The Super Bowl has come and gone, we are still pretty far away from the NBA and Stanley Cup Playoffs, and while many are focused on the 2025 NCAA Tournament, Thursday marks the start of the 2025 MLB Season. After another Spring Training session in Florida and Arizona, the wait for America's Pastime ends this week.
To kick off the start of the 2025 campaign, here are my predictions for the National League by division, including Team MVPs, Team Cy Youngs, and top players to watch in 2025. Additionally, I take a look at top offseason acquisitions for each club, as well as early award picks for the entire league.
National League East:
1. Philadelphia Phillies (93-69, #2 Seed)
Team MVP: OF/1B Bryce Harper
Team Cy Young: RHP Zach Wheeler
Player to Watch: LHP Jesus Luzardo
Biggest Offseason Move: Trading for LHP Jesus Luzardo (Marlins)
Following a surprising loss to the Mets in the NLDS, the Phillies entered this past offseason with a flurry of questions. The status of 3B Alec Bohm floated towards the top with plenty of trade talks, but he was never dealt. With the loss of top bullpen arm, RHP Carlos Estevez, to free agency, the Phils filled the hole in the roster with former Blue Jays closer RHP Jordan Romano. The addition of Jesus Luzardo in an already top-notch rotation is a solid one, and the lineup anchored by Harper and SS Trea Turner should lead the charge for another division title.
2. New York Mets (89-73, #2 WC)
Team MVP: OF Juan Soto
Team Cy Young: RHP Edwin Diaz (Reliever)
Player to Watch: INF Mark Vientos
Biggest Offseason Move: Signing OF Juan Soto (Yankees, 15 years - $765 Million)
The Mets were a big spender during the winter, grabbing Soto from the crosstown Yankees. He is just 26 years old, has already won a title, and played in this past year's World Series. He was the biggest name on the market, but the Mets also re-signed postseason hero 1B Pete Alonso. The rotation gets back RHP Kodai Senga who barely pitched in 2024. Just two seasons ago, he was the runner-up in Rookie of the Year voting. I have high hopes for the Mets in 2025.
3. Atlanta Braves (86-76, #3 WC)
Team MVP: 1B Matt Olsen
Team Cy Young: LHP Chris Sale
Player to Watch: OF Ronald Acuña Jr or RHP Spencer Strider
Biggest Offseason Move: Signing INF/OF Jurickson Profar (Padres, 3 years - $42 Million)
The Braves got a surprise CY Young season out of an aging Chris Sale in 2024, but there really wasn’t much else going for them. Both of their big stars in Acuña Jr and Strider had season ending surgeries and may contribute to the back half of this campaign. Losing LHP Max Fried was a blow, but if Sale can still lead the staff for one more year, I can see the Braves making it to the playoffs. They may not make it far, but this team has enough talent to succeed. It’s just about how healthy they stay.
4. Washington Nationals (73-89)
Team MVP: OF Dylan Crews
Team Cy Young: LHP MacKenzie Gore
Player to Watch: OF James Wood
Biggest Offseason Move: Signing 1B/DH Josh Bell (Diamondbacks, 1 year - $6 Million)
The Nats are in the middle of a rebuild, and this season will be just about seeing how good the young guys will be. Crews gets the most hype, as he was the #2 overall pick in 2023, while Wood is another top prospect. Gore was one of the main pieces in the Juan Soto deal to San Diego and is a promising young pitcher. Another part of that trade was SS CJ Abrams, who has blossomed into a quality starter. Coming up via the pipeline is yet another asset from that blockbuster Soto trade in OF Robert Hassell III, the Padres' first rounder in 2020.
5. Miami Marlins (60-102)
Team MVP: RHP Sandy Alcantara
Team Cy Young: RHP Sandy Alcantara
Player to Watch: RHP Max Meyer
Biggest Offseason Move: Trading LHP Jesus Luzardo (Phillies)
The Marlins are honestly just a dumpster. They traded away many players last year like 2B Luis Arraez, lefty reliever Tanner Scott, and exciting INF/OF Jazz Chisholm. Alacantara, the 2022 Cy Young winner, returns from Tommy John, but there really isn’t much else going for the Fish in 2025.
National League Central:
1. Chicago Cubs (85-77, #3 Seed)
Team MVP: OF Kyle Tucker
Team Cy Young: LHP Shota Imanaga
Player to Watch: OF Pete Crow-Armstrong
Biggest Offseason Move: Trading for OF Kyle Tucker (Astros)
This offseason, the Cubs acquired Kyle Tucker, a rising star in the league who should anchor their lineup this season. In a weak division, Chicago has made moves to propel themselves to the top. Imanaga is coming off a stellar first season in the United States and will lead the staff. PCA is a former top prospect who they got in the Javier Baez trade and has All Star potential. The Northside will be interesting in 2025.
2. Pittsburgh Pirates (83-79)
Team MVP: RHP Paul Skenes
Team Cy Young: RHP Paul Skenes
Player to Watch: RHP Jared Jones
Biggest Offseason Move: There have been no notable offseason transactions
Skenes is the face of the franchise for obvious reasons, but the Pirates are building a great young staff. RHP Mitch Keller is the veteran who has an upper-90s heater and great stuff, as does the rising Jones. If they both stay healthy, the Pirates could make some noise. RHP prospect Bubba Chandler is one of the top arms in the minors and figures to come up midseason. The only question is the offense, which is obviously big, but Pittsburgh is on the rise.
3. Milwaukee Brewers (82-80)
Team MVP: OF Christian Yelich
Team Cy Young: RHP Freddy Peralta
Player to Watch: OF Jackson Chourio or RHP Trevor Megill
Biggest Offseason Move: Trading away RHP Devin Williamas (Yankees)
The Brewers won the division last year, but traded away their closer in Williams, and didn’t do much this winter to address an average lineup. Chourio was electric as a rookie and C William Contreras is arguably the best all-around backstop in the league. Yelich showed signs of his old MVP self last year before an injury derailed it. Megill is one of my favorite pitchers in the league, and I think he’ll get some hardware this year (keep reading). Overall, this roster is solid, but there is no true superstar unlike with the Cubs and Pirates. If Chourio can make that jump, then we can have a different conversation.
4. Cincinnati Reds (79-83)
Team MVP: SS Elly De La Cruz
Team Cy Young: RHP Hunter Green
Player to Watch: RHP Rhett Lowder
Biggest Offseason Move: Trading for INF/OF Gavin Lux (Dodgers)
The Reds are sort of like the Pirates just a couple years back. They have a pair of Demon Deacons in Lowder and 2024 #2 pick RHP Chase Burns. Another former first rounder in the system is 21-year-old flame-throwing RHP Chase Petty, but both he and Burns are likely a year away. The Major League roster has De La Cruz, who in my opinion is good, but also one of the most overrated players in the league. Cincy has some talent, but needs more proven veterans to add to the influx of young prospects. If they make the right moves in the near future, I could be very wrong about them.
5. St. Louis Cardinals (78-84)
Team MVP: SS Masyn Winn
Team Cy Young: RHP Ryan Helsely (Reliever)
Player to Watch: 3B Nolan Arenado
Biggest Offseason Move: Letting 1B Paul Goldschmit leave in FA (Yankees)
The Redbirds biggest move of the offseason was having Arenado veto a trade to Houston. That’s it. The whole roster is comprised of just aging veterans who used to be good a couple years back, but are really of no value now outside of leadership. They have a solid farm system with a couple pitchers in righty Tink Hence and southpaw Quinn Matthews, but outside of those two, Winn, and OF Lars Nootbar, there is not a lot of fresh talent coming up the pipeline this year. A rebuild is needed.
National League West:
1. Los Angeles Dodgers (103-59, #1 Seed)
Team MVP: DH/P Shohei Ohtani
Team Cy Young: RHP Tyler Glasnow
Player to Watch: RHP Roki Sasaki or Ohtani as a pitcher
Biggest Offseason Move: Could be any one of their signings of Snell, Scott or Sasaki
The Dodgers have assembled the Avengers. Ohtani, OF Mookie Betts, and 1B Freddie Freeman is a ridiculous 1-2-3 punch at the top of the lineup. Then Glasnow, Snell, RHP Yoshinubo Yamamoto, Sasaki, and Ohtani make up the starting rotation. This is just not fair. The bullpen is headlined by Scott and RHP Kirby Yates, the top two free agent closers, RHP Michael Kopech, the best reliever at the trade deadline, and LA’s closer from last season, RHP Evan Phillps. Unreal.
2. Arizona Diamondbacks (90-72, #1 WC)
Team MVP: 2B/OF Ketel Marte
Team Cy Young: RHP Corbin Burns
Player to Watch: 1B Josh Naylor
Biggest Offseason Move: Signing RHP Corbin Burnes (Orioles, 6 years - $210 Million)
The D-Backs are the Dodgers' biggest threat in the NL West. They traded for 1B Josh Naylor, who is coming off a career year, and they still have 2023 Rookie of the Year OF Corbin Carroll and Ketel Marte, who casually was an MVP finalist. They add Burnes to a rotation with another established ace in RHP Zac Gallen, RHP Merrill Kelly and young right-hander Brandon Pfaadt. Do not be surprised if Arizona somehow winds up back in the World Series.
3. San Francisco Giants (85-77)
Team MVP: 3B Matt Chapman
Team Cy Young: RHP Logan Webb
Player to Watch: C Patrick Bailey
Biggest Offseason Move: Signing SS Willy Adames (Brewers, 7 years - $182 Million)
The Giants made some moves like signing Adames, the top SS on the market, and legendary righty Justin Verlander for some added veteran leadership. But losing LHP Blake Snell, who they had for just one year, to the Dodgers is a big blow. The Diamondbacks made more and better moves than San Fran, and already had the better team. I don’t see the Giants leapfrogging them.
4. San Diego Padres (80-82)
Team MVP: OF Fernando Tatis Jr
Team Cy Young: RHP Dylan Cease
Player to Watch: OF Jackson Merrill
Biggest Offseason Move: Letting LHP Tanner Scott leave in FA (Dodgers)
The Padres had the Dodgers on the ropes up 2-1 in the NLDS, but LA beat them in the last two contests before obliterating the Padres in free agency. San Diego did nothing all offseason, tied to ridiculous extensions to old stars like RHP Yu Darvish, 3B Manny Machado, and SS Xander Bogaerts. Their big move was to sign RHP Nick Pivetta to a $55 million contract for 4 seasons. He is a number 3 starter at best. Unless Tatis and Merrill somehow become Ruth and Gehrig, the Padres are not competing in the division for a decent bit. They made high-risk, but very high-reward moves over the past couple years, but like Texas and Texas A&M’s relationship, San Diego is LA’s little brother.
5. Colorado Rockies (59-103)
Team MVP: OF Nolan Jones
Team Cy Young: LHP Kyle Freeland
Player to Watch: DH/OF/3B Kris Bryant
Biggest Offseason Move: There have been no notable offseason transactions
The Colorado Rockies are the most depressing franchise in all of sports. They constantly make me lower my expectations. I swear a 10-year-old on MLB the Show could run an organization better. There really is nothing nice on this team aside from their jerseys and stadium. The prospects like DH/OF Jordan Beck and RHP Chase Dollander are exciting, but they are a ways away from making notable contributions to the big club.
National League Awards:
Most Valuable Player: OF Juan Soto - Mets (2nd Place: DH/P Shohei Ohtani - Dodgers)
Ohtani will probably win it, but that is a boring pick. Soto is the best pure hitter, and his knack for getting on base via walks is a huge boost to his OBP. There’s no way he doesn’t win one during his career, so I’ll give him one now.
Cy Young: RHP Paul Skenes - Pirates (2nd Place: RHP Zach Wheeler - Phillies)
Skenes was called up in the middle of May. He started the All-Star Game. He will be a great pitcher for a very long time. Pencil Skenes in as a favorite for this for a long time.
Rookie of the Year: OF Dylan Crews - Nationals (2nd Place: RHP Rhett Lowder - Reds)
Skenes’ former college teammate had a cup of coffee at the end of last year in the bigs. He’s got all the tools to be an elite outfielder for Washington, and since they are in a rebuild, expect Crews to help speed that up. He may struggle early, but he could very well be up for an All-Star appearance by the summer.
Reliever of the Year: RHP Trevor Megill - Brewers (2nd Place: RHP Ryan Helsely - Cardinals)
I love Megill’s stuff. He has a fastball in the triple digits and was an elite setup man for the Brew Crew last season. With Devin Williams in the Bronx, Megill will take over as the closer. Since this award was introduced in 2014, Milwaukee pitchers have won it 5 times, including 4 straight with Josh Hader and Williams. Don’t think that the Brewers pen will fall off without either of the past winners as Megill takes on a big role.
Manager of the Year: Brian Snitker - Braves (2nd Place: Torey Lovullo - Diamondbacks)
If the Braves make the postseason with Acuña and Strider out for most of the year, as well as probably having to navigate some in-season injuries like many teams do, there is no way that Snitker doesn’t win it.
Final Thoughts:
While many of these predictions will probably end up being wrong, it’s always a fun thing to try to project a season, especially a long one like baseball. Hopefully you’ve learned something along this pre-season journey with me, and enjoy the 2025 Major League Baseball season! Stay tuned for more baseball related content coming throughout the campaign!
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