baseball’s favorite weatherman this season, it’s a big deal. If Trout stays healthy, it’s a delightful surprise. If he gets hurt, that’s a story, too, albeit a much sadder one. And if he misses another big chunk of time in 2025, it might finally be time to say goodbye to the god we once knew.
Two Mets
37. Francisco Lindor, Mets shortstop
36. Pete Alonso, Mets first baseman
The expectations have been heightened. New York’s heroic NLCS run last year was a joyous thrill ride, but it also established a new standard in Queens. This new era of Mets baseball, one made possible by the financial might of owner Steve Cohen, is both invigorating and intimidating. The bigger the dreams, the more it hurts when they don’t come true.
Whether the Mets can live up to the hype depends a lot on Lindor and Alonso, who will anchor a lineup that added Juan Soto over the winter. Lindor, who was in consideration for an official team captaincy during the offseason, just finished second in the NL MVP race and delivered an all-time memorable franchise moment with his NLDS grand slam against the Phillies. Alonso tested the free-agent waters before returning to the Mets on a short-term deal.
If the Mets are good, this tandem will deserve the glory that comes with it. But if the Mets are bad, some of the blame will likely fall on Lindor and Alonso.
A POBO on the hot seat
35. Jed Hoyer, Cubs president of baseball operations
The Chicago Cubs haven’t won a playoff game since 2017. That’s the fourth-longest streak in baseball, behind only the Orioles, Pirates and Angels.
It’s a drought that puts Hoyer, whose contract expires at season’s end, firmly in the hot seat. And based on his behavior this winter, Hoyer might be feeling some of that heat. Trading for one year of Kyle Tucker was a big swing, one that could ultimately look quite foolish if top prospect Cam Smith, who has looked sensational in spring training, turns into a force for the Astros.
After taking over for Theo Epstein in November 2020, Hoyer oversaw the painful teardown of Chicago’s beloved 2016 World Series club. Away went Anthony Rizzo, Kris Bryant and Javier Báez for a gaggle of prospects and the idea of a hopeful future. That rebuild, despite Chicago’s decent 2024 and Hoyer’s best efforts, has yet to bear fruit. Another October vacation on the North Side might necessitate an overhaul at Wrigley. A playoff run, on the other hand, would likely silence the doubters and secure Hoyer’s future in Chicago.
Needle-moving trade chips
34. Nolan Arenado, Cardinals third baseman
33. Luis Robert Jr., White Sox center fielder
32. Sandy Alcantara, Marlins starting pitcher
It’s probably a good thing that this list isn’t longer. Only two teams, the Marlins and White Sox, enter this season in full rebuild mode. The Cardinals, the only team to not sign an MLB free agent this winter, could embark upon a mini-deadline teardown if the first half is a struggle. That makes this trio the likeliest notable names to be dealt during the season.
That Arenado, who publicly asked for a trade out of St. Louis in December, is still on the Cardinals qualifies as a huge surprise. Robert has been the subject of trade speculation for a while now, but his injury track record understandably gives some teams pause. If he has a healthy few months, the rebuilding White Sox would flip him for prospects in a flash.
Alcantara is potentially even more of a mystery box, as the 2022 NL Cy Young winner missed all of last season recovering from Tommy John surgery. He is under contract with Miami on an extremely team-friendly deal through the 2027 season, which will surely make him a hot commodity come deadline time. The best version of Alcantara is a legitimate ace, but it’s highly unlikely he’s long for South Florida, considering how aggressive this Marlins front office has been in trading its best pieces for prospects.
A Martian
31. Jasson Domínguez, Yankees left fielder
In 2019, ESPN’s Jeff Passan wrote a feature on Domínguez, then a historically heralded, 16-year-old amateur prospect who’d recently signed with the Yankees. In that article, an anonymous general manager said of Domínguez, “he’s like [Mike] Trout. And Trout wasn’t close to this good when he was 16.”
That preposterous comparison, predictably, helped spark a runaway hype train, one that maintained steam as Domínguez, nicknamed “The Martian,” matriculated up the minor-league ladder and arrived in the bigs well before his 21st birthday. Injuries and defensive kerfuffles precluded a full breakout, but now it’s go-time for the Dominican bowling ball, who will start the season as New York’s every-day left fielder.
The Yankees are hoping his … adventures … in the outfield are a thing of the past. It’s a reasonable assumption; Domínguez’s natural athleticism and experience in center should eventually translate to his new digs in left. There’s little doubt that Domínguez, built like an SEC fullback, will hit for power, but whether this dude is an All-Star or a solid role player depends on the rest of his offensive game.
The Jackson Four
30. Jackson Holliday, Orioles second baseman
29. Jackson Jobe, Tigers starting pitcher
28. Jackson Chourio, Brewers right fielder
27. Jackson Merrill, Padres center fielder
Holliday, Chourio and Merrill all appeared on this list last year as 20-year-old rookies. Then the trio of Jacksons had very different debut seasons. Holliday stunk up the farm. Chourio treaded water until July, then went on an absolute tear down the stretch. Merrill was a stud from the jump and finished second behind Paul Skenes in NL Rookie of the Year voting. All three appeared in the playoffs.
They are joined for the 2025 season by a new Jackson, one who throws, rather than hits, a baseball for a living. Jobe, one of the sport’s top starting pitching prospects, debuted last September out of the Tigers bullpen. The hard-throwing 22-year-old will begin the season as Detroit’s No. 5 starter and has the talent to become event television.
That’s also what Holliday, who looked overwhelmed and overmatched in 2024, hopes to become. Part of a stacked Baltimore lineup, he’ll be less relied upon than Chourio and Merrill, whose teams are depending on big production from their youngsters.
The Fernando One
26. Fernando Tatis Jr., Padres right fielder
Let’s review the Tatis timeline.
2021: Ascends to full-blown superstardom as a charismatic tornado of baseball talent. Cranks 42 homers and finishes third in NL MVP voting as a 22-year-old shortstop.
2022: Fractures his wrist in an offseason motorcycle crash. Then, while rehabbing in the minor leagues, tests positive for a PED and receives an 80-game suspension.
2023: Returns in April playing right field. Performs magnificently in his new defensive home but shows some rust with the bat as a star-studded Padres team misses the playoffs.
2024: Is limited to 102 games because of a quad issue but still takes a significant step forward with the bat, improving his OPS by 63 points.
Now what? Since getting popped for PEDs, Tatis has said and done all the right things. While the Padres have remained a spice cabinet, Tatis has generally avoided controversy. All the while, he has produced on the field, albeit somewhat below his peak. But can he be a superstar again?
After 2021, Tatis was being hailed as the face of the sport, the future of baseball, an immensely popular force with crossover potential. His jersey was the second-most popular of the 2021 season, behind only Mookie Betts. Then, by his own doing, it all came crashing down.
If Tatis delivers MVP production in 2025, can the 26-year-old rejoin MLB’s constellation of stars? Does he deserve to? Does that paradigm-shifting player still exist? And can he keep this era of Padres baseball rolling as the club’s margins and margin for error grow ever smaller?
