10 players who could be 2025 versions of '24's breakout stars

It's a great time to watch young stars in baseball. Here's who might be next up in 2025.

Phenoms like Bobby Witt Jr., Gunnar Henderson, Elly De La Cruz and Paul Skenes stole the show last season. And there will be a new wave of rising stars that stand out this season. But who will they be?

Let's try to find the 2025 versions of 10 of 2024's breakout stars -- five hitters and five pitchers.

Here we go. Who is …

1) … the 2025 Bobby Witt Jr.? (From star to superstar)

Elly De La Cruz, Reds

The parallels between Witt and Elly are easy. They're both electric young players taking over the game, and De La Cruz is following Witt's arc to superstardom.

Over his three big league seasons, Witt has gone from a touted prospect who showed flashes of his elite upside as a rookie in 2022, to a power-speed star who got down-ballot MVP votes in 2023, to a true superstar who was one of baseball's best all-around players and the AL MVP runner-up in 2024.

De La Cruz's first two seasons have been just like Witt's. The Reds shortstop burst onto the scene in 2023 as an incredible but raw talent who could make jaw-dropping plays on the baseball field, but the consistent production wasn't there yet. Then in 2024 he erupted with a 25-homer, 67-steal season that earned him his first career All-Star nod and a top-10 finish in the MVP race, just like Witt the year before.

All that's left is that same Year 3 leap Witt just made. If Elly follows suit, he'll be an MVP favorite this season.

2) … the 2025 Gunnar Henderson? (Rookie of the Year candidate to MVP candidate)

Jackson Merrill, Padres

There was no sophomore slump for Henderson, there was a sophomore leap. After winning the AL Rookie of the Year Award in 2023, the Orioles' 23-year-old star third baseman was even better last season. Henderson took over as the best player of a playoff-bound O's team and was an MVP frontrunner for much of the season, ultimately finishing fourth behind Aaron Judge, Witt and Juan Soto.

That's the blueprint for Merrill. The Padres' 21-year-old center fielder was sensational in his rookie season in 2024. Merrill would have won the NL Rookie of the Year Award if not for Paul Skenes … and he actually finished much higher than Skenes in the MVP voting (ninth, to Skenes' 19th). Debuting at just 20 years old, Merrill batted .292 with 24 home runs, 16 stolen bases and 90 RBIs.

The Padres, like the Orioles, are a powerhouse team with established superstars in Fernando Tatis Jr. and Manny Machado. But Merrill could easily be the best player in San Diego in 2025.

3) … the 2025 Elly De La Cruz? (Big talent who puts it all together)

James Wood, Nationals

We've got De La Cruz as the likeliest 2025 version of 2024 Bobby Witt. But who's the 2025 version of 2024 De La Cruz -- someone who showed big tools as a rookie last season and could become the next electric star this season?

Wood could be the guy. He's built in the De La Cruz mold of "size, strength and speed." The Nationals' 22-year-old outfielder, who came up as a top prospect last July, posted a 122 OPS+ with nine homers and eight steals in his 79-game debut, but we want to see what he can do in his first full season.

Woods has the skill set to break out in a big way. The 6-foot-7 slugger has the raw power -- of the 343 players with at least 150 batted balls last year, Wood ranked inside the top 20 in average exit velocity (92.8 mph) and hard-hit rate (52%). And he has the raw speed -- Wood ranked in the 85th percentile of MLB in sprint speed (28.7 feet per second, compared to the league average speed of 27 ft/sec), and he was one of 34 players to reach the elite speed threshold of 30 ft/sec on at least 20 individual runs.

If Wood taps into those tools in 2025 -- which we think he will -- he could be a 20-20 player easily, and maybe a 30-30 player.

4) … the 2025 Jarren Duran? (A huge leap from an unexpected source)

Pete Crow-Armstrong, Cubs

No one really expected Duran to be an All-Star and top-10 MVP finisher in 2024, but he was. The Red Sox center fielder had a huge breakout with 21 home runs, 34 stolen bases and a Major League-leading 48 doubles and 14 triples. His 83 extra-base hits and 34 steals were more than he had in his first three Major League seasons combined.

A young player with his profile who has yet to really blossom in the big leagues … but could become the next Duran in 2025 if he makes a similar leap … is Crow-Armstrong.

The Cubs center fielder is young enough (entering his age-23 season), and talented enough -- PCA is already one of the most valuable speed-and-defense players in the Majors. He just needs to hit.

Crow-Armstrong did have 10 homers and 27 steals in 2024, but he only posted an 88 OPS+, well below league average. But he was a top prospect who graded out as a plus all-fields hitter, so if he lives up to his scouting reports, Chicago will have a Duran-type player this season.

5) … the 2025 Jackson Merrill? (Instant-impact rookie)

Roman Anthony, Red Sox

What Merrill did for the Padres last year is every team's dream of how difference-making their own prospects could be when they debut.

If there's one player who could follow suit in 2025, it's Anthony.

The 20-year-old lefty-swinging outfielder, currently ranked MLB's No. 3 overall prospect, could be a star from the start whenever the Red Sox call him up.

In MLB Pipeline's poll of Major League executives to kick off 2025, Anthony was both the top pick for AL Rookie of the Year and the runaway choice for baseball's best overall prospect, receiving more than double the share of the votes (45%) vs. the next-closest prospect, the Nationals' Dylan Crews (20%).

6) … the 2025 Tarik Skubal? (Talented arm stays healthy and dominates)

Nick Lodolo, Reds

When Skubal returned from left flexor tendon surgery down the stretch in 2023, he pitched like he could be the best pitcher in baseball. In 2024, he was the best pitcher in baseball. The Tigers southpaw dominated from the beginning of the season to the end, winning the AL pitching Triple Crown and a unanimous Cy Young Award.

Now here's a very dark-horse pick for who could be the next Skubal -- a talented, young, power-pitching lefty who has a ceiling of being one of the best pitchers in the league if he stays healthy. It's Lodolo.

The Reds' 26-year-old left-hander has awesome stuff: A pair of mid-90s fastballs, a wipeout breaking ball and a high-80s power changeup that all get insane movement. And he has the strikeout numbers to match, with a 10.7 career K/9.

But Lodolo also has yet to pitch a full, healthy season in his three years in the big leagues. And he has a 4.52 career ERA. All it takes is one switch to flip, though, and Lodolo could be one of the most overpowering young aces in the Majors. Let's hope he can make 30-plus starts and reach his potential in 2025. It's "200-plus strikeout" potential.

7) … the 2025 Hunter Greene? (The breakout we've been waiting for)

MacKenzie Gore, Nationals

Greene has wowed fans with his 100 mph fastball and wipeout slider from the moment he set foot on a big league mound, but for his first two seasons, we kept waiting for a big breakout that never quite arrived. Greene had electric stuff, with a 12 K/9 between 2022 and '23, but he didn't totally harness it, with a 4.62 ERA. Last season, he did harness it. The 25-year-old posted a 2.75 ERA and a career-high 169 K's.

Gore, the Nationals' 25-year-old power-pitching lefty, was also a hyped prospect who's had his share of ups and downs over his first few seasons. But he finally started to look like a future rotation cornerstone last year, making 32 starts with a 3.90 ERA and 181 strikeouts, but for a Washington team that finished 20 games under .500.

Gore has the stuff to get even better in 2025. He dialed his heater up to 96 mph last season, the third-highest average velo among left-handed starters behind Garrett Crochet and Skubal, and he has a sharp power curveball to go with it. If Gore builds on his solid 2024 campaign, he'll emerge as one of the top lefty starting pitchers in the league.

8) … the 2025 Garrett Crochet? (Out-of-nowhere All-Star)

Taj Bradley, Rays

Crochet's incredible makeover from injury-plagued reliever to All-Star starter in 2024 came out of the blue. That could be Bradley in 2025.

The 23-year-old Rays right-hander is an under-the-radar arm, but he has some of the nastiest stuff among the young starters out there. His ERA has been close to 5.00 since he debuted for Tampa Bay in 2023, but he racks up strikeouts, with a 10.5 K/9 over his two big league seasons.

Armed with a 96 mph rising fastball, two power secondary offerings in a 91 mph cutter and 91 splitter, and a curveball with big-time drop, Bradley's arsenal stacks up with anyone. Crochet's nasty stuff powered him to his breakout 2024; Bradley's could do the same for him in what could be a loaded Rays starting rotation in 2025.

9) … the 2025 Bryce Miller? (Promising rookie builds on it)

Spencer Schwellenbach, Braves

Between Skenes and Shota Imanaga, there wasn't a whole lot of room for other rookie pitchers to shine in 2024. But Schwellenbach's effort for Atlanta shouldn't be overlooked. The 24-year-old right-hander posted a 3.35 ERA and 127 K's in his debut season, striking out over a batter per inning.

Schwellenbach is set up for success in the same way Miller was for the Mariners in 2024. Miller entered the M's rotation as a top prospect in 2023 with Luis Castillo, Logan Gilbert and George Kirby already there to show him how to get the job done, and he impressed. Then he took it up a notch in 2024, finishing with a 2.94 ERA and 171 strikeouts in 31 starts.

Schwellenbach had Chris Sale, Charlie Morton, Max Fried and Spencer Strider already on the Braves when he came up. Like Miller in Seattle, Schwellenbach impressed in Atlanta. And it wasn't just because of his impressive stuff -- Schwellenbach also showcased exceptional command, ranking in the top 5% of MLB pitchers in both chase rate induced and walk rate. And now he should be ready to break out for real in 2025.

10) … the 2025 Mason Miller? (The next great closer)

Ben Joyce, Angels

Miller's move to the A's bullpen paid off huge in 2024 as the 26-year-old emerged as one of baseball's most lights-out closers thanks to his triple-digit fastball, which for a good part of the season was baseball's hardest.

Well, there's a new flamethrowing sheriff in town, and that's Joyce -- who didn't just take over as the hardest thrower in the big leagues down the stretch, but is one of the hardest throwers in baseball history.

Joyce down the stretch became just the third pitcher in the pitch-tracking era, which goes back to 2008, to throw a pitch 105 mph or harder. Aroldis Chapman and Jordan Hicks are the others. And Joyce is the only pitcher to get a swing and miss with 105 mph heat. His 105.5 mph heater to strike out Tommy Edman on Sept. 3 is the only K of its kind.

So it seems inevitable that the 24-year-old will take over as the Angels' closer in 2025. And Joyce should start blowing hitters away like Miller, too.