Rising MLB Players Primed to Be First-Time All-Stars in 2025

One of the liveliest debates each MLB season comes when the All-Star Game rosters are announced and a handful of deserving players are inevitably snubbed. Those snubs are especially controversial when it's a player vying for his first career All-Star selection.

There were 39 first-time selections at the 2024 All-Star Game, including Alec Bohm (PHI), Gunnar Henderson (BAL), Steven Kwan (CLE), Jurickson Profar (SD) and Paul Skenes (PIT) in the AL and NL starting lineups.

Who might follow suit this year?

Ahead we've selected 15 players with the best chances of becoming first-time All-Stars in 2025, based on their previous track record and future outlook.

Let's start with an honorable mention list of 15 others who were considered.

These 15 players didn't quite crack our final list, but they are more than capable of punching their ticket to the Midsummer Classic for the first time in 2025:

Hitters

1B Triston Casas, BOS
IF/OF Tommy Edman, LAD
OF Michael Harris II, ATL
OF Parker Meadows, DET
1B Vinnie Pasquantino, KC
SS Ezequiel Tovar, COL
SS Masyn Winn, STL
OF James Wood, WAS

With Mookie Betts, Elly De La Cruz and Trea Turner all coming off All-Star selections in 2024, breaking through at shortstop in the National League will not be easy, but Ezequiel Tovar and Masyn Winn are both young stars on the rise poised to see the Midsummer Classic sooner than later.

Pitchers

SP Hunter Brown, HOU
RP Tyler Holton, DET
SP Michael King, SDP
SP Sean Manaea, NYM
SP Bryce Miller, SEA
SP Spencer Schwellenbach, ATL
SP Bryan Woo, SEA

Bryce Miller (12 GS, 1.89 ERA, 71.1 IP), Michael King (11 GS, 2.15 ERA, 62.2 IP) and Hunter Brown (12 GS, 2.26 ERA, 71.2 IP) were three of the best starters in baseball during the second half last season, so if they can pick up where they left off, they will be on their way to an All-Star nod.

Stats: 161 G, 118 OPS+, .251/.331/.462, 55 XBH (32 HR), 112 RBI, 3.1 WAR

The San Francisco Giants signed Willy Adames to a seven-year, $182 million deal in early December, adding some much-needed star power to a lineup that has been lacking a true face of the franchise since Buster Posey retired.

The 29-year-old has posted four straight 3-WAR seasons, emerging as one of the best two-way shortstops in baseball during his time with the Milwaukee Brewers.

He set career-high marks in hits (153), doubles (33), home runs (32), RBI (112) and steals (21) in 2024, and even if his offensive numbers take a step backward, he is still long overdue for an All-Star nod.

Stats: 31 GS, 12-8, 3.47 ERA, 1.12 WHIP, 44 BB, 187 K, 173.2 IP, 2.6 WAR

Tanner Bibee was an anchor atop an injury-plagued Cleveland Guardians rotation in 2024, leading the team in starts (31), innings pitched (173.2) and strikeouts (187) while serving as the ace of the staff in the postseason.

The 25-year-old has a 3.25 ERA and 328 strikeouts in 315.2 innings during his first two seasons in the majors, finishing runner-up in 2023 AL Rookie of the Year voting before logging better peripheral numbers in his follow-up this past season.

He is once again set to serve as the ace of the staff for a playoff contender in 2025.

Stats: 125 G, 131 OPS+, .262/.317/.490, 48 XBH (22 HR), 57 RBI, 3.0 WAR

Lawrence Butler started the 2024 season on the Opening Day roster, but he found himself demoted back to the minors in mid-May after he hit .179 with a .555 OPS through his first 41 games.

He returned for good a month later, and from July 1 through the end of the year he hit .302/.346/.597 with 40 extra-base hits, 20 home runs, 49 RBI and 14 steals in 301 plate appearances.

The Athletics are lacking a true face of the franchise as they continue on a long-running rebuild, but Butler could be the guy to usher in the post-Oakland era.

Stats: 87 G, 159 OPS+, .284/.345/.587, 39 XBH (18 HR), 57 RBI, 2.2 WAR

A back injury sidelined Kerry Carpenter for roughly three months during the 2024 season, but he still managed to slug 18 home runs in 296 plate appearances over 87 games for a Detroit Tigers team that made a surprise playoff run.

His 159 OPS+ ranked ninth among all hitters who tallied at least 250 plate appearances this past season, and he has averaged 30 home runs and 90 RBI per 162 games during his brief time in the big leagues.

The 27-year-old might not receive much attention on a national level, but he is capable of an All-Star caliber performance in the middle of the Detroit lineup.

Stats: 33 GS, 14-11, 3.47 ERA, 1.07 WHIP, 65 BB, 224 K, 189.1 IP, 4.2 WAR

Dylan Cease has logged four straight seasons with 200 strikeouts, leading the majors with 891 punchouts in 716 innings during that span, and he did not miss a beat jumping from the Chicago White Sox to the San Diego Padres last season.

The 29-year-old also quietly logged a career-best 8.5 percent walk rate after leading the AL in walks twice during his time with the White Sox, helping to take his game to the next level.

Now he is entering a contract year and poised to cash in with a nine-figure payday if he can put together another season of frontline production.

Stats: 148 G, 117 OPS+, .275/.327/.464, 54 XBH (21 HR), 79 RBI, 3.8 WAR

Jackson Chourio was the youngest player to appear in an MLB game in 2024, and after some early growing pains, he looked the part of a future superstar for the Milwaukee Brewers as the season unfolded.

From June 1 through the end of the season, he batted .303/.358/.525 with 46 extra-base hits, 16 home runs, 63 RBI and 15 steals in 399 plate appearances over 98 games, ultimately finishing third in NL Rookie of the Year balloting behind Paul Skenes and Jackson Merrill.

The 20-year-old then went 5-for-11 with two home runs in the NLWC against the New York Mets, and all signs point to a continued rise to stardom in 2025.

Stats: 148 G, 118 OPS+, .299/.325/.441, 48 XBH (16 HR), 84 RBI, 3.2 WAR

After splitting his time between catcher, first base and designated hitter as a rookie in 2023, Yainer Diaz took over as the Houston Astros primary catcher last season following the departure of veteran Martín Maldonado in free agency.

He ranked among the AL leaders in hits (175, seventh) and batting average (.299, fifth), and he has also continued his development defensively to emerge as an anchor for a young pitching staff.

The next step forward will be improving on a 3.9 percent walk rate, though his elite contact skills help offset those shortcomings as he still managed a .325 on-base percentage in 2024.

Stats: 61 G, 14 SV, 3.36 ERA, 1.05 WHIP, 16 BB, 72 K, 61.2 IP, 1.2 WAR

Originally drafted by the Milwaukee Brewers as a power-hitting third baseman in 2016, Lucas Erceg moved to the mound in 2021 and broke through as a surprise late-inning arm for the Athletics in 2023.

The 29-year-old pitched well enough to emerge as a sought-after trade chip last summer, and the Kansas City Royals acquired him and his remaining club control through 2029 at the trade deadline in exchange for a trio of prospects.

He moved into the closer's role with the Royals and posted a 2.88 ERA, 0.84 WHIP and 31-to-3 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 25 innings following the trade, nailing down 11 of 13 save opportunities.

Stats: 66 G, 34 SV, 1.95 ERA, 0.74 WHIP, 13 BB, 68 K, 69.1 IP, 2.9 WAR

With 34 saves in 2024, Raisel Iglesias is up to 224 for his career, and with that, he has overtaken Gene Garber (218) for the most saves in MLB history by a pitcher who has never been selected to an All-Star team.

The 34-year-old now has five 30-save campaigns on his resume, and 2024 was arguably the best season of his career, with his 1.95 ERA, 0.74 WHIP and .160 opponents' batting average all representing personal bests.

It's time his consistency in the late innings was rewarded with a trip to the Midsummer Classic.

Stats: 134 G, 111 OPS+, .253/.325/.415, 45 XBH (16 HR), 74 RBI, 3.9 WAR

Overshadowed by fantastic rookie seasons from Paul Skenes, Jackson Merrill, Jackson Chourio and others, Texas Rangers outfielder Wyatt Langford quietly put together a terrific debut.

The No. 4 overall pick in the 2023 draft played 44 games in the minors after signing, and he showed enough during that brief pro debut and during spring training to earn a spot on the Opening Day roster.

The 23-year-old has five-tool upside, and if his .784 OPS and 11 home runs after the All-Star break are any indication, he is still working toward reaching his ceiling as a potential perennial All-Star.

Stats: 155 G, 113 OPS+, .249/.318/.443, 58 XBH (23 HR), 77 RBI, 5.1 WAR

Breaking through as a first-time All-Star as a shortstop in the American League is not going to be easy in the coming years, with Bobby Witt Jr. and Gunnar Henderson both poised to occupy roster spots for the foreseeable future and Corey Seager still playing at an elite level when healthy.

If anyone is going to crash the party, the smart money is on Zach Neto.

His 5.1 WAR last season was the fifth-highest total among shortstops, and he does a lot of things well with power (58 XBH, 23 HR), speed (30 SB) and defense (11 DRS) at a premium position.

Stats: 153 G, 119 OPS+, .220/.312/.436, 50 XBH (34 HR), 100 RBI, 4.7 WAR

Cal Raleigh became the sixth catcher in MLB history with back-to-back 30-homer seasons in 2024, leading all catchers with 34 long balls while providing much-needed run production in the middle of an inconsistent Seattle Mariners lineup.

He also took home Gold Glove and Platinum Glove honors, throwing out an AL-leading 32 base stealers and ranking as one of the best pitch-framers in baseball while anchoring the best starting rotation in baseball.

He had 20 home runs and 61 RBI at the All-Star break last year, so he can easily be called a snub, as he missed out on a spot on the AL roster behind Adley Rutschman and Salvador Perez.

Stats: 20 GS, 13-4, 3.86 ERA, 1.24 WHIP, 36 BB, 130 K, 116.2 IP, 1.4 WAR

Grayson Rodriguez broke through during the second half of the 2023 season, delivering on the hype of being one of the top pitching prospects in baseball to give the Baltimore Orioles a young frontline starter.

His follow-up campaign was hampered by a lat strain that limited him to just 20 starts, but he again flashed top-of-the-rotation stuff when healthy, racking up 130 strikeouts in 116.2 innings with a repertoire that includes a mid-90s fastball, elite changeup and hard-biting slider.

The 25-year-old will be counted on to take another step forward in 2025 following the departure of Corbin Burnes, as he will lead the rotation alongside veteran Zach Eflin.

Stats: 111 G, 135 OPS+, .266/.322/.516, 49 XBH (27 HR), 71 RBI, 3.1 WAR

Mark Vientos started the 2024 season behind Brett Baty and Joey Wendle on the New York Mets depth chart at third base, opening the year at Triple-A after hitting .211 with a 69 OPS+ in 233 plate appearances as a rookie.

By the end of the season, he was arguably the best offensive player on the roster.

The 25-year-old hit .327/.362/.636 with five home runs and 14 RBI in 13 games during the postseason, and while his defense at the hot corner leaves something to be desired, he looks the part of a middle-of-the-order run producer for an offense that has now added Juan Soto to the mix.

Stats: 18 GS, 7-2, 3.00 ERA, 1.11 WHIP, 22 BB, 105 K, 90.0 IP, 1.7 WAR

Armed with a mid-90s fastball and a wicked splitter and curveball pairing that both generated a whiff rate north of 30 percent, Yoshinobu Yamamoto showed why the Los Angeles Dodgers made a $325 million investment in his talents last offseason.

Unfortunately, he missed roughly three months with a shoulder injury, knocking him out of the running in what could have been an even more epic NL Rookie of the Year race.

The 26-year-old returned for the Dodgers playoff run, and he tossed 6.1 innings of one-hit, one-run ball in Game 2 of the World Series. He will join Blake Snell, Tyler Glasnow and a healthy Shohei Ohtani in leading the Dodgers rotation in 2025.