2025 Top 100 MLB Players: #90 - #86

90. Jacob deGrom - Texas Rangers

Age 36, Right-handed pitcher

Texas Rangers' ace Jacob deGrom has returned to the mound after missing nearly all of the 2023 season and most of 2024 recovering from Tommy John surgery. When healthy, the four-time All-Star and two-time NL Cy Young Award winner remains one of baseball's most dominant pitchers.

DeGrom's fastball-slider combination continues to overwhelm batters, and his return to the rotation gives the Rangers a true ace. His career 2.51 ERA ranks among the best in the live-ball era for any starter with at least 1,000 innings pitched.

After signing a five-year, $185 million contract with Texas in December 2022, deGrom pitched only 30 innings in 2023 before requiring surgery. His comeback in late 2024 showed flashes of his former brilliance, though the Rangers have been careful with his workload. If he can stay healthy through 2025, deGrom could quickly climb these rankings.

89. Bryan Woo - Seattle Mariners

Age 25, Right-handed pitcher

Woo has quickly established himself as a key member of Seattle's talented rotation since making his MLB debut in June 2023. The Cal Poly product took a significant step forward in 2024, posting a 9-3 record with a 2.89 ERA while striking out 101 batters in 121⅓ innings.

What makes Woo special is his exceptional command and ability to limit walks. He led all MLB starting pitchers in 2024 by walking just 2.6 percent of batters faced. His fastball typically sits in the mid-90s with excellent movement, and he's developed strong secondary pitches to keep hitters off-balance.

Despite battling elbow inflammation and a hamstring injury that limited him to 21 starts in 2024, Woo showed remarkable consistency when available. The Mariners believe he can be a frontline starter for years to come as part of their young, talented rotation.

88. Max Fried - New York Yankees

Age 31, Left-handed pitcher

Fried begins a new chapter in 2025 after signing an eight-year, $218 million contract with the Yankees following eight seasons with the Atlanta Braves. The two-time All-Star has been one of baseball's most consistent left-handed starters, with a career 3.04 ERA and 76-36 record.

Fried's arsenal features a mid-90s fastball complemented by a devastating curveball that he modeled after Sandy Koufax. His exceptional command and ability to induce ground balls (led the NL with a 58.8% ground ball rate in 2024) make him particularly valuable.

Beyond his pitching prowess, Fried is an exceptional defender, having won three consecutive Gold Glove Awards from 2020-2022. He also won a World Series championship with Atlanta in 2021, pitching six shutout innings in the decisive Game 6 against Houston. The Yankees are counting on that big-game experience as they pursue their first championship since 2009.

87. Tanner Houck - Boston Red Sox

Age 28, Right-handed pitcher

Houck has developed into a cornerstone of Boston's rotation after overcoming early career struggles with consistency and injuries. The former first-round pick (24th overall in 2017) had his breakthrough season in 2024, highlighted by his first All-Star selection.

What makes Houck special is his unique delivery and movement on his pitches. His three-quarters arm slot creates exceptional action on his sinker, and his slider has become one of the most effective pitches in baseball. In April 2024, Houck pitched a "Maddux" (complete game shutout in under 100 pitches) against Cleveland, finishing the game in just 94 pitches and 1 hour, 49 minutes—the fastest nine-inning MLB game since 2010.

Houck has overcome several setbacks in his career, including back surgery in 2022 and a facial fracture in 2023. His resilience and development have transformed him from a question mark to a reliable frontline starter for the Red Sox.

86. Hunter Greene - Cincinnati Reds

Age 25, Right-handed pitcher

With a fastball that regularly touches 100+ mph, Greene has developed into the ace the Reds envisioned when they selected him second overall in the 2017 MLB Draft. After battling Tommy John surgery early in his professional career, Greene made his long-awaited MLB debut in 2022 and has steadily improved each season.

Greene's 2024 campaign was his finest yet, posting a 9-5 record with a 2.75 ERA and 169 strikeouts in 150⅓ innings while earning his first All-Star selection. His ability to combine triple-digit velocity with improved command and secondary pitches has made him one of the game's most exciting young arms.

What makes Greene's development particularly impressive is how he's refined his approach beyond simply overwhelming hitters with velocity. His slider has become a genuine out pitch, and he's developing a changeup that gives hitters another look. Recently, Greene reached the 500-strikeout milestone early in the 2025 season against the Texas Rangers.

At just 25 years old, Greene still has room to grow, making him one of baseball's most valuable young pitchers with true ace potential.