The 2025 MLB All-Star Game is not just a showcase of the sport’s biggest names but a midseason checkpoint for several players pursuing historically significant seasons. As baseball’s best gather in Atlanta for the Midsummer Classic, a select group is on pace to rewrite the record books.
### Cal Raleigh: The Greatest Season Ever for a Catcher
Fresh off his Home Run Derby championship, Cal Raleigh is in the midst of a monumental offensive campaign. With 38 home runs at the All-Star break, he is on track for 64, a total that would surpass Aaron Judge’s American League record. Raleigh is also challenging records for home runs by a switch-hitter (Mickey Mantle, 54) and a primary catcher (Salvador Perez, 48). His surge is fueled by a newfound dominance against left-handed pitching, against whom he is hitting .337/.385/.861, and a marked improvement against high-velocity pitches. His performance has him on pace for one of the highest WAR seasons for a catcher in baseball history.
“It’s wild,” said fellow All-Star catcher Hunter Goodman of the Colorado Rockies. “He’s having a crazy year, and it’s awesome that he’s doing it from behind the plate. What he’s doing is unbelievable. It’s hard to describe.”
### Aaron Judge: Most Total Bases Since the Great Depression
While Aaron Judge’s power is legendary, his 2025 season is defined by all-around offensive dominance. He is on pace to accumulate 435 total bases, a figure not seen in Major League Baseball since Jimmie Foxx reached that mark in 1932. This historic pace is driven by a more aggressive plate approach that hasn’t sacrificed contact or power. Judge is hitting an incredible .425 on balls in play, fueling an MLB-leading .355 batting average. He is also on track for 41 intentional walks, a testament to the fear he instills in opposing pitchers.
“He started off hot this year, which normally he doesn’t,” noted New York Yankees teammate Carlos Rodon. “He always finishes strong. I mean, I don’t know what he ends up with. Hopefully he hits like 70 homers. That’d be sick.”
### Shohei Ohtani: A Run Scored for Every Game
In his first season as the Los Angeles Dodgers’ leadoff hitter, Shohei Ohtani is scoring runs at a rate unseen in generations. He is on pace for 150 runs, a milestone only reached by Ted Williams and Jeff Bagwell since World War II. Should he finish with more runs scored than games played, he would be the first to do so (in 100+ games) since Rickey Henderson in 1985. Ohtani’s production as a power-hitting leadoff man is the primary driver, though a potential second consecutive 50-homer season and a fourth career MVP award also remain within reach.
“As his teammate, to see what he does is incredible,” said Dodgers catcher Will Smith. “He’s got 30-plus homers already… and he’s going out there on the mound and throwing 102 in his rehab games. It’s really special what he’s doing.”
### Paul Skenes: Unprecedented Early-Career Dominance
Pittsburgh Pirates ace Paul Skenes is preventing runs at a historic level. His career ERA stands at 1.98 over his first 43 starts, placing him in the company of Deadball Era legends. If he maintains his current 2.01 ERA for the season, he would become just the third pitcher in MLB history to post two sub-2.00 ERA seasons (with at least 20 starts) by age 23. Skenes has evolved from a pure power pitcher to a more efficient ace, lowering his home run rate to a league-best 0.4 per nine innings and learning to manage his dominant arsenal deeper into games.
“Obviously, the first thing that stands out is his stuff,” said St. Louis Cardinals infielder Brendan Donovan. “The second thing you look at is the composure. He’s got the military background, so I think that’s where he gets a lot of his discipline from.”
### Tarik Skubal: All-Time Command and Control
Detroit Tigers left-hander Tarik Skubal is demonstrating historic command, posting a strikeout-to-walk ratio of 9.56. If the season ended today, that figure would rank fifth all-time for a qualifying pitcher. Skubal’s mastery comes from a lethal combination: he leads all qualified pitchers in the percentage of pitches thrown in the strike zone (49.7%) while also leading the majors in inducing swings on pitches outside the zone (37.2%). This allows him to generate strikeouts efficiently and avoid walks at an elite rate.
“Even on game days, he’s working before the game like he’s not pitching that day,” said teammate Javier Baez. “I faced him in spring training and was looking for one pitch—when that pitch came, I didn’t hit it. He knows what hitters are looking for.”
### Pete Crow-Armstrong: The Next Stunning 40/40 Player
After entering the season with 10 career home runs, Pete Crow-Armstrong of the Chicago Cubs has experienced a stunning power breakout. He is on pace for 42 home runs and 46 stolen bases, which would make him just the third player in three seasons to join the exclusive 40/40 club. His rise is fueled by hitting the ball harder, elevating it more consistently, and pulling it with authority. While his speed was a known asset, his newfound power has transformed him into one of the league’s most dynamic threats.
“He’s a much better defender than me. He has a much better arm,” said Arizona Diamondbacks outfielder Corbin Carroll. “I don’t think I would have guessed he would have the power numbers he’s showing this year, but I guess people would have said that about me too.”
### Junior Caminero: Power Beyond His Years
In his first full season, Tampa Bay Rays infielder Junior Caminero is chasing history. Playing in his age-21 season, he is on pace for 38 home runs. Reaching 40 would place him in an exclusive group with Eddie Mathews (1953) and Ronald Acuña Jr. (2019) as the only players to hit that mark at such a young age. Caminero’s success is built on elite bat speed—ranked second-fastest in the majors by Statcast—which allows him to punish fastballs, especially those thrown at 95 mph or harder.
“He’s a special talent. His bat speed’s insane,” said former Rays reliever Jason Adam. “He had some of the most mature, calm at-bats I’d seen for a young kid. He’s going to be here for a long time.”
### Corbin Carroll: A Unique Blend of Power and Speed
Arizona Diamondbacks outfielder Corbin Carroll is showcasing a rare combination of skills that could place him in a category of his own. Despite missing time with a wrist injury, he still has an outside shot at becoming the first player in MLB history with 40 home runs, 20 triples, and 20 stolen bases in a season. Carroll, who led the NL in triples the past two seasons, has adjusted his swing to generate more power and lift, putting him on track to shatter his previous career high in home runs while remaining a threat on the bases.
“There is no hole, really. It’s hard to find new ways to get him out,” said San Francisco Giants pitcher Logan Webb. “He’s one of the best in baseball. He’s so quick and twitchy.”
### Bobby Witt Jr.: A Historic Pursuit of Doubles
Kansas City Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. continues to be a top MVP candidate, this year driven by a historic pace for doubles. He is on track for 53 two-base hits, which would be the most in the American League in six years and would challenge Hal McRae’s franchise record of 54. Witt’s profile—combining durability, an aggressive approach, elite speed, and a favorable home park—makes him a perennial candidate to lead the league in this category and many others.
“I can’t get him out. It’s just a tough at-bat,” said Detroit Tigers pitcher Casey Mize. “Bobby is always playing the game really hard. A single is a victory against him, but he’s going to turn it into a double most of the time.”
### Kyle Tucker: All-Around Excellence in a New Home
In his first season with the Chicago Cubs, Kyle Tucker is on pace for a season of remarkable all-around production. With 17 homers, 22 steals, and 68 runs at the break, he is tracking toward a 30-homer, 40-stolen-base, 120-run season. Only 11 players in history have achieved those combined marks. Benefitting from a potent Cubs lineup and a spot near the top of the order, Tucker has been more aggressive on the basepaths while maintaining his elite plate discipline, narrowly missing the 30/30 club in 2023.
“He stays in there against lefties, knows how to use the whole field. And knows what a strike is,” said Washington Nationals pitcher MacKenzie Gore. “He’s one of the tougher left-handed outs.”
### Byron Buxton: The Perfect Stolen Base Season
Health has allowed Minnesota Twins center fielder Byron Buxton to display his full range of talents, including his elite baserunning. So far, he is a perfect 17-for-17 in stolen base attempts. He is chasing a rare feat: a perfect season on the basepaths with at least 20 steals, a mark Trea Turner set the record for in 2023 at 30-for-30. Despite a history of injuries, the 31-year-old is running more than he has in years, leveraging his 90% career success rate to become a perfect threat on the bases.
“He’s one of the best players in the game when he’s healthy,” said Twins pitcher Joe Ryan. “It’s like he’s running a marathon at an insane pace. It’s just fun to watch him play.”
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