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Who Are The Best MLB Rookies Right Now?

The 2025 MLB season delivered a dazzling burst of rookie brilliance, the kind that propels franchises forward and electrifies fans coast to coast. This wasn’t a class overshadowed by veterans or mired in midseason struggles; it was a crop of emerging stars who seized every headline and statistical leaderboard with relentless energy. From ace starters who dismantled opposing lineups to electrifying infielders redefining defense, the 2025’s Top 10 Best MLB Rookies arrived ready for stardom and forced MLB front offices and rival teams to recalibrate their blueprints for the future.

Each week, ballparks echoed with chants for these newcomers who, despite their age, displayed poise and production well beyond their service time. As you start to look at the names on the Top 10 Best MLB Rookies 2025 rankings list, a list that featured AL Rookie of the Year Award winner Nick Kurtz and NL Rookie of the Year Award winner Drake Baldwin. 

For rebuilding teams, hope was no longer hypothetical; it wore a jersey and stood in the batter’s box, not just filling rosters but delivering hope for the future. Meanwhile, established powers found themselves relying on rookies in pressure-packed innings, their trust repaid by clutch performances. 

These are the players setting MLB on a new course, giving fans as well as the front offices a reason to believe in both today and tomorrow. Here is a look at the Top 10 Best MLB Rookies 2025 Rankings list: 

Honorable Mention

Matt Shaw

Team: Chicago Cubs

Position: Third baseman

Previous Ranking: 10th

One MLB rookie just landing outside of the Top 10 Best MLB Rookies 2025 rankings list is the Chicago Cubs third baseman Matt Shaw.

Shaw made the most of his rookie season after earning the starting third base job entering the 2025 MLB season. Shaw flashed the versatility that Chicago’s front office coveted, balancing above-average plate discipline with quick reactions and a steady glove. While he may not have posted headline-stealing top tier numbers, Shaw however posted 89 hits over his first 393 at bats including 21 doubles, three triples, 13 home runs and 44 runs batted in.

The strong play from Shaw delivered Cubs fans a glimpse of blue-chip steadiness anchoring their infield for years to come.

Shane Smith

Team: Chicago White Sox

Position: Starting Pitcher

Previous Ranking: Unranked

The wave of young stars were endless during the 2025 MLB season as many fresh young faces put together strong starts to their young careers.

One of those rookies was the Chicago White Sox right hand starting pitcher Shane Smith. As a rookie Smith made 29 starts over the course of the season while posting a 7-8 record and a 3.81 earned run average. Throughout the summer, Smith matured with each turn in the rotation, earning respect as a tough battler who mixed velocity with a deceptive breaking ball. Though he suffered the usual rookie hiccups, including command lapses and some tough division opponents, the positives far outweighed the growing pains.

Smith’s best starts revealed a bulldog mentality, with the ability to navigate jams and keep his team in the game. As the White Sox continue to rebuild, Smith is a bright spot for fans to look towards moving forward.

Top 10 MLB Rookies 2025 Rankings

10. Jack Leiter

Team: Texas Rangers

Position: Starting Pitcher

Previous Ranking: Unranked

Closing out the Top 10 MLB rookies landing on the Top 10 Best MLB Rookies 2025 rankings list is the Texas Rangers Jack Leiter.

Leiter, who made his MLB debut last season, put together his first full season in the Majors while showcasing his upside potential as a top of the line starter. Carrying the weight of top draft pick expectations, Leiter didn’t just hold his own, Leiter surprised with composure and a cerebral approach to pitching seldom seen in first-year arms. Over 29 starts in his first full season, Leiter posted a 10-10 record to go along with a 3.86 earned run average and 1.28 WHIP. 

Texas fans have plenty of reasons for optimism as Leiter’s pitch selection and mound maturity point to a frontline role in the years ahead.

9. Carlos Narvaez

Team: Boston Red Sox

Position: Catcher

Previous Ranking: Honorable Mention

The Boston Red Sox entered the off-season before the 2025 MLB season looking to make moves to better the entire roster.

One of those moves was an unusual divisional trade with division rivals the New York Yankees bringing in catcher Carlos Narvaez. The move ultimately paid off helping deliver the Red Sox a young future catcher and a trip back to the MLB Playoffs. Over 118 games played, the 26 year old catcher posted a .241 batting average with 27 doubles, 15 home runs, and 50 runs batted in. In addition to the solid offensive performance, Narvaez commanded a strong pitching staff that helped deliver the Red Sox on a playoff trip.

For a team hungry for stability and upside, Narvaez delivered both, rising swiftly up league-wide rookie rankings.

8. Caleb Durbin

Team: Milwuakee Brewers

Position: Third Baseman

Previous Ranking: Unranked

One of the most impressive performances from the entire 2025 MLB season, was the overall success of the Milwaukee Brewers.

Overall, the Brewers finished the season with the best record while also putting together some of the longest winning streaks of the season. A roster built with stars including rookie third baseman Caleb Durbin who was not only a star rookie but a key performer all season. Durbin posted a .256 batting average over 445 at bats including 25 doubles, 11 home runs, 53 runs batted in and 18 stolen bases.

The Brewers third baseman fired up crowds with diving stops, offensive bursts, and an attitude that mirrored his blue-collar franchise

7. Cade Horton

Team: Chicago Cubs

Position: Starting Pitcher

Previous Ranking: 6th

The rebuild has taken a full step forward in Chicago as the Chicago Cubs success fast tracked into a playoff berth after winning 92 games during the regular season.

A team built around a strong young nucleus of stars including rookies such as third baseman Matt Shaw and starting pitcher Cade Horton. The talented right hander jump to the front of the rotation made the Cubs a title contender, however a right rib fracture sidelined him for the remainder of the season including the playoffs. Nonetheless it is hard to look past the success Horton posted during the season. Over 23 starts during the season, Horton posted an impressive 11-4 record to go along with a 2.67 earned run average and 1.08 WHIP.

Horton finished 2025 not just as a promising rookie, but as a centerpiece in Chicago’s evolving rotation.

6. Colson Montgomery

Team: Chicago White Sox

Position: Shortstop

Previous Ranking: Unranked

Each season new young faces emerge as the future of Major League Baseball and the 2025 MLB season was no different. One of those talented rookies who took the big leagues by storm was the Chicago White Sox shortstop Colson Montgomery.

Montgomery was dominating at the minor league level to start the season before being promoted to the big league club on Fourth of July. After making his debut on July 4th, Montgomery emerged as one of the team’s top young stars down the stretch posting a .239 batting average over 255 at bats down the stretch.

Over those 255 at bats, the talented young shortstop posted nine doubles, one triple, 21 home runs with 55 runs batted in. His blend of athleticism, competitiveness, and production set him apart from typical rookie shortstops while delivering hope of what a full season in the majors might deliver to the team.

5. Noah Cameron

Team: Kansas City Royals

Position: Starting Pitcher

Previous Ranking: 7th

Sliding in at number five on the Top 10 Best MLB Rookies 2055 rankings list is the talented Kansas City Royals starting pitcher Noah Cameron.

After a strong seven game start in the minors this season, Cameron got the call to the big leagues and did not disappoint for the Royals. The left-hander’s ability to induce weak contact kept Royals defenders on their toes, resulting in a string of low-scoring wins that revived the club’s morale.

Known for his tireless prep and ability to adapt mid-game, Cameron handled adversity with veteran poise, cementing his status as a rotation pillar going forward. This showed up in his overall performance including posting a strong 9-7 record to go with a 2.99 earned run average and a 1.10 WHIP. His rookie season was a blueprint for sustainable success in Kansas City.

4. Agustin Ramirez

Team: Miami Marlins

Position: Catcher

Previous Ranking: 9th

The 2025 MLB season delivered a strong group of young rookie catchers who emerged as fresh young faces for their organization.

Another one of those talented rookie catchers was the Miami Marlins Agustin Ramirez who took over the every day role behind the plate. Ramirez’s 2025 season for Miami was a revelation, with the rookie catcher stepping up on both sides of the ball for a competitive Marlins squad. Ramirez offered advanced pitch framing and game-calling abilities, while his offensive output with some strong power numbers turned heads in the NL East.

The Marlins catcher capped off his rookie season posting 33 doubles, 21 home runs, and 67 runs batted in over 537 at bats. Ramirez closed out his rookie campaign among the league leaders in catcher RBIs, making him not just a strong rookie, but a franchise cornerstone moving forward.

3. Drake Baldwin

Team: Atlanta Braves

Position: Catcher

Previous Ranking: 2nd

The top two rookies in the National League each dominated at the plate while also behind the plate.

Landing just ahead of Ramirez, was the National League Rookie of the Year Award winner Drake Baldwin. Baldwin took on a leadership role immediately, helping orchestrate the Braves’ pitching staff and producing at a level that belied his first-year status. Over 124 games played, Baldwin posted 18 doubles, two triples, and 19 home runs while driving in 80 runs to go along with a .274 batting average.

The Braves talented catcher finished the season ranked among all rookies in batting average, double, home runs and runs batted in. Atlanta’s potential return to playoff baseball moving into the future starts with the young core of stars including Baldwin.

2. Jacob Wilson

Team: Athletics

Position: Catcher

Previous Ranking: 4th

It is hard to imagine the top two rookies in all of baseball producing on the same team but that was the case as the Athletics teammates Jacob Wilson and Nick Kurtz land atop the list.

Wilson’s rookie impact for Oakland went far beyond the box score; he quickly became the heartbeat of the Athletics’ lineup and a future franchise face. THe talented Athletics shortstop finished off his rookie season leading all rookies in hits with 151 and batting average with a .311 mark. In addition to those numbers, Wilson added 26 doubles, 62 runs scored, 13 home runs, and a .444 slugging percentage mark over 486 total at bats.

With WIlson and fellow rookie Kurtz both playing at a high level, the Athletics fans will enter the 2026 MLB season with high expectations.

1. Nick Kurtz

Team: Oakland Athletics

Position: First Baseman

Previous Ranking: 1st

Topping out the Top 10 Best MLB Rookies 2025 rankings list is the American League Rookie of the Year Award winner Nick Kurtz.

Kurtz capped off a remarkable rookie season leading all rookies in home runs with 36 and runs batted in with 86 over the course of just 117 games played at the Major league level. The strong performance helped to transform the Athletics lineup delivering the team a young powerful star to team up with talented rookie shortstop Jacob Wilson.

He was the definition of “day one impact”, leading rookies in home runs, slugging percentage, and moments that swung games in the A’s favor. In the crowded landscape of rookie talent, Nick Kurtz’s blend of power, leadership, and unassailable poise makes him the breakout star who redefined expectation for what an MLB rookie can accomplish.

He’s first in homers, RBI, runs, slugging, OPS, and total offensive value. Among players with 300+ plate appearances, only Aaron Judge has a higher OPS. If he finishes the season anywhere near this pace, not only is he a lock for AL Rookie of the Year, but he could find himself receiving down-ballot MVP votes as well.