Baseball's rookie class of 2025 may have lacked the raw star power of its 2024 counterpart, but it gave fans no shortage of moments to remember.
Who can forget Athletics first baseman Nick Kurtz's four-home run outing against the Astros on July 25? Or Braves catcher Drake Baldwin driving in six runs against the Giants? Or Brewers third baseman Caleb Durbin introducing himself to the baseball world with a walk-off home run in June?
Yes, we'll be talking about this class deep into October and beyond, as a number of postseason contenders received contributions from first-year players. On that note, it's time to anoint an All-Rookie team—a lineup of nine, three starting pitchers and a relief pitcher. Note, before we begin, that a few players are named in their secondary positions; this was in order to create the best lineups possible, and acknowledge that many players occupy quasi-utility roles in their rookie years.
Welcome to this final 2025 edition of MLB Rookie Watch.
Catcher: Drake Baldwin, Braves
The Braves—winners of nine in a row, including a sweep this weekend of the free-falling Tigers—never quit on a lost season. Similarly, Baldwin was undeterred in the face of adversity—namely a spirited, semi-ongoing battle for the catcher position with former All-Star Sean Murphy. The .462-slugging Missouri State product looks like a star in the making and should in all likelihood end 2025 holding the National League Rookie of the Year trophy aloft. Second Team: Carlos Narváez, Red Sox. Third Team: Edgar Quero, White Sox.
First Baseman: Nick Kurtz, Athletics
A .395/.480/.953 (that last number is not a typo) July propelled Kurtz from a curiosity to the owner of one of the great rookie seasons of the 21st century. His four-home run game, in which he went 6-for-6 and drove in eight runs, has a strong case as the greatest individual performance by a rookie in history. The Athletics may have left Oakland, but the team clearly carried some of ex-general manager Billy Beane's talent-discovery DNA to Sacramento. Second Team: Liam Hicks, Marlins. Third Team: Eric Wagaman, Marlins.
Second Baseman: Luke Keaschall, Twins
If there was a bright spot to be gleaned from the Twins' July firesale, it's that it opened the door for the stunning emergence of the team's 2023 second-round pick. Slamming shut a revolving door at his position (Minnesota used eight second basemen this year), Keaschall has slashed .304/.380/.448 and paced for 6.9 bWAR over 162 games. A 48-game sample size is admittedly small, but his gifts should have the Land of 10,000 Lakes dreaming of a new star. Second Team: Hyeseong Kim, Dodgers. Third Team: Javier Sanoja, Marlins.
Third Baseman: Caleb Durbin, Brewers
It wasn't always roses for Durbin in his debut season—he had to weather a .202 May—but he will end the year as a critical cog on baseball's best team. Building on a run of early clutch success, he became a two-way force at third base—he currently wields the third-lowest strikeout lead in the NL the second-most zone runs among NL third basemen. Unlike many rookies listed here, his story isn't over yet (as this charming story by Avery Meer in the student paper of his academics-minded alma mater, Washington University in St. Louis, outlines). Second Team: Jeremiah Jackson, Orioles. Third Team: Matt Shaw, Cubs.
Shortstop: Jacob Wilson, Athletics
The original star of his team's Sacramento jaunt, Wilson burst out of the gate with a .345/.387/.495 slash line through the end of May. As late as June 8, he was hitting a sizzling .372; fans responded by electing him a second-generation All-Star 21 years after his father. Yes, Kurtz ultimately eclipsed him, but Wilson's still-robust .315 average and .806 OPS give the Athletics an embarrassment of riches. Second Team: Colson Montgomery, White Sox. Third Team: Chase Meidroth, White Sox.
Left Fielder: Isaac Collins, Brewers
He may be the unlikeliest member of the team, what with his 5' 8", 188-pound frame and his ninth-round draft selection by the prospect-graveyard Rockies in 2019. Defying fans' most optimistic expectations—Milwaukee has spent the entire year doing that, hasn't it?—Collins took home NL Rookie of the Month honors in July on his way to a .262/.364/.409 campaign. He might be getting a bit lucky (his BABIP is .322), but there's enough to like to hat-tip a second Brewer after Durbin. Second Team: Heriberto Hernandez, Marlins. Third Team: Otto Kemp, Phillies.
Center Fielder: Jakob Marsee, Marlins
What the Athletics had in rookie quality this year, the Marlins had in quantity. The Dearborn, Mich., native and Central Michigan product was summoned to the big leagues Aug. 1 and immediately looked like he'd been there his entire life (he slashed .352/.430/.629 with four home runs and 25 RBIs in August). Michael Baumann of FanGraphsastutely pointed out that Marsee has feasted on a diet of bad pitching that month, but Miami fans will take any glimmer of hope at this point. Second Team: Jake Mangum, Rays. Third Team: Chandler Simpson, Rays.
Right Fielder: Roman Anthony, Red Sox
Red Sox fans are still mourning the news they received Sept. 3—that an oblique strain would end Anthony's regular season. What a regular season, it was, though: .292/.396/.463 with eight home runs and 32 RBIs in 71 games (to go with a mouth-watering 7.1-per-162 games bWAR rate). As of Aug. 6, Anthony is under contract through 2033 with a club option for 2034—so don't touch that dial. Second Team: Daylen Lile, Nationals. Third Team: Cam Smith, Astros.
Designated Hitter: Kyle Teel, White Sox
As alluded to in the introduction, this is cheating a little bit—Teel is first and foremost a catcher. However, he's DH-ed just enough that he gets a spot on the first team guilt-free after a widely overlooked offensive season. Since the start of August, the Virginia product has very quietly raised his slugging percentage from .392 to .423—helping the White Sox show signs of life here and there, such as during a six-game winning streak around Labor Day. Second Team: Jasson Domínguez, Yankees. Third Team: Agustín Ramírez, Marlins.
No. 1 Starting Pitcher: Cade Horton, Cubs
A furious finish to 2025 gives Horton a crown that almost assuredly would have belonged to Royals pitcher Noah Cameron (more on him in a minute) as recently as a month ago. Since the calendar turned to July, Horton has been absolutely filthy: 8–2 with a 1.29 ERA and 62 strikeouts in 70 innings. He hasn't allowed more than two runs in a game since before the All-Star break. Second Team: Chad Patrick, Brewers. Third Team: Shane Smith, White Sox.
No. 2 Starting Pitcher: Noah Cameron, Royals
He was the best rookie starting pitcher in baseball for the vast majority of 2025, single-handedly keeping an injury-ravaged Kansas CIty staff solvent for longer than it had any right to be. The Missouri native and Central Arkansas product pitched 6 2/3 sterling innings against the Blue Jays in front of his parents Saturday, receiving a deserved standing ovation for his efforts. A 9–7 record with a 2.90 ERA and 108 strikeouts in 133 2/3 innings is the kind of start that will keep him on the Royals' radar for years to come. Second Team: Cam Schlittler, Yankees. Third Team: Will Warren, Yankees
No. 3 Starting Pitcher: Hurston Waldrep, Braves
He barely clears this team's threshold for inclusion—you need to pitch 48 innings; he's thrown 50 1/3—but his jaw-dropping August and role in Atlanta's late-season surge demands acknowledgement. Starting six games in August, Waldrep went 4–0 with a 1.01 ERA and 33 strikeouts in 35 2/3 innings. His numbers would hew significantly closer to that if not for an eight-run adventure against the Astros on Sept. 12. Second Team: Jack Leiter, Rangers. Third Team: Joey Cantillo, Guardians.
Relief Pitcher: Matt Svanson, Cardinals
No true shutdown rookie closer emerged this year, so this spot goes to Svanson—an eminently competent middle reliever for the Cardinals who has thrived since a July trip to Triple-A Memphis. Svanson is 3-0 with a 2.05 ERA and 63 strikeouts in 57 innings this year, by-the-book power-relief numbers that mask how effective he's been of late (a 1.16 ERA since July 28). A future closing doesn't look impossible for a man with 28 minor-league saves in 2024. Second Team: Braxton Ashcraft, Pirates. Third Team: Braydon Fisher, Blue Jays.
