Dutch Lion’s 2025 MLB Baseball “Preview”

Dutch Lion’s 2025 MLB Baseball “Preview”

Yeah, I know we’re late with this Preview column. Most teams have already played about 15 or 16 games, about 10% of their season. No big whoop. I mean, we still have 145 games to go. So my predictions are basically the same as if we hadn’t played any games yet. Trust me, I haven’t even really followed the standings much anyway. Meanwhile, I’ve been putting together this Preview for over a month now, as I was interrupted with a Spring Break trip to Italy. We were gone for about ten days, visiting our daughter who is studying in Florence, or as they say in Italia: Firenze. Italy was pretty incredible, but I missed the first two weeks of the NCAA Tournament, and all of Opening Day and Opening Week of baseball. It was hard for “Dutch Lion” to miss such important and exciting sports action. So now that we’re back in the States, we’re ramping up with some serious sports viewing. So far, so good. I hope you enjoy this year’s 2025 MLB Season Preview!

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Something needs to change. I think it’s time for Major League Baseball to strive for parity and install a Salary Cap. I know what you’re thinking. “Dutch, you’ve always loved the freedom of MLB owners to spend as much, or little, as they want. It’s their team. They can do what they want.” Well, times change. People evolve. The Dutch Lion has evolved.

A salary cap (and floor) needs to be instituted because so many “small market” owners (I use this term with quotes because owners use it as a crutch to gain sympathy for not trying) don’t spend any money, and thus, have no chance to compete. It’s a scapegoat, a handicap, a woe-is-me mentality. A loser’s mentality.

Baseball needs to do something so that owners like notorious spendthrift Jerry Reinsdorf of the Chicago White Sox are priced out of the business. If they don’t want to compete, then sell. They make a mockery of the game. I know the Cubs have commanded the most local interest in Chicago forever, but still, Jerry cries foul like he’s in a “small market” when in fact he’s in the 3rd biggest city in the USA. There are more than enough fans and media interest for the White Sox to be a big spender. But no, Mr. Reinsdorf has never awarded a bigger contract than Andrew Benintendi’s $75 million contract. Every other franchise in MLB has paid a player at least $100 million. I mean, this is unacceptable. The commissioner should step in and pressure Reinsdorf to either spend more or get out of the way. He’s holding back the franchise, which is bad for baseball.

Some may blame the Los Angeles Dodgers. I don’t blame them. I don’t. They are within the rules. If they want to pay huge gobs of money to get the best players, go ahead. They are trying to win each and every year. They give their fans great hope. That’s what we all want as fans, right? We want hope. We want to win. We want to cheer for our players.

We don’t want to lose our players to free agency or trades because our stupid owners won’t pay for them. I mean, “C’mon Jerry!” Let’s trade Dylan Cease now for prospects because we don’t want to pay long-term for pitchers. Goodbye Garrett Crochet! Goodbye everybody! The Sox are stupid. The Sox are dumb. Why should we cheer for them? It’s all so sad. Give it up Jerry. Sell the team and go away. Give it back to the real fans, the real people that deserve a team they can cheer for again.

As for the rest of baseball, I still love it. I love the sport, the stats, the games, the competition, the strategy, the long season. However, I still stand by the “Dutch Lion Plan”, the “DLP”. The DLP is my plan to re-energize the game with a new schedule. We need to “Make Baseball Great Again” (MBGA)!

Here’s what Baseball should do, using the DLP, as outlined here in 2019 and the MBGA:

• 1) shrink the schedule from 162 to 140 games
• 2) move the Playoffs and World Series up to August for prime summer viewership
• 3) install a Salary Cap & Floor
• 4) finally get past the “Steroid Era” and induct all on-the-field-deserving players to the Hall of Fame, meaning Pete Rose, Shoeless Joe Jackson, A-Rod, Clemens, etc. should all be inducted with notations on their plaques why they were “delayed” entry

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American League

A.L. East

1. New York Yankees (2025 Prediction: 97-65) (My 2024 Prediction: 95-67/2nd Place, ’24 Actual: 94-68/1st Place; -1)
2. Baltimore Orioles (’25 Prediction: 94-68) (My ’24 Prediction: 97-65/1st Place, ’24 Actual: 91-71/2nd Place; -6)
3. Boston Red Sox (’25 Prediction: 88-74) (My ’24 Prediction: 72-90/5th Place, ’24 Actual: 81-81/3rd Place; +9)
4. Toronto Blue Jays (’25 Prediction: 81-81) (My ’24 Prediction: 90-72/3rd Place, ’24 Actual: 74-88/5th Place; -16)
5. Tampa Bay Rays (’25 Prediction: 70-92) (My ’24 Prediction: 86-76/4th Place, ’24 Actual: 80-82/4th Place; -6)

A.L. Central

1. Minnesota Twins (’25 Prediction: 91-71) (My ’24 Prediction: 87-75/1st Place, ’24 Actual: 82-80/4th Place; -5)
2. Cleveland Guardians (’25 Prediction: 90-72) (My ’24 Prediction: 83-79/2nd Place, ’24 Actual: 92-69/1st Place; +9.5)
3. Detroit Tigers (’25 Prediction: 82-80) (My ’24 Prediction: 81-81/3rd Place, ’24 Actual: 86-76/T-2nd Place; +5)
4. Kansas City Royals (’25 Prediction: 78-84) (My ’24 Prediction: 70-92/4th Place, ’24 Actual: 86-76/T-2nd Place; +16)
5. Chicago White Sox (’25 Prediction: 65-97) (My ’24 Prediction: 68-94/5th Place, ’24 Actual: 41-121/5th Place; -27) – Are you kidding me?!? Yeah, they finished at the bottom of the division, we got that much right. However, we didn’t think they’d not only be the AL’s worst, or MLB’s worst, but actually down there with the worst teams of all-time! The Chi-Sox won only 41 games, I mean, c’mon man! How embarrassing! The franchise hit rock bottom. I’m so sad as a Sox fan. It’s dumb. It’s stupid. The only good news is, it can’t get worse, right? Right???

A.L. West

1. Texas Rangers (’25 Prediction: 92-70) (My ’24 Prediction: 93-69/1st Place, ’24 Actual: 78-84/3rd Place; -15)
2. Seattle Mariners (’25 Prediction: 87-75) (My ’24 Prediction: 89-73/2nd Place, ’24 Actual: 85-77/2nd Place; -4)
3. Houston Astros (’25 Prediction: 85-77) (My ’24 Prediction: 87-75/3rd Place, ’24 Actual: 88-73/1st Place; +1.5)
4. Los Angeles Angels (’25 Prediction: 70-92) (My ’24 Prediction: 65-97/4th Place, ’24 Actual: 63-99/5th Place; -2)
5. Sacramento Athletics (’25 Prediction: 65-97) (My ’24 Prediction: 55-107/5th Place, ’24 Actual: 69-93/4th Place; +14)

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2025 A.L. MVP: Bobby Witt/SS/Kansas City Royals

“The Uncle Glen Cy Young Award” 2025 A.L. Cy Young Award: Logan Gilbert/SP/Seattle Mariners

2025 A.L. Rookie of the Year Award: Jasson Dominguez/OF/New York Yankees

2025 A.L. Manager of the Year Award: Aaron Boone/New York Yankees

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2025 A.L. Playoff Seeds

1. New York Yankees (97-65) – East Champ (1st Round Bye)
2. Texas Rangers (92-70) – West Champ (1st Round Bye)
3. Minnesota Twins (91-71) – Central Champ (vs #6 seed in Wild Card Round)
4. Baltimore Orioles (94-68) – * Wild Card (vs #5 seed in Wild Card Round)
5. Cleveland Indians/Guardians/Spiders (should have gone with Spiders) (90-72)- * Wild Card
6. Seattle Mariners (87-75) – * Wild Card

American League Wild Card (ALWC) (Best of 3, all games at home for higher/better seed)

#3 Minnesota over #6 Seattle

#4 Baltimore over #5 Cleveland

American League Division Series (ALDS) (Best of 5)

#2 Texas over #3 Minnesota

#1 N.Y. Yankees over #4 Baltimore

American League Championship Series (ALCS) (Best of 7)

#1 N.Y. Yankees over #2 Texas

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National League

N.L. East

1. Philadelphia Phillies (’25 Prediction: 97-65) (’24 Prediction: 95-67/2nd Place, ’24 Actual: 95-67/1st Place; Exact)
2. New York Mets (’25 Prediction: 94-68) (’24 Prediction: 81-81/3rd Place, ’24 Actual: 89-73/T 2nd Place; +8)
3. Atlanta Braves (’25 Prediction: 84-78) (’24 Prediction: 97-65/1st Place, ’24 Actual: 89-73/T 2nd Place; -8)
4. Washington Nationals (’25 Prediction: 70-92) (’24 Prediction: 69-93/4th Place, ’24 Actual: 71-91/4th Place; +2)
5. Miami Marlins (’25 Prediction: 55-107) (’24 Prediction: 65-97/5th Place, ’24 Actual: 62-100/5th Place; -3)

N.L. Central

1. Milwaukee Brewers (’25 Prediction: 92-70) (’24 Prediction: 86-76/2nd Place, ’24 Actual: 93-69/1st Place; +7)
2. Chicago Cubs (’25 Prediction: 89-73) (’24 Prediction: 78-84/4th Place, ’24 Actual: 83-79/T 2nd Place; +5)
3. St. Louis Cardinals (’25 Prediction: 85-77) (’24 Prediction: 84-78/3rd Place, ’24 Actual: 83-79/ T 2nd Place; -1)
4. Cincinnati Reds (’25 Prediction: 80-82) (’24 Prediction: 90-72/1st Place, ’24 Actual: 77-85/4th Place; -13)
5. Pittsburgh Pirates (’25 Prediction: 65-97) (’24 Prediction: 70-92/5th Place, ’24 Actual: 76-86/5th Place; +6)

N.L. West

1. Los Angeles Dodgers (’25 Prediction: 102-60) (’24 Prediction: 105-57/1st Place, ’24 Actual: 98-64/1st Place; -7)
2. San Diego Padres (’25 Prediction: 93-69) (’24 Prediction: 87-75/3rd Place, ’24 Actual: 93-69/2nd Place; +6)
3. Arizona Diamondbacks (’25 Prediction: 87-75) (’24 Prediction: 90-72/2nd Place, ’24 Actual: 89-73/3rd Place; -1)
4. San Francisco Giants (’25 Prediction: 81-81) (’24 Prediction: 81-81/4th Place, ’24 Actual: 80-82/4th Place; -1)
5. Colorado Rockies (’25 Prediction: 59-103) (’24 Prediction: 60-102/5th Place, ’24 Actual: 61-101/5th Place; +1)

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2025 N.L. MVP: Shohei Ohtani/DH/SP/Los Angeles Dodgers

2025 N.L. Cy Young Award: Zack Wheeler/SP/Philadelphia Phillies

2025 N.L. Rookie of the Year Award: Matt Shaw/3B/Chicago Cubs

2025 N.L. Manager of the Year Award: Pat Murphy/Milwaukee Brewers

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2025 N.L. Playoff Seeds

1. Los Angeles Dodgers (102-60) – West Champ (1st Round Bye)
2. Philadelphia Phillies (97-65) – East Champ (1st Round Bye)
3. Milwaukee Brewers (92-70) – Central Champ (vs #6 seed in Wild Card Round)
4. New York Mets (94-68) – * Wild Card (vs #5 seed in Wild Card Round)
5. San Diego Padres (93-69) – * Wild Card
6. Chicago Cubs (89-73) – * Wild Card

National League Wild Card (NLWC) (Best of 3, all games at home for higher/better seed)

#3 Milwaukee over #6 Chicago Cubs

#4 N.Y. Mets over #5 San Diego

National League Division Series (NLDS) (Best of 5)

#2 Philadelphia over #3 Milwaukee

#1 L.A. Dodgers over #4 N.Y. Mets

National League Championship Series (NLCS) (Best of 7)

#2 Philadelphia over #1 L.A. Dodgers

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2025 World Series

Philadelphia Phillies over New York Yankees – These franchises met in the 2009 World Series, when the Yankees won in six games to grab their record 27th world championship. This was the last World Championship for the Yankees, somewhat amazingly. 16 years ago! Has New York ever gone this long in between championships? Well yeah, barely. Going into 1996, the Yanks hadn’t won since ’78. (17 seasons without a title). They have now gone 15 seasons without a title… and counting. Could they win it this year? Certainly. Will they? No. The Philadelphia Phillies will be your 2025 World Series Champions.

We predicted Philadelphia over Baltimore last year. It ended up being the L.A. Dodgers over the N.Y. Yankees, giving the modern L.A. dynasty their second ring (2020). We’re doubling down on Philly, as we think they have the best top-of-the-rotation in Zack Wheeler and Aaron Nola, backed up by one of the top hitting lineups in all of baseball. Bryce Harper will be the 2025 World Series MVP. Don’t forget about Kyle Schwarber, Trea Turner, Nick Castellanos, Alec Bohm, J.T. Realmuto, Brandon Marsh, and Bryson Stott. The Phils have increased their win totals since 2017 when they bottomed out with only 66 victories. Since then, they’ve won 80, 81, (Covid year 28), 82, 87, 90, and 95. Last year’s 95 wins was enough to claim the N.L. East for their first division championship since 2011. It’s time for Philadelphia to do more. Like their cities’ NFL football team, the Eagles, we expect Philadelphia’s baseball team to use that inspiration to go all the way to the title, celebrating in downtown Philly in early November.

That’s it for now. We hope you enjoyed this year’s “Preview”. We know you’ll enjoy the rest of the beautiful Summer season. Get out there and enjoy some games. Break out your baseballs and mitts. Play catch with your friends. Have fun and good luck!