With NFL season in the rearview, some fans have turned their eyes to NBA, NHL, or possibly even College Basketball. What I can tell you, is my eyes are squarely on the next nine months and how the MLB landscape is going to shape up. In this article, I am going to break down some offseason trades, some schedule updates to the season, and most importantly, I am going to share who I think, is going to win the Fall Classic this season. Predicting a winner ten months before the dang thing happens? What could possibly go wrong?
Offseason Winners:
While there are probably many teams that fall into this category, I am going to spend a little time breaking down a few teams that I think were true "winners" vs some fakers.
Dodgers:
Just a few short months after winning the 2024 World Series, the Dodgers got to work in many departments. They bolstered the already MLB leading bullpen by signing Blake Snell from the Giants, they added Roki Sasaki after winning what seemed like a never ending sweepstakes for the Japanese phenom. They also return Shohei Ohtani after his Tommy John surgery and add Kirby Yates/Tanner Scott in the bullpen.
A team that was already poised to make a run at the title in 2025 without these pitching additions just got that much better in the NL. They are certainly going to be the giant to take down this season. Barring any injury, I wouldn't be surprised if they won 115+ games this season.
Mets:
Steve Cohen has always been known as the owner who is willing to do whatever and spend whatever it takes to get what he wants. I think that was very evident when he offered Juan Soto a 15-year 765M dollar deal this offseason. The Mets also retained Pete Alonso at the hot corner, Sean Manaea on the mound while adding Frankie Montas and Clay Holmes.
Clay Holmes and Frankie Montas have as much high upside as they do downside. It is going to be key to get those guys fired up early and keep them hot. Can Clay Holmes return to his 2021 self where he had a 1.61 ERA for the Yankees or will we see 2024 Holmes who had a 3.14 ERA? Only time will tell for the Mets and these signings!
Yankees:
Albeit the fact that they lost Juan Soto this offseason, I think it is clear that the Yankees still wanted to make a splash in the offseason after his departure across town and I think that they did just that. While Juan Soto is certainly a big piece to lose, if the Yankees retained Soto, they would not have had the opportunity to sign Max Fried to pair with Cole, Rodon, and Gil on the mound. The additional trade for Devin Williams from Milwaukee, Cody Bellinger from Chicago, and Paul Goldschmidt from St Louis, it is clear that the Yankees are still ready to compete come playoffs in October. The question is, can they overcome their demons and win their first WS in 16 seasons or will fans have to wait another year?
Offseason Losers:
In order for there to be winners, there also needs to be losers. So while the Dodgers, Mets, and Yankees were are big offseason winners, who did absolutely nothing and claims the top spot for Offseason Loser?
Cardinals:
Like I mentioned above, Paul Goldschmidt is already on the move to New York, trade talks continue to heat up regarding Nolan Arenado. Once those two big bats leave the lineup, what do Cardinals fans have to look forward to? The Cardinals sign a veteran lefty to "bolster" their bullpen. Rob Kaminsky, pictured above, looks to make his 3rd stint with the team better than the previous two that he had with the team. Kaminski has only appeared in five games in the majors pitching 4.2 innings in 12 years since the Cardinals drafted him in 2013. Can this addition really be what the Cardinals organization was hoping for this offseason? With a loaded NL playoff picture, I think it would be safe to say that Cardinals fans can turn off the TV once the calendar turns over to October, because the Birds won't be participating in the fall classic.
Orioles:
Just months after a 91 win season and an AL Wild Card appearance, the owner of the Orioles said he was willing to spend to make his team the contender that the Camden hopeful deserve. After losing their Ace Corbin Burnes to the Arizona Diamondbacks, the Orioles went after gap stops to plug holes in their lineup rather than adding another bonafide Ace to the roster.
Signing Charlie Morton and Tomoyuki Sugano to 1-year deals to add depth to the rotation rather than adding a clear Ace was certainly a choice. The GM Mike Elias, was on record, saying that he didn't think the team needed to add until closer to the trade deadline. He said that he wants to see where Wells and Bradish are as we near the deadline. Both rotation guys are expected to start the season on the 60-day DL.
Schedules to watch:
There are some fun series, and games that the MLB installed into the schedule this year and I am going to break down the top three things to look forward to ahead of the 2025 season.
Tokyo Series 3/16-18:
The Dodgers travel across the world again to kick off the season in blowout fashion. After the massive turnout in Seoul just a year ago, the MLB sends the Dodgers to Tokyo to face off against the Cubs. Ohtani, Sasaki, and Yoshinobu Yamamoto on the Dodgers as well as Shota Imanaga and outfielder Seiya Suzuki for the Cubs are all proud Japanese players on both squads. Watch for this series to display some fireworks to kick off the season!
Rivalry Weekend 5/16-18:
The MLB changed the schedules a tad this season increasing the number of interleague rival games from two two-game series last season to three two-game series this year. While this means less cross-divisional games, it means more interdivisional rivalry games that we all want to see!
This year, May 16-18 will bring “Rivalry Weekend” across MLB, with 11 of the 15 series being matchups between prime Interleague rivals. That includes Mets-Yankees, featuring Soto's return to the Bronx. Also on the list are Angels-Dodgers, White Sox-Cubs and Cardinals-Royals, among others.
Raceway Games 8/2-3:
This season, the MLB adds an interesting twist to the season. The league already plays games on football fields, soccer pitches, and corn fields (field of dreams game) across the world, why not play on a NASCAR track as well?
This season, the Braves will face off against the Reds in a baseball game at Bristol Speedway. This will be the first time that there has been an American League or National League game in the state of Tennessee. The Bristol officials said that to prepare for the game, a MLB regulation sized field will be built between turns 3 and 4 on the infield of the track.
Prediction for the 2025 Fall Classic:
While it likely will come to no ones surprise, the favorites to win the fall classic in February are as follows. The Dodgers (+250), the Yankees (+750), and the Braves (+900). If you know anything about me, you know that I am one of the biggest Dodger haters on the planet. With that being said, even if I wasn't, locking up money at 2.5x is criminal. If you hate your money that much, just cut a hole in your mattress and hide it there, it will probably have the same return in 10 months.
The Mets (+1100) are currently the fourth odds on favorite to win the fall classic this season. The additions that Cohen added, shared above, can definitely get this team over the bump. The Mets are going to be contending in a top heavy NL East with the Braves and the Phillies. The question is, can they avoid injury long enough to make all the money worth it?
Another team to consider, would be the Mariners (+2600) who own the ninth best odds win the the classic. The additions to the team help them take a step forward again this season. Lets not forget that before an epic collapse in August, the Mariners had a strangle hold on the AL West. If the Mariners can win the AL West for the first time since 2001, I think it is safe to say that their All-Star Phenom J. Rodriguez took a massive step forward in his development and they surely aren't a team to sleep on.
One final team that I would be eye balling as a flyer would be the Kansas City Royals (+4000). The Royals play in a weak AL Central division which should realistically be a two man race between them and the Tigers this season as the Guardians look to take a step back. Last season, the Royals ran into a red hot Yankees in the ALDS and still took them to 5 games. The core of Witt Jr, Pasquantino, Fermin paired with Ragans, Wacha, Lorenzen, Bubic on the mound could pose a threat to any AL team looking to make a deep run in the postseason.
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