Is It Legit? Addison Barger's 2025 Breakout Season

Addison Barger compiled an impressive 2.2 fWAR season while showing strong skills with his bat in 2025. After reaching Triple-A in 2022, some wondered if Barger could put it together in the Majors. His MLB debut in 2024 saw Barger hit for power, but there were plenty of concerns regarding his ability to hit.

That all changed in 2025 as Barger started the year in Triple-A, but quickly jumped to Toronto in mid-April. Blasting 21 home runs, Barger slashed .243/.301/.454, but had some pretty impressive underlying markers.

So, what should we make of what Addison Barger did in 2025, and will it carry into next season? Let’s dive in.

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How Legit Was Addison Barger’s 2025 Season?

The Numbers: Addison Barger Edition

Barger split time between third base and outfield in 2025, finishing as the number ten-ranked third baseman and 53rd-ranked outfielder according to the Razzball Player Rater. The multi-position eligibility is huge, but at a shallow third base position, there is a ton of value and potential for more.

In 135 games, Barger hit 21 home runs, but added 32 doubles and a triple. The slash line of .243/.301/.454 was solid, but Barger walked just 7.2 percent of the time, while striking out at a 24 percent clip.

There are some interesting splits, though, as Barger was performing off the charts through July. To that point, Barger had hit 15 home runs and had 41 extra-base hits in 324 plate appearances with a .264/.319/.505 slash line. In his final 142 plate appearances, Barger hit just three home runs and slashed .181/.261/.307.

What changed? Are we worried about the end of the season in 2025? Let’s look a little deeper.

Checkin’ Under the Hood: Addison Barger

If you glance at the Savant page, things look really good with Barger. The average exit velocity of 91.7 mph stands out, ranking in the 86th percentile. The barrel rate of 11.4 percent and the hard-hit rate of 51 percent are very strong. Topping out at 116.5 mph and having a 108 mph both show the insane power Barger is capable of getting to.

This is no surprise considering the elite bat speed, but the problems with Barger surround his contact and approach. The low walk rate is largely due to the higher chase rate, checking in north of 31 percent. The zone contact rate of 82 percent, according to Baseball Savant, is a slight improvement from what we have seen in the past, but the overall contact rate of 74 percent is below average.

Looking deeper into the fall off over the final two months, it is interesting to see that Barger saw his average exit velocity dip from 93.7 mph down to 89.6 mph. This happened while the bat speed actually increased, even just slightly. A lot seems to have to do with his swing, as the ideal attack angle dropped by six percentage points while the barrel rate was cut nearly in half, falling from 13 percent to 6.9 percent.

I dug into some video, and it is hard to pinpoint any noticeable differences. But it is clear that something was off down the stretch. With the attack angle changing as well as the attack direction, you have to wonder if his hip was bothering im down the stretch?

Regardless, we know the Barger is capable of hitting the ball incredibly hard, and he does a good job of barreling it up. The power will be there in 2026. The 68 postseason plate appearances suggest he was back on track as he hit three home runs and slashed .367/.441/.583.

Addison Bargers’s 2025 Verdict and Future Outlook

All the underlying data suggests that what Barger did was legit. Maybe he even underperformed a bit, given the strong batted-ball data, which led to a .411 xwOBACON.

The splits are something to watch. Against lefties, Barger struck out over 30 percent of the time and slashed just .217/.270/.337. Against righties, Barger had a 22.8 percent strikeout rate and a .249/.308/.480 slash line. It does seem highly possible that Barger is on the strong side of a platoon, so that is something to watch.

Given that, you can probably expect Barger to get between 500 and 550 plate appearances. The power will be there, and Barger will undoubtedly hit 20 home runs if he eclipses 500 plate appearances, but the biggest questions surround his average and OBP.

If there are slight contact gains, Barger should hit around .250 with an OBP around .310-.320. He likely won’t steal bases, but you know what to expect out of Barger. Considering he just turned 26 years old, there could still be development to be had. The upside looks something like 27-30 home runs with a .275 batting average and a lower OBP.

Barger’s 186 ADP, according to NFBC, seems like a fair spot for him. In dynasty leagues, you may find someone who overvalues him and someone who undervalues him. I do believe what we saw is legit, but I don’t see Barger as a must-acquire player in dynasty leagues.