MLB ROTY Candidates 2025

Great farm systems are the backbone of any championship-caliber team. Without young talent, teams rarely can cross the finish line in October. 2025 sees stacked rookie classes in the American League (AL) and National League (NL). Several players have the chance to make an impact on a competitive team, and the pinnacle of this impact is the prestigious Rookie of the Year Award.

American League

Jasson Dominguez - New York Yankees

Jasson Dominguez had limited playing time for New York in 2023 and 2024 where he saw minimal success. 2025 could finally be his year to break out. Yankees manager Aaron Boone made it clear that leftfield is his job to lose.

The switch-hitting Dominguez has been stellar in the minor leagues the past two seasons, but inconsistent playing time has hurt his ability to get steady at the major leagues. An .848 on-base-plus-slugging (OPS) across 44 AAA games last year shows he can swing the bat well, it’s all about showing it off in a Yankee uniform now.

Aside from his bat, Dominguez shines in the outfield. Although a center fielder throughout his time in the minor leagues, the addition of Cody Bellinger sends Dominguez to left, where he has the tools to earn himself a gold glove.

Roman Anthony - Boston Red Sox

Roman Anthony headlines a triple threat of prospects within the Red Sox organization. At only age 20, Anthony is the youngest by two years, but is in line to take the AL rookie class by storm.

In 35 AAA games, Anthony featured a triple slash of .344/.463/.519. Stellar numbers for a 20-year-old one promotion away from the major leagues. His 16 extra-base hits also project to increase going into next season as he continues to develop his power.

The combination of power and plate discipline Anthony shows at such a young age is every MLB team’s dream for a hitting prospect. The only thing against Anthony is the current young talent on the Boston roster throughout the outfield. A trade at the major league level might be required to make room for the rising star.

Jackson Jobe - Detroit Tigers

Jackson Jobe enters 2025 with only four regular-season innings under his belt as a reliever. However, in 2025 Jobe will be able to prove his worth as a starter in the Tiger’s rotation next to AL Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal.

A four-pitch mix featuring a fastball, cutter, change-up and sweeper (all with above-average movement), bodes well for the young right-hander. His fastball averages an insane 97 miles per hour, with it reaching as high as 101.8 mph last Spring Training.

Heavily leaning on his fastball while mixing in his well-above-average sweeper and cutter will be the key to his success in 2025.

National League

Roki Sasaki - Los Angeles Dodgers

It is almost unfair to consider Roki Sasaki a rookie. Like Ichiro Suzuki and Shohei Ohtani before him, Sasaki has plenty of experience coming into 2025 from his time in the Nippon Professional Baseball League. He spent four seasons for the Chiba Lotte Marines, garnering a lot of achievements under his belt.

These achievements include a career 2.10 ERA, 505 strikeouts, and a gold medal from the 2023 World Baseball Classic. In addition to a perfect game he threw on April 10th, 2022.

Talk about a ‘rookie’ resume.

What makes Sasaki great is his ability to command his well-above-average arsenal. His fastball sits around 97 miles per hour, but he has gotten it up to as high as 100 mph in years past.

The real killer is his filthy splitter. Looking like a fastball out of his hand, it drops suddenly and fools opposing hitters into swinging and missing at an absurd 57.1 percent clip, compared to the MLB average of 34.5 percent. He also has a slider that generates a swing-and-miss rate of 40.7 percent, another elite pitch.

This three-headed monster of a pitch mix could lead Sasaki to more than just a Rookie of the Year award, with an outside chance of securing the NL Cy Young Award.

Dylan Crews - Washington Nationals

Dylan Crews is another player who has had major league experience and struggled. Across 31 games with the Nationals, Crews only managed a .219 batting average. Despite this, Crews shined with both his baserunning and defense.

Winning a gold glove for his work in center field in the minor leagues, Crews could be the everyday centerfielder for the Nationals and find immediate success. Beyond his above-average range in the outfield, he also features one of the strongest arms in the game.

Even more impressive than his arm is his sprint speed. Crews sits at 29.3 feet per second, putting him in the 93rd percentile among all baserunners. Grabbing 12 stolen bases across 31 games, he should get an expanded opportunity to run in a full-time role next season.

If Crews can bring his AAA bat to the majors he can be a true five-tool player at the major league level.

Jordan Lawlar - Arizona Diamondbacks

Lawlar has shown promise in limited playing time across his minor league career. Lighting up AAA with a 1.080 OPS across 12 games gives hope that if he stays healthy he can be a force in the majors. Injuries have been a concern in years past, but the Diamondbacks seem determined to get Lawlar to the major leagues.

Not only does his bat project to be above average, but Lawlar is also a gifted defender. A shortstop for most of his career, Arizona has toyed with him playing both third and second base. It shows a willingness to get Lawlar to the big leagues no matter where he plays.

Lawlar is very similar to Crews in that if his bat develops slightly at the major league level, his defense and baserunning could have him bringing home some hardware at the end of the season.

Carter Brooks is a second-year majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, please email cjb7448@psu.edu.