Established big league stars make the big dollars and generally represent the face of their respective franchises, but young up-and-coming players are often the most exciting guys on the roster.
Cost-effective players with dynamic skill sets can make a real difference for teams that are looking to make a run at a title, and there's more high-end young talent around the league right now than any time in recent memory.
So with that in mind, what follows is a position-by-position look at Major League Baseball's all-under-25 team.
Some specifics before we begin:
- MLB experience: Only players with major league experience were considered, so while guys like J.P. Crawford, Orlando Arcia, Nomar Mazara, Lucas Giolito, Tyler Glasnow and Jose Berrios are all close to big league-ready, they don't qualify just yet.
- Age cut-off: In order to eliminate players who are not yet 25 but will be playing the bulk of the upcoming season at the age of 25, a player must still be 24 or younger on June 1 to be eligible inclusion. This excluded a notable trio in Nolan Arenado, Marcus Stroman and Steven Matz.
- Production vs. upside: Eligible players were chosen based on their current skill level and previous production, not on their ceiling and future upside. Kyle Schwarber might have a higher ceiling than Christian Yelich, but Yelich was the choice in left field based on what he's already accomplished.
- Injured players: While they may not currently be playing, injured players were still considered for inclusion on this list.
A full starting lineup of position players, a starting pitcher and a reliever were selected to this under-25 team, and we included a look at what a full 25-man roster of under-25 players might appear like, so be sure to check that out as well.
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