Finding the next Trey Yesavage: Which 2025 draftee will be a household name in 2026?

Only months after making his professional baseball debut, Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Trey Yesavage found himself dominating the Los Angeles Dodgers in the World Series. We don’t fault any Blue Jays fans who’d never heard of Yesavage before his first MLB appearance on September, nor do we blame them if they’ve already ensured they’ll have his jersey in their Christmas stocking.

Yesavage, Pittsburgh Pirates ace Paul Skenes, and Athletics teammates Jacob Wilson and Nick Kurtz are among the more notable first-round picks who have skyrocketed through the minors and immediately contributed over the past two seasons. The days of teams, especially those reluctant to hand out massive contracts, holding their top prospects in the minors to guarantee another year of team control are slowly evaporating.

Get ready to see some of the 2025 MLB Draft’s premier players hit the majors next year, even if they don’t make an Opening Day roster. For this list, we’ve ranked the players based on where they were drafted. 

As with Yesavage, all of the players included were drafted out of college rather than high school. No American-born player has reached the majors as a teenager since then-Washington Nationals outfielder Bryce Harper in 2012 — and we’re extremely skeptical that will change next year.

Jamie Arnold, P, Athletics (No. 11)

For all of their organizational flaws, the Athletics have made it a priority to promote elite young prospects in recent seasons. Arnold could be next up after posting a 2.98 ERA and a 278-53 K-BB ratio over 190 1/3 innings the past two years. Most notably, Arnold only gave up 14 home runs in that span, especially considering that, if he reaches the majors soon, he’ll pitch in a minor-league stadium.

Although The Athletic’s Keith Law expressed concerns regarding Arnold’s delivery, the longtime MLB draft insider came away impressed after seeing the lefty up close in an April victory over Virginia Tech. Arnold struck out nine and walked two while battling low temperatures and an inconsistent strike zone.

“He’s not working that hard to generate arm speed, and probably could throw harder if he maxed out — but he doesn’t need to, with all of that deception and two good secondary pitches,” Law wrote.

Jace LaViolette, CF, Cleveland Guardians (No. 27)

At 6-foot-6 and 230 pounds, LaViolette might want to see if the Browns are interested in using him as a tight end. As you’d hope for someone of his size, LaViolette arrives in Cleveland with a noted power stroke, having hit 68 homers in three seasons at Texas A&M. However, his batting average fell from .305 to .258 this past year, and he managed only nine doubles in 262 plate appearances.

LaViolette is expected to begin his pro career in center field. The Guardians have not indicated plans to move him to first base or make him a full-time designated hitter, despite his size. Speaking with Cleveland-based media this past summer, LaViolette made it clear he believes in his defensive abilities.

“I pride myself on any ball that's hit out there, just don't let it touch the grass,” LaViolette said. “That's how I talk about it, and then obviously I like to hit the ball a long way.”

Zach Root, P, Los Angeles Dodgers (No. 40)

Root’s traditional counting stats don’t jump off the page. The 6-foot-2, 210-pound lefty recorded a 4.07 ERA in three college seasons. He played with Yesavage at East Carolina from 2023–24 before spending his final season at Arkansas, where he struck out 126 batters and allowed only seven home runs in 99 1/3 innings.

“He's kind of an old-school pitcher, too,” said former Arkansas teammate Charles Davalan, an outfielder who the Dodgers selected one pick after taking Root. “He’s got a lot of different pitches, sinkerballer. He's got a cutter, a slider, really filled the zones up good, but he can still get his punchouts when he needs to get out of the jam."

The major knock against Root is his control, as he averaged 3.4 walks per nine innings in his three collegiate seasons. But if there’s any organization best suited to develop a young pitcher, especially one prone to giving up walks, it’s the Dodgers.

Cam Cannarella, CF, Miami Marlins (No. 43)

Cannarella is the only player on this list who has already made his minor-league debut, hitting .285 with six RBIs, six doubles, and a .712 OPS in 95 High-A plate appearances. The Marlins should be extremely excited about the 22-year-old Cannarella, who hit .360 with a 1.004 OPS across three seasons at Clemson.

Although Cannarella had right shoulder surgery in July 2024, the injury didn’t stop him from batting .353 with 29 extra-base hits. Cannarella brings exceptional plate discipline — he struck out 42 times against 52 walks in nearly 300 plate appearances — to a Marlins team that surprisingly won 79 games.

“Cannarella is a plus defender in center, he gets on base and it’s at least 12-15 homer power when he’s healthy,” Law wrote in July. “That’s a steal at this spot.”

We won’t be surprised to see new Marlins general manager Gabe Kapler be aggressive and fast-track Cannarella if the 6-foot, 185-pound outfielder gets off to a strong start next spring. Here’s our question: Will Cannarella open the year with High-A Beloit or move up to Double-A Pensacola?

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