MLB’s Top Bounce-Back Candidates for 2025

MLB’s domestic Opening Day is here! 28 teams will be in action on Thursday, with several marquee matchups sprinkled across the slater. Before the teams take the field, let’s take a quick look at five potential bounce-back candidates entering the season. These players struggled last year, but are primed for a big 2025.

Bo Bichette, Toronto Blue Jays

Bichette struggled for the first time in his Major League career last season. In 81 games, he managed 4 HR, .225 AVG, and .598 OPS. Before 2024, he never posted below a .290 AVG or an .802 OPS in any season since his debut (2019). Injuries were obviously an issue for the Blue Jays’ young star, but he seems to have put that behind him. Coming off a strong Spring — 4 HR, .373 AVG, 1.077 OPS — Bichette looks primed for a big year. He’ll reportedly begin the season in the leadoff spot and will get plenty of opportunities hitting in front of AL MVP candidate Vladimir Guerrero Jr.

Jackson Holliday, Baltimore Orioles

Holliday’s long-awaited MLB debut was a disappointment. The No. 1 overall pick in the 2022 MLB Draft appeared in 60 games for the Orioles last year, and was one of the worst hitters in the league during that span. Holliday recorded a .189 AVG and was homer-less in his final 40 games. A 60-game sample isn’t enough to give up on the former top prospect in all of baseball. Even some of the best hitters in the league needed time to adjust. Holliday showed some improvements during the Spring — .333 AVG, .866 OPS — and has produced at every level. In 2025, Holliday showcases the tools that made him such a vaunted prospect.

Yandy Diaz, Tampa Bay Rays

Last season was a down year for the Rays as a team. It was the first time Tampa Bay finished under .500 (80-82) since 2017. The lineup couldn’t establish any consistency, and that’s primarily due to its stars not producing. Two years ago, Yandy Diaz was an All-Star, a Silver Slugger and finished sixth in MVP voting while recording a 5.1 WAR. His numbers dipped across the board last year, and he managed just a 1.6 WAR. He’s always been a player who has relied on his contact skills rather than raw power. However, Diaz has consistency out-performed his batted-ball profile throughout his career. A 116 OPS+ is nothing to scoff at, but this year should look closer to the 137 OPS+ he posted across the four seasons before his down ’24.

Austin Riley, Atlanta Braves

After being called up midway through 2019, and playing through the COVID-shortened 2020, Riley established himself as one of the most reliable power hitters in baseball from ’21-’23. In that frame, the Braves’ masher averaged 36 HR per season with a .525 SLG, and had at least a 6.0 WAR each year. His presence in the middle of Atlanta’s lineup boosted an already great offense. Last season, his WAR was cut in half (2.9), and so were his homers (19). Of course, he only played in 110 games, but his average, on-base, and slugging percentage also dipped. A healthy season for Riley — plus the rest of an injury-ravaged group — should get him back to posting All-Star caliber numbers.

Rhys Hoskins, Milwaukee Brewers

Hoskins signed with the Brewers last offseason after missing the entire 2023 campaign with a torn ACL. It seems like he’s back to form two years removed from the injury. In his debut season with Milwaukee, Hoskins posted career lows in average (.214), on-base (.303), and slugging (.419). He also registered a negative-WAR in 131 games. This Spring, the slugger has been a bright spot for the Brew Crew. Across 51 plate appearances, Hoskins hit 6 HR with a 1.083 OPS. He’s always had exceptional power, and building his knee back to what it was before seems to be doing wonders.