Top 40 MLB Rookies of Last 5 Years

Is 2024 the best MLB rookie class since the storied 2018 class? That question is asked frequently and sparks a lot of debate. In order to answer it myself, I decided to rank the top rookies of the last five years to see how the classes stack up.

This first part focuses on 41-21. I wound up with 41 as I skipped a player initially and couldn’t bring myself to bump a Braves player off the list. Next week will be the top 20, and a look at how the different years stack up.

The Bonus Guy

41. 2025 Spencer Schwellenbach- I might be a bit of a homer in including Schwellenbach, but the hobby loves young Braves pitchers.

40-31

40. 2025 Jacob Wilson- He’s not going to hit for power. He could win multiple batting titles. There’s room in the hobby for the Luis Arraez types.

39. 2023 Ezequiel Tovar- The Rockies shortstop has been injured, but he has plenty of long-term upside with 30 homer potential while playing stellar defense. The problem is he’s stuck on the Rockies with a long contract.

38. 2023 Brice Turang- I don’t think Turang would’ve made the cut a couple of months ago. His improved hitting, along with his impressive speed, makes him interesting.

37. 2023 Anthony Volpe- He’s a solid player. He’s far from the player people thought he would be.

36. 2024 Jordan Lawlar- Injuries have collectors overlooking Lawlar. He’s been awesome this year and just got called up. He’s got the potential to fly up this list.

35. 2022 Oneil Cruz- He’s one of the hardest swingers in the game. He also strikes out a lot, plays on the Pirates, and hasn’t hit more than 21 homers in a season yet. His hobby potential is like his at-bats: boom or bust.

34. 2024 Lawrence Butler- The A’s slugger gets overlooked due to being on the A’s and being a smidge older than some others on this list. The A’s have four players on this list, so maybe Butler can help make being on the team a hobby plus.

33. 2024 Tyler Soderstrom- With a loaded 2024 class, everyone slept on Soderstrom. Collectors are now trying to figure out his place in the hobby. I’m conflicted, so I dumped him at 32.

32. 2025 Coby Mayo- Mayo needs playing time and is the subject of weekly trade rumors.

31. 2022 Steven Kwan- Collectors keep trying to ignore Kwan, and he just keeps hitting and playing great defense. He should be higher on this list, but hobby momentum is against him.

30-21

30. 2022 CJ Abrams- If it weren’t for getting benched for a late-night gambling problem, I’d be much higher on him. I can’t overlook the glaring red flag.

29. 2025 Kristian Campbell- I might be way too low on him. I can’t tell if the lack of buzz around him is due to a lack of cards or a lack of interest.

28. 2022 Cal Raleigh- He’s a definite fan favorite and a fun homer-mashing catcher. I don’t know if he has more upside, but that’s good enough for the 27 spot.

27. 2023 Cole Ragans- Ragans is the player I initially forgot. He’s got clear Cy Young upside. Unfortunately, he hasn’t been that special this year, and there are injury concerns that keep him out of the top 25.

26. 2022 Hunter Greene- He’s shown flashes of dominance, and also flashes of injury problems. If he can stay healthy, he’s got Cy Young potential.

25. 2021 William Contreras- He’s got a good shot to be a perennial All-Star. He’s had a slow start this year, which is keeping him out of the top 20.

24. 2024 Jasson Dominguez- He’s been known to collectors for what seems like ages. He’s got hype and tons of power, which keeps him higher on this list than his performance so far merits.

23. 2023 Michael Harris- Harris looks like an MVP at times. He also looks horrible at times. His streakiness is limiting his hobby value.

22. 2025 Dylan Crews- I’ve almost definitely got Crews too high. He benefits from being an obvious chase in a weaker rookie class.

21. 2024 Junior Caminero- He’s the guy in the bottom 20 most likely to crack the top 10 in a year or so. He’s got superstar upside.

Wrap Up

There are some fun names here, but the real talent of the 2021-2015 classes will show up next week. This week saw one name from 2021, five from each of 2022, 2023, and 2025, and six from 2024. 2024 is in the driver’s seat, but barely. 2021 is living up to its reputation as a dismal class. Their lone entry this week, Contreras, is my favorite player on the back half of the list. We’ll see how things continue to stack up next week with the top 20.