Every team's top projected player for '25

Every team has its share of must-see players, from the elite championship contenders down to the clubs in the midst of a rebuild. But who will every team¡¯s top player be in 2025?

To answer that question, let¡¯s take a look at the projections from FanGraphs Depth Charts (a combination of the Steamer and ZiPS projection systems, with expected playing time allocated by FanGraphs staff).

Based on Wins Above Replacement, here is the top projected player for each of the 30 teams entering the 2025 campaign.

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

AL EAST

Blue Jays: Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (4.8 WAR)
Guerrero¡¯s production hasn¡¯t always matched his impressive skill set at the plate, but the 2024 campaign represented a revival of sorts for the first baseman. Guerrero slashed .323/.396/.544 with a 165 wRC+, a huge step up from his 125 wRC+ across 2022-23. It was nearly identical to the 166 wRC+ he recorded in 2021, when he finished second in the AL MVP Award voting. He¡¯s projected to deliver a strong walk-year performance -- 32 homers, 100 RBIs and a 152 wRC+ -- in his final season before free agency.

Orioles: Gunnar Henderson (6.7 WAR)
Building on his AL Rookie of the Year Award-winning season in 2023, Henderson made across-the-board improvements last year, slashing .281/.364/.529 with 37 homers, 21 steals, a 155 wRC+ and 8.0 WAR. Looking ahead to 2025, the 23-year-old has the third-highest projected WAR among position players behind Aaron Judge and Bobby Witt Jr., to go with 31 homers, 17 steals and a 147 wRC+.

Rays: Junior Caminero (3.2 WAR)
Fresh off his clutch ninth-inning homer -- and viral home run trot -- in Game 7 of the Dominican Republic Professional Baseball League (LIDOM) championship series, Caminero will look to maintain the positive vibes in his first full MLB season. Penciled in as Tampa Bay¡¯s starting third baseman, the 21-year-old is one of four Rays players projected to tally at least 3.1 WAR in 2025.

Red Sox: Garrett Crochet (4.5 WAR)
The Red Sox acquired Crochet to lead their rotation after he posted a 3.58 ERA with 209 strikeouts, 33 walks and a 2.69 FIP over 146 innings for the White Sox in 2024, his first year as a starter. Projected for the fifth-highest WAR total among pitchers entering 2025, the 25-year-old could cement himself as a frontline arm with a strong first season in Boston.

Yankees: Aaron Judge (7.4 WAR)
Judge enters 2025 with the highest projected totals for home runs (49), slugging percentage (.590), wRC+ (176) and WAR by a position player, reflecting his status as the game¡¯s best hitter. Since his rookie season in 2017, the superstar slugger leads the Majors in all of those categories, and he¡¯s won the AL MVP Award in two of the past three years.

AL CENTRAL

Guardians: Jos¨¦ Ram¨ªrez (5.7 WAR)
Ram¨ªrez is showing no signs of slowing down as he enters his 13th big league campaign. In fact, he put together one of his best seasons in 2024, barely missing membership in the 40-40 club while matching a career high with 39 dingers (set in 2018) and swiping a personal-best 41 bags. The 32-year-old has reached the 6-WAR threshold five times in the past eight years and is projected to approach that WAR mark again in 2025.

Royals: Bobby Witt Jr. (6.9 WAR)
Coming off a breakout 2023 season, Witt leveled up again in 2024, cementing his place among the game¡¯s top players. The only player to rank among MLB¡¯s top five in both offensive (batting and base running combined) and defensive value (per FanGraphs), Witt produced 10.4 WAR en route to a second-place finish in the AL MVP Award voting. Looking ahead to 2025, the superstar shortstop has the second-highest projected WAR total among position players and is also projected to post his third straight 30-30 campaign.

Tigers: Tarik Skubal (5.5 WAR)
Skubal had an epic 2024 season, winning the pitching Triple Crown in the AL en route to the league¡¯s Cy Young Award. The left-hander went 18-4 with a 2.39 ERA, 228 strikeouts and 5.9 WAR over 192 innings, building on his strong finish to 2023. If the projections are any indication, he has a strong chance to repeat as the AL Cy Young winner in 2025 -- no other pitcher has a higher projected WAR total.

Twins: Carlos Correa (4.1 WAR)
Correa¡¯s production dropped off in 2023 (95 wRC+, 1.8 WAR), as he played through plantar fasciitis in his left foot for much of the season. The shortstop got back on track in 2024 (155 wRC+, 4.3 WAR) but battled the same issue in his right foot, which sidelined him for nearly two months. The 30-year-old¡¯s health is a key variable for a Twins club counting on a number of injury-plagued stars in 2025.

White Sox: Luis Robert Jr. (3.0 WAR)
Robert has been involved in trade rumors going back to last summer, but the rebuilding White Sox have yet to move him. Granted, the 2024 season did nothing to help the center fielder¡¯s trade value, as he was plagued by injuries -- a recurring problem during his career -- and posted a career-low 84 wRC+ with 0.5 WAR. Projected for a rebound campaign, Robert could find himself on the move sooner rather than later.

AL WEST

Angels: Mike Trout (4.1 WAR)
Trout¡¯s health has become a perennial concern for the Angels, with the three-time MVP missing 382 games since 2021. The outfielder also has seen his production decline a bit over the past two years (135 wRC+), though his .394 expected wOBA -- tied for eighth best among those with at least 400 plate appearances -- in that span suggests he still has the tools to be an elite hitter.

Astros: Yordan Alvarez (5.4 WAR)
One of baseball¡¯s most consistent sluggers, Alvarez has reached the 30-homer plateau in each of the past four seasons with a collective 165 wRC+ in that span. He could have another big year in store -- his projected 171 wRC+ for 2025 trails only Judge¡¯s 176.

Athletics: Brent Rooker (3.8 WAR)
After a breakout 2023 season, Rooker took his offensive production to another level last year, recording 39 homers with 112 RBIs and the seventh-best wRC+ (164) among qualifiers. His reward? A five-year, $60 million contract extension that runs through 2029 and includes a club option for 2030. The 30-year-old has the third-highest projected home run total (38) for 2025, to go with 101 RBIs and a 142 wRC+.

Mariners: Julio Rodríguez (6.1 WAR)
After looking like a future MVP in his first two seasons, Rodr¨ªguez experienced some regression last year, recording career lows in wRC+ (116) and WAR (3.8). However, his projected stats -- 29 homers, a 135 wRC+ and 6.1 WAR -- forecast a return to superstar status in 2025.

Rangers: Corey Seager (4.8 WAR)
Despite missing 82 games over the past two seasons, Seager still managed to produce the 11th-most WAR (10.8) among position players during that time, hitting 63 homers with a 156 wRC+. The veteran shortstop has reached the 4-WAR mark in each of his first three seasons with the Rangers, and he¡¯s projected to make it four straight in 2025.

NL EAST

Braves: Michael Harris II (5.0 WAR)
After producing 8.6 WAR and a 125 wRC+ over his first two seasons, Harris regressed in 2024, missing time with a left hamstring strain and finishing with a 99 wRC+ and 2.0 WAR over 110 games. However, the 23-year-old¡¯s 2025 projections -- 24 homers, 19 steals, a 124 wRC+ and 5.0 WAR -- portend a significant rebound. Harris is one of four Braves projected to cross the 4-WAR threshold, joining Ronald Acu?a Jr., Austin Riley and Chris Sale.

Marlins: Sandy Alcantara (3.3 WAR)
Alcantara, the 2022 NL Cy Young Award winner, is set to return to his typical spot atop the Marlins¡¯ rotation after missing all of last season while recovering from Tommy John surgery. He¡¯s projected for a 3.64 ERA and 3.3 WAR over 179 innings in 2025.

Mets: Juan Soto (6.5 WAR)
The Mets¡¯ newly-minted $765 million man could make history in his first season with the club -- his projected 168 wRC+ would be the highest by a qualified Mets hitter since the franchise¡¯s inception in 1962. Soto¡¯s projected WAR figure of 6.5 is also in line with his average production over the past four seasons (6.2 WAR), though he showed in 2024 that he¡¯s capable of much more, recording 8.1 WAR for the Yankees in an incredible free-agent walk year.

Nationals: James Wood (3.1 WAR)
MLB Pipeline¡¯s No. 3 overall prospect at the time of his big league debut last July, Wood largely lived up to the hype as a rookie, flashing an exciting blend of power and speed and improving as the year went on. The 22-year-old could cement himself as one of Washington¡¯s cornerstones in 2025.

Phillies: Zack Wheeler (4.8 WAR)
No list of baseball¡¯s top arms is complete without Wheeler, who has posted a 2.94 ERA with 899 strikeouts and 24.7 WAR (the most among pitchers) over five seasons with the Phillies. Coming off a second-place finish in the 2024 NL Cy Young Award voting, the 34-year-old has MLB¡¯s highest projected innings total (202) and is tied with Paul Skenes for second in projected pitching WAR entering the upcoming campaign.

NL CENTRAL

Brewers: William Contreras (4.8 WAR)
Contreras has been a linchpin for the Brewers over the past two seasons, ranking ninth in the Majors with 11.2 WAR while slashing .285/.366/.462 with 40 homers in 296 games. The two-time All-Star has the third-highest projected WAR figure among catchers entering 2025, behind Cal Raleigh and Patrick Bailey.

Cardinals: Sonny Gray and Masyn Winn (3.5 WAR)
The Cardinals¡¯ presumptive Opening Day starting pitcher and their talented young shortstop are tied for the team¡¯s projected WAR lead entering 2025. Gray signed a three-year, $75 million deal with the Cards after the 2023 campaign and was worth 3.8 WAR his first season with the club, posting a 3.84 ERA with 203 strikeouts and 39 walks over 166 1/3 innings. Winn, meanwhile, produced 3.6 WAR as a rookie in 2024, holding his own with the bat while providing superb defense and solid baserunning.

Cubs: Kyle Tucker (4.7 WAR)
Although Tucker missed a huge chunk of 2024 with a fracture in his right shin, he still managed to reach the 4-WAR plateau for the fourth straight year. The outfielder was an MVP candidate prior to his injury, ranking second in MLB with 19 homers, third with a 176 wRC+ and fifth with 3.2 WAR through June 3, his final game before going on the IL for more than three months. Traded from the Astros to the Cubs in December, Tucker will look to have a strong platform season before testing free agency at the end of 2025.

Pirates: Paul Skenes (4.8 WAR)
Expectations for Skenes¡¯ rookie campaign were understandably high after the Pirates took the flamethrowing righty first overall in the 2023 MLB Draft. Somehow, though, he managed to exceed them, not only winning NL Rookie of the Year honors but also finishing third in the league¡¯s Cy Young Award race -- despite spending the first six weeks of the season in the Minors. Skenes was worth 4.3 WAR on the year, recording a 1.96 ERA with 170 strikeouts, 32 walks and a 2.44 FIP over 133 innings. The hype surrounding the 22-year-old has only grown as he enters his first full season with the second-highest projected WAR (tied with Wheeler) among pitchers.

Reds: Elly De La Cruz (4.9 WAR)
After flashing a dynamic skill set during a promising but uneven rookie season in 2023, De La Cruz was one of last year¡¯s biggest breakout stars, producing 25 homers with 67 steals and 6.4 WAR over 160 games. If his 2025 projections -- 25 dingers and 54 stolen bases -- come to fruition, he¡¯d become just the fifth player all time to record multiple 20-homer, 50-steal campaigns, joining Rickey Henderson, Joe Morgan, Eric Davis and Cesar Cedeno.

NL WEST

D-backs: Ketel Marte (4.4 WAR)
Marte finished third in the NL MVP Award voting last season after hitting .292 with 36 homers, 95 RBIs, a 151 wRC+ and 6.3 WAR -- marking the second time he crossed the 6-WAR threshold in the past six years. The second baseman¡¯s projected WAR total for 2025 not only leads the D-backs but also tops his position.

Dodgers: Shohei Ohtani (7.8 WAR)
Ohtani kicked off his Dodgers tenure in style after signing a 10-year, $700 million deal with the club in free agency, continuing to burnish his legacy as one of baseball¡¯s all-time greats. Although the two-way superstar didn¡¯t pitch in 2024 while recovering from right elbow surgery, he won his third MVP Award anyway, becoming the first player to earn MVP honors as a full time DH. He did so in unanimous fashion, which was hardly surprising after he produced the first 50-50 campaign in MLB history while leading the NL in wRC+ (181) and WAR (9.1). On top of that, Ohtani helped the Dodgers win their second World Series title in five years. Expected to return to two-way status in May, the 30-year-old enters 2025 with the highest projected WAR total (combined between hitting and pitching) of any player.

Giants: Patrick Bailey (5.1 WAR)
Bailey didn¡¯t offer much on offense in 2024 (81 wRC+), but he was such a strong defensive presence behind the plate that he still managed to produce 4.3 WAR, third most among catchers behind William Contreras and Cal Raleigh with 5.4 WAR apiece. Even a modest uptick with the bat -- he¡¯s projected for a 90 wRC+ -- could be enough to push Bailey north of 5 WAR this season.

Padres: Fernando Tatis Jr. (5.8 WAR)
Tatis has remained a valuable player for the Padres over the past two seasons (7.3 WAR), but he has yet to recapture the elite offensive form he showed before missing all of 2022 due to injury/suspension. From 2019-21, Tatis slashed .292/.369/.596 with 81 homers and a 154 wRC+ over 273 games. Across 2023-24? A .265/.329/.467 slash with 46 homers and a 121 wRC+ over 243 games. Tatis was also set back by injury problems again in 2024, missing 59 games with a stress reaction in his right leg. Entering his age-26 campaign, Tatis has never played more than 141 games in a season. But perhaps 2025 is the year he puts it all together -- he¡¯s projected for 37 homers, a 144 wRC+ and 5.8 WAR, all of which rank among MLB¡¯s top 10.

Rockies: Ezequiel Tovar (3.2 WAR)
Tovar tied outfielder Brenton Doyle for the team lead with 3.7 WAR last season, as he continued to shine on defense while making a significant leap on offense. The young shortstop finished the year with 75 extra-base hits, ranking second in the NL behind Ohtani. He¡¯s projected to post another 3-WAR season in 2025.