{"id":30554,"date":"2025-02-01T01:54:08","date_gmt":"2025-02-01T01:54:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=30554"},"modified":"2025-02-01T01:54:08","modified_gmt":"2025-02-01T01:54:08","slug":"report-9-players-who-need-to-step-up-in-wake-of-key-departures","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=30554","title":{"rendered":"REPORT: 9 players who need to step up in wake of key departures"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/img.mlbstatic.com\/mlb-images\/image\/upload\/t_16x9\/t_w1024\/mlb\/gnvxmrtego8ypbvchtcm.jpg\" \/><\/p>\n<p>When a star exits, his former team might look to free agency or the trade market to find his replacement. Often, though, the answer must come from within.<\/p>\n<p>The nine players below are set to take on increased importance in 2025 after each of their teams lost a pivotal player this offseason.<\/p>\n<p>Their clubs are counting on them to rise to the challenge to fill the voids left behind.<\/p>\n<div class=\"Styles__StoryPartContainer-sc-1mfrmm0-0 hJBugI story-part markdown\">\n<div class=\"Styles__MarkdownContainer-dxqlie-0 eJdqRG\">\n<p><strong>Jasson Dom\u00ednguez, OF, Yankees<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Acquiring outfielder Cody Bellinger from the Cubs may have been the Yankees\u2019 direct answer to losing Juan Soto\u2019s bat from their lineup.<\/p>\n<p>But even if Bellinger improves upon his 2024 production (18 homers, 109 wRC+), he alone is likely not going to be able to compensate for Soto\u2019s departure to join the crosstown Mets on a record-setting 15-year, $765 million deal.<\/p>\n<p>To further bridge the gap, the Yankees are counting on Dom\u00ednguez (MLB Pipeline\u2019s No. 21 overall prospect) to finally deliver on the hype that has followed him since his teenage years.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"Styles__StoryPartContainer-sc-1mfrmm0-0 hJBugI story-part markdown\">\n<div class=\"Styles__MarkdownContainer-dxqlie-0 eJdqRG\">\n<p>Dom\u00ednguez showed glimpses of his potential with the Bronx Bombers in September 2023, homering four times in his first seven games, but his promising debut was cut short when he had to undergo Tommy John surgery to repair a torn UCL in his right elbow.<\/p>\n<p>He ended up logging just 67 plate appearances in the Majors a year ago and posted a .179\/.313\/.304 slash. How quickly the youngster can put those struggles behind him will be crucial for the Yankees\u2019 offensive ceiling in 2025.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"Styles__StoryPartContainer-sc-1mfrmm0-0 hJBugI story-part video\">\n<div class=\"Styles__AspectRatioContainer-sc-1t1lmmv-0 jiNMQU\">\n<div class=\"Styles__AspectRatioContent-sc-1t1lmmv-1 fvEQJr\">\n<div id=\"media-top-prospects-jasson-dominguez-of-yankees-wrapper\" class=\"Styles__VideoPlayerContainer-t94iyc-0 XOHMa\">\n<div>\n<div id=\"media-top-prospects-jasson-dominguez-of-yankees-container\" class=\"mediaPlaybackstyle__MediaPlaybackDiv-sc-1ytvz97-0 ieUyYe\">\n<div class=\"app\">\n<div id=\"media-top-prospects-jasson-dominguez-of-yankees-container-194bf33889e-2\" class=\"media-player\" tabindex=\"0\" role=\"group\" aria-label=\"MLB Media Player\"><button class=\"overlay click-to-play-overlay player-med\" tabindex=\"0\"><\/button><button class=\"overlay click-to-play-overlay player-med\" tabindex=\"0\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"scrim\" src=\"https:\/\/img.mlbstatic.com\/mlb-images\/image\/upload\/ar_16:9,g_auto,q_auto:good,w_1024,c_fill,f_jpg,dpr_3.0\/mlb\/mqjz8tslh45gtiydjdem\" alt=\"Top Prospects: Jasson Dom\u00ednguez, OF, Yankees\" \/><\/button><\/p>\n<div id=\"m2ea88\" class=\"minute-container\">\n<div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"overlay-metadata player-med\">\n<h1 class=\"title\">Top Prospects: Jasson Dom\u00ednguez, OF, Yankees<\/h1>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"Styles__StoryPartContainer-sc-1mfrmm0-0 hJBugI story-part markdown\">\n<div class=\"Styles__MarkdownContainer-dxqlie-0 eJdqRG\">\n<p><strong>Jackson Holliday, 2B, Orioles<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Selected first overall in the 2022 MLB Draft, Holliday made his big league debut amid significant fanfare last April but lasted just 10 games before being sent back to the Minors, having gone 2-for-34 (.059) with 18 strikeouts.<\/p>\n<p>While he showed improvement in his second stint after being recalled in late July, his .218\/.285\/.365 slash still left much to be desired.<\/p>\n<p>The Orioles are going to need more from Holliday this year to offset the left-handed power deficit created by\u00a0Anthony Santander\u2019s\u00a0departure as a free agent, with the switch-hitting Santander having crushed 32 homers from the left side of the plate in 2024.<\/p>\n<p>The O\u2019s did sign\u00a0Tyler O&#8217;Neill to replace Santander in their outfield, but O\u2019Neill bats from the right side.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"Styles__StoryPartContainer-sc-1mfrmm0-0 hJBugI story-part oembed\">\n<div class=\"Styles__OEmbedContainer-oapuup-0 lmzrfD social-embed swipeStory\">\n<div class=\"tapStory__outerWrapper\">\n<div class=\"Styles__AspectRatioContainer-sc-1t1lmmv-0 gamGeh\">\n<div class=\"Styles__AspectRatioContent-sc-1t1lmmv-1 fvEQJr\">\n<div class=\"ampStoryPlayerstyle__AmpStoryPlayerContainer-sc-1v918zo-1 fgbtKT\">\n<div class=\"i-amphtml-fill-content i-amphtml-story-player-shadow-root-intermediary\">\n<div class=\"i-amphtml-story-player-main-container i-amphtml-story-player-loaded\"><button class=\"i-amphtml-story-player-panel-prev\" disabled=\"disabled\" aria-label=\"previous story\"><\/button><button class=\"i-amphtml-story-player-panel-next\" disabled=\"disabled\" aria-label=\"next story\"><\/button><iframe class=\"story-player-iframe\" src=\"https:\/\/www.mlb.com\/stories\/player\/702616?ap=1#visibilityState=prerender&amp;origin=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.mlb.com&amp;showStoryUrlInfo=0&amp;storyPlayer=v0&amp;cap=swipe\" sandbox=\"allow-top-navigation-by-user-activation allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox allow-forms allow-modals allow-pointer-lock allow-popups allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-top-navigation\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\"><\/iframe><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"Styles__StoryPartContainer-sc-1mfrmm0-0 hJBugI story-part markdown\">\n<div class=\"Styles__MarkdownContainer-dxqlie-0 eJdqRG\">\n<p><strong>Trevor Megill, RP, Brewers<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Megill is set to take over as the Brewers\u2019 closer after the team\u00a0traded\u00a0Devin Williams\u00a0to the Yankees in December.<\/p>\n<p>One of the premier relievers in baseball, Williams ranks second in ERA (1.70), third in\u00a0FIP\u00a0(2.24) and strikeout rate (40.8%) and first in opponents\u2019 batting average (.144) among\u00a0pitchers with at least 200 innings dating back to 2020, when he won the National League Rookie of the Year Award.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"Styles__StoryPartContainer-sc-1mfrmm0-0 hJBugI story-part markdown\">\n<div class=\"Styles__MarkdownContainer-dxqlie-0 eJdqRG\">\n<p>Losing a pitcher of Williams&#8217; caliber is obviously a big blow to Milwaukee\u2019s bullpen. That said, the Brewers were able to get by without Williams for an extended period of time in 2024, when he missed the first four months of the season due to stress fractures in his back.<\/p>\n<p>Megill excelled as the team\u2019s fill-in closer during that time, posting a 2.41 ERA with 40 K\u2019s and 20 saves over 35 games. Now, he\u2019ll get a chance to do the job on a full-time basis.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"Styles__StoryPartContainer-sc-1mfrmm0-0 hJBugI story-part video\">\n<div class=\"Styles__AspectRatioContainer-sc-1t1lmmv-0 jiNMQU\">\n<div class=\"Styles__AspectRatioContent-sc-1t1lmmv-1 fvEQJr\">\n<div id=\"media-adolis-garcia-strikes-out-swinging-jul24z-wrapper\" class=\"Styles__VideoPlayerContainer-t94iyc-0 XOHMa\">\n<div>\n<div id=\"media-adolis-garcia-strikes-out-swinging-jul24z-container\" class=\"mediaPlaybackstyle__MediaPlaybackDiv-sc-1ytvz97-0 ieUyYe\">\n<div class=\"app\">\n<div id=\"media-adolis-garcia-strikes-out-swinging-jul24z-container-194bf338ba3-4\" class=\"media-player\" tabindex=\"0\" role=\"group\" aria-label=\"MLB Media Player\"><button class=\"overlay click-to-play-overlay player-med\" tabindex=\"0\"><\/button><button class=\"overlay click-to-play-overlay player-med\" tabindex=\"0\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"scrim\" src=\"https:\/\/img.mlbstatic.com\/mlb-images\/image\/upload\/ar_16:9,g_auto,q_auto:good,w_1024,c_fill,f_jpg,dpr_3.0\/mlb\/pq3fkcrvslmun8twjix2\" alt=\"Trevor Megill's 101 mph strikeout seals the win\" \/><\/button><\/p>\n<div id=\"m6e18e\" class=\"minute-container\">\n<div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"overlay-metadata player-med\">\n<h1 class=\"title\">Trevor Megill&#8217;s 101 mph strikeout seals the win<\/h1>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"Styles__StoryPartContainer-sc-1mfrmm0-0 hJBugI story-part newsletter\">\n<div class=\"Styles__NewsletterOptinContainer-sc-10yslsy-0 sczZi\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>When a star exits, his former team might look to free agency or the trade market to find his replacement. Often, though, the answer must come from&#8230; <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":30555,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-30554","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-mlb"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v23.6 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>REPORT: 9 players who need to step up in wake of key departures - NEWS USA<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=30554\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"REPORT: 9 players who need to step up in wake of key departures - NEWS USA\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"When a star exits, his former team might look to free agency or the trade market to find his replacement. 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