2025 MLB Season Check-In (First Half)

The first half of the 2025 MLB season has concluded. Which teams will punch their tickets to the Postseason? It's anyone's guess, but the final three months will become even more challenging. So have my picks for each division fared well? We're going to find out.

Just a reminder: I'll be referencing the story I wrote months ago before the season began throughout the remainder of this story and also, FanGraphs updates their odds of each team winning their divisions and winning the World Series daily. I'll have a link to the aforementioned story down below for your reference.

https://shopping-feedback.today/unbalanced/fan-graphs-mlb-predictions-for-2025-vcs7t0me8%3C/a%3E

Let's start with the American League!

AL East

FanGraphs' prediction: New York Yankees

My prediction: Baltimore Orioles

I'm 0-1 in my predictions, because the O's are currently last in their division at 43-52. Since the firing of their previous manager, Brandon Hyde, their offensive woes continue to plague them. They might be a year or two away from reaching the playoffs again. As for the Yankees, they are at 53-42, two games back of the Toronto Blue Jays. Honestly, I don't see them back in the World Series. Aaron Judge may be having a spectacular season so far, but I don't see the men in pinstripes reaching that same height for the second consecutive year.

AL Central

FanGraphs' prediction: Minnesota Twins

My prediction: Cleveland Guardians

I'm 0-2 in my predictions. The Guardians are currently at 46-49, 12 games back of the Tigers. The defending AL Central Champions had the time of their lives during their Postseason run in 2024, especially in the ALCS against the Yankees. The two biggest names, David Fry and Jhonkensy Noel, were the talk of the baseball town. 2024 AL Manager of the Year Winner Stephen Vogt, who is also a former MLB catcher, was praised for turning this team around. Unfortunately, in his second season as skipper, there are rumors that his job might be in jeopardy. Only time will tell if he will return in 2026 for a third season. The Twins are 11 1/2 games back of the Tigers, but 4 games back of a Wild Card spot. It would be interesting to see them in the playoffs if they were to make it. Also, congrats to Byron Buxton, who recently hit for a cycle, the first in Target Field's history and the first by a Twin since 2019. His stats, if you were curious, were he went 5-for-5 with a double, a triple, a hone run, two RBI, and three runs scored. Oh, and he accomplished this feat on his bobblehead day.

AL West

FanGraphs' prediction: Texas Rangers

My prediction: Texas Rangers

It's now 0-3 in my predictions. I had high hopes for my beloved Rangers before this season began. Fast forward to now, it's the same story as last season: being under .500. The Rangers now sit at 48-49, which is third in the division and 8 1/2 games back of the hated and disgraced Houston Astros. However, they're 3 1/2 games back of a Wild Card spot. The next series after the All-Star break will be against the red-hot Detroit Tigers, so the Rangers have to win a lot of games because this is not the time to be complacent. I'd like to see then have a sense of urgency, something that they failed to have last season. Also, I'd like to see them score more runs and work on the issue of runners in scoring position. Their hitting had been lackluster during the first half of the season and since then, the organization has hired a new hitting coach. I predicted that the Rangers would either win the division or clinch a Wild Card berth, but the latter would be their best chance at the moment. If they want to return to the playoffs for the first time in two years, they have to start winning games and I mean a lot of them. Like I said before, they need to show lots of urgency. Adolis García has been part of trade rumors recently. The player known as El Bombi is rumored to spark interest from the Los Angeles Dodgers and St. Louis Cardinals. It's a wait and see approach as the trade deadline is not too far away. Also, will Bruce Bochy return as the Rangers skipper? It's hard to tell at this point. If this team doesn't make it to the playoffs, he might be on his way out. While I do have the utmost respect for him and winning four World Series titles, things have to change. He's no doubt a future Hall of Famer, but I hope he turns things around in the second half of the season. Otherwise, his job might be in danger.

Onto the National League!

NL East

FanGraphs' prediction: Atlanta Braves

My prediction: New York Mets

0-4 in my predictions?! Say it ain't so! The Braves aren't doing too well, as they sit at 42-53, 12 1/2 games back of the team I'll discuss in a bit. Ronald Acuña, Jr. returned from his injury that he suffered last season and has been doing well since. They'll be hosting the upcoming All-Star Game, but FanGraphs had previously predicted a 64% chance of the Braves wining the division. The Mets, on the other hand, are only a 1/2 game behind the Philadelphia Phillies. 2024 was one the Mets' best seasons to date, with fans comparing it to the 2015 season. The OMG! Era was in full effect and with the offseason addition of Juan Soto, which was met (no pun intended) with heavy criticism, due to the ridiculous contract he signed. I talked about this topic in previous stories if you would like to read them, but I disagreed with the enormous amount. No baseball player, regardless of popularity or how long they've been in the league, is entitled to be paid close to a billion dollars. It gives off entitled vibes. What has Juan Soto done that makes him entitled to that much money? If the Mets don't make it to the World Series and/or win it all, the front office will have questions that they'll need to answer. One being if they regret offering Juan Soto a large amount of money. As for the Phillies, I had them missing the playoffs entirely. For now, they're leading the division. I still don't have faith in them when it comes to the Postseason. They're going to have the same issues once again, such as going for the long ball. They reached the NLDS last year but were eliminated by the aforementioned Mets and the year before that, they were eliminated by the Arizona Diamondbacks in a crucial and important Game 7 (the first Game 7 in Phillies history). You can't expect to have the same group of players and expect different results. I believe that Rob Thomson will be fired at season's end. They need a manager who wants to win and he's not the one. Plus, they should examine their starting rotation and make some trades. The Phillies can win as many NL East titles as they want, but they always crack under pressure in the playoffs and fizzle. To be honest, this is not a World Series winning team. Not even close.

NL Central

FanGraphs' prediction: Chicago Cubs

My prediction: Chicago Cubs

I'm now in the win column in my predictions. The Cubbies are at 57-39, one game ahead of the Milwaukee Brewers. FanGraphs had them at a 40% chance of winning the division. Last season, they finished 10 games back. The biggest name on the Cubs is Pete Crow-Armstrong. Better known by his initials, PCA, he was recently named as an All-Star for the first time in his career. He has been exciting to watch and I'm very impressed by his performance so far this season. It's been nearly a decade since the Cubs won their last World Series title. If you remember 2016 where they broke their 108-year-old curse by winning the World Series, chances are you remembered some of the players who were part of history, such as Anthony Rizzo, Kris Bryant, David Ross, and Ben Zobrist. I would love for them to make it to the Fall Classic again. Even if they were to win it all, I won't acknowledge Justin Turner as a World Series champion, due to the 2020 World Series title during his time with the Los Angeles Dodgers as invalid and it was a pandemic year. Translation: it didn't count.

NL West

FanGraphs' prediction: Los Angeles Dodgers

My prediction: San Diego Padres

FanGraphs had the Dodgers at an 83% chance of winning the division, but I thought otherwise. The defending World Series Champions have a record of 58-39, which they lead the division by 5 1/2 games ahead of the Padres. And no, I still won't acknowledge their 2020 World Series title as valid. The Dodgers have infuriated me and baseball fans for the past five years. Their offseason shenanigans and selfish behavior, such as the organization offering players from other teams large contracts, gatekeeping Japanese talent, and having multiple players being voted in the upcoming All-Star Game, which caused major backlash, are some of the reasons that they won't repeat as World Series Champions. No matter how many division titles and World Series titles they win, they'll have to accept and deal with the heavy criticism towards them for the foreseeable future. My huge dislike of this team, which I've written stories about previously, makes me look at them differently. They're too spoiled, overrated, selfish, and entitled for my liking. Besides, the world doesn't revolve around them or Shohei Ohtani. It's not always about them and they continue to talk above and over other players and teams who deserve more recognition. They suffer from main character syndrome, thinking they have to be the center of attention all the time and that's a toxic trait. Finally, let's talk about Clayton Kershaw. This might be his final year in Major League Baseball, as he's been in the league for nearly 20 years. My opinions about him changed when he made transphobic comments in an interview during Pride Month two years ago. This bigot, because that's what he is and will always be known as such, will never get any sort of praise from me. He's gets so angry and petty about the smallest things. On top of that, he whines a lot and looks for problems in everything. I used to like him, solely because of his amazing pitching. However, I'll never see him as one of the greatest of all time. He's supposed to be the "Face of the Dodgers", but hasn't lived up to that moniker. I believe it's best for him to call it a career and have a peaceful retirement. As for the Padres, they would need to go on huge winning streaks in order to knock the Dodgers out of first place in the NL East. They are, however, a 1/2 game ahead of the San Francisco Giants for a Wild Card spot. I rather see them in the World Series than the Dodgers, because that team is more exciting to watch and I love their positive vibe. The Dodgers have won the division for who knows how long, but I feel like the Padres will end that streak. We need new team in the Postseason for once not named the Dodgers.

Which teams do you think will make it to October? Who is your pick to win the World Series? Finally, do you believe that this will be the final seasons for Max Scherzer, Justin Verlander, and Clayton Kershaw? Sound off in the comments below. Be sure to give this story a like if you enjoyed it. Follow me on my social media pages and please subscribe to my page. Finally, please send me a one-off tip at the end of this story to support me as I continue to write and publish new stories.