30 Prospects Facing Critical Seasons

Plus: College draft buzz, Kristian Campbell's subtle swing tweak & return of BAPR

February 21, 2025

30 Prospects Facing Critical Seasons In 2025

Regardless of status, every player has something to prove in 2025. But for some prospects, the upcoming season feels like a make-or-break campaign.

Here are prospects from each organization whose future feels especially uncertain or pivotal. Whether they’re floundering top draft picks, players recovering from injury or prospects hoping to finally make the leap, these are the names needing a strong 2025 season.

HOW TO GET A FREE DIGITAL PROSPECT HANDBOOK

Bigger, Badder Marek Houston Headlines Early Draft Takeaways


The 2025 draft cycle is in full swing with Division I baseball kicking off last weekend. Throughout the year, Baseball America will be checking in on key draft prospects to see who’s performing, who’s struggling and who’s making real changes to their profiles.

This week, Carlos Collazo presents scouting reports on the early-season efforts of a trio of buzzy draft names:

  • ACC player of the week Marek Houston

  • Alabama righthander Riley Quick

  • Tennessee lefthander Liam Doyle

INSIDE KRISTIAN CAMPBELL’S SWING CHANGE

How A Subtle Tweak Helped Kristian Campbell Become A Top Prospect

Red Sox infielder Kristian Campbell was the biggest scouting/development success story in baseball in 2024.

But how did he do it?

To help answer that, J.J. Cooper recounts an intriguing presentation from the ABCA convention last month in which Red Sox hitting coordinator John Soteropulos explained how a subtle swing tweak helped turn Campbell into the next big thing in Boston.

RETURN OF BAPR

We’re excited to announce the return of the Baseball America Prospect Report!

The BAPR is a free daily newsletter that delivers the latest updates on top prospect performances straight to your inbox Monday through Friday from now through the end of the Arizona Fall League.

Sign up for the BAPR today and help spread the word by forwarding the signup to your friends so we can grow the Baseball America community!

INTRODUCING THE FREAK SHEET

Freak Sheet: 5 College Pitchers & Hitters Who Produced Standout Data In Week 1

Baseball has become more and more reliant on the numbers, a trend that has aggressively trickled down to the college level.

Enter: the Freak Sheet.

Thanks to this boom in available college data, Baseball America will be highlighting each week during the season a collection of the most impressive performances from a statistical standpoint.

TRENDING NOW AT BASEBALL AMERICA

👀 Peter Flaherty lets us know what to watch for in college baseball this weekend.

🔟 And here are 10 things you might have missed from midweek games.

📊 Brendan Tuma presents fantasy baseball value picks for every AL team.

📰 Jacob Rudner reports that Tyler Bremner is set to start today after leaving his last start early.

🎙️ Looking for something to listen to this weekend? Here are BA’s latest podcasts:

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