MLB 2025 season preview for dummies

With Spring Training nearing its end, Major League Baseball Opening Day is finally among us and fans are excited to see how the upcoming season will unfold.

The 2024 MLB season was one to remember and offered baseball fans some of the most exciting moments in baseball anyone has seen in a while.

With the 2025 season right around the corner, there are plenty of teams with high expectations, sleepers and young players primed to break out.

National League

The National League has 3 clear-cut contenders. The reigning NL and World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Mets and Atlanta Braves are the early favorites to win the National League.

The Dodgers opened up the checkbook this offseason to retain several key players including all-star outfielder, reigning silver slugger and home run derby champion Teoscar Hernandez.

Los Angeles also added 2-time Cy Young award winner Blake Snell and Japanese star Roki Sasaki to their already star studded starting pitching rotation.

The Mets offseason was headlined by the 15-year $765 million record signing of 26-year old generational talent Juan Soto to complement the NL MVP runner-up Francisco Lindor in the lineup.

New York retained one of the best power bats on the planet in Pete Alonso. They also brought back Sean Manaea who emerged as an unlikely ace for the Mets in the second half of last season.

With the Mets pitching a potential weakness in 2025, expect their top prospect Brandon Sproat to make some noise when he is called up to the majors later this season.

The Atlanta Braves have one of the best cores in baseball consisting of Ronald Acuña, Ozzie Albies, Austin Riley, Michael Harris II and Matt Olson.

Their pitching staff is also headlined by reigning NL Cy Young winner Chris Sale who accomplished the pitching triple crown in 2024.

2023 All-star Spencer Strider will also return to the rotation after missing all of last season due to injury.

The Braves success this season hinges on whether Acuña can come back from a second torn ACL and be the impact player that he is when healthy.

The Philadelphia Phillies can never be counted out. They are led by 2-time MVP Bryce Harper and have one of, if not the best starting pitching rotation in baseball with Zach Wheeler, Aaron Nola, Ranger Suarez, Christopher Sanchez and Andrew Painter (MLB Pipeline No. 8 Prospect).

The Arizona Diamondbacks could also make some noise after signing former Cy Young award winner Corbin Burnes and if their star outfielder Corbin Carroll can have a bounce back season.

The Chicago Cubs, Milwaukee Brewers and San Diego Padres should also be contending in the NL this season.

Pittsburgh Pirates star pitcher and reigning NL Rookie of the Year Paul Skenes is the early favorite to win the NL Cy Young, but the Pirates are not expected to contend this season.

The Dodgers are the early favorites to win the National League and no one would be surprised if they are repeat champions.

American League

The American League is wide open this season as there really are no clear cut favorites like there are in the NL.

The 2024 World Series runner-up New York Yankees would have been the clear favorite early on to repeat as AL champions had they retained Juan Soto, but they lost him to their cross-town rival.

The Yankees are led by 2-time MVP and 6-time all-star Aaron Judge for yet another season, but their lineup behind him is questionable and Giancarlo Stanton could miss significant time with tennis elbow and a “chronic” calf issue, according to Jon Heyman of the NY Post.

New York will need former top prospects Anthony Volpe and Austin Wells to break out this season if they want to have any chance of a return to the World Series.

The Pinstripes allocated a lot of their spending to their pitching with the signing of Max Fried to an 8-year deal worth $218 million. Their ace Gerrit Cole, however, will miss the 2025 season as it was announced he would need tommy john surgery to repair a torn UCL.

The Yankees may not find themselves in the World Series again this year and perhaps not even the ALCS, but their arch rival in Boston could. The Red Sox have one of the best starting pitching staffs in baseball and a good lineup to complement it.

The Red Sox let everyone know they were for real when they acquired star Chicago White Sox pitcher Garrett Crochet in December. They also signed former Dodgers ace Walker Buehler to a 1-year contract to solidify the top of the rotation.

Boston is led by star 3rd basemen Rafael Devers, outfielder Jarren Duran who made his first all-star appearance last season and 1st baseman Triston Casas who is primed for a breakout 2025.

Not to forget, shortstop Roman Anthony (MLB Pipeline No. 2 prospect) and infielder Kristian Campbell (MLB Pipeline No. 7 prospect) will be on their way to the show very soon, with Anthony a real possibility to make the opening day roster.

The Kansas City Royals are likely to be a real threat in the American League. Last season Kansas City made it to the playoffs for the first time since they won the World Series in 2015 and swept the Baltimore Orioles in the Wild Card series.

The Royals are led by Bobby Witt Jr., arguably the best shortstop in baseball, and a stellar starting rotation featuring Cole Ragans and Seth Lugo.

Expect for the Texas Rangers to put a disappointing 2024 behind them, now 2 years removed from winning the World Series. The Cleveland Guardians, Toronto Blue Jays and Detroit Tigers should also build on their success from last season.

The Baltimore Orioles were the best team in baseball for most of last season, but had a disappointing offseason, parting ways with Corbin Burnes and Santander.

The American League is wide open and it will be interesting to see how it unfolds over the course of the season.

Ian Rothenberg is a first-year majoring in Broadcast Journalism. To contact him, email imr5327@psu.edu