With Spring Training underway in Florida and Arizona, it’s a great time to predict the MLB regular season. This season is expected to be great with the return of the stars of the 2024 season, exciting new rookies, and new international players.
Division Standings:
AL East
Red Sox
Yankees
Orioles
Blue Jays
Rays
I have the Red Sox winning the AL East this year due to their explosive offseason. The Boston front office completely revamped the pitching rotation with big names such as Garrett Crochet, Ardolis Chapman, and Walker Buehler and resigned Kutter Crawford and Tanner Houck. The Red Sox also have established stars in Jarren Duran, Rafael Devers, and new addition Alex Bregman, who are complimented by the team’s strong youth movement from Wilyer Abreu, Ceddanne Rafaela, #2 prospect Roman Anthony, and #7 prospect Kristian Campbell. The Yankees and Orioles will battle for second as the Yankees are bad and the Orioles had a net negative offseason and will heavily rely on their younger players such as Jackson Holliday. The Blue Jays are still irrelevant, and the Rays are playing in the Yankees’ spring training stadium, which they likely will still not be able to fill.
AL Central
Twins
Guardians
Royals
Tigers
White Sox
The AL Central will be one of the most competitive divisions in baseball. Currently, the Twins are favored by Vegas with current betting odds putting them around 85–90 wins and taking the division. After a late-season collapse last year, Minnesota will need to stay consistent down the stretch if they want to live up to this preseason hype. While the Guardians won the division last year, I don’t see them doing that again in 2025. Because of this, I think the Royals and Guardians will be fighting for second place in the division, as both of these teams are very good and will likely end up around 80 wins. The Tigers could be a threat this season, so don’t count them out. The only certain thing about this division is that the White Sox will finish last.
AL West
Astros
Mariners
Rangers
Athletics
Angels
The top half of the West are choke artists, while the bottom half are some of the worst teams in the league. The top three positions will be competitive but not in a good way. Despite losing star Alex Bregman, the Astros are still the best team in the AL West, which isn’t a hard thing to do. The Mariners find a way to collapse year after year, and the Rangers fell off after their World Series win. The Athletics, just like the Rays, aren’t playing in an MLB park, but they still have some solid players, making them a prime candidate for a team that top contenders will lose to in the middle of August. The Angels will continue to stay irrelevant and sit in the Dodgers’ shadow.
NL East
Braves
Mets
Phillies
Nationals
Marlins
The NL East top-3 will be very competitive with the Braves, Mets, and Phillies, each having a star-studded roster. I have the Braves winning the division, but that hinges on how soon Ronald Acuna Jr. can return from injury. The Juan Soto-led Mets will put up a fight for the pennant and could easily snatch the Braves’ chain. The 2025 Phillies are an interesting team. While they will make the playoffs as a Wild Card, they won’t go far as they’ve shown themselves to be way too inconsistent. The gap between #3 and #4 will be massive. The Nationals have some good prospects, which will put them above the Marlins.
NL Central
Cubs
Brewers
Cardinals
Reds
Pirates
The Cubs and Brewers will be fighting over the NL Central this year, but I’m picking the Cubs to win. The Cubs have been on the rise the past few years and this may be their year. The Brewers are just too inconsistent to match Chicago. The Cardinals shouldn’t be a threat in the Central due to their net negative offseason. The Reds and Pirates, despite hope for the future in Elly de la Cruz and Paul Skenes, will continue to be bottom feeders until they spend more.
NL West
Dodgers
Diamondbacks
Padres
Giants
Rockies
The winner of the West is pretty obviously going to be the Dodgers. The real debate is who’s finishing in second. The Giants and the Rockies are so bad and won’t challenge for second or third, with the Rockies likely losing over 100 games. The Arizona Diamondbacks are looking to bounce back from a less-than-stellar 2024 campaign, while the Padres are trying to bail their fans out of jail. Give me the Dbacks to sit behind the Dodgers.
Bold Predictions:
1. The White Sox Get Even Worse
Starting off with a not very bold prediction, I think the Chicago White Sox will break the record for worst record all time for a second year in a row. Last year, the Sox finished 41-121, a winning percentage of .253. But this leaves plenty of room for regression. I don’t think they’ll break 40 wins this year. Manfred needs to force Jerry Reinsdorf to sell the team.
2. Athletics’ Vegas Move Falls Apart
Athletics owner John Fisher ran his team into the ground to drive down attendance to get them to leave Oakland. The Tropicana Site, the former home of the Tropicana Casino in Las Vegas, has been flattened for a new stadium. But the city has been fighting with the team lately, with some saying the deal to build a brand new state-of-the-art stadium could fall apart. If this happens, John Fisher will more than likely be forced to sell the team, and the current Sacramento Athletics will be forever embarrassed.
3. The Return of Big Dom Smith Moments
Superstar first baseman Dominic “Dom Smith” Smith was picked up by the Red Sox during the 2024 regular season after Tristan “Pookie” Casas went on the injured list with torn cartilage in his left rib cage. In Boston, Smith put up a breathtaking .237/.317/.390 and became a fan-favorite player after iconic moments, dubbed “Big Dom Smith Moments.” Sadly, the Red Sox dropped Big Dom, bringing the era of Big Dom Smith Moments in Fenway to an end. Before the 2025 season, the New York Yankees signed Smith after he left the Reds. I predict Big Dom Smith Moments will return in 2025 at Yankee Stadium.
