Splashy free agent acquisitions and rising stars created hype leading to the 2025 Major League Baseball season. Through its first six weeks, it has delivered.
With the summer months looming, here are three winners and losers thus far.
All statistics and records through Tuesday, May 6.
Winners
New York baseball
The Mets and Yankees dueled over Juan Soto’s services this offseason. The Mets eventually won out thanks to an eye-popping 15-year, $765 million deal. Not to be bothered, the Yankees stockpiled talent through free agency and trades, acquiring LHP Max Fried, 1B Paul Goldschmidt, OF Cody Bellinger and closer Devin Williams.
Both teams lead their respective divisions. The Mets (23-14) have the second-most wins in baseball, while the Yankees (20-16) lead the Red Sox by 2.5 games in the AL East.
Boston Red Sox LHP Garrett Crochet
Crochet finally escaped the lowly Chicago White Sox after they surprisingly hung on to him through the 2024 trade deadline. Crochet moved to the starting rotation last season and was named to his first All-Star Game.
In his first year with Boston (18-19, 2nd in AL East), he has a 2.02 ERA (eighth in MLB) in eight starts and ranks fifth with 56 strikeouts. Another All-Star nomination seems imminent.
MLB attendance/viewership
The good times keep rolling for MLB commissioner Rob Manfred and Co. After a stellar 2024 season, Sports Business Journal reported attendance is up 1% year-over-year through April. Big-name signings like Soto helped, while a temporary home for the A’s helped increase attendance numbers.
It’s just as good at the ballpark, too. Reuters reported MLB’s slate of 14 games on April 18 saw an average attendance of 35,284, the highest average for a Friday in April with no home openers since April 25, 2008, the league said.
Losers
Baltimore Orioles
The young O’s were supposed to be contending for a World Series title, but have stumbled out of the gate. Baltimore (13-21) is last in the AL East and six games out of first.
The good news is that former No. 1 pick and second baseman Jackson Holliday looks better to start the year than his 60-game cameo last season, with .272/.337/.435 batting line. However, catcher Adley Rutschman is struggling at the plate, batting .211, and their pitching staff ranks in the bottom three of the league in nearly every major statistical category.
Playoffs? Think again. Baseball Reference gives Baltimore a woeful 5.8% chance to make the postseason this year.
Los Angeles Dodgers RHP Roki Sasaki
Putting Sasaki down as a “loser” is harsh, but the ballyhooed signing hasn’t been as dominant as expected. He has a 3.86 ERA in seven starts, allowing a home run in each of his last four starts with 20 walks to 24 strikeouts on the year.
The Dodgers are 5-2 in his starts, but he’s allowed three runs in each of his last two. LA’s lineup typically has plenty of run support, but it will be interesting to see Sasaki’s strides in his first MLB season.
Red Sox designated hitter Rafael Devers
Devers lost everyday third base duties to the newly acquired Alex Bregman and has served as a full-time designated hitter. He seems to be heating up at the plate, but the switch has been tough through the first six weeks.
Devers is tied for the American League lead in strikeouts with 46, and minus his first full season in 2018, is slashing a career low of .252/.373/.439. He went hitless through the first five games of the season, but has a hit in each of his last nine games. Stay tuned.
