A holiday gift for each MLB team
We're in the holiday spirit and ready to hand out one ideal gift for each MLB club heading into 2025. Let's reach into our bag of goodies and pick out what each team hopes to find under its tree.
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Arizona Diamondbacks
🎁 A return to form for Corbin Carroll: The 2023 NL Rookie of the Year slumped badly in the first half of 2024. Carroll posted a .635 OPS with five home runs before the All-Star break, but he turned it on to the tune of a .919 OPS with 17 homers in the season's final 64 games. A carryover from that performance will go a long way in allowing Carroll to return to the MVP conversation in 2025.
Atlanta Braves
🎁 Good health for Acuña and Strider: The Braves' two superstars missed most of last season because of injury and aren't expected to be ready for the beginning of 2025. The Braves are merely a good team without them but can reach another stratosphere if Ronald Acuña Jr. and Spencer Strider return to good health and star-level production.
Baltimore Orioles
🎁 Postseason success: The Orioles have racked up 192 regular-season victories over the past two years but are still looking for postseason success. Baltimore's young core is winless in five postseason contests and have struggled to score runs. Breaking through in the playoffs is all that's left to accomplish for one of baseball's most talented young clubs.
Boston Red Sox
🎁 Right-handed power: The Red Sox are loaded with talented left-handed hitters in Rafael Devers, Triston Casas, Jarren Duran, and Wilyer Abreu, among others. The club is lacking a prolific hitter from the right side of the plate. Adding that element to the lineup would be a big boost as Boston tries to put together some consistent success in the competitive AL East.
Chicago White Sox
🎁 More wins: The White Sox set a modern-era record for futility with 121 losses last season. The roster is thin on talent again, so it's expected to be another long summer on the South Side. Sadly, cracking 50 wins would be an accomplishment.
Chicago Cubs
🎁 A memorable experience for Kyle Tucker: The Cubs took a big swing by landing Tucker in a trade with the Astros. Tucker's an impending free agent, so the next year will be about proving to the star outfielder that Chicago is the place to be.
Cincinnati Reds
🎁 The Francona bump: The Reds shocked many by hiring World Series champion and three-time Manager of the Year Terry Francona. The veteran skipper led each of his past two clubs to the postseason in his first year at the helm. Reds fans are hoping that trend continues in 2025.
Cleveland Guardians
🎁 A sophomore breakout for Kyle Manzardo: The Guardians are counting on Manzardo to truly put himself on the baseball map after trading Josh Naylor to Arizona. Manzardo will likely slot in at DH and occasionally play first base. He's very capable of hitting 25-to-30 home runs in 2025 and making Cleveland fans miss Naylor a little bit less.
Colorado Rockies
🎁 70 wins: The Rockies are likely to finish in the NL West basement for the fourth year in a row. They've won 61, 59, and 68 games over the past three seasons. A return to 70 wins with continued growth from players such as Michael Toglia, Ezequiel Tovar, and Brenton Doyle should be classified as a win.
Detroit Tigers
🎁 A running mate for Tarik Skubal: The Tigers are in good hands atop the rotation with the reigning AL Cy Young winner. Beyond that, question marks abound. One of Reese Olson, Casey Mize, Jackson Jobe, or Keider Montero emerging as a high-end starter would help Detroit make consecutive postseason berths.
Houston Astros
🎁 Paredes living in the Crawford Boxes: Isaac Paredes was one of the big pieces sent to Houston in the Tucker trade. The 25-year-old is one of the most pull-happy hitters in baseball as all 72 of his MLB home runs have been pulled. He could be among the league leaders by playing 81 games in Houston with a short trip to Minute Maid Park's left field at just 315 feet.
Kansas City Royals
🎁 India setting the table: The Royals acquired Jonathan India from the Reds, and the second baseman should immediately hit leadoff in Kansas City. India's career .352 OBP will be a welcome addition for a Royals club that finished 19th in the league with a .306 OBP last season.
Los Angeles Angels
🎁 Good health for Mike Trout (again): Much like last year, we're manifesting a return to health and form for the three-time MVP. Trout tore his meniscus twice in 2024 and has played in only 179 games since the start of 2021. Baseball's better when Trout is on the field, so here's hoping that is the case in 2025.
Los Angeles Dodgers
🎁 Ohtani's return to the mound: Shohei Ohtani's first season in Dodger blue was the stuff of legend as he became the first member of the 50-50 club and capped off the year with a World Series title. It's hard to imagine things getting better, but a return to form on the mound is an exciting proposition for Dodgers fans and a scary one for the rest of the baseball world.
Miami Marlins
🎁 2021-2022 Sandy Alcantara: The Marlins ace was one of baseball's best pitchers over a two-year span, amassing 10.2 fWAR with a Cy Young Award in 2022. The past two years were marred by injury and inconsistency. Miami is certainly hoping for its workhorse starter to return in a big way in 2025.
Milwaukee Brewers
🎁 Defy the odds again: The Brewers were one of baseball's most pleasant surprises in 2024. Milwaukee went from preseason afterthought to NL Central champions despite losing its manager and Corbin Burnes. It won't be surprising if the Brewers aren't a popular preseason pick to win the division once again in 2025.
Minnesota Twins
🎁 At least 100 games from Royce Lewis: The Twins star has struggled to stay healthy in his young career, missing large chunks of time in each of the past two seasons because of injury. Lewis, 25, is as productive as any hitter when healthy and gives the Twins a true difference-maker in the middle of the lineup.
New York Mets
🎁 A new big three: Mets fans are rightfully excited about the prospect of Francisco Lindor, Juan Soto, and postseason breakout star Mark Vientos hitting atop the lineup for years to come. This trio has the potential to be the most dynamic collection of offensive talent in Queens in years.
New York Yankees
🎁 Forgetting about Soto: It won't be easy after Soto helped lead the club to the World Series in an incredible offensive campaign in his only season in the Bronx. However, the Yankees have been aggressive in trying to replace Soto and keep the club competitive in a wide-open American League. It's always World Series or bust for Yankees fans, but that could be ratcheted up even more in 2025.
Athletics
🎁 Continued momentum from the second half: The Athletics went a respectable 32-32 after the All-Star break last season. The club has been surprisingly aggressive, bringing in Luis Severino and Jeffrey Springs to solidify the rotation. The lineup has a number of talented players, and the Athletics might just surprise some folks while playing in West Sacramento this season.
Philadelphia Phillies
🎁 2023 Jesús Luzardo: The Phillies dealt two prospects to Miami for the talented left-hander. Luzardo struggled through injuries in 2024 and posted a 5.00 ERA in 12 starts. A performance closer to Luzardo's 3.58 ERA and 10.48 K/9 in 2023 would give Philadelphia arguably the best rotation in baseball with Luzardo joining Zack Wheeler, Aaron Nola, Cristopher Sánchez, and Ranger Suárez.
Pittsburgh Pirates
🎁 A full season of Paul Skenes: It's scary to think what Skenes could do starting the season in the majors. The 22-year-old won Rookie of the Year and finished as a Cy Young finalist despite not debuting until May 11.
San Diego Padres
🎁 Signing Roki Sasaki: The Dodgers are seen as heavy favorites to land the Japanese phenom. Don't count out the Padres who can make a compelling case to Sasaki. Adding Sasaki would go a long way to helping the Padres fill the absence of Joe Musgrove, who will miss the entire 2025 season because of injury.
San Francisco Giants
🎁 Chapman and Adames show off their gloves: The Giants boast arguably baseball's best defensive left side of the infield with Matt Chapman at third base and Willy Adames at shorstop. Expect some electric plays from the two in 2025.
Seattle Mariners
🎁 Return of the real J-Rod: Julio Rodríguez struggled in 2024, posting career-worst numbers in a handful of major offensive categories as he failed to make the All-Star team for the first time in his career. Seattle can't be a postseason-caliber team if Rodríguez is merely good at the plate. The Mariners need the 2022 AL Rookie of the Year to return to, if not surpass, the form he showed in his first two seasons.
St. Louis Cardinals
🎁 The dawn of a new era: The Cardinals appear to be committed to a youth movement for the first time in years. Paul Goldschmidt is gone, and Nolan Arenado appears likely to be wearing a different uniform this season. St. Louis has an intriguing stable of young players that hope to lead the club back to glory in the future. The road starts in 2025.
Tampa Bay Rays
🎁 Ballpark certainty: The Rays' future continues to be a topic of discussion as city officials debate a new stadium. The club will play home games at the Yankees' spring home after a hurricane tore the roof off Tropicana Field. The team and its fans deserve some clarity about the long-term plan for where Rays baseball will take place.
Texas Rangers
🎁 Jacob deGrom: The Rangers have only seen deGrom for nine starts and 41 innings since he signed a five-year, $185-million contract ahead of the 2023 season. DeGrom returned from Tommy John surgery to post a 1.69 ERA and 11.81 K/9 in three starts last season. Rangers fans are crossing every finger and toe that deGrom can stay healthy in 2025 as the club looks to return to World Series contention.
Toronto Blue Jays
🎁 A new deal for Vladimir Guerrero Jr.: The Blue Jays can't lose Guerrero and Bo Bichette to free agency. Guerrero's contract might be a little bit uncomfortable, but the alternative should make Blue Jays fans and the front office even more squeamish. Find a way to keep Guerrero in Toronto for the rest of his career.
Washington Nationals
🎁 James Wood discovers launch angle: Wood crushes the baseball. The 22-year-old outfielder had a 92.8 mph average exit velocity, which was a top-20 mark in 2024. Unfortunately, Wood sported a nearly 56% ground ball rate, leading to only nine home runs in 336 plate appearances.