One early-season development each team can believe in

It¡¯s only been two weeks since Opening Day, but there have already been so many great storylines during the 2025 season.

Every team has seen at least one promising development here in the early going, with many already paying major dividends.

With the help of MLB.com¡¯s 30 beat writers, here¡¯s one early-season development each team can believe in.

Jump to: AL East | AL Central | AL West | NL East | NL Central | NL West

American League East

Blue Jays: Andrés Giménez, complete player
Yes, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. signing a 14-year, $500 million extension is big news, but he¡¯s still the same baseball player as he was a week ago. Gim¨¦nez¡¯s start has been remarkable, with three home runs early in the season, and if he can contribute offensively on top of his elite defense, he¡¯s a sneaky candidate to lead this team in WAR. The Blue Jays could certainly use that second wave of offense, too, as the top third of the lineup is slow to get rolling. -- Keegan Matheson

Orioles: The bullpen could be a strength
Not a ton has gone well for Baltimore during its 5-8 start, but the relief corps has shown some encouraging signs. All-Star closer Félix Bautista isn¡¯t quite back to form following his return from Tommy John surgery (6.00 ERA in three games), but he¡¯s improving. Meanwhile, Bryan Baker (six innings), Yennier Cano (four), Seranthony Domínguez (5 2/3) and Gregory Soto (five) each still have a 0.00 ERA two weeks into the season. -- Jake Rill

Rays: Their rotation is their strength
Picking up where they left off last year, the Rays¡¯ pitching is outperforming an offense struggling to hit with runners in scoring position. Through 11 games, the Rays¡¯ 3.00 ERA was tied for the third best among starting staffs in the American League and tied for fifth in the Majors, and their 3.56 strikeout-to-walk ratio was fourth in MLB. Their 1.06 WHIP is fourth best in the AL and fifth in the Majors. Even with ace Shane McClanahan injured to start the season and a five-game losing streak after a 4-1 start, the group of Ryan Pepiot, Zack Littell, Taj Bradley, Drew Rasmussen and Shane Baz has given the team a chance to win virtually every night. -- Adam Berry

Red Sox: Wilyer Abreu is taking it up a notch
A Gold Glove Award winner in his rookie season a year ago, Abreu looks like a more polished and authoritative hitter as a sophomore. In his first 13 games, the left-handed hitter had more walks than strikeouts (9-7), while going 14-for-37 with three doubles and three homers. Abreu remains a standout in Fenway Park¡¯s right field, which is considered the toughest in the Majors to play. Batting sixth in what should be a productive Boston lineup, Abreu could be in line for a strong season. -- Ian Browne

Yankees: Ben Rice ¡®rakes¡¯
Explaining his decision to hit the rookie at the top of the lineup, manager Aaron Boone was succinct, saying that Rice ¡°rakes.¡± The 26-year-old Rice has carried a hot spring into the regular season, scorching the ball with authority -- he entered play on Wednesday tied with the Rays¡¯ Jonathan Aranda for the American League¡¯s highest average exit velocity at 96.7 mph. That¡¯s no fluke: Rice showed up in camp with more muscle, saying he¡¯s added about 10 pounds since last summer. With Giancarlo Stanton¡¯s return date still uncertain, Rice is contributing some needed thump. -- Bryan Hoch

AL Central

Guardians: Jos¨¦ Ram¨ªrez¡¯s production in the No. 2 spot
The Guardians experimented with a new configuration atop their lineup this spring, moving Ram¨ªrez up from his familiar third spot in the order (826 career starts) to second (173, entering 2025). Ram¨ªrez is one of the best hitters in the Majors, so Cleveland was confident his production would sustain no matter where he bats. The 32-year-old has proven that in the early going. Through 10 games, Ram¨ªrez had a .283/.400/.719 slash line with two doubles, four homers and six RBIs, with six walks compared to five strikeouts. That included a three-homer game on April 4 against the Angels. -- Tim Stebbins

Royals: Elite back of the bullpen
On paper, the Royals bullpen looked much improved to begin 2025. Lucas Erceg was returning, Hunter Harvey was healthy, and Carlos Estévez signed a two-year deal in January. A couple weeks in, and we¡¯re seeing it play out on the field. Entering Wednesday night, Harvey and Erceg had both pitched 5 1/3 innings across six games. They¡¯ve yet to allow a run and have 13 combined strikeouts between the two of them. Harvey¡¯s first baserunner didn¡¯t come until Monday night against the Twins. Est¨¦vez has allowed one earned run in five innings with four strikeouts. Those numbers won¡¯t stay the same the whole season -- they¡¯re being put in high-leverage situations every time they pitch -- but it¡¯s been a great start for the trio. And that¡¯s a great sign for the Royals. -- Anne Rogers

Tigers: Dillon Dingler breaks out at catcher
Even before Jake Rogers went to the injured list Tuesday with left oblique tightness, Dingler¡¯s strong play ¨C both at the plate and behind it ¨C was making a push for more than backup playing time, leading manager A.J. Hinch to say the Tigers had two viable starting catchers. With Rogers sidelined, Dingler now figures to get the bulk of playing time, giving him regular at-bats to build on an encouraging start at the plate. His track record as a prospect showed him picking it up at each level after an adjustment period of initial struggles, and he¡¯s showing signs of making the turn in the Majors. -- Jason Beck

Twins: Matt Wallner, leadoff man
There haven¡¯t been a lot of bright spots for the Twins so far this year, but Wallner has certainly been one. He¡¯s taking the same quality at-bats at leadoff that he did further down in the order, he¡¯s hitting the ball hard, and he¡¯s getting results. There¡¯s no reason to think he moves out of the leadoff spot as long as he keeps producing there. -- Matthew Leach

White Sox: Shane Smith, good addition
There always are going to be missteps across the length of a full season, but through two strong starts, the right-hander appears to be a shrewd pick at the top of the 2024 Rule 5 Draft. Smith impressed during Spring Training, handling the Dodgers¡¯ regular lineup during one appearance, and has allowed only four hits over 11 2/3 innings in the regular season. Smith, 25, added a changeup through his own offseason work, against which the opposition is hitting .083, and is taking full advantage of this fully healthy opportunity. -- Scott Merkin

AL West

Angels: Is it Kyren Paris breakout season?
Last season is one Paris would probably like to forget. He batted .167 with a .532 OPS during his injury-shortened time in the Minors and then went 6-for-51 (.118) in his 21-game stint in the Majors. But the middle infielder earned a roster spot following a strong spring and has just kept on hitting. Despite making only 30 plate appearances entering Thursday, Paris is already among MLB's leaders in fWAR. He slugged his fourth and fifth homers of the year on Wednesday in Tampa, upping his batting average to .440 and his OPS to 1.653. The 23-year-old didn¡¯t start the year with an everyday role, but given his production at the plate, it¡¯s becoming impossible for the Angels to forget Paris. -- Rhett Bollinger

Astros: Jose Altuve's bat not affected by position switch
Altuve remains a work in progress in left field, the position he took up this year after playing 1,765 career games at second base, but his offense hasn't suffered. He enters Thursday's off-day tied for second in the AL in hits and leads the Astros in runs, homers, batting average (.346), slugging percentage (.519) and OPS (.912). He¡¯s hit safely in 11 of the team¡¯s first 12 games with six multihit contests. Less than a month out from his 35th birthday, Altuve keeps chugging towards 3,000 hits. -- Brian McTaggart

Athletics: Jacob Wilson, elite hitter
No qualified Major League hitter has hit .400 in a season since Ted Williams (.406) in 1941. Wilson, who hit .401 throughout his brief Minor League career, entered Wednesday¡¯s game against the Padres hitting .400. OK, maybe .400 is a long shot, but the rookie has shown no signs to believe he can¡¯t challenge for a batting title as soon as this season. Wilson¡¯s 13-game hitting streak is the A¡¯s second-longest season-opening streak in the expansion era (since 1961), and he has struck out just twice in 48 plate appearances. -- Mart¨ªn Gallegos

Mariners: Julio¡¯s early power
Though his .184 batting average through Wednesday might suggest that he's off to a slow start, the number to look at for Julio Rodríguez -- especially after a power drought for much of last season -- is his .429 slugging percentage through Seattle's first 13 games. He crushed his third homer of the season on Sunday in San Francisco, marking the earliest in a season, by far, that he's hit that many. For context, Rodr¨ªguez didn't hit his third until May 25 last year. -- Daniel Kramer

Rangers: The rotation, not the offense, may be the biggest strength
For all the talk of the Rangers¡¯ revamped lineup with the additions of Jake Burger and Joc Pederson, the offense hasn¡¯t been the standout in the early going. Instead, the top of the rotation has turned heads. Nathan Eovaldi tossed a shutout against the Reds and holds a 2.29 ERA in an AL-leading 19 2/3 innings. Jacob deGrom hasn¡¯t even hit his stride yet but has a 3.38 ERA after his first two starts. Tyler Mahle has a 1.32 ERA in three starts. Even rookie Jack Leiter -- who landed on the injured list with a blister -- has looked like an ace in the making, having allowed just one run in 10 innings. There have been bumps in the road, including Leiter¡¯s unfortunate IL stint and Kumar Rocker¡¯s struggles in his first outing. But the rotation clearly has the depth and stability to compete down the stretch this season. -- Kennedi Landry

National League East

Braves: Spencer Schwellenbach is for real
There has been nothing fluky about Schwellenbach not allowing a run through his first two starts (14 innings). The right-hander has posted a 1.54 ERA in the nine starts he has made against 2024 NL playoff teams. His ability to consistently command each of his six pitches should allow him to repeat his rookie success and become a legit Cy Young Award candidate. -- Mark Bowman

Marlins: The outfield defense is pretty good
At this point, you've seen multiple highlight-reel catches from Griffin Conine, Derek Hill and Dane Myers. According to Baseball Reference, Miami was tied for first in the Majors in BIS Good Plays/Misplays Runs Above Average entering Wednesday. Each player has a solid or better arm, as evidenced by the group's three assists thus far -- tied for sixth most in MLB. And while errors don't tell the whole story, Marlins outfielders have yet to commit a miscue. -- Christina De Nicola

Mets: The bullpen has been excellent
Mets relievers were not exactly standouts in 2024, finishing 17th in the Majors in ERA, and president of baseball operations David Stearns didn¡¯t go above and beyond to address this area over the offseason. But Stearns¡¯ reputation as a skilled bullpen architect exists for a reason. Through their first 11 games, Mets relievers led MLB with a 1.27 ERA. And it hasn¡¯t just been high-leverage arms Edwin Díaz, Ryne Stanek and A.J. Minter doing the heavy lifting. Everyone has contributed in major ways, including former waiver claims Max Kranick and Reed Garrett. -- Anthony DiComo

Nationals: James Wood has arrived
The 6-foot-7 slugger Wood is mashing in his first full Major League season. Through 12 games, Wood is slashing .256/.360/.581 with a .941 OPS, four home runs and 10 RBIs. He homered in back-to-back games against the Dodgers, including a two-homer, five-RBI night on Tuesday. At only 22 years old, Wood joined Bryce Harper and Juan Soto on the list for most multihomer games by a Nationals player before turning 23. -- Jessica Camerato

Phillies: Jesús Luzardo is better than advertised
The Phillies heard plenty about how they are ¡°running it back¡± again in 2025. Quietly, however, they knew they did something significant when they acquired Luzardo from the Marlins in December. Luzardo has been fantastic in two starts for the Phillies, allowing just two runs in 12 innings. He has struck out 19. If he keeps this up, the Phillies should have one of the best rotations in baseball. Maybe the best. -- Todd Zolecki

NL Central

Brewers: Brice Turang the hitter
After winning last year¡¯s NL Gold Glove Award at second base and the Platinum Glove Award as the league¡¯s top overall defender, Turang seems to be taking a similar leap forward as a hitter. With some of the most notable changes in the batter's box of any player, Turang has hit safely in each of his first 12 games with a 143 wRC+ entering Wednesday and Statcast metrics to suggest it¡¯s no fluke. He ranked in the 80th percentile or better in average exit velocity, barrel percentage and all of the ¡°expected¡± batting stats -- average, slugging and weighted on-base average. Turang probably won¡¯t last the whole season as the Brewers¡¯ home run leader, but if he can add above-average offensive numbers to his elite defense and baserunning, he¡¯s an All-Star. -- Adam McCalvy

Cardinals: Brendan Donovan, MLB hits leader?
With the Cardinals losing veterans Paul Goldschmidt, Lance Lynn and Kyle Gibson in the offseason, some wondered where the leadership would come from for St. Louis. In comes Donovan, a natural-born leader from his strict military upbringing. As he¡¯s done for the first three years of his career, Donovan has led with his actions and his work ethic. He wasn¡¯t bothered in the slightest by a mediocre spring and enters Thursday tied for third in MLB in hits with 18. His hitting helped the Cardinals become the only team to score at least four runs in each of their first 11 games of the season. The Cardinals tend to feed off the attitude and steadiness that the gritty second baseman provides. -- John Denton

Cubs: MLB-leading walk rate
Maybe the Cubs -- currently first in MLB with a 12.4% walk rate -- will not finish the season with the Major League leader in this category, but the early trend is a result of an offensive point of emphasis. With Kyle Tucker leading the way as the ¡°poster child¡± (as hitting coach Dustin Kelly phrased it), the North Siders have been aggressive on pitches in the zone, while showing stubbornness when it comes to chase. Combine that discipline with Chicago¡¯s plus baserunning, and it could be a fun year of run scoring for the Cubs. -- Jordan Bastian

Pirates: They¡¯re aggressive on the bases
The Pirates have stolen 21 bases this season, the second most in the Majors. They wanted to be more aggressive than they were last year, and so far, mission accomplished. The Bucs don¡¯t have a ton of pop in the lineup, so they need to be creative to create scoring opportunities. So far, they have been. -- Alex Stumpf

Reds: The rotation is solid
The Reds haven¡¯t been able to consistently provide offense but after two-plus turns through the rotation, Cincinnati¡¯s starting five has mostly held up its end of the bargain. The group has a 2.81 ERA through Wednesday, which is ranked third in the Major Leagues. They have been led by Hunter Greene, who¡¯s pumping triple-digit fastballs effectively, while Nick Lodolo has made in-game adjustments nicely to go deeper in games. -- Mark Sheldon

NL West

D-backs: Corbin Carroll is poised for another big year
It¡¯s hard to understate just how much Carroll struggled over the first couple of months in 2024 before picking things up in the second half. The 2023 Rookie of the Year made some swing changes this winter and early on in the season looks a lot more like the 2023 version of himself rather than the one from early in 2024. -- Steve Gilbert

Dodgers: Tommy Edman is an impact player
With no disrespect to Edman, even manager Dave Roberts admitted to some surprise that the switch-hitting utility man has been so valuable to the Dodgers since being acquired ahead of last year's Trade Deadline. Edman has been great in the field, mostly at second base, and even if the power numbers take a dip, he has reliably helped make things happen for Los Angeles' lineup in the early going. -- Sonja Chen

Giants: The Jung Hoo Lee breakout is here
Lee appeared in only 37 games before suffering a season-ending left shoulder injury last year, but he¡¯s getting a chance to show what he¡¯s fully capable of now that he¡¯s back patrolling center field for the Giants. The former KBO star has had no trouble adjusting to Major League pitching thus far, as he has hit safely in nine of his first 11 games of the year through Wednesday, batting .333 with a .908 OPS over 45 at-bats. -- Maria Guardado

Padres: The bullpen is nails
Through Wednesday's action, the Padres¡¯ 1.65 bullpen ERA is the best in the Majors. And even that number might be selling them short. The back end of the San Diego ¡®pen has been lights out, with the five highest-leverage arms -- Robert Suarez, Jason Adam, Jeremiah Estrada, Adrian Morejon and Wandy Peralta -- having combined to allow just two runs and 10 hits across 34 1/3 innings. -- AJ Cassavell

Rockies: The experience of the rotation
When the Rockies went to the postseason in 2017 and 2018, they had a durable rotation. This year, the offensive component is not there, so the Rockies are a long way from any postseason dream. But through their first 10 games, Rockies starters posted a 3.13 ERA -- eighth in the Majors and fourth in the National League. It will be difficult for the number to stay there -- it went up considerably during the team¡¯s first homestand. But Kyle Freeland, Antonio Senzatela, Ryan Feltner and Germán Márquez offer experience, and 2023 first-round pick Chase Dollander brings talent. Starters have by far been this club¡¯s best performers during a rough start. -- Thomas Harding