With the new year underway, many exciting prospects are knocking on the door and getting closer to making their MLB debuts. Ahead of this 2025 season, the team here at World Baseball Network put together a list of one prospect from each MLB team that could impact their respective teams.
White Sox: C Edgar Quero
After a brief call-up in the show in 2024 without making his MLB debut, Cuban-born catcher Edgar Quero could be gearing up to try to become part of the White Sox catching tandem in 2025. The 21-year-old played between Double-A and Triple-A in 2024, playing in 98 games, hitting .280, adding 16 home runs and 70 RBIs. It will be a tough battle for Quero, as he is up against Kyle Teel, whom the White Sox acquired from the Boston Red Sox as part of the Garrett Crochet trade.
Guardians: 2B Travis Bazzana
With the Guardians trading Andres Gimenez to the Blue Jays, the Guardians have an open spot at second base, and Australian-born Travis Bazzana will look to win the starting job out of Spring Training. Bazzana was selected first overall by the Guardians in the 2024 MLB Draft out of Oregon State University. The 22-year-old got his first taste of professional baseball in High-A, where he hit .238, hitting three home runs and 12 RBIs in 27 games. He will also be up against 23-year-old Dominican infielder Juan Brito, who had a stellar season at Triple-A and is a member of the Guardians 40-man roster.
Royals: 2B/OF Javier Vaz
Although he was born in Alabama, second baseman and outfielder Javier Vaz’s family heritage traces back to Puerto Rico. The 24-year-old was drafted by the Kansas City Royals in the 15th round of the 2022 MLB Draft out of Vanderbilt University. Vaz spent 2024 playing in Double-A in 115 games, hitting for a .263 average, hitting eight home runs with 42 RBIs, and stealing 16 bases. He also represented Puerto Rico during the Premier12 in November 2024, going 3-16.
Tigers: 2B Hao-Yu Lee
According to MLB Pipeline, the 21-year-old second baseman from Taiwan is currently the eighth best-ranked prospect in the Tigers organization. The Tigers acquired him from the Philadelphia Phillies in exchange for Michael Lorenzen in 2023. Lee spent the entire 2024 season playing 87 games at Double-A, hitting .298, with 12 home runs and 56 RBIs, and stealing 16 bases. With the Tigers adding Gleyber Torres on a one-year deal, it will be interesting to see the battle in the middle infield between Lee, Torres, and Jace Jung if he isn’t their starting third baseman.
Twins: OF Emmanuel Rodriguez
The number two prospect in the Twins organization, Emmanuel Rodriguez, was born in the Dominican Republic. He signed during the 2019-20 International Free Agent period. After playing 99 games at the High-A level in 2023, Rodriguez faced injuries during the 2024 season. He would only play in 47 games across four levels, reaching Triple-A and playing in seven games there. He would finish his season with a .280 average, with nine home runs, 27 RBIs, and nine stolen bases.
