Some rookies come out of the gates like the proverbial house on fire. That can be the start of a steady trajectory toward superstardom and MVP votes, or it can prove anomalous in the long run. Then, there are the rookies who, even when a top prospect, struggle upon reaching the big league. This can prove to be growing pains that are cast aside, or it can be the first step toward bust status. Because Rookie of the Year is an award, a lot of attention is paid to first-year MLB players. What about what happens next, though?
As we head toward the end of the 2025 MLB regular season, and as I take a forward-looking approach from a Sorare MLB perspective, I thought it would be worth dedicating this particular piece to MLB's sophomore class. We have gotten the usual mix of second-year outcomes. There have been the sophomore slumps. There have been the guys who have assuaged some of the concerns their rookie years instilled in baseball fans. A few have even taken a notable leap as MLB sophomores.
These are my upgrades, holds and downgrades derived from members of MLB's 2024 rookie class. Of course, that means some of them had cups of coffee prior, but they are sophomores by the letter of the MLB law.
The number in parentheses represents each player's last limited card sale price as of 9/10.
Upgrades
Jackson Holliday, BAL ($2.59): Hype is a double-edged sword. Jackson, son of Matt, brother of Ethan, debuted in his age-20 season as a popular choice for the top prospect in baseball. It's fair to say he landed with a thud and was straight-up poor at the plate. Fortunately for the believers, it seemed like he may have just been pressed into too much, too soon. This season, at an age where even most good prospects are in the minors, Holliday has hit .250 with 17 homers, 15 stolen bases, and three triples as well. Over the last couple weeks he's been racking up games with double-digit Sorare points, impressive for a second baseman. There are still flaws and moments of ill-discipline. He's been caught stealing 10 times. Holliday is on the all-star trajectory, though.
Andy Pages, LAD ($1.73): It felt like Pages found himself in the Dodgers' lineup last season owing to a lack of options. That's not a criticism of the Cuban-born outfielder, but the Dodgers were a team with World Series expectations, and now a rookie was getting time in center field? Pages showed he could hang, though, and in 2025 he's taken a real step forward. Okay, he still needs to learn to take a walk, but his average is up to .272 and he's hit 25 homers and, notably, stolen 13 bases. As a rookie, he swiped just a single bag. Pages has delivered double-digit Sorare points at home and on the road, against good teams and against bad. He appears primed to be a staple of the Dodgers' outfield for years to come.
Ronny Henriquez, MIA ($1.30): Top closers on Sorare can give you sticker shock, but what if you are ahead of the curve on a future closer? Or a top relief pitcher that becomes a mid-rotation starter? Henriquez pitched in 16 games for the Twins last season, 15 in relief and one as an opener. After joining the Marlins last offseason, though, Henriquez has been thrust into a key role, and he's excelled. He's pitched 64.1 innings with a 2.38 ERA and a 12.22 K/9 rate. The 25-year-old has 22 holds, but also seven wins. More to the point, he has six saves, and four blown saves. Blowing saves is bad, but getting save opportunities when you are not the ostensible closer is interesting. Will the Marlins really want Calvin Faucher, a 29-year-old with a career 4.24 ERA, as their closer much longer? Regular save opportunities will yield regular Sorare point opportunities for Henriquez.
Holds
Yoshinobu Yamamoto, LAD ($7.73): Yeah, Yamamoto can hack it. He's the real deal. His rookie campaign after coming over from Japan was truncated a bit by injury, but in his 18 starts he really impressed. Yamamoto managed a 3.00 ERA and 10.50 K/9 rate. In his second season, Yamamoto has shown that was no fluke and that he can do it in over 100 innings against guys who have seen him before. Through 27 starts, he has a 2.72 ERA, a 10.26 K/9 rate and a dozen games with over 30.0 Sorare points.
Wilyer Abreu, BOS ($2.23): It's not that Abreu is hurt right now. He should be back in a week, if you've been holding onto him for Sorare purposes. It's not about a sophomore slump, either. Abreu has slugged .486 and his 22 home runs are more than the 15 he had last season, and he's played more than 20 fewer games to date. No, it's about odd men out. Jarren Duran, Ceddanne Rafaela and Roman Anthony are all fighting for playing time as well. Anthony's bat can play as a DH, but what if Marcelo Mayer doesn't cut it as a middle infielder? What about Masataka Yoshida? What if the Red Sox aren't satisfied with internal options? It feels like Abreu won't be with Boston long-term, and that uncertainty makes him a hold.
Downgrades
Jack Kochanowicz, LAA ($0.46): Kochanowicz was sent down to Triple-A at the end of August, and perhaps that is where he belongs. He may only be 24, but he truly doesn't look like an MLB pitcher. Kochanowicz had a 3.99 ERA over 11 starts as a rookie, but his 3.44 K/9 rate, yes 3.44, did not bode well. I will acknowledge that the Angels righty was able to raise his K/9 rate all the way to 5.84. In 23 starts, he also has a 4.70 BB/9 rate and a 6.81 ERA. His last two MLB starts yielded negative Sorare points. Kochanowicz was the worst starting pitcher in MLB this year. That's no mere sophomore slump.
Masyn Winn, STL ($0.43): Even considering the offensive threshold for success for a shortstop, Winn is threatening to not make the cut. His rookie season took the sheen off his prospect status, but it wasn't terrible. Winn hit .267 with 15 homers and 11 stolen bases, but he had a .314 OBP owing to 41 walks (compared to 109 strikeouts). This year his average has dropped to .253, his OBP is down to .310, and worst of all he's slugged a mere .363. Winn is only 23, and it has been announced he's going to have knee surgery in the offseason. Maybe his knee has been holding him back, but it presumably hasn't played a role in his poor approach at the plate, which is the real issue.
