2025 MLB Opening Day is tomorrow. The Dodgers are the favorites to repeat as World Series champions, but it’s a very long stretch from now to the fall. Let’s jump right in with season predictions.
American League
AL East: Yankees
The Red Sox—with Alex Bregman now in the middle of the lineup—and the Orioles are on the heels of the Yankees, who lost ace Gerrit Cole for the year due to Tommy John surgery. The addition of former Braves lefty Max Fried was massive for the Yanks, and he’ll now anchor the rotation. Out of the lineup is Juan Soto, but New York added former MVPs Cody Bellinger and Paul Goldschmidt behind Aaron Judge. The lineup can be fierce.
AL Central: Tigers
The Tigers are riding a youth movement, looking to build on the 2024 surge that landed them in the postseason for the first time in a decade. Reigning AL Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal headlines the rotation, and promising rookie Jackson Jobe slots in at the No. 5 slot to begin the year. The White Sox would only be the big surprise winner of the AL Central, but the Tigers get the nod as the pick.
AL West: Rangers
One of the most disappointing teams of last season due in large part to injuries, the Rangers project to be in a tight race with the Astros and Mariners in the AL West this year. Not only is Jacob deGrom now healthy, but Texas revamped their bullpen during the offseason. It’ll be interesting to see how the veteran losses for the Astros impact them in the American League picture.
AL Wild Cards: Orioles, Red Sox, Mariners
The Orioles and Red Sox are fully expected to be in the AL East mix and could push for the best record in the American League. As for the final spot, the Mariners simply must be better offensively in 2025; if they are, paired with elite pitching, Seattle could get back to the playoffs after missing the past two years.
National League
NL East: Phillies
This is probably the most difficult division to pick. Ronald Acuna Jr. and Spencer Strider back for the Braves, while the Mets added Juan Soto and kept Pete Alonso. But the Phillies coasted for a lot of last season before running out of gas, winning the division by six games. Philadelphia is extremely deep all around, and the experienced core is facing a critical season.
NL Central: Cubs
The Cubs traded Cody Bellinger to the Yankees, but Chicago added Kyle Tucker, who is playing for a massive payday next winter. A breakout year from young outfielder Pete Crow-Armstrong would deepen the lineup after they struggled to score runs consistently in 2024. The Brewers are the biggest threat after surpassing expectations a season ago to take the division again.
NL West: Dodgers
The Dodgers have taken the NL West in 11 of the past 12 seasons, and they’re emerging as the new evil empire in baseball with another fantastic offseason. The Padres and Diamondbacks are not afraid to go toe-to-toe with LA, but the Dodgers are simply too much to pick against.
NL Wild Cards: Braves, Padres, Mets
The Mets are already dealing with injuries, including to catcher Francisco Alvarez and starting pitchers Frankie Montas and Sean Manaea, but they’re confident after a deep 2024 postseason run. The Braves are the NL East favorites and it would be a shocker if they aren’t at least in a wild card position. And the Padres are another balanced team that was closer than anyone to beating the Dodgers last postseason.
Award Picks
AL MVP: Gunnar Henderson, Orioles
NL MVP: Shohei Ohtani, Dodgers
AL Cy Young: Logan Gilbert, Mariners
NL Cy Young: Paul Skenes, Pirates
AL Rookie of the Year: Jackson Jobe, Tigers
NL Rookie of the Year: Dylan Crews, Nationals
World Series Pick
Phillies over Orioles
While the Dodgers are a strong pick to repeat, it’s not easy to win back-to-back titles. The totally loaded Dodgers can be a team to do it, but the feat hasn’t been accomplished since the Yankees three-peated nearly 25 years ago. In the American League, it’s hard to get back, too. Phillies-Orioles was a popular pick last spring, and it feels like a matchup that could come a year late. Philadelphia’s core has been knocking on the door for a few years, and 2025 could finally be the year they win it all.
Opening Day Power Rankings
1. Los Angeles Dodgers
2. New York Yankees
3. Philadelphia Phillies
4. Atlanta Braves
5. Boston Red Sox
6. Baltimore Orioles
7. San Diego Padres
8. New York Mets
9. Texas Rangers
10. Houston Astros
11. Arizona Diamondbacks
12. Seattle Mariners
13. Chicago Cubs
14. Toronto Blue Jays
15. Milwaukee Brewers
16. Detroit Tigers
17. Minnesota Twins
18. Tampa Bay Rays
19. Kansas City Royals
20. Cleveland Guardians
21. San Francisco Giants
22. Pittsburgh Pirates
23. St. Louis Cardinals
24. Cincinnati Reds
25. Washington Nationals
26. Los Angeles Angels
27. Miami Marlins
28. Oakland Athletics
29. Colorado Rockies
30. Chicago White Sox