Predicting the 2025 All-MLB Team after the 1st month

April 29th, 2025

After one month of the 2025 MLB season, many standout performances have grabbed our attention. Most have come from names we expect, but there have been quite a few surprises, too.

That's all reflected in the latest vote predicting the 2025 All-MLB Team presented by MGM Rewards, which recognizes the best players at each position throughout the Majors. Once again, a panel of MLB.com experts weighed in on the players expected to comprise the All-MLB First and Second teams at the end of the season.

Each team features one selection at catcher, first base, second base, shortstop, third base and DH, as well as three outfielders (regardless of specific outfield position), five starting pitchers and two relievers.

All stats are through Sunday's games.

CATCHER

First team: (SEA)
Second team: (MIL)

Raleigh has been one of baseball's biggest surprises so far this season. He entered play Monday tied for the MLB lead in homers (10) and led all catchers with a .563 slugging percentage, an .893 OPS and 61 total bases. A big reason: His 52 percent hard-hit rate so far is the highest of his career.

Contreras came into Monday having hit safely in 18 of his past 19 games, with an .855 OPS in that span -- showing why he's become one of the premier catchers in the game. He also led all catchers with nine runners caught stealing through Sunday.

Also receiving votes: Adley Rutschman, Will Smith

FIRST BASE

First team: (NYM)
Second team: (TOR)

Known mostly as a power threat during his first six seasons, Alonso has added significant on-base skills to his game this season. Through Sunday, he'd hit for a .333 average and led all first basemen with a .451 on-base percentage, 26 RBIs and a 1.097 OPS, which was also tops among all NL hitters.

Guerrero took a while to get it going this season, but he seems to have hit his stride nicely. He came into play Monday with a .905 OPS over his past 10 games. He remains one of the most feared sluggers in the baseball, with elite bat speed (MLB's 94th percentile) and a 50 percent hard-hit rate.

Also receiving votes: Bryce Harper, Matt Olson

SECOND BASE

First team: (LAD)
Second team: (STL)

Since the start of last postseason (in which he was named NLCS MVP), Edman has an .821 OPS, well above his career mark of .729. The rise is heavily influenced by Edman's recent emergence as a power hitter. His eight homers so far this season were most among second basemen and tied for third-most in MLB entering play Monday.

Donovan, meanwhile, is enjoying his own breakout in St. Louis. Now in his fourth big league season, the career .286 hitter was leading the NL with a .359 average entering play Monday, with a .930 OPS that's tops among all second basemen.

Also receiving votes: Brice Turang, Ketel Marte, Kristian Campbell

THIRD BASE

First team: (ATL)
Second team: (BOS)

Before an injury-affected 2024 season, Riley posted three straight seasons with a bWAR of 6.0 or higher, as his combination of power and strong defense made him an exceptional talent at the hot corner. After a slow start to 2025, Riley's hit .351 with five homers and a .980 OPS in his past 18 games through Sunday.

Bregman has thrived so far in his first year in Boston, leading all team regulars in average (.319) and OPS (.937) and tied for the lead in homers (five) entering play Monday. That average and OPS also led all MLB third basemen through Sunday.

Also receiving votes: José Ramírez, Matt Chapman

SHORTSTOP

First team: (KC)
Second team: (NYM)

Entering play Monday, Witt led all shortstops in OPS (.858) and led all players in doubles (12). He also has an MLB-best 19-game hitting streak, during which he's hit .357 with a .948 OPS. With the glove, he leads all shortstops in OAA since last season (19).

Lindor's five homers were tied for the most among MLB shortstops entering play Monday and his .852 OPS ranked second behind Witt. His play on both sides of the ball is a big reason why the Mets have surged to the top of the NL East. Through Sunday, he led all shortstops with 49 putouts.

Also receiving votes: Elly De La Cruz

OUTFIELD

First team: (NYY), (AZ), (CHC)
Second team: (SD), (NYM), (SFG)

Judge continues to be otherworldly, leading all hitters in hits (43), average (.406), on-base percentage (.500), slugging (.717) and OPS (1.217) entering play Monday. Take some time and read about his 13.7 WAR "hidden year." What else is there to say? He's a beast.

Carroll has been beastly, too. Through Sunday, he led the NL in hits (37) and slugging (.667), led MLB in triples (four) and was tied for second in homers (nine).

Tucker's .976 OPS is fourth among big league outfielders entering Monday. His expected slugging percentage is an outstanding .621, while his actual slugging percentage is .579. Opposing teams just hope the gap doesn't close.

Tatis is back to hitting like a superstar, with a .346 average and a 1.040 OPS through Sunday. His eight homers are tied for second-most among outfielders and his OPS is third behind Judge and Carroll.

Soto hasn't gotten off to the start he and Mets hoped for (.248 average through Sunday), but he's still perhaps the best pure hitter in the game. He has an elite eye (.374 on-base percentage) and has an average exit velocity of 93.3 mph.

Lee was hitting .324 with a .930 OPS through Sunday. He's been an extra-base hit machine so far, with 11 doubles (tied for most in the NL), two triples and three homers.

Also receiving votes: Pete Crow-Armstrong, Wyatt Langford, Cedric Mullins, Steven Kwan, Oneil Cruz, James Wood

DESIGNATED HITTER

First team: (LAD)
Second team: (ATL)

Though Ohtani isn't on pace (yet) to match his historic 50-50 season from 2024, he's still putting up strong numbers. His .908 OPS through Sunday is third among designated hitters and his six homers are tied for second-most among the group. Heading into Monday, he's on pace for 35 homers this season, but don't be surprised if that projection climbs in the coming weeks.

Through Sunday, Ozuna led all qualified designated hitters with a 1.030 OPS and .544 slugging percentage, and was tied for the MLB lead in walks (26). Since May 2, 2023, when it seemed he might be on his last legs as an MLB player, he's hit .301 with a .951 OPS and had two straight seasons of 100 or more RBIs.

Also receiving votes: Ben Rice, Yordan Alvarez, Kyle Schwarber, Pavin Smith

STARTING PITCHER

First team: (PIT), (DET), (PHI), (LAD), (BOS)
Second team: (SF), (WSH), (SD), (HOU), (CIN)

Skenes, the 2024 NL Rookie of the Year, came into this season with high expectations, and he's off to a strong start in that journey. He's tossed a league-best 37 2/3 innings, recording 39 strikeouts while holding batters to a .190 average. His 0.80 WHIP is fifth-best among starters.

Skubal, the unanimous 2024 AL Cy Young Award winner, is off to a similar start, having fanned 40 batters in 34 2/3 innings. The lefty's fastball averages 97.3 mph and he's held hitters to an average exit velocity of just 85.2 mph.

Wheeler remains one of the most effective pitchers in the game. Hitters have an expected batting average of just .191 against him and his 34 percent strikeout rate this season is easily a career high and well above the MLB average of about 22 percent.

Yamamoto is looking every bit like a Cy Young frontrunner in the early going. He led the Majors entering Monday with a 1.06 ERA and has an 11.4 K/9 ratio. His 32.6 percent strikeout rate is among the best in baseball.

Crochet has a sparkling 1.95 ERA through Sunday and has held hitters to a .185 average in his first season with the Red Sox. He has a strikeout rate of nearly 30 percent and has five effective pitches that hitters are struggling to tame.

The second team has plenty of talent, too.

Webb's 1.98 ERA ranked seventh-best in the NL through Sunday, and his 44 strikeouts ranked fourth-best. He's allowed one or zero earned runs in four of his six starts.

Gore's 53 strikeouts through Sunday and 13.6 K/9 ratio were both tops in MLB. The lefty has lasted six innings in five of his six starts and has allowed two earned runs or fewer four times.

King is one of only two pitchers with a shutout this season (Nathan Eovaldi is the other) and opponents are hitting just .197 against him. With an average fastball velocity of just over 93 mph, his nearly 30 percent strikeout rate is impressive.

Brown led all pitchers with a 1.7 bWAR entering Monday, and the righty has allowed no runs in three of his past four starts. His four-seamer, which averages 97 mph, has a whiff rate of 29 percent and has held opposing hitters to an .075 average.

It all came together for Greene in his 2024 All-Star campaign, and it's stayed together so far in 2025. The righty has held batters to a .185 average. His fastball averages 99.2 mph, which is fantastic, but his slider averages a 52 percent whiff rate and is his top putaway pitch.

Also receiving votes: Cole Ragans, Jesús Luzardo, Spencer Schwellenbach, Max Fried, Logan Gilbert

RELIEF PITCHERS

First team: (ATH), (HOU)
Second team: (SEA), (SD)

Miller throws gas, averaging nearly 101 mph on his fastball, and mixes in a nasty slider, which is why he maintains an elite 53.3 strikeout rate. His low 2.8 percent walk rate is pretty nifty, too.

Hader had a 0.69 ERA in 13 innings through Sunday and had allowed just one run, six hits and three walks for a tiny 0.69 WHIP. His 35.4 percent strikeout rate is exceptional. As closers go, he's been pretty close to automatic.

The second team doesn't get any easier.

Muñoz was tied for the MLB lead in saves (10) through Sunday, which is easy to do when you don't allow any runs -- his 0.00 ERA in 14 appearances (14 innings) is, obviously, as good as it gets.

Suarez is the other closer with 10 saves through Sunday. He has a 0.75 ERA in 12 innings to go along with a 0.58 WHIP. Suarez also throws in the high 90s and generates lots of whiffs and soft contact.

Also receiving votes: Justin Martinez, Félix Bautista, Jeff Hoffman

Voters: Jason Catania, Theo DeRosa, Jason Foster, Jared Greenspan, Jeffrey Lutz, Brent Maguire, Brian Murphy, Manny Randhawa, Shanthi Sepe-Chepuru, Andrew Simon