Dylan White’s Breakout MLB Prospects Team For 2025
Image credit: Ryan Sloan (Photo by Bill Mitchell)
Each year, Geoff Pontes, Dylan White and Matt Eddy build a team of prospects we expect break through in the upcoming season.
This year, we conducted a draft to ensure that we each had a unique breakout team with no duplication of players. We used the loosest possible definition of a breakout candidate—only players who don’t appear on the preseason Top 100 Prospects are eligible.
Dylan says: “My picks were made through a fantasy lens, using RoboScout and our dynasty list as inputs.”
Agustin Ramirez, C, Marlins
Ramirez feels a bit like he already broke out in 2024. Now with the Marlins, the (current) catcher should get more runway to ply his wares in the major leagues, likely debuting in 2025. His approach is solid and he makes good contact, but it’s the thunder in his bat that makes him a potential major league middle-of-the-order threat.
Ryan Clifford, 1B, Mets
Clifford is a RoboScout favorite with his massive power and keen eye. The strikeout rate thus far makes him a “three true outcomes” hitter, with 25 to 30 home runs in his bat. With his strong arm, he might be moved to right field and be knocking on the door of a major league debut in 2025.
Hao-Yu Lee, 2B, Tigers
I had to come out of this draft with Lee, a RoboScout favorite for two consecutive years. Good bat-to-ball skills, young for the level, surprising pop,and solid middle infield defense knocking on the door of the big leagues is why RoboScout likes him. Makes sense to me.
Gino Groover, 3B, Diamondbacks
Groover has always had the hit tool—he showed contact rates above 80% last year—but has just needed to add strength to the bat. That was especially difficult last year due to a power-sapping wrist injury, though he did manage a solid 14% barrel rate. If he can stay healthy through 2025, Groover is a potential breakout candidate, exceeding his current major league projection of a league average bat.
Welbyn Francisca, SS, Guardians
Francisca is another in a long lineage of Guardians middle infielders with a plus hit tool and defense to stick up the middle. If he can add strength to his sweet bat, he will ascend lists. He probably is the most likely of my picks to grace the upper half of the Top 100 next year.
Brailer Guerrero, OF, Rays
Guerrero has the tools to be a star thanks to plus power paired with advanced bat-to-ball skills, but he just can’t seem to stay healthy. This pick is a gamble that 2025 will be a full season of development for the young outfielder.
Alejandro Osuna, OF, Rangers
Even without knowing that he is one of the better defensive outfielders in the system with a strong arm, Osuna has been another RoboScout favorite due to his power/speed blend. He has no standout tool but does a lot of things well. That type of profile tends to get overlooked, but I think 2025 will be one where he will be noticed as a potential major league regular.
Slade Caldwell, OF, Diamondbacks
The D-backs’ first round selection in 2024, Caldwell looks to be a top-of-the-lineup table setter with a great approach, plus bat-to-ball skills and double plus speed. Being in the D-backs’ organization and with his diminutive stature, inevitable comps to Corbin Carroll will ensue. As unrealistic as that may be, it is true that Arizona excels at actualizing this archetype into a major league-ready player.
Eduardo Quintero, UT, Dodgers
Quintero is another upside pick. The young Dodger had similar underlying Statcast data to fellow teenage center fielder Max Clark while being a year younger, showing good bat to ball skills, a solid approach and above-average-to-plus power.
Grant Taylor, RHP, White Sox
Taylor came out of 2024 a RoboScout favorite thanks to his filthy arsenal, and he’s since carried over the buzz he generated at the Arizona Fall League by further lighting up Stuff+ models this spring training with huge extension and a five-pitch arsenal including a fastball that sits 99 mph. His 2025 will be to focus on building up to a starter’s workload. If he can’t hit his high ceiling as a starting pitcher, he could always be a high-leverage weapon out of a bullpen.
Ryan Sloan, RHP, Mariners
Sloan already had the ingredients that you’d want in a prep pitcher: workhorse frame, plus fastball, two secondaries and solid command. Throw in the Mariners pitching lab, and he has breakout written all over him.
Richard Fitts, RHP, Red Sox
Fitts came into camp as a pitchability guy with good control who couldn’t get whiffs in his 2024 debut in the majors. Over the offseason, though, he added strength, showing 2 mph more velocity on his fastball, which is now sitting 96 mph and touching 99. He’s also added a curveball and sinker, giving him six potential pitches to work with. He’s a serious option to break camp in the Red Sox rotation, as he’s been giving hitters fits so far this spring.
Moises Chace, RHP, Phillies
The former Oriole has one of the more unique fastballs in the minor leagues. It comes in super flat from a low slot and generates over 40% whiffs, one of the highest rates in the minor leagues. His slider has over a foot of horizontal break and actually grades higher than the unicorn fastball. Also armed with a changeup, Chace has a major league starter’s arsenal but needs to command it a bit better.
