MLB Playoff and 2025 World Series Odds for Every Team
Two games of Major League Baseball's 2025 season were already played last week in Tokyo, but it's almost time for the other 2,428 to get underway.
Everyone except for Tampa Bay and Colorado will be in action on Thursday for baseball's real Opening Day.
But before the festivities can commence, one last preseason order of business: postseason and World Series odds to look back on and laugh at six months from now.
These are the actual odds for each of the 30 teams, captured from Draftkings at noon ET on Tuesday, March 25. There's plenty of personal opinion included in the biggest question and subsequent banter about each team, but don't yell at us if you think a team's odds are a mistake.
Teams are presented in ascending order of World Series odds. In the case of a tie, the team with the better playoff odds will be ranked higher. If they're still tied, though, then it's simply a tie.
30. Chicago White Sox
1 of 30
Last Season: 41-121
World Series Odds: +50000
Make Playoffs: +4000
Biggest Question: When do they trade Luis Robert Jr. and what do they get for him?
As if the White Sox needed any help giving up on this season before it begins, news broke over the weekend that Drew Thorpe will be joining Ky Bush and Prelander Berroa on their list of young pitchers recently underdoing Tommy John surgery, now unavailable until midway through the 2026 campaign.
They traded away Garrett Crochet somewhat early in the offseason, but never did manage to unload Luis Robert Jr. The 2023 All-Star and Silver Slugger is owed $15M this season with $20M club options for each of 2026 and 2027.
If he starts out hot and healthy, perhaps he gets dealt as early as Luis Arraez did last year (first week of May). No good reason for them to wait until the end of July if they can find a willing partner before then.
29. Colorado Rockies
2 of 30
Last Season: 61-101
World Series Odds: +50000
Make Playoffs: +3000
Biggest Question: What is the long-term plan here?
Colorado has gone 188-298 over the past three seasons, good for dead last in the National League by a nine-game margin.
And, let's be honest, the Rockies are no closer to relevance than they were when they botched the Nolan Arenado trade and Trevor Story's walk year, the gap between this club and the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NL West pretty much a continental divide at this point.
They have one building block in shortstop Ezequiel Tovar, and he's signed through at least 2030. Maybe they can identify another one in 2025 and at least start to map out some sort of a blueprint for becoming somewhat of a factor again.
28. Miami Marlins
3 of 30
Last Season: 62-100
World Series Odds: +50000
Make Playoffs: +2000
Biggest Question: Is Sandy Alcántara worth more to Miami or on the trade block?
2022 NL Cy Young winner Sandy Alcántara is due $17.3M this season and $17.3M next season before a $21M club option for 2027. Even though he's recovering from Tommy John surgery performed in October 2023, he probably would've fetched about double that amount if he had been a free agent this winter.
So do the Marlins keep him, hoping they'll have an October-worthy rotation in the second half of this season and into 2026 when they ideally have a healthy Eury Pérez, Ryan Weathers and Edward Cabrera back in the fold?
Or do they seek a king's ransom for 2.5 seasons of his services if he's able to re-establish his dominance while they (presumably) continue to languish in the NL East basement?
[The moral of the story here is brace yourself for four months' worth of Alcántara and Luis Robert Jr. trade proposals.]
27. Washington Nationals
4 of 30
Last Season: 71-91
World Series Odds: +30000
Make Playoffs: +850
Biggest Question: Could the young'uns make things interesting?
James Wood made a solid first impression over the second half of last season.
Dylan Crews showed some signs of impending stardom.
Jacob Young probably should've won a Gold Glove.
Luis García Jr. had a breakout year.
CJ Abrams is still only 24.
Robert Hassell III and Brady House are probably going to make their MLB debuts this season.
Pitchers DJ Herz and Mitchell Parker had respectable 2024 campaigns.
MacKenzie Gore has ace potential.
Maybe Cade Cavalli finally takes the mound again?
That's not even a comprehensive list of everything to like in the 26-and-under division for the Washington Nationals, who should be a challenger again sooner rather than later.
Most likely not this season, though. They might swing bigger in free agency next offseason with Josiah Gray hopefully returning to the rotation in 2026. But maybe Washington has a youth explosion on par with what Cleveland did in 2022 with seemingly an entire roster of players 27 or younger?
26. Athletics
5 of 30
Last Season: 69-93
World Series Odds: +25000
Make Playoffs: +850
Biggest Question: Could this be the breakthrough team of the year?
There's always one.
Kansas City's 30-game improvement from 106 losses to a playoff spot was considerably more drastic than usual, but Texas went from 68-94 in 2022 to a World Series in 2023, Baltimore went from 52 wins in 2021 to 83 wins in 2022 (though still missed the postseason), etc.
The A's seem as good a candidate as any this year, adding Luis Severino and Jeffrey Springs to their starting rotation after having several hitters break out in a big way in 2024.
If rookie shortstop Jacob Wilson is as good as advertised—he certainly had a stellar spring—the A's could be in business.
Pitching does remain a sizable question mark, but they've got rotation options and what could be a great one-two bullpen punch in Mason Miller and José Leclerc.
Maybe predicting a playoff appearance is a stretch, but could we at least bet on the A's not being the second-worst team in the American League?
25. Los Angeles Angels
6 of 30
Last Season: 63-99
World Series Odds: +20000
Make Playoffs: +900
Biggest Question: Over/under 80.5 games played by Mike Trout?
It's the permanent question mark for the Angels.
They added Yusei Kikuchi, Jorge Soler, Travis d'Arnaud, Yoan Moncada, Kyle Hendricks, Kenley Jansen and more this offseason in hopes of finally contending again.
But Mike Trout has only played in about 41 percent of team games over the past four seasons, and it's likely those additions will be all for naught if their superstar spends that much time on the shelf again.
Even if Trout plays in at least 141 games for what would be the first time since 2016, though, they're likely still fighting an uphill battle here. But snapping the streak of nine consecutive losing seasons may become just about impossible if Trout plays in fewer than 40 games, like he did in both 2021 and 2024.
23. (tie) St. Louis Cardinals
7 of 30
Last Season: 83-79
World Series Odds: +12000
Make Playoffs: +360
Biggest Question: Are they in it to win it?
After promises of wholesale changes, the Cardinals' big offseason move was...signing Phil Maton to a one-year, $2 million deal.
They still have all of those eight-figure veterans we thought they might trade away, most notably Nolan Arenado after all of the trade rumblings involving the eight-time All-Star and 10-time Gold Glove third baseman.
So, do they have enough?
With Steven Matz and Miles Mikolas as regulars in the rotation?
While Jordan Walker and Victor Scott II / Michael Siani get another go as regulars in the outfield?
Let's just say there's a reason they were talking about a rebuild in September—without perhaps ever explicitly saying the word—and it's weird that they're just kind of running it back again, one year older and sans Paul Goldschmidt, Lance Lynn and Kyle Gibson.
23. (tie) Pittsburgh Pirates
8 of 30
Last Season: 76-86
World Series Odds: +12000
Make Playoffs: +360
Biggest Question: They've got Paul Skenes and...?
When Gerrit Cole made his MLB debut for Pittsburgh in 2013, the Pirates already had a solid team in place, most notably with Andrew McCutchen in his prime. Cole was simply the gravy that pushed them over the top and into the postseason for three consecutive years.
But these days, what are the Pirates bringing to the table to get Paul Skenes into the postseason?
Luis Ortiz was arguably their third-most valuable player last season, and they traded him to Cleveland for Spencer Horwitz. Beyond that, their big offseason acquisitions were Andrew Heaney and Tommy Pham, and bringing back Isiah Kiner-Falefa. None of those are exactly home run moves.
Maybe Bryan Reynolds, Oneil Cruz and Nick Gonzales take their games to the next level, though, and they'll have a pulse in a relatively wide-open NL Central. Does feel, though, like they're squandering a major window in which Skenes is only costing them peanuts for greatness.
22. Cincinnati Reds
9 of 30
Last Season: 77-85
World Series Odds: +9000
Make Playoffs: +270
Biggest Question: Will bringing Terry Francona out of retirement change anything here?
Say this much for Tito: He had quite a bit of success for a cash-strapped, Ohio-based franchise before, leading Cleveland to a .549 winning percentage and six postseason appearances in his 11 seasons there.
And this isn't exactly similar to the White Sox bringing Tony La Russa out of a decade-long retirement at 76 years old and cratering in spectacular fashion a year later. Francona only took a one-year hiatus and he's only turning 66 next month.
It might work just fine.
Along with Francona, the Reds are adding Brady Singer, Gavin Lux, Jose Trevino and Taylor Rogers, plus getting Matt McLain back from a full year lost to shoulder surgery. If he comes back as good as he was as a rookie in 2023, Cincinnati at +650 to win the NL Central might not be a bad flier.
21. San Francisco Giants
10 of 30
Last Season: 80-82
World Series Odds: +8000
Make Playoffs: +205
Biggest Question: Can Willy Adames break the 30-HR drought?
It's honestly comical at this point.
Since Barry Bonds was the last Giant to hit at least 30 home runs in a season in 2004, there have been 541 such seasons in Major League Baseball. Each of the other 29 franchises has had at least six. In fact, Pittsburgh and Kansas City are the only ones that haven't had at least 10 such individual campaigns.
Even the Milwaukee Brewers have had 27, including two by Willy Adames.
And the Giants invested $182M in Adames this offseason to try to put an end to that drought.
Plus, you know, ideally get off this mediocrity schneid of three consecutive seasons of almost exactly .500 baseball. However, it's clear from their spot not even in the top 20 on this list that there isn't much of an expectation that adding Adames (and Justin Verlander) while losing Blake Snell, Michael Conforto and more is going to be enough to push them over the hump.
20. Toronto Blue Jays
11 of 30
Last Season: 74-88
World Series Odds: +6000
Make Playoffs: +250
Biggest Question: Playoff Push or Fire Sale?
There are a bunch of teams who could have wildly intriguing fire sales if the first four months go poorly.
Arizona has Zac Gallen and Josh Naylor among its many impending free agents. Boston has Alex Bregman and Trevor Story with opt-outs, plus Walker Buehler and Lucas Giolito. The Cubs could put Kyle Tucker and Ryan Pressly right back on the trade block. And, of course, the Padres are a big one with Dylan Cease, Luis Arraez, Michael King and Robert Suarez among those who could be on the move.
All four of those teams have decent, 50/50-at-worst playoff odds, though, while Toronto playing into October seems unlikely. And none of those other teams' top trade chips is as massive as Vladimir Guerrero Jr.
So, here we are, before the Blue Jays have even played a single game, wondering how many losses prior to July 31 will it take for them to pull the rip cord and give us a blockbuster trade.
19. Tampa Bay Rays
12 of 30
Last Season: 80-82
World Series Odds: +5000
Make Playoffs: +200
Biggest Question: Is it Junior Caminero's time to shine?
It's hard to believe Junior Caminero is still just 21 years old, as it feels like he has been the next big thing for the Rays since Evan Longoria was still manning the hot corner at the Trop.
It hasn't actually been anywhere near that long. Longo had already been gone four years by the time Tampa Bay traded for Caminero. But he quickly became a star in the minors and had a cup of coffee in the majors as a 20-year-old in September 2023 before a more prolonged stint this past fall.
Third year's the charm, right?
The third base job appears to be his and his alone, and if Caminero delivers on his immense potential, the Rays could be—How many times have we said this over the years?—sneaky good.
How well Shane McClanahan fares in his return from Tommy John surgery will also go a long way in determining this club's floor/ceiling.
18. Milwaukee Brewers
13 of 30
Last Season: 93-69
World Series Odds: +5000
Make Playoffs: +125
Biggest Question: How back is Christian Yelich's back?
Hard to argue with how well Christian Yelich swung during spring training, batting .353 with three home runs in 12 games played. The back surgery that cost him more than half of last season may have been both literally and figuratively just what the doctor ordered.
If that continues and he's back to hitting the ball as well as he did in 2024 (.315 AVG, .909 OPS), the Brewers just might mess around and win the NL Central yet again.
If he's just OK or frequently missing time with a nagging injury, though, that's an awful lot of weight on the shoulders of William Contreras and Jackson Chourio, what with Willy Adames already out of the picture. Milwaukee will probably still have one of the best defenses, but scoring runs may be a challenge.
The other major X-factor is Brandon Woodruff's return from missing all of 2024. Can't imagine anyone expects him to return at "co-ace with Corbin Burnes" levels of greatness, but if he's even a suitable middle-of-the-rotation arm, that'd be big.
17. Cleveland Guardians
14 of 30
Last Season: 92-69
World Series Odds: +4000
Make Playoffs: +120
Biggest Question: Do they have enough pitching?
The recent five-year extension with Tanner Bibee was nice to see, as it's clear at this point he is their long-term ace.
But running it back again with basically the same rotation as last year was certainly a decision.
Their bullpen was out-of-this-world good in 2024, but the rotation was so uninspiring behind Bibee that they traded for injured Matt Boyd and Alex Cobb at the deadline and ended up trusting them in the postseason more than any of the non-Bibee options they now have.
The Guardians did re-sign Shane Bieber, but he probably won't be back until the All-Star break as he continues to recover from Tommy John surgery. They also traded for former Pirate Luis Ortiz, but he got obliterated in spring training to the tune of 14.2 IP, 19 ER, 12 BB and 14 K.
Throw in trading away Josh Naylor and Andrés Giménez to save a few bucks and it's little wonder the reigning AL Central champs are expected to finish in fourth place this year.
16. Detroit Tigers
15 of 30
Last Season: 86-76
World Series Odds: +3500
Make Playoffs: +110
Biggest Question: Is Spencer Torkleson back?
After hitting 31 home runs in 2023, No. 1 overall pick in the 2020 draft Spencer Torkelson had a disastrous 2024 campaign, spending several months back down at Triple-A Toledo—and not hitting much better there. The Tigers signed Gleyber Torres to a one-year deal this offseason with plans of moving Colt Keith to first base and Torkelson presumably to the trade block.
The threat of being out of a job appears to have lit a fire under Torkelson's rump, though, as he hit five home runs and racked up more total bases this spring than anyone else on Detroit's roster.
So, is he still going to be a big factor here for a team that was very much lacking for slugging in 2024, or did he merely enhance his trade value for the Tigers?
15. Kansas City Royals
16 of 30
Last Season: 86-76
World Series Odds: +3000
Make Playoffs: +110
Biggest Question: Who delivers offense alongside Bobby Witt Jr.?
It is still nothing short of miraculous and outrageous that the Kansas City Royals made the playoffs last season while Bobby Witt Jr. accumulated more fWAR (10.4) than every other batter on the roster combined (9.6).
The Royals did trade starting pitcher Brady Singer for Jonathan India, who they figure to use as a utilityman.
At least that's something, but it felt like a half-measure solution to what could be a full-blown problem if Witt has anything short of another MVP-caliber campaign.
They're still likely to have four players in their starting lineup on Opening Day who had a sub-.690 OPS last season. Vinnie Pasquantino is already dealing with a hamstring injury, and it'd be five problematic bats in the order if he's out.
If the White Sox are fine with trading him within the division, this could be where Luis Robert Jr. ends up sooner rather than later if this outfield is as weak as it is projected to be.
14. Chicago Cubs
17 of 30
Last Season: 83-79
World Series Odds: +3000
Make Playoffs: -140
Biggest Question: Did they actually upgrade the lineup?
Two big changes from last year for the Baby Bears are the departures of Cody Bellinger and Isaac Paredes, replaced by Kyle Tucker and rookie Matt Shaw, respectively.
The consensus expectation is that Tucker will give them more production at the plate this season than Bellinger would have, but we'll see about Shaw at the hot corner.
Two games is two games, but the duo went a combined 2-for-17 in the Tokyo Series. So, not a scintillating start for either one.
Chicago also replaced Kyle Hendricks in the rotation with Matt Boyd and acquired Ryan Pressly to address what was a highly questionable closer situation. Both of those feel like considerable upgrades and are a big part of why the Cubs are the projected NL Central champ. (Albeit, the projected division champ with the worst World Series odds, so it's far from a huge vote of confidence.)
13. San Diego Padres
18 of 30
Last Season: 93-69
World Series Odds: +2800
Make Playoffs: +110
Biggest Question: Can they hit another budget/rookie jackpot?
Trading away Juan Soto two winters ago and subsequently improving by 11 games felt like some sort of sorcery.
Of course, no one had any clue that true blue rookie Jackson Merrill and $1 million free-agency flier Jurickson Profar would finish 9th and 14th, respectively, in the NL MVP vote.
With Profar now in Atlanta, though, can the Padres pull another rabbit out of their hat?
They signed Jason Heyward and Connor Joe for $1 million each, presumably planning to platoon them in left field if they weren't satisfied enough by rookie Tirso Ornelas' spring to let him take the reins.
Oscar González of 2022 Cleveland Guardians postseason fame has also become a surprise variable in the equation, making the most of his spring training invite with a team-high 22 hits.
Whether they can find a good solution in LF could be a major factor in whether they end up trading away Dylan Cease and others in a few months.
12. Seattle Mariners
19 of 30
Last Season: 85-77
World Series Odds: +2800
Make Playoffs: -110
Biggest Question: Will the offense show up earlier?
After all the complaints about Seattle's disappointing offense squandering an elite season of pitching, the Mariners did...a whole lot of nothing this offseason.
Mitch Haniger and Josh Rojas are gone with Rowdy Tellez and Donovan Solano taking their roster spots, which, well, it can't be much worse than what they got from Haniger and Rojas.
The part no one seems to remember, though, is that Seattle finally woke up in September.
It was too little too late to salvage a playoff spot, but after five consecutive months with a teamwide OPS in the .649-.696 range, they posted a .780 over their final 26 games.
As far as FanGraphs is concerned, only the Dodgers had a better offense from Sept. 1 onward, Julio Rodríguez finally looking like an MVP candidate again with seven home runs and a .328 batting average.
Could they maybe start hitting before September this year? And maybe win the AL West if the starting rotation also delivers at anything close to the level that it did all last season?
11. Minnesota Twins
20 of 30
Last Season: 82-80
World Series Odds: +2500
Make Playoffs: Even
Biggest Question: What exactly am I missing here?
After a barely winning season, the Twins lost Gold Glove first baseman and team leader in home runs Carlos Santana, as well as primary right fielder Max Kepler. In their stead, they added Ty France and Harrison Bader, neither of whom exactly sparked a bidding war while still available in early February. (Their combined $7.25 million salary is less than what each of Santana [$12M] and Kepler [$10M] got in free agency.)
Meanwhile, the pitching staff is for all intents and purposes the exact same as last year, unless you're particularly excited about the addition of middle reliever Danny Coulombe. (At least Joe Ryan is healthy again?)
Perpetually injured Royce Lewis is already out indefinitely with a hamstring strain. Former top prospect Brooks Lee missed a huge chunk of last season with a back injury and he's also on the shelf with another back injury.
Add it all up and you get...the betting favorite to win the AL Central?
Really?
When the 86-win Tigers still exist and pretty clearly got better this offseason?
9. (tie) Texas Rangers
21 of 30
Last Season: 78-84
World Series Odds: +2500
Make Playoffs: -125
Biggest Question: Do they have good enough pitching to dethrone Houston?
If healthy, Texas' offense could be prolific. It should be the best in the American League, and may even rival the Dodgers and Mets for most potent in the majors.
Will the pitching hold up, though?
Do Jacob deGrom and Tyler Mahle stay healthy?
How much will Kumar Rocker be able to pitch after logging around 30 innings across all levels in each of the past three seasons?
Is Jack Leiter actually going to provide value after what was a horrific foray into the majors last year?
How does Jon Gray's wrist fracture (likely out until June) impact their plans?
What of the not exactly minor issue that there's not an actual closer on the roster?
The fact that they felt the need to take a $1.1M flier on Patrick Corbin the other day probably tells you everything you need to know about how confident the Rangers are in their pitching staff.
9. (tie) Arizona Diamondbacks
22 of 30
Last Season: 89-73
World Series Odds: +2500
Make Playoffs: -125
Biggest Question: Can they hang with the Dodgers?
Because the Diamondbacks share a division with the mighty, budget constraint-less Los Angeles Dodgers, the general consensus seems to be that—even though this might be the second-best team in the majors—their best-case scenario is the No. 4 seed in the NL postseason bracket.
Despite losing Christian Walker and Joc Pederson to the AL West, the lineup ought to be great. They still have Ketel Marte, Corbin Carroll and Eugenio Suárez. Don't sleep on the possibility of Josh Naylor having a sensational age-28 walk year, too.
And they added Corbin Burnes to what we already expected to be an improved starting rotation, with Eduardo Rodriguez and Merrill Kelly ideally making more than 23 combined starts this season while Zac Gallen (also in his walk year) bounces back to his Cy Young-caliber form.
This could be a repeat of 2021, with the NL West runner-up winning more games than any team in the other five divisions.
8. Boston Red Sox
23 of 30
Last Season: 81-81
World Series Odds: +2000
Make Playoffs: -125
Biggest Question: How will the big additions pan out?
Boston finally faced its pitching problem head on this offseason, trading for Garrett Crochet and signing both Walker Buehler and Aroldis Chapman while welcoming both Lucas Giolito and Liam Hendriks back from 2024 campaigns completely lost to injury.
If Crochet continues to deal like he did in spring training (15.2 IP, 1 ER, 30 K), they should be in great shape.
In the non-pitching department, the signing of Alex Bregman seems to have forced Rafael Devers to designated hitter and Masataka Yoshida to Triple-A while the latter works on being able to handle outfield duties following shoulder surgery.
Will there be any team chemistry issues with Bregman basically stealing Boston's $313.5 million star's spot in the field, or was that just a bunch of overblown offseason hot air in advance of a stellar offensive season for the Red Sox?
Also, where do top prospects Roman Anthony, Kristian Campbell and Marcelo Mayer fit into the mix? It's a nice problem to have, but it still could be a problem.
7. Baltimore Orioles
24 of 30
Last Season: 91-71
World Series Odds: +1600
Make Playoffs: -150
Biggest Question: Is the next crop of stars ready to flourish?
Hopefully Gunnar Henderson's intercostal strain won't keep him out for too long and he'll be able to rejoin Adley Rutschman and last year's breakout stars Colton Cowser and Jordan Westburg as the leaders of the Orioles lineup soon.
What about Jackson Holliday, Heston Kjerstad and Coby Mayo, though?
All three entered last season as top 50 prospects, with Holliday at No. 1 on everyone's list. And while each of the three mashed pretty well at Triple-A Norfolk, none of them managed to do much at the MLB level.
If those three burst onto the scene like Cowser and Westburg did last year while free-agent signee Tyler O'Neill stays mostly healthy and effective, needing to bank on the elderly arms of Charlie Morton, Kyle Gibson and Tomoyuki Sugano might not be a problem.
If those three young bats continue to struggle, though, Baltimore could be this year's team that goes straight from 90-plus wins one year to 10-plus games below .500 the next.
6. Houston Astros
25 of 30
Last Season: 88-73
World Series Odds: +1500
Make Playoffs: -185
Biggest Question: Have they finally lost too much talent?
Houston's run of eight consecutive postseason appearances featuring two World Series rings, four AL pennants and seven trips to the ALCS has been incredible.
After losing their top bWAR player in 2020, George Springer, they made the 2021 World Series. Then, after losing their top bWAR player in 2021, Carlos Correa, they won it all in 2022.
Despite eventually saying goodbye to just about everyone except for Jose Altuve, they just keep winning.
But have they gone too far this time?
Replacing Kyle Tucker and Alex Bregman with Christian Walker and Isaac Paredes? When they already had several big question marks in the lineup?
Losing Yusei Kikuchi, Justin Verlander and Ryan Pressly and now hoping for the best with Hayden Wesneski in the rotation and Steven Okert in the bullpen?
With any luck, Lance McCullers Jr. and Luis Garcia will be back before too long, but this roster isn't packing the same punch that we're used to seeing. The journey to a ninth straight October may well be their toughest yet.
5. New York Mets
26 of 30
Last Season: 89-73
World Series Odds: +1200
Make Playoffs: -250
Biggest Question: What if the Clay Holmes experiment doesn't pan out?
Early returns on Clay Holmes' transition from closer to starter have been exquisite. He made five starts this spring with a 0.93 ERA, 0.78 WHIP and 10.7 K/9.
Then again, A.J. Puk gave the Marlins a 1.32 ERA, 1.17 WHIP and 15.1 K/9 in four starts last spring and he was back in the bullpen by mid-May with an ERA north of 9.00. We'll see if Holmes can avoid a similar fate.
But with both Frankie Montas and Sean Manaea out indefinitely, Holmes might be the least of New York's rotation concerns, forced to roll with at least two of Paul Blackburn, Tylor Megill and Griffin Canning until further notice.
Granted, with Juan Soto joining what was already a stout lineup, the Mets don't exactly need Tom Seaver, Dwight Gooden and Jacob deGrom on the mound to win some ballgames.
For what is an estimated $380 million roster with tax bill included, though, there are a lot of questions about this rotation.
4. Philadelphia Phillies
27 of 30
Last Season: 95-67
World Series Odds: +1200
Make Playoffs: -265
Biggest Question: Is it now or never?
The Phillies have been quite good over the past three seasons, but will they finally win one in what might be the final year of this window?
The nucleus of Zack Wheeler, Aaron Nola, Bryce Harper, Trea Turner, Kyle Schwarber, J.T. Realmuto and Nick Castellanos is all now in its age-32 or older season.
Both Schwarber and Realmuto—as well as Ranger Suárez, Jordan Romano and Max Kepler—will be free agents this winter.
But, well, that's a 2026 problem for what should be a top contender in 2025.
They added Jesús Luzardo and should have top prospect Andrew Painter in the majors by the end of the season. If healthy, this might be the best rotation in baseball.
And if Kepler—who posted a 1.175 OPS this spring—bounces back from what was a rough final year with the Twins, this could also be one of the best top-to-bottom lineups.
3. New York Yankees
28 of 30
Last Season: 94-68
World Series Odds: +850
Make Playoffs: -250
Biggest Question: Can they combat this injury bug?
For a team that lost a generational talent in free agency, it initially looked like the Yankees were going to be more than fine.
They added Max Fried to a dynamite rotation. They traded for Devin Williams and Cody Bellinger. They took a flier on Paul Goldschmidt. Jasson Domínguez is finally headed for everyday work.
Save for the question mark at third base, this felt like the AL team to beat a month ago.
But now, 2023 AL Cy Young winner Gerrit Cole is out for the year while 2024 AL Rookie of the Year Luis Gil is on the 60-day IL with a lat injury. Clarke Schmidt is also starting the year on the IL with shoulder fatigue, so it'll be Marcus Stroman, Will Warren and Carlos Carrasco all unexpectedly in the starting rotation.
Giancarlo Stanton is also already expected to miss at least half of the season.
They still have Aaron Judge and plenty of talent, but it's starting to feel like a repeat of 2023 is more likely than a repeat of 2024.
2. Atlanta Braves
29 of 30
Last Season: 89-73
World Series Odds: +750
Make Playoffs: -400
Biggest Question: How long until the stars return?
Spencer Strider made two brief starts this spring, striking out basically everything that crossed his path. He won't be in the Opening Day rotation for Atlanta, but mid-April is a realistic goal, barring any setbacks getting stretched out.
Starting catcher Sean Murphy might also be returning from a cracked rib around the same time Strider makes his 2025 debut.
It's going to be a bit longer than that for Ronald Acuña Jr. Though there has never been an explicit target date for a return from the torn ACL, early-to-mid May has generally been the expectation.
Can the NL East favorites tread water until then?
With Grant Holmes in the rotation, Drake Baldwin behind the plate and Jarred Kelenic (maybe some Alex Verdugo) in right?
Or could playing at far from full strength against a brutal schedule for the first five weeks turn this -400 line into more of a coin flip by the time Acuña does get back?
1. Los Angeles Dodgers
30 of 30
Last Season: 98-64
World Series Odds: +290
Make Playoffs: -2500
Biggest Question: Is a record-setting season on the table?
Even without both Mookie Betts (mysterious illness) and Freddie Freeman (rib discomfort), Los Angeles made light work of the NL Central favorite Chicago Cubs in the Tokyo Series.
Two down, 115 to go?
At -2500, there's an implied 96.15 percent chance of the Dodgers making the playoffs.
That might be a bit low, although who in their right mind is betting $100 to win $4 six months from now?
This roster is a juggernaut, and it darn well better be for how much money Dodgers ownership has invested in it.
Even with all the deferrals that have fans of every other franchise insisting they're somehow cheating the system, LA's projected payroll and tax bill checks in at $530 million. They might end up spending more than 10 times as much as the Marlins when all is said and done. And there's a chance they'll make history in the process by winning more than 116 games in a single season.
