My MLB takes for 2025:NL Edition

These are my National League predictions for the 2025 MLB season.

Ok so now I need to write about the National League. So far the National League has less major injuries happening in spring training. Another interesting note, some rookies have been making a push to break camps with their respective teams. Well let’s get started. (One small difference from the AL review will be I might mention a player or two from teams that I expect big things from this season. I will not go back and redo the AL post cause it would not be authentic. I will address the AL players in my next post.)

National League East

First Place	Philadelphia Phillies
Second Place	New York Mets
Third Place	Atlanta Braves
Fourth Place	Washington Nationals
Fifth Place	Miami Marlins

This is the year the Phillies have to win it or at a minimum make the NLCS. This team has quite a few stars over the age of 30 and also two of them are free agents after the 2025 season, specifically Schwarber and Realmuto. Trea Turner, Bryce Harper, and Zack Wheeler are also not getting younger. I am overly confident about this team being the division winner and challenging the Dodgers and Padres for the NL Pennant. The staff and the lineup are the best and healthiest in the East. The Mets won the Juan Soto sweepstakes and for the next 5 years(he has an opt out after year 5) the Mets will be a force in the NL East. Not a Mets fan but feel they did the right thing not paying Alonso long term, he had an offer a few years ago and he rejected it almost immediately. I love the Clay Holmes signing cause Boone ruined him and he will be treated better with Mendoza. The one thing I feel confident about is Nimmo has a better than average season as the Soto influence is going to help him. The rest of this division is confusing to me. The Braves have a very good lineup when Acuna is healthy but answer this – How are they going to make up the 350 plus innings that Morton and Fried gave them last season? Strider is coming back but seems he is going to be held back a bit from a heavy innings load. Maybe he throws 150-160 this season, that is a big maybe since the brace surgery is not as proven as a full Tommy John redo. For the Braves to have a big season, there are quite a few hopes and what ifs. Maybe they will be one of the teams aggressive with the in-season trade market? The Nationals are up and coming with lots of young talent. Is this the year Gore grows into a top lefty starter? My favorite players on this team are Garcia and Crews. Garcia has worked hard on his skill set and is a very good all around player now. Hoping he can make a run for the All Star game this season. As we get to the Marlins, this organization continues to be mismanaged and the fanbase is abused. I feel this franchise is more of a mess than the Chicago White Sox.

National League Central

First Place	Milwaukee Brewers
Second Place	Cincinnati Reds
Third Place	Chicago Cubs
Fourth Place	Pittsburgh Pirates
Fifth Place	St Louis Cardinals

So if you read my AL predictions then you know I love some of these teams and players. I will not pick against the Brewers cause that team and franchise is gritty. They play tough and smart baseball. Lose a player or two each season and the next player is up and ready. Their drafts have been a real chess game the last few years and it paying off big. Is it possible not to like Bryce Turang? Last year I picked the Reds, Tigers and Royals to shock people. Tigers and Royals did and proved they are ready. The Reds were shocking but in a totally different way with injuries, more injuries and then some more. Friedl was placed on the injured list 4 times! Mcclain is healthy and with De La Cruz , this duo is about to show the whole league what they can do. The Reds are exciting for all of baseball. The Central divisions in baseball are loaded with young talent that it is mind boggling to me. Also do not forget that Francona has 7 starting pitchers to work with and loaded roster of talent. Francona might be the difference in this division and for the franchise. The Cubs retool looks nice, most people would take Kyle Tucker over Cody Bellinger. The ones that would not are nuts. That pitching staff looks solid to me. For lots of Cubs fans it is time for Matt Adams to take 3rd base for the next decade. Adams has the fanbase talking a lot of chatter on social media and the internet. I do not blame them one bit, the young man looks great and seems settled. The vets on the team and Counsell are going to help the young man convert to the majors smoothly. The Pirates have arms and then some, they could lend other teams pitching. Skenes is all world , Jared Jones and Mitch Keller would be number 2s on most staffs in baseball. Even scarier is that Bubba Chandler and other top Pirates prospects are not far. I feel most fans like Oneill Cruz, it obvious his teammates and opposing players do as well. Hoping he really takes that next move forward this season. The Pirates will be fun to watch and follow but the other teams are just deeper and have deeper pockets. Bringing up the rear is the Cardinals, they are at a crossroads as a franchise. Young talent they had hoped on, most have not worked out at all. Winn is solid, that outfield is a wait and see situation. I do like the Contreras to 1st base move. It seems he is loving it also cause he does look great this spring. The staff is mostly Sonny Gray and pray for rain. I understand that Gray and Contreras told the front office they rather stay then be traded and good for them. But why is Helsley still on this roster? How is he not wearing a Red Sox or Orioles jersey or a Philly jersey? Yes those three teams need to answer this question as well.

National League West

First Place	Los Angeles Dodgers
Second Place	Arizona Diamondbacks
Third Place	San Diego Padres
Fourth Place	San Francisco Giants
Fifth Place	Colorado Rockies

Is anyone in their right mind not going to pick the Dodgers for the division? I did not want to come off as a front runner for my Dodgers. I tried hard to not pick them for first but barring more injuries this season, the depth and talent is going to win out over 162 games. So to make sure I am clear, they are going to win this division but it will not be as easy as some are claiming. Yes with Othani, Betts, Freeman and the crew will cause damage to pitching staffs. Never seen a team with more arm injuries than the Dodgers last year and one of them almost dying from eating a salad. All the injuries will not happen this year. So let’s go to the Diamondbacks, Corbin Burnes and Josh Naylor bring an attitude to this team and a personality that it was lacking. Naylor’s offseason work is showing in spring training. He looks smoother on the field and has that pep in his step back. Burnes is a true ace and student of pitching. Burnes joining this rotation is an embarrassment of riches for Arizona. I expect Burnes to shine against the Dodgers and Padres. The Padres were better last year without Juan Soto than they were with him in 2023. Jackson Merrill had a great rookie season and hopefully he can keep going. Manny Machado is still a top player in baseball. No longer the bratty athlete, he is now a mature leader with a clear path to the Hall of Fame . Think most fans love Tatis and can not see why they would not love him. Somehow this staff just keeps going even with Joe Musgrove out this year. Dylan Cease is probably a Padre as long as they are in contention. Most Dodgers fans hate the San Francisco Giants. I do not hate them but also not a big fan of this roster. I confess I wanted Adames for the Dodgers but they can not sign every player. Adames is going to help the young players that the Giants are bringing up the next few seasons. He is a born leader, him leaving the Brewers might be a big reason if the Brewers wind up lackluster this year. I do not like their pitching staff much. Yes Webb is good while Hicks is probably going to turn the corner this upcoming season with his conversion to a starter. The Rockies have a great park, great fanbase and some exciting young players. There I said something nice about them.

Ok so that is my National League outlook.

I will have another post with just ideas of what might be this season and what I am looking forward to if I forgot to write them here.

Also here is a link to the American League predictions if you have not read them on this blog as of yet:
https://frankieciv.com/2025/03/10/my-mlb-takes-for-2025al-edition/

Thank you for reading.