Image Credit: (Wally Skalij/Los Angeles Times)
Contributors: John Putnam, Nate Carlson, Daniel Shin, John Ilyevsky, Kaj Desch, Ethan Silets, Victor Anaya-Diaz, Daniel Buckholz, Ryan Borkowsky, Devin Wiles
Baseball is nearly upon us! M-SABR dishes thoughts on a myriad of topics heading into the 2025 season, including picks for the World Series, major awards, breakout players, overrated teams, dark horse World Series contenders, and more.
For some of the most important predictions, we will give our reasonings. This article is a product of one of our weekly meetings, where we collectively went through each section, debating and discussing amongst ourselves while making our choices.
AL East Champion
John Putnam: Baltimore Orioles
Nate Carlson: New York Yankees
Daniel Shin: Boston Red Sox
John Ilyevsky: New York Yankees
Kaj Desch: Baltimore Orioles
Ethan Silets: Baltimore Orioles
Victor Anaya-Diaz: Boston Red Sox
Daniel Buckholz: Baltimore Orioles
Ryan Borkowsky: New York Yankees
Devin Wiles: Baltimore Orioles
Most chosen: Baltimore Orioles
AL Central Champion
John Putnam: Cleveland Guardians
Nate Carlson: Kansas City Royals
Daniel Shin: Kansas City Royals
John Ilyevsky: Cleveland Guardians
Kaj Desch: Cleveland Guardians
Ethan Silets: Kansas City Royals
Victor Anaya-Diaz: Cleveland Guardians
Daniel Buckholz: Minnesota Twins
Ryan Borkowsky: Minnesota Twins
Devin Wiles: Cleveland Guardians
Most chosen: Cleveland Guardians
AL West Champion
John Putnam: Seattle Mariners
Nate Carlson: Texas Rangers
Daniel Shin: Texas Rangers
John Ilyevsky: Athletics
Kaj Desch: Texas Rangers
Ethan Silets: Texas Rangers
Victor Anaya-Diaz: Texas Rangers
Daniel Buckholz: Houston Astros
Ryan Borkowsky: Texas Rangers
Devin Wiles: Texas Rangers
Most chosen: Texas Rangers
American League Champion
John Putnam: Baltimore Orioles. It’s more of why I didn’t pick the Yankees. Losing Soto and having Cole and Stanton hurt is not beneficial. I think it’s finally the Orioles’ year.
Nate Carlson: Kansas City Royals. The Royals have strong pitching at the top and have returned the majority of their team. I’m not a fan of the Singer trade, but I think a run as a 3 seed is possible.
Daniel Shin: Cleveland Guardians. No dominant teams, any team can win the championship. The Guardians, with solid pitching and above average batting, looks like a contender.
John Ilyevsky: Athletics. The Athletics are a young team with up and coming position players. They revamped their pitching staff in the offseason, and I think they’re going to shock a lot of people.
Kaj Desch: Baltimore Orioles. They finally break through in the postseason.
Ethan Silets: Baltimore Orioles. Should get some progression from their young guys and take the next step.
Victor Anaya-Diaz: Boston Red Sox. They have a pretty good rotation and I can see them taking the AL East and running with it because of their hitters.
Daniel Buckholz: Minnesota Twins: Feels like a “f*** it, [blank]” is winning the AL. Why not the Twins. Glory to Minnesota.
Ryan Borkowsky: Texas Rangers. The Rangers’ lineup will be one of the best in the league. Garcia, Semien and Seager will still be performing, in addition to Joc Pederson, Jake Burger (30 Hrs) and another year of development for young prospects like Langford, Carter, Jung. A lot went wrong for them last year, but they will in all likelihood experience some positive regression, and with a decent rotation (and the possibility of a healthy deGrom) they could rise above the pack. I was considering the Yankees, but the Cole injury will be felt most strongly in the postseason, hence the Rangers pick.
Devin Wiles: Boston Red Sox. Survive and advance! The American League is up for grabs, as the Yankees appear destined for a depleted pitching staff. Boston’s pitching in the late season should push them through an AL playoff which lacks Cy Young caliber arms.
Most chosen: Baltimore Orioles
NL East Champion
John Putnam: Atlanta Braves
Nate Carlson: Atlanta Braves
Daniel Shin: Philadelphia Phillies
John Ilyevsky: New York Mets
Kaj Desch: Philadelphia Phillies
Ethan Silets: Atlanta Braves
Victor Anaya-Diaz: Atlanta Braves
Daniel Buckholz: Atlanta Braves
Ryan Borkowsky: Atlanta Braves
Devin Wiles: Philadelphia Phillies
Most chosen: Atlanta Braves
NL Central Champion
John Putnam: Chicago Cubs
Nate Carlson: Chicago Cubs
Daniel Shin: Cincinnati Reds
John Ilyevsky: Milwaukee Brewers
Kaj Desch: Milwaukee Brewers
Ethan Silets: Chicago Cubs
Victor Anaya-Diaz: Milwaukee Brewers
Daniel Buckholz: Milwaukee Brewers
Ryan Borkowsky: Chicago Cubs
Devin Wiles: Milwaukee Brewers
Most chosen: Milwaukee Brewers
NL West Champion:
John Putnam: Los Angeles Dodgers.
Nate Carlson: Los Angeles Dodgers.
Daniel Shin: Los Angeles Dodgers.
John Ilyevsky: Los Angeles Dodgers.
Kaj Desch: Los Angeles Dodgers
Ethan Silets: Los Angeles Dodgers
Victor Anaya-Diaz: Los Angeles Dodgers
Daniel Buckholz: Los Angeles Dodgers
Ryan Borkowsky: Los Angeles Dodgers
Devin Wiles: Los Angeles Dodgers
Most chosen: Los Angeles Dodgers
National League Champion:
John Putnam: Los Angeles Dodgers. Is that even a question lol? Good analytics, unlimited money and the entire might of Japan behind them.
Nate Carlson: Los Angeles Dodgers. The Dodgers are downright unfair.
Daniel Shin: Los Angeles Dodgers. Best players and coaching system in the league.
John Ilyevsky: New York Mets. The Mets were Amazin last year, and they got a whole better this offseason. The Dodgers will obviously be their biggest obstacle when it comes to winning the NL, but they went 6 games with them last year, and I think they’ll be able to get past them this season.
Kaj Desch: Arizona Diamondbacks. Improved pitching and offense, they also have the ability to knock off the Dodgers.
Ethan Silets: Los Angeles Dodgers. Won the World Series last year and spent even more money this year.
Victor Anaya-Diaz: Los Angeles Dodgers. They’re ridiculous, unless they’re torn apart by injury then I can’t imagine them fumbling the NL.
Daniel Buckholz: New York Mets. It’s all about the Mets baby. Let’s go. Juan Soto. Clay Holmes. Forever.
Ryan Borkowsky: Los Angeles Dodgers. It is hard to pick against the Dodgers after winning the World Series and adding Sasaki, Blake Snell, and Tanner Scott, and regaining Ohtani as a pitcher. On paper, they look dominant once again, but with the small sample size of the playoffs, anything can happen.
Devin Wiles: Los Angeles Dodgers. Though I think the Phillies are strong contenders again (and honestly, the second best team in baseball for me), the Dodgers have too much firepower on both sides of the ball to overcome.
Most chosen: Los Angeles Dodgers
World Series Champion
John Putnam: Los Angeles Dodgers. See NL Champion prediction.
Nate Carlson: Los Angeles Dodgers. The Dodgers are ruining the league.
Daniel Shin: Los Angeles Dodgers. Immaculate team signing all the players and good prospects.
John Ilyevsky: New York Mets. It’s not the Athletics time yet. They’ll win one in Vegas. As for the Mets, they’re simply the better and more experienced team in this matchup. It’s their time. Mets fans deserve this. Long time coming.
Kaj Desch: Arizona Diamondbacks. They have the forces to win a series against Baltimore, great offense and starting pitching.
Ethan Silets: Los Angeles Dodgers. Boring answer and hoping I’m wrong but it’s hard to pick against them.
Victor Anaya-Diaz: Los Angeles Dodgers. I don’t want to bandwagon but on paper they have the best team in the league. Not only do they have multiple future HOF’s in their lineup but their rotation looks nasty too. Also, if the Red Sox are going to the world series the Dodgers will win in 6 if not 5. The league is cooked.
Daniel Buckholz: Minnesota Twins. I will be edged to death. October swoon. Juan Soto hits .089 in the World Series.
Ryan Borkowsky: Los Angeles Dodgers. The Dodgers are poised to repeat as World Series Champions. They operate without regard for money, making addition after addition in the offseason, providing the organizational depth to tank any injuries or downturns in performances.
Devin Wiles: Los Angeles Dodgers. The AL doesn’t have any true competition to best the Dodgers, Phillies, Braves, or Diamondbacks in a seven-game set. LA will take top prize for a second season in a row.
Most chosen: Los Angeles Dodgers
Dark Horse WS Contender
John Putnam: Seattle Mariners. You can only miss so many pennants in a row before you statistically have to make it—and win it.
Nate Carlson: Arizona Diamondbacks. They had a solid offseason and good rotation to match good hitting. I like Naylor as a replacement for Walker, bringing up Lawlar, and other consistent hitters.
Daniel Shin: Boston Red Sox. With the best prospects in the league and solid players in the starting lineup, the Red Sox will have a solid season.
John Ilyevsky: Athletics. The Athletics are going to the World Series. The American League is weak, and this A’s team is about to come out of nowhere.
Kaj Desch: Minnesota Twins. A solid all around team, could sneak in under the right circumstances.
Ethan Silets: Arizona Diamondbacks. Scored the most runs in the league last year and added Corbin Burnes and Josh Naylor.
Victor Anaya-Diaz: Arizona Diamondbacks. The Diamondbacks are loaded, their pitching staff looks to be healthy and they picked up Burnes to add to it. They’re a run scoring team and they have more than a chance.
Daniel Buckholz: Arizona Diamondbacks. They’ve got a good squad.
Ryan Borkowsky: Arizona Diamondbacks. The Diamondbacks scored the most runs last year, and despite losing Joc Pederson and Christian Walker, they added Josh Naylor (30 HRs) and Corbin Burnes for their already-strong rotation. Corbin Carroll had a down year last year and should bounce back as well. The offense may not be as good as last year, but it will still be one of the best of the NL, and with a better rotation, they could be a dangerous team.
Devin Wiles: Detroit Tigers. Many might say my pick of Boston to win the AL is already a dark horse, but digging beyond my playoff teams, I can’t help but think that the Tigers’ potentially league-best pitching staff could lead them to contention.
Most chosen: Arizona Diamondbacks
Most Overrated Team Heading Into 2025
John Putnam: New York Mets. Money can’t buy wins. Only talent can.
Nate Carlson: Houston Astros. Houston still has high expectations despite losing major contributors, and I find their rotation unconvincing and their bullpen deplenished.
Daniel Shin: New York Mets. Poor pitching. Only good batters are Lindor and Soto. Alonso is regressing. Typical Mets season.
John Ilyevsky: Houston Astros. Sports books seem to favor the Astros to win the AL West. I could not disagree more. The Astros are falling apart. They’ve lost Kyle Tucker, Alex Bregman, and others, including their GM a couple years back. The dynasty is over.
Kaj Desch: Chicago Cubs. I’m a hater.
Ethan Silets: Chicago Cubs. The lineup still has plenty of question marks even with Kyle Tucker, and the rotation is still top heavy. I liked what I saw as a Cubs fan during the offseason but they’re going to need some young guys to step up.
Victor Anaya-Diaz: New York Yankees. They’re cooked, lineup and rotation wise. How long can they keep relying on Judge?
Daniel Buckholz: New York Yankees. 40% of their runs came from Judge and Soto. They don’t have Soto. Their pitching staff has died.
Ryan Borkowsky: Baltimore Orioles. After a year where Gunnar Henderson put up an MVP-caliber season and Corbin Burnes pitched to an ace-level, the Orioles lost both Burnes and Anthony Santander, who provided 44 HRs. Their additions were meager; Tomoyuki Sugano from Japan, and Tyler O’Neill, who had a career year last year. They still have some young prospects who could develop, but the overall feeling around this team is negative.
Devin Wiles: Seattle Mariners I know the Mariners pitching staff has the ability to be elite, but the organization took no strides on the offensive side of the ball this offseason. With a bullpen that has only one or two key pieces, the team is relying on its starting pitching to be league-best. Ranking in the top 10 in WS odds on most platforms, I find it difficult for the Mariners to have a great chance at even making the playoffs.
Most chosen: Mets, Astros, Cubs, Yankees
Which team will have the most improved record?
John Putnam: Cincinnati Reds (77-85). Vibes.
Nate Carlson: Los Angeles Angels (63-99). Jays are a close second for me, but think a 15-20 win improvement for the Angels is possible. All they need is what they are expecting from all of their signings to work with a core of Neto, O’Hoppe, and Adell.
Daniel Shin: Athletics (69-93). Young players like Lawrence Butler, Zack Gelof, Tyler Soderstrom, along with Brent Rooker ad Shea Langeliers in Sacramento, a batter-friendly ballpark, will generate a lot of RBIs. Solid bullpen with Mason Miller, Jose Leclerc, and Tyler Ferguson and above-average starters like Severino, Sears, and Springs will make the A’s win over 81 games.
John Ilyevsky: Athletics (69-93). Athletics are for real.
Kaj Desch: Texas Rangers (78-84). Jacob Degrom back, offense takes a step forward.
Ethan Silets: Boston Red Sox (81-81). Probably had the best offseason and have top 10 prospects knocking on the door.
Victor Anaya-Diaz: Athletics (69-93). They had a really bad record last year and if they start off where they ended the 2024 season they’ll definitely improve a lot. Maybe 75-80 wins.
Daniel Buckholz: Minnesota Twins (82-80). They’re a good team that underperformed last year.
Ryan Borkowsky: Texas Rangers (78-84). The Rangers’ 2024 season went wrong in every way possible, from injuries, to underperformance, and overall bad feeling about the team. They are still loaded with both young and proven talent, and if deGrom stays healthy, they can be the top team in the AL.
Devin Wiles: Texas Rangers (78-84). I actually see the Dodgers potentially improving by the most wins in 2025 out of the NL (could add about 10). As for the AL, it would be difficult for the Angels to lose anywhere near 99 games again given their offseason transactions, but the Rangers profile as a team which severely underperformed last year. Expect a bounce back of +13 wins in Texas.
Most chosen: Athletics (69-93), Texas Rangers (78-84)
Which team will regress by the most wins in 2025?
John Putnam: Houston Astros (88-73). Their time is up (finally).
Nate Carlson: Cleveland Guardians (92-69). Made many cost-cutting moves, and I think their depleted rotation and reserves will cost them lots of wins.
Daniel Shin: San Diego Padres (93-69). Batters heading to their early/mid-30s and poor pitching won’t give the Padres a bright future.
John Ilyevsky: Houston Astros (88-73). They’ve lost so much. Athletics are going to pick it up. Astors are done.
Kaj Desch: St. Louis Cardinals (83-79). Goldschmidt leaves, no major offseason moves.
Ethan Silets: St. Louis Cardinals (83-79). Getting ready to blow up their old core, lots of question marks with this team.
Victor Anaya-Diaz: San Diego Padres (93-69). Got significantly worse over the offseason and they’re in a tough division where I can see them getting banged around and losing often.
Daniel Buckholz: St. Louis Cardinals (83-79). They’re not a great team.
Ryan Borkowsky: Cleveland Guardians (92-69). The Guardians lost Josh Naylor, a large part of the offense, and seemed to survive based on relief pitching and scraping together runs. This year, I say their luck runs out.
Devin Wiles: San Diego Padres (93-69). The Royals could knock 10 wins off of last year’s 86 if the veteran-led pitching staff isn’t the same miracle it turned out to be last year, but the Padres made no clear improvements this offseason. With an aging roster, San Diego could very easily be a .500 team in 2025.
Most chosen: St. Louis Cardinals (83-79), San Diego Padres (93-69)
American League Rookie of the Year:
John Putnam: Jace Jung. Just a guess; I don’t know enough about the AL to make an educated pick.
Nate Carlson: Jackson Jobe. Go Tighas. Stuff is nasty. Night Night.
Daniel Shin: Jackson Jobe. Best Stuff and physical characteristics.
John Ilyevsky: Jasson Dominguez. With the injuries and the loss of Soto, the Yankees need Jasson to perform well, and I believe he will. He’s performed well in the minors, experienced the Majors, and I think he’ll establish himself as the frontrunner for the reward early on in the season.
Kaj Desch: Jasson Dominguez.
Ethan Silets: Roman Anthony. Absolutely nasty prospect, Red Sox should find a spot for him.
Victor Anaya-Diaz: Jackson Jobe. If the Tigers give him a chance and he can get some confidence on the mound early on in the year I can see him being the best of a weak AL rookie class.
Daniel Buckholz: Kristian Campbell. He’s really good and will start.
Ryan Borkowsky: Jasson Dominguez. Jasson will learn how to play defense, has an above-average bat, and is guaranteed playing time.
Devin Wiles: Kristian Campbell. Though Roman Anthony profiles as a potential ROTY, it’s his teammate, Kristian Campbell, who will see more opportunities within an opening at second base. For my Red Sox AL Champion pick to work out, Campbell will need to have a big year (shoutout Astros prospect Cam Smith as a dark horse AL ROTY).
Most chosen: Jackson Jobe, Jasson Dominguez
National League Rookie of the Year
John Putnam: Dylan Crews. Because he’s good.
Nate Carlson: Jordan Lawlar. I don’t trust any of these guys but this fits my narrative.
Daniel Shin: Matt Shaw. Best performance in the minors and spring training.
John Ilyevsky: Roki Sasaki. He’s really good. Proven track record in Japan. Only thing that will hold him back from winning the award is the Dodgers saving his arm.
Kaj Desch: Dylan Crews.
Ethan Silets: Roki Sasaki. Did you see his splitter in spring training? Same as Jobe, the stuff should play if he can find the zone.
Victor Anaya-Diaz: Roki Sasaki. Gonna get glazed by the MLB all season and he’s already a proficient pitcher at the professional level with strikeout stuff that just has to adjust.
Daniel Buckholz: Matt Shaw. High floor hitter.
Ryan Borkowsky: Dylan Crews. For similar reasons as picking Dominguez. I picked Crews over Sasaki because hitters typically have more high-end WAR potential than pitchers. Crews already had a taste of the MLB last year as well, and it did not overwhelm him.
Devin Wiles: Bubba Chandler. Wouldn’t it be fun for the Pirates to have back-to-back rookies of the year. Bubba is a freak athlete, similar to our friend Skenes, and profiles with a firm 96mph fastball, three other pitches graded above average, and opportunity. With Jared Jones‘ injury status up in the air, Chandler is likely to make the Opening Day roster.
Most chosen: Roki Sasaki, Dylan Crews
American League Cy Young Award
John Putnam: Tarik Skubal. Because he’s the new Verlander.
Nate Carlson: Bryan Woo. He’s my sleeper pick. Stuff was gross last year and they will near more from him with Kirby down. Expecting continued success.
Daniel Shin: Tarik Skubal. Dominant stuff and pitch value last season.
John Ilyevsky: Tarik Skubal. Skubal is the best pitcher in baseball. If he didn’t prove it in the regular season last year, he showed it in the playoffs. The Tigers leaned on him heavily last season, and he delivered, and he’ll do the same this year.
Kaj Desch: Tarik Skubal.
Ethan Silets: Tarik Skubal. His 2024 was electric and should repeat it again
Victor Anaya-Diaz: Tarik Skubal. Repeat, I only see him getting better and leading the Tigers to another 86 win season.
Daniel Buckholz: Jacob DeGrom. TJ honeymoon.
Ryan Borkowsky: Logan Gilbert. Logan Gilbert (will be the Cy Young. I am working on a player profile of him, but in short, he has everything going for him: Durability (+200 IP recent seasons, unlike other contenders like Skubal and DeGrom) extension, velocity, and a pitcher-friendly park in Seattle. He had the second-lowest WHIP last year, a good predictor of future success, and always tinkers and innovates. He found a groove last year with the slider usage and tunneling it with the fastball as well. He underperformed in many stats (xERA), indicating even more untapped potential.
Devin Wiles: Tarik Skubal. There is no reason he shouldn’t repeat.
Most chosen: Tarik Skubal
National League Cy Young Award
John Putnam: Paul Skenes. Because he’s the new Strasburg.
Nate Carlson: Logan Webb. I pick Logan Webb every year until he gets it.
Daniel Shin: Paul Skenes. Best pitch quality in the league.
John Ilyevsky: Michael King. Michael King is going to go off this season. I can feel it.
Kaj Desch: Corbin Burnes.
Ethan Silets: Paul Skenes. He had an unreal rookie season, as long as he doesn’t get hurt he should place top 3.
Victor Anaya-Diaz: Blake Snell. He prepared well this year and is in a comfortable spot with his new team. Combine that with his stuff and potential to eat innings and he’s at least in the top 3.
Daniel Buckholz: Paul Skenes. Paul Skenes.
Ryan Borkowsky: Paul Skenes. I was torn between Skenes and Wheeler, but Skenes was so dominant last year. There’s a chance some hitters adjust to him, but even still, he is my pick.
Devin Wiles: Paul Skenes. These are the easiest two Cy Young picks I’ve ever made…the two starters with the best stuff in baseball.
Most chosen: Paul Skenes
American League MVP
John Putnam: Vladimir Guerrero Jr. He’ll have rent to pay after this year.
Nate Carlson: Bobby Witt Jr. 5-tools.
Daniel Shin: Bobby Witt Jr. Hot take, but Judge will get injured during the season. With a plus-average defense and impressive batting stats, Witt will win the MVP title this season.
John Ilyevsky: Yordan Alvarez. Yordan is a special batter. He’ll be the lone bright spot on an Astros season that will crumble very quickly.
Kaj Desch: Aaron Judge
Ethan Silets: Aaron Judge. I want to pick Witt here but Judge is such a good hitter. He could take a step back without Soto taking some pressure off of him.
Victor Anaya-Diaz: Aaron Judge. If he has any season similar to his previous ones he’s a lock.
Daniel Buckholz: Aaron Judge. He’s him.
Ryan Borkowsky: Aaron Judge. Despite my bias as a Yankee fan, I will maintain that Judge is probably the best right handed hitter, if not the best hitter, of all time, if you account for era and steroid usage. It’s hard to expect him to replicate last year, but he has seemingly gotten better every year, and even in his age-33 year, he can still put up 11 WAR.
Devin Wiles: Aaron Judge. This truly is a two-man race, and I love Bobby Witt Jr. Even if he posts the same WAR as he did last year, which is unlikely to happen, Judge’s bat could still out perform his five-tool play. There is a conversation to be had for best raw hitter of all time.
Most chosen: Aaron Judge
National League MVP
John Putnam: Ronald Acuna Jr. When he’s healthy, he’s insane.
Nate Carlson: Fernando Tatis Jr. It’s going to be Ohtani. I’m just a hater. How he’s gonna walk and the announcers give credit to his presence on deck. He struck out right after so that tells me all I need to know.
Daniel Shin: Shohei Ohtani. Best two way player in the league.
John Ilyevsky: Juan Soto. They can’t give it to Shohei every year, right? Soto is special, and he’ll look to make a splash in his first season as a Met.
Kaj Desch: Jackson Chourio
Ethan Silets: Shohei Ohtani. Went 50/50 and could pitch this year.
Victor Anaya-Diaz: Shohei Ohtani. Again, if Ohtani can even be on the field, there’s no one who outperforms his hitting.
Daniel Buckholz: Shohei Ohtani. Himothy.
Ryan Borkowsky: Shohei Ohtani. Ohtani’s bat and stolen base potential may take a step back now that he is pitching, but the added value of his pitching should make this a no-brainer.
Devin Wiles: Shohei Ohtani. Ohtani will be pitching again in 2025, and it’s likely he’ll still be the best hitter in the league. I hate to be boring, but there is nothing boring about the Dodgers star. If healthy, Ohtani wins his fourth MVP.
Most chosen: Shohei Ohtani
American League Comeback Player of the Year
John Putnam: Mike Trout. I think he still can be the best player when he’s healthy.
Nate Carlson: Shane McClanahan. I think Shane could be top 5 in Cy Young voting, so he’ll earn it if that happens.
Daniel Shin: Mike Trout. Moving to right field, Trout will hit over 40 hrs.
John Ilyevsky: Jacob DeGrom. DeGrom will be heavily rested throughout the season, but he’ll pitch enough innings to qualify for this award. I have no concerns about his pitching ability.
Kaj Desch: Jacob DeGrom
Ethan Silets: Mike Trout. Hoping for a healthy Mike Trout year finally, we need it
Victor Anaya-Diaz: Bo Bichette. He’s kind of raking in Spring Training and I know it doesn’t mean much but he’s on a contract year so he’s ready to show what he can do.
Daniel Buckholz: Jacob DeGrom. See Cy Young reasoning.
Ryan Borkowsky: Mike Trout. Hopefully Mike Trout stays healthy this year, as when he has been on the field, he has shown that he can still play. Even before getting hurt last year, he got off to a blazing start. Given the injury history of Trout and deGrom, I chose Trout because pitchers, especially deGrom, seem to be more fragile than hitters.
Devin Wiles: Jacob DeGrom. I was going to pick McClanahan, but DeGrom is healthy to open the season, while the Rays ace is not. This is a good start to yet another Cy Young caliber season for DeGrom.
Most chosen: Jacob DeGrom, Mike Trout
National League Comeback Player of the Year
John Putnam: Ronald Acuna Jr. I think he, like Trout, is one of the best players when he’s not hurt. He just has to stay on the field.
Nate Carlson: Matt McLain. Matt could have a great year, picking up where he left off.
Daniel Shin: Sandy Alcantara. Shows consistency and solid stamina, along with impressive stats in spring training.
John Ilyevsky: Brandon Woodruff. Brandon Woodruff didn’t pitch last season, but he’s proven he’s a good pitcher, and he’s on the Brewers – a good organization for player development.
Kaj Desch: Brandon Woodruff
Ethan Silets: Spencer Strider. Could fill the hole that Fried’s departure makes in that rotation, hopefully he stays healthy.
Victor Anaya-Diaz: Spencer Strider. He’s ready to come back and lead his team to the playoffs. He’s so nasty when he’s healthy and if he can stay healthy then he’s gonna have another monster season.
Daniel Buckholz: Spencer Strider. Strikeout boy is back.
Ryan Borkowsky: Spencer Strider. Spencer Strider was dominant before getting injured, and now, elbow reconstruction is a fairly common surgery that is easy to come back from. I expect him to return to his dominant form.
Devin Wiles: Spencer Strider. Spencer Strider will lead all of baseball in strikeouts in 2025, and that doesn’t feel like a stretch to say.
Most chosen: Spencer Strider
Name a breakout player for 2025:
John Putnam: James Wood.
Nate Carlson: James Wood
Daniel Shin: Pete Crow-Armstrong
John Ilyevsky: Lawrence Butler
Kaj Desch: N/A
Ethan Silets: Pete Crow-Armstrong
Victor Anaya-Diaz: Parker Meadows
Daniel Buckholz: Wyatt Langford
Ryan Borkowsky: Ben Rice
Devin Wiles: Wyatt Langford
Most chosen: James Wood, Pete Crow-Armstrong, Wyatt Langford
Most overrated player for 2025:
John Putnam: Pete Alonso
Nate Carlson: Elly De La Cruz
Daniel Shin: Juan Soto, Jackson Chourio
John Ilyevsky: Jazz Chisholm
Kaj Desch: N/A
Ethan Silets: Mark Vientos
Victor Anaya-Diaz: Cody Bellinger
Daniel Buckholz: Jose Altuve
Ryan Borkowsky: Juan Soto
Devin Wiles: N/A
Most chosen: Juan Soto
Best offseason signing/move:
John Putnam: N/A
Nate Carlson: Max Fried to Yankees
Daniel Shin: Rosi Sasaki to Dodgers
John Ilyevsky: Juan Soto to Mets
Kaj Desch: N/A
Ethan Silets: Athletics extending Lawrence Butler
Victor Anaya-Diaz: Alex Bregman to the Red Sox
Daniel Buckholz: Garrett Crochet to the Red Sox
Ryan Borkowsky: Bellinger to Yankees
Devin Wiles: Mets signing Clay Holmes and turning him into a starter.
Most chosen: N/A
Worst offseason signing/move:
John Putnam: Mets resigning Pete Alonso
Nate Carlson: Astros signing Ben Gamel to $1.2 million Major League contract
Daniel Shin: Mets signing Juan Soto for 15 years, $765 million
John Ilyevsky: Alex Bregman to Red Sox
Kaj Desch: N/A
Ethan Silets: Guardians trading Josh Naylor
Victor Anaya-Diaz: Astros sending away their best players
Daniel Buckholz: Jonathan India trade
Ryan Borkowsky: Cubs trading for Kyle Tucker. Why do this if you don’t think you can re-sign him? (obvious caveat on if Tucker re-signs with the Cubs)
Devin Wiles: Alex Bregman (the most player-friendly deal I’ve seen in a while)
Most chosen: Alex Bregman to Red Sox
Best team offseason:
John Putnam: Dodgers
Nate Carlson: Yankees
Daniel Shin: N/A
John Ilyevsky: Mets
Kaj Desch: Red Sox
Ethan Silets: Diamondbacks
Victor Anaya-Diaz: Red Sox
Daniel Buckholz: Red Sox
Ryan Borkowsky: Dodgers/Red Sox
Devin Wiles: Dodgers..ugh (shoutout the Rangers for re-upping their bullpen)
Most chosen: Red Sox
Worst team offseason:
John Putnam: Angels
Nate Carlson: Twins
Daniel Shin: Padres
John Ilyevsky: Astros
Kaj Desch: Blue Jays
Ethan Silets: Mariners
Victor Anaya-Diaz: Padres
Daniel Buckholz: Braves
Ryan Borkowsky: Orioles — Padres come close, but Orioles lost more players of consequence.
Devin Wiles: Mariners (missed the playoffs by one game, have a top-of-the-line rotation, and did nothing to supplement that rotation this offseason)
Most chosen: Padres, Mariners
Remaining notes:
John Putnam: Thank god the Nats got out of their TV deal.
Nate Carlson: Nah I just want the data for a Cy Young preview.
Daniel Shin: Underrated prospects: Bryce Eldridge, Zyhir Hope, Thomas White
John Ilyevsky: Mets in 5
Kaj Desch: N/A
Ethan Silets: N/A
Victor Anaya-Diaz: GRITTY TIGS ?
Daniel Buckholz: Ian Happ will be good again
Ryan Borkowsky: Ben Rice will be an All-Star…????
Devin Wiles: Lawrence Butler to the moon! M-SABR player of the year
Categories: Articles
M-SABR 
Leave a comment