We didn’t want to spoil your baseball season, but as professionals, we were asked to forecast the top players and teams for 2025. We anticipated that most of you would accept our predictions without debate.
While a few commenters might express disagreement, we thought the majority would appreciate the insights from our team. However, when Sam Blum selected the Seattle Mariners to win the World Series, we realized there might be some merit to the criticism.
In any case, The Athletic surveyed 33 MLB writers to project major award winners, pennant winners, and the ultimate World Series champion for the 2025 season. The responses revealed less agreement than expected. Although the Los Angeles Dodgers were favored to win the World Series, many writers chose to go against them.
So, feel free to bookmark this for later mockery in October—we’re braced for the reactions. As the regular season kicks off, here’s what our baseball analysts foresee for the upcoming months.
American League Most Valuable Player
The American League has not seen a repeat MVP since Miguel Cabrera in 2012-2013. This may explain why only five writers picked Aaron Judge for this year’s MVP. Despite being projected to have the highest position player WAR, our team seems skeptical about his ability to replicate his extraordinary 2024 season. Instead, the majority backed Bobby Witt Jr., who earned 18 of the 33 votes for AL MVP, having had a standout year. Gunnar Henderson received three votes, while no other players, apart from Judge, garnered more than two.
American League Cy Young Award
Our writers view this competition as clearly dominated by three candidates—last year’s winner and two others with significant potential. Garrett Crochet, Logan Gilbert, and Tarik Skubal received almost 80 percent of the votes. Skubal is recognized due to his recent win, while Crochet and Gilbert have yet to make All-Star appearances but show great promise. Interestingly, none backed 2024 runner-up Seth Lugo, though his teammate Cole Ragans got some recognition.
American League Rookie of the Year
A favorite has emerged among a crowded field for AL Rookie of the Year. Jackson Jobe, a highly-rated pitcher from the Tigers, received 14 of the 33 votes. Other contenders include Kristian Campbell and Jasson Domínguez. Despite his outsider stance, one writer expressed regret for picking Jacob Wilson, showing some uncertainty among the team.
National League Most Valuable Player
Our analysts are less doubtful about Shohei Ohtani’s chances to win his third consecutive MVP than Aaron Judge’s chances to repeat. Ohtani, who has already won MVP awards in both leagues, has strong support from voters, with 18 backing him, while Mookie Betts is among other contenders.
World Series Winner
Of the 16 writers who predicted the Dodgers to win the National League, only two did not select them as the World Series champion. This indicates that a majority favored other teams, including the Red Sox, Braves, and Phillies. Notably, different writers supported various teams, emphasizing the diversity of opinions across the board.
