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In just over a month, the MLB season will be back, which signifies the summer, sunny days, and best of all, the hope that your MLB team can keep it going until leaves fall off their trees and the first chilly days of fall freeze the ground. This is where I think your favorite team will end up when the postseason starts at the beginning of October, along with a preseason preview for where the team is at currently according to me with the help of many projection and analytic sites like Baseball Prospectus and Baseball Savant. Don’t take offense, because I’m never wrong, and all of this will obviously come true.

NL West

1. LA Dodgers – Over 103.5 Wins

Let’s not act like this is a surprise. Coming off of a world series win, the Dodgers went out and resigned Teoscar Hernández, Tommy Edman, Blake Trienen and Kike Hernandez, then also decided to sign Michael Conforto, Tanner Scott, Blake Snell, Kirby Yates, Hyesong Kim, and Roki Sasaki. I just don’t see any way the Dodgers don’t manage to win the NL West again; they have the best team in professional baseball by a mile, and possibly one of the greatest players of all time, Shohei Ohtani, pitching for them this season as well. This line of 103.5 is laughable, as I don’t know how they don’t achieve less than 110 wins. They have incredible pitching depth, and I don’t even know where they’re going to put any of these guys. Bobby Miller just got hurt, and the Dodgers still have at least two major league level arms that are going to start in AAA. I can guarantee that there will be no parody for the top of this division at the end of the year, because the Dodgers already have it in a chokehold. 

1.  San Diego Padres – Over 85.5 Wins

Although they lost Jurickson Profar to the Braves and Tanner Scott to the Dodgers, I still believe that the Padres have a talented team on their hands. They certainly don’t have a better roster than the Dodgers, but the Friars were the second best squad in the West last year, and will likely do the same in 2025. Starting with hitting, Fernando Tatis Jr., Manny Machado, and Jackson Merrill are going to be the main guys for the start of the season. While Machado could be a candidate for slight regression due to his age, Jackson Merrill is one of the best center fielders in baseball. He is a true 5-tool player, and could be better than Fernando Tatis this year. The rest of the lineup is a little concerning though, but if Luis Arraez manages to hit for a little more power, their top 5 hitters will be elite. Moving on to the rotation, the Padres should have no problem keeping up with the rest of the division. The signing of Nick Pivetta completes an impressive top 4 pitchers along with Yu Darvish, Michael King, and Dylan Cease, then Matt Waldron as a valuable #5. I have no doubt that these guys will perform well, but there have been rumblings about a Dylan Cease trade. The bullpen is looking solid with Robert Suarez and Jeremiah Estrada leading the pack, and unlike other teams in the MLB, the amount of high-quality arms is impressive. I have little concern for the pitching side of this team, but a loss of depth in the lineup during the offseason could be a factor for regression. Nonetheless, the Friars are still a scary team that you don’t want to play when they get hot. 

1.  Arizona Diamondbacks – Over 86.5 Wins

After a season where they played terribly at the start and still managed to win 89 games, I have good feelings about the Diamondbacks. Corbin Carroll and Ketel Marte headline this lineup that has very few holes, even though they lost Christian Walker to free agency. Josh Naylor perfectly replaces the power lost, and while he doesn’t have as good of a glove as Walker, first base is not that important as a defensive position on the diamond. Gabriel Moreno is also a great hitter in their lineup, and played worse than he was expected at the plate last year. If he plays a full season in 2025, he can be a top 10 catcher in the future. Looking at the pitching, there are a lot of valuable pieces on this roster. Zac Gallen is always a guy to look to, but Corbin Burnes is the real #1. Brandon Pfaadt could also be good, but the underlying numbers for this staff are not good. E-Rod and Merrill Kelly both had expected ERAs below the 15th percentile, and I wouldn’t be surprised if Zac Gallen finally regresses to his expected numbers as well. While the rotation could be bad, this Arizona bullpen is exciting. Justin Martinez throws 100 mph like it’s normal, and A.J. Puk has turned into a monster since his departure from the Marlins. This ‘pen could sneakily be very good by the end of the season for the third year in a row if most things go right. This D-Backs lineup and bullpen are enough to easily secure a wild card spot, but the rotation could turn out to be a season killer when it comes to crunch time. 

1.  San Francisco Giants – Under 80.5 Wins

For some reason, I don’t like what this Giants team brings to the table. My main problem with them is starting pitching. While they do have big names like Logan Webb, Justin Verlander, and Robbie Ray, the Giants just lost Blake Snell to a division rival and all of their top three guys are staring down the barrel of regression. I don’t love anyone in the starting rotation, which has also been a reason for my placement of the Diamondbacks in this division. Oracle Park could end up saving these guys because of its expansive outfield, but we’ll have to see. While starting could be a major issue, I believe that the bullpen that the Giants are putting forth is top-notch. Ryan Walker stepped into his closing role very well in 2024, and while Camilo Doval was the victim of a down season, he still has elite stuff. Tyler Rodgers and Steve Hjelle are great bullpen depth as well, they are above average pitchers, and get the job done fairly often. Moving from the bullpen to the starting lineup, there is a lot to like with players like Hung-Hoo Lee, Matt Chapman, Heliot Ramos and Willy Adames, but there is no bonafide star. I can see the upside with having a bunch of decent players, but every playoff team needs at least one standout hitter that can give their team a noticeable edge when they’re up at the plate in a tight situation. The Giants could end up finishing over .500, but I think too many players will have to step up to make it possible in a division this stacked. 

1. Colorado Rockies – Over 58.5 Wins

The Rockies are trying. They really are. But if you read my article on their current financial difficulties, you should understand why they’re floundering at the bottom of the NL West. Kris Bryant’s contract is proving to be way too expensive for the production that he’s putting out, and other players like German Marquez and Antonio Senzatela don’t play at all. Relief pitching is their biggest place of concern, as they had a higher bullpen era than the record-breaking Chicago White Sox in 2024. Much of this was due to pitchers like Justin Lawrence faltering for much of the season, but there is still some hope for players like Viktor Vodnik to break out. The Rockies are going to need young players like Ezequiel Tovar, Ryan Feltner, Brenton Doyle and Nolan Jones to step up, with Nolan Jones being the biggest question mark. He has clear 30/30 potential and a rocket of an arm, but 2024 was an atrocious year for him, and he will need to change something up for the new season. Kyle Farmer and Thairo Estrada are good additions and I liked the re-signing of Jacob Stallings, but they don’t exactly push the needle to finish anywhere over 5th place in the West. 

NL Central

1.  Chicago Cubs – Over 85.5

After acquiring Kyle Tucker and Ryan Pressly from the Astros and Justin Turner in free agency, the Cubs have widely cemented themselves as the favorites of an easy to win NL Central. With young talent in the back of their bullpen and at the top of their lineup in breakout stars Porter Hodge and Pete Crow-Armstrong, it’s going to be hard for anyone to beat the Cubs, especially paired with a starting rotation filled with crafty lefties Justin Steele and Shota Imanaga. They have a really good pitching staff, and although they lost Cody Bellinger to the Yankees, Kyle Tucker is the better hitter and fielder.I’m interested to see if the Cubs can finally get to the playoffs again as all it took two years ago was the drop by Seiya Suzuki for the wheels to fall off, but this is a different team. 

1.  Milwaukee Brewers – Over 83.5 Wins

If everything goes right for the Brewers, no team in the central will be able to stop them. If most things do though, they will still slide easily into a playoff spot like in 2024. Although Willy Adames and Devin Williams will be missed as leaders of the team, the Brewers always have a replacement that is nearly as good. Joey Ortiz is a young shortstop with a better glove than Adames, and Craig Yoho in AAA can arguably outperform Williams in the near future. Along with the young talent coming up, already established stars like Jackson Chourio and William Contreras will look to build on their already stellar resumes, and a pitching staff that might not look very appealing has happily acquired the services of Nestor Cortes and awaits the return of Brandon Woodruff after a lengthy injury. Watch out for the Brew Crew. 

1.  Cincinnati Reds – Over 78.5 Wins

For most young teams, a lot could go wrong, and a lot could go right. The Reds seem like they are in this situation yet again this year after a lackluster performance in 2024, but will have less of a chance for disaster with the acquisition of legendary coach Terry Francona. After successfully re-signing Nick Martinez on a qualifying offer, their starting rotation could be the best in the Central, boasting the likes of Hunter Greene, the aforementioned Nick Martinez, Brady Singer, Nick Lodolo, Andrew Abbott, and Rhett Lowder. The problem is that nobody on the pitching staff can stay healthy for a year. If the injury bug returns again for starters, fans could see a lot go wrong down the stretch. Elly de la Cruz will look to build on his stardom after recently gracing the cover of MLB the Show, and Matt McLain is back after missing the entirety of 2024. Their bullpen is shaky at best, but if players like Zach Maxwell and Luis Mey step up and perform early in the season, everything could turn out fine. 

1.  St. Louis Cardinals – Under 77.5 Wins

This is the first year in a while that we have truly seen the Cardinals admit a rebuild. Their farm system isn’t producing at the level it should at all with players like Jordan Walker massively underperforming expectations, and guys that they counted on two years ago like Paul Goldschmidt and Nolan Arenado just did not click in 2024. Now with Goldschmidt gone and Willson Contreras moving to first base, the Cardinals are not focusing on the present, but the future. They have been trying to shop Nolan Arenado for the entire offseason, but to their surprise, when they came up with a trade for him, he blocked it to stay in St. Louis. It will be interesting to see how this situation plays out as the regular season creeps up, because Arenado is not in the plans of new Chief of baseball operations, Chaim Bloom. There is hope though. Driven by Ryan Helsley, the Cards had a good bullpen in 2024, and didn’t lose many players. Masyn Winn is what everybody built him up to be, and if Lars Nootbar and Nolan Gorman can play up to their expectations, the lineup won’t end up looking so bad for a rebuild. The Cardinals are still committed to good baseball, and if a lot goes right, they could have a winning record by the end of the season. 

1. Pittsburgh Pirates – Under 77.5 Wins

Not much to look forward to this year if you’re a Pirates fan except for Paul Skenes, unfortunately. They just don’t have much going on at the moment or ever, so it’s hard to look into this team and find many positives. The pitching staff is looking pretty good with Skenes, Mitch Keller, and Jared Jones as good starters then David Bednar, Colin Holderman, and Caleb Ferguson as above average relievers, but the Pirates’ problem is depth. After their top three options out of the ‘pen, the quality of pitching gets lower than any bullpen in the NL Central, which is saying something. Although this team has many dark spots, they still have dominant players. Oneil Cruz is just as much of a physical specimen as Elly de la Cruz: he hits the ball hard, runs fast, and has a cannon, and it will be interesting to see how his first full season in center plays out after making the move from shortstop at the end of the season. Joey Bart is still a really interesting player, and while he didn’t have that big of a sample size in 2024, he can still live up to his #2 overall potential and outperform all expectations this year. Not much going on in Pittsburgh, but they could still have some of the best performers. 

NL East 

1. Atlanta Braves – Over 93.5 Wins

I believe that the result of this prediction is the way the Braves front office have looked at their roster. Not just betting on traditional numbers, the Braves have intentionally created a lineup that is projected to hit better than the Dodgers. Austin Riley is looking for a bounceback year, Marcell Ozuna will likely put up the same offensive numbers as 2024, and if Ronald Acuña Jr. manages to stay healthy, he’ll likely go 30/30. The pitching staff isn’t terrible either. Although they did lose important pieces Charlie Morton and Max Fried to free agency, they still have Chris Sale, Spencer Strider, Reynaldo Lopez, and Spencer Schwellenbach leading their rotation. Raisel Iglesias has consistently been one of the best relievers in the league for years, and while there isn’t much depth in the bullpen, they will certainly be backed up by their offense. If key pitchers don’t get hurt again like last year, the Braves will have a good shot at winning a tough NL East division for the seventh time in eight years. 

1. New York Mets – Over 90.5 Wins

Just after the signing of Juan Soto, Pete Cohen and his New York Mets are riding high. In a monster offseason, the Mets managed to bring in more talent alongside Soto, re-signing the likes of Sean Manea and Pete Alonso, then going out and getting Clay Holmes, Frankie Montas, and AJ Minter. Although they added many pieces to their pitching staff, I still wonder if it was enough. Sure, Frankie Montas is good, but putting Clay Holmes in a starter role could be a stretch. Holmes is an incredible reliever, but for a contending Mets team, this move seems like one that the Nationals would do in order to explore new possibilities. Needing Holmes to perform as well as he has in the starter role could very easily go south, and they don’t have a lot more depth with starters in the first place. This is being harsh though. Kodai Senga missed the entire regular season in 2024, so their pitching situation isn’t the worst going into 2025, just worse than the Braves. Their hitting is going to be boosted by Juan Soto, Fransisco Lindor has the ability to do what he did in 2024 all over again, and Pete Alonso is going to try to hit as many homers as possible. Young guys like Luisangel Acuña and Mark Vientos hope to keep playing well and this Mets team could be the one to break their divisional curse at the end of the season.

1. Philadelphia Phillies – Under 91.5 Wins

Although I am wary to put the Phillies all the way down here, it is a testament to how strong the NL East is. Their starting rotation will once again be lights out, boasting the addition of Jesus Luzardo to Zach Wheeler, Christopher Sanches, Aaron Nola, and Ranger Suarez, but their bullpen is not looking good. After a decent season last year where they ranked in the middle of the pack for bullpen ERA, because they lost Jeff Hoffman to free agency, they don’t have a true closer besides Jordan Romano, a guy who put up an ERA near 7 last year. WHile the relieving could be a worry, the offense will continue to produce. Bryce Harper is still one of the best hitters in the league and Kyle Schwarber, JT Realmuto, and Alec Bohm will put up good offensive numbers again. A concern for them is Trea Turner; while he does still play at a high level, there are concerns about his bat as he ages. Other than that though, the Phillies still have a chance to prove my prediction to be very wrong. If players like Bryson Stott and Brandon Marsh step back up, the Phillies could play like the top team in the east once more. 

1. Washington Nationals – Over 72.5 Wins

2.5 years after the Juan Soto trade, we are seeing the prospects that the Nats got back be very good. James Wood is already projected to be the best player on the Nats this season, which is crazy considering he’s only 22 years old. In fact, almost the entire team is young. Besides the Marlins, the Nationals have the youngest roster in the league, with other guys like Jake Irvin, Mackenzie Gore, Jacob Young, and Jose A. Ferrer being at the top of their respective position groups at relatively young ages. Aside from those players, the Nationals have also managed to get experienced pitchers in the door as well: Trevor Williams, Mike Sorota, Lucas Sims, and Derek Law are all veteran arms that can end up providing a lot of value for the Nats down the stretch. While this might not seem like an exciting team now, like the Reds a couple of years ago, a lot could end up going right as long as their young players live up to what they’re supposed to be. The Nats always have some of the youngest rosters in the MLB, and even if they finish under their projected win total, next year could be the year that they re-emerge as contenders in the NL East under James Wood and crew.

1. Miami Marlins – Under 63.5 Wins

In a division that is so stacked, it’s very hard to think that the Marlins will finish anywhere but last place with a record that includes 100 losses. Even though they have a pitching staff boasting the likes of Sandy Alcantara, Eury Perez and Edward Cabrera, none of them seem to ever be healthy, and end up missing most of the year due to a wide field of injuries. Their starting lineup doesn’t look good either. You know when you simulate 30 years into the future in MLB the Show and look at the roster? This is exactly like that at this point. I know less people in the Marlins batting order than the White Sox at this point, and that’s not a good thing. I think that this win total is overlooked, for how bad it could turn out to be. If a few starters in the Marlins rotation end up getting hurt, they could easily lose more than 105 games, almost as much as the White Sox will. 

AL West

1. Texas Rangers – Over 85.5 Wins

After a disappointing year in 2024, I believe that the Rangers will be ready to win the AL West once more. They have an incredible starting lineup. The additions of Jake Burger and Joc Pederson to an already potent lineup headlined by Corey Seager, Marcus Semien, Wyatt Langford, and Adolis Garcia is incredible work, and makes the trade of Nathaniel Lowe seem unimportant. Evan Carter and Jonah Heim will need to bounce back in order to truly complete the lineup, but if they don’t, Ezequiel Duran and Kyle Higashioka are willing backups that could start on any given day and make up for lost production. pitching is a bit of a concern as the season goes on, but if Jacob DeGrom somehow stays healthy and Jack Leiter and Kumar Rocker step up to be the pitchers they are expected to be, the yearly injury of DeGrom will be less of a pain than it already is. Moving on to the relief pitching, there isn’t much happening, especially after the departures of Kirby Yates and Jose Leclerc. They were incredible, and I’m not sure if there will be a #1 in the bullpen at the start of the season as there are no guys with real closing experience in the MLB left on the roster. Other than that though, the Rangers look better at the start of the season than they had in 2023, their world series winning year. Watch out for the Rangers, but if a few key things go off the rails like last year, there could very well be a Texas-sized disaster in Arlington.

1. Houston Astros – Under 87.5 Wins

It’s a new era in Houston, and except for Jose Altuve, almost all of the pieces from their 2017 World Series winning team are gone. Although they did have an incredible season last year in a red hot run that won them the division, two of their best players, Kyle Tucker and Alex Bregman, have left the team. Tucker was admittedly limited in his playing time last season, but he still was an integral part of the squad going down the stretch, and his production as a top 15 player in the league is going to be hard to replace. Isaac Paredes was a guy that the Astros got back in the Kyle Tucker trade, and with Bregman gone, he will likely take the spot at third and do pretty well with the Crawford Boxes out in left. Moving onto the pitching, their starters all look good. Hunter Brown has really good potential, and he is backed up by 4 very capable starters in Ronel Blanco, Spencer Aringhetti, Framber Valdez, and Luis Garcia. Their bullpen is good as well, with Josh Hader leading the pack looking for a bounceback year. This pick for the Astros to be in second place is a risky pick, because of how good they can’t be with players like Yordan Alvarez, and new 1B Christian Walker. We’ll see, though. 

1. Seattle Mariners – Under 84.5 Wins

This Mariners team had the chance to build a contender this offseason, but they didn’t. Nobody that they brought in was notable, which is wild considering the fact that they might have the best rotation in the league. Logan Gilbert, Luis Castillo, Bryce Miller, George Kirby and Bryan Woo could all EASILY be the #1 starter on so many different staffs, but the Mariners’ front office decided that complacency was the thing they would use to get back to the playoffs. I’m not standing for it, along with the fact that they also have Julio Rodriguez and Cal Raleigh, both top players in their respective positions! They also have a good bullpen that could easily be the best in the AL West, Andres Munoz was one of the best closers in baseball in 2024 and Tayler Sacuedo, Gregory Santos, and others will be setting him up. If the Mariners signed two good hitters this offseason, I would be considering them for the top of the division, but the lack of urgency is scary with this front office, and I will have to put them at third. 

1. Sacramento A’s – Over 71.5 Wins

This team is pretty exciting. Although they’re out of Oakland, playing in an MILB ballpark, and don’t have local fans anymore, the future’s looking good in Sacramento/ Oakland/Las Vegas. Lawrence Butler and Mason Miller are their best young guys, but along with those two, they have JJ Bleday, Shea Langeliers, and Brent Rooker. Rooker has been one of the best hitters in baseball for two years, and the lineup that looked so bad a couple of years ago is now 3rd best in the AL West. Then, the one real problem with this team isn’t hitting at this point, but the starting rotation . Although the acquisitions of Luis Severino and Jeffrey Springs are good for their progress, they don’t have a true #3, and will have to rely on JP Sears to step up his production. Also, Jeffrey Springs has only pitched in 10 games over the past two years, so it will be interesting to see if he can stay healthy. The reliever depth is also a big question mark, and is making me shy away from true playoff possibilities for the A’s. Mason Miller and Jose Leclerc are both dominant pitchers, but like the rotation, they lack depth. Sure, the A’s can go out and be a very surprising team by the end of the season, but they would need way too much to go right in my opinion.

1. Los Angeles Angels Under 71.5 Wins

The LA angels are the tragedy of high spending MLB teams. As they await the expiration of Anthony Rendon’s MLB contract though, they will likely stay back in the depths of the division once again in 2025. That is if Mike Trout doesn’t have anything to say about it. If Trout stays healthy in his new position in right field, no matter how injured he has been, he always has the ability to bring change to the Angels while he plays. The rotation also doesn’t look terrible after the signing of Yusei Kikuchi, but it doesn’t compare to the bullpens of the Rangers, Mariners, and Astros. They did sign Kenley Jansen though, where he will likely work in tandem with Ben Joyce in the back end of the bullpen. You would think that Jansen would want to close, so that creates good competition for them during spring training. Back to the hitters; Taylor Ward, Jorge Soler, Zach Neto, Jo Adell and Logan O’Hoppe are absolutely necessary in order for the Angels to have any success. If Jo Adell plays like the player he is expected to be along with having the keys to center field now that Mike Trout has agreed to move, then the outfield will be one of the best in the AL West. Like the A’s, lot will have to go right, but the Angels have more hope than last year. 

AL Central

1. Cleveland Guardians – Over 82.5 Wins

After going out and having another dominant season at the top of their division in 2024, I strongly believe that the Guardians will be able to run it back with the same roster. The best part about this team has to be the bullpen. Last year, if opposing teams had to rely on winning later in games, they would have had no chance when going up against the Guardians. Emmanuel Clase was the best reliever in the league with an ERA under 0.70, and also had some of the best setup pitchers below him in Cade Smith and Hunter Gaddis. I expect this bullpen to perform similar to 2024, just because of their offseason additions and returning players. Moving on to the starting rotation, Although they did lose two decent starters in Matthew Boyd and Alex Cobb, they didn’t play enough for the Guardians to notice that they’re gone. Shane Bieber is back, and if everything goes right for players like Triston McKenzie, the rotation could be surprisingly good. Tanner Bibee was a breakout player, and took the #1 role last year with a fair amount of ease. If Jose Ramirez and Steven Kwan can maintain their level of production, this offense won’t be awesome, but it can still be ahead of most teams in this division. During my research on these teams, I have noticed that every team in different divisions have very similar traits in order to keep up with each other. While this lineup isn’t very impressive to the NL East, the bullpens in this division are elite. If the Guardians can keep their pitching at the highest level, I can reliably expect them to have the same record as last year. 

1. Kansas City Royals – Over 83.5

This team could end up at the top of the AL Central by the end of the season, and I would not be surprised. Bobby Witt is the second-best hitter in the MLB, and he had what could have been the best second place finish for MVP in the history of the MLB. Along with Witt is new addition Jonathan India who provides much needed production at the top of the lineup, and Salvador Perez and Vinnie Pasquantino will keep hitting homers. The Royals definitely have the best hitting in the Central, but their pitching is more of a question mark than others may think. Seth Lugo and Michael Wacha both had incredible seasons, but they are both getting old and their xERAs were worse than their normal ERAs. Cole Ragans is really good though, and if Wacha and Seth Lugo do the same thing that they did last season, I really like the top end of this staff. The Royals’ relief squad is similar to the Guardians, they are dominant both at the top and bottom with Lucas Erceg and Carlos Estevez at the top end, and relievers like James McArthur at the bottom of the bullpen are still very good players. Looking at this team, I might actually like them better than the Guardians at this point, but their relative inexperience as a squad when it comes to overachieving at the end of the season could be detrimental to a division win in the long run.  

1. Minnesota Twins – Over 84.5

This team could be very overhyped, but I do see the reasoning behind analysts calling them a dark horse for this division. Their lineup boasts the likes of Byron Buxton, Carlos Correa and Royce Lewis, all three of whom are very good hitters, but all of them were limited in play the entire season. Every single one of the three had under 400 at-bats, and while they could be very good, the injury risk is always going to be high for guys like Byron Buxton and Carlos Correa. Other than them though, if Trevor Larnach and Matt Wallner can produce like they are expected, my prediction for the Twins to finish in 3rd could end up being very wrong. Regarding the rotation, like most other teams in this division, the Twins have some very strong pitchers. Joe Ryan could be one of the best starters in the league, along with Pablo Lopez and Bailey Ober, both of whom are projected to do very good as well. I might like the relieving even better, because of Johan Duran and Griffin Jax. Both of these guys are absolutely elite, and are the best 1-2 punch in the league. There isn’t much else going on behind them, but the bullpen is still good enough to compete. Overall though, staying healthy should be the Twins’ aim this year. If that one piece of criteria is fulfilled, I can see them making a push for the top of the division. 

1. Detroit Tigers

In a couple of years, the Tigers could get very good. Although they admittedly play exceptionally well at the end of the season and in the playoffs, I can’t see them gaining much ground in this division. They only got into October by one game, and while Riley Greene is a very good player, the underperformance of Spencer Torkelson in 2024 leaves a hole in the middle of the lineup that should be reserved for power. Kerry Carpenter could fill in this role though, and if he played all of his games in Cincinnati last year, he would have hit 29 homers. Gleyber Torres is a good addition to the lineup, but he is an average hitter and could be worse at Comerica. With the help of Tarik Skubal though, the rotation could end up carrying this disappointing lineup into the postseason once again. Jack Flaherty is returning too, so he will try to once again try to find the success that he had early last year in Detroit. Although I do like the Tigers, I don’t think that their roster is impressive enough to make a real difference in the AL Central. These teams are all very good, and the Tigers could be the odd man out. 

1. Chicago White Sox – Under 53.5 Wins

There’s not much to talk about when it comes to the White Sox at this point unless you’re talking about how atrocious they are. Their starting pitching is worse than it was last year, their relieving is still the worst in the league, their lineup is terrible, and they could easily run it back to a 110+ loss season once more. If the couple players that they signed over the offseason like Martín Perez end up performing well up to the deadline, they’ll get traded. There’s no hope, and the fans can only hope for Andrew Vaughn and Andrew Benintendi to perform to their mid-level expectations. Luis Robert is surprisingly still in their lineup though, so it will be interesting to see how he performs in the early parts of the season before he likely gets traded. White Sox fans should simulate a couple of years into the future and erase this run out of their minds, because the scenes out the windshield are going to be a lot better than the ones in the rearview mirror in 2030. 

AL East

1.  New York Yankees – Over 91.5 Wins

After losing Juan Soto to the Mets, the Yankees bounced back very well. They signed Max Fried and Paul Goldschmidt, then went out and traded for Cody Bellinger, Devin Williams and Fernando Cruz. These are smart moves, and even though they lost Soto among a swath of other players including Gleyber Torres, the Yankees are still the top team in the AL East in my eyes. Their lineup is looking more rounded than it was last year, now with Austin Wells, Jazz Chisolm, and Cody Bellinger all as highly regarded hitters in the middle of the order. Giancarlo Stanton is healthy, and Aaron Judge is going to keep being the guy that the Yankees need to bring extra support when the rest of the lineup isn’t performing. Anthony Volpe will have to step it up with the bat just a little more, but other than that, 1-8 in the lineup will be tough for pitchers to get out. The pitching staff is going to be good again, and to go along with Gerrit Cole, Luis Gil, and Carlos Rodon, Max Fried is another lefty that the front office hopes will dominate in pinstripes. And then, if you thought it couldn’t get better, the relievers that the Yankees have on hand makes them a top 5 bullpen in the league. Devin Williams is among the best closers when he’s on, and he has two setup guys that aren’t well known to blow games like Clay Holmes did in 2024. Like always, the Yankees are going to be very dangerous in 2025. 

1.  Baltimore Orioles – Over 87.5 Wins

It was really hard for me to see myself put the Orioles in second place. Their roster is so good, but I believe that the loss of Corbin Burnes was enough to knock them down a peg. It’s going to be hard to replace him in the rotation, and while the front office signed Charlie Morton and Tomoyuki Sugano, both inning-eating veterans, they will not have a #1 unless Grayson Rodriguez finally steps on the pedestal that has been built up for him over the past two years. Zach Eflin is a good second option, but he’s likely reached his peak as a pitcher. The bullpen is looking excellent this year, and maybe even better than the Yankees. Keegan Akin is a breakout candidate, and if a few guys don’t do well, Felix Bautista and Yennier Cano are some of the best 8/9 inning guys that will shut the door without a doubt. Onto the starting lineup, there’s a lot to like. Although Anthony Santander was lost to the Blue Jays, the O’s managed to sign Tyler O’Neill from the Red Sox, where he fits exactly into the hole that Santander left. I like Heston Kjerstad and Jackson Holliday, and if they can break out, they are going to cause havoc. And oh yeah, Gunnar Henderson is also one of the best hitters in the league. The O’s could easily flip the script on the Yanks come late season. 

1.  Boston Red Sox – Under 86.5 Wins

I wasn’t entirely sure where I should have seeded the Red Sox, but I believe in what they have put forth going into this year. By signing Alex Bregman to a ludicrous 120 million dollar contract over three years, the Sox are committed to going back to the playoffs, and could signify that their rebuild is finally over. Starting with the lineup, Rafael Devers, Triston Casas, and Jarren (the racket) Duran are all projected to hit well in 2025, which showcases the organization’s ability to develop players according to their different skill sets. To add to the top 3, young bats Ceddanne Rafaela and Wilyer Abreu are excellent players that provided a real difference in 2024. Similar to the hitting, the Boston pitching staff is also looking much better than last year. Though they did lose Nick Pivetta to the Padres, they compensated by bringing in Patrick Sandoval, Garrett Crochet, and World Series champion Walker Buehler. I’m not too sure how the rotation is going to work out because they have so many pieces, but it looks like they will be utilizing a 6-man rotation like the Dodgers. The major concern for the Sox is their bullpen. Signing Aroldis Chapman and Liam Hendricks are good moves, but these guys are old. Signing two aging relievers, especially one who hasn’t pitched a full season since 2022 is not what you want for high leverage situations, which is why I can’t reasonably put the Red Sox over 3rd place in this division. I can envision many games getting blown late in must-win games. One reliever that could still be good is Justin Slaten, but one dude can’t do the entire work of an entire bullpen. This is still a good team, but a couple bad performances will lead to the season being over fast for the Red Sox. 

1.  Toronto Blue Jays – Over 78.5 Wins

This division is so tough to rank. I love the Jays, but at the end of the day, they aren’t as well rounded as other teams in this division. If a lot of things go right, then sure, they could be near the top, but they’ve underachieved for so long that it seems like underachievement has become a normality at this point. After finishing last in the east with a record way below .500 in 2024, the Jays went out and signed two top of the line players, Anthony Santander and Jeff Hoffman, who both fill out the Jays’ needs. They needed another power bat to go alongside Vladdy, and they got it, and to account for a bullpen ERA that was only better than the Rockies, they got the best setup dude on the market. I love the lineup with Bo, Andres Gimenez and George Springer, but these three players haven’t been great hitters for a while, and they all leave Vladdy and Santander on an island in the middle of the order. The starting pitching could be good though, with a load of veterans like Kevin Gausman and new signing Max Scherzer, and while the bullpen is still bad, it can’t possibly be worse than 2024 and boasts a couple of new arms in addition to Hoffman like Yimi Garcia. There’s a lot to love about the Jays, but there’s an equal amount to point out for why they will have another mediocre season in what could be Vladdy’s last season in Toronto.

1. Tampa Bay Rays – Under 81.5 Wins

The Rays never get the respect that they deserve, but I firmly believe that they will finish last in the Al East. It’s nothing on them, the division is just too strong for the roster they currently present. This doesn’t mean that I don’t like their team, though. The Rays rotation is always stellar, and with the returns of Shane Mclanahan and Drew Rasmussen from injury, they could easily have the best rotation in the AL once again. The one concern about the rotation has to be injury risk, because of how easily Rays starters have gone down over the past few years. Taj Bradley and Shane Baz stepped up when they were needed, but I don’t know what happens if they get hurt as well. As for their starting lineup, nobody really stands out. Yandy Diaz and Brandon Lowe have both been consistent hitters for years, but the Rays don’t have the star that every other AL East team has in the middle of their order. They have guys that can be stars like Junior Camanero, but 2025 isn’t their year. Looking into their bullpen, much like the rotation, they have the potential to be good. The Rays always have one guy that comes out of nowhere every season, so I’m interested to see who it will be this year.