The most surprising player on any MLB team for the 2025 season

Perdomo was highly regarded by his team and fans in 2025, but his attacking breakout campaign was still a major surprise. As of early September, Perdomo led the team in WAR, had more walks than strikeouts and was in contention for a 20/20 season.

Kurtz was a top prospect entering 2025 after being selected fourth overall in last year’s draft, but few expected his impact to be so quick. He’s probably the AL Rookie of the Year, with an OPS over 1.000 and a .308-28-72 mark through his first 96 career games. The A’s have reason for optimism with Kurtz and other young stars like Jacob Wilson, Tyler Soderstrom and Shea Langeliers.

Despite everything that has gone wrong in Atlanta this season, Baldwin’s rookie season has been an exception. He has created an excellent catching tandem with Sean Murphy, hitting .280-15-62 in his first 103 games played. It appears the Braves have found their long-term answer at catcher.

The O’s suffered a major regression this season, but Rogers was a pleasant surprise. The southpaw, acquired from the Marlins at the trade deadline last year, was dominant with a 1.39 ERA in his first 14 starts. Coupled with the return of Kyle Bradish from injury late this year, Baltimore has some reason for optimism with their pitching staff heading into 2026.

The hard-throwing Chapman was an elite closer earlier in his career, but poor control began to diminish that status in his 30s. That all changed this season, as the southpaw showed the best control of his career, posting a 1.00 ERA with 28 saves in his first 59 appearances. Boston was so happy with Chapman that they signed him to an extension before the end of the season.

Crow-Armstrong made an immediate impact when he was promoted last year, but this season he has become a star. He is on the cusp of a 30/30 season while playing elite defense in center field, and was one of the team’s All-Star representatives.

The White Sox struck gold this season with their Rule 5 draft pick. Smith was the White Sox All-Star representative and is having a strong season as the team’s ace with a sub-4.00 ERA through 24 starts.

After an inconsistent first two seasons, Abbott emerged as Cincinnati’s clear ace this year. The lefty posted a 2.65 ERA and 1.12 WHIP through his first 24 starts, helping the Reds stay in the playoff race for much of the season.

Manzardo’s breakout season was big on an offense that was mostly anemic in Cleveland. He has shown great power with 25 home runs in 121 games played, realizing his potential as a former top player.

Goodman showed remarkable power in the minors, but there were questions about his defensive position. He’s been behind the plate enough defensively this season to play every day, and the offense has followed suit. The first-time All-Star hit .280-27-83 through his first 123 games played this season.

McKinstry is one of many surprises on a roster that appears to be very deep. He has played all over the field this season, but especially at third base, hitting .267-11-46 with 11 steals and an OPS of nearly .800 in 127 games played.

The Astros have had several surprising pitching contributions this season, but Okert’s has been the most consistent. The veteran has posted a 3.03 ERA with a K/BB of nearly 5.00 in his first 58 appearances after struggling the past two years in Miami and Minnesota.

Unfortunately, Bubic’s season ended prematurely due to a shoulder injury, but he was a top performer before he went down. The southpaw posted a 2.55 ERA in 20 starts before going down, making the All-Star team.

We saw glimpses of Adell’s emergence last season, and the tool-laden outfielder has finally put it all together this year. He led the team with 33 home runs through early September and is also on pace for a 100 RBI season.

The Dodgers’ bullpen has been ravaged by injuries this season, so Dreyer’s emergence was necessary. The 26-year-old posted a 2.82 ERA over 57 appearances.

The Marlins’ future looks much brighter than it did a year ago, with breakouts like Stowers, Jakob Marsee and Agustin Ramirez. Stowers was an All-Star, hitting .288-25-73 before going down with an injury in August.

Collins was only seen as a role player until this season, with Christian Yelich, Jackson Chourio and Sal Frelick in the Brewers outfield. He’s done much more, hitting .275-9-54 with 16 steals and an OPS over .800 in 116 games played. Collins was one of several pleasant surprises that also included Andrew Vaughn, Quinn Priester, Chad Patrick and Grant Anderson.

Keaschall was one of Minnesota’s few surprises in a very tough season. The rookie looks like a budding star, hitting .328/.418/.508 with nine stolen bases in his first 33 career games.

The Mets seemed to have confidence in Holmes when they signed him to a two-year deal and converted him to start this offseason. Their optimism has paid off, with Holmes going 11-7 with a 3.61 ERA in his first 28 starts this season. Surprisingly, despite the switch from relief, he was the team’s most durable starter.

Grisham has shown he can hit throughout his career, but the last time he produced an OPS better than league average was in 2021. His power has been on full display this season, reaching 30 home runs and becoming a key piece in the Yankees’ lineup.

Banks was a fixture in the Phillies pen before this season, but he may have been their most consistent contributor in 2025. The veteran southpaw had a 2.98 ERA with just 10 walks in 60.1 innings pitched.

It’s been another forgettable season for the Pirates, but Ashcraft has emerged as a potential top prospect. He has seen an increase in velocity since entering the Majors in the second half, allowing him to post a 2.44 ERA in 22 appearances, including six starts.

Morejon was very good last season, but is on the short list of the best relievers in the league this year. The southpaw was an All-Star and was 11-4 with a 1.85 ERA and 0.79 WHIP over 65 appearances.

Rodriguez is out for the rest of 2025 and likely all of 2026 after Tommy John surgery, a painful reality after the season he had before getting injured. He posted a 1.78 ERA and 0.89 WHIP in 50 appearances, and was anointed the team’s closer shortly before his injury.

Raleigh was a star before this season, but he has taken his game to new heights in 2025. The catcher is a frontrunner for AL MVP as the first catcher to hit 50 home runs, and has led the AL in home runs and RBI for much of the year.

The Cardinals have seen several surprises this season, led by Svanson. The rookie performed extremely well, with a 2.03 ERA and more than one strikeout per inning through his first 31 appearances.

Aranda was once an elite minor league hitter, but didn’t see his performance transfer to the Majors until this season. He hit .316-12-54 with an .871 OPS before suffering an injury in late July.

Corbin hasn’t been much more than league average this season, but it’s more than the Rangers could have hoped for when they signed the left-hander. He was one of the game’s worst starters the previous four seasons in Washington, but showed strong improvement this year with a 4.48 ERA through his first 26 starts.

Barger was a standout in the minors and has emerged as a steady right fielder for Toronto this season. His power was on full display with 19 home runs in his first 114 games.

There isn’t much to brag about in Washington this season, but Wood’s continued development is promising. While he led the NL in strikeouts, Wood is on pace for a 30-home run season as he builds on his strong rookie debut last year.