1 early prediction for each AL team in 2025
With the calendar flipping over to 2025, it's time to look ahead to the upcoming season. Here, we make one prediction for each American League club in 2025.
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ATH | BAL | BOS | CWS | CLE | DET | HOU | KC | LAA | MIN | NYY | SEA | TB | TEX | TOR
Athletics
Lawrence Butler makes first All-Star team: Butler was one of the breakout stars in the second half of 2024, posting an .898 OPS with 13 home runs, 12 stolen bases, and 32 RBIs in 61 games after the All-Star break. The 24-year-old has legitimate 30-homer, 30-stolen base potential and could join that club in 2025. Butler looks like a building block for the A's.
Baltimore Orioles
Jackson Holliday truly arrives: Holliday showed flashes but ultimately looked overmatched as a 20-year-old rookie in 2024. Not every prospect reaches the majors as a finished product - even Mike Trout struggled in his first taste of MLB action. Holliday is a transcendent talent who dominated across all minor-league levels. Expect him to break out now that he has valuable reps under his belt.
Boston Red Sox
A 20-20 season from Trevor Story: Story has played just 163 games over three seasons since signing a six-year, $140-million contract with the Red Sox. It's hard to know what version of Story the Red Sox will get after a shoulder injury limited him to just 26 contests. He's only entering his age-32 campaign, so there should still be some quality production left if he can stay healthy.
Chicago White Sox
Another 115-loss season: The White Sox somehow look worse on paper heading into 2025 than they did last year when they lost an MLB-record 121 games. The starting rotation no longer has Garrett Crochet, and Luis Robert Jr. is no sure bet to stay healthy. Some good luck here and there might help Chicago avoid breaking its own dubious record, but another historically bad season feels inevitable.
Cleveland Guardians
José Ramírez wins AL MVP: MLB's most underappreciated star is long overdue to win the highest individual honor. Ramírez somehow finished just fifth in voting despite falling one home run shy of a 40-40 season in 2024. It was his seventh appearance in the top 10 over the last nine years. Ramírez stands a good chance to finally be recognized as the AL's most valuable player barring another historic season from Aaron Judge.
Detroit Tigers
No postseason repeat: The Tigers struggled for much of 2024 before sneaking into the playoffs on a red-hot Cinderella run. Unfortunately, Detroit hasn't done much to establish itself as a true contender this offseason beyond adding Gleyber Torres on a one-year deal. The starting rotation lacks depth behind Tarik Skubal, and the lineup is thin on impact bats. Everything will need to go right for the Tigers to be playing October baseball in 2025.
Houston Astros
Yordan Alvarez hits 40 home runs: Alvarez has been one of baseball's premier power threats since arriving in 2019 but has never eclipsed the 40-home run plateau. He's hit at least 30 in four straight years, however, and will need to be extra aggressive with Kyle Tucker gone. The only thing standing between Alvarez and this benchmark is health - the lefty slugger has yet to play 150 games in a season.
Kansas City Royals
Bobby Witt Jr. steals 60 bases: Witt fully broke out in 2024, making good on his prospect pedigree and establishing himself as MLB's preeminent shortstop. He did, however, regress in base-stealing, as his total dropped from 49 in 2023 to just 31 while being caught 12 times. The 24-year-old nonetheless ranked in the 100th percentile in sprint speed and should reach the 50-steal mark for the first time next year - he might even swipe 60.
Los Angeles Angels
80 wins: The Angels haven't reached the 80-win mark since 2018 and haven't posted a winning record since 2015. General manager Perry Minasian was aggressive in the early part of the offseason, acquiring Jorge Soler, Travis d'Arnaud, Yusei Kikuchi, and Kyle Hendricks to bolster the roster. A healthy season for Mike Trout would be a big help, but the Angels still have the talent to put together a better-than-expected 2025 season.
Minnesota Twins
Carlos Correa gets traded: All parties shut down the idea of a trade this offseason, but what about when the losses start piling up? The Twins have followed up a second-half collapse by making no moves, rarely a recipe for success. Correa is a proven winner who may grow frustrated if Minnesota falls out of the race by the deadline. The front office, meanwhile, is always looking to shred payroll.
New York Yankees
Another World Series run: The Yankees still appear to be the class of the American League, even after losing Juan Soto in free agency. There's an argument to be made that New York is actually a more complete team heading into 2025 after the additions of Max Fried, Devin Williams, and Cody Bellinger. The AL pennant is the Yankees' to lose, as MLB's true juggernauts reside in the National League.
Seattle Mariners
Luis Castillo gets dealt for hitting: The right-hander has been the subject of trade rumors at various points this offseason. The 32-year-old is signed for another three seasons at a reasonable salary and remains a solid starting pitcher. The Mariners are in desperate need of another impact bat and can afford to move Castillo with Logan Gilbert, George Kirby, Bryan Woo, and Bryce Miller in the rotation.
Tampa Bay Rays
Junior Caminero puts himself on the map: Caminero hit six home runs with a 105 wRC+ in a 43-game stint with the Rays last season. The 21-year-old has prodigious power potential with Steamer projecting 29 home runs, 91 RBIs, and a 122 wRC+ in 2025. The Rays are sorely lacking middle-of-the-order thump, and Caminero looks poised to assume that role this season.
Texas Rangers
AL West champions: The Rangers are primed to bounce back after a disappointing 2024 campaign. Joc Pederson predicted the Astros' reign atop the division "will come to an end" in 2025. Houston has won seven of the last eight AL West titles but appear to be in a state of flux. Texas' roster looks more balanced and should be able to overtake the Astros if relatively healthy.
Toronto Blue Jays
Ross Atkins and John Schneider get fired: The Blue Jays enter 2025 on very shaky ground. The club finished in the AL East basement in 2024 and face the realistic prospect of losing both Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Bo Bichette for a fraction of their true value. The farm system is thin and the roster is lacking in impact talent. With the AL East as competitive as ever, a slow start to the 2025 campaign will cost both general manager Atkins and manager Schneider as the Blue Jays try to settle on a new direction for the future.