Each MLB Team's Potential Breakout Star for 2025 Season

A new season is upon Major League Baseball, which means it won't be long until everyone's favorite stars are back in action.

But what about everyone's new favorite stars? Glad you asked, because that's what we're going to get into by identifying a breakout candidate for all 30 teams.

Some are more well-known than others, but what they all have in common is the likelihood that we haven't seen their best yet.

One thing, though: All-Stars and major award winners were not allowed in this discussion. It's fair to say those guys have already had their breakout moments.

Otherwise, we'll go three teams at a time and check them off in alphabetical order.

Arizona Diamondbacks: RHP Justin Martinez

Age: 23

2024 Stats: 64 G, 72.2 IP, 59 H (2 HR), 91 K, 36 BB, 2.48 ERA

It is largely thanks to Martinez that a bad Diamondbacks bullpen wasn't worse in 2024. His only poor stretch came at the end of the season, after a run of 48 games in which he had a 1.79 ERA and a .199 batting average against.

An average fastball of 100 mph can do that for a guy, and Martinez is one of those who limits damage by getting whiffs and inducing ground balls. With Arizona's closer role in hand, those skills should translate to plenty of saves in 2025.

Athletics: RF Lawrence Butler

Age: 24

2024 Stats: 125 G, 451 PA, 22 HR, 18 SB, .262 AVG, .317 OBP, .490 SLG

Those in the know already know about Butler. He was as good as any hitter in MLB after July 1 of last year, even landing in the same wRC+ ballpark as Juan Soto.

Yeah, yeah. Small sample size and luck dragons and all that. But Lawrence's Statcast-ables for that stretch were legit, as only 12 players produced more hard-hit balls. With more of that, he can become an All-Star and maybe even an MVP contender.

Atlanta Braves: RHP Spencer Schwellenbach

Age: 24

2024 Stats: 21 GS, 123.2 IP, 106 H (14 HR), 127 K, 23 BB, 3.35 ERA

When you look at the stats that Schwellenbach put up last year, it's hard not to feel like maybe this is the reason why the Braves didn't bother to retain Max Fried or Charlie Morton.

The righty's walk rate was notably pristine last year, and not just because he was good at pounding the strike zone. He was also in the 96th percentile at getting hitters to expand the zone, where pitchers always have the high ground.

Baltimore Orioles: 2B Jackson Holliday

Age: 21

2024 Stats: 60 G, 208 PA, 5 HR, 4 SB, .189 AVG, .255 OBP, .311 SLG

Holliday didn't quite live up to the hype with which he entered last season. His first audition was an unmitigated disaster, and even his "better" performance after he returned from the minors on July 31 only saw him hit .218.

Holliday's profile nonetheless maintains that too-good-to-be true feeling. Surely, a 21-year-old son of a former MLB star and an erstwhile No. 1 prospect in his own right will find his stride in the majors eventually. If the Orioles have their way, it'll be this year.

Boston Red Sox: 2B Kristian Campbell

Age: 22

2024 Stats (A+/AA/AAA): 115 G, 517 PA, 20 HR, 24 SB, .330 AVG, .439 OBP, .558 SLG

Campbell was only a fourth-round pick in 2023, and he wasn't on many radars going into last season. But no prospect improved his stock as much as he did, as he ultimately climbed to the No. 16 spot among all prospects for B/R's Joel Reuter.

Campbell's long-term defensive home is up in the air, but he profiles well at second base for now. The Red Sox have an opening for a solid starter there, which could be his ticket to start his AL Rookie of the Year pursuit as soon as Opening Day.

Chicago Cubs: CF Pete Crow-Armstrong

Age: 22

2024 Stats: 123 G, 410 PA, 10 HR, 27 SB, .237 AVG, .286 OBP, .384 SLG

Crow-Armstrong is going to be a ton of fun to watch even if his offensive output never improves. He might already be the best defensive center fielder in baseball, and to simply call him "fast" would be like calling prime Arnold Schwarzenegger "strong."

As for said offensive output, PCA did finish last year strong with a .816 OPS over his last 51 games. More of that plus his defense and baserunning could make him an All-Star in 2025, not to mention a god of WAR.

Chicago White Sox: RHP Sean Burke

Age: 25

2024 Stats: 4 G, 19.0 IP, 12 H (2 HR), 22 K, 7 BB, 1.42 ERA

Pitching for the White Sox last season was a thankless job. But Burke made his opportunity at the end of the year count, with his three starts each yielding at least five innings and no more than two earned runs.

The righty's 95.3 mph fastball has some pop, and his curve limited hitters to a lone single in 13 at-bats. He's positioned to show off those things and hopefully more as a member of the White Sox's rotation heading into the new season.

Cincinnati Reds: 2B Gavin Lux

Age: 27

2024 Stats: 139 G, 487 PA, 10 HR, 5 SB, .251 AVG, .320 OBP, .383 SLG

This feels like cheating, given how long Lux was a player of note for the Los Angeles Dodgers. But his big break for them never really came, and he's on the Reds precisely because the Dodgers found someone whom they like more.

Lux is still young, however, and he's coming to the Reds off a high after batting .309 with a .913 OPS in his last 60 games of 2024. And as with all hitters, he can expect a power boost from regular action at Great American Ball Park.

Cleveland Guardians: RHP Gavin Williams

Age: 25

2024 Stats: 16 GS, 76.0 IP, 72 H (7 HR), 79 K, 32 BB, 4.86 ERA

What can I say? I have a thing for Ohio-based baseballers named Gavin. Though in this case, that Williams was also a breakout candidate last year has me feeling "fool me twice..." energy.

Yet even injury-marred years like the one Williams had in 2024 can have silver linings. He upped both his fastball velocity (95.9 to 96.6 mph) and his strikeout rate (23.5 to 23.8 percent) relative to 2023, giving him at least two things to build on in 2025.

Colorado Rockies: SS Ezequiel Tovar

Age: 23

2024 Stats: 157 G, 695 PA, 26 HR, 6 SB, .269 AVG, .295 OBP, .469 SLG

Only two hitters racked up at least 45 doubles and 25 home runs in 2024. One is Bobby Witt Jr., because of course he did. The other is Tovar, which might have just caused you to do a double-take.

Coors? Coors indeed. But Tovar had a respectable .754 OPS on the road last year, and it's not as if his value all comes from his bat. He had as many Outs Above Average at shortstop as Francisco Lindor in 2024.

Detroit Tigers: RHP Jackson Jobe

Age: 22

2024 Stats: 2 G, 4.0 IP, 1 H (0 HR), 2 K, 1 BB, 0.00 ERA

The Tigers will enter this season with the reigning AL Cy Young Award winner atop their rotation. And if Jobe makes good on the hype, they could end the year with the AL Rookie of the Year winner in their rotation as well.

He's the No. 1 pitching prospect in baseball for a reason, folks. That reason is a big-time arm, which Jobe showed late in 2024. He touched 100 mph with his fastball and broke off some dandy changeups and sweepers.

Houston Astros: RHP Hunter Brown

Age: 26

2024 Stats: 30 GS, 170.0 IP, 156 H (18 HR), 179 K, 60 BB, 3.49 ERA

Brown is simultaneously a post-hype breakout candidate and, paradoxically, a mid-hype breakout candidate. His major league career had gotten off to a rough start, but it became more of a distant memory as he finished 2024 with a 2.20 ERA in his last 19 starts.

The righty still has yet to harness the full potential of his curveball, which has some of the best downward bite of any hook. If that happens, he could leap beyond merely being an All-Star to become a Cy Young Award contender.

Kansas City Royals: 1B Vinnie Pasquantino

Age: 27

2024 Stats: 131 G, 554 PA, 19 HR, 1 SB, .262 AVG, .315 OBP, .446 SLG

Perhaps this is wishful thinking, but pardon me for looking upon Pasquantino as a fun hitter. For evidence that he is delightfully good at his craft, I submit his 96th-percentile whiff rate and his 92nd-percentile rate for squaring the ball up in 2024.

The only question is whether power will continue to be about as elusive as Pasquantino's nickname-sake. The 6'4", 245-pounder isn't a weakling by any stretch, but he'll need to get better at hitting the ball on the sweet spot for homers to come in more ample bunches.

Los Angeles Angels: RHP Ben Joyce

Age: 24

2024 Stats: 31 G, 34.2 IP, 26 H (1 HR), 33 K, 14 BB, 2.08 ERA

Joyce throws 106 mph. Perhaps his inclusion doesn't need to be more complicated than that, and I'll even cut to footage for effect:

Still, it also bears noting that after not quite hitting the ground running in his early stints with the Angels, Joyce was untouchable to the tune of a 0.83 ERA in his last 28 appearances of 2024. Health permitting, he can be an All-Star closer.

Los Angeles Dodgers: 2B Hyeseong Kim

Age: 25

2024 Stats (KBO): 127 G, 567 PA, 11 HR, 30 SB, .326 AVG, .383 OBP, .458 SLG

Kim is the reason that Lux is now a Red, as the latter became expendable as soon as the Dodgers signed the Korean star to a three-year contract. And even if he won't be the Dodgers' main attraction in 2025, Kim can still turn heads.

Kim was typically good for a .300 average and 30 stolen bases in his last four seasons in Korea. Power hasn't really been his thing, but he changed that narrative ever so slightly by hitting a career-high 11 homers last season.

Miami Marlins: 3B Connor Norby

Age: 24

2024 Stats: 45 G, 194 PA, 9 HR, 3 SB, .236 AVG, .294 OBP, .438 SLG

The Marlins don't have a good roster, but they've at least spent the better part of the last year stockpiling young talent. Norby is among the pieces whom they've obtained, as he came over from Baltimore last summer in the Trevor Rogers trade.

He was a prospect of some renown in the Orioles' system, and he ultimately posted the third-best xwOBA of any Marlins hitter in 2024. Of the two who finished ahead of him, only Jesús Sánchez remains in Miami.

Milwaukee Brewers: RF Jackson Chourio

Age: 20

2024 Stats: 148 G, 573 PA, 21 HR, 22 SB, .275 AVG, .327 OBP, .464 SLG

This pick is technically within the rules. Chourio was not an All-Star last year, though he was certainly playing like one by the end of the year. He had a .914 OPS from July 20 through the end of the regular season, and then went 5-for-11 with two homers in the Wild Card Series.

"Real deal" is written all over Chourio, and not just because he was an elite prospect who received a record-setting deal before taking off last summer. He had 94 hard-hit balls once he did, whereas no other Brewer had more than 80 in that span.

Minnesota Twins: 2B Brooks Lee

Age: 23

2024 Stats: 50 G, 185 PA, 3 HR, 3 SB, .221 AVG, .265 OBP, .320 SLG

Depending on what the Twins do with Royce Lewis, there seems to be an opening for Lee in between Lewis and Carlos Correa at second base. If he wants it, he'd do well to bring his rake to spring training.

Lee didn't hit much in the majors this year, but his hit tool ranked among the best of the 2022 draft class. It showed in limited action in the minors last year, where he hit .331 in 35 games.

New York Mets: C Francisco Alvarez

Age: 23

2024 Stats: 100 G, 342 PA, 11 HR, 1 SB, .237 AVG, .307 OBP, .403 SLG

This is another one where the pedigree still holds water. Alvarez was the No. 1 prospect in MLB going into 2023, and he mostly lived up to his promise as a power-hitting catcher by blasting 25 homers for the Mets that year.

Alvarez didn't level up in 2024 in part because he was banged up for much of the year. Yet he only turned 23 on Nov. 19, and even last year's struggles didn't completely contain his titanic power.

New York Yankees: LF Jasson Domínguez

Age: 21

2024 Stats: 18 G, 67 PA, 2 HR, 5 SB, .179 AVG, .313 OBP, .304 SLG

Should the Yankees have trusted Domínguez over Alex Verdugo last year? Probably. But even if they disagree, they should certainly be hoping that the youngster comes into this year motivated to make his mark on New York.

"The Martian" hasn't lived up to the otherworldly buzz he had when the Yankees signed him in 2019, but his tools still impress. Best of all is his power, which could be good for 30 homers as soon as this year if he stays steady with his approach.

Philadelphia Phillies: RHP Andrew Painter

Age: 21

2024 Stats (AFL): 6 GS, 15.2 IP, 10 H (1 HR), 18 K, 4 BB, 2.30 ERA

If you just got flashbacks to two years ago, then clearly you were aware of the hype that surrounded Painter heading into spring training for 2023. That is, of course, until his elbow began barking and eventually required Tommy John surgery.

Painter is healthy now, and he still looks the part of a future ace with a substantial supply of nasty offerings and plus control. The Phillies' rotation got harder to crack with the addition of Jesús Luzardo, but Painter is determined to break into it anyway.

Pittsburgh Pirates: RHP Jared Jones

Age: 23

2024 Stats: 22 GS, 121.1 IP, 106 H (18 HR), 132 K, 39 BB, 4.14 ERA

If you're thinking that Jones is no Paul Skenes, well, you're not wrong. But here's a fun fact that you'll know only if you're a total nerd: Per Stuff+, Jones' pitches were better than those of Skenes and all other National League pitchers in 2024.

The 97.3 mph fastball is nice, but not quite as nice as Jones' devastating slider. Those things alone have the potential to make him an All-Star this year, and perhaps even a Cy Young Award contender.

San Diego Padres: RHP Michael King

Age: 29

2024 Stats: 30 GS, 173.2 IP, 144 H (17 HR), 201 K, 63 BB, 2.95 ERA

Is it fair to say both sides won the Juan Soto trade from last winter? The Yankees got an amazing season and a World Series run out if it, and the Padres got a late-blooming ace and down-ballot Cy Young Award contender in King.

He only got better as last year went along, eventually posting a 2.26 ERA over his last 19 starts. The movement on his pitches can be mesmerizing, and making hard contact off him was among the most difficult tasks for hitters in 2024.

San Francisco Giants: CF Jung Hoo Lee

Age: 26

2024 Stats: 37 G, 158 PA, 2 HR, 2 SB, .262 AVG, .310 OBP, .331 SLG

Lee didn't get much of a chance to prove himself in the first year of a six-year, $113 million pact. He played in only 37 games before injuring his shoulder in a collision with the center-field wall at Oracle Park, necessitating season-ending surgery.

What Lee did in those games, however, was prove that he's going to be a tough out in the majors. Among hitters who took at least 150 plate appearances in 2024, only Steven Kwan and Luis Arráez had higher rates of contact.

Seattle Mariners: RHP Bryan Woo

Age: 24

2024 Stats: 22 GS, 121.1 IP, 96 H (14 HR), 101 K, 13 BB, 2.89 ERA

That Woo is only the No. 5 starter in Seattle's rotation says more about its collective talent than it does about his talent specifically. He actually had a lower expected ERA than any of his rotation mates last season.

It helped that he only walked 2.8 percent of the batters he faced, but the sheer quality of his pitches (and his sinker, particularly) was also a factor. If Woo keeps doing what he's doing, buzz should build accordingly.

St. Louis Cardinals: RF Jordan Walker

Age: 22

2024 Stats: 51 G, 178 PA, 5 HR, 1 SB, .201 AVG, .253 OBP, .366 SLG

Walker entered the spring of 2023 as one of the five best prospects in MLB. If that feels like a long time ago, well, not even reaching replacement-level production in 168 career games will have that kind of effect.

All the same, let's not be too quick to give up on 22-year-old slugging hopefuls who tip the scales at 6'6", 250 pounds. And in this case, whatever offseason work that Walker is putting in with new Cardinals hitting coach Brant Brown can only help.

Tampa Bay Rays: 3B Junior Caminero

Age: 21

2024 Stats: 43 G, 177 PA, 6 HR, 2 SB, .248 AVG, .299 OBP, .424 SLG

Caminero had quite the season in the minors in 2023, playing in 117 games and finishing with a .976 OPS and 31 homers. That success hasn't translated to the 50 games he's played with the Rays, but they aren't wrong to have him plugged in at third base.

Even though he posted modest numbers last season, hitting metrics like barrels per plate appearance and hard-hit balls per swing rated Caminero as one of the more dangerous hitters the Rays had. If he finds a groove, he could rise fast as a superstar.

Texas Rangers: LF Wyatt Langford

Age: 23

2024 Stats: 134 G, 577 PA, 16 HR, 19 SB, .253 AVG, .325 OBP, .415 SLG

It took only a few months for Langford to go from being the Rangers' No. 4 pick in the 2023 draft to a member of their Opening Day roster. And by the end of 2024, he sat atop all AL rookie hitters in rWAR.

A lot of that value came amid a strong finish in which Langford had a .810 OPS over 86 games. He had more hard-hit balls than any other Ranger in that span, a less-than-small feat considering how much might they had (and still have) in their lineup.

Toronto Blue Jays: RHP Bowden Francis

Age: 28

2024 Stats: 27 G, 103.2 IP, 74 H (17 HR), 92 K, 22 BB, 3.30 ERA

If you tuned out the Blue Jays at the end of last season, then you missed Francis going all the way off in the nine starts he made after August 7. He logged a 1.53 ERA with 56 strikeouts against just seven walks.

Francis averaged only 92.9 mph on his fastball, but it played up to the tune of a plus-13 run value. As long as that remains the case in 2025, he could be the best arm in a rotation that also features Kevin Gausman, José Berríos and Chris Bassitt.

Washington Nationals: LF James Wood

Age: 22

2024 Stats: 79 G, 336 PA, 9 HR, 14 SB, .264 AVG, .354 OBP, .427 SLG

The Nationals have MLB's No. 2 prospect in Dylan Crews, so he at least deserves a mention here. But when it comes to major league service, Wood has a leg up in terms of both action and productivity.

He had himself a darn good rookie season in 2024, and it should surprise nobody that it was mostly built on a foundation of hard contact. The 6'7", 234-pound Wood was one of only 14 hitters with a hard-hit rate north of 52 percent.

Stats courtesy of Baseball Reference, FanGraphs and Baseball Savant.