Every MLB team’s key player for 2025 second half

Sometimes, it just takes one player to launch a Major League team to success. Whether it’s a huge contributor coming back from injury, a young star looking to break out or a veteran hoping to flip the script, every MLB club has a player who needs to deliver during the second half of the 2025 season.

With the help of MLB.com’s 30 beat writers, here’s each team’s key player for the second half, which begins Friday.

Blue Jays: DH Anthony Santander
Remember him? Santander was brought in to be the big, power-hitting addition to the middle of this lineup, but it just hasn’t happened. He’s still working his way back from a shoulder surgery and it’s likely we don’t see him until some point in August, but who will Santander be when he’s back? Again, this is all about the ceiling for the Blue Jays. They’ve found ways to win without Santander, but if he can return for the stretch run and get hot at the right time, that would add another incredibly valuable player to this lineup. — Keegan Matheson

Orioles: RHP Kyle Bradish
The Orioles’ rotation could finally be getting a massive boost in the form of Bradish, who underwent Tommy John surgery in June 2024. The 28-year-old right-hander has been facing live hitters in Sarasota, Fla., and is nearing a rehab assignment. It would be great for Baltimore if Bradish can get in a handful of starts and look close to his 2023 form — when he finished fourth in AL Cy Young voting — to build momentum toward 2026. — Jake Rill

Rays: 2B Brandon Lowe
The Rays treaded water as Lowe got off to a slow start, which was due in part to bad luck at the beginning of the season. When he got hot in mid-May, the team followed suit. And when he got hurt a week before the break, his absence from the lineup was noticeable as they limped into the break. You can argue that Junior Caminero is a more valuable run producer, that Jonathan Aranda has been a better all-around hitter or that Josh Lowe and Yandy Díaz play equally key roles. But the Rays tend to go as their All-Star second baseman goes. — Adam Berry

Red Sox: LHP Garrett Crochet
Crochet is probably the most important player on the Red Sox the rest of the way. He logged a career high of 146 innings in his first season as a Major League starter last year and comes into the break at 129 1/3. How well he holds up will likely have the biggest impact on how far the Red Sox can go this season. — Ian Browne

Yankees: OF Aaron Judge / LHP Max Fried
Let’s split this category between the Yankees’ two MVPs to this point — Judge and Fried. Judge is well on his way to a second consecutive AL MVP award, blending incredible offense with terrific defense. The captain is in the lineup almost every day, either in the outfield or at DH, and his continued availability is crucial to the Yanks’ hopes. The same is true for Fried, who stepped into the ace role when Gerrit Cole went down. The Yankees need him to keep dealing and keep any blister issues at bay. — Bryan Hoch

Guardians: RHP Shane Bieber
The Guardians rotation has a 3.80 ERA since June (eighth in MLB), and it could soon receive a big boost. Bieber appears to be tracking toward an early-to-mid August return from Tommy John surgery recovery. He has resumed his progression after overcoming a brief setback he had in June due to soreness. The 30-year-old’s return could further reinforce a staff that has been continually steady this season, just in time for the stretch run. — Tim Stebbins

Royals: SS Bobby Witt Jr.
Witt will always carry this team. And the Royals will need him to be the player he’s shown to be, especially in the second half; Witt has a career .300/.351/.533 slash line post All-Star break, compared to a .283/.330/.491 line pre-break. He posted a 1.054 OPS in the second half last season. The entire team seems to play better when Witt plays well, and a lift like that can’t be understated for Kansas City. — Anne Rogers

Tigers: RHP Jack Flaherty
A year ago, Flaherty was a trade piece to get Trey Sweeney and prospect Thayron Liranzo into the system back when the Tigers were sellers. This time, Flaherty isn’t going anywhere, not with a chance at a second straight World Series ring. But the Tigers need to get him out of an inconsistent stretch and back in front-line form to best set up their four-man postseason rotation. — Jason Beck

Twins: RHP Pablo López
There were plenty of other factors, but it’s not completely a coincidence that the Twins’ slide began just as López hit the injured list with a strained muscle in his shoulder. He’s begun throwing off flat ground, so he’s likely a good ways away from getting into games, but his durability, effectiveness, and leadership are critical. The sooner he’s back, the more likely the Twins are to make the postseason. — Matthew Leach

White Sox: SS Colson Montgomery
It’s been a full season for the No. 5 White Sox prospect and No. 95 overall, per MLB Pipeline, and there are still 65 games remaining. Montgomery fought his way through struggles with Triple-A Charlotte and a reset in Arizona to earn a big-league promotion on July 4. He came into Pittsburgh with just two singles in his last 18 at-bats, following a 5-for-10 start, meaning the skilled left-handed hitter once again will have to adjust to the adjustments being made against him. Montgomery’s success is a big part for this rebuild moving forward. — Scott Merkin

Angels: DH/OF Mike Trout
Trout has been solid offensively this year but hasn’t played at a superstar level. He missed a month with a bone bruise in his left knee and has been relegated to designated hitter duty since returning in late May. He’s hopeful to return to right field at some point after the break, and if he can go on a second-half hot streak, he can carry the offense at times. He also has to prove he can stay healthy the rest of the way. — Rhett Bollinger

Astros: DH Yordan Alvarez
Alvarez, who’s been out since May 2, has had only 121 at-bats and struggled through April while dealing with what turned out to be a fractured bone in his fight hand. That’s now healed, but he had two injections in his hand in early July to reduce lingering inflammation and hadn’t yet resumed swinging a bat at the All-Star break. The Astros desperately need their slugger back for the stretch drive and especially the playoffs. — Brian McTaggart

Athletics: RHP Luis Severino
Simply put, a 5.16 ERA – third highest among qualified MLB starters – through 20 starts is not what the A’s anticipated when they signed Severino to the largest free-agent contract in franchise history this offseason. The expectation was that he would settle in as their No. 1 starter. Instead, he’s performed as their worst rotation member to this point. Severino said he felt encouraged by his plan of attack in his final start before the break, which could key his turnaround. — Martín Gallegos

Mariners: CF Julio Rodríguez
It’s no coincidence that the Mariners pulled off that Detroit sweep on the shoulders of their extremely-talented-but-oft-inconsistent center fielder, who looked like a justified All-Star and not the debatable one who was selected via the vote from players. Rodríguez, who raised his season OPS by a sizable 44 points last weekend alone (from .687 to .731), wound up passing on the Midsummer Classic to rest up for the second half. That reset could be a boon for the Mariners, as Rodríguez has a career .903 OPS after the All-Star break compared to a .737 OPS before. — Daniel Kramer

Rangers: SS Corey Seager
It’s obvious, but Seager’s health matters just as much as his performance. The Rangers shortstop endured two separate stints on the injured list this season with a right hamstring strain and was slow to come back from the second one, hitting just .188/.360/.353 in June. But Seager has looked more like himself over the last two weeks going into the break. Many — but not all — of Texas’ offensive woes can be put on the shoulders of Seager’s absence and underperformance. With him back and performing at a high level, the rest of the offense could follow. — Kennedi Landry

Braves: CF Michael Harris II
Harris entered the All-Star break ranked last among qualified MLB players with a .551 OPS. And it’s not like he’s trending in the right direction. The 2022 NL Rookie of the Year has a .445 OPS since June 1. If Harris continues to struggle, there’s a chance he could be sent to Triple-A to work on his swing. This is certainly not what the Braves want in the third year of an eight-year, $72 million deal. But there’s a chance the skilled center fielder regains his balance at the plate and shows better plate discipline during the second half. His performance in the second half could impact offseason plans. — Mark Bowman

Marlins: RHP Sandy Alcantara
No one could have predicted that Alcantara, the 2022 NL Cy Young winner, would have the highest ERA (7.22) among Major League pitchers with at least 90 innings thrown. Since returning from Tommy John surgery, the 29-year-old Alcantara hasn’t looked like himself from his spotty command to his varying pitch usages. Will the All-Star break help Alcantara regroup? — Christina De Nicola

Mets: LHP Sean Manaea
Clearly the Mets’ top pitcher in 2024, Manaea didn’t throw a pitch this year until the final game of the first half. As soon as he did, he began reminding everyone why he’s such a crucial part of this team. Manaea’s low-slot, crossfire delivery resulted in seven quick strikeouts in Kansas City. And while he did wind up losing that game, his impact was nonetheless clear. Still, Manaea is pitching with a loose body in his left elbow, which is at least a bit worrisome. He’ll need to prove his durability for a Mets team very much invested in his ace upside. — Anthony DiComo

Nationals: OF Dylan Crews
Crews, the No. 2 overall pick in the 2023 Draft, has been on the 10-day IL since May 21 because of a left oblique strain. When he returns, he will look to get into an offensive rhythm in his first full season in the Majors. Prior to his injury, Crews batted .196 with seven home runs and 15 RBIs in 45 games. — Jessica Camerato

Phillies: 1B Bryce Harper
Harper spent most of June on the injured list because of inflammation in his right wrist. His first-half numbers are far from what he expects from himself. But if Harper returns to form in the second half, the Phillies’ offense has an opportunity to take off — especially if Trea Turner and Kyle Schwarber continue to produce as they did in the first half. — Todd Zolecki

Brewers: OF Sal Frelick
There are a handful of dates one can select to pinpoint where the Brewers turned their season in the right direction. One of them is June 12, when Frelick moved up to the leadoff spot permanently. Since then the Brewers are 20-7 while leading the Majors in runs per game (5.85) and on-base percentage (.351) and ranking second in average (.285). But now there’s a big question mark going into the second half after Frelick left Sunday’s finale with a left hamstring injury. Manager Pat Murphy said the development “made my heart hurt,” even before the team got the results of an MRI scan. — Adam McCalvy

Cardinals: 3B Nolan Arenado
Finger and shoulder injuries late in the first half wore down the 34-year-old Arenado, who has slashed just .246/.305/.388 (.693 OPS) with 13 doubles, 10 home runs and 42 RBIs. Arenado, who is desperate to play for a championship contender before retirement, has mentioned how much fun he’s had playing for a Cards club that is a surprising playoff contender. Is that enough to make Arenado want to remain in St. Louis? Or will the 10-time Gold Glover and eight-time All-Star reignite potential trades to a contender? — John Denton

Cubs: OF Kyle Tucker
All eyes will be on Tucker down the stretch (and beyond) for the North Siders. The Cubs went all-out to acquire the star outfielder, sending Isaac Paredes, Cam Smith and Hayden Wesneski to the Astros to secure one year of the All-Star right fielder. Tucker has lived up to the billing, batting .280 with 17 homers, 19 doubles, four triples, 56 RBIs, 22 steals, 68 runs and as many walks (60) as strikeouts (60) in 95 games. It was an October-or-bust decision to trade for Tucker, and the Cubs are in playoff position as hoped. After that, the next task will be to try to entice him to stay in Chicago rather than exit via free agency after one season. — Jordan Bastian

Pirates: RHP Mitch Keller
Keller is a leader of the rotation and has been one of the team’s most consistent performers all year. He’s also arguably the top pitcher on the trade block ahead of the deadline. His fate could be an indicator of how close the Pirates feel they are to competing. The Pirates could roll into next year with perhaps the best top four in baseball: Keller, Paul Skenes, Bubba Chandler and Jared Jones. They also need more hitters, and a Keller trade could help accomplish that. — Alex Stumpf

Reds: RHP Hunter Greene
Greene, who entered 2025 as the team’s ace, has slow-rolled his way back from a Grade 1 right groin strain since going on the injured list for the second time in early May. Despite a clean MRI on July 7, he reported symptoms and canceled a rehab assignment. It’s being left up to him to determine when he can resume pitching. But considering Greene is a guy with a long-term contract who intends to be a leader, the club wants him back sooner rather than later. When he is, he can be one of the best starters in baseball. — Mark Sheldon

D-backs: RHP Zac Gallen
Some strong performances by Gallen out of the break could help his trade value should Arizona elect to move him. If he struggles, do the Diamondbacks hang on to him and make him a qualifying offer in order to get a Draft pick for him? These are the questions that GM Mike Hazen must wrestle with. — Steve Gilbert

Dodgers: SS Mookie Betts
Betts had arguably the most disappointing first half of any Dodger — and of his career. His .696 OPS before the All-Star break was his worst in a full season, nearly 100 points lower than his next-closest mark (.792 in 2015). He’s handled his position change to shortstop well, but if he can wake up his bat, it could be more impactful for the Dodgers than any Trade Deadline acquisition. — Sonja Chen

Giants: DH Rafael Devers
Devers has been playing through a groin issue and lower back inflammation since coming over from the Red Sox, which has hampered his production at the plate, but the Giants are hoping he’ll be able to use the All-Star break to get healthy and return to his slugging ways in the second half. Devers has been limited to DH duties thus far, but the Giants expect him to make his first base debut once he gets past his physical ailments. — Maria Guardado

Padres: RHP Michael King
King was the Padres’ Opening Day starter and their Game 1 starter in the postseason last year. He posted a 2.90 ERA across 10 starts through mid-May. And then he missed two months with a right shoulder/long thoracic nerve injury. The Padres have persevered in the rotation — and the recent return of Yu Darvish certainly helps with that. But a healthy King instantly makes the rotation more formidable, particularly in a short playoff series. On that front, King appears to be on his way back. He’s throwing bullpens and could face hitters in the near future. An early August return isn’t out of the question. — AJ Cassavell

Rockies: SS Ezequiel Tovar
Last year finished happily, with Tovar winning his first Gold Glove and looking every bit the team’s leader. But two injuries reduced his effectiveness or prevented him from participating in a bitter first half. With the possibility of massive change on the roster, it’ll be up to Tovar to establish how he will lead the next chapter of Rockies baseball — on the field and off. — Thomas Harding