The start of the 2025 MLB season is just around the corner and fans are looking forward to seeing how their teams will stack up against the other franchises. Last season, the Los Angeles Dodgers came out on top of the National League and went on to win the World Series. With franchises looking to put together enough wins to make a run through October, here’s a short guide to each National League team in 2025.
National League West
Los Angeles Dodgers
Last year, it felt like no one would have been surprised if the Dodgers brought in the ghost of Babe Ruth to play for them. Fresh off a World Series victory, the Dodgers somehow managed to add two of the best pitchers on the planet in Roki Sasaki and Blake Snell. It’s going to be a long season for fans of any other team.
San Diego Padres
While everything is sunshine and rainbows for their arch-rival Dodgers, the Padres had a disastrous off-season. Although they made progress last year by pushing L.A. to the brink in the NLDS, the organization has turned into an episode of Succession, with lawsuits galore among ownership hopefuls. Despite a spiraling front office, the Padres have a pretty good core, so there’s a chance they could pull off some magic. The key will be pitching, especially if Michael King plays well enough to earn his crown, as he’s a solid National League Cy Young pick.
Arizona Diamondbacks
Last year was disappointing for the Diamondbacks. Although their hitting was shockingly strong in the second half of the season, pitching was atrocious. This collapse was partly at the lands of acquisitions Jordan Montgomery and Eduardo Rodriguez who ended up being two of the least successful players in the game. Luckily for the Diamondbacks, their solution came gift-wrapped when they signed Corbin Burnes to a hometown discount. Acquiring Burnes is a major heist for Arizona, as he’s been one of the best pitchers of the decade.
San Francisco Giants
The Giants have quietly made some great acquisitions over the off-season. They extended Matt Chapman and have now paired him with shortstop Willy Adames, creating perhaps the best defensive infield duo we have seen in quite some time. This should also be the year we see what Jung Hoo Lee can do, as he returns after missing all of last season with an injury. The Giants could be a great team next year, but contending in a division with a well-established top trio of teams will be a challenge.
Colorado Rockies
Their lineup is a disaster and their rotation may forever be the worst in the game, mainly due to the nature of playing in a high-altitude environment. That said, it’s fun to watch visiting players hit big bombs in their beautiful stadium!
National League Central
Milwaukee Brewers
How is this team still alive? Every off-season, the Brewers lose more pieces. This year, it was superstar closer Devin Williams and franchise shortstop Willy Adames. These losses are going to be tough, but the replacements might continue their greatness. Look out for Joey Ortiz to take a major step forward and Trevor Megill to take up the mantle as the next elite Brewers closer. Of course, having future superstar Jackson Chourio also helps.
Chicago Cubs
The good news for the Cubs is that they finally did it: they acquired a top-15 player to add to their lineup in Kyle Tucker. The bad news: he hits free agency after this season. The Cubs will need to show Tucker they are serious contenders in what should be one of the easier divisions to win. On a side note, if you enjoy watching crafty, left-handed pitchers, the Cubs have quietly stacked their rotations with some of the most fun ones in the game.
St. Louis Cardinals
It’s time for the Cardinals to tear it down. The “devil magic” is over, and so are their core players’ primes. Nolan Arenado and Sonny Gray should be shipped out tomorrow, as they still have some gas left in the tank and could bring back some value from desperate teams.
Cincinnati Reds
Make no mistake about it, the Cincinnati Reds are the Elly De La Cruz show. The young De La Cruz has quickly morphed into one of the most electric yet polarizing players in the game. Detractors will call out his tendency to strike out a bunch and his 29 errors at shortstop last season. However, fans will point out his raw power and the fact that he can make defensive plays that few other players have the athleticism to pull off.
Pittsburgh Pirates
Speaking of one-man shows, the Pirates organization is all in on Paul Skenes. It’s hard to think of any young pitcher who has been this electric so early in his career. The rest of their pitching rotation is pretty good too, but Pittsburgh’s hitting still leaves much to be desired.
National League East
Philadelphia Phillies
The Phillies have accomplished nearly everything they can with this core. They’ve won their division, had back-to-back NLCS appearances and they’ve won their league. Their star player and leader Bryce Harper even took home an MVP trophy, solidifying him as a Philadelphia legend. The only thing they haven’t done is the big one: win the World Series. Luckily for the Phillies, they’re one of the few teams with enough pieces to contend for the title this year.
Atlanta Braves
Last year was a major stinker by Atlanta’s standards, and they still put up a season that would make plenty of franchises jealous. Superstars Ronald Acuña Jr. and Spencer Strider are set to return after missing most of last season with injuries, while Chris Sale will look to cement his place as a Hall of Famer after an unexpected Cy Young win last year. Expect the Braves to hit the 100-win plateau once again.
New York Mets
The Mets always have to make the offseason about them, and this year was no exception. They landed super-megastar Juan Soto on the biggest contract in MLB history, adding one of the best bats in the game to a lineup that wasn’t too far from making the World Series. The expectations are high in the borough of Queens, as these next few years will be World Series or bust.
Washington Nationals
If only they were in a different division… The Nationals have put together one of the best prospect pools over the past few years, capitalizing on a World Series-winning core to bring in a haul of some of the brightest young talents in the game. Unfortunately, there will be growing pains as future superstars James Wood and Dylan Crews are only 22 years old.
Miami Marlins
The Marlins look like they will be terrible, and that might be a good thing for them. Miami’s front office has spent the past decade trying to sneak into a wild card spot by building a lineup of cheap veterans to complement decent pitching. It hasn’t worked. Now, the Marlins have the opportunity to execute a full rebuild and maybe actually get some offensive production in the long run.
Featured photo by Joshua Peacock vis Unsplash.
