Doesn’t it feel like Freddie Freeman hit that walk-off grand slam in the World Series like a week ago? Well, maybe not for Yankees fans. Or anyone who had to endure a long, snowy winter. Still, it’s hard to believe we’re less than 24 hours away from the MLB’s official Opening Day.
If you’re a diehard, this is the best time of the year. If you’re not, just remember that baseball returning means summer isn’t too far away. Also, not that you’re asking, but nothing hits like a cold beer in the bleachers on a June afternoon.
We here are DK Network fall into the diehard category. As such, we have takes for the upcoming season. Lots and lots of takes. Let’s dive in.
2025 MLB Predictions
Garion Thorne, Senior Content Associate
World Series: Dodgers over Rangers
AL MVP: Bobby Witt Jr.
NL MVP: Shohei Ohtani
Most of these picks are pretty chalky, so let’s start with the Rangers. The American League feels wide open this season and there doesn’t appear to be a clear front-runner among the 15 squads — especially with the injury-plagued Spring Training the Yankees just endured. Texas is no stranger to injuries, either. It’s a big reason why the reigning World Series champions won only 78 games in 2024. There are legitimate concerns about the Rangers’ starting pitching depth. Can Jacob deGrom stay healthy? Will one of Jack Leiter or Kumar Rocker be an impact arm? However, there are no such worries with the bats. This team is going to mash, particularly if the Wyatt Langford breakout happens. In a relatively soft division, I think Texas earns a bye in the Wild Card and rides that wave through the rest of the AL.
Let’s keep the MVP convo short and sweet. Bobby Witt’s 10.4 fWAR in 2024 was the third-highest single-season output we’ve seen in the past decade. It just so happened that Aaron Judge’s 11.2 fWAR was even higher. I expect Judge to regress slightly and have less of a defensive impact now that he’s not playing center. In the NL, Ohtani just won MVP as a DH, something no one thought was possible. Now he’s likely going to pitch again in 2025. It’s silly to pick anyone else.
Blake Krass, Staff Writer
World Series: Rangers over Dodgers
AL MVP: Bobby Witt Jr.
NL MVP: Juan Soto
The Dodgers are the team to beat in Major League Baseball this season. They are loaded with talent, led by reigning NL MVP Shohei Ohtani. They are the defending champions for a reason and are the favorites to repeat as World Series winners. It’s hard to pick against the Dodgers, even with teams like the Braves, Phillies, Mets and Diamondbacks ready to challenge them. In the AL, it is a bit more of a wide-open race. Last year’s AL Champions, the Yankees, could take a step back without Juan Soto in the lineup. Teams like the Orioles, Red Sox and Astros are all ready to challenge for that AL crown. However, I am going with the Rangers to win the AL. The Rangers have exciting young pitching joining their already solid rotation and a lineup full of dangerous bats. They are the exact type of team that could go on a run and upset the Dodgers if everything clicks, which is why I am picking them to win the World Series, as well.
In the AL MVP race, I am backing Bobby Witt Jr. to beat out Aaron Judge after a close race last season. In the NL, you could pick Shohei Ohtani every year for the rest of his career and probably be right a lot. However, I am picking Juan Soto to have an incredible first year with the Mets and win the award.
Dan Johnson, Staff Writer/Editor
World Series: Red Sox over Phillies
AL MVP: Jarren Duran
NL MVP: Corbin Carroll
Embrace chaos. Dodgers don’t make it to the championship. Why not? Opening Day is during March Madness season. I’m already searching for baseball’s bracket busters. I liked the Braves, too, for the NL pennant, if only they could just stay healthy. I simply believe the Phillies have proven they’re a better playoff team with a legacy rotation that knows how to get hot and stay composed at the right time. An aging core might make them play desperate, and we know, they play fun when they play desperate.
As for the Red Sox: It’s a bit of a homer pick, but it could all come together as soon as this year. They’ll win the AL East; fewer things need to go right in Boston than they need to in, say, Baltimore this year—crazy to say that. The Big Three (Anthony, Mayer, Campbell) are inevitable. Have you seen their daily hitting regimens? Go Sox.
Bryan Armetta, Staff Writer/Editor
World Series: Braves over Yankees
AL MVP: Aaron Judge
NL MVP: Kyle Tucker
We’ll start with New York, who enter the season with plenty of injury related question marks. Still, other than the Red Sox, it’s difficult to find an American League squad that made themselves significantly better. For all of their flaws, the Yanks added All-Star pitchers in Max Fried and Devin Williams. Cody Belinger could also have a monster year hitting towards the short porch in right field. Keep in mind, this team thrived last year without Gerrit Cole. Surviving the AL East will be tough, but this is still the team to beat.
In the Senior Circuit, the Dodgers deserve to be viewed as favorites. Still, if anyone can take down a super team, it’s Atlanta. The Braves will welcome back a slew of injured superstars this year, including former MVP Ronald Acuna and starting pitcher Spencer Strider. The rotation should be lethal, with reigning Cy Young winner Chris Sale joined by underrated arms such as Spencer Schwellenbach and 2024 breakout Reynaldo Lopez. On offense, down years from Austin Riley, Matt Olson and Ozzie Albies are unlikely to continue, while Jurickson Profar was a terrific pickup. As good as Los Angeles is, Atlanta has a deeper collection of hitters and baseball’s most dangerous pair of aces. That makes them the biggest threat to the defending champs.
For awards, it’s a boring pick, but there’s nobody other than Bobby Witt Jr. worth considering over Judge. The Yankees’ captain had another insane season last year, crushing 58 homers while compiling 11 WAR in right field. Juan Soto is gone, but a more versatile roster (and an injured Giancarlo Stanton) will give Judge more at-bats at DH. If the big man leads New York to another 90+ win season, it’s his award to lose.
In the NL, Chicago made the biggest trade of the offseason, acquiring Kyle Tucker from the Astros. The outfielder has long been one of the more underrated superstars in baseball. Unlike in Houston, where he was surrounded by elite talent, King Tuck will act as the face of the franchise for the Cubs. A rare combination of power, speed and defense should immediately endear the All-Star to the Wrigley Field faithful. It also helps that he’ll play in baseball’s worst division, the NL Central. Big market + playoff appearance + massive production = first-career MVP.
Sean Barnard, Staff Writer
World Series: Phillies over Yankees
AL MVP: Gunnar Henderson
NL MVP: Juan Soto
The pressure is on for the Phillies this year after taking a step back in the playoffs for two consecutive seasons following their 2022 World Series run. They return the same core and have the stars to go toe-to-toe with the likes of the Dodgers and Yankees, headlined by Bryce Harper, Trea Turner and Kyle Schwarber. They improved the pitching staff this offseason and brought in a few low-risk high-reward players to add to the high-floor team they already possessed. Philadelphia has proven to be a streaky hitting team, but when the bats are clicking, they can beat anyone. Expect urgency to kick in this season with some big-picture questions looming this offseason and for a more business-like approach from start to finish on their path to a championship.
The Yankees are rightfully the favorites in the American League. Look for them to pick themselves up off the matt after a frustrating 4-1 loss in last year’s World Series. With Juan Soto’s cross-town exit providing an even larger chip on the shoulder, look for the additions of veterans like Max Fried, Devin Williams, Cody Bellinger and Paul Goldschmidt to provide some nice options for the team. It is a long way away from having a chance to right their World Series wrongs, and unfortunately, I think it ends the same way, but the talent on New York’s roster is indisputable.
Ryan Wohl, Staff Writer
World Series: Phillies over Yankees
AL MVP: Bobby Witt Jr.
NL MVP: Bryce Harper
Last season, the Philadelphia Phillies had their best regular season in 13 years. They won the NL East and finished with 95 wins, but for the third straight season, came up short of their ultimate goal: A World Series Championship. It may seem as if they regressed because of the way they have finished the last three seasons — lost in the World Series, in the NLCS, then in the NLDS — but that doesn’t tell the full story.
Yes, their division rival, the New York Mets, beat them last season in the postseason and added superstar Juan Soto. But the Phillies elite core remains intact: Bryce Harper, Trea Turner, Zack Wheeler, Aaron Nola and Kyle Schwarber. With that much talent, the Phillies are on the cusp of breaking through to win their first World Series since 2008.
The New York Yankees lost 4-1 to the Los Angeles Dodgers in the World Series last year. They lost Soto, but added star pitcher Max Fried. With Aaron Judge, Cody Bellinger and Paul Goldschmidt, the Yankees seem poised to go back to the Series. Phillies vs. Yankees in the World Series would be a rematch from the 2009 Fall Classic. The Yankees won that series 4-2.
But now, it is time for Harper to have another magical season. Harper played 145 games last season, his most since 2019. If he can have a healthy season again, an MVP and World Series trophy in the same season would be fitting for the future Hall-of-Famer.
After finishing second for the AL MVP last season, Bobby Witt Jr. is primed to win the trophy this season after the Royals’ resurgence in 2024. In his third season, Witt totaled 32 home runs and 109 RBI, while batting .322. At only 24 years old, Whitt continues to improve each season, and another big year should be in store.