The Dodgers and Cubs will open the 2025 season with the two-game Tokyo Series on March 18-19. We¡¯ll be counting down to that date with our annual preview series, with each story looking ahead to the coming season by breaking down a particular topic, division by division.

Previously: Each division¡¯s team with the most at stake in 2025

Today: The must-watch player in each division

The definition of a must-watch player is self-evident: It is a player you absolutely must watch. If you¡¯re at home, you don¡¯t dare turn away from the broadcast when this player is coming to the plate. If you¡¯re at the game in person, you hold off on hitting the concessions or going to the bathroom until after they¡¯ve batted or finished an inning on the mound.

They are, after all, often the very player you showed up to see. They¡¯re why you buy tickets or tune in to begin with. These are the guys who show up in all the promos, whose jerseys everyone is wearing, the ones your kids are all pretending to be in their Little League games.

Thus, today, we take a look at one of these players from each division entering 2025.

AL Central: Bobby Witt Jr., SS, Royals
In his second season, in 2023, Bobby Witt Jr. became a star at age 23, finishing seventh in AL MVP voting, and few doubted he would continue his ascent. But did anyone see it happening so quickly? Witt put up his second straight 30-30 season in 2024, and his numbers jumped up everywhere as he led the Majors with both 211 hits and a .332 batting average.

Not just that: He has become, very swiftly, one of the best defenders in baseball, culminating in the first Gold Glove Award of his career. Basically, you can¡¯t stop watching Witt at any point because he¡¯s one of the best in baseball in all phases of the game: In terms of Statcast run values in 2024, he was 99th percentile in batting, 96th percentile in baserunning and 95th percentile in fielding.

If he hadn¡¯t run into Aaron Judge -- who might have produced the best offensive season by a right-handed hitter in baseball history -- Witt would have won his first MVP Award, too. Best of all: He carried the Royals to their first postseason appearance (and postseason series victory) in nearly a decade. Also: Have you seen how fast he is? He¡¯s so fast!

NL Central: Elly De La Cruz, SS, Reds
You can see De La Cruz getting better right before our eyes, making the adjustments necessary to go from a top prospect with eye-popping tools to an actual superstar. He¡¯s always adding something new to his game, finding new ways to dominate and take over. His rookie year showed off his top-of-the-charts power and speed, but he was plagued with strikeout issues, inconsistent defense and difficulty taking a walk.

So, in 2024, De La Cruz slashed his chase rate, trimmed his strikeout rate (while still leading the Majors in K¡¯s, it should be said), raised his walk rate, cleaned up his defense and didn¡¯t lose any of that power or speed. Even playing at what everyone agrees is still a fraction of what he will someday be capable of, he was eighth in NL MVP voting. At age 22.

De La Cruz¡¯s physical ability is otherworldly, and now he¡¯s really figuring out all the little stuff. When it all clicks, he may just win multiple MVPs. That click may well happen from the get-go in 2025. There¡¯s a reason he is one of three cover athletes for MLB The Show 25, and starred (in Claymation form) in a new MLB advertisement.

AL West: Julio Rodr¨ªguez, CF, Mariners
You could go with Mike Trout here if you want -- and he might be at one of the most fascinating pivot points in baseball right now -- but it¡¯s hard to pick someone we haven¡¯t actually been able to, you know, watch much the past few years. It¡¯s also difficult not to choose the electric Rodr¨ªguez ¡­ particularly because he¡¯s kind of at a pivot point himself.

For all the success that J-Rod has enjoyed in the first three years of his career, he has yet to match his AL Rookie of the Year-winning season in 2022 which, perhaps not coincidentally, is the only time the Mariners have made the playoffs in his career. (Or in the last 23 years, for that matter.) But he is still only 24 years old, and we¡¯ve seen what kind of damage he can inflict when he¡¯s on one of his hot streaks.

Rodr¨ªguez remains one of the most purely enjoyable players to cheer for in all of baseball, and he is a perfect match with this Seattle fanbase. Now it¡¯s time for that MVP season we¡¯ve all been waiting for ¡­

NL West: Shohei Ohtani, DH/RHP, Dodgers
All right, obviously, Shohei just won his third MVP Award -- you don¡¯t need me to tell you to watch him. But the glory of Shohei has always been that he is two Hall of Fame-caliber players in one package. In 2024, we saw the guy who can put together a 50-50 season when he¡¯s taking a year off from being a Cy Young Award contender.

Well, this season, we get to see that pitcher for the first time since August 2023. According to Dodgers manager Dave Roberts, Ohtani won¡¯t return to the mound until May, but jeez, will there be a more anticipated event than his first start back? It¡¯ll be mesmerizing from the first pitch. Though, all told: Every Shohei start will be like that.

Oh, and his plate appearances will continue to be appointment viewing, too.

AL East: Aaron Judge, RF, Yankees
It won¡¯t be like this forever, you know. It might not even be like this that much longer. Judge is older than you realize, turning 33 in April, and he has struggled with injuries in the past. (And is of course huge, with the type of body that many fear might break down.)

What we all do when Judge comes to the plate -- go silent, put down our phones, hop up and down on our feet, stare like we¡¯re witnessing the history we are -- is not something we¡¯ll be able to do forever. You¡¯ve got to appreciate it while you can. Which is to say: Savor every Judge at-bat. You¡¯ll be able to tell people about it for the rest of your life.

NL East: Francisco Lindor, SS, Mets
Francisco Lindor has been an unmissable player since breaking into the Majors with Cleveland in 2015. But there are certain players who, when they end up in New York City, feel like they had been playing there the whole time. Juan Soto will be the best player on the Mets this year -- and for many years to come -- but Lindor will be the one you can¡¯t take your eyes off. He¡¯s the leader, the spark plug, the guy without whom the Mets would be completely lost.

Lindor was clutch constantly down the stretch last season, and in the postseason. He rallied his teammates at every opportunity and, oh yes, he had the best season of his career at the plate and in the field. The Mets are ascendant right now for a lot of reasons. But none are bigger, and brighter, than Lindor.