MLB Prospect Breakout Candidates For 2025

This is one of my favorite articles to put out every year, not only because it is a blast to put together, but because it means Minor League Baseball is back. Last year’s predictions yielded mixed results, as expected with these types of predictions. Of course, “breakout” is a relative term as some prospects on this list are featured on our top 100 list, while others are not even in their team top 15 yet. Essentially, these are the players I expect to take a big leap in 2025.

Jaxon Wiggins – RHP – Cubs

The Cubs liked Wiggins so much at Arkansas that they took him in the second round of the 2023 draft despite Tommy John surgery wiping out his entire Junior season. They took over his rehab and he made his return back to the mound in May of last season. He had to shake off some understandable rust, but quickly made it clear why a strong drafting team like the Cubs were so high on him.

Wiggins stands at 6-foot-7, 225 pounds with an upper 90s fastball and a pair of secondaries that could be plus. He appears to be gaining more velocity the further he distances himself from the surgery, already touching 100 MPH during spring. Command will be the X-Factor for the 23-year-old righty as he presumably gets his second dose of High-A, but the vertical separation his changeup gets from his loud fastball and hard upper 80s gyro slider should overpower minor league bats if he is around the zone enough.

Max Acosta – SS – Marlins

I was at first critical of the Marlins’ decision to move Burger with four years of control over the offseason, but the more I dove into Acosta’s 2024 season, the more I started to understand why the Marlins may have been eager to pick him up in a return that also included infielder Echedry Vargas and left-handed pitcher Brayan Mendoza.

Acosta was a big ticket International Free Agent in 2019, but struggled through Low-A and High-A. He enjoyed his best season of his career in Double-A last season, posting an OPS of .777. However, it was his second half shift that really stood out.

The 22-year-old made a mechanical adjustment around the All-Star Break and proceeded to go nuclear, hitting .335/.401/.513, upping his average exit velocity by 2.5 MPH and cutting his chase rate by 8%. Eliminating his long stride helped him keep his weight back and have more time in the box, and while some hitters would lose some impact, his ability to use his base more effectively actually enhanced his power output.

I got plenty of looks at Acosta this spring on the backfields where his glove looks the part at shortstop as well. I think he fully breaks out in Triple-A this year, making a strong case to crack the Marlins big league infield sooner rather than later.

Brody Hopkins – RHP – Rays

Hopkins is as unique as they come on the mound, which is why the Rays targeted him in the Randy Arozarena return. He’s a superb athlete on the mound, formerly playing the outfield as well at Winthrop, much like his brother T.J. His delivery is tough on hitters, with a high leg kick and inward twist that leads to a low-three quarters arm action and 4.8 foot release height (MLB average is roughly 5.9 feet).

While he’s still learning how to harness it all, Hopkins has a deep bag of pitches. His two fastballs really set the tone, averaging 96 MPH with vertical life on the four seamer while his sinker a tick below gets nearly 18 inches of horizontal break with six inches of vertical separation. In Layman’s terms, he can make you swing under a four seamer at the top and roll over a sinker. The former picked up plus plus in zone whiff rates, while the latter yielded a ground ball rate of 64%.

It’s not just the fastballs for Hopkins; his slider is plus with a sweeper that looks like it can be an above average pitch as well. He’ll even mix in a cutter and changeup with the cut flashing average. If Hopkins can increase his strike rate from 59%, he has the goods to dominate Double-A arms in 2025.

Eric Bitonti – 1B/3B – Brewers

The first of two Brewers corner power bats who I think could mash this year, Bitonti flashed his huge power potential between the Arizona Complex League and Low-A in 2024, launching 16 home runs in 79 games. While he did strike out at a 28% clip, I continued to come away impressed with how Bitonti commanded his at bats for a 6-foot-5, 18-year-old hitter in his first pro season.

Bitonti is athletic in the box, with good adjustability and a patient approach. He has the ability to leave the yard with ease to all fields and consistently drives the ball in the air, making him a candidate to launch as many home runs as just about any hitter at the lower levels in 2025 if he can keep the swing and miss in check.

Blake Burke – 1B – Brewers

Burke put up monster numbers in his junior season at Tennessee, but limited defensive value and a high chase rate kept him just outside of the top 30 picks, landing with the Brewers at No. 34 overall. He stands at 6-foot-3, 240 pounds, fitting the bill of a big swinging masher, though his feel for the barrel and efficient swing may result in less whiff than people would expect.

He really stood out in my live looks this spring, launching a 111 MPH homer and really hanging in well in left on left matchups. Burke may be more hitterish than he gets credit for, though he is going to need to be a bit more selective at the plate to enjoy a full-fledged breakout.

Welbyn Francisca – SS – Guardians

Another switch-hitting Guardians middle infielder who is ahead of his years, Francisca mashed his way off of the complex in his age 18 season, putting together an impressive 29 games at Low-A as well. Despite his smaller stature, Francisca’s 87 MPH average exit velocity is well above average for his age with plus bat-to-ball skills.

Francisca would benefit from getting the ball in the air more frequently, sporting a ground ball rate of 56% in 2024, though his feel for the barrel and quality approach should help him make that adjustment as he gets his second taste of Low-A. He is an above average runner who is savvy on the base paths as well, making him a candidate to push towards 30 bags in 2025.

Joey Oakie – RHP – Guardians

By getting No. 1 overall selection Travis Bazzana to agree to an $8.95 million signing bonus, the Guardians created $1.62 million in savings to allocate towards later rounds. A big portion of that went towards signing Oakie away from his Iowa commitment. He’s funky, but Oakie boasts loud stuff and what could be a plus fastball slider combination already. His changeup lags far behind at this point, but he may not really need it as he wields two different fastballs at 93-95 MPH, a heavy sinker and a four seamer with vertical action that plays up from his low release point and horizontal arm angle. If Oakie can even be fringe-average in the command department, he has a chance to dominate at the lower levels this season.

Slade Caldwell – OF – Diamondbacks

While Konnor Griffin and Bryce Rainer sat in their own tier at the top of the 2024 prep class, Caldwell headlined the next tier for me. He is a twitchy athlete with a good feel for the barrel and impressive plate discipline to leverage his 5-foot-9 frame. Caldwell should be a menace on the base paths with the ingredients to get on base at a high clip at Low-A. The defensive ability in center and hard-nosed approach will only further endear him to evaluators, which is why I think Caldwell could very easily be a consensus top 100 prospect by midseason.

Edward Florentino – OF – Pirates

We’re shooting for some deeper cuts on these final two players as breakouts are ultimately relative, and if Florentino has the year that I think he can, he could very well go from somewhat of prospect obscurity to top 10 in the system. Florentino is extremely patient, running one of the lowest chase rates in the DSL in 2024 while posting above average exit velocities.

When I saw him this spring, he looked much more under control in the box, particularly with his load which featured a much smoother leg kick while minimizing his barrel tip. His whippy bat speed was evident along with a frame that is still extremely projectable. His patience and raw power should make him a candidate to hit his way out of the Florida Complex League in his age 18 season.

Yordin Chalas – RHP – Diamondbacks

Signed for just $10,000 out of the Dominican Republic in 2023, Chalas saw his velocity jump nearly three ticks in 2024, averaging 96.8 MPH on his way to a 31% strikeout rate in relief. There’s some deception built into his release with impressive arm speed, helping his high spin heater get on hitters more quickly. The Diamondbacks may experiment with stretching Chalas out further in 2025, but he will need to cut into his 70% fastball usage. His breaking ball flashes above average and he has been messing around with a splinker that could give him a more reliable way to get lefties out after they posted an OPS 250 points higher than righties against him in 2024.

With his live arm, plus fastball and intriguing splinker in the works, Chalas could go from relatively unknown to one of th emore intriguing young arms in the system if he responds well to being stretched out in his age 21 season.