Jordan Sundel ‘25
If you are anything like me, this is the best time of the year. Of course, we all love the warm weather, the sun, the flowers, the birds and all of that; but most importantly it’s baseball season. The Major League Baseball season kicks off March 27, 2025, when the Milwaukee Brewers take on the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium at 3:05 pm ET. After a winter of huge moves, we have finally made it to the beginning of a 162-game journey that culminates in crowning a World Series champion. With Opening Day right around the corner, now is a good time to revisit some of the biggest moves from the busy winter and give you some of my predictions for the 2025 season.
This offseason was headlined by Juan Soto’s shocking decision to trade in his Yankee hat for the crosstown rival Mets after inking a whopping 15-year, $765 million deal. But Soto wasn’t the only star to find a new home this offseason. Shortstop Willy Adames joining the San Francisco Giants and Max Fried leaving the Braves for the Yankees headline other free agent signings. The Boston Red Sox were quite active, making a blockbuster trade for ace southpaw Garrett Crochet and signing slick-fielding third baseman Alex Bregman. The Chicago Cubs acquired Kyle Tucker from the Houston Astros in what was arguably the biggest trade of the winter. These transactions are just the major ones from a chaotic offseason, all with league-altering ramifications.
Now, let’s take a look at what really matters; who’s going to take home the greatest honors of the 2025 Major League Baseball Season both individually and as a team?Let’s start with MVP: Each season there are two MVP awards given out, one in each league. In the American League, I believe last season’s runner-up: Kansas City Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. will secure the honors. Witt is an exciting young talent. His unique blend of speed and power makes him one of the game’s most dynamic players in the sport. After barely being edged out by Yankees’ slugger Aaron Judge in 2024, look for Witt to add what will likely be the first of many trophies to his mantle this year. In the National League, I think we see a repeat winner: Shohei Ohtani of the reigning World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers. Ohtani is fresh off of a historic 54 home run, 59 stolen base campaign and there is no reason the Japanese superstar cannot replicate his dominance. Like the MVP award, each season, there are two Cy Young winners. I expect Tarik Skubal to win his second straight American League Cy Young award. In 2024, the fireballing lefty posted a 2.39 ERA with 228 strikeouts in 192 innings for the upstart Detroit Tigers. Look for Skubal to build upon this season in 2025. In the National League, I am going to give you a bit of a sleeper pick. Last year, Yoshinobu Yamamoto battled injuries, limiting him to just 90 innings. But the rookie looked great in the limited sample, posting a 3.00 ERA with 105 strikeouts. I believe the phenom will have a breakout season and secure the National League Cy Young award in just his second season stateside.
But we play 162 games for one reason. Not for personal accolades, but instead for team success and the right to call yourself World Series champions. This year, I believe the Atlanta Braves will get to earn that right after defeating the Texas Rangers in the 2025 World Series. The Braves’ strong pitching staff anchored by Chris Sale and Spencer Strider along with their elite lineup filled with big names like Ronald Acuna Jr., Matt Olson and Austin Riley will be enough to fend off the Rangers in 6 games.
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