Following final week’s MLB Tokyo Collection 2025 between the Dodgers (2-0) and Cubs (0-2), 26 groups will start play Thursday, with the Rockies and Rays becoming a member of the marathon MLB season Friday.
With two video games down and a couple of,428 to go, listed below are 10 storylines on our radar forward of Opening Day.
1. Dodgers get richer
MLB’s greatest acquired higher this winter.
The Dodgers adopted their 2024 World Collection triumph by solidifying their beginning pitching rotation, which ranked twenty first in wins above alternative final season (h/t Baseball Reference).
Per FanGraphs, Los Angeles enters 2025 first in beginning rotation WAR.
The Dodgers signed two-time Cy Younger Award winner Blake Snell, 32, to a five-year, $182M contract and 23-year-old Japanese phenom Roki Sasaki, who was solely eligible to sign a minor league contract due to MLB guidelines.
The pair solidifies the group’s pitching depth, which additionally consists of Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Tyler Glasnow and Dustin Might. Two-way celebrity Shohei Ohtani looms as an addition to the rotation after September 2023 elbow surgical procedure restricted him to the plate final season. Extra on that in a bit.
The foremost’s high heavyweight turned much more formidable with different offseason additions, together with nearer Tanner Scott, who had a 1.75 ERA with 84 strikeouts in 72 innings final season with the Marlins and Padres.
2. Shohei Ohtani’s return to the mound
The three-time MVP hasn’t pitched since August 2023, when he was with the Angels. Dodgers supervisor Dave Roberts has steered this spring that Ohtani may return to the mound in Might, though these plans stay fluid.
“This can be a long-term play for Shohei’s well-being additionally,” Roberts not too long ago mentioned, per MLB.com. “Crucial piece of that is having him … by way of the tip of the season, by way of October.”
3. Purple Sox again in AL East combine
Welcome again, Boston.
Per ESPN Bet, the Purple Sox (+250) are tied with the Orioles for the second-best odds of profitable the AL East, trailing the Yankees (+150).
Boston has been an afterthought getting into the season the previous couple of years. In 2024, it was +1900 to win the AL East, a slight drop from 2023, when it was +1800.
After consecutive last-place AL East finishes (2022-23), the Sox improved to 3rd a season in the past, going 81-81. They adopted with an energetic offseason, signing third baseman Alex Bregman (three years, $120M), beginning pitchers Walker Buehler (one 12 months, $21.05M) and Patrick Sandoval (two years, $18.2M) and former Yankees closer Aroldis Chapman (one year, $10.75M).
Boston also acquired starting pitcher Garrett Crochet from the White Sox, confirming its 2025 playoff ambitions.
4. Juan Soto, the King of Queens
Soto spurned the Yankees, his 2024 home, when he signed a 15-year, $765M contract with the Mets, who need to construct on final 12 months’s run to the NLCS.
In 2024 with the crosstown Yankees, Soto, a four-time All-Star, slashed .288/.419/.569 with a career-high 41 house runs in 157 video games.
He joins a stable lineup that features lead-off man and shortstop Francisco Lindor, first baseman Pete Alonso, outfielder Brandon Nimmo, third baseman Mark Vientos and designated hitter Jessie Winker.
The Mets (+1000) have the fourth-best odds of profitable the World Collection, trailing the Dodgers (+275), Braves (+800) and Yankees (+850). Soto is likely to be the piece to get their first championship since 1986.
5. What does Pirates SP Paul Skenes have in retailer for an encore?
The previous LSU nationwide champion burst on the scene final season, debuting on Might 11, 2024. He began 23 video games for Pittsburgh, going 11-3 and posting a 1.96 ERA. Skenes struck out 33.1 % of the batters he confronted, the very best charge amongst NL 2025 Opening Day starters.
If he did all that as a rookie, wait till he hits his prime. Skenes could possibly be a good greater pressure in Yr 2, making each one among his begins must-see TV.
6. The fragile Blue Jays-Vladimir Guerrero Jr. dance
The four-time All-Star first baseman is getting into his remaining season beneath contract with the Blue Jays and has failed to achieve floor on a long-term extension. Earlier this month, the outfielder revealed his most up-to-date counteroffer in negotiations “did not attain 600 [million]” (h/t ESPN), nicely under the market set by Soto’s Mets deal.
With out a long-term contract, Guerrero will pop up in commerce conversations all season, significantly if Toronto fails to maintain tempo within the crowded AL East.
7. Mike Trout’s final stand?
The three-time AL MVP has missed 58.9 % of Angels video games since 2021 due to accidents. He has seemed sharp this spring, slashing .297/.469/.595, a probably promising signal for a bounce-back 2025. Nevertheless, the Angels are going nowhere, which may make Trout, who moved from center field to right field this spring, a reputation to look at on the commerce deadline ought to he waive his no-trade clause.
8. AL West up for grabs
The Astros have reigned over the AL West for practically a decade, however the tide would possibly flip. Houston misplaced Bregman in free company and dealt outfielder Kyle Tucker to the Cubs, two important losses. May the Rangers or Mariners catch the ‘Stros within the standings?
9. St. Louis’ uncomfortable actuality
Third baseman Nolan Arenado stymied a commerce to Houston, establishing a clumsy scenario with the Cardinals that may not be resolved anytime quickly.
“After spending a lot of the previous 4 1/2 months pondering life after Arenado, the Cardinals at the moment are having to do an about-face,” wrote MLB.com’s John Denton in February.
Per FanGraphs, St. Louis, which hasn’t made the postseason in two consecutive seasons, has a 23.4 % probability of qualifying for the playoffs and solely a 0.7 % probability to win the World Collection.
If the Cardinals rapidly fall out of competition, commerce talks involving Arenado could possibly be revisited.
10. The White Sox at floor zero
The White Sox will attempt to pull themselves off the mat after recording an MLB-record 121 losses in 2024. Certainly, they can not get any worse. Proper?
Incorrect.
Chicago’s pitching employees could have gotten worse after buying and selling Crochet. But whereas prospects Sean Burke, the group’s Opening Day starter, and Shane Smith, selected in December’s Rule 5 draft out of the Brewers farm system, have promise, the Sox ought to nonetheless have one of many league’s worst offenses. In 2024, White Sox batters ranked final in batting common (.221), on-base proportion (.278) and slugging proportion (.340).
This offseason, the entrance workplace added infielder Josh Rojas (one year, $3.5M), and outfielders Austin Slater (one year, $1.75M), Mike Tauchman (one year, $1.95M) and Michael A. Taylor (one year, $1.95M) on low-cost contracts that should not increase the group’s flooring a lot.
Issues won’t be significantly better, if in any respect, in 2025.
