Top25

Zach Carey’s Top 25 2025 PLL Free Agents

By Zach Carey | Jan 27, 2025

The PLL’s 2025 free agency period opens up on March 3 when clubs will have the opportunity to improve their rosters ahead of the College Draft in May. From a few of the biggest names in the sport to a deep class of top-tier short-stick defensive midfielders, there are plenty of free agents who will make teams better in 2025. 

The Open Discussion Period – when any free agent player can talk to any club – opens up on Feb. 18. Thirteen days later, free agency kicks off and players can sign new deals. 

With that in mind, here are my top 25 free agents in the 2025 class: 

1. Trevor Baptiste, Faceoff

Baptiste is a once-in-a-generation force at the stripe. He’s now won five Faceoff Player of the Year awards and been a first-team All-Pro in five of the last six seasons. Baptiste is the best in the world and is the type of game-changer who can be a catalyst for any team in the league. His combination of quick-handed clamp dominance and a deep bag of counters make him practically unbeatable. Plus, Baptiste limits turnovers while being a legitimate threat in transition and early offense. Whichever team signs him will have an immediate edge at the stripe. He’s the whale of this free agent class that, realistically, nearly every club should be interested in.

Potential fits (in alphabetical order): Boston Cannons, Carolina Chaos, New York Atlas, Philadelphia Waterdogs

2. Danny Logan, SSDM

Logan is the ideal short-stick defensive midfielder. He is a lockdown on-ball defender who can win matchups at a higher rate than many poles. Logan is as strong as an ox but still can match feet with some of the shiftiest midfielders in the world. He completely nullifies the disadvantage of playing defense with a short stick and, for that reason, every defense in the PLL should be interested in signing him. 

Potential fits: California Redwoods, Maryland Whipsnakes, New York Atlas 

3. Rob Pannell, Attack

Pannell is still near his best at age 35. The all-time quintessential X attackman can dodge, feed and score with either hand. His technician’s approach to dodging is lethal alone, but his flare for the dramatic via an unmatched infusion of calculated creativity makes him nearly impossible to defend. After pondering retirement following the 2023 season, Pannell put up 30 points in 10 regular-season games for the Redwoods in 2024. If he laces ‘em up again in 2025, he’ll remain one of the best attackmen in the world.

Potential fits: California Redwoods, Carolina Chaos, Denver Outlaws

4. Jarrod Neumann, Close Defense

Neumann is one of the most imposing individual defenders in lacrosse. His record-breaking step-down shot is an added bonus for a player who – at 6-foot-4 and 230 pounds – cannot be outmuscled. Dodge at him at your peril. He may be 31, but he remains one of the most physical defenders in lacrosse with the veteran savvy to elevate any defense. 

Potential fits: California Redwoods, Carolina Chaos, Denver Outlaws

5. Matt Whitcher, SSDM

Whitcher’s length and speed in association with his tactical wizardry make him lacrosse’s version of a lockdown wing defender in basketball. At 6-foot-3 and with the ability to run all day, dodging past him is a fruitless endeavor. He can match feet with every midfielder out there. Any team with a hole at SSDM should be eyeing the York College product.

Potential fits: Maryland Whipsnakes, Philadelphia Waterdogs

6. Zach Geddes, SSDM

Geddes plays like a gazelle with a lacrosse stick. He cannot be beat on the run and, consequently, is an invaluable asset for any defense in the PLL. He can also spark instant transition going the other direction with the stick skills to punish opposing defenses that don’t respect him. There is a dearth of shorties who can lock up one-versus-one. Geddes is one of them.

Potential fits: Carolina Chaos, Maryland Whipsnakes, New York Atlas

7. Mike Chanenchuk, Midfield

Chanenchuk has the smoothest wrists in lacrosse. He can release his hammer of a shot from any angle and put it anywhere on cage. At 34, he can still beat his man one-on-one and make defenses press him on the perimeter in fear of what he can do when he steps down. If Chanenchuk wants to try to make another run, he’d be a value add for a win-now contender.

Potential fits: California Redwoods, Carolina Chaos, Maryland Whipsnakes

8. Justin Anderson, Midfield 

Anderson did a little bit of everything for the Outlaws in 2024. He finished tied for fifth in midfield scoring while taking faceoff wings and defensive runs. Anderson can dodge and score from anywhere on the field and is a lethal threat off faceoffs as a stretch shooter and a downhill dodger who artfully exploits his size and speed. He makes his team better. 

Potential fits: Carolina Chaos, Denver Outlaws, Utah Archers

9. Myles Jones, Midfield 

Jones was resurgent in 2024 as the 6-foot-5, 250-pound midfielder bullied short- and long-stick matchups all year long. With a full head of steam, Jones is one of the most terrifying players in lacrosse. The nuances of his game – including his feeding prowess and his nimble footwork for such a big player – have made him a position-defining player over the last decade. Should he continue playing at his 2024 level, he’s still a unicorn out of the box.

Potential fits: Carolina Chaos, New York Atlas, Utah Archers

10. Romar Dennis, Midfield

Dennis is the king of the two-ball with the rare ability to hit long bombs on the run. He led the league in twos in 2024 with seven, including five which were unassisted. His unmatched threat from behind the arc makes him an appealing fit as two-point volume and efficiency continue to rise. Wherever he lands, his team will aim to unlock Dennis' impact inside the arc since he’s scored just 10 one-pointers in the last three seasons combined.

Potential fits: California Redwoods, Carolina Chaos, Utah Archers

11. Jules Heningburg, Attack/Midfield 

Heningburg is one of the shiftiest players in lacrosse with the foot speed and change of direction to dust defenders at X and force slides at ease. Whether as an invert option or an X attackman, he forces teams to help early because of his explosive potential to attack a two-way go. Heningburg’s value is most significant when he can attack shorties and create space by dancing from behind. 

Potential fits: Carolina Chaos, Utah Archers

12. Kyle Jackson, Midfield

Jackson can play nearly any role in an offense. Need an inverting midfielder? Check. Inside finisher? Check. Lefty midfielder to play in the two-man game? Check. He can dodge from almost anywhere and is a spark plug who can fit into any offense because of his versatility. He’s not the headliner of an offense, but he does all the things that make offenses good.

Potential fits: Carolina Chaos, New York Atlas

13. Nakeie Montgomery, Midfield

Montgomery can do it all at the midfield position. He’s a fiend off faceoff wings, can guard with the best of them, can create in transition and is a diverse offensive threat who can be used in an array of different offenses. The 25-year-old’s best years are ahead of him – if he can produce more on offense, his impact will skyrocket.

Potential fits: California Redwoods, Carolina Chaos, Utah Archers

14. Koby Smith, LSM

Smith is a certified playmaker in the middle of the field. He can rip two-bombs, create turnovers, dominate on the ground and has the physical tools to be a quality midfield defender in the PLL. He was part of a dangerous Atlas LSM tandem in 2024 and should be a free agent prize for whichever club signs him for 2025.

Potential fits: New York Atlas, Utah Archers

15. Jesse Bernhardt, Close Defense

Bernhardt is one of the smartest defensive minds in lacrosse. His veteran leadership of the Outlaws has been paramount to the club’s defensive success in recent years, and his absence due to injury cost them dearly down the stretch in 2024. Bernhardt is the quintessential voice of the defense who is a hawk off the ball. At 34, he’s not a long-term piece, but he can stabilize a defense that needs direction.

Potential fits: California Redwoods, Denver Outlaws

16. Cade van Raaphorst, Close Defense

Van Raaphorst is a hard-nosed defender with a knack for creating havoc on defense and then taking advantage of it on the other end of the field with a missile of a shot. Lose track of him in transition or the substitution game and he’ll rip 100-mph shots from well beyond the arc. 

Potential fits: Boston Cannons, Denver Outlaws

17. Chet Comizio, SSDM

Comizio throws one of the best crowbars in lacrosse as he can entirely disrupt dodgers with a quick swipe of his hands. The Villanova product settled himself in the Atlas SSDM group alongside Logan, fitting a similar mold as his veteran counterpart. He can bolster any defense that needs to fill a hole at SSDM. 

Potential fits: Maryland Whipsnakes, New York Atlas

18. Owen McElroy, Goalie

McElroy saved the fifth-most shots in the league in his first season as a full-time starter between the pipes. His superiority on this list relative to other free agent goalies is a result of his age – the 26-year-old can become a franchise keeper for a team that wants him. Given that the league is experiencing a transition to a new generation of goalies, McElroy could be a priority for a few different clubs.

Potential fits: California Redwoods, Denver Outlaws, Philadelphia Waterdogs

19. Jackson Morrill, Attack/Midfield

Morrill can conduct an offense from behind the cage. He can be an invert threat that will expose short-stick matchups or an X attackman who can facilitate for shooters and playmakers around him. He’s been a late-season trade chip the past two years before being a healthy scratch for the Archers in their 2024 title run. Can he find the right fit in 2025 after being on three different rosters over the last two seasons? The Archers have expressed interest in bringing Morrill back but they expect him to test free agency, a team source tells me.

Potential fits: California Redwoods, Utah Archers

20. Mike Manley, Close Defense

Manley is a big-bodied cover defender who can still bruise opposing attackmen looking to win with strength. He’s not going to be the future of a defense. But he is a close defender who can battle with guys like Zed Williams and Matt Rambo, which is something every defense needs. 

Potential fits: Denver Outlaws, Carolina Chaos

21. Jon Robbins, LSM

Robbins has been a key cog for the Archers over the past three seasons, anchoring the club’s LSM spot en route to the club’s second consecutive title in 2024. He has the speed to run with midfielders out of the box, although his size at 5-foot-9 means bigger players can sometimes shoot through him. Robbins is a trusty plug-and-play option at LSM with the ability to play down low as well. 

Potential fits: California Redwoods, Denver Outlaws, Utah Archers

22. Christian Scarpello, SSDM

Scarpello has been an asset to the Waterdogs through his four-year career. The 5-foot-11, 200-pound lefty can run with midfielders out of the box and disrupt their hands often by extending his stick with just his bottom right hand. Scarpello can turn an opponent back to a slide well and rarely gets lost in the rotation of the defense. In a league where every offensive player can win a matchup, shorties like Scarpello are crucial.

Potential fits: Maryland Whipsnakes, Philadelphia Waterdogs

23. Austin Kaut, Goalie

Kaut had a better save percentage in 2024 than four starting goalies. There’s a reason he’s seventh all-time with 1,042 career saves. He’s unquestionably reliable, and a great teammate to boot. Kaut is a valued member of the Chaos locker room, so it should be difficult to tear him away from his spot as Blaze Riorden’s second in command. But he could be worth a shot as a trusty keeper for a team in need of a reliable starter.

Potential fits: California Redwoods, Carolina Chaos, Denver Outlaws

24. Petey LaSalla, Faceoff

LaSalla fell victim to Joe Nardella’s All-Pro 2024 season as the veteran returned from injury and led the league in faceoff win percentage. That shouldn’t completely overshadow LaSalla, though. His rookie season in 2023 proved that he’s a capable specialist whose skill post-exit increases his value. Whether he can develop counter moves to stop the bleeding when he starts losing should determine his long-term potential. But, for a team without a consistent game-to-game faceoff specialist (of which there are a few), LaSalla is the name to watch after Baptiste.

Potential fits: Boston Cannons, Carolina Chaos, New York Atlas, Philadelphia Waterdogs

25. Ryan Aughavin, Midfield

Aughavin is a potentially underrated dodging midfielder who can shoot and feed with both hands. The Brown product had his coming out party in the 2023 Cash App Championship with a two-pointer and a gorgeous cross-field assist to Mac O’Keefe. He never quite found his footing for the Archers in 2024, shooting 8.3% on the season. But, with the right opportunity, Aughavin could be a consistent producer out of the box as a speedy downhill dodger who can stretch the field as a 30% career two-point shooter.

Potential fits: California Redwoods, Carolina Chaos, Utah Archers