The 2025 MLB season is just around the corner. Fans are looking forward to seeing how their teams will stack up against the other franchises looking to put together enough wins to continue playing into October. Here’s a short guide to each American League team’s outlook in 2025.
American League West
Houston Astros
The Astros’ empire might finally be crumbling and owner Jim Crane is watching his dynasty go up in flames. Alex Bregman is out the door after signing a big deal with the Boston Red Sox. Kyle Tucker was shipped to the Chicago Cubs, a massive blow to their outfield. New additions Christian Walker and Isaac Paredes, acquired in the Tucker deal, have hitting profiles that match the Astros’ ballpark, but it’s hard to see this as anything but the end of the line for the Astros’ controversial run of dominance.
Seattle Mariners
Are the Mariners a team with elite pitching but bad offense? The answer seems simple. They allowed the fewest runs of any team in the American League last year, yet were still in the bottom-10 for runs scored. It seems like “good pitching, bad hitting” is an open-and-shut diagnosis of what the Mariners are, yet there are other factors that contribute to this, particularly their ballpark. The thick and humid marine air has led to balls leaving the park at a lower rate. The batter’s eye is crooked in Seattle, which has led to hitters not named Mike Trout striking out more consistently at T-Mobile Park.
Texas Rangers
Forget everything you saw last year in Arlington — 2025 is a brand new year for the Texas Rangers. Maybe they become the next San Francisco Giants, except instead of winning it all in even years, they dominate the odd ones. They have Corey Seager, Marcus Semien and Jacob deGrom and while their best years might be behind them, they still boast an absurdly talented core trio that’s only improved by Wyatt Langford, who will look to continue his breakout in 2025.
Los Angeles Angels
Mike Trout is back and healthy, which is exciting news for both Angels and baseball fans. He’s moving out of centre field and into one of the corners this year, with the hope that this will allow him to remain healthy. Even with a healthy Trout, this team will probably be near the bottom of the standings. There are just way too many holes in both the lineup and pitching staff. Anthony Rendon’s deal becoming the worst in baseball history doesn’t help either.
The Athletics
This is not a typo, and no, there isn’t a city called “The.” The Athletics have left Oakland for a minor league ballpark in West Sacramento and will relocate to Las Vegas in a few years. In a cruel knife-twisting moment for fans in Oakland, the Athletics became buyers this off-season, signing Luis Severino, trading for Jeffrey Springs and extending franchise player Brent Rooker.
American League Central
Cleveland Guardians
The Guardians are a tough code to crack. Whenever it seems like they’re going to be mediocre, they win the division. Whenever the expectations are on them, they crack under the pressure. By now, we all know how good José Ramirez and Emmanuel Clase are, both solidifying themselves as the best players at their positions. It all comes down to whether young core players like Steven Kwan, Tanner Bibee and Cade Smith continue to look great. If everything clicks, this team could repeat as division winners.
Kansas City Royals
Imagine a player who can lead the sport in batting average all while being the best defender in the game at a premium position. Now imagine that this player also has the fastest average sprint speed of any player in the major leagues. Hard to imagine, right? Well, what if we told you this player exists, and his name is Bobby Witt Jr., who is as good as advertised and then some? If he’s healthy, expect historic numbers and a Royals postseason berth. Having Cole Ragans as your ace on the mound also doesn’t hurt.
Detroit Tigers
The Tigers were the greatest comeback story in MLB last year. They had been bad for so long and looked right on track for another subpar season. With the odds stacked against them, the “Gritty Tigs” went on a run for the ages, nabbing an unexpected spot in the Wild Card series, which they went on to win. Even though they were eliminated in the ALDS, the Tigers proved that they are building something special. The secret to their success? There is no secret — everybody knows Cy Young-winning pitcher Tarik Skubal is the key to it all.
Minnesota Twins
This team should be winning the division every year with the core they have put together, but it just hasn’t happened. This team’s hitting core consists of potential Hall of Fame talent, including Royce Lewis, Carlos Correa and Byron Buxton, if they weren’t three of the most injury-prone players in modern baseball history. The pitching staff also has potential to be one of the best, with Pablo López, Joe Ryan and Bailey Ober all being elite outside of the occasional blowup game. Fourth place in the division for this team is inexcusable. Let’s see if they can bounce back.
Chicago White Sox
Last year, the White Sox set a new league record for most losses in a season with 121. This year, their pitching staff has been completely gutted, including the loss of ace Garrett Crochet. It would be a challenge for even the most knowledgeable baseball fan to name five players on this roster. If you’re a fan of the White Sox, we wish you luck.
American League East
New York Yankees
Many franchises would do anything to have a season like the Yankees did last year, yet for fans of the pinstripes, 2024 will be seen as a failure. While they made the World Series, their AL pennant is overshadowed by the worst defensive inning in MLB history. To add insult to injury, the “younger brother” franchise in Queens pillaged their young superstar Juan Soto by offering him an $800 million golden ticket. The Yankees shouldn’t be too down on themselves though, as they added star pitchers Max Fried and Devin Williams, as well as two former MVPs looking to bounce back in Cody Bellinger and Paul Goldschmidt. The Yankees will probably be just fine.
Baltimore Orioles
By now, everybody expects the Orioles to be great. They have talent in spades, with a core of excellent young hitters poised to knock in runs by the bunches for the next decade. Gunnar Henderson is an MVP candidate, while Adley Rutschman and Jackson Holliday will be looking to prove why they were the best prospects in the world at one point. The only problem? There’s no pitching. The Orioles have built a pitching staff of back-end starters, which means their offense will have to be historic or they’ll need to make a big splash at the trade deadline.
Boston Red Sox
The Red Sox have had one of the most impressive off-seasons of any team. They went from a middling franchise to one set to rekindle their glory years, all on the back of a few key roster moves. They brought in Alex Bregman, whose game will be a perfect fit at Fenway. The crown jewel of their off-season additions was Garrett Crochet. While the White Sox held him back last year, Crochet showed signs that he could be the best pitcher in baseball. His mix of three elite fastballs makes him one of the favourites for the Cy Young award, and if he stays healthy, he’s our pick to win it.
Tampa Bay Rays
Most of the discussion about the Rays recently has had little to do with the team, but rather where they will play. Their ballpark’s roof was destroyed by Hurricane Milton and due to a lack of proper drainage, the team is stuck playing at the Yankees’ spring training ballpark. This creates an interesting dynamic, as the smaller dimensions of the ballpark will change the team’s approach. The high-powered and finally healthy pitching rotation will now have to account for a hitter-friendly environment, while the inexperienced young hitters who make up the lineup will have an opportunity to break out. It’ll be an interesting year.
Toronto Blue Jays
Negotiations between the Jays and star slugger Vladimir Guerrero Jr. are at a standstill, with things looking like they might be heading towards a divorce. The Jays have one more year to convince him though, while Vlad has the year to convince teams he’s worth the gargantuan price tag he’ll command. Last year was pretty rough for the Jays, as core contributors like Bo Bichette, Kevin Gausman and George Springer all struggled for prolonged points of the season. They will need to bounce back if the Jays want to sneak into the postseason.
Featured photo by Donna Lay via Unsplash
