Who are 3 2025 Bounce Back Candidates?

With the flip of the New 12 months, the start of the baseball season is quickly approaching. In lower than 40 days, pitchers and catchers might be reporting to their respective spring coaching services to begin the start of  baseball season. Within the meantime, the tip of free company looms giant with some notable massive names nonetheless but to signal. A lot of the league’s rosters are starting to take form, nevertheless, and it’s time to make some 2025 predictions. Right here, I’ll be taking a look at three gamers that I’m anticipating to enhance upon their seasons from final 12 months. 

Isaac Paredes, 3B, Houston Astros, 25

Paredes has one among my favourite spray charts in all the league. He’s among the finest in all the league at getting balls within the air to the pull aspect constantly, as evident by the amount of balls hit proper close to the foul line. This skillset was put to nice use in Tropicana in 2023 the place he put up 31 residence runs for the Rays regardless of his anticipated residence runs being 23.8. Totally different parks favor several types of hitters, and Paredes’ transfer to the Cubs and Wrigley Discipline might partially clarify the lower in manufacturing in 2024. He went from a .840 OPS with 31 residence runs in 2023 to a .739 OPS with 19 residence runs in 2024. To place the distinction in ballpark dimensions in perspective, a ball hit down into the leftfield nook in Tropicana solely has to go 316 ft to clear the wall the place at Wrigley it should journey 356 ft. His distinctive ability set that he’s proven to excel at simply wasn’t an incredible match for Wrigley and the Cubs. Nevertheless, he’ll now be taking part in half his video games on the newly named Daikin Park for the Houston Astros, and I’m anticipating him to return again to his 2023 kind. Like Tropicana, Daikin Park is barely 315 ft to left subject with the Crawford Bins sitting excessive inviting right-handed sluggers to hit it their means. Only a few hitters excel at pulling the ball within the air like Paredes. Even in a down 12 months, his 51.9 pull share ranked third within the league. Mixed along with his 29.3% flyball price, Paredes is ready to slug and hit for energy regardless of his 68.2 mph bat velocity, a quantity that’s roughly 4 miles per hour slower than league common. The transfer appears to make lots of sense for all events concerned, and I feel Paredes is a match made in heaven for the Astros residence park. I’m anticipating a return to his 2023 kind with important potential for him to enhance on these numbers given he’s solely 25 years of age. 

Brent Rooker, LF, Athletics, 30

Brent Rooker’s spray chart is a bit much less excessive than Paredes’, however he nonetheless has proven a excessive stage means to raise the ball to the pull aspect. Rooker is coming off a particularly profitable 2024 marketing campaign the place he shone a shiny gentle on an in any other case miserable final season in Oakland for the Athletics. He hit .293/.365/.562 with 39 residence runs final 12 months, quietly placing collectively among the finest seasons within the league. At age 30, Rooker appears to have actually hit his stride this previous 12 months, and I’m anticipating him to construct off of that marketing campaign into the 2025 season. The Athletics might be shifting to Sacramento after taking part in their final season within the historic Coliseum this previous 12 months. Whereas Rooker received’t obtain the identical increase in a change in dimensions as Paredes did, his fly ball share of 34.3 is encouraging for his means to take care of the success from 2024 when his energy metrics are taken under consideration. He posted an above-average bat velocity of 73.7 and pulled the ball at a price of 40.5 p.c. If he can elevate the pull share a bit, Rooker ought to be capable of eclipse the 40 residence run mark in 2025. Had he been taking part in for the Brewers in 2024, Statcast had him predicted at 48 residence runs, so it’s definitely not outdoors of the realm of prospects. 

Rhys Hoskins, 1B, Milwaukee Brewers, 31

After lacking the 2023 season with a knee damage and corresponding surgical procedure, Hoskins returned in 2024 with a down 12 months when in comparison with his performances in Philadelphia. He misplaced 30 to 50 factors on his common, on base share, and OPS in 2024 and dropped from 30 residence runs to 26 in his first 12 months with the Brewers. A lot of this lower in manufacturing might doubtlessly be attributed to the rehab course of and restoration from the knee surgical procedure. With one other 12 months eliminated, I’m optimistic that he’ll be capable of return again to kind in 2025. Underneath the hood, the metrics remained high quality. His 52.6 pull share was tied for first within the league and he was hitting a fly ball 36.6 p.c of the time. From a pure energy perspective, each his common and max exit velocities had been down a couple of ticks from 2022, although once more, I’m hopeful that these numbers will return following one other 12 months of rehab and restoration. His bat velocity was a contact under common at 71.2 mph this previous season, however when mixed with the power to tug the ball within the air constantly, he can get away with it. If his restoration stays easy and he’s capable of get again to his 2022 exit velocities, the 31 12 months outdated could possibly be in for a bounceback season in 2025.