The MLB season is off and running. We’ve already seen dominance from teams in the NL West. Some players have jumped out to MASSIVE starts, and there are some early concerns as well for a few offensively struggling teams. While the season is young, I want to get my picks in for awards around the league plus my playoff and World Series picks. Here are my 2025 National League predictions.
Most Valuable Player
Fernando Tatis Jr. – San Diego Padres: Will it be Shohei Ohtani? Probably. But I am sick of that answer and going with another player that could be due for an MVP award. Tatis Jr. does it all. He hits well, fields above average at multiple positions. And with healthy legs this season, he will be stealing lots of bases as well. Tatis Jr. is going to be in a fight for the NL West which means lots of big games and an opportunity for big moments on a very national stage.
Cy Young Award
Paul Skenes – Pittsburgh Pirates: Skenes put together one of the most impressive season performances by a rookie pitcher ever after he was promoted and then immediately began to dominate the league. Skenes has a great chance to win the Cy Young with a full season under his belt. He will get 30+ starts for the Pirates, will go well north of 200 strikeouts and is likely to have a low 1s ERA. Skenes is the next great pitcher in baseball and knocking out his first Cy Young in his second season would back up that notion.
Rookie of the Year
Matt Shaw – Chicago Cubs: The Cubs are looking for a powerful bat that can add some pop behind Kyle Tucker and Shaw is exactly that kind of player. At 23-years old, he could join elite company by mashing at least 20 home runs in his first season which would be great pop for a guy who will be playing second base. The Cubs are trying to prove that they aren’t in rebuild mode and Shaw would be the perfect new face to show off in the NL Central.
Manager of the Year
Terry Francona – Cincinnati Reds: This is going to be tough given how balanced the NL Central is this year, but Francona has a way of putting his touch on a team and immediately getting great results. The two-time World Series winner is trying to add a third title and do what he never accomplished in Cleveland.
NLCS
Los Angeles Dodgers vs New York Mets: It’s a rematch from a year ago, but baseball is a game that requires you to win four before moving on and any player can go through a slump. The Mets added Juan Soto and still have their core intact, so I’m going with the team from Queens.
World Series
New York Mets vs Cleveland Guardians: I like the Mets to win this series in seven games. Soto’s power will be tough to keep at bay and the Mets will make a big move at the deadline to acquire a legit ace in their rotation.