MLB's 25 Best Players Under 25 Years Old in 2022

The future of Major League Baseball is in good hands.

Over the past few seasons, there has been an influx of exciting young talent around the league, and guys like Ronald Acuna Jr., Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Juan Soto and Fernando Tatis Jr. have quickly developed into bona fide superstars and faces of the sport.

However, that elite foursome is not alone in making a major impact at an early age.

Ahead, we've ranked the 25 best players under 25 years old entering the 2022 season, based on production to date and future outlook.

The age cutoff for inclusion is the currently scheduled Opening Day (March 31), and only players with MLB experience were considered for a spot in the rankings, though you can expect to see a few more exciting young names added to this list with several of the game's top prospects knocking on the door.

For now, here are the 25 best under 25.

25. LHP Garrett Crochet, Chicago White Sox (Age: 22)

Crochet jumped straight to the MLB bullpen after going No. 11 overall in the 2020 draft, and he lit up radar guns before suffering a forearm strain during the White Sox playoff run. The left-hander returned to a bullpen role last season, logging a 2.82 ERA and 10.8 K/9 in 54.1 innings. It remains to be seen if he'll eventually shift to the rotation, but his power stuff is impossible to ignore.

24. RHP Huascar Ynoa, Atlanta Braves (Age: 23)

Ynoa posted a 3.02 ERA, 1.05 WHIP and 50 strikeouts in 44.2 innings over the first two months of the 2021 season. However, his breakout season came to an abrupt halt when he fractured his hand punching the dugout bench, and when he returned in August, he went on to post a lackluster 5.05 ERA in his final nine starts. Who knows what to expect in 2022?

23. OF Jesus Sanchez, Miami Marlins (Age: 24)

A Baseball America Top 100 prospect in 2018, 2019 and 2020, Sanchez was traded from Tampa Bay to Miami at the 2019 deadline, and he finally saw his first extended MLB action last year. In 251 plate appearances, he posted a 116 OPS+ with 14 home runs and 36 RBI, and there's 30-homer power potential packed into his strong 6'3", 222-pound frame.

22. RHP Camilo Doval, San Francisco Giants (Age: 24)

After multiple stints with the MLB club early in the year, Doval returned to the active roster as a September call-up and was absolutely dominant. In 15 appearances over the final month, he tossed 14.1 scoreless innings, allowing seven hits and three walks while piling up 20 strikeouts. Expect to see him closing games in 2022.

21. RHP Triston McKenzie, Cleveland Guardians (Age: 24)

McKenzie has shown the ability to dominate MLB hitters, including eight innings of one-hit, 11-strikeout ball against the Detroit Tigers last August. The wiry 6'5", 165-pound right-hander is still searching for consistency, evidenced by his 4.95 ERA and 4.70 FIP in 120 innings last year, but his ceiling is as high as any young starter.

20. RHP Shane Baz, Tampa Bay Rays (Age: 22)

It was a big 2021 for Baz, who pitched for Team USA in the Olympics, made his MLB debut on Sept. 20 and wound up starting Game 2 of the ALDS. He has the stuff to be the future ace of the Tampa Bay staff, but he also has more to prove than anyone else on this list with only 15.2 major league innings under his belt. Don't be surprised if he's worthy of a top-10 spot by season's end.

19. 2B Jazz Chisholm Jr., Miami Marlins (Age: 24)

Chisholm has work to do refining his approach at the plate after hitting .248/.303/.425 with a 28.6 percent strikeout rate, but his raw tools are tantalizing. The former Arizona Diamondbacks top prospect tallied 18 home runs and 23 steals in 124 games, and he also provided above-average defense at second base with five DRS in 739.1 innings.

18. LHP Shane McClanahan, Tampa Bay Rays (Age: 24)

After making his MLB debut in the 2020 postseason and even throwing an inning in the World Series, McClanahan was a staple in the Tampa Bay rotation as a rookie. The hard-throwing southpaw went 10-6 with a 3.43 ERA, 1.27 WHIP and 141 strikeouts in 123.1 innings, and he threw five scoreless innings in Game 1 of the 2021 ALDS.

17. 3B Luis Urias, Milwaukee Brewers (Age: 24)

Acquired from the San Diego Padres in a four-player deal that sent Trent Grisham the other way, Urias took a big step toward leveling the scales on that deal in 2021. Splitting time between second base, shortstop and third base, he posted a 111 OPS+ with 25 doubles, 23 home runs and 75 RBI in a 3.1-WAR season. The everyday third base job in Milwaukee appears to be his.

16. IF/OF Luis Arraez, Minnesota Twins (Age: 24)

One of baseball's elite contact hitters, Arraez has a .313 average with just 88 strikeouts in 966 plate appearances over the last three seasons. He also offers valuable versatility with at least 25 games played at second base, third base and in left field in 2021. In today's power-driven game, he is an underrated throwback player.

15. RHP Casey Mize, Detroit Tigers (Age: 24)

The No. 1 overall pick in the 2018 draft, Mize enjoyed a rock-solid rookie season after getting knocked around in a brief seven-start debut in 2020. Armed with a mid-90s fastball, plus slider and a devastating splitter, he posted a 3.71 ERA, 1.14 WHIP and 118 strikeouts in 150.1 innings while leading all AL rookie pitchers with 3.2 WAR.

14. RF Dylan Carlson, St. Louis Cardinals (Age: 23)

Carlson hit .266/.343/.437 for a 117 OPS+ with 31 doubles, 18 home runs and 65 RBI in 149 games as a rookie, finishing third to Jonathan India and Trevor Rogers in NL Rookie of the Year voting. The 2016 first-round pick has the defensive skills to handle center field, but playing alongside Harrison Bader, he slots in as the everyday right fielder in St. Louis.

13. RHP Emmanuel Clase, Cleveland Guardians (Age: 23)

With a cutter that averaged 100.2 mph and a wipeout slider that limited opposing hitters to a .134 slugging percentage, Clase is pure power at the back of the Cleveland bullpen. The 6'2" right-hander nailed down 24 of 29 save chances with a 1.29 ERA, 0.96 WHIP and 9.6 K/9 while replacing All-Star Brad Hand in the ninth-inning role. He looks like baseball's next great closer.

12. RHP Alek Manoah, Toronto Blue Jays (Age: 24)

Manoah was selected No. 11 overall in the 2019 draft following a breakout junior year at West Virginia, and on a Blue Jays roster loaded with young talent, he has emerged as the club's top up-and-coming arm. The imposing 6'6", 260-pound right-hander went 9-2 with a 3.22 ERA, 1.05 WHIP and 127 strikeouts in 111.2 innings last season to finish eighth in AL Rookie of the Year balloting.

11. RHP Ian Anderson, Atlanta Braves (Age: 23)

Still shy of his 24th birthday, Anderson already has eight starts and 35.2 innings of postseason work under his belt, and that includes five no-hit innings in Game 3 of the 2021 World Series. He pulled off the rare feat of receiving NL Rookie of the Year votes in 2020 and 2021, and he sports a 3.25 ERA with 165 strikeouts in 160.2 career innings during the regular season.

Age: 24

In a top 10 that is loaded with offensive standouts, Miami Marlins left-hander Trevor Rogers claims the highest ranking among all under-25 pitchers.

After debuting with a 6.11 ERA in 28 innings in 2020, Rogers lived up to his status as a 2017 first-round pick last year, posting a 2.64 ERA, 1.15 WHIP and 157 strikeouts in 133 innings to earn a spot on the NL All-Star team and finish runner-up to Jonathan India in Rookie of the Year voting.

The 6'5" southpaw leans heavily on a mid-90s fastball and a terrific changeup, and the development of his slider as a viable third offering will go a long way toward ensuring his continued success atop a young Marlins rotation.

Age: 24

Yordan Alvarez can flat-out hit.

However, the fact that that's essentially all he can do keeps him from ranking any higher on a list of dynamic young players who contribute to their team's success in a wide variety of ways.

Still, Alvarez has quickly established himself as one of baseball's top-tier run producers, shaking off an injury-plagued 2020 campaign to post a 136 OPS+ with 35 doubles, 33 home runs and 104 RBI in 144 games last year.

He also went 12-for-23 with five extra-base hits and six RBI in six games against the Boston Red Sox to win ALCS MVP honors, though his bat went quiet in the World Series.

Age: 20

Wander Franco could absolutely be challenging for the No. 1 spot on this list before the 2022 season comes to a close. However, with only 70 big league games under his belt, he'll need to earn it before he climbs any higher.

If his debut was any indication, it's only a matter of time.

Baseball's consensus top prospect took a while to find his footing in the majors after making his MLB debut on June 22, but once he hit his stride he never looked back, hitting .314/.372/.500 with 26 extra-base hits in 242 plate appearances after the All-Star break.

Whether he stays at shortstop long-term or eventually shifts to third base, his elite hit tool and budding power will play at any position on the diamond.

Age: 24

Can Luis Robert produce for a full season at the level he did during an injury-shortened 2021 campaign?

Robert hit .338/.378/.567 for a 155 OPS+ with 36 extra-base hits in 296 plate appearances, tallying 3.6 WAR in only 68 games while missing more than three months with a right hip flexor strain that he suffered in early May.

Beyond those impressive surface-level numbers, he also trimmed his strikeout rate from 32.2 percent as a rookie to a far more palatable 20.6 percent, and maintaining that will be the key to more elite-level offensive production.

If he can stay healthy, he is a legitimate five-tool talent who could be a perennial MVP candidate for a contending Chicago White Sox team.

Age: 24

After posting a lackluster 86 OPS+ in 503 plate appearances during his first two seasons in the majors, former top prospect Austin Riley looked like the potential weak spot in a loaded Atlanta Braves lineup when the 2021 season began.

Instead, he was the team's best offensive player and a bona fide MVP candidate as one of the biggest breakout stars of the year.

He hit .303/.367/.531 for a 132 OPS+ with 33 doubles, 33 home runs and 107 RBI, and his .976 OPS and 19 home runs after the All-Star break helped ease the loss of Ronald Acuna Jr. to a season-ending ACL injury.

What will he do for an encore?

Age: 23

Playing in the shadow of rising superstar Vladimir Guerrero Jr., shortstop Bo Bichette has developed into one of the game's most exciting young players in his own right.

A career .301/.345/.506 hitter with 104 extra-base hits in 234 games, he posted a 123 OPS+ with 30 doubles, 29 home runs, 102 RBI, 121 runs scored and 25 stolen bases last season while racking up an AL-leading 191 hits.

He has also been better than expected defensively at shortstop after many assumed he'd switch positions during his time in the minors, tallying seven DRS in 1,850 career innings.

Age: 24

The top four players on this list can essentially be viewed as 1A, 1B, 1C and 1D, but for the sake of these rankings, hairs needed to be split to decide who slotted where in the top 25.

Ronald Acuna Jr. enters the 2022 season facing the relative uncertainty of returning from a torn ACL, which prematurely ended what was shaping up to be an MVP-caliber season on July 10 and left the Atlanta Braves scrambling for outfield help at the trade deadline.

Will he return as the same electric player who made a serious run at a 40/40 season in 2019 with a 41-homer, 37-steal performance?

There is no reason to believe he won't, but until he's back in action and once again playing at a superstar level, he gets the No. 4 spot.

Age: 23

After suffering a fractured thumb during his final season in the minors, a left hamstring strain and a lower back injury as a rookie, and a nagging shoulder injury that plagued him off and on throughout the 2021 season, the injury question mark is the big red flag with Fernando Tatis Jr.

Even limited to 130 games last year, he still posted a 166 OPS+ with an NL-leading 42 home runs and 25 steals in 29 attempts, showcasing one of the game's most dynamic mixes of power and speed.

His 6.6 WAR ranked second only to Juan Soto (7.1) among NL position players, and he finished third in NL MVP balloting despite a disappointing finish that cost the San Diego Padres a spot in the playoffs after they were overtaken in the wild-card standings.

If he can shore up his defense at shortstop (21 errors) and avoid the injury bug, he'll be a perennial MVP candidate as he plays out his massive 14-year, $340 million contract.

Age: 22

The season that Vladimir Guerrero Jr. put together in 2021 would have earned him an MVP award almost any other year.

After a modest first two seasons in the majors, Guerrero exploded for a .311/.401/.601 line, leading the AL in on-base percentage, slugging, OPS+ (169), home runs (48) and runs scored (123). He also showed elite contact skills to go along with his home run power, posting a 15.8 percent strikeout rate and a 12.3 percent walk rate.

With his combination of power, contact ability and plate discipline, he has the potential to be a generational talent offensively, and his huge 2021 season could be only the start.

Age: 23

Juan Soto hit .348/.525/.639 after the All-Star break last season.

A .525 on-base percentage in 322 plate appearances is peak Barry Bonds territory and speaks volumes to his otherworldly approach that belies his age and the fact that he is fewer than 500 games into his big league career.

He finished the 2021 season with an MLB-leading 145 walks against just 93 strikeouts, and he still managed 29 home runs and 95 RBI even with teams pitching around him and little in the way of lineup protection on a rebuilding Washington Nationals team.

The idea that there is still room for improvement as he enters his age-23 season is a scary thought, and after a runner-up finish in NL MVP voting in 2021, it feels like only a matter of time before he's hoisting that trophy.

All stats courtesy of Baseball Reference and FanGraphs.