Top Five Infields for the 2025 MLB Season
There are plenty of MLB organizations who sport tremendously talented infields, but who holds the best infield for the upcoming 2025 season?
As Opening Day is just days away now, teams are in the process of solidifying their rosters and making their final tweaks in preparation for the new campaign.
As clarity is provided in regard to the makeup of all 30 teams for 2025, we can now start evaluating beyond individual players and look at larger entities of teams.
From an infield standpoint, there are plenty of top-class units in MLB, chock-full of All-Star hitters, defensive wizards, calming veteran presences, and rising young stars.
Plenty of these top-tier infields make a strong case to be amongst the best of the best in baseball, but only a select few can truly consider themselves the cream of the crop.
So without further ado, let’s dive into the top five infields in MLB for the 2025 season.
Honorable Mentions
St. Louis Cardinals
While there’s a lot to be excited about with this infield, there’s enough notable questions surrounding this unit heading into 2025 to leave them off this list.
While Masyn Winn was an excellent defender in his first full season in the majors last year, posting 14 DRS and 3 OAA at shortstop, he’s still growing into his offensive game. He managed a good, but not quite great campaign at the dish in 2024, ending with a 103 wRC+ and .730 OPS.
Brendan Donovan can hold it down at second base with 1 DRS and 5 OAA, while a 115 wRC+ is nothing to scoff at either. However, most of of the 28-year-old utility man’s appearances came in the corner outfield last season, leading one to be wonder how much second base he’ll actually play in 2025.
If he’s not playing second, suddenly it’s either the likes of strikeout-friendly Nolan Gorman or the unproven prospect in Thomas Saggese.
When Willson Contreras was healthy in 2024, he was phenomenal, posting a 140 wRC+ and .848 OPS. However, he spent nearly half the season on the injured list and now will start 2025 adjusting to his new role at first base.
Then there’s Nolan Arenado, who is still a vacuum at third with 6 DRS and 9 OAA. However, yet another average offensive season raises questions of whether the MVP-caliber bat is still there as he enters his mid-30s.
Philadelphia Phillies
When it comes to the Phillies, the offense they produce in the infield is certainly strong. Three of their four infielders held a wRC+ no lower than 115 in 2024.
Of that group, they feature two of the most notable household names at the plate in Bryce Harper, who is coming off his fifth straight season with a wRC+ above 135 and an OPS above .875, and Trea Turner, who now has posted a wRC+ above 120 and an OPS above .800 in four of his last five seasons.
They also aren’t half bad defensively, as three of the four names across the infield managed to be either net-neutral or better in both DRS and OAA last season.
There’s a few problems, though, that make all the difference when nit-picking is required to separate the very best infields from the very good infields.
There’s two names that only really excel on one side of the ball. Turner, as we’ve established already, is a great offensive piece to this Phillies team. However, when it comes to defense he was very poor in 2024, with -14 DRS and -3 OAA. Bryson Stott on the other hand was the opposite, posting 7 DRS and 1 OAA but only managed to pair that with an 88 wRC+ and .671 OPS.
The there’s Alec Bohm, who overall sported a solid enough 15 homers, 97 RBI, .779 OPS, and 115 wRC+. However, he was a first-half merchant, as he ended the 2024 campaign as a below-average hitter with a 90 wRC+ and .681 OPS. That lead to much trade speculation around his name this winter.
Texas Rangers
With Texas, they could very well have the strongest middle infield in all of baseball. Corey Seager was the 2023 AL MVP runner-up and is currently both our No. 6 overall shortstop and top overall player in the AL West for 2025. Then there’s Marcus Semien, a three-time MVP finalist and our No. 3 overall second baseman.
What holds Texas back here is the strength on the corners, who are not nearly the same well-rounded entities that their middle infield teammates are.
Jake Burger can rake, with 34 home runs in 2023 and 29 in 2024. However, he’s coming off a year in which he managed to only slightly be above average at the dish overall (106 wRC+), and he was nothing to write home about defensively at first base either, ending with -1 DRS and -1 OAA.
Then over at third, Josh Jung only mustered a 102 wRC+ in his injury-riddled campaign. Even if you were to give him the benefit of the doubt and chalk that season up to injury, he was still only a 112 wRC+ hitter in ’23, which is good but not great.
Then from a defensive standpoint, it was not a great showing from the 27-year-old at the hot corner last season, posting -3 DRS and -6 OAA.
5. Baltimore Orioles
The Orioles’ youthful infield features some of the most exciting talent MLB has to offer, from both a present and future standpoint.
Gunnar Henderson has more than proven himself to be one of the elite shortstops in the big leagues, as if it weren’t for the existence of Bobby Witt Jr., he may very well have laid claim to the title of best shortstop in baseball.
After capturing AL Rookie of the Year honors in 2023, Henderson posted an 8.0 fWAR season (5th in MLB) with a 155 wRC+, .893 OPS, and 37 homers. Not to mention he was no liability on defense either, recording 5 DRS.
Fellow All-Star Jordan Westburg may very well be just another great season away from being in the top five conversation at third base. A 125 wRC+ and .792 OPS season at the plate, combined with his 5 OAA in the field, has already solidified him as a top 10 name at the position as it stands right now.
Then there’s Ryan Mountcastle at first base, who despite trade speculation around his name this winter isn’t without value. He’s consistently managed to post above-average wRC+ totals no lower than 108 in his five-year career in Baltimore. He may not be the flashiest of first basemen, but he can hit the ball hard for above-average contact, making him a more than useful middle-of-the-lineup contributor.
The area where the most questions come into play is at second base. Former top prospect Jackson Holliday looks like the likely candidate to assume that role in 2025. Despite his prospect pedigree, it would be a lie to say there were absolutely no concerns with the 63 wRC+ and .565 OPS he had at the big league level last year.
That being said, the 21-year-old had a stronger second half when compared to his putrid first-half cameo. Pair that with his excellent minor league track record, and it still makes him a prime breakout candidate should he get the runway to develop at the major league level.
If there’s still growing pains with Holliday, the likes of a former Gold Glove winner in Ramón Urías or Jorge Mateo as right-handed platoon bats aren’t the worst insurance policies in the world either.
4. Boston Red Sox
From a star power point of view, the Red Sox can go toe-to-toe with just about any organization in baseball.
Rafael Devers is our No. 2 overall third baseman, and for good reason. He’s been at least a 124 wRC+ and .851 OPS hitter, as well as sporting 25-plus homers in five of the last six seasons. He’s also managed to be at least a 3.4-fWAR player in four of the last six seasons.
Then there’s the new option at third in Beantown, Alex Bregman, who’s been a staple at the position for years on both sides of the ball.
The former two-time All-Star and one-time Silver Slugger and Gold Glove Award winner is coming off yet another good season with a 4.1 fWAR. At the dish, he managed a very respectable 118 wRC+ and .768 OPS to go along with his third straight season with at least 20 homers.
Then from a defensive standpoint, 2024 was one of Bregman’s best campaigns with 6 DRS (tied for the second-highest mark of his career) and 6 OAA (his highest career total).
Triston Casas is as promising of a first baseman as MLB has at the moment, as he currently ranks as our No. 10 overall first baseman for 2025. He returned from the injured list as a prolific power hitter, ending with 13 home runs, a 119 wRC+, and an .800 OPS in 63 games
There’s a few reasons as to why they remain lower on this list than the three squads ahead of them.
The first is the duo at third base right now. Both are their biggest stars at third base, but Rafael Devers could be destined for more of a DH role in 2024, as Scott Thompson of Fox News reports.
Originally the thought was that Bregman was to play second when he signed a few weeks ago. However if Bregman wins the third base role and Devers has to settle for being the DH, suddenly the star-power element is essentially cut in half with only one of them playing a factor on the infield.
Then there’s Casas, who has as much promise as ever. However, as good as his performance has been early in his career, it’s still more of a limited sample size (due to injuries) than other more prominent names within the top three infields. Then his defense, while tolerable at -1 DRS and -2 OAA, doesn’t make up for this relative inexperience.
Shortstop is also partially an issue. Trevor Story has the track record of being an All-Star hitter at the major league level, however the past three seasons have been injury-riddled ones for the 32-year-old. When he’s on the field, he proved he can still be an above-average hitter (101 wRC+) and a good defender (2 DRS and 2 OAA). It’s just a matter of health at this point.
Finally, second base is still up in the air. If Bregman takes over that role, it becomes a moot point and the Red Sox could make a case for having a top three infield. If not though, then it’s a combination of either David Hamilton or Kristian Campbell, and that’s where the weakness lies.
Hamilton, while a major speed threat and excellent defender at second, is limited in his offensive profile. Campbell, while a very strong minor league hitter and our No. 36 overall prospect, has not been put to the big league test quite yet and would come into said big league test as a weaker defender.
3. New York Mets
The Mets’ infield is as sound of a unit as they come with no real weakness to be had at any of the positions.
Last season’s NL MVP runner-up, Francisco Lindor, leads the charge here as not only one of the league’s top shortstop but one of the league’s top overall players in recent years. In the past three seasons, only Aaron Judge has accumulated more fWAR than him. He’s also been above a 120 wRC+ each season in that span while defensively accumulating the sixth-most OAA as well.
Then at first base, Pete Alonso is next name of most notoriety. He’s one of the leagues biggest power and run production threats. He’s been a 30-plus home run and 85-plus RBI hitter in every season of his career (minus the COVID-shortened year in which he still managed 16 HR and 35 RBI in 57 games). He’s also never dipped under a 120 wRC+ in his career. His downfall is his defense, as he’s coming off a -3 DRS and -8 OAA season.
Mark Vientos had a real breakout campaign in 2024, finishing with a 133 wRC+ and .837 OPS, and then he capped it all off with the postseason of a lifetime where he slashed .327/.362/.636 with five homers and 14 RBI in 58 plate appearances. Like Alonso, defense was the problem for Vientos, ending with his -6 DRS and -6 OAA last year.
Then there’s second base, which isn’t the solidified spot that the top two teams have, thus making it weaker but not necessarily a weak point. On their own every option at second might be questionable, but together they each bring something to the table to at least make you feel they’re not at a disadvantage at the position.
Jeff McNeil had a strong second half at the dish last year and has a National League batting title to fall back on. Luisangel Acuña made the most of his late-season call up with a 166 wRC+, and per our Aram Leighton, he holds a strong 60 grade future value on his defense. Brett Baty has some prior prospect pedigree to his name and has been excellent this spring with a .354/.415/.708 slash line and a 184 wRC+.
As I’ve touched on earlier, the defensive shortcomings of two-thirds of their everyday trio (Alonso and Vientos) are a main reason as to why they fall below the top two teams on this list.
2. Atlanta Braves
Now we move to the clear top two, starting with the Braves, who fill three-quarters of their infield with some of the biggest talents across the league.
Matt Olson is one of the game’s elite power and run producing threats, as he’s managed 24 or more homers seven times in his nine major league seasons, as well as 84 or more RBI six times.
He’s also only a year removed from an incredible .283/.389/.604 slash line, 54 bombs, 139 RBI, 161 wRC+, and 6.6 fWAR. From a defensive standpoint he’s also very strong, as in ’24 he was a 13 DRS and 3 OAA player at first.
His MVP-caliber counterpart in the corner infield, third baseman Austin Riley, may not have had the season he anticipated due to missing significant time to injury, but he still managed a 116 wRC+ when he was on the field.
His prior three seasons were nothing short of excellent either, with three consecutive seasons above a 5.0 fWAR, 125 wRC+, and .850 OPS. He’s defensively passable as well, posting a net-neutral 0 DRS.
Finally, there’s Ozzie Albies at second. The 28-year-old has been injured two of the past three seasons, but when healthy he can be a real strength at the dish. In his last full season in 2023, Albies posted a 125 wRC+ with an .849 OPS, 33 home runs, and 109 RBI. Even when he was dealing with health issues, his mid-90s wRC+ totals in 2022 and 2024 meant he was at least around league average. Similar to Riley, he pairs this with serviceable defense with 1 DRS and just -1 OAA.
The weakness that separates them from the No. 1 team is shortstop, as after an extremely poor 2024 campaign, Orlando Arcia is still manning the position in Atlanta. He only mustered a 72 wRC+ with a .218 AVG and .625 OPS. He did make up for this somewhat with decent defense though, managing to rack up a respectable 4 OAA. This at least gives the Braves some sort of positive to fall back on if his bat is not productive again in ’25.
1. Los Angeles Dodgers
While some baseball fans might be tired of hearing that the Dodgers are the best, that’s simply the case here when it comes to their infield.
Of everyone featured on this list, they are the only infield unit to feature four of our Peter Appel’s top 100 MLB players for 2025.
Leading the way for L.A. is Mookie Betts, who now at full-health will move back to infield. Few hold a candle to the player that Betts is. Since 2018, only Aaron Judge has a higher fWAR accumulation than Betts’ 41.0. He also ranks in the top 10 in wRC+ (sixth at 151) and OPS (sixth at .931) in that span as well. Defensively, he managed 3 DRS at shortstop in 2024 to add to his glowing defensive record.
Then there’s the other former MVP and now reigning World Series MVP, Freddie Freeman. Freeman has been a bill of consistency throughout his entire career, and 2024 was no different, recording yet another season with at least a 4.0 fWAR, 130 wRC+, and .850 OPS.
He’s a walking 20+ homer and 80+ RBI guy, and he literally walks with the best of them, posting a 12.2% walk rate last year. Freeman continued to hold his own with his glove as well, recording 1 DRS and 1 OAA.
Max Muncy is next, the ultimate three true outcome guy. While he may strike out a lot, he also walks in-and-around 15.0% of the time with 30+ home run power. In 2024, this led to a 135 wRC+. For someone that can move around pretty frequently, he’s managed to remain at worst an average defender at third with 5 DRS and 0 OAA.
Lastly, Tommy Edman will likely have a strong role to play in the infield with how crowded the Dodgers’ outfield has gotten. If he ends up being the everyday second baseman as opposed to splitting time in center field, then he’ll bring a ton to the table.
The reigning NLCS MVP overcame his below-average regular season wRC+ (98) by posting a 1.022 OPS and .988 OPS in the NLCS and World Series, respectively. Pair that with a solid all-round defensive game, and it’s hard to fathom that he’s the fourth-best player in this infield.
Even if the Dodgers end up playing Edman in center field on any given night, the veteran presence of Miguel Rojas, who’s coming off a 111 wRC+ season, or eventually Hyeseong Kim, who was a 118 wRC+ hitter in the KBO last season, will ensure Los Angeles will never truly feel they’re behind the eight ball in any facet of their infield.
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