With spring training rolling, every team has new players getting acclimated to their new environment.
Ahead of the regular season, Yardbarker MLB writers identify one new face on every AL team who could make a major impact in 2025. (2024 regular-season records are in parentheses.)
AL East
BALTIMORE ORIOLES (91-71) | Right-hander Tomoyuki Sugano | Sugano looked sharp in his first spring training outing for the Orioles, pitching two scoreless innings and flashing a six-pitch arsenal. The Japanese right-hander must fill a void left by former Baltimore ace Corbin Burnes (now with Diamondbacks) in the rotation. BOSTON RED SOX (81-81) | 3B Alex Bregman | The Red Sox had a massive offseason, so it’s hard to choose just one new face among those they brought in. However, Bregman gets the call given he is a final, championship-caliber addition for a team that aims to compete with the big boys in the division. NEW YORK YANKEES (94-68) | Left-hander Max Fried | Pivoting from outfielder Juan Soto proved to be no issue for the Yankees, who allocated a chunk of the former’s money to left-hander Max Fried. The 31-year-old could form a devastating one-two punch with right-hander Gerrit Cole in New York’s rotation, health permitting. TAMPA BAY RAYS (80-82) | Utilityman Ha-Seong Kim | The signing of the utilityman to a two-year contract was one of the more underrated moves of the offseason. Kim won’t be ready for the start of 2025 because of right shoulder surgery, but when he returns, he’ll slot perfectly in the lineup.
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Ahead of the regular season, Yardbarker MLB writers identify one new face on every AL team who could make a major impact in 2025. (2024 regular-season records are in parentheses.)
AL East
BALTIMORE ORIOLES (91-71) | Right-hander Tomoyuki Sugano | Sugano looked sharp in his first spring training outing for the Orioles, pitching two scoreless innings and flashing a six-pitch arsenal. The Japanese right-hander must fill a void left by former Baltimore ace Corbin Burnes (now with Diamondbacks) in the rotation. BOSTON RED SOX (81-81) | 3B Alex Bregman | The Red Sox had a massive offseason, so it’s hard to choose just one new face among those they brought in. However, Bregman gets the call given he is a final, championship-caliber addition for a team that aims to compete with the big boys in the division. NEW YORK YANKEES (94-68) | Left-hander Max Fried | Pivoting from outfielder Juan Soto proved to be no issue for the Yankees, who allocated a chunk of the former’s money to left-hander Max Fried. The 31-year-old could form a devastating one-two punch with right-hander Gerrit Cole in New York’s rotation, health permitting. TAMPA BAY RAYS (80-82) | Utilityman Ha-Seong Kim | The signing of the utilityman to a two-year contract was one of the more underrated moves of the offseason. Kim won’t be ready for the start of 2025 because of right shoulder surgery, but when he returns, he’ll slot perfectly in the lineup.
