We are about a month through the 2025 baseball season, and things are just picking up steam and momentum. There’s never a shortage of excitement and things to note, so let’s take a look at some items that caught my attention.
It’s Good to be Healthy
Corbin Carroll entered last season as an ascending star. That designation was well earned after he stole 54 bases in 2023 while hitting 25 home runs and scoring 116 runs. The beginning of 2024 didn’t go as smoothly for the outfielder, but ultimately, things ended up in pretty good shape.
He dealt with some health issues and didn’t run as much (35 stolen bases), but aside from his batting average dropping from .285 to .231, everything else was in order. The good news, though, is that through the first 25 games of 2025, Carroll is rolling. We do have one problem, but it’s more of an adjustment of expectations. I’m not sure we get back to the 54 stolen bases once again as Carroll is at five to this point.
There are no issues with Carroll’s health, and his power is back in spades. He’s up to nine home runs on the season with an insane ISO of .349. With a 17.7% barrel rate, this could be an MVP season for Carroll.
Do We Have a Star in Chicago
Pete-Crow Armstrong has some loud and prolific tools. The former first-round pick is beginning his second big league season, and everything he’s capable of has been on full display.
As with most young players, there’s always going to be a strikeout concern, but Crow-Armstrong has been doing a solid job of managing that at 23.4%. His .294 batting average is tracking much better than most expected, and while. a 352 BABIP gets some credit, I think everyone would make do with his .257 xBA.
Both the power (five home runs) and speed (10 stolen bases) are on full display, but the latter is the more dominant tool. Crow-Armstrong has been in the middle of Chicago’s offense with 17 RBI and 21 runs scored as he quickly becomes a key part of the Cubs’ lineup.
Welcome to the Show
As soon as he was drafted by the Athletics, it was easy to speculate about Nick Kurtz’s impact at the big league level. His power is loud and in your face. And now, the Athletics’ home park only adds to the upside and excitement.
Through his first two games, Kurtz has just one hit and one RBI, but a career is not made out of two games. Prior to his promotion, Kurtz hit .321 with seven home runs and 24 RBI in Triple-A. Even if defense might not be his strong suit, the plate skills and power upside is real and that’s sure to generate excitement.
Streaking in Houston
The Houston Astros didn’t exactly get off to the best start this season, but after a sweep of the Toronto Blue Jays, things are beginning to look up. Part of that is the contributions of their shortstop, as Jeremy Pena is in the midst of a 14-game hitting streak.
Despite that, Pena is still hitting just .253 on the season with three home runs and eight RBI, but he’s a solid contributor once again. Pena’s five stolen bases and 13 runs scored speak to that, but there are many metrics that truly generate optimism moving forward.
Pena’s 11% barrel rate is a clear career high, as is his 47.9% hard hit rate. We can then point to his .302 xBA and .469 xSLG as evidence of what he can be capable of moving forward.
Walker Finds His Groove
Acclimating yourself to a new team is never easy. That’s what Christian Walker has had to do this April, and he appears to be finally coming around. With that being said, he’s still hitting just .202 on the season, but Walker began to show some positive signs in Houston’s sweep of Toronto this week.
The strikeouts are up, the power is down, but the track record is there. Walker’s a dependable veteran who also sports a barrel rate (10.7%) that is reasonably close to his career norms. It’s too soon to write Walker off as a failed free agent signing, and within another week or two, those talks won’t be even fathomable.
Should we be concerned in Queens
When it comes to the New York Mets this season, there is optimism abound. It’s hard to feel any differently about what we are seeing, but Edwin Diaz is providing some cause for concern.
After last year’s struggles, this shouldn’t be completely surprising, but when it involves what is supposed to be one of the best closers in the game, it’s not a great situation. Despite some ups and downs last year, Diaz still finished with a 3.52 ERA (2.49 xERA) while striking out 14.09 batters per nine innings, so there were some positive vibes heading into 2025.
Through 11 games this year, Diaz has six saves, but it’s been a bumpy ride with his 4.91 ERA. Once again, his 3.68 xERA offers some optimism, but his walks are up to almost five per nine innings. Even more concerning, after previously sitting around 98 or 99 miles per hour with his average fastball velocity, Diaz is down to 96.8 this year. That’s down another mile per hour than last year’s mark.
Additionally, Diaz left Wednesday’s game with a leg issue, but that was described as cramping. I’m not sure this will truly derail the Mets season, but it is something that does deserve a higher level of monitoring.
Is Doval Back in San Francisco
After two strong seasons, Camilo Doval lost the closer’s job in San Francisco last year. He still saved 23 games, but it was Ryan Walker’s role both at the end of 2024 as well as entering the 2025 season. Walks, 5.95 per nine innings, were a real issue, but Doval’s 4.88 ERA looked better in the lens of his 3.44 xERA.
Beginning this season, Walker has struggled, and Doval has found his success. With five saves to this point for each reliever, it’s not exactly clear who’s pitching the 9th. Manager Bob Melvin has indicated it would be Walker to receive the next save opportunity, but this isn’t a situation that will go away. Additionally, the drop in average fastball velocity (99.5 to 97.7 miles per hour) does bare watching. It’s also surprising to see Doval strike out just six batters per nine innings to begin the season. However, we know how tenuous closers can be.
