MLB players, teams and themes that will tell the story of the 2025 fantasy baseball season
Opening Day is finally here. Let's examine some players, themes and teams that will define the fantasy baseball season.
How seriously will the Dodgers take the regular season?
The Dodgers are the most automatic playoff team there is. They've won 11 N.L. West titles in 12 years, and haven't missed the playoffs since 2012. Last year they only allowed two pitchers to get past 90 innings, with an eye towards a healthy October. How much will Shohei Ohtani pitch? Will he even pitch at all? Is this the year Dave Roberts pulls back on heavy workloads for his daily lineup guys? How soon will Mookie Betts be feeling right again?
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Los Angeles is the most fun and watchable team in baseball. It's a traveling circus. But it's also going to be a source of constant fantasy worry.
Can Paul Skenes handle a heavy six-month workload?
Skenes was a video game for his 2024 debut — 1.96 ERA, 0.947 WHIP, 170 strikeouts in 133 innings. Those are backyard Wiffle Ball stats. Will the Pirates let Skenes cut loose for six months if the team is not in the playoff hunt?
Another Pittsburgh player I'm curious about is Oneil Cruz. His batted-ball page is a delight. He was 15-for-15 on steals in the second half. He steps into his age-26 season when career years often pop. He's worth the daily price of admission.
Can the reinvented Jacob deGrom stay on the mound?
How I weep for the memory of deGrom on the Mets, the most dominant pitcher we've seen in at least 20 years. Black ink all over his baseball reference page. How can we ever unsee what he did in 15 starts back in 2021 — 1.08 ERA, 0.554 WHIP. All those stats read like misprints.
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Of course, he's also had two Tommy John surgeries. He's entering an age-37 season. DeGrom hopes he can dial back his velocity a bit and still be effective — while taking fewer chances with his health. I throw my coin in the fountain and make a wish. I want to believe.
Do the Yankees have enough around Aaron Judge?
I'm a believer in Austin Wells, but even I can admit he's an unorthodox leadoff man. Cody Bellinger is another player I want to draft, though his recent career form jumps around like some crazy stock chart. Anthony Volpe is an angelic fielder, but he's yet to provide offense metrics over the league average. If the Yankees are going to return to the playoffs, Judge needs a few running mates.
Can Clay Holmes reinvent himself as a starter?
We've seen this shift click in recent years — look at what Michael King has become in San Diego. Holmes has multiple plus pitches and landed in the Opening Day slot for the Mets. I always love an RP-eligible pitcher to make the rotation, especially in head-to-head leagues where they add extra value.
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If Holmes stays in the rotation for a full year, the wins could flow easily. New York's lineup looks like a blast, 1 through 9.
Will a new park make the Athletics a true fantasy party?
Brent Rooker is coming off a monster year and Lawrence Butler was the OF5 in the second half of 2024. Those boons came despite the horrible batting backdrop in Oakland. It's not easy to project how the Sacramento park will play, but it can't be any worse than the previous home stadium. I could see the plucky Athletics being this year's version of the Tigers.
Can Kyle Tucker beat Wrigley Field?
Houston's park was a dream for left-handed power. Wrigley Field is a horrible place for a lefty slugger to hit. Tucker is a true five-category player so maybe he can overcome any environment, but this wasn't my favorite landing spot for him. He's also a year removed from free agency, adding more intrigue to his age-28 season.
Is Rafael Devers mentally and physically ready for the season?
I think the Red Sox are the plausible A.L. East favorite as the season opens. The Garrett Crochet trade looks like a steal and they smartly added Alex Bregman to a creative contract. But Boston needs Devers to be healthy and happy — his shoulders are an issue, and he's been shifted to DH, a move he passionately opposed. A healthy and engaged Devers has MVP upside. But this could also be an emotional drag on the season.
How healthy is the Atlanta roster?
Back in 2023, the Braves were almost too good to be true. Perfect lineup. Cy Young Award winner. But it quickly fell apart in 2024, when injuries ravaged the lineup and Spencer Strider didn't make it out of April. Ronald Acuña Jr. says he wants to run less this year, and I've faded him at the draft table. But most of the lineup felt reasonably priced to me this spring. Spencer Schwellenbach looks ready to take off.
Some other players and themes I can't wait to track this year: Hunter Brown, all the Seattle starters, Corbin Carroll, Jackson Merrill, Bryce Harper, Wyatt Langford, Byron Buxton (could we please get 130 games?), Hunter Greene, George Kirby, the defense of Pete Crow-Armstrong, the running of Xavier Edwards, the comeback of Robbie Ray, Terry Francona helming the Reds, the top three prospects in the Boston organization.

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CBS News
21 minutes ago
- CBS News
Mets beat Nats, 5-0 as Peterson pitches 1st complete game
David Peterson pitched a six-hitter for the first nine-inning complete game of his professional career, and the New York Mets beat the Washington Nationals 5-0 on Wednesday night for their fifth straight win. Brandon Nimmo homered twice and Juan Soto went deep against his former team for the second consecutive night. Pete Alonso put the Mets ahead in the first inning with his major league-high 63rd RBI, his 20th in the past 10 games. NL East-leading New York moved a season-best 20 games over .500 at 44-24. Peterson (5-2) won his third decision in a row, striking out six and walking none in a game that took just 2 hours, 16 minutes. He threw 106 pitches and lowered his ERA to 2.49. Mets center fielder Tyrone Taylor threw out Luis García Jr. trying to score from second in the eighth on Jacob Young's sharp single. Peterson's only prior professional complete game was a four-hitter in a rain-shorted, five-inning loss to Atlanta on April 28, 2023. His previous nine-inning complete game came in college, a four-hit shutout for Oregon against Arizona State on April 28, 2017. New York's previous complete game was a four-hit shutout by Luis Severino against Miami last Aug. 17. Peterson pitched the seventh shutout and 14th complete game in the major leagues this season. Washington has lost four straight and seven of nine. Soto, who played for the Nationals from 2018 until he was traded to San Diego in August 2022, followed Francisco Lindor's double off Jake Irvin (5-3) with his 13th homer, a two-run drive on a hanging curve in the third. Nimmo homered in the fifth off Irvin and in the seventh against Jackson Rutledge for his eighth career multihomer game. Irvin allowed four runs, five hits and three walks in five innings. He has a 10.29 ERA in the first inning this year and has given up 13 homers in 13 starts. Key moment Soto's drive over the right-field fence was caught on the fly by a young fan wearing a baseball glove. Key stat Alonso tied for the most RBIs by a Mets player in a 10-game span during a single season. He matched Mike Piazza (1999 and 2000), Yoenis Céspedes (2016) and Lindor (2022). Up next Mets RHP Kodai Senga (6-3, 1.59), the NL ERA leader, and Nationals RHP Michael Soroka (3-3, 4.86) start Thursday afternoon's series finale.


New York Post
26 minutes ago
- New York Post
David Peterson throws complete-game gem as Mets' bats stay hot to top Nationals for fifth straight win
Francisco Lindor, even with a broken pinky toe, looks like Francisco Lindor. Juan Soto, particularly against the team with which he won a World Series and later traded him away, finally looks like Juan Soto. Access the Mets beat like never before Join Post Sports+ for exciting subscriber-only features, including real-time texting with Mike Puma about the inside buzz on the Mets. Try it free Advertisement Pete Alonso continues to pound pitches, very much looking like the best version of himself, and an evolving Jeff McNeil is showing the same kind of vintage bat-control skills while adding some power. A Mets lineup that has begun to live up to its spring expectations might be able to welcome one more bat to a group that is beginning to come together. Brandon Nimmo joined the party Wednesday, when he blasted a pair of home runs — his 11th and 12th of the season — in a 5-0 drubbing of the Nationals in front of 40,681 at Citi Field. Advertisement 4 David Peterson throws a pitch during the Mets' 5-0 win over the Nationals at Citi Field on June 11, 2025. JASON SZENES/NY POST Those five runs were more than enough for David Peterson, who pitched the club's first shutout of the season and let up just six hits while striking out five. The defense behind him was sparkling — including a brilliant throw from center fielder Tyrone Taylor in the eighth that cut down Luis García Jr. at the plate — and Peterson was efficient, needing 106 pitches for a throwback complete game that the Mets bullpen surely appreciated. 4 Juan Soto flips his bat after hitting a two-run homer in the third inning of the Mets' win over the Nationals. Corey Sipkin for New York Post Advertisement The Mets (44-24) are winning in a lot of different ways and simply winning a lot, running their streak to five straight and taking 10 of 12 to reach a season-high 20 games over .500. They will seek a second straight sweep on Thursday afternoon, and their season outlook is a whole lot brighter if Nimmo looks like Nimmo again. The left fielder is no longer a center fielder and no longer running as he once did, perhaps because he is 32 and perhaps because of the injury toll that included plantar fasciitis last year. He struggled down the stretch in 2024, which carried over into a slow start to this season, hitting .212 with a .671 OPS as recently as May 21. Advertisement But during a stretch that has coincided with Carlos Mendoza bumping Nimmo up to the No. 2 slot against righty starters, Nimmo has taken off. After going 2-for-3 with a walk and the dingers, he has spiked his OPS to .741 amid an 18-for-59 (.305) stretch over 16 games. This is the player the Mets envisioned when they awarded him $162 million, and this is the top half of the order the Mets envisioned when they splurged this offseason. 4 Juan Soto watches his two-run home run off Jake Irvin during the third inning of the Mets' win over the Nationals. JASON SZENES/NY POST 4 Brandon Nimmo is congratulated by his teammates in the dugout after belting a solo home run in the fifth inning of the Mets' victory over the Nationals. Corey Sipkin for the NY POST Wednesday, all seven of their hits and all five of their RBIs came from their first five hitters (Lindor, Nimmo, Soto, Alonso and McNeil). The red-hot Soto contributed his own home run — a two-run shot in the third for his fifth homer in 11 games — while Alonso smacked an RBI double in the first.

Associated Press
30 minutes ago
- Associated Press
Peterson pitches 1st complete game as Mets get 2 homers from Nimmo and 1 from Soto to beat Nats 5-0
NEW YORK (AP) — David Peterson pitched a six-hitter for the first nine-inning complete game of his professional career, and the New York Mets beat the Washington Nationals 5-0 on Wednesday night for their fifth straight win. Brandon Nimmo homered twice and Juan Soto went deep against his former team for the second consecutive night. Pete Alonso put the Mets ahead in the first inning with his major league-high 63rd RBI, his 20th in the past 10 games. NL East-leading New York moved a season-best 20 games over .500 at 44-24. Peterson (5-2) won his third decision in a row, striking out six and walking none in a game that took just 2 hours, 16 minutes. He threw 106 pitches and lowered his ERA to 2.49. Mets center fielder Tyrone Taylor threw out Luis García Jr. trying to score from second in the eighth on Jacob Young's sharp single. Peterson's only prior professional complete game was a four-hitter in a rain-shorted, five-inning loss to Atlanta on April 28, 2023. His previous nine-inning complete game came in college, a four-hit shutout for Oregon against Arizona State on April 28, 2017. New York's previous complete game was a four-hit shutout by Luis Severino against Miami last Aug. 17. Peterson pitched the seventh shutout and 14th complete game in the major leagues this season. Washington has lost four straight and seven of nine. Soto, who played for the Nationals from 2018 until he was traded to San Diego in August 2022, followed Francisco Lindor's double off Jake Irvin (5-3) with his 13th homer, a two-run drive on a hanging curve in the third. Nimmo homered in the fifth off Irvin and in the seventh against Jackson Rutledge for his eighth career multihomer game. Irvin allowed four runs, five hits and three walks in five innings. He has a 10.29 ERA in the first inning this year and has given up 13 homers in 13 starts. Key moment Soto's drive over the right-field fence was caught on the fly by a young fan wearing a baseball glove. Key stat Alonso tied for the most RBIs by a Mets player in a 10-game span during a single season. He matched Mike Piazza (1999 and 2000), Yoenis Céspedes (2016) and Lindor (2022). Up next Mets RHP Kodai Senga (6-3, 1.59), the NL ERA leader, and Nationals RHP Michael Soroka (3-3, 4.86) start Thursday afternoon's series finale. ___ AP MLB: