Major League Baseball: 2025 Season

[JohnBM01]

The Los Angeles Dodgers sit atop the Major League Baseball mountain after the 2024 season of MLB. They defeated the powerful New York Yankees in five games of the 2024 World Series. A new season means a chance for the previous season's Champions to repeat as Champion, or for a new team to become Champions. Which scenario will happen in 2025? Only time will tell.

As we set things up for the 2025 season, let's look back at 2024. Here are the final standings from 2024:

--- 2024 Season Retrospective ---

(! = playoff team)

FINAL 2024 REGULAR SEASON STANDINGS
AL EAST: New York Yankees! (94-68), BAL! (91-71), BOS (81-81), TB (80-82), TOR (74-88)
AL CENTRAL: Cleveland! (92-69), KC! and DET! (86-76 each), MIN (82-80), CHW (41-121)
AL WEST: Houston! (88-73), SEA (85-77), TEX (78-84), OAK (69-93), LAA (63-99)

NL EAST: Philadelphia! (95-67), ATL! and NYM! (89-73 each), WSH (71-91), MIA (62-100)
NL CENTRAL: Milwaukee! (93-69), STL! and CHC! (83-79 each), CIN (77-85), PIT (76-86)
NL WEST: Los Angeles Dodgers! (98-64), SD! (93-69), ARI (89-73), SF (80-82), COL (61-101)

--- 2024 MLB PLAYOFFS SUMMARY ---

WILD CARD (best-of-3):

• DET def. HOU 2-0
• KC def. BAL 2-0
• NYM def. MIL 2-1
• SD def. ATL 2-0

DIVISIONAL SERIES (best-of-5)

• CLE def. DET 3-2
• NYY def. KC 3-1
• LAD def. SD 3-2
• NYM def. PHI 3-1

CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES (best-of-7)

• NYY def. CLE 4-1
• LAD def. NYM 4-2

WORLD SERIES (best-of-7)
* LAD def. NYY 4-1

That was all last season. What will this one provide? We shall see! Everything ranging from offseason moves, news updates, and more are fair game to discuss in this thread. Everything from free agency and trades to the final out of the 2025 World Series are discussion-worthy.

So are you ready for the 2025 Major League Baseball season? Let's play ball!

 

[kjb]

I just read an interesting article on the NY Post about the Yankees. The article made the case that the biggest issue with the Yankees is they don't do the little things well. The Dodgers knew if they pressured them enough they would crack and make mistakes which they did especially Game 1 & 5. They thoroughly analyzed the Yankees and found things like they don't take big enough leads off the bases to be in better position to score. They don't know who needs to cover which bases when the ball is in play. Things like that. So basically the Yankees don't work on their fundamentals and try use talent to overcome the lack of fundamentals. TBH I agree and that the real reason they haven't won anything in a long time. Not the Astros cheating them but the lack of fundamentals not doing the little things that every champion needs to do win the chip. So the Yankees won't win until they fix this issue

 

[Blitz24]

I just read an interesting article on the NY Post about the Yankees. The article made the case that the biggest issue with the Yankees is they don't do the little things well. The Dodgers knew if they pressured them enough they would crack and make mistakes which they did especially Game 1 & 5. They thoroughly analyzed the Yankees and found things like they don't take big enough leads off the bases to be in better position to score. They don't know who needs to cover which bases when the ball is in play. Things like that. So basically the Yankees don't work on their fundamentals and try use talent to overcome the lack of fundamentals. TBH I agree and that the real reason they haven't won anything in a long time. Not the Astros cheating them but the lack of fundamentals not doing the little things that every champion needs to do win the chip. So the Yankees won't win until they fix this issue

The 2024 Yankees were an extremely poor baserunning and fielding team. It is a bit unfortunate that Judge's error opened the floodgates two days ago but showed the lack of fundamentals.

 

[Fezzik]

Please, let us Yankee fans mourn in peace for a few more days before we start with the autopsy.

 

[JohnBM01]

Bob Costas, longtime play-by-play announcer, announced his retirement recently after 42 years of service. I wish him well in his retirement.

 

[Fezzik]

From last year:

Dear Santa, please can you stick Juan Soto under the Yankee tree so we fans remember what it was like to have a good team.
We've put up with Boone and Cashman, surely that's worth going on the nice list.

Let's see if Santa is willing to help out again.

 

[JohnBM01]

Tropicana Field, home to the Tampa Bay Rays, took extensive damage from Hurricane Milton. It can not be repaired in time for the 2025 season, so they will play their games at home at the Yankees' Spring Training park. The repair bill for Tropicana Field will be about $55.7M USD. It could be 2026 that the Rays will play again at Tropicana Field. I think the new park planned to be opened in 2028 will still be ongoing. Here is more information from CNN: https://www.cnn.com/2024/11/12/spor...ble-fixed-for-2026-season-spt-intl/index.html .

 

[Fezzik]

Rainouts and/or heatstroke in the Florida summer sun - not a good year to be a Ray.