A famous American Journalist once stated, “Opening day. All you have to do is say the words, and you feel the shutters thrown wide, the room air out, and the light pour in. In baseball, no other day is so pure with possibility. No scores yet, no losses, no blame or disappointment. No hangover, at least until the game is over.” The MLB season kicked off last week in Japan when the Los Angeles Dodgers swept a 2-game set against the Chicago Cubs. However, the official season will begin Stateside on Thursday, March 27, 2025, with 14 games on deck. It promises to be the start of an exhilarating season with twists and turns ending in the crowning of a champion. In this article, we make five bold predictions including awards winners and the World Series Trophy.
1. The Braves will earn the top NL playoff seed: the logic would suggest the Los Angeles Dodgers after spending a fortune in free agency. The Dodgers are an old team on paper, with Hyeseong Kim the only starting position player for this team who will be under the age of 30 on Memorial Day. Therefore, health will be a concern, and a rotation full of guys not known for throwing many innings. On the other hand, the Braves were hampered by injuries last season. While neither Ronald Acuña Jr. nor Spencer Strider will be ready for Opening Day, most of the squad should be back at full strength, and those two players will be back soon enough. The Dodgers will still win the NL West, but the Braves will be the top seed in the Conference.
2. Red Sox Shock the World to Win the AL East: the Red Sox started the off-season by trading for Garrett Crochet and ended it by signing Alex Bregman. Crochet is the clear-cut rotation ace the team desperately needed. Bregman’s right-handed swing should fit perfectly in Fenway Park, where he can attack the Green Monster. The lineup is a triple threat of hitters who make contact, and have power and speed. The franchise can use the farm system to force a significant trade at the trade deadline to acquire quality relievers. I think the Orioles will struggle in the pitching department, and the Yankees were dealt a massive blow in the rotation when Garrett Cole got injured requiring Tommy John surgery. In a deep division, I think the Red Sox will come out on top.
3. Witt Jr and De La Cruz for MVP- in the American League, the obvious choice is for Aaron Judge to repeat. However, my bold prediction is Bobby Witt Jr. Witt Jr had an MVP Caliber season last year and is poised for another season with at least 30 homers and 30 stolen bases. Witt is already in the record books as the only shortstop in MLB history with multiple 30-30 seasons. If he does it for the third straight season, he ties Barry Bonds for the longest such streak in history. Bobby is a dynamic player on the base pads, in the batter box, and outfield, and carry his team to the playoffs making his case. In the National League, Ohtani is the favorite after launching the 50-50 club during a memorable first season with the Dodgers. However, if there is a dip in performance due to offseason surgery, then my tip is Elly De La Cruz. Elly is box-office and one of the most electrifying players in the game. De La Cruz became just the fifth player since 1900 to hit at least 20 homers and steal at least 60 bases in a season. He achieved those numbers despite striking out an incredible 31% of the time. If he marginally reduces that strikeout rate, it is conceivable he could win the NL MVP Award in 2025.
4. Skubal and Skenes for Cy Young-it is hard to look past Tarik Subal to repeat in the AL CY Young race. The lefty finished with an 18-4 record; 2.39 ERA; 228 strikeouts resulting in a pitching Triple Crown and the unanimous 2024 Cy Young Award. Skubal’s ERA has declined significantly each season since 2021 and if the trend continues it will make life difficult for the field. In the National League, Paul Skenes is poised to build on his dominance that led to the NL Rookie of the Year Award. He finished third in the CY Young voting last season although he debuted on May 11. Skenes finished with an 11-3 record with a 1.96 ERA and 170 strikeouts in 133 innings. Paul became the first rookie pitcher to start an All-Star Game in nearly two decades. It will be scary to see what he could achieve with a season under his belt.
5. World Series Winner-I think the Dodgers are the favorites, but baseball has not seen a repeat champion in nearly 25 years. My bold prediction is that the Philadelphia Phillies will defeat the Texas Rangers in the World Series. The World Series is often won by the team getting hot at the right time and I see the Phillies as the Wild Card Team clicking on all cylinders in October. The Phillies were the best team in baseball at last year’s All-Star break before struggling. If the Phillies stay healthy, they have one of the best pitching staff in the MLB. The lineup is incredible in that park when it is on one of its heaters and making good swing decisions. Imagine a year when the Eagles and Phillies win in the city of brotherly love. It makes up for those terrible Sixers!