The 2025 Best-Case Scenarios For Every MLB Team
If you're being obstinate, the best-case scenario for every MLB team at the outset of the season is to win the World Series.
Realistically, though, only about half the league—if that much—can have that as a goal entering the season. For other clubs, there are smaller goals to try to clear as they try to move toward contending for October.
So, as the 2025 regular season nears, here's a look at the best-case scenarios for every MLB team this year.
American League East
1 of 6
New York Yankees: Injuries don't derail attempt at getting back to the World Series
It's becoming increasingly difficult to not imagine the *worst-case* scenario for the Yankees.
Not only did they lose Juan Soto in free agency, but Giancarlo Stanton's status for 2025 is in question as he is dealing with what he called "severe" injuries in both elbows. Former AL Cy Young Award winner Gerrit Cole underwent Tommy John surgery Tuesday. Reigning AL Rookie of the Year Luis Gil is out for three months with a lat injury. And DJ LeMahieu, as has unfortunately been the story late in his career, is once again banged up, this time dealing with a calf strain.
Right now, the best-case scenario appears to be that injuries don't completely ruin the season for the 2025 Yankees. Yes, for the Yankees to have any shot at returning to the World Series, they need bounce-back seasons from offseason acquisitions Paul Goldschmidt and Cody Bellinger. Jazz Chisholm Jr. needs to emerge as a consistent star. Max Fried, particularly in Cole's absence, has to pitch like the frontline ace the Yankees paid him to be this offseason. And, as always, Aaron Judge needs to stay healthy.
Having the one-two punch of Judge and Soto covered up a lot of shortcomings on the Yankees' roster last year. Now Soto is gone and cornerstone pieces like Cole, Stanton and Gil are hurt. The vibes couldn't be worse for the Yankees right now.
Baltimore Orioles: Drastically improved bullpen fuels deep October run
The Orioles lost Corbin Burnes in free agency and replaced him with 41-year-old Charlie Morton and 35-year-old Tomoyuki Sugano. Kyle Bradish is recovering from Tommy John surgery, and Grayson Rodriguez is currently shut down after getting a cortisone shot in his right elbow.
It's fair to be concerned about the starting rotation for the O's.
With that said, their bullpen was a liability for much of last season and could be quite a bit improved in 2025. They'll get a full season of Seranthony Domínguez, whom they acquired from the Philadelphia Phillies last summer. Felix Bautista—the 2023 Mariano Rivera Award winner—is also back after missing last season while he recovered from Tommy John surgery.
Even post-Anthony Santander, the O's should have enough offense to compete for the AL East title, especially if one of their young talents like Jackson Holliday, Coby Mayo or Samuel Basallo emerges as a legitimate contributor this year on top of Gunnar Henderson, Adley Rutschman and Jordan Westburg.
But particularly with injuries in their starting rotation, it's clear that the Orioles need their bullpen—which also will feature the likes of Yennier Cano, Keegan Aiken and Gregory Soto—to be much better than it was a year ago to get to where they want.
Boston Red Sox: Offseason additions lead to first division title since 2018
When the Red Sox won 108 games and the World Series in 2018, it felt like they were going to have staying power. But the next summer, Dave Dombrowski was out as the top baseball executive. Seven years later, Rafael Devers is really the only core piece remaining from a club that also featured Mookie Betts, Xander Bogaerts, J.D. Martinez, Chris Sale, David Price, Nathan Eovaldi and Craig Kimbrel.
Also seven years later, the Red Sox look to be back in a position to challenge for their first AL East title since the magical 2018 campaign. Chief baseball officer Craig Breslow acquired ace Garrett Crochet from the Chicago White Sox this offseason while adding Alex Bregman in free agency.
What makes a lineup that includes Devers, Bregman and Jarren Durran so intriguing is that the Red Sox are sitting on three of MLB Pipeline's top 12 prospects in baseball in outfielder Roman Anthony, middle infielder Kristian Campbell and shortstop Marcel Mayer. All three could realistically make their MLB debuts in 2025, further bolstering manager Alex Cora's lineup.
While there are some questions about a bullpen led by Liam Hendriks and Aroldis Chapman—both of whom are long in the tooth—this appears to be a playoff team. Perhaps they'll even win the division.
Tampa Bay Rays: They overcome the lack of a true home ballpark and make the playoffs
The Rays are going to play a 162-game season in 2025, like every other year. And there are some reasons to be excited about the team, from Junior Caminero's potential emergence as a superstar to the return of All-Star lefty Shane McClanahan.
But the biggest story regarding the 2025 Rays is that they will have to play their home games at George M. Steinbrenner Field after Hurricane Milton destroyed Tropicana Field. While the stadium is a nice place for the Yankees to play their Grapefruit League slate, playing outside in Florida is going to lead to extreme heat and quite a few rain delays.
MLB has accounted for the suboptimal conditions the Rays are facing as much as they can. Between July and August, just 16 of the 51 games that the Rays have on their schedule will be played at home. That does mean they'll have a disproportionate amount of home games at other points during the season, but Kevin Cash will have his work cut out trying to lead a team to the playoffs that's going to feel like it doesn't have a true home ballpark all year.
Toronto Blue Jays: Vladimir Guerrero Jr. changes his mind and agrees to long-term extension during the season
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. put a deadline on contract negotiations with the Blue Jays, halting them as of the first full-squad workout of the season. The four-time All-Star said he and Toronto didn't get close to a long-term deal, and he now expects to test free agency this offseason.
The best-case scenario for the Blue Jays would be for Guerrero to change his mind and agree to sign an extension before testing free agency and before general manager Ross Atkins needs to consider whether or not to trade him this summer.
Obviously, Guerrero now appears intent to test free agency. But if the Blue Jays come to him on, say, Memorial Day and are willing to meet whatever his final asking price was this spring—he said it was shy of $600 million—would he really not even consider it?
Anyway, the best-case scenario is that the the Blue Jays get a resolution on Guerrero's future during the season. The same goes with Bo Bichette, to a lesser extent. Whether that's realistic or not is unclear.
American League Central
2 of 6
Cleveland Guardians: Bullpen is once again historically dominant and gives them a shot to win in October
A year ago, AL Manager of the Year Stephen Vogt rode one of the most dominant bullpens in baseball to a division title and an appearance in the ALCS:
- Emmanuel Clase: 47 saves, 0.61 ERA, third-place finish in AL Cy Young Award voting
- Hunter Gaddis: 1.57 ERA over 78 appearances
- Cade Smith: 1.91 ERA over 74 appearances
- Tim Herrin: 1.92 ERA over 75 appearances
It will obviously be hard to replicate that in 2025, but to have a chance to win the World Series, the Guardians are going to need a similar effort from the bullpen.
Outside of Tanner Bibee, not much stands out in the starting rotation, especially until former AL Cy Young Award winner Shane Bieber returns from Tommy John surgery.
The lineup around José Ramirez and Steven Kwan is also weakened by the fact that Cleveland traded Josh Naylor ahead of his contract year and replaced him with Carlos Santana, who will turn 39 in April.
If the bullpen is just mortal in 2025, it feels like the Guardians could really regress from the 92 wins they posted last year.
Kansas City Royals: Midseason offensive addition fuels pitching-led team to deep playoff run
The Royals have one of the better starting rotation trios with Cole Ragans, Seth Lugo and Michael Wacha. The offseason addition of Carlos Estévez gives them a pretty good one-two punch in the bullpen with Lucas Erceg. But the lineup still seems to be lacking enough punch to compete for a World Series.
Yes, Bobby Witt Jr. is a superstar. Salvador Perez homered 27 times and drove in 104 runs a year ago, but the nine-time All-Star will turn 35 in May. Jonathan India was a nice offseason pickup, though he's more of a complementary piece.
This lineup still feels too reliant on Witt and Perez to carry it every night. Kyle Isbel is an excellent defender in center field, but from an offensive sense, an outfield consisting of him, MJ Melendez and Hunter Renfroe is one of the weakest in baseball.
Kansas City should be in contention around the trade deadline, at which point general manager J.J. Picollo will need to add at least one big bat for the Royals to have a realistic shot at winning it all.
Detroit Tigers: Young talent comes of age and helps to set team up for second straight October trip
A.J. Hinch's Tigers got incredibly hot over the final two months of the regular season last year and not only snuck into the playoffs, but also upset the Houston Astros in the ALWCS.
It doesn't necessarily feel like last year's formula is one that can be replicated, though.
The good news is that the Tigers brought back Jack Flaherty in free agency, and he'll rejoin reigning AL Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal atop the rotation. Gleyber Torres was a nice signing on a pillow contract. And both Riley Greene and Kerry Carpenter have had stretches where they've looked like franchise pillars.
What the Tigers really need this year is for some of their additional young talent to have breakout campaigns. Is this the year former No. 1 overall pick Spencer Torkelson finally puts it all together? What about likely Opening Day first baseman Colt Keith? Jace Jung, a first-round pick in 2022, is likely to be the starting third baseman after the Tigers didn't ultimately sign Bregman in free agency. Brant Hurter became a huge weapon out of the bullpen down the stretch, but can he do it over his first full MLB season? And No. 1 prospect Jackson Jobe could be a massive midseason addition to the starting rotation.
How far the Tigers go in 2025 will depend upon whether some of the young players they've put major resources into can really establish themselves this year.
Minnesota Twins: Stars stay healthy
This could be said for every team, but it's particularly true in Minnesota.
The three best players projected to be in the Opening Day lineup are Carlos Correa, Byron Buxton and Royce Lewis. Buxton—perhaps the most injury-prone player in the sport today—led that trio with 102 games played last season.
Make no mistake, the Twins have a pretty intriguing lineup when it's together. Correa is a three-time All-Star that hit .310 with a .905 OPS across 86 games last season. Buxton hit 18 home runs and drove in 59 runs in just over 100 games last season. Lewis—the No. 1 pick in the 2017 MLB Draft—has an .825 OPS in 152 career games. The problem is those games have been scattered over three seasons.
If healthy, there's no reason to think that the Twins—which are coming off of an 82-win campaign in 2024—couldn't compete for the AL Central title this year. But last year wasn't just a one-off year that the Twins had bad injury luck. They are built around three players in Correa, Buxton and Lewis who have all had varying injury concerns plague their careers. It's hard to think they will all suddenly play 150 games this season.
Chicago White Sox: They're just normal awful
When you lose 121 games like the White Sox did a year ago, there's kind of nowhere to go but up.
Then again, for as historically bad as the White Sox were in 2024, they did it with Garrett Crochet striking 209 batters out across 146 innings. Crochet was traded to the Red Sox this offseason, and veteran Martín Pérez is now kind of the ace by default.
With that context, perhaps it's not such a slam dunk that the White Sox will see a significant improvement in Year 1 of the Will Venable era. But even though it's only general manager Chris Getz's second season on the job, his seat might get warm if the White Sox are in the 120-loss range again in 2025.
If the White Sox are just one of the worst teams in baseball—like they lose 102 games—they could actually make the case the organization is moving in the right direction.
Shortstop Colson Montgomery appears like he'll be the starting shortstop in 2025, and with the likes of LHP Noah Schultz, catcher Kyle Teel and LHP Hagen Smith, the White Sox have some intriguing young talent in their organization. They need to prove this upcoming year that things are getting better, which in theory shouldn't be difficult after they won just 41 games in 2024.
American League West
3 of 6
Houston Astros: Offseason losses don't prevent another postseason trip
Kyle Tucker is one of the 10 best position players in baseball, while Alex Bregman was a franchise icon. Even Justin Verlander and Ryan Pressley are likely past their peaks, but they were crucial pieces during the greatest run in franchise history. Losing those four players this past offseason is pretty significant.
Granted, the Astros did sign three-time Gold Glove first baseman Christian Walker, which should help turn the weakest position on the team a year ago into a strength. With that said, Walker is going to turn 34 later this month and is already dealing with left oblique soreness.
Isaac Paredes was acquired in the Tucker trade, and could help to replace the presence of Bregman in the lineup. The 26-year-old infielder could wear out the Crawford Boxes.
Still, it's hard to feel what came in this offseason is equal to what went out, both on the field and in the clubhouse. With Jose Altuve, Yordan Álvarez and Framber Valdez, the Astros still have some blue-chip pieces on their roster. But they need bounce-back seasons from players like Josh Hader and Chas McCormick, and could use a major step forward from a starter like Spencer Arrighetti.
Was last year it for the Astros dynasty, or is there another chapter in this era?
Seattle Mariners: Offense improves to the point that dominant pitching staff gets a crack at October baseball
You might be surprised to know this, but the Mariners finished third in runs scored in the month of September, trailing only the Los Angeles Dodgers and Arizona Diamondbacks.
No one is suggesting the M's are going to have a top-five offense in 2025, but if they can just do enough to get into the postseason, a pitching staff that includes Logan Gilbert, Luis Castillo, Bryce Miller and Bryan Woo—George Kirby is currently out with shoulder inflammation—could lead Seattle to a deep playoff run.
Seattle should benefit from getting full years from Randy Arozarena and Victor Robles, both of whom were acquired during last season. But they need, at the very least, the version of Julio Rodríguez that posted an .818 second-half OPS, as opposed to a .690 first-half OPS. Other potential bounce-back candidates that could determine how this lineup ultimately performs include J.P. Crawford, Mitch Haniger and Mitch Garver.
This is a very winnable division, and it would be a damn shame if this pitching staff continues to not get a chance to show out in the postseason because of what was for most of 2024 an underwhelming offense.
Texas Rangers: After World Series hangover, Bruce Bochy's club becomes a force in the AL once again
The Rangers are a team with many stars that are getting long in the tooth and/or have injury concerns.
But this is a team that won the World Series two years ago, and it's hard to look at a roster that includes Corey Seager, Marcus Semien, Adolis García, Jacob deGrom and Nathan Evoaldi and not think they are the favorites to win this division. Heck, a healthy version of this team could once again compete for the AL pennant.
Third baseman Josh Jung is healthy once again after a fractured right wrist limited him to just 46 games a season ago. Expectations for Evan Carter and Wyatt Langford might have gotten a little out of control last spring, but both are among the most talented young players in baseball.
It's mildly concerning that the Rangers didn't bring back Kirby Yates or David Robertson–their two best relievers from a year ago—but if healthy, the rest of their team is good enough to put them in position to make a major bullpen pickup at the trade deadline.
Athletics: Post first winning record since 2021
The Athletics are playing at least the next three seasons in Sacramento at a Triple-A ballpark. The franchise's long-term future still isn't decided, as stadium plans in Las Vegas are yet to be finalized. But the team should benefit from no longer having the black cloud of leaving Oakland hanging over them, even if owner John Fisher earned every bit of criticism he received.
Quietly, Mark Kotsay's club went 32-32 after the All-Star break last year, a massive improvement from their 37-61 first-half record. They have a star closer in Mason Miller, and a pretty good core offensively with Brent Rooker, Lawrence Butler and JJ Bleday. The starting rotation isn't perfect, but the additions of Luis Severino and Jeffrey Springs should make it much better this season.
A playoff berth is probably a bit too ambitious, but if the A's are able to post a winning record after losing 93 games last season, it would be a massive step in the right direction.
Los Angeles Angels: Mike Trout stays healthy
With the offseason pickups of Yusei Kikuchi, Kensley Jansen, Jorge Soler and Travis d'Arnaud, the Angels could very well improve from the 63 wins they finished 2024 with.
But the best development for the Halos in 2025 would be for Mike Trout—the greatest player in the history of the franchise—to stay healthy. The three-time NL MVP has posted a .951 OPS over the last four seasons, so he's still productive when he's on the field. The problem is that injuries have limited him to just 266 of a possible 648 games since the start of the 2021 season.
If moving to right field helps Trout to stay healthier, perhaps the Angels will be able to move him and get some salary relief. The 11-time All-Star is still owed more than $220 million through the 2030 season, so if a window opens up to get out of even part of that deal, general manager Perry Minasian may have to strike.
Then again, if the Angels have waited through years of Trout being unhealthy, they may not be inclined to move him if he's finally able to stay on the field in 2025. At this point, maybe he's destined to spend his whole career in Anaheim and hit all of his milestone home runs with the Angels.
One way or another, 2025 will be a much more fun season for the Angels if Trout is consistently available.
National League East
4 of 6
Philadelphia Phillies: They finally get over the hump in October
The Phillies have been in the postseason in three consecutive years, and locally, fans are restless with the fact that they haven't been able to get over the hump and win the World Series, despite having 20 playoff wins over that period.
Once again, though, the Phillies have a roster that looks like one of the better ones in the sport.
They added Max Kepler in the offseason, but the lineup largely remains the same headlined by Bryce Harper, Trea Turner, Kyle Schwarber and J.T. Realmuto.
Jesús Luzardo was a potentially major addition to what was already one of the best starting rotations in baseball as the former Miami Marlin will join Zack Wheeler, Aaron Nola, Cristopher Sánchez and Ranger Suárez. No. 1 prospect Andrew Painter is also expected to join the starting rotation at some point this summer.
The Phillies took a bit of a risk betting on the health of Jordan Romano in the bullpen while letting Jeff Hoffman and Carlos Estévez walk in free agency. Still, Rob Thomson's squad looks primed to compete for a second straight NL East title.
But if the postseason doesn't end with a parade, there will be lots of questions about how to proceed in Philadelphia.
Atlanta Braves: Better health makes them a World Series favorite once again
Pretty much everything that could go wrong for the Braves last year did, and they still managed to win 89 games and claim one of the wild-card spots in the NL playoffs.
Key pieces like Ronald Acuña Jr. (torn left ACL) and Spencer Strider (internal brace procedure) won't be ready for Opening Day, but they should be back in relatively short order. Other stars like Chris Sale, Ozzie Albies and Reynaldo López carry injury risk as well, but the Braves showed last year they just kind of keep going even when a superstar goes down.
We're on the third paragraph and haven't even mentioned Matt Olson, Austin Riley and Michael Harris II, all of whom are capable of winning an MVP. Raisel Iglesias is coming off of the best season of his career. Spencer Schwellenbach appears to be another legitimate arm coming out of Brian Snitker's rotation.
The Braves have their work cut out competing with the Phillies and New York Mets, but if they have better injury luck than a year ago, this is a roster that should win 95-plus games.
New York Mets: Juan Soto, pitching additions come up roses
Last season, the Mets made a rather shocking NLCS run in large part because the fliers that president of baseball operations David Stearns took on a pair of veteran starters—Sean Manaea and Luis Severino—proved to be among the most shrewd moves of the offseason.
There's little doubt that the biggest move the Mets made over the winter—signing Juan Soto to a 15-year, $765 million deal—will prove to be a very successful one, at least in the short term. He joins what should be a World Series-caliber lineup with Francisco Lindor, Pete Alonso, Brandon Nimmo and Mark Vientos.
But there are serious questions about whether the Mets have the starting pitching to compete with the Phillies and Braves for the NL East title.
As mentioned previously, Severino moved on for a more lucrative deal. Manaea came back on a three-year, $75 million pact. Can he replicate the second-half success he had last year? We'll have to wait a bit to see, as Manaea is likely to open the season on the injured list with right oblique injury.
Elsewhere in the rotation, offseason signee Frankie Montas already has a lat strain that could mean he misses much or all of the first half. Clay Holmes is a career reliever with nasty stuff who the Mets are trying to convert to a starter. Kodai Senga made just one start last year. David Peterson is a nice depth piece, but not necessarily a front-line starter.
No one is saying that the Mets shouldn't be considered a playoff contender, or even in the discussion for the NL East title. But they need a lot to break in their favor in terms of starting pitching to win the division.
Washington Nationals: Young talents prove team is ready for major free-agent expenditures
A year ago, the Nationals won 71 games. It's unclear how many more games they'll win than that this year, but there's reason to once again be excited about baseball in the nation's capital.
- This will be the first full season of outfielder James Wood, who homered nine times and drove in 41 runs in his first 79 MLB games a season ago.
- Dylan Crews, the organization's top prospect currently, looks like he'll be the Opening Day right fielder. He would join a lineup that already includes Wood, Luis García Jr. and CJ Abrams. Third base prospect Brady House could also debut at some point in 2025.
- Whether MacKenzie Gore ever lives up to how touted of a prospect he was in San Diego, he posted a 3.53 FIP over 166.1 innings pitched last season.
If the Nationals creep toward .500 this season, that—and a potential ownership change—could lead to Washington becoming a major spender again next offseason.
Miami Marlins: Sandy Alcántara recaptures Cy Young form
There's not much to look forward to in Miami, but at the very least former NL Cy Young Award winner Sandy Alcántara will be back after missing the entire 2025 season recovering from Tommy John surgery.
It's possible, if not probable, that if Alcántara is healthy, he'll be traded to a contending team this summer. But in the meantime, he would make it worth watching the Marlins once every five days, something that was missing a year ago when he was out.
Whether it's because they want to trade him or are trying to move towards contending in the near future, Alcántara bouncing back in 2025 would be the best thing that could happen for the Fish.
National League Central
5 of 6
Milwaukee Brewers: Returns of Christian Yelich and Brandon Woodruff make up for offseason losses
Prior to last season, the Brewers traded away former NL Cy Young Award winner Corbin Burnes. This offseason, they traded All-Star closer Devin Williams to the Yankees and saw shortstop Willy Adames leave in free agency for the San Francisco Giants.
Eventually, all these losses have to catch up to the Brewers, right?
Well, a year ago they didn't, as the Brewers won the NL Central despite losing manager Craig Counsell and the aforementioned Burnes. Can Pat Murphy—the reigning NL Manager of the Year—work magic again in 2025?
The Brewers are getting back two-time All-Star righty Brandon Woodruff, who missed all of 2024 recovering from shoulder surgery. Former NL MVP Christian Yelich is healthy once again after back surgery ended his season in July last year. Those two need to return to being major producers if the Brewers are going to withstand the losses of Williams and Adames.
St. Louis Cardinals: Combination of trades and development set them up well for 2026
The Cardinals have made clear they are planning for 2026, with Chaim Bloom set to succeed John Mozeliak as the top baseball executive next season.
They do have a roster that could theoretically compete in the wide-open NL Central, and perhaps they will. But if not, getting any of Nolan Arenado, Sonny Gray or Willson Contreras to waive their no-trade clauses in the summer could help the Cardinals to improve their farm system and free up payroll. All-Star closer Ryan Helsley is also in a contract year and might be the best trade chip the Cardinals have if they choose to shop him this summer. Erick Fedde would probably also be traded if the Cardinals sell.
But in addition to trying to bolster the future talent in the organization, the Cardinals need some resolutions on just how good pieces like Jordan Walker, Lars Nootbaar, Alec Burleson and Nolan Gorman are. Not all of them will be long-term pieces for the Cardinals, but it would be nice to entering next season knowing that one or two of them are key cogs.
Chicago Cubs: Kyle Tucker wins NL MVP, leading to NL Central title
A shin fracture limited Kyle Tucker to 78 games in what turned out to be his final season with the Astros. But man, he was great when he played. In just under half a season, Tucker hit 23 home runs with a .993 OPS and a 4.2 WAR. If you project that type of production out to a whole season, you're talking about an MVP-level season.
The Cubs are a team that has a lot of good in their lineup with Dansby Swanson, Ian Happ and Seiya Suzuki. They needed great, and Tucker could potentially provide that.
With a starting rotation headlined by Shota Imanaga and Justin Steele, the Cubs would be a dangerous team if they get into the playoffs. And the expectation in Counsell's second season on the job should be that the Cubs win the NL Central.
If Tucker is as good as expected, pressure will turn on the Ricketts family to open up the checkbook and sign him to a long-term extension.
Cincinnati Reds: Terry Francona gets talented group to compete for the division title
The Reds were a trendy NL Central pick last season but disappointed with a 77-85 record, leading to the dismissal of manager David Bell.
Cincinnati hired future Hall of Famer Terry Francona to lead their team. If there's anyone capable of getting the most out of this group, it's the two-time World Series champion skipper.
Francona will benefit from the return of infielder Matt McLain, who missed all of last season after undergoing shoulder surgery. In case you forgot, though, he looked like a budding superstar two seasons ago when he hit 16 home runs with 50 RBIs in 89 games.
There are some things that need to break in the right direction for the Reds to have their best-case scenario come to fruition. Hunter Greene and Nick Lodolo need to stay healthy. Elly De La Cruz must cut down on the 29 errors he had at shortstop last season. Jeimer Candelario has to to be the doubles machine the Reds paid him to be.
If this group is as talented as we think, Francona is the right person to get it out of them.
Pittsburgh Pirates: Paul Skenes, Oneil Cruz lead to first playoff appearance since 2015
After Paul Skenes won NL Rookie of the Year and finished third in NL Cy Young Award voting, some thought the Pirates might spend more than they normally do as they tried to take advantage of what will likely be a limited amount of time with the former No. 1 overall pick.
Instead—likely because owner Bob Nutting didn't authorize the front office to spend like a team that's serious about competing for a World Series—the Pirates made more minor additions. On top of bringing back franchise icon Andrew McCutchen for his age-38 season, the Pirates acquired Tommy Pham, Spencer Horowitz, Andrew Heaney and Tim Mayza. Nothing against any of them, but they don't exactly move the needle.
That doesn't mean the Pirates can't compete for the NL Central title, but it puts a lot of pressure on their core pieces to perform at superstar levels. That would mean an NL Cy Young from Skenes; Oneil Cruz putting all his tools together to become a great center fielder and consistent offensive cog; Bryan Reynolds making his third All-Star team and closer David Bednar bouncing back after a nightmarish 2024 campaign.
We aren't going to sit here and tell you that a rotation led by Skenes, Mitch Keller and Jared Jones can't get the Buccos back to the playoffs for the first time in a decade. But it sure would have been nice if ownership acted like they were hell bent on ending that postseason drought and surrounded their young talents with some more impactful veterans.
National League West
6 of 6
Los Angeles Dodgers: Set MLB regular-season wins record en route to repeating
The Dodgers are the reigning World Series champions and objectively will be better on Opening Day than they were when they hoisted the Commissioner's Trophy last October.
Los Angeles not only brought back Teoscar Hernández and Blake Treinen in free agency, but they also added Blake Snell, Roki Sasaki, Tanner Scott and Michael Conforto in free agency. Additionally, Tyler Glasnow and Dustin May should be ready to pitch at the outset of the regular season after being unavailable last postseason. Shohei Ohtani, Tony Gonsolin and Clayton Kershaw all weren't on the mound last October but theoretically could be this time around.
With Ohtani, Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman at the forefront, this is one of the most star-studded teams that's ever been assembled. The 2001 Seattle Mariners and 1906 Chicago Cubs own the MLB single-season wins record with 116. Getting to that number will be difficult, but with this roster, setting a new record and going back-to-back would be the best-case scenario.
San Diego Padres: Resurgent Xander Bogaerts makes Friars scary postseason team
The Padres also aren't short on star power, but unlike the Dodgers, they probably got worse in the offseason. Yes, they made some modest additions in Nick Pivetta, Jason Heyward, Connor Joe and Jose Iglesias. But they lost the aforementioned Scott, Ha-Seong Kim and Jurickson Profar all in free agency.
Granted, the Padres do still have a strong lineup with Manny Machado, Fernando Tatis Jr., Jackson Merrill and Luis Arráez. Dylan Cease, Michael King and Robert Suárez were all mentioned in trade talks this offseason, but remain with the team. There are plenty of stars in San Diego still, but it is clear there were some spending limitations this past offseason.
That makes getting the most out of the stars already signed in San Diego crucial. Perhaps the biggest improvement is needed from shortstop Xander Bogaerts, who is coming off of a season where he hit .264 with a .688 OPS in 111 games. Over his final four seasons with the Red Sox, Bogaerts hit .304 with an .879 OPS. Getting something closer to that in the third season of an 11-year contract would allow the Padres to rival pretty much every lineup in baseball.
Arizona Diamondbacks: Win top wild-card spot and upset Dodgers as part of deep playoff run
There's plenty of divisions in baseball where the Diamondbacks would be the favorites. Obviously, they aren't in the NL West. But winning the top wild-card spot in the NL and getting a chance to send the Dodgers home early for the second time in three years seems doable.
Arizona had a bit of a World Series hangover in the first half of the 2024 season, going 49-48. However, they were one of the best teams in baseball after the All-Star Break, posting a 40-25 record. Torey Lovullo's squad just missed the postseason, but they still won 89 games.
There's reason to think the 2025 iteration of the Snakes will be one of baseball's best teams. Yes, they lost Christian Walker in free agency, but replaced him by acquiring slugging first baseman Josh Naylor for the Guardians. Arizona also added former NL Cy Young Award winner Corbin Burnes in free agency. He'll join a loaded starting rotation where Zac Gallen, Merrill Kelly and Eduardo Rodríguez will all hope for better health than last year. Meanwhile, Jordan Montgomery is a bounce-back candidate following a disastrous first year with the Diamondbacks, and Brandon Pfaadt logged 181.2 innings last season.
The biggest difference from a year ago will probably be a better season from Corbin Carroll, who had a bit of a sophomore slump when he posted a .635 first-half OPS. But he reminded everyone that he's one of the most electric players the sport has to offer with 17 home runs, 42 RBIs, 17 stolen bases and a .919 OPS in the second half of the season.
San Francisco Giants: Sneak into the playoffs
The Giants should top their 80 wins from a season ago, but it's fair to wonder how high their ceiling is with three teams this talented above them.
New president of baseball operations Buster Posey signed slugging shortstop Willy Adames to a seven-year, $182 million contract this past offseason. He also gambled that future Hall of Famer Justin Verlander still has something left by giving him $15 million for his age-42 season.
Internally, there are some realistic spots where the Giants could improve. Jung Hoo Lee is back after a shoulder injury ended his first MLB season in mid-May. Camilo Doval finished last season with a 4.88 ERA, but was one of the best relievers in baseball between 2022 and 2023. Former AL Cy Young Award winner Robbie Ray should be fully healthy after returning from Tommy John surgery late last season. And Tyler Fitzgerald—who posted a 3.0 WAR in just 96 games last season, per FanGraphs—will have a major role from the get-go this year.
Colorado Rockies: Germán Márquez rediscovers ace form
Under owner Dick Monfort, the Rockies are kind of just participating every year. They have had six consecutive losing seasons and without any major offseason acquisitions, that streak will probably climb to seven in 2025.
A silver lining would be if former All-Star Germán Márquez proves he's fully healthy and back to his pre-Tommy John surgery self.
The Rockies aren't huge on trading away their stars, so if that happens, it may just be that the 30-year-old slightly improves Colorado from the 61-win team they were last season. But he's making just $10 million this season, so if he has a strong campaign, the Rockies could get a pretty strong trade return for him this summer.
