LF Harrison Bader, Minnesota Twins

To be fair, Harrison Bader did go on an all-time heater in the 2022 postseason, homering five times in just nine games for the New York Yankees.

For the most part, however, he was just sort of there after an early-career breakthrough with the St. Louis Cardinals between 2017 and 2021. In 327 games spanning the 2022-24 seasons, he managed only a meager .644 OPS and 2.7 rWAR.

As for what Bader is doing so far in 2025, it's hardly news that he leads all left fielders in Outs Above Average . Even more so than his one Gold Glove can attest, tracking down fly balls has always been his jam.

It's the offensive production that has come out of nowhere, but it is also easily traced back to two things: better swing decisions and more hard contact. Bader's 9.6 walk percentage is more than double his rate from last year, and he's otherwise among the biggest hard-hit rate gainers of 2025.