Spring Training is officially underway, and we are about a month away from the league-wide Opening Day (I say league-wide, because the Los Angeles Dodgers and Chicago Cubs will play the first two games of the season in Tokyo, Japan on March 18 and 19). The Dodgers are currently the World Series favorites after a star-studded offseason, but I predict the following teams will win their divisions.
AL East: Boston Red Sox
I toggled between the Red Sox and the Yankees, but the Sox are the more entertaining pick and have a legit shot at winning the division. Boston finally did what fans have been wanting for a while: an active offseason showing a desire to be competitive. They traded for Garrett Crochet from the White Sox, a blossoming ace and the unanimous No. 1 guy available on the trade market. They signed Walker Buehler after a down year, but an awesome postseason that may signify a resurgence after his second Tommy John surgery. These two arms are added to a rotation that finished seventh in team ERA for starting pitching in 2024. They also went out and grabbed two-time All-Star third baseman Alex Bregman (we’ll see where he plays, though). Between Bregman, Rafael Devers and Jarren Duran, there are three legit stars on the offensive side. Veteran arms Liam Hendriks and Aroldis Chapman could help bolster the bullpen, as well. It’ll take a lot to surpass the Yanks, but the Sox can do it.
AL Central: Cleveland Guardians
This may be the toughest division to predict. I could easily see Cleveland, Detroit, Kansas City and even Minnesota taking the Central. They’re all solid teams, probably not championship contenders, but they’ve all got things to be optimistic about. The loss of Josh Naylor is a blow for Cleveland’s offense, but the pitching is still too appealing. Shane Bieber is so crafty and precise that I’ll always believe he’s going to find ways to shove, but he will miss part of the season due to his recovery from Tommy John in April of 2024. This bullpen is loaded with talent and should be near the top of the league, if not the best ‘pen in all of baseball like they were in ‘24. Jose Ramirez is still one of the 10 best players in the league, and Steven Kwan may have the best hit tool in the sport. I expect Cleveland to be playing in October again.
AL West: Houston Astros
I really wanted to pick the Rangers, but I feel like Houston will find a way to win this division, as per usual. Losing Bregman is a big loss to the lineup, but they filled some of the holes he’ll leave with All-Star third baseman Isaac Paredes and Gold Glove first baseman Christian Walker. Designated hitter Yordan Alvarez is one of the top five bats in the league. Pair the offensive prowess with a rotation that includes Framber Valdez and a bullpen with Josh Hader; it’s hard to believe Houston won’t find a way into the playoff picture. Seattle is sitting on a gold mine of pitching talent and refuses to acquire some bats to accompany the rotation. Had Seattle added a solid hitter to bolster the lineup, they may have been chosen for this slot as well.
NL East: Atlanta Braves
The Braves are primed for a bounceback season after winning only (saying only here is a testament to their talent) 89 games in 2024. Star outfielder and 2023 MVP winner Ronald Acuña Jr. should return in May after suffering a torn ACL in 2024. Their ace, Spencer Strider, will see the mound again, supposedly in April, coming back from elbow surgery. Austin Riley will be playing again after fracturing his hand in August of ‘24. Catcher Sean Murphy and center fielder Michael Harris both missed significant time last season. The talent is on par with just about any club in the league, it’s about staying healthy for Atlanta. I’m willing to bet they don’t have back-to-back seasons from hell and win 100+ games in 2025.
NL Central: Milwaukee Brewers
This division is just, meh. Milwaukee’s been a solid team for a while now, but nothing to write home about. Chicago has the pieces to win this division but despite acquiring superstar Kyle Tucker, had a rather lackluster offseason, losing Cody Bellinger and failing to acquire anyone else to push for a win-now team. Milwaukee has some solid arms in the form of Brandon Woodruff and Freddy Peralta, and they’ve got a solid core of young talent in the lineup. Outfielder Jackson Chourio had a great rookie season, infielder Joey Ortiz showed a lot of promise and William Contreras is on the short list of best catchers in the game. In a lower-end division, Milwaukee’s my pick.
NL West: Los Angeles Dodgers
It’s hard to pick against the reigning World Series champs in any season, but that’s exacerbated by the activity over the offseason for the Dodgers. They’ve assembled the best starting rotation in baseball (on paper): Blake Snell, Tyler Glasnow, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Shohei Ohtani, Roki Sasaki and take your pick of Dustin May, Tony Gonsolin, Bobby Miller and Clayton Kershaw when he returns. They acquired two of the best bullpen arms in baseball, lefty Tanner Scott and veteran Kirby Yates. L.A. extended NLCS MVP Tommy Edman and crowd favorite Teoscar Hernandez, and signed outfielder Michael Conforto to a one-year deal. This team should easily win 100+ games and win the NL West yet again.
Keira Evans 
Sydney Brammer