Spring training is going strong and I've posted my minor league and draft prospect rankings, so now fans' attention has turned to potential major league sleepers.
Whether it's for the later stages of their fantasy drafts or the first to mention a name in your friend group, I've been inundated with requests for sleepers, with varied definitions of the term.
I've canvassed the league, chatting with agents, executives, and scouts to find the players who are emerging early in camp or seem primed to break out in the big leagues this season, even if it likely will be a little later in the season. With some overlap from Jeff Passan's recent scout buzz and my own bold prospect takes, here's whom you need to monitor, note, or draft -- one for each MLB team -- including plenty of bonus names.
Jump to team:
American League
ATH | BAL | BOS | CHW | CLE
DET | HOU | KC | LAA | MIN
NYY | SEA | TB | TEX | TOR
National League
ARI | ATL | CHC | CIN | COL
LAD | MIA | MIL | NYM | PHI
PIT | SD | SF | STL | WSH
AL East
Baltimore Orioles: Jackson Holliday, 2B
The expectations for Holliday were a little overwhelming last season, which usually happens with the top prospect in baseball. I'll pick him to beat his projections this year (2.0 to 2.5 WAR, slightly above league-average OPS) after expectations fell a bit below his talent level.
The O's are flush with solid choices: 3B Coby Mayo, CF Enrique Bradfield Jr. and LHP Cade Povich are all solid options to have louder-than-expected big league numbers this season. RHP Brandon Young is a sleeper and RHP Tomoyuki Sugano is the unproven veteran.
Boston Red Sox: Walker Buehler, RHP
I wrote a few times late last season that Buehler is a midrotation pitcher rather than the frontline starter he was in 2021, but his full-season stats in 2024 didn't reflect that despite his showing late in the season and the playoffs.
Buehler will take a step forward this year, beat the various projections (1.2 to 2.1 WAR, for the record), and land a multiyear deal next winter. The prospect triumvirate of OF Roman Anthony, 2B Kristian Campbell, and SS Marcelo Mayer doesn't fit given their respective hype, but you could also consider them here.
New York Yankees: Will Warren, RHP
Warren is adding a curveball this season to his strong repertoire of pitches. His stuff is plus, but he needs big league innings to show if he's a true starting pitcher. He likely won't debut this season, but SS George Lombard Jr. is a minor league pick to click.
Tampa Bay Rays: Chandler Simpson, CF
I wrote at length about the 91st-ranked Simpson in my top 100 prospects but now you can watch his highlights this spring to see for yourself.
He impacts every game he's in and he should steal dozens of bases this season in the big leagues despite not playing in Triple-A. 3B Curtis Mead is another young player standing out in camp. LHP Shane McClanahan, who is coming back from surgery, and 3B Junior Caminero are obvious choices. RHP Taj Bradley is a bit less obvious, and so is RHP Joe Boyle.
Toronto Blue Jays: Orelvis Martinez, 2B
Martinez returned late last season after a PED suspension and is competing for a spot on the Opening Day roster with Ernie Clement and Davis Schneider. Martinez will get plenty of playing time this year and has a shot to stick in the lineup. OF Alan Roden is a sleeper to monitor.
AL Central
Chicago White Sox: Chase Meidroth, SS
I was having trouble sorting through all of the young pitchers who could break through this season for the White Sox, but Meidroth (the third-ranked prospect in the Garrett Crochet return) stood out for the position players.
He's an OBP machine who is a passable defensive infielder and he has impressed multiple evaluators early in camp. Early returns are solid on Luis Robert Jr. (more bounce back than breakout) and Davis Martin (another "kick" changeup devotee). Rule 5 pick Shane Smith is a sleeper.
Cleveland Guardians: Starting pitching depth
The back of the projected rotation might not thrive all season, but I like the Guardians' young options when/if those spots open. LHP Parker Messick is one of my picks to vault into the top 100 this season, Joey Cantillo had a solid debut in 2025 and Slade Cecconi was acquired in the winter for Josh Naylor and has the traits of a solid starter.
Detroit Tigers: Jackson Jobe, RHP
Jobe is reportedly adding a sinker and curveball to his already plus mix of pitches, giving him plenty of weapons to help him break out at the big league level once his command is ready, possibly after a handful of starts in Triple-A.
Kansas City Royals: Kris Bubic, LHP
Bubic was really good in 27 relief outings last season with a tweaked arsenal and is slated to open this season as the fifth starter. He used to rely on his changeup but the velocity/shape of his fastball and a newly sweeping slider give him enough raw stuff to turn over a lineup.
Minnesota Twins: Zebby Matthews, RHP
Emmanuel Rodriguez is the easy pick. He has massive power, should open in Triple-A and is my 27th-ranked prospect. But I'll go a level deeper with Matthews, who barely graduated from prospect status but would've been around the middle of my top 100 if he hadn't.
He looks like the sixth starter but he could spend two-thirds of the season in the rotation. Keep an eye on Luke Keaschall, Brooks Lee, Connor Prielipp, and David Festa as other solid options.
AL West
Athletics: Much of the Triple-A roster
There are several candidates to succeed OF Lawrence Butler, who recently agreed to an extension, as this year's A's breakout player.
RHP Gunnar Hoglund's velocity is up this spring and he's looking like what many expected when he pitched at Ole Miss. RHP Jack Perkins is still underrated with plus stuff and can fill multiple roles on a staff. OF Denzel Clarke has unreal raw tools, but needs to show 40-grade contact skills in the big leagues for it to work, and OF Colby Thomas quietly put up a big 2024 with 31 homers in the upper minors.
SS Max Muncy, RHP J.T. Ginn, and RHP Mason Barnett are solid secondary breakout names among all the prospects who should begin the year in Triple-A Las Vegas.
Houston Astros: Cam Smith, 3B
There's a nice range of options for Houston. RHP Ryan Gusto is a sleeper, 3B Zach Dezenzo is a more obvious pick and OF Jacob Melton is the top-100 player in the upper minors who will get promoted.
But it's hard to ignore Smith, who was a 2024 first-rounder who headlined the return for Kyle Tucker. Smith was red-hot after being drafted and is similarly sizzling in camp. He appears on track to bully his way to the big leagues by the summer.
Los Angeles Angels: Jack Kochanowicz, RHP
He isn't set to open the year in the big league rotation, but Kochanowicz and top-100 prospect Caden Dana look like the sixth and seventh options. Dana has already made his debut while the early buzz on Kochanowicz is positive and he might be a steady innings eater by the end of the year.
Texas Rangers: Jack Leiter, RHP and Kumar Rocker, RHP
There probably isn't room for either of the former Vanderbilt teammates in the Opening Day rotation, but both will be there at some point after likely entering the season as the sixth and seventh options.
Both are on the 40-man roster, and trending up -- Rocker with a breakout 2024 and Leiter with a hot start to spring training. They are reaching their long-held (but not always accurate at the time) hype with more casual fans.
Seattle Mariners: Brandyn Garcia, LHP and Troy Taylor, RHP
Ben Williamson is a possibility because he's a standout defender and contact hitter who is an option for the big league infield if the primary ones aren't available, but I'll go with two potential bullpen reinforcements.
Garcia is an under-the-radar lefty starting prospect who might be in the big league bullpen by midseason. Taylor got some big league experience last season but isn't a lock to break camp with the team and I expect him to be a solid contributor in short order.
NL East
Atlanta Braves: Drake Baldwin, C
Starting catcher Sean Murphy is out four to six weeks because of a fractured rib and now the one thing preventing Baldwin from a potential National League Rookie of the Year run -- a lack of playing time -- might have been cleared. When Murphy returns, Baldwin could be a part-time catcher who also fills in at first base, corner outfield and designated hitter. RHP Drue Hackenberg could be a deep sleeper.
Miami Marlins: Ryan Weathers, LHP
Weathers is a former first-round pick who has been a solid post-hype sleeper for a few years, and he was pretty solid last season. His velocity has been up this spring, along with better bat-missing stuff and crisper offspeed pitches, so his strikeout rate might spike this year. RHP Max Meyer is another solid choice and RHP Sandy Alcantara is a strong bounce-back pick.
New York Mets: Clay Holmes, RHP
The recent trend of career relievers turning into starters in the middle of their big league careers looks like it will continue with Holmes. He's a top-tier tinkerer and optimizer of his pitches, and his bag of cutting-edge tricks (kick changeup -- in which he spikes his middle finger on the seam to kick the spin axis sideways -- seam-shifted wake sinker, etc.) in a new role might make him look like a different pitcher this year than the reliever we saw with the Yankees.
Philadelphia Phillies: Cristopher Sanchez, LHP
Jeff Passan mentioned this one last week. Sanchez's velo is up this spring and he's working on a new cutter. After totaling 4.7 WAR last year, he might add more strikeouts (7.5 K/9 last year) as the last part of his profile to help him ascend to ace status.
Washington Nationals: Mike Soroka, RHP
Continuing the (starter to) reliever to starter trend this season is Soroka, who is on a one-year, $9 million deal. I've long been a fan of Soroka's from when I worked with the Braves during his rise, believing he'd break out again as soon as was healthy. After a strong relief run in the second half last year for the White Sox -- with a spot in the Washington rotation and a strong start to the spring -- it looks like we're all systems go.
NL Central
Chicago Cubs: Kevin Alcantara, CF
Matt Shaw appears headed for the Opening Day start at third base, and Rule 5 pick Gage Workman looks like he'll make the team, but I'm going with Alcantara. He's the next option if a spot opens in the outfield or at designated hitter and he is plus at everything except making contact, but he'll be fine in that regard.
Three of those four starters are set to become free agents either after this season (Kyle Tucker) or next season (Ian Happ and Seiya Suzuki), so finding viable outfield options next to Pete Crow-Armstrong long term has some urgency.
Cincinnati Reds: Luis Mey, RHP
Chase Burns or Rhett Lowder could be more obvious picks, but I'm fascinated by the power sinker of recent 40-man addition Mey. In one spring outing, he threw 96 mph to 101 mph with his heavy sinker, walked one hitter on four pitches, but got 10 strikes on the other 12 pitches in the inning. If he can stay in the zone, he's a big league late-inning option in the first half of the season.
Milwaukee Brewers: Sal Frelick, OF
I've been bullish on Frelick for a while because of his standout speed and contact skills. He has added 20 to 25 pounds of muscle, depending on the report, so expect a power spike.
Pittsburgh Pirates: Bubba Chandler, RHP
I've long been a Joey Bart believer but he already broke out last season with regular playing time. It might seem like an easy pick, but Chandler had one scout raving about the smart adjustments Pittsburgh has made to his delivery and arsenal from his time in high school in 2021. Pittsburgh shouldn't keep him in the minors once he's deemed ready and that might be soon.
St. Louis Cardinals: Tink Hence, RHP
His velo has been strong this spring and he should get a shot to stick in the Cardinals' rotation this season, even if he starts the year in Triple-A. There's a largely new pitching development group in the organization, so keep a close eye on potential changes with the top young arms in the system.
NL West
Arizona Diamondbacks: Drey Jameson, RHP
Adrian Del Castillo was a breakout prospect last year who hasn't quite established himself in the big leagues, but I'll go with Jameson. He's returning from elbow surgery and has had lively raw stuff that likely fits best in shorter stints; it looks like he'll begin the year in the Diamondbacks' bullpen.
Colorado Rockies: Luis Peralta, LHP and Bradley Blalock, RHP
Both pitchers are 24-year-old trade deadline acquisitions from last summer. Peralta looks to be the top lefty in the bullpen and he will begin the year in a setup role, relying on a fastball/slider combo, while Blalock is the No. 5 starter with a deep repertoire and feel to pitch.
Los Angeles Dodgers: Dalton Rushing, C and Alex Freeland, SS
Both are top-100 prospects who need one thing to break their way to get a shot in the big leagues. Rushing has an easier path as a backup catcher and corner bat, but one opening in the infield, and Freeland might replace a veteran in short order.
San Diego Padres: Eguy Rosario, UT
Bradgley Rodriguez might be a surprise three-pitch bullpen contributor, but Rosario has an easier path to a role as the right-handed backup at almost every position on the field. OF Tirso Ornelas and LHP Kyle Hart are other solid options.
San Francisco Giants: Bryce Eldridge, 1B
Eldridge is the safe upper-minors top-100 prospect pick, but the two spots he can fill (first base and designated hitter) belong to a platoon of LaMonte Wade Jr./Wilmer Flores and Jerar Encarnacion.