The 2024 Major League Baseball season has officially come and gone, and the playoff bracket is currently underway.
However, regardless of which of the remaining teams is hoisting a trophy at the end of the season, each of the 30 teams has plenty of takeaways from the season. Some good, some bad, and some the Chicago White Sox, the following is a brief look back at each team’s season, and how each team shapes up heading into another long winter.
Baltimore Orioles
The Orioles were a team that looked destined for greatness in the first half of the season, only to fall apart down the stretch. Elite offensive seasons from both young star Gunnar Henderson and veteran Anthony Santander fell on deaf ears, as the team had to settle for a Wild Card berth, rather than winning the AL East. After a quick two-game series elimination against the Kansas City Royals, the team needs are evident – pitching. Pending free agent Corbin Burnes carried the staff throughout 2024, and won’t be cheap to retain, but an arm or two to pair with Grayson Rodriguez in the rotation to help bridge the gap to the team’s above-average bullpen is nearly a requirement this winter. Offensively, Santander is slated to hit free agency as well, but the group of Henderson, Adley Rutschman, and Colton Cowser is plenty powerful enough to carry its weight, especially with improvement expected from both Coby Mayo and Jackson Holliday coming in 2025.
MVP: Gunnar Henderson
Cy Young: Corbin Burnes
Rookie of the Year: Colton Cowser
New York Yankees
The most despised team in all of baseball has rediscovered its Death Star mentality, as the Yankees won the AL East for the first time since 2022, and second since 2019. The team was carried by perhaps the best offensive duo in baseball, Juan Soto and Aaron Judge, pacing them to 94 wins in 2024. However, the team also got surprising production out of its pitching staff this season. Rookie Luis Gil, Carlos Rodon, and ace Gerrit Cole combined for a solid trio atop the rotation, with Clarke Schmidt and Nestor Cortes contributing nicely as well, when healthy. Heading into the winter, the team will need to address the need for offensive supporting staff, as the oft-injured Giancarlo Stanton was the only bridge from Judge and Soto to a group of underwhelming, underperforming hitters. The team also could have a bullpen issue on their hands, seeing production from 23 different relievers this season, many of which were new to the team.
MVP: Aaron Judge
Cy Young: Luis Gil
Rookie of the Year: Luis Gil
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are the blatant definition of average, and that’s okay. The team went 81-81 this season, and in all honesty, exceeded expectations in doing so. After shipping off Chris Sale to Atlanta for absolutely nothing, the team saw lackluster performance out of their starting staff. Tanner Houck anchored an otherwise average group of starters, but it was the bullpen that kept the team afloat on the mound. Future Hall of Famer Kenley Jansen paired well with rookie Rule 5 pick Justin Slaten in the back end of the bullpen. However, it was the offense that truly impressed me in 2024. Stacked on young talent, the team saw major steps forward from Tyler O’Neill and Jarren Duran, as well as surprising seasons from Wilyer Abreu and Connor Wong. If the team can retain their pending offensive free agents, and build towards their rotation, a return to October baseball could be in sight for Boston.
MVP: Jarren Duran
Cy Young: Tanner Houck
Rookie of the Year: Wilyer Abreu
Tampa Bay Rays
The Rays were certainly a unique team in 2024. They kept afloat, finishing just below .500 in one of the most competitive divisions in baseball. However, how they did so really isn’t clear. The offensive unit is not fantastic, outside of Yandy Diaz, who is now on the wrong side of 30, and Brandon Lowe, who has only played over 130 games once in his seven-year career. The team’s bullpen is borderline elite, with Edwin Uceta, Pete Fairbanks, and Kevin Kelly acting as a three-headed monster closing out games. The team’s rotation was a bit underwhelming, however, with only Zack Littell and Ryan Pepiot showing any value in the early portion of games. This team will need to address their offensive woes this winter, perhaps by trading away from their incredibly deep bullpen. However, with a front office of baseball geniuses, the Rays are never far away from contention, and likely stay that way heading into 2025.
MVP: Yandy Diaz
Cy Young: Edwin Uceta
Rookie of the Year: Junior Caminero
Toronto Blue Jays
The Blue Jays had the unlikely path of being better after the trade deadline than they were before, despite selling off players. Incumbent Jays Vladimir Guerrero Jr and Spencer Horwitz led the team offensively all season long. However, it was trade deadline acquisition Will Wagner who looked strong after the move, batting .305. In the rotation, the team has a nice trio atop the starting five of Kevin Gausman, Jose Berrios, and Bowden Francis, but lack further depth in this regard immensely. An injury to top prospect Ricky Tiedemann mid-season only added to those woes and is something that will need to be addressed this winter. The team’s bullpen also put up lackluster results most of the season, with only Chad Green, Genesis Cabrera, and Brendon Little being reliable for the bulk of the 162-game slate. This team will need to rely on its young offensive core and continue to build a pitching staff through free agency to be relevant in 2025.
MVP: Vladimir Guerrero Jr
Cy Young: Jose Berrios
Rookie of the Year: Spencer Horwitz
Chicago White Sox
Embarrassing, awful, and downright sad. Nothing is good about this team, or this organization. After going 41-121 and losing a record number of games, the team will look to cut payroll further in the winter. The team’s offense had absolutely zero production all year, with only two of their 29 hitters appearing seeing their OPS finish above league average. Those being Tommy Pham, who did not finish the season on the team, and Yoan Moncada, who played 12 games. The team’s bullpen was putrid, with rookie Fraser Ellard putting up the only notable stat line in that regard. If there was any silver lining, the team has a decent group of starting pitching that could develop into 2025. Garrett Crochet should be traded, but he won’t be, Jonathan Cannon, Davis Martin, Sean Burke and Ky Bush each have their promise, and could be a decent rotation, at least for a team that won 41 games. While this team is directionless, tearing down whatever value that remains in the organization this winter is certainly a must. The team’s farm system is excruciatingly lackluster and will need outside additions to provide any hope for the southside of Chicago in the next decade.
MVP: Garrett Crochet
Cy Young: Garrett Crochet
Rookie of the Year: Jonathan Cannon
Cleveland Guardians
The Guardians, despite not looking like it on paper, are pretty good. They won the AL Central handily, winning 92 games. They threw together a nice offense, with Jose Ramirez falling a homer short of the quietest 40 home run, 40 stolen base season ever. Add in help from Josh Naylor, Steven Kwan, Jhonkensy Noel, and David Fry, it was no surprise to see this team win games. However, the pitching was where the true story stands. Their bullpen was historically good, with five relievers clocking in an ERA under two, a minimum of 40 innings pitched. That group was led by closer Emmanuel Clase, who put up one of the best seasons ever by a closer, likely giving him Cy Young votes. Cleveland struggled in the starting pitching department, and will certainly need to address that as the winter goes on. Tanner Bibee can’t start every game, but the fearsome bullpen certainly can finish every game.
MVP: Jose Ramirez
Cy Young: Emmanuel Clase
Rookie of the Year: Jhonkensy Noel
Detroit Tigers
Easily the surprise of the season, not only did the Tigers make the playoffs, but they eliminated the Houston Astros in the Wild Card round. It would be irresponsible to start with anyone besides ace Tarik Skubal as to why this happened. Skubal won the pitching triple crown, and will certainly add a Cy Young to his name by season’s end. The team also constructed a solid bullpen, with Beau Brieske, Will Vest, and Tyler Holton each putting up impressive seasons, and throwing a ton of innings in the process. The Detroit offense leaves a little to be desired for now, but the outfield duo of Kerry Carpenter and Riley Greene are budding to be one of the best in baseball. This team is young, in fact, the youngest in baseball, and is built for the future. Adding a starter and an established bat could set the Tigers up for perennial playoff appearances for years to come.
MVP: Tarik Skubal
Cy Young: Tarik Skubal
Rookie of the Year: Colt Keith
Kansas City Royals
Yet another playoff team that came from the AL Central, the Royals certainly sit in a bit of an in-between stage. They have one of the best young players in baseball at shortstop for the next decade in Bobby Witt, but lack much further offensive help around him. Salvador Perez seemingly gets better with age but is 34 now, and Vinnie Pasquantino was the most consistent, reliable bat around Witt all season long. The team also has a questionable bullpen, though closer Lucas Erceg is developing into one of the most elite relievers in baseball. The team’s starting rotation, however, is where the true value shows. Michael Wacha, Brady Singer, Seth Lugo, and Cole Ragans combine for one of the best top fours in any rotation in baseball, and almost certainly pitched them to their Wild Card berth. For 2025, this team will need to add a reliable outfield bat and some bullpen help to keep up. However, they are very young, and have the potential to be dangerous for years to come.
MVP: Bobby Witt Jr
Cy Young: Cole Ragans
Rookie of the Year: N/A
Minnesota Twins
Someone had to lose out on the Tigers’ late-season surge, and that was the Twins. To their credit, the team had a good season but endured a losing streak at simply the wrong time down the stretch. The team has a good, but not great offense, and needed more production out of budding superstar Royce Lewis. The team did see others step up, like Matt Wallner and Jose Miranda. Despite being pieced together heavily due to frequent injuries, the team’s bullpen put up solid numbers this season as well, led by Griffin Jax and closer Jhoan Duran. The real question mark for this season and beyond is the team’s starting rotation, despite having Pablo Lopez in the fray. This team in particular will benefit from a clean bill of health heading into 2025, and potentially the addition of an innings-eating starting pitcher to slot into the rotation.
MVP: Byron Buxton
Cy Young: Joe Ryan
Rookie of the Year: Simeon Woods-Richardson
Los Angeles Angels
The White Sox get the flack, but man the Angels are poorly run as well. There’s no true sense of direction within the organization. The team won 63 games this season, and were without Mike Trout yet again, as the star nursed another knee injury. In his place, Zach Neto stepped up, proving himself as one of the best young shortstops in the game, and Taylor Ward had yet another solid offensive year. However, that’s it. Everything else wasn’t pretty or was limited due to injuries, in Luis Reginfo’s case. The starting rotation wasn’t much better, with Tyler Anderson and Jose Soriano both putting up respectable seasons at best. To their credit, the team looks to have built an intriguing bullpen, with a plethora of options moving forward, but none more promising than Ben Joyce. Joyce hit 106 on the radar a few times this season, and will certainly lineup to close games for the sputtering Angels in 2025.
MVP: Zach Neto
Cy Young: Tyler Anderson
Rookie of the Year: Ben Joyce
Oakland Athletics
Overshadowed by an excruciatingly unfair departure from Oakland, the Athletics really took a large step forward in 2024. Despite only winning 69 games, the team has built a quietly elite offense. Brent Rooker is one of the best hitters in the whole league, and fellow outfielders Lawrence Butler and JJ Bleday both saw all-star-level production throughout the season. Add in further promise from Tyler Soderstrom and Shea Langeliers, that once this team gets to the thinner Sacramento air, the offense will likely get even better. Pitching, however, is a different story. The team has next to zero reliable starting pitchers, with JP Sears representing the only thing close to it in 2024. However, like many other teams, the A’s put together a solid bullpen behind their rotation, of course, led by flamethrowing closer Mason Miller. If the A’s can add a few starters this winter, don’t be shocked to see them compete for a playoff spot in 2025.
MVP: Brent Rooker
Cy Young: Mason Miller
Rookie of the Year: Michel Otanez
Seattle Mariners
It was really a tale of two seasons for Seattle in 2024. Once ownership made a personnel change in the dugout, the team really took off. Edgar Martinez had the offensive unit truly slugging by year’s end, led by Victor Robles, Cal Raleigh, and Luke Raley. However, further consistency within that offense will be needed going forward. Star centerfielder Julio Rodriguez will also need to find a consistent base underneath him moving forward, as he is the true X-Factor for the Mariners. On the other side of the ball, however, Seattle has an embarrassment of riches. The team is truly five deep in their starting rotation, led by Logan Gilbert and Luis Castillo. Add in a decent bullpen unit, the Mariners are set up to be competitive again in 2025. Finding more consistent offense, a reliever or two, and holding down the fearsome fivesome in the rotation will be of priority for the Mariners this winter, as they prepare for next season.
MVP: Logan Gilbert
Cy Young: Logan Gilbert
Rookie of the Year: N/A
Texas Rangers
If there was ever any needed proof of a World Series hangover being real, look at the Rangers. The team dealt with injuries for most of 2024, especially within the pitching staff. Add in a bullpen that was just not very good outside of Kirby Yates and David Robertson, and the team’s struggles were evident. Offensively, the team’s championship potential still shines clearly. Corey Seager, Wyatt Langford, and Nathaniel Lowe represent a very good starting point for any offense, and the team saw down seasons from both Marcus Semien and Adolis Garcia. However, help wasn’t ever far, as Josh Smith and Josh Jung both stepped up nicely offensively throughout the season. Addressing the bullpen, hoping for some offensive rebounds, and getting a clean bill of health for starters like Jacob deGrom and Tyler Mahle should rejuvenate this team in 2025.
MVP: Corey Seager
Cy Young: Nathan Eovaldi
Rookie of the Year: Wyatt Langford
Houston Astros
After reaching the ALCS in seven straight years, the surging Tigers ended the Astros season in the Wild Card round of the playoffs, and it’s representative of a closing competitive window. Kyle Tucker and Yordan Alvarez are among the best hitters and baseball, and Jose Altuve seems ageless, still hitting at 34. However, Alex Bregman is set to depart via free agency at year’s end, and the team is without a reliable offensive option at first base and left field, which is never a good sign for any team. The team’s pitching is still impressive, with both Framber Valdez and Ronel Blanco looking good throughout the year. However, planned rotation anchors Cristian Javier and Justin Verlander did not, which hurt the team. Javier dealt with injuries, and Verlander seems to have Father Time catch up to him. Add in a pieced-together, yet reliable bullpen, and the team needs to continue to squeeze out what they can of this particular core and start thinking more for the future. The team currently has a lackluster farm system.
MVP: Yordan Alvarez
Cy Young: Ronel Blanco
Rookie of the Year: Spencer Arrighetti
Atlanta Braves
Despite making the playoffs, the Braves did not have a very Atlanta-esque season. Repeating injuries and down seasons from offensive stars outside of Marcell Ozuna led to inconsistencies in scoring runs, preventing the team from winning games they would have otherwise in years passed. On the flip side of the ball, the Braves got extremely good production out of their starting staff, including soon-to-be Cy Young Chris Sale, veterans Max Fried and Reynaldo Lopez, and rookie Spencer Schwellenbach. Couple this with a borderline elite bullpen, it was no question how the Braves stayed afloat into the Wild Card series, even if it did take an extra day to get there. Further lamenting the offense should be a priority this winter, and it’d be no surprise to see this time back in the hunt for October moving forward.
MVP: Marcell Ozuna
Cy Young: Chris Sale
Rookie of the Year: Spencer Schwellenbach
Philadelphia Phillies
If it weren’t for the Dodgers, the Phillies might just be the best team in the National League. Headlined by the best one-two rotation in baseball with Zack Wheeler and Aaron Nola, coupled with supporting cast Cristopher Sanchez and Ranger Suarez, the Phillies have immense ability to pitch themselves to wins. The team’s bullpen was scarily good as well. Sub-three ERA seasons from Matt Strahm, Jeff Hoffman, rookie Orion Kerkering, and trade deadline acquisition Carlos Estevez bridged the gap from the starting five to the end of the games quite well. However, unlike a lot of teams with this blessing, the Phillies were able to score runs too. Bryce Harper is somehow the most underrated player in baseball, Kyle Schwarber is a proverbial lock for 35 homers every year, and if something is wrong in the world, Nicholas Castellanos is probably going deep that night. Not to mention, this team still has Trea Turner as well. The goal this winter should be to keep the core together completely, perhaps find a reliever, and work towards another NL East crown in 2025.
MVP: Bryce Harper
Cy Young: Zack Wheeler
Rookie of the Year: Orion Kerkering
Miami Marlins
This is a team that used an astonishing 70 different players in 2024. A large part of that is due to a fire sale at the trade deadline, one that the Marlins executed perfectly. The team’s current offensive makeup is horrific, however. Xavier Edwards looks to be a fun piece for the future, and Jake Burger is painfully average despite his power makeup. Throw in a randomly good season from Jonah Bride as a backup first baseman, and there isn’t a lot to talk about here. Excessive injuries to the starting staff derailed Maimi’s season before it really started, and their statistics reflected that. The team also shifted bullpen arms more frequently than most people change socks, which makes it really hard to compete. I mean, some of these guys even I haven’t heard of. Austin Kitchen? Jonathan Bermudez? Michael Petersen? Oh, man. For 2025, sticking with the tank, and awaiting the arrival of some of the prospects acquired at the trade deadline should be the priority. Connor Norby has already done so and was slightly productive after the trade. Due process and time will tell Miami’s long-term fate.
MVP: Xavier Edwards
Cy Young: Calvin Faucher
Rookie of the Year: Xavier Edwards
Washington Nationals
Despite the 71-91 record, there aren’t many teams as well built for the future than the Nationals, and that was on display as 2024 winded down. Top outfield prospects James Wood and Dylan Crews officially arrived, and are coupled with elite defensive center fielder Jacob Young to make one of the best young outfields in all of baseball. Add in CJ Abrams, minus the off-the-field issues, Luis Garcia Jr, Juan Yepez, and a few trade deadline acquisitions, and you have the beginnings of a really, really good offense. The pitching leaves a lot more to be desired, and there certainly isn’t as much help on the way. MacKenzie Gore, Mitchell Parker, and Jake Irvin represent an okay at best rotation anchor. Kyle Finnegan is truly the team’s only notable reliever, besides Derek Law who is hitting free agency this winter. The team will need to prioritize pitching in a big way, especially in the bullpen this winter. Trading from their excessive offensive prospect depth to acquire a starting pitcher could turn the Nationals into a sneaky Wild Card team next season.
MVP: Luis Garcia Jr
Cy Young: MacKenzie Gore
Rookie of the Year: James Wood
New York Mets
In typical Mets fashion, this team had one of the strangest seasons ever. A team that rallied around their veteran utility infielder becoming a pop star, Grimace, and eventually the Hawk Tuah girl, somehow turned into a playoff team. Mark Vientos and Francisco Lindor led the offense all season, and Jose Iglesias actually produced on the field just as much as he did behind the microphone. Not to forget the standard 30-plus home runs from Pete Alonso at first base. The pitching staff as a whole was rather average. The bullpen saw a down year from Edwin Diaz, and outside of Jose Butto, didn’t really receive consistent production from anywhere. The starting five was actually quite reliable, though. Led by Sean Manaea, the team got very good production out of Luis Severino and Jose Quintana too. The downfall here is that three of the four starters leaned on most heavily are headed to free agency, minus David Peterson. This team has a slew of offensive players hitting the market as well, including Alonso. Retaining what they can, and buffing the bullpen will need to be on the docket for David Stearns this winter.
MVP: Francisco Lindor
Cy Young: Sean Manaea
Rookie of the Year: Reed Garrett
Chicago Cubs
This team was actually way better than they should have been this season, and it looks to be a sustained improvement moving forward. Michael Busch, Ian Happ, and Seiya Suzuki turned into a nice offensive trio on the Northside, not to mention the ever-intimidating presence of Cody Bellinger in the same lineup. Coupled with impressive starting pitching, especially from rookie Shota Imanaga and incumbent ace Justin Steele, the Cubs quietly won 83 games and finished the year second in the NL Central. The team has a strength with their bullpen as well. Headlined by Porter Hodge, the Cubs saw impressive production from five or six different bullpen arms, and are quietly built for a decent run in 2025. Adding to the offense, and perhaps finding a veteran pitcher to eat some innings out of the rotation should be looked into this winter, but this could be the team destined to win the NL Central next season.
MVP: Seiya Suzuki
Cy Young: Shota Imanaga
Rookie of the Year: Shota Imanaga
Milwaukee Brewers
They’ve done it again. The team least built for the playoffs in the NL Central won the division. The team’s offense is lackluster, outside of budding superstars Jackson Chourio and William Contreras, they only relied on Christian Yelich consistently, and he played less than half the season’s worth of games. The remainder of the offense is painstakingly average or worse, and a few bats of high caliper will be needed this winter to remain relevant. The pitching is the true story here though. This team has a knack for turning random, under-the-radar acquisition pitchers into elite-level producers. The team’s best starter was Tobias Myers, who was a minor league free agent signing, and they also relied heavily on Joe Ross, who returned to the majors after a few seasons in Japan. The bullpen shows even more examples of this witchcraft. The team relied on waiver claims Bryan Hudson, Trevor Megill, and Jared Koenig in replacement of the injured Devin Williams most of the season, and benefited mightily. They also saw success from Enoli Parades in this regard, another minor league free agent, and Elvis Peguero, who was a throw-in for a minor trade two winters ago. My guess would be regression into 2025 for this team, but they’ve proven they don’t believe in that much a few times now.
MVP: William Contreras
Cy Young: Tobias Myers
Rookie of the Year: Tobias Myers
St. Louis Cardinals
What happened to the team I grew up loving? 2024 was vastly improved from 2023, but it’s still not the Cardinals the city knows and loves. Credit where it’s due, the pitching staff was completely improved last season. The starting pitching was not flashy but got the job done and then some, led by Andre Pallante, of all players. The bullpen was easily the best part of the team, with Ryan Helsely looking like the best closer in the NL, and JoJo Romero, Ryan Fernandez, Andrew Kittredge, and John King helping get from the rotation to the red lights of ACDC’s Hells Bells playing at Busch Stadium. The offense, however, was a different story. Willson Contreras was the best hitter on the team and spent most of the season injured. Brendan Donovan, Masyn Winn, and Alec Burleson each had productive seasons for the most part, but hovered around the league average in OPS at year’s end. Despite already giving up on 2025, the team is truly just a couple of consistent bats away from contention but will go in a different direction instead. Another long season of Cardinal baseball is ahead in 2025.
MVP: Ryan Helsley
Cy Young: Ryan Helsley
Rookie of the Year: Masyn Winn
Pittsburgh Pirates
How good is Paul Skenes? No matter how good you might think, he’s better. He kept the Pirates relevant in 2024. Throw in Jared Jones, Luis Ortiz, and Mitch Keller, and there is the start of something solid at PNC Park. Continuing with the pitching staff, the team’s bullpen was pretty good in 2024 as well. Despite a down year from David Bednar, ageless wonder Aroldis Chapman stepped up in his place, and the team got solid numbers from Kyle Nicolas, Colin Holderman, Dennis Santana, and Carmen Mlodzinski out of the relief corps. Offensively, things aren’t as shiny and bright. Oneil Cruz came into his own once he was moved to center field, and Joey Bart really looked good after his arrival in Pittsburgh. Throw in good seasons from organizational staples Bryan Reynolds and Andrew McCutchen, and you have nearly the entirety of the team’s offense this season. Retaining McCutchen, finding more offense, and maybe adding a starting pitcher should be on the to-do list for the Pirates this winter, and looking into giving Skenes a blank check wouldn’t be a bad idea either.
MVP: Paul Skenes
Cy Young: Paul Skenes
Rookie of the Year: Paul Skenes
Cincinnati Reds
The Reds are the Pirates in a lot of ways. This team had an elite offense on paper, but that’s where the elite-level hype ended in 2024, on paper. Elly De La Cruz is by far this team’s best offensive weapon, and no one really came close to him. Getting Matt McLain back from injury in 2025 should help, and the team has already moved into a new direction with its hitting coaches as well. The talent is certainly there, it simply needs to be executed better. Pitching-wise, Hunter Greene has finally arrived as he was advertised when he was drafted, and Andrew Abbott slotted in nicely as a reliable starter as well. The bullpen had nice production out of a few guys, including Buck Farmer and Brent Suter, but both are slated to hit free agency this winter. Suring up the bullpen and the rotation, and figuring out how to unlock the offense is key to the Reds’ success moving forward. The team has already made a positive move, however, in hiring Terry Francona as their manager for the next three seasons.
MVP: Elly De La Cruz
Cy Young: Hunter Greene
Rookie of the Year: Rhett Lowder
Colorado Rockies
Someone in the NL West has to be embarrassing every year, and this year it was the Rockies, like most often. The team finally showed the makings of a decent offensive core, with Michael Toglia, Ezequiel Tovar, and Brenton Doyle each having decent seasons, and all being under the age of 26. Outside of Doyle, however, no one stood out anywhere with the sticks. While factoring in the Coors Field effect, no one on the pitching staff stood out at all. Ryan Feltner was the only league-average starter in terms of ERA+, and Austin Gomber was just a step behind him in that regard. They had nice returns from Luis Peralta after he made his MLB debut in August out of the bullpen, but the excitement really ends there. However, a shoutout to the Rockies for letting Lindenwood graduate Geoff Hartlieb get into a few games this season. Moving forward, finding more offense is key for this organization. Adael Amador is coming with a few other prospects, but pitching will never be successful in the thinner mountainous air. They will need to outscore their opponents immensely to find relevancy.
MVP: Brenton Doyle
Cy Young: Ryan Feltner
Rookie of the Year: Luis Peralta
San Francisco Giants
The Giants are a very strange team. They have an offense that is truly really good, but made of players casual fans probably have not heard of. LaMonte Wade Jr, Heliot Ramos, Tyler Fitzgerald, and Jerar Encarnacion each made nice strides with the bat in 2024, joining more established players in Michael Conforto and Mike Yastrzemski. The pitching was the tale of two seasons. Ace Logan Webb found himself in a bit of an unprecedented down season, and Blake Snell was awful until after the all-star break, where he found his Cy Young abilities once again, and became one of the best pitchers in all of baseball from then on. Their bullpen was quite fun too, featuring twins, the tallest pitcher in baseball, and a plethora of guys who came at batters from unique angles. None were better than Ryan Walker, though, who established himself as the closer after Camilo Doval’s demotion mid-summer. This team finds itself in a weird spot moving forward. Conforto is set to depart via free agency, but the team locked up Matt Chapman long-term. Keeping things consistent and going with the flow of the winter should be where this team is at, expecting another middle-of-the-pack result in 2025.
MVP: Heliot Ramos
Cy Young: Logan Webb
Rookie of the Year: Tyler Fitzgerald
Los Angeles Dodgers
What is there to say about the Dodgers that hasn’t already been said? The offense is carried by three sure-fire Hall of Famers and is supported by perennial all-stars like Will Smith, Max Muncy, and Teoscar Hernandez, among others. Did I mention Ohtani? He’s pretty good too. Not to mention the extremely deep group of elite starting pitchers. Yes, the team faced a lot of pitching injuries but kept finding another good arm to turn to to replace each one that went down. It’s conceivable to say the Dodgers are seven deep in the rotation next season, and that’s before the inevitable signing of Japanese star Roki Sasaki. The bullpen ended up being very good in 2024, anchored by Alex Vesia. However, if there’s one area of work for the team, it’s in that relief corps. Finding some help in the bullpen, and maybe an outfielder is really the only work this team needs. Expect 100 wins and another NL West crown in 2025, barring something historic.
MVP: Shohei Ohtani
Cy Young: Tyler Glasnow
Rookie of the Year: Yoshinobu Yamamoto
San Diego Padres
If it weren’t for the Dodgers, the story of the NL West each year would be the Padres. An incredible second half turned the Friars into a 93-win Wild Card team, and they wreaked havoc early in the playoffs. With an offense led by an impressive foursome of Jackson Merrill, Manny Machado, Fernando Tatis Jr, and Jurickson Profar, runs were not hard to come by in 2024. The starting rotation was fairly good as well, despite being a group that faced injuries all season. Joe Musgrove is out for 2025 but pitched well in 2024. Dylan Cease, Yu Darvish, and Michael King each looked like potential aces this season as well. The bullpen was just as good and became a juggernaut after the trade deadline in July. Their ‘weakest’ links Wandy Peralta and Yuki Matsui still had above-league-average ERAs and were overall reliable all season long. Going into 2025, this team could use a catcher and an innings eater out of the rotation to replace Musgrove’s production.
MVP: Jurickson Profar
Cy Young: Michael King
Rookie of the Year: Jackson Merrill
Arizona Diamondbacks
Like the Padres, the Diamondbacks endured a tale of two seasons, also turning on the heat in the second half, much like the Arizona desert does each summer. Every player on this team can hit well, and they did. Led by Ketel Marte, Joc Pederson, and Christian Walker, the DBacks slugged an impressive 211 homers in 2024. The collective production also fails to factor in a slow start for superstar Corbin Carroll, who didn’t seem to find his footing until July. The team’s bullpen was also very good all season, with AJ Puk and Justin Martinez being the most impressive. The rotation left a bit to be desired after Zac Gallen, and ownership has already blamed Jordan Montgomery for that fact, but it’s a deeper-rooted problem for sure. This winter, the team needs to prioritize keeping their offensive core together and resigning Christian Walker. On the pitching side, the rotation needs two starts at least to keep up with the demands of the Padres and Dodgers, but if done right, the DBacks will slot in as a Wild Card contender again in 2025, if not more.
MVP: Ketel Marte
Cy Young: Zac Gallen
Rookie of the Year: Justin Martinez
