Five rising MLB stars to watch in 2025

Jasson Dominguez | New York Yankees OF

The Yankees want Dominguez to earn the starting left field spot with Cody Bellinger in center and Aaron Judge moving to right field. Dominguez returned from Tommy John surgery in 2024 and has played only 26 games for the Yanks over the last two seasons. The club is ready for him to break out. 

"I'd like to think so, but again, he's a young guy that's still got to go out and earn it," manager Aaron Boone said when asked if Dominguez will be his starting leftfielder. "He hasn't played a ton of baseball for as fast as he's gotten to the big leagues and as much success as we've all seen him have. I think all in this room would recognize just how talented he is. I'd love for him to secure it and grab it, but my expectation is that he will, and I'm looking forward to seeing his continued growth."

Masyn Winn | St. Louis Cardinals SS

The Cardinals are searching for an identity. Are they rebuilding? Are they turning to prospects? It's unclear. Winn has an opportunity in front of him, though. 

With first baseman Paul Goldschmidt gone and third baseman Nolan Arenado's status up in the air, Winn can become the face of the franchise. Winn led all shortstops in defensive runs saved (DRS measures the number of runs a player saved or cost his team on defense relative to an average player) with 14 last season. He also had 157 hits, 15th in the National League and second among rookies.

Jackson Holliday | Baltimore Orioles 2B

The former first-overall pick of the 2022 MLB Draft struggled in his rookie season, striking out 69 times across 208 plate appearances in 2024. Still, there were flashes that Holliday was the player he was expected to be. Eleven of his 36 hits went for extra bases, including five home runs. After an offseason spent working out at home in Stillwater, Oklahoma, the O's expect big things from Holliday in 2025.

“I’m pretty confident,” Holliday said during the O's Birdland Caravan tour. “I’m excited with the progress I made this offseason and the experience that I had last year, so yeah, pretty confident.”

Roki Sasaki | Los Angeles Dodgers RHP

Sasaki is only 23 but has received the most hype of the five players on this list. Sasaki posted a 30-15 record with a 2.02 ERA, 524 strikeouts and 91 walks over four seasons in Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball league. His fastball routinely tops 100 mph, and his splitter is crippling, generating a 57 percent swing-and-miss rate in 2024.