Play Ball!
Once again, I am way behind and the world is spinning too fast and there are too many issues that I desperately want and need to write about. When I started the draft of this essay, I had only one other draft in the works. Now, that I am ready to prematurely publish this, I have at least 4 new drafts started.
Technically, the very first pitch of the 2025 MLB season was thrown almost two weeks ago in Tokyo, Japan. The “official” Opening Day was last week and while I kept trying to finish writing this piece, we got completely sidetracked when My Much Better Half had to take our doggo to ER on Thursday. The poor thing lost 85% of his blood and it’s a miracle that they were able to bring him back. It may not look too great for our “second born” as we call him affectionately, but we’ll happily take each and every second with him.
Now, let’s get this essay done and out of the way.
Baseball is back and with that, I should take the opportunity to enjoy two of my passions, writing and baseball.
This year, besides the actual joy from watching the games, finding great stories and narratives to root for or against, I am also psyched up as I am the top contender in my fantasy dynasty baseball league. This a league that has been together since 2005 and a more than a few folks are still the OGs. Some years we went down to 24 teams, but usually, just like this season, we have 28 teams with full 40 player rosters, unlimited IL spots, auction draft, minor league draft, salary cap, etc.
This is my 3rd team in this league. A few years back I took over a flailing team (think Colorado Rockies – there’s talent on the team but no one knows what they are actually doing), went into a full rebuild and started to become competitive 3 years ago. The first season I finished 2nd in regular season and quickly lost in the World Series (my 3rd such loss in this league). Last year, I finished 5th in the regular season and made it to semi-finals even though my team averaged (!!!) 15 players on IR at all times throughout the season. At one point I had 23 players on IR last year. How that team finished 5th and made playoffs is beyond me.
This season everyone but one RP was supposed to be healthy. Well…. We are half-way through the first scoring period. My team has the 2nd most point scored so far and likely will go 7-1 or 8-0 for the period. And yet, there are 14 players on IR already, including these pitchers:
This actually gives me hope that this year I will finally get to the top and win this extra challenging league.
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Now, with everything going on in the world and my personal life over the last couple of months, I actually barely know what are the top stories and narratives for this season. Well, I know that Dodgers are going for a repeat after seriously loading up over the winter.
I wanted to care and root for them to be the first back-to-back champs in over 25 years but then the team decided to accept the invitation to visit the White House just days after the fascist junta erased all mentions of Jackie Robinson’s military service!!
There’s of course the story or stories in New York where the Mets hope to avoid being well the Mets and Yankees are on a roller-coaster with torpedoes. There’s Toronto and two 2nd generation superstars, a year away from free agency, and so far nothing to show for this competitive window.
There are the Cubs who hope to make the playoffs and actually do something there. There’s Detroit that hopes to build on last year. I can keep going but I am not as invested as I was last year.
So instead of top stories, here are my 10 BOLD PREDICTIONS for this season:
The Athletics (of Las Vegas by the way of Sacramento) will flirt with .500 record and the playoffs. They made a couple of low key but good moves in the winter. Astros are on their way down after a very long and successful run, Angels are going to suck, Seattle has arguably the best rotation and then Julio Rodriguez and 8 guys who don’t make you a playoff team. Athletics will make it interesting.
There will be at least one player who is unable to play due to current political climate. Whether it is an issue entering the country or somehow ending up on ICE list or whatnot, but something political will impact at least one player’s ability to play, likely more than one.
Chicago White Sox will not lose the most games in 2025. Not sure how bold this is, but last year they were historically bad. This year I think they’ll marginally improve while Rockies and Marlins will get much worse (especially after the upcoming Marlins fire sale).
Roki Sasaki pitches a no-hitter but does not win Rookie of the Year award. Roki is great and will eventually demonstrate it consistently. For now, we’ll see flashes of the that greatness, that 101-102 mph fastball, that perfect delivery… He will put it all together and be dominant one day. This season he’ll have his moments and I think he’ll no-hit the Marlins when they visit LA, producing 13 strikeouts on 112 pitches with 5 walks and one HBP. For the year, he will get to 150K but with 90 BBs in 135 innings pitched.
Terri Francona will lead the league in managerial ejections. Francona is a great manager. He has a HoF career as a manager already. Reds have a few great players from DLC to McLain but these still young players and their inexperience will drive Francona crazy. He’ll get it out on every possible umpire he can. He might challenge the season record for ejections.
Vlad Guerrero Jr and Bo Bichette will get to the World Series. With Seattle Mariners. By July, Toronto will be out of the playoff race and nowhere in the negotiations with either of the young stars on a contract extension. They will pull the trigger and Seattle for once will actually load up at the deadline, emptying out the farm system to build a fairly impactful offense around Vlad, Bichette and Julio R.
The Yankees will finish bottom of the AL East. Yes, they started hot. Alas I do not believe that Goldy will keep this up. I don’t buy into the torpedo bats, at least not until we have more data than a sample size of 3 games. I am not buying into Bellinger (and I have him on my fantasy team), Judge will finally become somewhat human and without Soto there ain’t going to be an offense and as good as Fried is, there’s not enough pitching in the Bronx this year.
The Mets miss the playoffs. Yes they spent close to $1.5 Billion dollars on payroll since Steve Cohen took over. Yes, about half of that went to Juan Soto this past winter. The offense will be good. Pitching? Yeah. That’s going to be an issue.
Andrew Painter wins two games for the Phillies in the World Series, leading them to winning the 2025 championship. One of Phillies starters will get hurt in late July. Luzardo, if I had to bet on who. Painter will be called up and slowly worked in as a 5th starter. With his innings low and Phillies relying on their top 4 starters too much through playoffs because you can’t trust that bullpen (instead of improving the bullpen Dave Dombrowski went out and traded for Mike Trout AND Jose Altuve). Painter starts and wins two games against Mariners quieting down the three big bats.
MLB will do something to piss off either the players or the fans or both. Not sure what yet, but they are overdue. Oh as I am getting ready to publish I keep seeing rumors of a salary cap and a strike in 2027. Maybe this was not such a bold prediction.
Predictions
American League
Division Winners:
Boston, Detroit, Seattle
Wildcard teams:
Tampa Bay, KC, Texas
MVP:
Riley Greene
Cy Young:
George Kirby
Rookie of the Year:
Kristian Campbell
National League
Division Winners:
Philadelphia, Chicago, Los Angeles
Wildcard teams:
Atlanta, San Francisco, Arizona
MVP:
Shohei Ohtani
Cy Young:
Zach Wheeler
Rookie of the Year:
Dylan Crews
World Series
Philadelphia over Seattle