Opening Day is set for this Thursday, and 5 teams have already drawn some serious national attention before a single pitch is thrown. Whether it’s major offseason signings, a loaded lineup, or even a dominant pitching staff, these clubs have built a strong case as must-watch squads coming into 2025.
We're talking about the Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Yankees, Atlanta Braves, New York Mets, and Philadelphia Phillies — each massively stacked, each aiming for October and it’s only March.
We’re going to hold off on some predictions as those will come later once we have some updated stats for the season. Today, we’re just checking out the facts, stats, and moves that have shaped their rosters heading into 2025.
The Dodgers enter 2025 looking even stronger than the squad that won 98 games and captured the World Series last year. That’s saying something for the team looking for a repeat.
This offseason, they added Blake Snell — who’s fresh off an insane 1.99 ERA season — and brought in international sensation Roki Sasaki, considered one of the top arms in the world as several teams were fighting for him. Toss in Yoshinobu Yamamoto and his 3.00 ERA in 2024, and Tyler Glasnow with his 3.49 ERA, and you've got a rotation that looks like an All-Star lineup on its own, but they’re all wearing Dodgers blue.
Offensively, they didn’t just sit back, either. Shohei Ohtani returns after a historic 2024. He put up a .310/.390/.646 slash line, 54 homers, 130 RBIs, and 59 stolen bases. That’s not a typo. He’s doing it all — again. The founder of the 50/50 club is shaping up to do some amazing things this year, too.
Freddie Freeman (.279/.378/.476, 22 HRs) and Mookie Betts (.291/.372/.490) are still nothing less than elite, and they’re joined by new additions like Michael Conforto who had 7 straight seasons with a 100+ OPS+ and Tommy Edman, who played 6 positions last year and brings a 4.5 WAR skillset. It’s easily the best lineup on paper.
By the numbers, PECOTA projects the Dodgers for an insane 104 wins and gives them the best World Series odds at 22% while the sportsbooks have them up there with +300 odds to get another ring.
It’s important to note that this isn’t just hype — it’s just what happens when elite talent gets deeper. It just goes to show that money can buy happiness.
Losing Juan Soto to the Mets would hurt any team. But the Yankees didn’t sulk — they got busy.
They added Max Fried who had a 3.25 ERA in 2024 to their rotation, Cody Bellinger (.266/.325/.426, 18 HRs) for outfield defense and offense, and Devin Williams (1.83 ERA, 14 saves) to close out the games in style. Veteran Paul Goldschmidt with his .245/.302/.414 and 22 dingers adds some stability at first base.
Aaron Judge returns as the centerpiece of the offense. His 2024 numbers were wild: .322/.458/.701 with 58 home runs and the AL MVP trophy to show for it. Of course, his post-season numbers weren’t as great, but at least he knows what he needs to work on and he’ll undoubtedly get another shot this year. Rookie Austin Wells and his .826 OPS showed legit upside, and Jasson Domínguez — one of the MLB’s most hyped prospects — is waiting in the wings.
Gerrit Cole is out for the season after Tommy John surgery, which will hurt, but Fried leads a capable rotation that includes Carlos Rodón and Clarke Schmidt. We think they’re going to be just fine on the mound. The defense should be better in 2025 with Bellinger in center and Jazz Chisholm Jr. now at 2B.
Projected for 89.7 wins per PECOTA, the Yankees still hold top-tier AL status despite the big changes around the clubhouse. They’re not the same without Soto, but they didn’t fall off either.
The Braves are coming off a banged-up 89-win season, but the talent on this roster is absolutely undeniable — and most of it is still in its prime. Even the ones not in their prime are putting up prime-like numbers.
Ronald Acuña Jr. is expected back midseason after a 2023 campaign where he put up a .996 OPS, 40 yard bombs, and 70 stolen bases. He was a one-man highlight reel and absolutely fun to watch. Add in Matt Olson with his .803 OPS and 25 HRs, Austin Riley and his .787 OPS and 19 HRs, and Marcell Ozuna and his .924 OPS and 39 HRs and you’ve got one of the scariest lineups in baseball. There’s not a soft spot in the lineup and that makes it tricky for opposing managers to pitch around.
Chris Sale returns after a comeback in 2024 that earned him the NL Cy Young Award and the NL Triple Crown. The Braves also brought in Jose Suarez who had a 3.86 ERA to plug the holes left by Max Fried and Charlie Morton. Still, rotation depth is a question. Young arms like Bryce Elder will need to step up in a big way if they want to make deeper inroads into the playoffs.
PECOTA has Atlanta projected for a solid 92 wins and even FanGraphs gives them a 51.4 fWAR mark — trailing only the Dodgers, of course.
The Braves' offense will keep them in games, but getting consistent innings from the rotation is going to be key early in the season. We’ll see how the first half of the season unfolds and they might be shoppers at the trade deadline.
The biggest move of the entire offseason was Juan Soto signing with the Mets for 15 years and $765 million. It’s a move that everyone was watching and every fan was hoping their team would get in on. It’s a monster deal, but Soto’s 2024 (.288/.419/.569, 41 HRs) proves why he’s worth it. He’s young, powerful, and now the face of the franchise. He joins Francisco Lindor and his .844 OPS and 33 HRs and Pete Alonso with his .834 OPS and 34 HRs to form a serious power trio that will lock down the top of the lineup.
But there is a bit of depth as well. Mark Vientos (.838 OPS, 27 HRs) and Brandon Nimmo (.726 OPS) round out a lineup that finished 3rd in NL position player value last year — and it looks even stronger now. The Subway Series is going to be the games to watch, even if you’re not a fan.
Pitching is the biggest concern. Kodai Senga had a 3.07 ERA and leads the rotation, and David Peterson with a 2.90 ERA was a breakout arm in 2024. But Sean Manaea is starting the year injured, and new addition Frankie Montas who had a 4.84 ERA last season hasn’t looked sharp in spring. These arms might surprise us, but we’ll need some more games to see which way they’re trending.
There is a glimmer of hope, however, as Clay Holmes is moving from the bullpen to the rotation — a bold move considering he posted a 2.64 ERA in relief last year. If it works, it’s a clever way to shore up the depth early.
PECOTA puts the Mets at 89 wins and FanGraphs at 48.4 fWAR. That’s good enough to make the postseason any year. Their offense will carry them far, but early-season pitching questions could determine how high they fly.
The Phillies quietly put together one of the most complete pitching staffs in the league as they’re building on their successes from last year.
Zack Wheeler with his impressive 2.57 ERA and 224 Ks, Aaron Nola and his 3.57 ERA, Ranger Suárez with his 2.82 ERA, and Jesús Luzardo make for a really nasty top 4. It doesn’t get much better than that. Then you add top prospect Andrew Painter — expected to debut in mid-2025 — and it just goes to show that it could get even better. We’ll see if he gets called up.
Their bullpen struggled last year, but Jordan Romano joined after a rough 2024 with his 6.59 ERA but a solid 2023 with 36 saves. If he bounces back to his old form, this team is deep from start to finish on the mound.
Offensively, they’re holding their own. Bryce Harper, Trea Turner, and Kyle Schwarber still bring the thunder. J.T. Realmuto had a mediocre .718 OPS and 11 HRs and might not be elite with the bat anymore, but he’s still one of the best defensive catchers in the league. He’ll undoubtedly keep the bases at a standstill.
PECOTA puts them at 88 wins — just behind the Mets. That aging core (Harper, Turner, and Schwarber are all past 30) hasn’t slowed much, but keeping everyone healthy for 162 is going to be the key to their success.
They were a 95-win team last year before falling in the NLDS. The pitching looks even better now, and the lineup still has enough punch to compete with anyone and go deep into the playoffs.
These 5 ball clubs aren’t just playoff hopefuls — they’re all sitting near the top of every projection model heading into Opening Day 2025.
The Dodgers are unquestionably stacked beyond belief. The Yankees found smart ways to stay relevant after losing one of the best in the game — Soto. The Braves have the talent to take the NL East if they stay healthy. The Mets landed the offseason’s biggest star. And the Phillies might quietly have the best rotation in baseball.
Sure, no one wins a title in March, but these 5 teams are worth watching from Game 1. Not just for what they might do — but for what they’ve already done to earn their place in the conversation.