Hot starts you might've missed: Braves' Drake Baldwin, Nationals' MacKenzie Gore lead the list

Yahoo

21-05-2025

It's never a surprise when Aaron Judge and Shohei Ohtani are having great seasons and sitting atop the leaderboards in their respective leagues. That's something we've come to expect from the two best baseball players in the world.
But so far in 2025, there are some players doing special things that have been flying under the radar. Here are five underrated players off to hot starts this MLB season.
Underrated stat: .983 OPS, sixth in MLB (min. 90 PAs)
The Braves have a history of finding talented catchers. Whether it was Brian McCann, Javy Lopez, Eddie Perez or even Joe Torre, catching has almost always been a strength in Atlanta. And it looks like the Braves might've found their next great catcher in rookie backstop Drake Baldwin.
So far this season, Baldwin has been not only one of the best rookies in baseball but also one of the best catchers. He made the club out of spring training and was forced into the starting role due to the injury to former All-Star Sean Murphy, and Baldwin has thrived with his increased playing time.
Through 29 games, Baldwin is hitting .357 with five homers and 15 RBI, and his early-season success has led manager Brian Snitker to continue to get him at-bats, even since Murphy has come off the injured list. Although Atlanta came into the season with the expectation that Murphy would be their starter, as long as Baldwin is hitting, Snitker will need to keep him in the lineup.
Underrated stat: 1.307 OPS vs. LHP, third in MLB
Who doesn't love a player who can do everything? Since he got his first real opportunity with the Mariners back in 2019, utility man Dylan Moore has always had tools. His calling card has been his defense, which he has showcased at several positions, and he won the AL Gold Glove Award for the utility position last year. But this season, he has turned things up at the plate and become a huge part of Seattle's offense.
Specifically, Moore has been one of baseball's best hitters against left-handed pitching. The Mariners' utility man is slashing .364/.488/.818 against southpaws, and his 1.307 OPS against lefties ranks third in all of baseball. After years as one of baseball's best kept secrets, Moore is putting together the best season of his career.
He also happens to be a free agent at season's end. Not too shabby.
Underrated stat: .341 batting average, third in MLB
For years, Luis Arraez's elite bat-to-ball skills were unmatched, but A's rookie shortstop Jacob Wilson seems to have that same special ability. Wilson loves to swing the bat, as shown by his 5.1% walk rate, and when he makes contact, he often finds grass. He is currently second in MLB behind only Aaron Judge in hits, with 62, and he sits third in baseball with a robust .341 batting average, behind Judge and Freddie Freeman.
And while the A's rookie likes to swing his way on base, his lack of walks is balanced out by his ability to not strike out. Wilson has struck out only 10 times this season, to go along with his 10 walks. The only qualified player with fewer punchouts in 2025 is Arraez (3).
Coming into this season, I predicted that Wilson would win AL Rookie of the Year, and so far, he's making me look pretty smart.
Underrated stat: 84 strikeouts and 13.42 K/9, both first in MLB
For years, left-hander MacKenzie Gore was supposed to be a star. One of the highest rated high school prospects in the 2017 MLB Draft, Gore was on a path to being one of baseball's best. But as is often the case, it wasn't a linear path forward for the Nationals' left-hander; in fact, it has taken some time for him to find success.
After being traded to Washington in 2023, Gore finally got an opportunity to pitch in a rotation full-time, and so far this season, he looks like he's putting it all together. The 26-year-old currently leads MLB in strikeouts and strikeouts per nine innings, something you'd expect from other names like Chris Sale, Tarik Skubal or Zack Wheeler.
What has made the difference? Gore's curveball has helped him find the next level in 2025. The Nationals' southpaw currently has a 51.6% strikeout rate with his curveball, the third-highest K% on a pitch in baseball this season.
Underrated stat: .185 batting average against, fourth in MLB; 1.47 ERA, fifth in MLB
The Texas Rangers have not had the smoothest start to 2025, and the team that was the consensus favorite in the AL West before the season has instead been fighting for its life. But one area that was supposed to be a question for the Rangers, starting pitching, has actually been their biggest strength and kept them in the division race.
Right-hander Tyler Mahle, who is pitching in his first healthy season since 2022, has been a revelation in Texas' rotation. The Rangers' right-hander looks like one of the best starters in the American League so far, and a big reason behind that has been the dominance of his four-seam fastball. Opposing hitters are batting just .173 against Mahle's fastball, and when a pitcher is able to set the tone with the fastball, it only enhances the rest of his arsenal, as evidenced by his .185 batting average against overall.
Mahle's success underscores how good the Rangers' rotation as a whole has been this season. As a group, Mahle (1.47 ERA), Nathan Eovaldi (1.61), Jacob deGrom (2.29) and Jack Leiter (4.25) rank second in MLB in starter ERA.