2025 MLB Season Preview

 I didn’t do this last year, but here’s a quick take on this year’s season:

 

American League

 

East

 

Boston Red Sox

            Ok, I’m on the bandwagon like a lot of people, I think they did a lot to upgrade this offseason.

Baltimore Orioles

            Still love their young offense, but they need some more starting pitching to win the division.

Toronto Blue Jays

            Perhaps a reach, but I think Bichette has a big bounce-back year, Vlad has a huge contract year, and they get enough pitching to finish around 85 wins.

New York Yankees

            Massive question marks in their rotation, and I do not believe in Bellinger backing up Judge (who will probably get hurt this year).

Tampa Bay Rays

            Not a lot to like this year, though there rarely ever is and they still are usually successful.  This is the best division in baseball and someone has to finish last.

 

Central

 

Minnesota Twins

            I keep believing in this team, and they keep underperforming.  One of these years they will actually play up to potential.  Maybe this year?  (So I actually wrote that in 2023 and just decided the sentiment still applies.

Kansas City Royals

            Ok, the offense has a lot of questions after Witt and maybe Pasquantino, but that pitching is for real.

Cleveland team

            I will never believe in this team, outside of Jose Ramirez.

Detroit Tigers

            A good team, but they got lucky/hot at the right time last season and that won’t happen again.  Still, they should battle for a playoff spot.

Chicago White Sox

            LOL

 

West

 

Oakland…I mean Sacramento? Athletics

            They are one of those teams that are becoming a hot sleeper pick, and I’m on board.  I think that offense will be massive in a AAA ballpark, and they’ll have just enough pitching to get past the rest.

Seattle Mariners

            The opposite of the A’s, excellent pitching and ZERO offense.

Texas Rangers

            I really missed on their World Series win two years ago, and I’m down on them again because of the number of injuries they tend to have.

Houston Astros

            The dynasty is over.  My Astros should have good pitching, but they will struggle to score runs unless Cam Smith is the real deal and McCormick/Meyers have big bounce-back seasons.

Los Angeles Angels

            They should lose 100 for the first time in franchise history.

 

National League

 

East

 

Atlanta Braves

They have to be better than last year, but I am concerned with Acuna coming back from a second knee injury.

Philadelphia Phillies

            I’ve seen a lot of people picking them as the second-best team in baseball and even winning the World Series, but I don’t see it.  They’re good, strong, but also aging quickly.

New York Mets

            Yes, they “won” the offseason with Soto, but I don’t think they have a well-rounded team.

Washington Nationals

            A young, up-and-coming team who could threaten in the next couple of years.

Miami Marlins

            I’m not exactly the first to say they have a chance to be worse than the White Sox last year.  They need to move or fold.

 

Central

 

Milwaukee Brewers

            Plug-and-play team at its best.  I love the young guns and, while the pitching isn’t as strong in past seasons, it’s still good enough to win the division.

Pittsburgh Pirates

            Yep, I am much higher on them then most people, and this is a bit of wishful thinking, but that rotation is so good (the best in baseball?) and they have to add a bat at some point.  Watch out for Skenes/Jones/Keller if they make the playoffs.

Chicago Cubs

            I will never pick them to be successful, even if they did steal half the Astros.

Cincinnati Reds

            They have a good amount of “talent,” but they’re not as good as a lot of people think.  Elly de la Cruz is incredibly overrated.

St. Louis Cardinals

            Blow it up.  They’re bad.

 

West

 

Los Angeles Dodgers

            Booooooooo

Arizona Diamondbacks

            Please make a push to knock LA off.

San Diego Padres

            Too much turmoil in the front office to really push for the division.

San Francisco Giants

            I love Verlander, but I think he’s done, and I’m just not that thrilled with them.

Colorado Rockies

            What a joke of a team. (Again, a copy from 2023)

 

Playoffs:

 

AL:

            Red Sox

            Twins

            Athletics

            Orioles

            Mariners

            Royals

 

NL:

            Braves

            Brewers

            Dodgers

            Phillies

            Diamondbacks

            Pirates

 

World Series: Red Sox over Brewers

            I don’t really know, maybe the Brewers will actually have a successful postseason?

 

AL MVP: Bobby Witt Jr.

AL Cy Young: Cole Ragans

AL ROY: Cam Smith

 

NL MVP: Ketel Marte

NL Cy Young: Paul Skenes

NL ROY: Dylan Crews (I’ll just follow everyone else)

2023 MLB Predictions

I don’t have a lot of time to finish this, so here is a quick stab at this year:

 

American League

 

East

 

Toronto Blue Jays

            I don’t like the loss of Hernandez, but they have upgraded a bit in the pitching staff.  They are too stacked to not succeed.

New York Yankees

            They have a fair number of injuries and other question marks, but they still have too much quality to fall much lower.

Baltimore Orioles

            They made a huge step up last year, similar to 2015 Astros, but I think they will level-off this year before taking the next big step.  Lots of fun youngsters to watch.

Tampa Bay Rays

            It seems the same every year: they don’t look like much on paper but somehow they win.  I expect them to be around .500.  Will Glasnow ever have a full season?

Boston Red Sox

            Does anybody know what they’re doing?  Do they know?  As someone else said: “you’re the Red Sox, act like it!”

 

Central

Minnesota Twins

            I keep believing in this team, and they keep underperforming.  One of these years they will actually play up to potential.  Maybe this year?  I like the addition of Pablo Lopez.

Cleveland team

            I was very wrong about them last year, somehow they found a way to win.  They still have a great pitching staff, and just enough offense around Ramirez to keep them winning.  Josh Bell should be a good addition.

Kansas City Royals

            They are trending in the right direction, but they will still be below .500.  In a year or two, they may be challenging for the division.

Chicago White Sox

            Talk about disappointing…at least they got rid of LaRussa.  They should be contenders, but I have zero faith in them.

Detroit Tigers

            Aging veterans and disappointing young players, it’s a terrible combination.  Hinch deserves better.

  

West

 

Houston Astros

            This is not just a homer pick, it is hard to find holes in this team.  Altuve will miss possibly two months, but once he and Brantley are healthy, and eventually McCullers, they should be a machine.

Seattle Mariners

            Well they finally made it back to the playoffs, and they look to be continuing to improve.  They should be good, but I’m not totally sold on them.

Los Angeles Angels

            Honestly, the rest of this division is not very good.  As always, yes they have Trout and Ohtani, but what else?  They’ll probably be around .500, which will make it hard for them to pull the trigger on trading Ohtani.  Instead they’ll probably hold on to him, lose him in free agency, and then look even worse.

Texas Rangers

            Boy are they happy to spend money, but for what?  Sure, deGrom is great…when he’s healthy.  Can you pencil in more than 15 starts for him?  Seager should do better with the shift gone, but overall I see them as another middling team.

Oakland Athletics

            I feel like they’re trying to follow the Astros of a decade ago, tank a bunch and draft well.  We’ll see if it works, and if they’re still in Oakland by the time they win again.

National League

 

East

 

Atlanta Braves

             I don’t think this division is quite as good as people expect.  The Braves have the fewest question marks, and the best depth, so I have them winning the division

New York Mets

           

           The Mets are spending like crazy, but so many question marks and, of course, Diaz is done for the season.  They should win over 90 and compete for the division.

Philadelphia Phillies

            Well they surprised a lot of people last year, including myself.  They barely snuck into the playoffs (thanks stupid expanded playoffs) and then got hot at the right time.  Yes, they have a strong team, but I don’t have as much faith in them (and Harper will miss significant time).

Miami Marlins

            Too young, and they keep trading away good players.  Why don’t they want to win?

Washington Nationals

            Who is on this team?

 

Central

 St. Louis Cardinals

            The Cards and Brewers are basically polar opposites.  Cards are strong offensively and questionable pitching; the Brewers are strong pitching and questionable offensively.  The Cards should be just strong enough in both to win an incredibly weak division.

Milwaukee Brewers

            If Winker returns to form, if Yelich shows any kind of star form, if Tellez continues to hit bombs, if, if, if.  They could easily win the division, but I don’t have faith in the offense.

Pittsburgh Pirates

            Cruz and Reynolds are both stars, and I think Hayes will have a better year.  They also brought back McCutchen.  No, they won’t win, but they will be better.

Chicago Cubs

            Some people are picking them to be good, but not me.  They are clearly a losing team.

Cincinnati Reds

            Just a terrible team.  Votto deserves better.

West

 San Diego Padres

            I’ve been bitten by them in the past, but they just have too much quality to fail.  They should finish with the most wins in baseball.

Los Angeles Dodgers

            They lost a good amount in Trea Turner and have some significant injuries to cover up.  Sure, they’ll make the playoffs, but they shouldn’t compete for the division past the All Star Break.

Arizona Diamondbacks

            They’ve made some good moves and have some good young prospects, plus a couple of legitimate good/great starters.  They are still a year or two away, but they could upset some people.

San Francisco Giants

            I can’t help but laugh at their inability to get the big name free agents.  Below .500 for sure.

Colorado Rockies

            What a joke of a team.

Playoffs:

 

AL:

            Blue Jays

            Twins

            Astros

            Yankees

            Mariners

            Orioles

 

NL:

            Braves

            Cardinals

            Padres

            Mets

            Dodgers

            Phillies

 

World Series: Astros over Padres

            Yes, I am jinxing my team, so they won’t be the first back-to-back champions since the 99/00 Yankees

 

 AL MVP: Yordan Alvarez

AL Cy Young: Dylan Cease

AL ROY: Masataka Yoshida

 

NL MVP: Manny Machado

NL Cy Young: Max Fried

NL ROY: Corbin Carroll