MLB 2025 April All-Stars -- and biggest early disappointments - ESPN

It has been a frenetic first month of baseball.

So far in the 2025 MLB season we've seen a four-team race brewing in the National League West; Aaron Judge chasing .400; the New York Mets winning with their pitching; the Los Angeles Dodgers looking unbeatable for eight games and then very beatable thereafter; a Chicago Cubs team featuring a high-powered offense and a breakout star; and a number of elite closers suddenly unable to get an out.

Let's go through the majors and pick our April All-Stars — as well as a player to watch and an early disappointment at each position.

All-Star: Cal Raleigh, Seattle Mariners

The Mariners signed Raleigh to a six-year, $105 million extension right before Opening Day, keeping him in Seattle through at least 2030. The Dodgers' Will Smith has the higher average and on-base percentage, but Raleigh has the better power production with 10 home runs, including a stretch of six home runs in six games that helped the Mariners break out from a slow start. He's so valuable to the Mariners that he has started every game: 21 at catcher and seven at designated hitter. Raleigh also has to contend with a tough home park: In his career, he has homered 64 times on the road compared to 39 at home, and his road OPS in 2025 is almost 200 points higher than his home one.

Player to watch: Carson Kelly, Chicago Cubs

This category should focus on a young player, but the 30-year-old Kelly is hitting .341/.517/.854 with six home runs and 18 RBIs after signing with the Cubs (he leads all major leaguers, with at least 50 plate appearances, in OPS). What stands out is an incredible ratio of 15 walks to just five strikeouts as he has suddenly stopped swinging at pitches out of the zone (fourth-lowest chase rate).