Starting a monthly article where I will dive into MLB rookies and how their 1st full season in the MLB is going. Not every rookie who debuted during the previous or current month will be covered but will cover select rookies at a time with a focus on those with significant enough playing time.
One thing I will mention throughout the article are my personal tool grades. These are Hit, Power, Discipline, and Speed for hitters, and Induced Contact, Contact Prevention, Control, and Arsenal for pitchers. These grades follow the traditional 20–80 scouting scale, where 50 represents MLB average, 20 being the lowest and 80 being the highest. I recommend checking out Fangraphs article – Scouting Explained: The 20-80 Scouting Scale | FanGraphs Baseball – or search online if wanting to understand the 20-80 scale better.
DoubleScoop Hitter Tools
- Hit – Grades player on ability to put the ball in play and quality of the contact
- Power – Grades player on their bat speed, Max EVs, and barrels
- Discipline – Grades player’s ability to control the strike zone and work walks
- Speed – Grades player’s sprint speed, aggressiveness, and their efficiency on the basepaths
DoubleScoop Pitchers Tools
- Induced Contact – Grades pitcher on ability to limit favorable hitter outcomes
- Contact Prevention – Grades pitcher’s ability to avoid hitters making contact
- Control – Grades pitcher’s ability to control their pitches in the zone
- Arsenal – Grades pitcher on the quality and randomness of their pitches
With that being covered, lets dive into the rookie tool grades and relevant comparisons.
Jasson Dominguez
Mega hyped switch-hitting prospect Jasson Dominguez was given the opening day nod to start 2025. Domínguez has been a staple of dynasty league discussions for years, as he was highly talked about all the way when he was just 16 years old. At just 22, Dominguez is at the age where he could still take a huge leap forward in his progression, making it fun to dream. Setting aside the hype, here is how his current skillset stacks up:
His hit and power tools have yet to meet the lofty expectations placed on him. His current offensive profile resembles 2024 Christopher Morel or Jack Suwinski—solid pop but streaky contact. Despite his early struggles in April, Domínguez has a high prospect pedigree and is a switch hitter that makes him a valuable long-term dynasty asset. If the hit tool develops, he could offer Springer-like production with steady counting stats in roto leagues.
Drake Baldwin
Drake Baldwin was the Braves top prospect headed into the 2025 season. With Sean Murphy sidelined to begin 2025, Baldwin seized the opportunity to start on Opening Day. Through his first 25 games, Baldwin has slashed .329/.382/.557 and is supported by strong Statcast metrics such as bat speed, hard-hit rate, squared-up %, whiff %, and more. The tool grades love what Baldwin has done in 2025 with the below grades/comps:
I’m not saying Baldwin is Jackson Merrill, but the signs are pointing towards Baldwin having the bat to be a top catcher in the league for the rest of the 2020s. The Braves signed Sean Murphy through 2028 and a club option for 2029, meaning Murphy may not hit free agency again until 2030. Should the Braves fall out of contention, it is worth throwing Murphy’s name out in trade talks to see what the return looks like and give Baldwin the chance to play every day. Baldwin is a must-own in dynasty leagues and 2-catcher leagues and would keep an eye on what the Braves do throughout the season as once he is an everyday player there may be no looking back.
Jake Mangum
70 Hit – 35 Power – 50 Discipline – 75 Speed
Mangum ranks 4th in fWAR among rookie hitters, despite playing nearly half as many games as the other WAR leaders. Unlike most rookies, Mangum is already 29 years old and likely does not have a ton of room for physical growth. FanGraphs grades Mangum’s tools as follows: Hit – 50/60, Raw Power – 40/40, Speed – 55/55. With the small 2025 sample, Mangum’s Hit and Speed tools are grading favorably:
His current 9.6% strikeout rate is well below his 17% mark from AAA over the past two years, suggesting likely regression in his Hit tool. With every day at bats over a full season, I could see Mangum as a .270 to 290 hitter with 25+ steal upside with single digit home runs. With some expected regression, I compare his tools similarly to Sal Frelick. Like Frelick, Mangum’s value is driven by is his contact ability and speed rather than power, making him a stronger asset in Roto leagues with batting average and stolen bases categories than points formats. Mangum is working his way back from a groin injury, and upon his return, he’ll face competition for playing time among Rays outfielders like Josh Lowe, Chandler Simpson, Christopher Morel, and Kameron Misner.
Luisangel Acuña
Luisangel Acuña currently ranks 7th among rookie fWAR leaders. As the younger brother of superstar Ronald Acuña, Luisangel does not possess the same elite power-speed combination. In fact, this year Luisangel has yet to produce any homeruns or barrels after hitting 3 homeruns with a 9%-barrel rate in a brief 2024 MLB callup. Speed is his standout tool, and so far, it’s the only one grading as elite, while the rest of his skillset remains closer to league average. While he isn’t completely devoid of power, his bat profiles more for single-digit home runs, with 30+ stolen bases being the real fantasy appeal. A good comp when trying to place his long-term outlook would be Andres Giménez. Like Giménez, Acuña offers strong contact skills and high-end speed but lacks the power upside needed for premium fantasy output in all formats.
The challenge with speed-first prospects is that if Acuña’s bat struggles, he could lose playing time—or worse, face a demotion. If he continues to develop and is able to tap into tap into more power in future seasons, I could see Acuna producing 15/30 (HR/SBs) during a peak year.
Trey Sweeney
Sweeney, 25, is playing SS every day for the AL Central leading Tigers. Thanks to his consistent playing time, Sweeney currently leads all rookie hitters in fWAR (0.8). Sweeney lacks standout tools, but he has around average tools across the board. The 2025 tool grades on Sweeney are below:
When comparing his tools to 2024 data, he matched well with another left-handed hitting middle infielder, Gavin Lux. Like Lux, Sweeney has a balanced profile and while not being a superstar, can help contribute in deeper leagues or DCs where starters/compilers are useful.
Shane Smith
At 25, Smith has been one of the few bright spots for the White Sox this season, currently leading all rookie pitchers in fWAR. Smith features a five-pitch mix—four-seam fastball, changeup, slider, curveball, and sinker—that allows him to keep hitters off balance. A similar comp looking at other 2025 pitcher tools is Casey Mize. Like Mize, Smith relies on above average control and a deep arsenal rather than overpowering stuff.
Smith looks like a legitimate piece of the White Sox’s future rotation and long-term could be a solid #3 behind top prospects Noah Schultz and Hagen Smith. I recommend using Smith in 2025 in good matchups and be mindful wins will be limited and that he is better served in QS leagues. As the White Sox rebuild, Smith should benefit from better lineups/defense in the future.
AJ Smith-Shawver
Despite debuting in 2023 at just 20 years old, Smith-Shawver retains rookie eligibility in 2025 and still has time to refine his skills at 22. Smith-Shawver currently ranks 6th among rookie pitchers in fWAR and appears poised to be a long-term fixture in the Braves rotation. His arsenal includes a four-seam fastball, splitter, curveball, and slider, with the splitter and curveball boasting whiff rates above 40% in 2025.
Like Kevin Gausman, Smith-Shawver leans on his splitter to generate whiffs, but his command remains a work in progress. If he sharpens his control, he could elevate from a projected mid-rotation arm to a reliable fantasy SP2. Monitor Smith-Shawver’s walk rate, if he brings his BB% down, his upside rises.
Will Warren
Entering 2025 as the Yankees’ fifth-ranked prospect, Warren has secured a rotation spot following injuries to Gerrit Cole, Luis Gil, JT Brubaker, and Marcus Stroman. He has earned his stay and currently ranks 5th among rookie pitchers in fWAR with a 4.75 ERA and a 1.36 WHIP. Comparing Warren’s 2025 tool grades to 2024 data, he closely aligns with Tylor Megill.
His arsenal includes a four-seam fastball, sweeper, sinker, and changeup, with the sinker and sweeper being his primary weapons against righties, while he relies on the four-seam and changeup versus lefties. Baseball Savant is also tracking a new Curveball which he is throwing around 5% of the time. Warren’s curveball has generated a 54.5% whiff rate this season, but it is unclear whether this represents a refined offering or inconsistencies in his sweeper movement. If he fully develops it—or adds a true vertical breaking pitch—he could elevate his effectiveness beyond his current mid-rotation profile.
Warren should be part of the Yankees rotation for the rest of the season and future seasons as a mid/late rotation arm. If he can develop a curveball/deathball and (or) improve on his current control (10% BB rate), Warren could unlock a new tier and push him up another level.
Jack Leiter
Entering 2025 as the Rangers’ No. 3 prospect per MLB Pipeline, Leiter secured a rotation spot out of spring training. This season, Leiter has posted a respectable 4.34 ERA and 1.21 WHIP, though his underlying metrics—19.0% strikeout rate and 11.6% walk rate—suggest room for improvement. The good news is, Leiter seems to be adjusting his pitch mix in 2025, which I called out as a much-needed change in the Surprise Rangers Spring Training article. Leiter has supplemented some of his 4-seam usage with a new sinker that he is using 19% of the time and increased his changeup usage to 13.9%. These adjustments have contributed to improvements in his induced contact and arsenal grades.
The biggest problem for Leiter is his control and ability to miss bats. His 2025 changes have at least helped to show he can be a serviceable #4 or #5 starter and eased the immediate concerns that he needs to shift to the bullpen. If Leiter refines his control or improves his contact prevention, he could unlock more upside akin to Frankie Montas/Aaron Civale. All in all, I do not see the ace upside with Leiter that came with the 2nd overall pick. Improving either his control or contact prevention would push Leiter into the mid-rotation tier rather than a pure backend starter. Watch his K% and BB% trends closely.
Chad Patrick
A relatively unknown prospect for the Brewers, Patrick’s best minor league season came in 2024 when he posted a 2.90 ERA over 136 AAA innings at age 25. This season, Patrick has seized his opportunity in the rotation and isn’t letting go. Through his first 8 GS, Patrick has a crisp 3.19 ERA and a 1.25 WHIP. Patrick is finding success with his three-fastball mix (cutter, 4-seam, sinker) while throwing his changeup (6%) and slider (5%) minimally. With this profile, Patrick does not generate a ton of swing and miss but is more focused on inducing weak contact. Patrick’s profile closely mirrors 2024 Javier Assad and Michael Lorenzen—pitchers who rely on weak contact over strikeouts.
Patrick’s low strikeout rate means his success will depend heavily on BABIP and defensive support. If his luck turns, expect some volatility in ERA and WHIP. Keep in mind Javier Assad and Michael Lorenzon have had runs of success in the same division. Patrick fits best as a matchup-dependent streamer rather than a set-and-forget fantasy starter.
Let us know on X @2BScoopBaseball if you have any feedback, questions, or would like to see any other players analyzed.