MLB has become a young man's game more than ever since the end of the steroid era. The future of the game looks healthy with these 25 top players still under the age of 25.
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The reigning NL Rookie of the Year, Acuna hit .293-26-64 with 16 stolen bases in 111 games at age 20 last season. The Braves have reason to be excited about the follow-up season for Acuna, who excelled in spring training.
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Albies joins teammate Ronald Acuna Jr. as arguably the best young duo in baseball. The second baseman hit .261-24-72 with 14 steals in 158 games at age 21 last season. He made his first All-Star appearance.
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Likely to open the year as Tampa Bay's closer, Alvarado was dominant last season at age 23. He struck out 80 batters in 64 innings and finished with a 2.39 ERA.
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Andujar, who's quickly developing as a power hitter, finished second in the AL Rookie of the Year voting last year after hitting .297-27-92 in 149 games. He enters his age 24 season as an important part of the Yankees lineup.
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Bader has quickly become one of the top defensive center fielders in the game and a capable offensive player. He hit .264-12-37 with 15 steals in 138 games last season. He finished sixth in the NL Rookie of the Year vote at age 24.
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Few players have been more consistent than Benintendi since his arrival in 2016. He hit .271-20-90 with 20 steals in 2017 and .290-16-87 with 21 steals last year. The Red Sox left fielder doesn't turn 25 until July.
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Bellinger regressed slightly after hitting .267-39-97 in only 132 games and winning NL Rookie of the Year in 2017. His follow-up performance was .260-25-76 for the Dodgers last year. He enters his age 23 season in 2019.
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Minnesota hopes Berrios develops into an ace -- he's not far off at age 24. He made his first All-Star appearance last year, finishing 12-11 with a 3.84 ERA and 202 strikeouts in 192.1 innings.
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Bieber's 4.55 ERA in 114.2 innings during his rookie season last year might not sound impressive, but he had a 3.23 FIP and K/BB ratio of better than 5.00. Great things are in store for the 23-year-old this season if he continues to consistently throw strikes.
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With Clayton Kershaw's recent injury issues, Buehler could emerge as the Dodgers ace. The 24-year-old right-hander posted a 2.62 ERA and 151 strikeouts in 137.1 innings last season.
11 of 25
Carlos Correa, SS, Astros
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The AL Rookie of the Year at age 20 in 2015, Correa has 81 career home runs over four seasons. He has struggled with injuries over the past two seasons but is a capable middle-of-the-order hitter when he's healthy, and he is just entering his age 24 season.
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Devers' production was relatively disappointing last season after hitting .240-21-66 in 121 games, but it's worth remembering that he was still only 21. After hitting .284-10-30 in 58 games during his MLB debut the previous year, there's optimism he can develop as a middle-of-the-order hitter.
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Dominguez served as Philadelphia's part-time closer in his rookie season at age 23, posting a 2.95 ERA and 74 strikeouts over 58 innings. He could continue to share closer duties with David Robertson this year.
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Flaherty, who doesn't turn 24 until October, received NL Rookie of the Year consideration last season. He finished 2018 with a 3.34 ERA in 28 starts, fanning 182 batters in 151 innings.
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Laureano took Oakland by storm with his return late last season at age 24. He hit .288-5-19 with seven steals in 48 games and also flashed elite play in center field.
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Marquez, who turned 24 in February, is quickly developing into an ace for the Rockies. The hard-throwing right-hander went 14-11 with a 3.77 ERA in 33 starts, including 230 strikeouts in 196 innings last year.
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Mazara has hit 20 home runs in three straight seasons, and he's just entering his age 24 campaign. He had 101 RBI in 2017, though that number regressed to 77 last year in a less productive Rangers lineup.
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Adalberto Mondesi, SS, Royals
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The son of former All-Star outfielder Raul Mondesi, Adalberto is similarly "toolsy" offensively. He hit .276-14-37 with 32 stolen bases in only 75 games for the Royals last year and is also slick with the glove. He will turn 24 in July.
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Ohtani won AL Rookie of the Year last season, taking MLB by storm after coming over from Japan. He had a 3.31 ERA in 10 starts as a pitcher and hit .285-22-61 in 104 games as the Angels DH. Ohtani will focus on hitting this year while his elbow heals from Tommy John surgery, but he should have plenty of great years ahead. He turns 25 in July.
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Osuna has been an elite closer almost since he was promoted by Toronto in 2015 at age 20. He has 116 saves over four seasons with a 2.78 ERA. He serves as Houston's primary closer at age 24.
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Peraza had a few false starts in the majors but has finally established his bat. He hit .288-14-58 with 23 steals in 157 games last year for Cincinnati and doesn't turn 25 until late April.
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Rosario, who had a strong second half (.268, 18 steals) last season, is the future at shortstop for the Mets. Overall, he hit .256-9-51 with 24 steals in 2018. He turns 24 in November.
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Seager missed almost all last season due to an elbow injury but was establishing himself as a star before that point. The shortstop won NL Rookie of the Year in 2016 and had another excellent offensive campaign in 2017, making All-Star appearances in both seasons. He will turn 25 in late April.
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Juan Soto, OF, Nationals
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Soto barely got any work in the upper minors before he was promoted by the Nats last year. He quickly showed he was a star, hitting .292-22-70 with a .923 OPS in 116 games to finish second in the NL Rookie of the Year race. He doesn't turn 21 until October.
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Acquired by the Yankees from the Cubs for Aroldis Chapman in 2016, Torres is a budding star, exactly as advertised. The middle infielder finished third in the AL Rookie of the Year vote in 2018 at age 21, hitting .271-24-77 in only 123 games last season.