The 2025 MLB season is underway as 30 teams have their sights on the commissioner’s trophy. Here’s how the next six months could shape up.
National League East
The NL East title race will be an exciting one, as the Phillies and Braves will go stride-for-stride for the crown. Phillies ace Zach Wheeler has shown no signs of slowing down, and the offense can light up the scoreboard on any given night. Meanwhile, the Braves will return stars Ronald Acuña Jr. and Spencer Strider from the injury list with a shot at returning to the promised land, especially if reigning NL Cy Young winner Chris Sale continues to dominate.
The Mets made the biggest signing this offseason by dishing out $765 million to Juan Soto for the next 15 years. He and Francisco Lindor will be a dynamic duo to watch out for, but New York did nothing to address their miserable pitching staff. The Nationals are still not ready to compete, and the Marlins are the Marlins.
National League Central
The Cubs became the division front-runners after their blockbuster trade for Kyle Tucker, but I worry about their bullpen and inconsistent hitting. The Brewers lost multiple key contributors, the Reds and Pirates aren’t ready to make the jump yet (although Elly De La Cruz could be in MVP talks and Paul Skenes will have a sub-two ERA with no run support), and the Cardinals somehow still have not traded Nolan Arenado. Overall, mid.
National League West
The Dodgers somehow made the most unfair roster of all time even more unfair. The defending champion’s big three of Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman will continue to rake, and there might not be a single hole in their pitching staff after signing Blake Snell and Roki Sasaki.
The Diamondbacks should see some progression from their lineup, and their rotation drastically improved after signing Corbin Burnes. The Padres should follow suit under Fernando Tatís Jr.. The Giants will start off hot just to collapse in June, and the Rockies have had zero identity for years.
American League East
The Red Sox will be the team to watch in the division after a successful offseason in which they traded for Garrett Crochet and signed Alex Bregman. This knocks the reigning AL champion Yankees down a peg, who lost Soto to their crosstown rivals, and ace Gerrit Cole being out for the year is a huge blow to their pitching staff. Still, betting against Aaron Judge is a dangerous game.
The Orioles, who despite having one of the most exciting young offenses in baseball, failed to make any meaningful additions to their subpar pitching staff. The Rays and Blue Jays exist, I guess.
American League Central
The current AL Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal will continue to serve on the mound, but the Tigers’ offense is a huge concern if they want to return to the postseason. The Guardians will always remain in the hunt, but a lack of defensive depth could come back to haunt them. The Twins always seem to be devastated by injuries, and the White Sox will be lucky if they win 50 games.
I am perhaps way too sold on a 40 HR/40 stolen base season from young superstar Bobby Witt Jr., and Cole Ragans and Seth Lugo will get Kansas City deep into games. This is the Royals’ division to lose.
American League West
The Astros’ reign of terror may come to an end this year after losing Tucker and Bregman this offseason, although Yordan Álvarez will keep them competitive. The Rangers are the biggest threats to surpass them as they’re poised to return to glory after an injury-riddled title defense season.
There’s at least one team each year that sneaks into a Wild Card spot and overachieves in the postseason. With arguably the best rotation in baseball and a promising young star in Julio Rodríguez, I think that’s the Mariners this year. The Angels can laughably be considered a team, and the Athletics’ new stadium fits their style of play pretty well.
Predictions:
AL Division Winners: Red Sox, Royals, Rangers
AL Wild Cards: Yankees, Orioles, Mariners
NL Division Winners: Phillies, Cubs, Dodgers
NL Wild Cards: Braves, Diamondbacks, Padres
World Series: Dodgers beat Royals
