For the second year in a row, Major League Baseball is using the latter part of the exhibition season to preview the future. Beginning on Thursday, March 13, MLB will host Spring Breakout 2025, a four-day, 16-game prospect showcase that will see each team field a roster of their best young talent.
Every club will play at least one Spring Breakout game, while the Washington Nationals and Chicago Cubs will partake in two because of the odd number of teams in the Grapefruit and Cactus Leagues. These games tend to be played as part of a doubleheader, usually following a contest between the club’s MLB squads. Every Spring Breakout game will be streamed or televised, giving fans a chance to see the stars of tomorrow. (You can find the complete Spring Breakout schedule here.)
“Spring Breakout will provide a new opportunity to showcase the future stars of the game as they continue on their journey to the Major Leagues,” MLB commissioner Rob Manfred said last year. “Our fans will get unique opportunities to meet our best prospects, get autographs, and see the next generation of Major Leaguers up close. We are thrilled that Major League Baseball, Minor League Baseball and all of our Clubs are working closer than ever to grow the game and to shine a brighter light on our future All-Stars.”
Last week, MLB released all of the rosters for this year’s Spring Breakout. While every game on the docket will feature some exciting matchups, below you’ll find our ranking of the five pairings we’re most excited to check out over the coming days, along with all the information you need to tune in. Throughout the piece, we’ll be referencing our recent ranking of the game’s top 50 prospects.
Let’s get to it.
The game: Red Sox vs. Rays (7:05 p.m. ET, Thurs., March 13)
We begin, naturally, with the single best value proposition for casual Spring Breakout viewers. By tuning into this Red Sox-Rays game, you’ll be exposed to four of the 10 best prospects in the league: outfielder Roman Anthony (No. 1), utility player Kristian Campbell (No. 3), and infielder Marcelo Mayer (No. 10) of the Red Sox, and shortstop Carson Williams (No. 5) of the Rays. What’s more is that all four of those players could reach The Show this season, meaning that this may be the first of many head-to-head meetings between these future American League East foes.
2. 2B Travis Bazzana (CLE) vs. SS Colt Emerson (SEA)
The game: Mariners vs. Guardians (8:05 p.m. ET, Fri., March 14)
You never know what the future will hold, but there’s a possibility that someday down the road these two will form a double-play combination in an All-Star Game. Bazzana, the top pick in last summer’s draft and our No. 12 prospect, has a great feel for the zone and the barrel alike. Emerson, meanwhile, is our No. 7 prospect based on his polished left-handed bat and chance to remain at shortstop. As an a bonus, both the Guardians and Mariners will have a slew of other interesting prospects on display.
3. SS Sebastian Walcott (TEX) vs. 1B Bryce Eldridge (SF)
The game: Rangers vs. Giants (8:05 p.m. ET, Sat., March 15)
Here we have a clash of two potential middle-of-the-order fixtures. Walcott, No. 20 on our list, more than held his ground last season as an 18-year-old facing significantly older competition. He might end up moving off shortstop and over to the hot corner, but it may not matter thanks to his offensive upside. Eldridge, our No. 27 prospect, is a former two-way player who has since chosen to focus exclusively on hitting. So far, it looks like a wise call. He too proved to be a quick study against more experienced competition, and it’s at least possible that he debuts in the majors this summer.
The game: Reds vs. Brewers (7:40 p.m. ET, Sun. March 16)
If you like explosivity, it’s hard to find a better matchup than Burns and Made. Burns, our No. 15 prospect and the second pick in last summer’s draft, has already cleared 100 mph this spring. He seems certain to be fast-tracked to the majors, perhaps as soon as later this summer. Made, our No. 36 prospect, will require more developmental time to maximize his upside. Get familiar with him now, because he has the kind of innate traits that could see him turn into a franchise cornerstone.
The game: Rockies vs. White Sox (5:05 ;.m. ET, Sun., March 16)
This is, in our estimation, the finest pitching matchup on the schedule. Dollander ranked 16th on our top-50 list, while Schultz checked in at No. 31. Each pitcher has a high-quality slider and a track record of piling up strikeouts. To wit, Dollander fanned more than a third of the batters he faced last season. Schultz, a low-slot lefty, has averaged roughly 12 strikeouts per nine for his career. Both Dollander and Schultz should make their MLB debuts this season, so consider this a glimpse of the near future.
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