Everything you need to know ahead of the 2025 MLB season

Settle in, because the MLB season is a lengthy one: The league’s 30 teams each play 162 regular-season games, beginning this afternoon and running through the end of September.

The squads are evenly divided into two leagues — the American League (AL) and National League (NL) — which are further split into three divisions each: East, Central, and West.

• The season consists of mostly three- or four-game series against each opponent, meaning things can get extra spicy, especially within the division.

As for the playoffs, only 12 of the 30 teams make the postseason, with three divisional winners and three Wild Card teams from each league advancing to the reason for the season: October baseball.

Baseball’s a team sport, but one player can make all the difference with a single swing of the bat or a perfectly thrown pitch. Here are a few of the top guys to watch this season.

Shohei Ohtani, designated hitter (DH) and pitcher, LA Dodgers: The one, the only. After inking a then record-breaking contract in 2024, Ohtani more than proved he was worth it, leading the Dodgers to a World Series trophy and securing his third career MVP honors.

• And in more good news, the two-way fan-favorite could be back on the mound as soon as May after exclusively hitting last year following major elbow surgery in September 2023. This really is the greatest Sho.

Juan Soto, outfielder, NY Mets: From tracked flights to internet conspiracy theories, Soto was the talk of the offseason as countless fan bases waited to see where he’d sign. And in the end, he moved from one Big Apple team to the other, leaving the Yankees to ink a record-setting $765M, 15-year contract with the Mets.

• With his incredible plate discipline and Ted Williams-esque hitting skills, Soto will certainly live up to the jaw-dropping deal. Queens, meet your new King.

Aaron Judge, outfielder, NY Yankees: Now a two-time AL MVP, Judge again put up astronomical numbers last season, leading the majors in home runs and RBI. The captain even led the Yanks to the World Series for the first time in his career but struggled on the game’s biggest stage. Expect him to, ahem, rise to the occasion with redemption on the line.

José Ramirez, third baseman, Cleveland Guardians: Flying a bit under the radar in small market Cleveland, Ramirez packs a major punch, blasting 39 home runs last season along with 118 runs batted in (RBI), the third-most in MLB. A six-time All-Star and 2024 Silver Slugger winner, if the ball is flying off Ramirez’s bat, the Guards will soar too.

Remember the names — these are the young guns and rising stars to watch as they further cement themselves in the bigs.

Paul Skenes, pitcher, Pittsburgh Pirates: Gymnast Livvy Dunne’s far more reserved other half, Skenes burst onto the scene his first year in the majors, capturing NL Rookie of the Year honors thanks to his electric stuff. Now the Pirates’ Opening Day starter for today’s 4:10 p.m. ET contest, sky’s the limit for Skenes in his sophomore campaign.

Elly De La Cruz, shortstop, Cincinnati Reds: Sensational speed, incredible power, infectious joy — De La Cruz has it all. After Elly Mania captured the nation’s attention in 2023 and he solidified it with an All-Star season last year, there’ll only be more De La Cruz highlights to come this year.

Gunnar Henderson, infielder, Baltimore Orioles: A key part of Baltimore’s eerily similar- looking youth movement, there was no sophomore slump for the 23-year-old, who followed up his 2023 AL Rookie of the Year performance by earning his first All-Star nod in 2024. Henderson will start the season on the injured list, but should be back to mashing in no time.

Bobby Witt Jr., shortstop, Kansas City Royals: They don’t call him “Bobby Baseball” for nothing. Twenty-four-year old Witt Jr. is the centerpiece of a Royals squad on the rise, getting the job done on the dirt and at the dish, including posting a league-leading .332 batting average last season.

It all begins on the mound — these are the top hurlers to see slinging it all season long.

Tarik Skubal, Detroit Tigers: The reigning AL Cy Young winner, Skubal straight-up dominated last season, leading the AL in ERA, strikeouts, and wins. Plus, he only shined brighter with the pressure on, putting the Tigers on his back left arm during their magical playoff run.

Chris Sale, Atlanta Braves: Sometimes all you need is a change of scenery — after an injury-plagued tenure with the Boston Red Sox, Sale made quite the first impression his debut season in Atlanta, earning his first career Cy Young award while posting the best ERA in MLB. Expect yet another dominant campaign from the southpaw.

Jacob deGrom, Texas Rangers: When he’s healthy, deGrom is downright nightmare fuel for batters, making opponents look silly with his control and pitch mix. Trouble is, he’s struggled with injury and hasn’t pitched a full season since 2019. Now back from his second Tommy John surgery in 2023, every deGrom bump day will be appointment viewing.

Emmanuel Clase, Cleveland Guardians: A lockdown closer for the Guards, Clase can bring it at speeds up to 103 mph, giving batters less than 0.4 seconds to react — no wonder opponents hit a mere .154 against him last season.

🏟️ Athletics and Tampa Bay Rays to play in minor league stadiums: With any references to “Oakland” behind them, the A’s are still in limbo ahead of their 2028 move to Las Vegas. The next few seasons will be played at a 14K-seat minor league stadium in West Sacramento, a major downgrade from the beloved 63K-capacity Oakland Coliseum.

• The Rays, meanwhile, will play their home games at the Yankees’ 11K-seat Spring Training facility after Hurricane Milton damaged the roof at Tropicana Field, where repair plans are turning out to be quite tricky.

🔀 New faces in new places: Somebody call David Bowie because there were a whole lot of ch-ch-ch-ch-changes this offseason. The Hot Stove burned brightest when the aforementioned Soto traded his pinstripes for Mets orange and blue (and baseball fans have already marked his return to Yankee Stadium — Friday, May 16th — on their calendars).

• Other major moves include longtime Houston Astros third baseman Alex Bregman heading to the Red Sox, the reigning AL champ Yankees making a whole host of additions, and the Dodgers inking pitchers Blake Snell and Rōki Sasaki.

💙 Can anyone beat the defending champs?: Speaking of, the Blue Crew somehow got even better after winning the 2024 World Series, not only adding two-time Cy Young winner Snell and Japanese sensation Sasaki but also re-signing key players like outfielder Teoscar Hernández and utility player Kiké Hernández. Needless to say, it’s trophy or bust once again.