The Yankees head into 2025 with major question marks in the rotation, after a brutal wave of injuries. Gerrit Cole is out for the season with Tommy John, Luis Gil is sidelined for 3–4 months with a lat injury, and Clarke Schmidt is dealing with a shoulder issue. What was once a clear strength now feels a lot more uncertain. Can Carlos Rodón and newcomer Max Fried step up and anchor this rotation?

One bright spot on the pitching side: the bullpen should be a real strength. The addition of Devin Williams gives the Yankees an elite closer to anchor the back end, and the rest of the relief corps is poised to hold things down while the rotation battles through injuries.

Offensively, the loss of Juan Soto is massive—but the Yanks responded by adding Cody Bellinger and Paul Goldschmidt, two veterans who will need to be impact bats right away. Can Aaron Judge return to MVP form and carry the lineup? Will Jazz Chisholm break out in the Bronx? And can the young core—Austin Wells, Anthony Volpe, Jasson Domínguez, and Oswaldo Cabrera—take a leap forward this season?

With the roster still loaded with talent and star power, the Yankees are looking to get back to the World Series for the second straight season.

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We brought on Phillies fan Josh Doering, still riding the high of the Eagles’ Super Bowl victory, to break down what could be a pivotal season in Philly.

The rotation is elite, but this feels like a turning point year with key players set to hit free agency after the season. Can Nick Castellanos and others bounce back? Can they finally get over the hump and win their first World Series since 2008?

Plus, we talk about how this team thrives in the underdog role. Would it actually be better for them to enter the playoffs as a Wild Card instead of a top seed? And of course, we take a moment to marvel at Bryce Harper—because how can you not?

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The Mets locked up Juan Soto to a mega deal, adding one of the best bats in baseball to their lineup. We break down how he fits in, and later discuss whether his numbers could look different this year with Pete Alonso protecting him instead of Aaron Judge.

But the big question for this team is whether they can overcome the Braves and Phillies in a loaded NL East. Early injuries to Francisco Alvarez, Sean Manaea, and Frankie Montas could complicate things out of the gate—can they weather the storm and stay in the race?

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The Orioles’ young core will define their season—whether this team competes for a title or takes a step back hinges on the development of Gunnar Henderson, Colton Cowser, Jackson Holliday, Adley Rutschman, and Jordan Westburg. Can this group continue to rise, or will growing pains hold them back?

The rotation is already facing challenges, with Grayson Rodriguez dealing with elbow inflammation in Spring Training. Can they weather the storm without him? Zach Eflin will need to have a huge season to help keep things stable.

On the bright side, we feel much better about the bullpen this year, especially with Felix Bautista returning from Tommy John surgery to lock down the late innings. Plus, for the first time in years, Camden Yards won’t be such a pitcher’s paradise—the Orioles finally moved the left field wall back in, which should help balance out the offensive environment.

This team still has the talent to be a real contender—but will the rotation hold up?

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The Astros feel further from contention than they’ve been in years. The departures of Kyle Tucker (via trade) and Alex Bregman (via free agency) mark the start of a new iteration of the franchise—but is this team still a legitimate contender?

One of the biggest storylines this year is José Altuve’s adjustment to left field—how will he fit out there? And with Tucker and Bregman gone, who in the lineup will step up? The Astros will need big seasons from Jeremy Peña, Yainer Diaz, and, of course, Yordan Alvarez to keep the offense dangerous.

The rotation remains strong, led by Framber Valdez and Hunter Brown, but with Valdez entering free agency after this season, could the Astros consider trading him if things don’t go as planned? We also discuss Cam Smith’s impressive Spring Training and whether the newly acquired prospect from the Tucker trade could push Chas McCormick for the starting RF job.

This season marks a transition for Houston—will they stay competitive, or is this the beginning of a reset?

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The Diamondbacks made a huge splash this offseason, acquiring Corbin Burnes to lead what could be a top-3 rotation in baseball alongside Zac Gallen, Merrill Kelly, Eduardo Rodríguez, and Brandon Pfaadt. Arizona has the firepower to make a deep run with that starting pitching, but will the lineup hold up?

Corbin Carroll is looking to bounce back to his 2023 form, and Ketel Marte—arguably (or maybe not even arguably) the best second baseman in baseball—will be at the heart of the lineup. They swapped Christian Walker for Josh Naylor at first base, but a lack of a true DH replacement for Joc Pederson raises some concerns.

With several key free agents on the roster, the trade deadline could be fascinating depending on how the season plays out. We also discuss Jordan Lawlar’s role—he’s currently blocked in the infield, but if the D-backs are in the hunt, would they consider trading him for an outfield bat?

Arizona has the rotation and talent to contend, but will the offense be enough to keep up in a stacked NL?

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The Rangers still have one of the best lineups in baseball, led by Marcus Semien and Corey Seager, but if they want to get back into contention, they’ll need some key players to bounce back. Adolis García, Semien, and Jonah Heim all need to return to form, and the offseason additions of Joc Pederson and Jake Burger should help bring some serious power to the lineup.

The big question marks? The rotation and bullpen. Jacob deGrom is back, but can he stay healthy? He and Nathan Eovaldi have both undergone Tommy John surgery twice, adding to the uncertainty. The bullpen was a weak spot last year (and even in their 2023 World Series run), but the Rangers revamped it this offseason—will the new arms be enough?

This team has the talent to contend, but will their pitching hold up?

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The Dodgers had a monster offseason, adding Roki Sasaki, Blake Snell, Tanner Scott, and Kirby Yates, while also bringing back Teoscar Hernández, Kiké Hernández, and Clayton Kershaw. On paper, this team is stacked, but will they stay locked in for 162 games or experience a World Series hangover? Could they even push for 120 wins?

Truthfully, there aren’t many regular-season talking points for the Dodgers—this team’s success will be judged entirely in October. With sky-high expectations, can they handle the pressure and win another World Series?

We also dive into some health concerns, with Shohei Ohtani not pitching until May, a few rotation arms having injury histories, and Freddie Freeman and Will Smith recovering from injuries heading into the season.

It’s championship or bust in L.A.—will the Dodgers live up to the hype?

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The Cubs made a huge splash this offseason, landing Kyle Tucker, who will anchor right field and help form what should be an elite defensive outfield—and an elite defensive team overall. But will the lineup take a step forward and provide enough offense?

For the Cubs to live up to expectations, they need Dansby Swanson to regain his form at the plate, Nico Hoerner to be more consistent, and Pete Crow-Armstrong to have a solid rookie season. Miguel Amaya was red-hot in the second half of last year—can he carry that momentum into 2025?

On the mound, Shota Imanaga needs to build on his first MLB season, Justin Steele must be more consistent, and Jameson Taillon is looking for a bounce-back year. But rotation depth is a concern—will the Cubs trade for another arm? With a strong farm system, they have the assets to land a quality starter. Meanwhile, the bullpen remains a big question mark heading into the season.

With the moves they’ve made and the talent on this roster, there are no excuses—the Cubs should win the division this year.

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Uncertainty loomed over the Padres this offseason, leading to a very quiet winter as ownership questions linger. The franchise is at a crossroads, and their decisions on Luis Arraez, Dylan Cease, and Michael King will ultimately define their season. If they keep them, they could push for the NLDS—but if they decide to sell, a fourth-place finish in the NL West is at play.

The lineup took a hit this offseason with the departures of Jurickson Profar, who had a career year, and Ha-Seong Kim, leaving some big holes offensively. Meanwhile, the team still has massive contracts tied up in Manny Machado, Fernando Tatis Jr., and Xander Bogaerts—will they have to move one of them in the future to regain flexibility?

Their rotation remains strong, but missing out on Roki Sasaki could come back to haunt them. It’s a pivotal year in San Diego—which direction will they take?

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