15 MLB Prospects Who Could Bounce Back In 2025

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Image credit: Noble Meyer (Mike Janes/Four Seam Images)

In two weeks, the backfields of team complexes in Arizona and Florida will be filled with prospects attempting to hone their skills, hoping to emerge as MLB’s next breakout star.

For some, it’s an opportunity to build upon an impressive pro career. For others—especially those who came in highly touted and just haven’t been able to live up to their potential—it’s a crucial season to show they have what it takes to impact their organization.

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In this article, we highlight 15 players who are poised to bounce back with the new season on the horizon. 

Noble Meyer, RHP, Marlins

Meyer ranked as one of the top high school arms in the 2023 draft but has so far struggled through two seasons with the Marlins. His stuff isn’t a question, as batters hit .165 against him in 2024. His lengthy 6-foot-5 frame allows him to get into the upper 90s consistently, but his command and secondaries need sharpening. Oftentimes, the 20-year-old is pitching behind in the count, forcing questionable pitch selection in those situations. His slider has plenty of movement, and his changeup can be better with more arm speed. Meyer still has the time and talent to turn things around, but he needs to find the strike zone to live up to his high-end starter upside.

Termarr Johnson, 2B/SS, Pirates

Johnson was billed as one of the best high school pure hitters in decades ahead of the 2022 draft, but that hasn’t been the case through his first two full pro seasons. The 20-year-old has still flashed his power that propelled him into the No. 4 overall pick by slugging a combined 23 home runs in two seasons. Johnson’s plate discipline is quite good, especially against fastballs–he chased heaters just 16.3% of the time in 2024 compared to 30.3% against breaking pitches–but he needs to find the right balance of passivity and impact in 2025.

Henry Lalane, RHP, Yankees

It’s hard to miss the lefthander with his 6-foot-7 frame, which is what made him stand out in the Yankees’ 2021 international class. Shoulder fatigue hindered his development in 2024, and he threw just 12.1 innings between the Florida Complex League and Low-A Tampa. Lalane’s preseason scouting report noted that scouts saw a more physical pitcher than in previous seasons, and his fastball has been up to 97 mph. Equipped with the best slider in the Yankees’ system, those injury woes kept the 20-year-old from developing the rest of his secondaries. He’ll take another shot at it in 2025.

Tommy Troy, 2B, Diamondbacks

A 2024 hamstring strain shelved Troy for two months. When healthy, the 23-year-old struggled to get things going, slashing .227/.319/.347 in 65 games at High-A Hillsboro. But Troy too frequently chased power that resulted in too many balls on the ground, including a 50% groundball rate against offspeed pitches. However, Troy hit .299/.404/.485 over his final 26 games. The D-backs are also moving him to second base, which should enhance his concentration at the plate. Adding more strength to his athletic frame should improve Troy’s exit velocities with the hope he can also reduce his groundball rates in 2025.

Colson Montgomery, SS, White Sox

Based on his 2023 production, Montgomery was on track to make his major league debut with the struggling White Sox in 2024. Instead, he spent all of 2024 in Triple-A Charlotte, where timing issues led to a .214/.329/.381 line. He did hit a career-best 18 homers last season and has added 20 pounds to his 6-foot-3 frame. Montgomery bounced back in the Arizona Fall League by hitting .313 with a 1.167 OPS in 11 games. He should be closing in on the majors if he can respond loudly from his year-long slump in 2024.

Eric Brown, SS, Brewers

Milwaukee’s 2022 first-round selection had his worst pro season at Double-A Biloxi, slashing .185/.270/.262 in 105 games. At his best, Brown has used his impressive discipline and contact rates to overcome a lack of standout strength or explosiveness. But at some point, the 24-year-old needs to prove he can hit for hard contact. Brown’s 102.4 mph 90th percentile exit velocity is fairly average for his age and provides some optimism. The Coastal Carolina product stood out for his unorthodox batting stance but has adjusted many of those moving parts into a more compact approach.

Mick Abel, RHP, Phillies

Abel is the closest he’s been to reaching the majors after spending all of 2024 in Triple-A Lehigh Valley, but control issues set him back. Standing at 6-foot-5, the righthander’s fastball sits in the mid 90s, touching 98 mph, but last season he gave up 78 walks and 119 hits. The Phillies worked with him to develop his secondary pitches and saw enough improvement to add him to the 40-man roster to protect him from the Rule 5 draft. Abel is heading into the most important season of his pro career. If he can regain his confidence and control in the strike zone, he can be an asset in Philadelphia.

Dylan Lesko, RHP, Rays

Lesko was the highest-rated prospect that Tampa Bay landed in the Jason Adam trade last season. He had Tommy John surgery before the 2022 draft and hasn’t lived up to his potential because of command issues. He walked batters 19% of the time in 2024. Lesko still has big fastball velocity, touching 97 mph, but that doesn’t matter when it’s landing for strikes just 50% of the time, causing him to fall behind in the counts more often than not. The Rays have a strong track record of developing pitchers. If they can fix Lesko, he could emerge as a reliable rotation option one day.

Anthony Solometo, LHP, Pirates

The Pirates have a wave of promising young pitchers, and Solometo can rebuild his stock within that group if he can respond strongly after a rough 2024. The lefty turned 22 this December and was on a strong trajectory, reaching Double-A Altoona in 2024. But he posted a 5.98 ERA with 46 strikeouts and 35 walks in 70.1 innings and didn’t get past the fifth inning until August. His struggles warranted some time on the development list, as his velocity dipped 3-4 mph. Returning to the low 90s—and throwing more strikes—gives him the best chance to have a strong 2025. The Pirates are optimistic after the work Solometo put in while on the development list.

Landen Maroudis, RHP, Blue Jays

Maroudis pitched in only three games in 2024 before having internal brace surgery. He is slated to return full-time in April, according to an industry source. The righthander’s low three-quarters slot allows his fastball, which touches 96 mph, to have a flat plane approach. The 20-year-old also carries a slider, curveball and changeup. The Blue Jays have always been high on him, especially considering they signed him for $1.5 million—about three times slot value—as a fourth-round pick in 2023. Maroudis will need to show he can handle the workload of a starter in his first full pro season.

Elijah Green, OF, Nationals

It’s easy for Green to get lost in the shuffle with the influx of prospects Washington has added since he was drafted No. 5 overall in 2022. His numbers haven’t helped his case, especially his 44% strikeout rate. Green has great size at 6-foot-3, 214 pounds, but he needs to make more contact and still hasn’t advanced beyond Low-A. The power is certainly there–Green had a 107.3 mph 90th percentile exit velocity in 2024–and he led the Nationals’ farm system with eight assists and strong overall reviews of his defensive work in the outfield.

Walker Martin, SS, Giants

Martin struggled to move the needle in his first pro season. The 20-year-old went from San Francisco’s No. 4 prospect in 2024 to exiting the rankings entirely after hitting .218/.391/.362 with 128 strikeouts in 312 plate appearances in the Arizona Complex League and Low-A San Jose. The lefthanded-hitting infielder batted .273 against fastballs but just .139 against breaking pitches, with an overall strikeout rate of 41%. Power isn’t an issue based on his 20 home runs during his senior year of high school and 106.4 mph 90th percentile exit velocity as a pro, but his pitch recognition needs to improve in his second pro season. 

Myles Naylor, SS/3B, Athletics

Living up to the Naylor name can be a tough task considering what Myles’ brothers, Josh and Bo, have accomplished as professionals. The youngest Naylor spent all of 2024 in Low-A Stockton, where he batted .192/.321/.322 with a .643 OPS. He struck out at an alarming 34% rate, which can be attributed to the 19-year-old far too frequently selling out for power. He shows plenty of power (103.2 90th percentile exit velocity) when he does make contact. He’ll need to be more disciplined to take the next step.

Miguel Bleis, OF, Red Sox

Bleis succeeded in his first two seasons in Boston’s farm system. But after surgery to repair a left shoulder subluxation in 2023, the 20-year-old has struggled to pick up steam in the past two years. The Dominican outfielder has the toolset to be a key fixture with his quick bat speed and plus power potential. He needs to cut down his whiffs and work on his vision at the plate, especially with breaking pitches in the zone. Bleis led the Red Sox system with 38 stolen bases. His speed also helps his defensive value.

Gabriel Hughes, RHP, Rockies

Hughes missed the majority of 2024 as he recovered from Tommy John surgery, but after a successful instructional league, pitched 17.1 innings in the Arizona Fall League, albeit to limited success. The Gonzaga product has the tools to succeed. The 6-foot-4 righthander has good control of his fastball, which reaches 95 mph, and mixes in a slider and curveball—which he focused on improving while rehabbing during instructs. The 23-year-old has been invited to spring training where he’ll get a taste of being in a major league environment.

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