George Springer, Cody Bellinger and Jesus Luzardo are three examples of players who struggled in 2024 and put together outstanding years in 2025, bouncing back to the level MLB fans knew they were capable of playing (and in Springer's case, well beyond).
Anthony Volpe, however, highlights a list of seven MLB players coming off brutal 2025 seasons looking to bounce back in 2026.
Anthony Volpe, New York Yankees
Volpe has never been the star that the New York Yankees hoped he'd be, but he was a quality starting shortstop to begin his MLB career. Sure, he hasn't done much offensively, but his elite defense at a premium position allowed him to put up 1.9 fWAR as a rookie and 3.5 fWAR in his second season. But that number dipped to 1.0 in his third season, and that's because his defense took a nosedive.
Volpe ranked in the eighth percentile with -6 Outs Above Average per Baseball Savant this past season, after winning a Gold Glove as a rookie and putting up 13 OAA in 2024. His -6 OAA in 2025 ranked 32nd out of 37 qualified shortstops, and his 19 errors tied for the American League lead.
Volpe might never be more than a 90 wRC+ hitter, but we've seen him defend at an elite level before. Now that he's set to be 100 percent healthy after undergoing shoulder surgery, if Volpe is able to defend at the elite level he once did, he'll revert to being a valuable player for the Yankees and a worthy starting shortstop. Although, if he fails to show signs of improvement, Jose Caballero might be coming for his job sooner than Brian Cashman and Aaron Boone expect.
Sandy Alcantara, Miami Marlins
Two years after winning the 2022 NL Cy Young award, Sandy Alcantara underwent Tommy John surgery, knocking him out for the entire 2024 campaign. Alcantara would return for the Miami Marlins in 2025, but he looked nothing like the Alcantara of old, as his 5.36 ERA in 31 starts would indicate. There's reason to believe he can bounce back next year, though.
First of all, returning from a serious procedure like Tommy John surgery is not easy. It's rare for pitchers to pick up where they left off immediately after returning, even ones at Alcantara's level. Second, Alcantara finished strongly in the second half, posting a 3.33 ERA in 13 starts after his ERA sat at over 7.00 in 18 first-half starts.
With the injury behind him and momentum in his favor after his strong finish, the hope is that Alcantara can pitch like the ace Marlins fans have come to know and love. The right-hander doing so could keep Miami afloat in the NL postseason race, or at least net the team a substantial return at the trade deadline.
Adley Rutschman, Baltimore Orioles
Adley Rutschman looked like a surefire future superstar to begin his MLB career. He was the AL Rookie of the Year runner-up in 2022, finished ninth in the AL MVP balloting in 2023 and got off to a fast start that allowed him to make the All-Star team in 2024. Unfortunately, Rutschman had a .584 OPS in the second half of that season, and finished 2025 slashing .220/.307/.366 with nine home runs and 29 RBI in 90 games.
Injuries played a role, but Rutschman hasn't looked right in quite some time. Given his struggles, it isn't surprising that the Baltimore Orioles haven't lived up to expectations themselves. With Rutschman now entering his prime years and with Samuel Basallo in the mix, the pressure is on Rutschman to perform.
Rutschman was once one of MLB's best catchers. It goes without saying that a return to that form could lead to very promising results for Baltimore.
Anthony Santander, Toronto Blue Jays
The Toronto Blue Jays signed Anthony Santander to a five-year deal last offseason, expecting him to pick up where he left off with the O's. Santander launched 44 home runs in 2024 and averaged 35 dingers over his final three seasons in Baltimore before landing with Toronto. Unfortunately, Santander slashed .175/.271/.294 with six home runs and 18 RBI in 54 games in his debut season with the Jays.
A shoulder injury greatly impacted Santander, but even before suffering the injury, he just couldn't get going offensively. Given the fact that Santander is not a good defender or base-runner, if he isn't hitting, he isn't providing much value at all.
The good news for Blue Jays fans is that this team proved it can get to the World Series without Santander doing much. If he's even a fraction of what he was in Baltimore — and there's no reason to believe he can't be now that he's expected to be healthy — watch out.
Sean Manaea, New York Mets
Just about everything that could've gone wrong for the 2025 New York Mets did go wrong, and Sean Manaea was a prime example of that. Manaea, the Mets' ace in 2024 who the team re-signed to a three-year deal that offseason, had a miserable go of it this year.
Not only did the southpaw miss nearly the entire first half with injury, but he looked nothing like the breakout pitcher he was in 2024 even when he was on the mound. His 5.64 ERA in 15 appearances (12 starts) speaks for itself. Just about everyone in the Mets' rotation underwhelmed, and Manaea was front and center.
With that being said, there's reason to believe he can bounce back in 2025. Manaea is said to be fully healthy, and the fact that he struck out more batters than he ever had (28.5 percent strikeout rate) while walking fewer batters than he ever had (4.6 percent walk rate) is encouraging for his odds of a rebound. If Manaea can stay healthy and keep the ball in the park, he should be a valuable member of the Mets' rotation. And that's really needed, given the state of that rotation right now.
Matt McLain, Cincinnati Reds
Matt McLain looked like a future star with the Cincinnati Reds when he slashed .290/.357/.507 with 16 home runs and 50 RBI in his rookie year. McLain finished fifth in the NL Rookie of the Year balloting despite only appearing in 89 games that season. Unfortunately, McLain missed all of 2024 with a shoulder injury, and while he had a mostly healthy 2025, he didn't look anything like the player he was in 2023.
McLain slashed .220/.300/.343 with 15 home runs and 50 RBI in 147 games. He began the year hitting second every day and ended it hitting ninth, while his 77 wRC+ ranked 141st out of 145 qualified position players. It was bad.
The Reds, a team in dire need of offense, will need McLain to bounce back if they want to make a run in the postseason, especially since they appear set on not making a major splash this winter. Hopefully, with McLain now having a full season under his belt, he'll look more like the player he was in 2023.
Tanner Scott, Los Angeles Dodgers
Even the best relievers in the sport can be volatile, and Tanner Scott is a prime example of that. Scott, a pitcher known for competing extremely well against Shohei Ohtani, was one of the best relievers in the game in 2023 and 2024. He posted a 2.04 ERA, striking out 31.3 percent of the batters he faced and being worth 4.5 fWAR over that span, a mark that led qualified relievers. Scott's dominance led to the Los Angeles Dodgers signing him to a massive four-year contract to close for them. Unfortunately, it felt as if Scott was blowing games more than saving them for the Dodgers in 2025.
The southpaw posted a 4.74 ERA in 61 appearances and 57 innings of work for the Dodgers and blew 10 of his 33 save opportunities. Most notably, the 11 home runs Scott surrendered in 2025 matched the total he allowed from 2022 through 2024 combined.
The Dodgers were able to win the World Series in spite of Scott's struggles, but it goes without saying that they'd greatly benefit from him bouncing back. Scott pitching like the dominant reliever he was with the Miami Marlins and San Diego Padres ahead of Edwin Diaz in the late innings would make L.A. even tougher to beat.
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