Major League Baseball wouldn’t be what it is if it weren’t for the star power of its athletes. Sports fans are hooked not just because of the excitement of the game itself, but also because of how impressive the players are. Fans get to enjoy the game because of how great the players on the field play on any given night.
Indeed, professional baseball players deserve the recognition. They’ve spent their entire lives honing their craft to get to where they are now. The best baseball players aren’t renowned just by the fans of the game, but also by the world outside baseball. The top baseball stars have grown to become celebrities and cultural icons, and it all begins with how prolific they are on the field.
Today’s league is seeing the rise of stars from all over the MLB, and as with any sport, the changing of the guard is always on its way. Major League Baseball is filled with young players who have already shown that they have what it takes to become the future icons of the sport.
These are the best players in the MLB under 25 years old:
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Bo Bichette
The 22-year-old shortstop for the Toronto Blue Jays has shown promise as one of the best hitters in the league. He’s definitely shown flashes of immense talent since he entered the major league in 2019, and with a little more work in his peripherals, he can truly rise as one of the best players in the MLB.
In his relatively short time thus far in the league, Bichette has already put himself in the record books, becoming the first shortstop in the modern era to be on base six times, steal two bases, and hit a home run all in a single game. Bichette is also the youngest player in Toronto Blue Jays History to have five hits in a single game.
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Eloy Jimenez
Eloy Jimenez has had potential written all over him since his younger days. In 2013, the then 16-year-old Dominican was considered the top international free agent of the year. Although Jimenez has only begun playing in the major league in 2019, he’s already proven that he is worth the hype. The 2020 Silver Slugger Awardee has been a bright glimmer of hope for the Chicago White Sox, and he’s just getting started.
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Ozzie Albies
With four years of major league experience under his belt, and having already been selected as an All-Star in 2018, the 2019 Silver Slugger Awardee of the Atlanta Braves has shown that he’s here to stay. Ozzie Albies, at only 23 years old, has proven to be one of the best all-around players in the league, batting .279/.330/.473 so far in his young career, and posting an impressive .994 fielding percentage in 2019, the best mark among all second basemen in the MLB for that season.
Albies has also shown that he’s in it for the long haul with the Braves, after signing a seven-year $35 million extension with the club in 2019. As of now, there’s no telling how good Albies can be with the Braves, but there’s definitely no shortage of hope and potential for the Atlanta squad.
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Fernando Tatis Jr.
Fernando Tatis, Jr. might not have been in the league as long as these other players, but he’s already shown that he is one of the most electrifying players in Major League Baseball. The San Diego Padres shortstop has proven that he’s not just full of potential, but that he’s already ready to hang with the biggest stars of the league.
In 2020, Tatis batted an impressive .277/.366/.571, for 10th in the league, and hit a total of 50 runs and 17 home runs, both the 2nd most in the league. For his phenomenal efforts, the 21-year-old Tatis finished fourth in MVP voting in the National League in the same year.
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Mike Soroka
The Atlanta Braves are rich in young talent. Their 2015 28th overall pick has truly paid off for the club, being named an All-Star in 2019 and making it to the All-MLB Second Team in the same year. Mike Soroka has grown to be a reliable pitcher for Atlanta, having already garnered 171 strikeouts so far in his young career. Soroka’s four-pitch repertoire still needs some honing, but at the age of 23, he’s already established himself as one of the deadliest young pitchers in the game.
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Yordan Alvarez
At 23 years old, Yordan Alvarez has proven that the future remains bright for the Houston Astros. The 2019 Rookie of the Year also made the All-MLB Second Team in the same season. Alvarez has batted an impressive .312/.410/.654 throughout 89 games, and although he’s had to shut down due to arthroscopic surgery on both his knees, he has years of playing ahead of him. Once he makes his return, it’s not unlikely that he will continue to show that he belongs in the same conversation as baseball superstars like Mike Trout and Christian Yelich.
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Gleyber Torres
The New York Yankees may not be the powerhouse that they once were, but their future is looking bright. A large part of this is due to 23-year-old Gleyber Torres, who’s showing signs of becoming New York’s next superstar. In just 309 games, Torres has already been selected as an All-Star twice, and has already hit 65 homers while batting a formidable .271/.340/.493.
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Rafael Devers
Rafael Devers may only be 24 years old, but he’s already had experiences that some players late in the career are yet to have. The 2018 World Series champion from the Boston Red Sox has averaged .279/.332/.498 throughout his 4-year career so far, and has established himself in the upper echelon of third basemen in the league.
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Juan Soto
At the tender age of 22, Juan Soto has already proven that he is one of baseball’s brightest stars, and there’s no doubt that he’s going to be among the best in the game for a long time. After all, he’s already led the Washington Nationals to a World Series championship in 2019, and he’s only played 313 games in his already prolific career, having been named to the All-MLB Second Team in 2019, and receiving the Silver Slugger Award and becoming the National League Batting Champion in 2020. As long as Soto is in Washington, there’s no doubt that the club will be contending for the years to come.
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Ronald Acuna, Jr.
The future is truly bright for the Atlanta Braves, and the squad’s solid young core is headlined by Ronald Acuna Jr. The 22-year-old outfielder has already been awarded the Rookie of the Year, has been named an All-Star, became part of the All-MLB Second Team, won the Silver Slugger Award twice, has led the National League in stolen bases, and has joined the elite 30-30 club in his 313-game career.
Acuna will undoubtedly add to his hardware collection in the coming years, and it’s only a matter of time until he becomes one of the undisputed icons of modern-day Major League Baseball.
