MLB Breakout Candidates for 2025

Opening Day is nearly here, and it is time to get ready for the 2025 MLB season. There is speculation going on about which teams will break out, which ones will take a step back, and the players that will drive their respective clubs in the coming season. It is one of the most exciting times of the year.

Though MLB trade rumors slow tend to slow down around the start of the season, there are still plenty of things baseball-related to talk about. For instance, which players are most likely to take the next step forward in 2025 and become impact players for their teams? Here are the most likely players to have a real breakout in 2025.

Mason Montgomery, Tampa Bay Rays

Though he may not wind up being the starter the Rays hoped for, Montgomery will move to the bullpen where he could make a real impact. His fastball and slider could make him dangerous, especially because the former has some real life to it that can be challenging to hitters.

When you look at player comparisons, he comes off looking very similar to Erik Sabrowski of the Cleveland Guardians and Alex Vesia of the Los Angeles Dodgers. Montgomery has the talent to be effective, and this should be the season he does so.

Zebby Matthews, Minnesota Twins

Matthews has an impressive strikeout rate of more than 10 per nine innings across multiple levels of baseball. Combined with his slider, it is easy to see why so many are high on the young pitcher to become Minnesota’s breakout star.

He gives up a lot of home runs – 2.63 per nine innings last season – but that has to come down. If he can get that under control, a lot more people will be talking about Zebby Matthews as one of the premier young pitchers in the game.

Fernando Cruz, New York Yankees

Many thought Cruz would be the breakout guy for the Yankees a season ago, but this could be the move for him. His cutter doesn’t work, and the Yankees are the kind of team that will help a pitcher drop ineffective pitches to improve their overall form.

His splitter usage should go up in a similar way to that of Tommy Kahnle’s changeup, which could give the Yankees a high-leverage weapon. The defending American League champions have talent throughout the lineup, and the emergence of Cruz could make them even more dangerous.

Nick Yorke, Pittsburgh Pirates

Yorke came to the Pirates in the July trade of Quinn Priester to Boston. He’s had to try out at different spots all over the field, but his best position is at the plate. He’s got a good feel for the zone and makes good contact, making him a well-rounded hitter.

His strength is deceptive, especially when you look at his home run totals. That said, he’s willing to trade power for average because of his opposite-field game. If utilized properly, he could become the guy at second and an effective part of the lineup.

Shay Whitcomb, Houston Astros

Whitcomb is definitely worth watching because of his time in Triple-A. He improved both his strikeout and walk rates while boosting his slugging. His quality of approach and contact measures have him trending in the right direction.

Houston’s ballpark is another factor, especially because Whitcomb – as a righty – can put the ball in the air and benefit from the park. There may not be an everyday role ready for him right now, but he could become the kind of super-utility guy that stands out on a good team.