MLB Power Rankings: Top 25 players under 25

25 of 25

WASHINGTON, DC – JUNE 28: Bryce Harper #34 of the Washington Nationals runs to second base in the firs tinning during a baseball game against the Chicago Cubs at Nationals Park on June 28, 2017 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images) /

1. Bryce Harper

With Mike Trout aging himself out of the “under-25” category, the obvious choice here at number one is Bryce Harper. The five-time All-Star and 2015 NL MVP will not turn 25 until the middle of October. Harper had a down year in 2016, but is right back to producing MVP numbers in 2017.

Harper’s age-22 season is one of the best ever by a player so young. In 2015, he batted .330/.460/.649 with 38 doubles, 42 home runs, 124 walks, and 99 RBI for a Washington Nationals team that struggled most of the year. Only halfway through his age-24 season, Harper is 16th in MLB history for home runs before 25. By the end of the year, he should be right up there with the greats like Ken Griffey Jr, Mickey Mantle, Jimmie Foxx, Mel Ott, and Alex Rodriguez. Had he not missed large chunks of the 2013 and 2014 seasons with injury, Harper may already have topped them all.

When he hits free agency, Harper is going to cash in like no one in MLB history has cashed in before. He will sign for $400 million or more, and that might still be a bargain. Scouts drooled over Harper’s raw power since he was a teenager, but none predicted he would one day contend for batting titles. He has complete control of the strike zone, and it makes him impossible to get out at times.

Next: Best all-time player for each MLB team

Harper is the player MLB needs to build its marketing campaigns around for the next decade, especially when he gets himself into a bigger media market than Washington. He has the charisma, the youth, the flair that the game desperately needs to sell itself to young fans.

Home/MLB