All-Star outfielder Kyle Tucker is the top free agent in this year’s class, but that seemed like a foregone conclusion once Blue Jays’ slugger Vladimir Guerrero Jr. signed a 14-year, $500 million contract extension back in April.
Tucker has earned that honor — and, soon, hundreds of millions of dollars — not necessarily for just his 2025 season with the Chicago Cubs. This past year for Tucker was still highly productive, but it wasn’t demonstrably better than the ones preceding it. But he’s still been a 4-6 WAR player each of the last five seasons.
For other players in this year’s free-agent class, a resurgent year or surprise breakout came just at the right time. These are the 11 free agents (with their 2025 teams) who boosted their stock and increased their value the most by raising their level of play during the 2025 season:
1. Bo Bichette, Shortstop, Toronto Blue Jays
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2024: -0.3 bWAR, 0.3 fWAR
2025: 3.5 bWAR, 3.8 fWAR
Green Light: There’s a world in which Bichette is entering the offseason as the World Series hero. His Game 7 home run off Shohei Ohtani ultimately ended in defeat, but it was an example of the resolve he demonstrated in his quest to bring a World Series title to Toronto. Will the Blue Jays pay what it’ll cost to run it back with Bichette? It won’t come cheap anymore. This year was a rousing success for Bichette, who went from playing at a replacement level a year ago to returning to his more typical ways as one of the top offensive shortstops in the game. His .311 batting average was tied for the highest among all qualified players at his position, and he finished tied for second in the majors in hits despite missing 23 games. He’s the best middle infielder on the market, and he’s still in his prime at 27.
Red Light: While injuries played a significant role in the poor performance in 2024, he was the worst shortstop in MLB by WAR (min. 300 plate appearances). He bounced back in a major way this year, but he graded out as one of the worst defensive shortstops in MLB, and he may need to shift off the position for his next team. In addition, injuries have limited him to 355 of a possible 486 games the last three seasons. How will all of that impact what teams are willing to pay?
2. Trent Grisham, Outfielder, New York Yankees
(Photo by Ishika Samant/Getty Images)
2024: 0.4 bWAR, 0.5 fWAR
2025: 3.5 bWAR, 3.2 fWAR
Green Light: The fact that Grisham, who was worth a total of 11 WAR over his first six career seasons, got a qualifying offer from the Yankees speaks to the kind of year he just had. Safe to say, he is about to command a lot more than the $5 million the Yankees gave him last winter. In a contract year in pinstripes, Grisham enjoyed the best offensive season of his career, doubling his previous personal best in home runs with 34 while also establishing career highs in hits (116), runs (87), RBI (74), slugging (.464) and OPS (.811). He’s only 29, and if he continues to hit the ball as hard as he did and pull it in the air the way he was able to this year, there are reasons to believe this could stick.
Red Light: His .235 batting average in 2025 marked the first time he hit over .200 in a season since 2021. For his career, he is a league average hitter. Grisham always had a keen eye at the plate and could work his walks, but that could lead to being overpassive. Even this past season, he had the fifth-lowest swing rate in MLB, but he did more damage when he swung. Will that continue? If it doesn’t, that could spell trouble ahead. He was known for his defensive prowess and his speed, both of which regressed this year.
3. Kyle Schwarber, Designated Hitter, Philadelphia Phillies
(Photo by Heather Barry/Getty Images)
2024: 3.5 bWAR, 3.3 fWAR
2025: 4.7 bWAR, 4.9 fWAR
Green Light: He’s the best hitter on the market. By wRC+, he was the sixth-best hitter in baseball in 2025. Schwarber led the National League with 56 homers and all of MLB with 132 RBI, both of which represented career highs. Even as a primary DH, he was worth nearly 5 WAR. The underlying numbers are encouraging, too. He had the highest hard-hit rate and third-highest barrel rate in MLB. His combination of power and patience — he had the seventh-highest walk rate among qualified hitters — strike fear in opposing pitchers in a way few can, and his presence in the locker room has been revered.
Red Light: He’ll be entering his age 33 season, and he has made a total of 13 starts in the field the last two years. He probably needs to be a DH, which will limit the number of interested suitors. In addition, he represents an anomaly as a slugger coming off his best offensive season as his mid-30s approach. He already strikes out a lot, so if the power starts to dip at all, he’ll be in trouble. When does the regression come?
4. Cody Bellinger, Outfielder/First Baseman, New York Yankees
(Photo by Thomas A. Ferrara/Newsday RM via Getty Images)
2024: 2.2 bWAR, 2.1 fWAR
2025: 5.1 bWAR, 4.9 fWAR
Green Light: It’s hard to imagine Bellinger’s first (and maybe last) season in pinstripes going much better. He was the second most valuable position player on the Yankees behind Aaron Judge and hit 29 homers with 98 RBI, both of which were his most since his 2019 MVP season. Bellinger is no longer the same hitter he was back then, now favoring a more contact-oriented approach that has him both homering and striking out far less than he did when he was a star in his early 20s in Los Angeles. This version is plenty productive, though. He has hit 25% better than league average over the last three seasons, he just produced his lowest strikeout rate of his career, and his ability to move around the diamond makes him a valuable piece for any team that could use a versatile corner outfielder or first baseman.
Red Light: A reunion in the Bronx would make a lot of sense, especially considering his home/road splits. He had a .909 OPS in New York and a .715 OPS away from Yankee Stadium. He smartly pulled the ball in the air more often this year — all 29 of his homers went to right field or right-center — taking advantage of the short porch in right. That home run total would have been a bit smaller had he played his home games elsewhere (though he still could be a 20-plus home run hitter wherever he goes). With some significant reverse splits last season, Bellinger thrived against lefties (1.016 OPS) but had more pedestrian numbers against right-handers (.741).
5. Harrison Bader, Outfielder, Philadelphia Phillies
(Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
2024: 0.9 bWAR, 1.2 fWAR
2025: 3.9 bWAR, 3.2 fWAR
Green Light: After bouncing from team to team in recent years, Bader enjoyed a career year split between the Twins and Phillies in 2025. He registered career highs in batting average, on-base percentage, OPS, hits, home runs, doubles and RBI while maintaining his usual defensive proficiency and plus speed. His .305 batting average in 50 games with the Phillies was the highest on the team, and his.824 OPS trailed only Schwarber and Bryce Harper. It seemed to be an ideal fit, but his work with the glove could be additive for any team in need of a defensive upgrade in the outfield.
Red Light: Bader’s defensive prowess and athleticism provide a reliable floor. Offensively, though, he outproduced his underlying numbers rather significantly in 2025, aided by a career-high .359 batting average on balls in play (that number was .415 after his trade to the Phillies). He chases and strikes out more than you’d like for a player with his profile. In his three previous seasons, he hit 20% below league average. There were only six qualified outfielders with a worse wRC+ over that stretch from 2022-24, and he’ll be 32 next season.
6. Jorge Polanco, Second Baseman/Designated Hitter, Seattle Mariners
(Photo by Vaughn Ridley/Getty Images)
2024: 1.3 bWAR, 0.3 fWAR
2025: 2.6 bWAR, 2.6 fWAR
Green Light: What a difference a year makes. Coming off an injury-plagued season in Seattle, Polanco decided to stick with the Mariners, and he rewarded them for their faith. He enjoyed one of the best seasons of his career, hitting 34% better than league average while cutting his strikeout rate in half (15.6%) and hitting the ball harder than he had ever before. It was the most significant year-over-year decrease in strikeout rate among all qualified MLB hitters. He also posted the third-highest jump in slugging percentage, the eighth-highest jump in batting average and the 10th-highest jump in hard-hit rate among all qualified hitters.
Red Light: Polanco’s two seasons in Seattle demonstrated both the possibilities and the dangers in signing him. When he’s healthy, he can still be one of the more productive offensive middle infielders in the game. But injuries have limited his time on the field in recent years, he’ll probably need some time at DH wherever he goes to limit the wear and tear on his knees, and he offers little help defensively.
7. Pete Alonso, First Baseman, New York Mets
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2024: 2.6 bWAR, 2.1 fWAR
2025: 3.4 bWAR, 3.6 fWAR
Green Light: Alonso didn’t get the long-term deal he coveted last winter, but he will try again after posting a career-high .272 batting average and his highest slugging percentage (.524) since his rookie year in 2019. Alonso hit 44% above league average, and he actually underperformed his underlying numbers in one of the best seasons of his career. He registered the highest hard-hit rate and average exit velocity of his career while leading all first basemen with 38 home runs and 126 RBI and led the NL with 41 doubles. Teams in need of a power boost at first base need look no further.
Red Light: Alonso hit .217 in 2023 and .240 in 2024. He was less passive in the zone in 2025, and it served him well as he saw a sizable jump in every slash-line category. But his poor defense at first base and limitations as a baserunner won’t get any better in his 30s. Plus, the winter isn’t always kind to players with his profile, as he found out last offseason. Will the boost he provides offensively be enough for a team to overlook his other deficiencies?
8. Ranger Suárez, Starting Pitcher, Philadelphia Phillies
(Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images)
2024: 2.7 bWAR, 3.4 fWAR
2025: 4.7 bWAR, 4.0 fWAR
Green Light: Suárez had his best year as a full-time starter, posting a 3.20 ERA that ranked 16th among all pitchers with at least 150 innings pitched in 2025. His vast arsenal of weapons and his precision make him adept at limiting hard contact and free passes, allowing him to consistently go deep into games. Suárez went at least six innings in 18 of his 26 starts and failed to go at least five just four times all year. And while he doesn’t rack up whiffs like a typical ace, he can still help a team with World Series aspirations. Suárez held the Dodgers to one run in five innings in his lone playoff start this year and has a career 1.48 postseason ERA.
Red Light: His sinker, which is his most-used offering, registered at a career-low 90.1 mph this year. For what he might cost, teams may want someone with more overpowering stuff. He also has never made 30 starts in a season. This year’s 157.1 innings pitched represented a career high.
9. Brandon Woodruff, Starting Pitcher, Milwaukee Brewers
(Photo by John Fisher/Getty Images)
2024: DNP
2025: 1.2 bWAR, 1.8 fWAR
Green Light: He was already a highly accomplished starter prior to the shoulder surgery that wiped out his 2024 season, and he returned in auspicious condition. In 12 starts, he was even better than his 3.20 ERA would indicate. His expected ERA (2.18), expected batting average (.172), strikeout rate (32.3%) and walk rate (5.4%) were the best of his career.
Red Light: This will all be a moot point if he accepts the Brewers’ qualifying offer. Health will always be a concern — after returning from shoulder surgery, he was later sidelined down the stretch with a lat muscle strain — and his fastball velocity was notably down from pre-surgery form. He clearly still found a way to make it work, though, adding a cutter and holding opponents to a .181 batting average with 51 strikeouts with his four-seamer. If he declines Milwaukee’s offer, his market will be fascinating as he approaches his age-33 season.
10. Edwin Díaz, Reliever, New York Mets
(Photo by Dustin Satloff/Getty Images)
2024: 0.5 bWAR, 1.1 fWAR
2025: 3.0 bWAR, 2.0 fWAR
Green Light: When healthy, he’s still arguably the best reliever in the game. Another year removed from the knee injury that wiped out his 2023 season, Díaz showcased that in an All-Star 2025 season in which he racked up 98 strikeouts in 66.1 innings with a 1.63 ERA. His 38% strikeout rate trailed only Mason Miller for the top mark among all qualified MLB relievers.
Red Light: His four-seamer averaged 97.2 mph this year, down from 99.1 in 2022 and 97.5 in 2023. It’s still plenty effective — opponents hit just .133 with 39 strikeouts against the pitch — but for an overpowering closer who’s reliant on two pitches, it’s something worth monitoring. Entering his age 32 season, that velo could continue trending the wrong direction.
11. Gleyber Torres, Second Baseman, Detroit Tigers
(Photo by Duane Burleson/Getty Images)
2024: 1.8 bWAR, 1.8 fWAR
2025: 2.9 bWAR, 2.6 fWAR
Green Light: A 29-year-old with his plate discipline should be tantalizing for any team in need of an offensive boost at second base. Torres tried to re-establish his value in Detroit after a down year with the Yankees and enjoyed his first All-Star season since 2019, posting an .812 OPS in the first half. His numbers dipped precipitously in the second half, but that could be explained by the hernia injury he was gritting through. His underlying numbers were notably better than they were the season prior with the Yankees and suggested some unluckiness in his overall totals in 2025. Torres logged the highest on-base percentage of his career (.358) and his highest walk rate over a full season (13.5%). Juan Soto was the only qualified player with a lower chase rate than Torres.
Red Light: His hernia injury required surgery after the season. So, while that can help explain the drop-off in production, you also have to wonder if that will give prospective suitors some pause. So will the qualifying offer he received from Detroit, should he choose to decline it. Torres also is a below-average defender and baserunner whose success has fluctuated in recent years.
Honorable mentions: Alex Bregman, 3B; Eugenio Suárez, 3B; Merrill Kelly, SP; Ryan O’Hearn, 1B/OF
Rowan Kavner is an MLB writer for FOX Sports. He previously covered the L.A. Dodgers, LA Clippers and Dallas Cowboys. An LSU grad, Rowan was born in California, grew up in Texas, then moved back to the West Coast in 2014. Follow him on Twitter at @RowanKavner.
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