With the conclusion of the World Series comes the start of MLB free agency, and this year’s class is ripe with needle-moving talent for teams hoping to challenge for next year’s pennant.
Here are the top 10 upcoming MLB free agents:
1. Philadelphia Phillies DH/OF Kyle Schwarber
Kyle Schwarber has led the National League in home runs in two of the last four seasons. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
2025 Stats (Regular Season): 56 home runs, 132 RBIs, 4.7 WAR and .240/.365/.563 slash line (604 at-bats)
When there’s a power outage, you call Schwarber to get the lights back on. The left-handed hitting slugger has overwhelming power, exemplified by him hitting 56 home runs this season and ranking in the top three percent of MLB in average exit velocity in each of the last two seasons. One could argue that the 32-year-old Schwarber still has three more prime years left in the tank, and, at the top of his game, the level, compact-swinging star hitter should command a starting salary that begins with the No. 4, if not the No. 5.
Kyle Tucker is a four-time All-Star. (Photo by Geoff Stellfox/Getty Images)
2025 Stats (Regular Season): 22 home runs, 73 RBIs, 25 stolen bases, 4.5 WAR and .266/.377/.464 slash line (500 at-bats)
Tucker is one of the best outfielders that the sport has to offer. Now, calf and shin injuries, respectively, have limited the outfielder’s availability over the past two years. That said, this is a Gold Glover-caliber right fielder who hits for slug, seldom strikes out and is still just 28. A long-term investment in Tucker, who has been an All-Star in each of the past four seasons, is an investment in one of the game’s best all-around players and a left-handed hitting star who has played in numerous big-time postseason games, particularly in his seven seasons with the Houston Astros.
3. Toronto Blue Jays SS Bo Bichette
Bo Bichette led the American League in hits in both 2021 and 2022. (Photo by Cole Burston/Getty Images)
2025 Stats (Regular Season): 18 home runs, 94 RBIs, 3.4 WAR and .311/.357/.483 slash line (582 at-bats)
Want a star shortstop who’s about to enter the prime of his career? Bo Bichette is for you. Bichette, who will be on Toronto’s World Series roster after missing seven weeks due to a knee injury, is an explosive right-handed hitter, an extra-base hitting machine and a steady force at shortstop. Bichette, a two-time All-Star, is a career .294 hitter who wreaks havoc at the top of the order. A long-term investment in Bichette is a prudent play for any team needing a fixture at the middle-infield position.
Alex Bregman boasts a career 43.1 WAR. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)
2025 Stats (Regular Season): 18 home runs, 62 RBIs, 3.5 WAR and .273/.360/.462 slash line (433 at-bats)
Plug-and-play-and-go. That’s what Bregman will give any team that he signs with. While Bregman is coming off a season where he was limited by a quad injury, the third baseman remains one of the premier infielders in the sport. He’s slick at the hot corner, hits for both contact and power and is a proven force in the postseason. Opting out of a $40 million average annual salary, Bregman should be able to fetch a salary north of $30 million per season on a long-term deal.
Framber Valdez boasts a career 3.36 ERA. (Photo by Alex Slitz/Getty Images)
2025 Stats (Regular Season): 3.66 ERA, 1.25 WHIP, 187 strikeouts, 3.8 WAR and 114 ERA+ in 192.0 innings pitched (31 starts)
While he’s had some postseason issues in recent years, Valdez is a proven, top-of-the-rotation force. Houston’s most consistent starting pitcher over the last five years, the southpaw pitches deep into games, posts strikeouts at a plausible rate and evades damage. Valdez, who heavily leans on his sinker and curveball, gives any pitching staff that he potentially joins credibility, a potent starter and a proven commodity. He’s an ace.
Pete Alonso is first in Mets history with 264 career home runs. (Photo by Ishika Samant/Getty Images)
2025 Stats (Regular Season): 38 home runs, 126 RBIs, 3.4 WAR and .272/.347/.524 slash line (624 at-bats)
Alonso and the Mets look poised for another offseason of hardball contract negotiations. And if that narrative indeed continues into the winter, it gives any team in need of an elite power catalyst the chance to swoop in and sign the five-time All-Star. Alonso, who has averaged 39 home runs and 115.8 RBIs per season since 2021 and finished in the 96th percentile in MLB in average exit velocity, hard-hit percentage and barrel percentage this season, is among the most intimidating hitters in the sport. Boasting a career .516 slugging percentage, he’d move the needle for any team looking for power production.
Ranger Suarez owns a combined 3.33 ERA over the last two seasons. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
2025 Stats (Regular Season): 3.20 ERA, 1.22 WHIP, 151 strikeouts, 4.7 WAR and 137 ERA+ in 157.1 innings pitched (26 starts)
Suarez has emerged as one of the best starting pitchers in the sport over the last two years. Commanding a consistent, five-pitch arsenal (sinker, changeup, cutter, curveball and four-seamer), Suarez has been able to pitch deep into games (he pitched through the seventh inning in nine of 26 starts this season), induce weak contact and, at his best, has arguably been Philadelphia’s No. 1 starting pitcher. The left-hander’s problem has been back issues, which stunted his 2024 campaign and delayed the start of his 2025 campaign. Only making 53 starts over the past two years is primarily what prevents the 30-year-old Suarez from being higher on this list.
Cody Bellinger has posted an OPS north of .800 in two of the last three seasons. (Photo by Ishika Samant/Getty Images)
2025 Stats (Regular Season): 29 home runs, 98 RBIs, 5.0 WAR and .272/.334/.480 slash line (588 at-bats)
Bellinger does it all. The two-time All-Star started at all three outfield positions for the Yankees this season, while being able to play first base, possessing reputable power and drastically reducing his strikeouts in recent years. Bellinger’s 5.0 WAR this season was his highest mark since posting 8.7 WAR in his 2019 MVP season. One knock on Bellinger, though, is that he hasn’t built on a promising or All-Star-caliber season at the plate. The back-and-forth career offensive tendencies of Bellinger could result in him signing a three-year deal, rather than a five or six-year deal, which was the length of his previous contract.
Eugenio Suarez has averaged 32.6 home runs per season since 2021. (Photo by Vaughn Ridley/Getty Images)
2025 Stats (Regular Season): 49 home runs, 118 RBIs, 3.6 WAR and .228/.298/.526 slash line (588 at-bats)
Suarez swings a hammer, and combining the regular season and postseason, the third baseman blasted 52 home runs in 2025. Now, he does strikeout at a high rate. At the same time, his power outweighs the whiffs, as Suarez is one of the most intimidating power threats in the sport and finished in the 89th percentile of MLB in barrel percentage this season (14.3%). A veteran presence at third base, the 34-year-old Suarez figures to cash in on a hefty, three-to-four-year deal.
Josh Naylor totaled a career-high in home runs (31) and RBIs (108) in 2024. (Photo by Vaughn Ridley/Getty Images)
2025 Stats (Regular Season): 20 home runs, 92 RBIs, 30 stolen bases, 3.1 WAR and .295/.353/.462 slash line (543 at-bats)
Naylor has come into his own as one of the best first basemen in the game. He has a level, compact swing from the left side that generates power and is a respectable defensive presence at the corner infield position. After landing in Seattle this past summer through a trade from the Arizona Diamondbacks, Naylor was a force to be reckoned with in the postseason, blasting three home runs and posting a .340/.392/.574 slash line. Entering the prime of his career, Naylor presents a savvy, long-term investment at first base.
Honorable Mentions:
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