The 2024 World Series is in the books, which means it’s time to start consternating about 2025.

One of the favorites entering 2024 after signing Shohei Ohtani to a $700 million deal, the Los Angeles Dodgers earned their eighth title in franchise history with a five-game conquest over the New York Yankees, another top contender entering the season.

Still, who could have predicted the New York Mets’ run to the NLCS in May, much less 12 months ago? How about the Kansas City Royals’ first postseason appearance in nine years?

With that, a look at where every team stands in the hierarchy for 2025, starting with those Dodgers:

The obvious favorite

Los Angeles Dodgers: The World Series champions shouldn’t look much different in 2025 and will welcome a starting pitcher named Shohei Ohtani to their rotation. Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman will play more games than they did this season and $325 million man Yoshinobu Yamamoto – who was hampered by injuries in the regular season – showed just how good he can be in the postseason, plus

The usual suspects

Atlanta Braves: Just about everybody got hurt as the team’s six-year reign atop the NL East came to an end. Ace Spencer Strider was lost for the season in April and MVP Ronald Acuña Jr. tore his ACL again in May, but both are expected to make major contributions next year. Unless the Phillies do something huge, the Braves will likely be the division favorite again – but will they bring back free agent Max Fried?

Philadelphia Phillies: They crashed out of the playoffs after winning their first NL East title in 11 years, a year after a crushing exit in the NLCS. All the stars are still here and the Zack Wheeler-Aaron Nola-Ranger Suarez trio should get this team to the postseason without a problem.

San Diego Padres: They had the Dodgers on the ropes in the NLDS until losing back-to-back games, but this squad could be back with a vengeance in 2025, especially if Yu Darvish and Joe Musgrove can contribute more than their combined 35 starts this year.

New York Yankees: They’ll be in playoff contention but World Series expectations for 2025 hinge on whether or not they can bring back Juan Soto, who enjoyed a magical season as a rental in the Bronx. Gleyber Torres and Anthony Rizzo are free agents meaning the infield may be dramatically different on opening day and they probably should beef up the bullpen – but they’ve got Aaron Judge and Gerrit Cole, assuming their ace starter doesn’t opt out.

Baltimore Orioles: This new golden age in Baltimore has begun with back-to-back postseason sweeps, a tough pill to swallow for this young team that has been one of baseball’s best-regular season performers the past few years. As ace Corbin Burnes will test the free agent market, keep an eye on whether the club’s new owners open up their checkbooks this winter.

Houston Astros: After failing to make the ALCS for the first time since 2016, Houston has some huge decisions to make this winter, namely on free agent Alex Bregman. The Astros got major contributions from young starters Hunter Brown and Spencer Arrighetti in 2024 behind ace Framber Valdez, and they’ll hope to build on that next season. They play the bottom-feeding Angels and Athletics a total of 26 times.

Playoff caliber again, probably

Cleveland Guardians: The AL Central isn’t great and the Guardians have Jose Ramirez. Pitching is going to be a problem though and Cleveland may be wise to bring back former Cy Young winner Shane Bieber on a short-term deal after his Tommy John surgery.

Milwaukee Brewers: They’ll find a way, as always. Phenom Jackson Chourio is only going to get better.

Playoff caliber again, second tier

New York Mets: Their unexpected run to the NLCS probably papered over some roster construction issues but with tons of money coming off the books, Steve Cohen’s club is expected to be one of the top contenders in the Soto sweepstakes. Free agent Pete Alonso is the big question heading into the offseason, but they’ll have a full year of Kodai Senga and should try to replicate their 2024 success by signing high-ish upside veterans to short-term deals.

Kansas City Royals: Bobby Witt Jr. may be the best non-Ohtani player in baseball, but it’s worth remembering that this AL wild-card team (and everyone else in the AL Central!) had a semi-inflated record with the benefit of playing 13 games (12-1) against the hapless White Sox.

Maybe they’ll sign Juan Soto?

Chicago Cubs: The Cubs have a strong foundation in place and there’s no reason that they shouldn’t be among the favorites to land Soto. Pete Alonso would be another high-end signing the Cubs will consider. Lefty Shota Imanaga had a spectacular first season in America and outfield prospects Kevin Alcántara and Owen Caissie are waiting in the wings.

Toronto Blue Jays: One of the runners-up in the Ohtani sweepstakes, the Blue Jays are expected to go hard on Soto. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Bo Bichette are both free agents after 2025 and it may be hard to sell Soto on a long-term deal with those stars’ uncertain future.

San Francisco Giants: Always “in” on elite free agents, the Giants whiffed on Ohtani and Yamamoto last winter, but managed to sign four higher-tier guys in Jung-hoo Lee, Blake Snell, Matt Chapman and Jorge Soler before opening day. That said, two of them were at a wildly-discounted price once spring training started (Snell and Chapman) and one of them (Soler) was traded after playing just 93 games. If they keep offering a lot of money, maybe someone they actually want will take them up on it.

Hit or miss

Detroit Tigers: Their run to the ALDS was very cool and Tarik Skubal is going to win this year’s Cy Young, but they’re going to need their youngsters to be far more consistent if they hope to get back to the postseason in 2025.

Arizona Diamondbacks: Squeezed out of a wild-card spot after playing a full 162, Arizona should be back in contention next season. You have to image Corbin Carroll will have a better season and a full spring training will be hugely beneficial for lefty Jordan Montgomery (if he exercises his $22.5 million option).

Seattle Mariners: Seattle finished a game short of the postseason, but desperately needs to add some offense this winter – for superstar Julio Rodriguez to get back to where he was a year prior.

Texas Rangers: The 2023 champions went 78-84 this year but there’s some upside here with a dangerous lineup and the possibility that Jacob deGrom provides more than the nine total starts he made in his first two seasons with Texas.

St. Louis Cardinals: Quietly finished with 83 wins and it’s hard to believe that Nolan Arenado won’t bounce back from the worst season of his career. Shortstop Masyn Winn, 22, is here to stay – but there’s glaring holes in the lineup.

Boston Red Sox: Nobody quite knows what the Red Sox’s plan is and they’ve got stars in Rafael Devers and Jarren Duran as well as ace Tanner Houck, who made a big leap in 2024. Could stand to upgrade just about everywhere else on the diamond.

Tampa Bay Rays: It was something of a transition year for the Rays and they’ll get back ace Shane McClanahan, but the high minors aren’t overflowing with talent like in seasons’ past.

Minnesota Twins: They blew their shot at a postseason spot in 2024 and bring back a strong rotation led by Pablo Lopez, Joe Ryan and Bailey Ober. There are huge running injury concerns with Carlos Correa, Royce Lewis and Byron Buxton and they can’t afford to fall further behind the curve in 2025 as the Royals continue to ascend.

Cincinnati Reds: New manager Terry Francona inherits a group with a lot of talent. Ace Hunter Greene (2.75 ERA in 26 starts) had an All-Star campaign in 2024, but the Reds will need more than 150 innings from him if they hope to compete.

Ahead of schedule?

Washington Nationals: CJ Abrams is an All-Star, James Wood is a beast and top prospect Dylan Crews showed flashes in his cup of coffee (while retaining his rookie status). If they add a few useful veterans and perhaps get positive contributions from pitching prospect Cade Cavalli, this is a team that could probably be in the wild-card hunt into the late summer.

Pittsburgh Pirates: They’ll get a full year of phenom Paul Skenes, a formidable 1-2 punch atop the rotation with Mitch Keller. The back end of the bullpen is strong with closer David Bednar, and they’ve got studs Bryan Reynolds and Oneil Cruz in the lineup. With a weak NL central, is that enough to hang around in the wild-card race?

NOPE.

Athletics: They weren’t quite as bad as everyone expected, finishing with 93 losses, but there’s not going to be much for the fans in Sacramento to get excited about.

Los Angeles Angels: Is Mike Trout tradable? Unless owner Arte Moreno eats the vast majority of the the $220+ million owed to him over the next six seasons, it may be too late to liberate him from Anaheim.

Chicago White Sox: Theoretically they can’t do worse than their record-breaking 121 losses in 2024. That said, they’re probably going to trade Garrett Crochet and maybe Luis Robert.

Colorado Rockies: There’s not much talent to speak of on this roster but maybe we’ll see 2024’s third-overall pick Charlie Condon at some point in 2025.

Miami Marlins: They’re just 13 months removed from a postseason spot and are expecting Cy Young winner Sandy Alcántara back from surgery, but the prospects they got from their summer sell-off won’t be ready in the near future.