La Vida Baseball’s Top 25 Under 25
By Tab Bamford
As the baseball world hands out their formal end-of-year awards, La Vida Baseball takes a look back at the 2018 season with a look to the future.
Baseball is in the hands of one of the best groups of young players in the history of the game, and players from all over Latin America are leading the charge. There are dozens of players in their early to mid-20s making an enormous impact on the big leagues. Finalists for almost every major award – and many winners – haven’t yet celebrated their 26th birthday.
We took the time to look back at the 2018 season and rank the 25 best players who are 25 years old or younger.
Note: the rankings below consider players who had not yet celebrated their 26th birthday during the 2018 season, and only players who were in the majors. In the coming months we may very easily see names like Eloy and Vladimir replacing some of the guys who made our list this year.
Top 25 Under 25
25. Jeimer Candelario, Detroit Tigers
Age: 24
Dominican Republic
Candelario was blocked from making it to the big leagues at third base by Kris Bryant in Chicago, but a deadline deal to Detroit last year opened the door for regular playing time. He responded with 19 home runs and 54 RBI and a .710 OPS in 144 games with the Tigers this year.
24. Willy Adames, Tampa Bay Rays
Age: 23
Dominican Republic
Adames made his major league debut on May 22 and appeared in 85 games for the Rays in 2018. He showed some prodigious power in his big league time, hitting 10 home runs and driving in 34 while scoring 43 times in 323 plate appearances.
23. Orlando Arcia, Milwaukee Brewers
Age: 24
Venezuela
Arcia took a step back offensively during the 2018 regular season, hitting only three home runs in 119 games. His bat woke up in the playoffs, however, as he matched that number in 10 postseason games for the Brewers.
22. Ramón Laureano, Oakland A’s
Age: 24
Dominican Republic
Laureano made his major league debut on Aug. 3 and finished the season slashing .288/.358/.474 in 48 games. He also showed off one of the bigger arms in the big leagues, giving Oakland fans they may have another Gold Glove candidate for years to come.
21. Yoán Moncada, Chicago White Sox
Age: 23
Cuba
Moncada was traded to Chicago in the deal that sent Chris Sale to Boston. He was made the everyday second baseman on Chicago’s south side this year, appearing in 149 games for the White Sox. He led the league in strikeouts (217) but has shown flashes of his enormous potential.
20. Seranthony Dominguez, Philadelphia Phillies
Age: 23
Dominican Republic
Dominguez made his major league debut on May 7 and soon took over the closer role for the Phillies. He finished 24 games this year, saving 16 of them, and struck out 74 in 58 innings pitched.
19. Ketel Marte, Arizona Diamondbacks
Age: 25
Dominican Republic
Marte became an all-around threat in his second year in the desert. He led the league with 12 triples and scored 68 runs for the Diamondbacks in 153 games.
18. Roberto Osuna, Houston Astros
Age: 23
Mexico
Osuna’s season was limited to 38 appearances because of domestic violence issues, which ultimately led to him being traded from Toronto to Houston. He saved 12 games for the Astros down the stretch.
17. Johan Camargo, Atlanta Braves
Age: 24
Panama
After appearing in 82 games for the Braves in 2017, Camargo became an invaluable utility player for Atlanta this season. He hit 19 home runs and knocked in 76 with an .806 OPS while playing three different infield positions for the National League East champions.
16. Nomar Mazara, Texas Rangers
Age: 23
Dominican Republic
Already in his third full major league season, Mazara was set back by injuries in 2018. He still managed to hit 20 home runs – matching the total from his previous two seasons – despite being limited to 128 games.
15. German Márquez, Colorado Rockies
Age: 23
Venezuela
Márquez took another big step forward in the Rockies’ rotation in 2018, bringing his ERA down to 3.77 while winning 14 games. He struck out 230 in 196 innings over 33 starts and won the Silver Slugger Awards after batting .300 this season.
14. Rafael Devers, Boston Red Sox
Age: 22
Dominican Republic
Devers, who turned 22 during the World Series, hit 21 home runs in his first full season with the Red Sox. He emerged as a postseason hero for Boston, driving in nine runs in 11 games as the Red Sox sprinted all the way to a championship.
13. Gary Sánchez, New York Yankees
Age: 25
Dominican Republic
Injuries and defensive issues were the narrative of the 2018 season for Sánchez, who hit 18 home runs and drove in 53 in only 89 games. His batting average plummeted to .186, but a healthy offseason will bring renewed hope for the backstop in the Bronx.
12. Rougned Odor, Texas Rangers
Age: 24
Venezuela
Odor was hampered by injuries during the 2018 season, limiting him to 129 games played. He still saw improvements in many of his offensive statistical categories, including a .102 jump in his OPS. He was also a Gold Glove finalist at second base.
11. José Berríos, Minnesota Twins
Age: 24
Puerto Rico
Berríos appeared in his first All-Star Game in 2018 and threw a new career-high 192 1/3 innings, striking out 202. He finished tied for the league lead with two complete games and one shutout and won 12 times for the Twins. He’s a bona fide ace in Minnesota.
10. Gleyber Torres, New York Yankees
Age: 21
Venezuela
Torres was quite the story in 2018, coming back from Tommy John surgery to hit 24 home runs and drive in 77 in only 123 games in the majors. He’s a finalist for the American League Rookie of the Year and appeared in his first All-Star Game as a 21-year-old.
9. Ozzie Albies, Atlanta Braves
Age: 21
Curaçao
Albies is the second 21-year-old second baseman in the top ten to appear in the 2018 All-Star Game. He exploded with 24 home runs, 40 doubles and 105 runs scored in 158 games for the Braves this year. If not for a teammate we’ll talk about a little later, he would have been the story in Atlanta this year.
8. Miguel Andújar, New York Yankees
Age: 23
Dominican Republic
Any time your name is mentioned in the same sentence as the likes of Joe DiMaggio in New York you know good things are happening. The front-runner for the American League Rookie of the Year, Andújar wasn’t a sure thing to start the year with the Yankees. He hit 47 doubles, 27 home runs and drove in 92 and established himself as one of the key bats in the New York lineup.
7. Juan Soto, Washington Nationals
Age: 20
Dominican Republic
Soto didn’t appear in the majors until May 20 but made himself one of the more valuable players in the National League over the final four months of the regular season. His .406 on-base percentage, 142 OPS+ and 46 extra base hits are unheard of totals for a teenager.
6. Ronald Acuña Jr., Atlanta Braves
Age: 20
Venezuela
Braves fans had to wait until April 25 for the arrival of Acuña but he didn’t wait to make an impact. In 111 games he hit 26 home runs, many of which were tape-measure shots that defied his age. He also stole 16 bases and posted a .917 OPS in his age-20 season.
5. Edwin Díaz, Seattle Mariners
Age: 24
Puerto Rico
Díaz became only the third player in history to save 57 games in a season, becoming one of the most dominant closers in the game. He struck out 124 in 73 1/3 innings and posted a 1.96 ERA. Díaz joined the reunion of Los Rubios at the 2018 All-Star Game in Washington, D.C. this summer, his first appearance in the All-Star Game.
4. Luis Severino, New York Yankees
Age: 24
Dominican Republic
In his second full season in New York Severino became the ace of the Yankees, winning 19 games and striking out 220 in 191 1/3 innings. He also made an appearance in his second consecutive All-Star Game.
3. Carlos Correa, Houston Astros
Age: 24
Puerto Rico
After helping lead the Astros to the first World Series championship in club history, injuries took a big toll on Correa this year. Before 2018, Correa had hit at least 20 home runs in all three of his big league seasons. This list is so deep that there are two shortstops from Puerto Rico ahead of the 2015 AL Rookie of the Year.
2. Javier Báez, Chicago Cubs
Age: 25
Puerto Rico
Báez announced his arrival on the national stage as the co-MVP of the 2016 NLCS, but 2018 was his coming out party. He led the league with 111 runs batted in, hit 31 home runs and stole 21 bases while playing exceptional defense at three infield positions for the Cubs. He won his first Silver Slugger Award and is a finalist for the National League MVP and became one of the young faces of baseball.
1. Francisco Lindor, Cleveland Indians
Age: 24
Puerto Rico
Lindor isn’t an MVP finalist, but his game shows that he’s one of the elite superstars in the game today. He led the league with 129 runs scored while hitting 42 doubles, 38 home runs and stealing 25 bases with 92 RBI. Now a three-time All-Star, two-time Silver Slugger Award winner and with one Rawlings Gold Glove Award® on his resume, he is the most individually decorated player on our list and has earned the top spot.
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