March 2025

There were 1,679 posts published in March 2025 (this is page 37 of 168).

Mariners reportedly sign catcher Cal Raleigh to massive 6-year, $105 million extension

One of the game’s best all-around catchers is staying with the Seattle Mariners. Cal Raleigh will reportedly sign a six-year, $105 million extension to remain in Seattle, according to ESPN’s Jeff Passan.

Raleigh, 28, is coming off a season in which he hit .220/.312/.436, with 34 home runs. Since taking over as the team’s primary catcher in 2022, Raleigh — affectionately nicknamed “Big Dumper” — has been one of the most prolific power hitters at the position. His 76 home runs since then is the most among catchers. Philadelphia Phillies veteran J.T. Realmuto ranks second on that list with 56 home runs.

[Join or create a Yahoo Fantasy Baseball league for the 2025 MLB season]

While Raleigh hasn’t posted high batting averages, his immense power has kept him afloat on offense. Raleigh has a career 112 OPS+, meaning his offensive output has been 12 percent better than the league average. His pop is even more impressive at T-Mobile Park, one of the most pitcher-friendly parks in the majors. 

Cal Raleigh is staying in Seattle for the long-term. (Photo by Brandon Sloter/Getty Images)
Brandon Sloter via Getty Images

Raleigh’s real value, however, is his defense. Raleigh has emerged as one of the best defensive catchers in the game. He’s regarded as a tremendous pitch framer, which led to Raleigh winning a Gold Glove in 2024. Raleigh also won a Platinum Glove — awarded to the best overall fielder in each league — thanks to his performance behind the plate.

The new contract will kick in this season, per Passan. Raleigh, who was set to make $5.6 million in 2025 before the extension, was arbitration-eligible in both 2026 and 2027. As a result of the deal, Raleigh will reportedly receive a $10 million signing bonus. His salary in 2025 will also drop to just $1 million.

Raleigh will now make $11 million and $12 million in 2026 and 2027, respectively. He was set to hit the free-agent market following the 2027 season, but the team essentially bought out the first three years of his free agency. Raleigh will make $23 million in each year between 2028 and 2030. The deal also contains a $20 million vesting player option for the 2031 season. That option will likely trigger based on whether Raleigh can hit certain milestones throughout the duration of his deal.

During his tenure in Seattle, Raleigh emerged as a leader and fan favorite thanks to his handling of the pitching staff and propensity for clutch hits. Tuesday’s extension ensures Raleigh will remain a core member of the franchise as it continues to seek its first-ever World Series title.

Mariners reportedly sign catcher Cal Raleigh to massive 6-year, $105 million extension

One of the game’s best all-around catchers is staying with the Seattle Mariners. Cal Raleigh will reportedly sign a six-year, $105 million extension to remain in Seattle, according to ESPN’s Jeff Passan.

Raleigh, 28, is coming off a season in which he hit .220/.312/.436, with 34 home runs. Since taking over as the team’s primary catcher in 2022, Raleigh — affectionately nicknamed “Big Dumper” — has been one of the most prolific power hitters at the position. His 76 home runs since then is the most among catchers. Philadelphia Phillies veteran J.T. Realmuto ranks second on that list with 56 home runs.

[Join or create a Yahoo Fantasy Baseball league for the 2025 MLB season]

While Raleigh hasn’t posted high batting averages, his immense power has kept him afloat on offense. Raleigh has a career 112 OPS+, meaning his offensive output has been 12 percent better than the league average. His pop is even more impressive at T-Mobile Park, one of the most pitcher-friendly parks in the majors. 

Cal Raleigh is staying in Seattle for the long-term. (Photo by Brandon Sloter/Getty Images)
Brandon Sloter via Getty Images

Raleigh’s real value, however, is his defense. Raleigh has emerged as one of the best defensive catchers in the game. He’s regarded as a tremendous pitch framer, which led to Raleigh winning a Gold Glove in 2024. Raleigh also won a Platinum Glove — awarded to the best overall fielder in each league — thanks to his performance behind the plate.

The new contract will kick in this season, per Passan. Raleigh, who was set to make $5.6 million in 2025 before the extension, was arbitration-eligible in both 2026 and 2027. As a result of the deal, Raleigh will reportedly receive a $10 million signing bonus. His salary in 2025 will also drop to just $1 million.

Raleigh will now make $11 million and $12 million in 2026 and 2027, respectively. He was set to hit the free-agent market following the 2027 season, but the team essentially bought out the first three years of his free agency. Raleigh will make $23 million in each year between 2028 and 2030. The deal also contains a $20 million vesting player option for the 2031 season. That option will likely trigger based on whether Raleigh can hit certain milestones throughout the duration of his deal.

During his tenure in Seattle, Raleigh emerged as a leader and fan favorite thanks to his handling of the pitching staff and propensity for clutch hits. Tuesday’s extension ensures Raleigh will remain a core member of the franchise as it continues to seek its first-ever World Series title.

Fantasy Baseball Power Rankings: Where does each MLB team stand for the 2025 season?

MLB’s real Opening Day is just a couple of sleeps away and I couldn’t be more pumped. Bring on the baseball. Bring on the fantasy baseball, too.

Every so often I like to rank the MLB teams by order of how fun and fantasy-friendly they are. So here are your initial power rankings. I suppose they would probably line up mostly with power rankings that are solely based on the real-life strength of a team, but we like to throw in some special sauce when we can.

[Join or create a Yahoo Fantasy Baseball league for the 2025 MLB season]

I will revisit and edit these ranks a few times during the season. Let’s go.

They’ll be a little better just because you can’t be historically terrible for two straight years. That’s the plexiglass principle, right? I was open to drafting Andrew Benintendi (look at his final two months) and possible closer Mike Clevinger with late picks. That’s it for now.

Xavier Edwards makes contact, works the count, wants to run like crazy. Count me in. Max Meyer is an interesting rotation sleeper. But good luck reciting this team’s 1-to-9 lineup.

It’s sad to see such a mediocre offense living in this park. Michael Toglia will strike out 200 times but the category juice will play. Ryan McMahon should at least return his ADP. I will not be talked into any Colorado pitcher.

Is this the Jurickson Profar-breakout year for Jo Adell? The Anaheim center fielder just turned 26 and I think they’ll leave him alone. Mike Trout really should be a DH by now, but the Angels signed Jorge Soler for that gig. Ron Washington wants his team to run.

Whatever their special sauce was all these years, it’s apparently gone stale. At least the lineup is young and brimming with upside, but you need to be able to develop your talent, too. I liked the boring-veteran discount on Sonny Gray all spring, but he’s another pitcher dealing with a nervous velocity dip.

Although the Oakland ballpark was a dump, it was sad to see the city lose its team. That doesn’t mean this can’t be a fun club. Every fantasy manager needs to know that Brent Rooker, Kyle Schwarber and Marcell Ozuna are all outfield-eligible in Yahoo leagues.

There are four ascending talents locked into the top five lineup spots, so that’s a reason to tune in. MacKenzie Gore already gets enough strikeouts to be mixed-league viable, and he has another level to potentially climb. Kyle Finnegan is the cheapest 20 saves on the board.

Willy Adames is a fine player but an obvious fade, with a big contract and a big park. The Brewers love to run; the Giants always have a red light flashing. Hayden Birdsong’s electric spring didn’t get him in the rotation, but he’s the first man up and eventually, someone will get hurt. I’m in on Logan Webb.

Oneil Cruz has dreamy hard-hit metrics and don’t miss that he was 15-for-15 on steals in the second half. I’ll sign off on a proactive Cruz pick. Joey Bart looked legit in the second half last year, too, and should finally get that coveted full season.

They’re the nomads of baseball, forced out of their park and perhaps moving to a new city altogether in an upcoming season. The midsummer schedule also has an odd shape to it, because outdoor baseball in Florida is hard to handle during the rainy season. For years, I always assumed Tampa Bay would figure things out, even if I didn’t see the genius of the plan. I’m no longer giving this organization the benefit of the doubt.

The second half of the lineup is depressing but the rotation is divine, no matter what George Kirby’s timetable winds up being. All of these pitchers pound the zone and obviously they work in a big park, which makes them easy on the eyes.

This team deserves the rep that the Rays carried for so long — they’re smart, and they do so many little things well. It’s probably the best defensive team in the NL, so you can talk me into almost any of their pitchers. Please, fantasy gods, let Christian Yelich have a healthy six months. He’s good at everything.

I haven’t been reaching on high-end pitching for the most part but Cole Ragans was one of my rule-breakers. Seth Lugo was a steal all month — he’s always been good, just under-appreciated. I’m worried about Vinnie Pasquantino’s lower-body injury — he’s one of the league’s smartest hitters and a favorite of mine. Salvador Pérez is building a Hall of Fame case.

I still feel like they’re one hitter short. A long Alex Bregman contract probably wouldn’t have made sense, but a short-term deal would have fit perfectly. Hey, they tried. I’m curious if Casey Mise can reinvent himself after a winter of tinkering. I don’t think Jason Foley will stick as the closer; remember, he hardly pitched in the playoffs. I’m always in on Riley Greene.

Even if you’re an ardent fantasy player, I dare you to name their entire starting lineup without help. Bo Bichette was affordably priced all spring but I found it hard to make the click. José Berríos might never be truly great but he’s always playable.

The Wyatt Langford rocket ship looks ready to take off. I have no idea how many innings Jacob deGrom will throw — knowing I had him as a cheap keeper in one league, I decided to sit him out through draft season. My heart was already invested, I didn’t want to take it further than that. I was surprised Evan Carter didn’t make the team but after a washout spring, the move makes sense.

Good to see Terry Francona back in the dugout. A healthy Matt McLain could be a second-round fantasy pick by next year. I have no idea how they’re going to handle the closer spot. Whatever gets you through the ninth, it’s alright.

The lineup reminds me of the pricy headphones I used to regularly buy. They look good, they sound good, and they always break. Still, I’m fine to pass on Mike Trout because Byron Buxton is a similar fantasy commodity, about 100 picks later. Bailey Ober is popular in the fantasy industry, but may be more reasonably priced in your pool.

Isaac Paredes has been a steal all spring and it looks like he’ll open the year hitting second. The Rays didn’t always leave him alone in the lineup, but Houston will. Framber Valdez is Mr. Floor at the top of the rotation, but I’m also excited to see if Hunter Brown’s final four months were the beginning of sustainable stardom.

Is the timing right for a Kyle Manzardo breakout? He might bat third, the catbird seat behind Steven Kwan and the forever-underrated José Ramírez. One key is staying out of a platoon.

Kyle Tucker is in the prime of his career — and in a prove-it year for free agency — but how much is the park going to hurt him? Wrigley suffocates left-handed power. Pete Crow-Armstrong offers category juice and he’s a wonder in center field.

It’s a top-heavy lineup, and I’ve been afraid to draft Fernando Tatís Jr. for a few years. Mike King looks the part at the top of the rotation, a Cy Young semi-sleeper.

This lineup led the majors in runs scored last year, by a fairly healthy margin. Trot that question out to an East Coast bar — you’ll drink for free all night. The Corbin Burnes strikeout rate has dropped four straight seasons, enough for me to fade him all spring.

Given the horrible spring they’ve had, I think it’s comical the Yankees are still the A.L. East favorite in the markets. Of course, I said similar things last year and all they did was make the World Series. I’m excited to see if Austin Wells can stick as a leadoff man (at least against right-handed pitching). He’s my most rostered catcher.

I have no idea why they didn’t make a more aggressive move for pitching — and that was doubly true late last summer. Runs will flow easier with the left-field wall coming back in.

It was refreshing to see them ditch the bargain-hunter mindset and actually pay up for Alex Bregman, a signature free agent. How healthy is Rafael Devers, dealing with two bad shoulders? Will he accept DH life if it comes to it? Justin Slaten is the saves sleeper in this bullpen. I still can’t believe Boston somehow acquired Garrett Crochet without having to touch its best rising prospects. Maybe it’s the Chris Sale story all over again.

They’ll score a zillion runs and Zack Wheeler is the perfect No. 1 horse up front. They better hope the Cristopher Sánchez buzz is real because Aaron Nola dealt with lagging velocity all spring.

The rotation is filled with a lot of throw-and-hope, but Juan Soto was the biggest catch of the free-agent season and I loved that the team brought Pete Alonso back. This is a destination offense, top to bottom, for fantasy managers.

I’m giving most of this roster an injury pass after a season from hell last year. But I wasn’t keen on drafting Ronald Acuña Jr. after he openly admitted that he’s going to run less often. This won’t be the dream offense of 2023, but it’s still likely to be top five when all the runs are counted.

You can’t spell Load Management without LAD. Last year, just two pitchers on this club made it past 90 innings, and nobody came close to qualifying for the ERA title. This year, it’s possible Dave Roberts will also be more proactive with resting his position guys. They’re a traveling circus, but be careful with your expectations.

Fantasy Baseball Power Rankings: Where does each MLB team stand for the 2025 season?

MLB’s real Opening Day is just a couple of sleeps away and I couldn’t be more pumped. Bring on the baseball. Bring on the fantasy baseball, too.

Every so often I like to rank the MLB teams by order of how fun and fantasy-friendly they are. So here are your initial power rankings. I suppose they would probably line up mostly with power rankings that are solely based on the real-life strength of a team, but we like to throw in some special sauce when we can.

[Join or create a Yahoo Fantasy Baseball league for the 2025 MLB season]

I will revisit and edit these ranks a few times during the season. Let’s go.

They’ll be a little better just because you can’t be historically terrible for two straight years. That’s the plexiglass principle, right? I was open to drafting Andrew Benintendi (look at his final two months) and possible closer Mike Clevinger with late picks. That’s it for now.

Xavier Edwards makes contact, works the count, wants to run like crazy. Count me in. Max Meyer is an interesting rotation sleeper. But good luck reciting this team’s 1-to-9 lineup.

It’s sad to see such a mediocre offense living in this park. Michael Toglia will strike out 200 times but the category juice will play. Ryan McMahon should at least return his ADP. I will not be talked into any Colorado pitcher.

Is this the Jurickson Profar-breakout year for Jo Adell? The Anaheim center fielder just turned 26 and I think they’ll leave him alone. Mike Trout really should be a DH by now, but the Angels signed Jorge Soler for that gig. Ron Washington wants his team to run.

Whatever their special sauce was all these years, it’s apparently gone stale. At least the lineup is young and brimming with upside, but you need to be able to develop your talent, too. I liked the boring-veteran discount on Sonny Gray all spring, but he’s another pitcher dealing with a nervous velocity dip.

Although the Oakland ballpark was a dump, it was sad to see the city lose its team. That doesn’t mean this can’t be a fun club. Every fantasy manager needs to know that Brent Rooker, Kyle Schwarber and Marcell Ozuna are all outfield-eligible in Yahoo leagues.

There are four ascending talents locked into the top five lineup spots, so that’s a reason to tune in. MacKenzie Gore already gets enough strikeouts to be mixed-league viable, and he has another level to potentially climb. Kyle Finnegan is the cheapest 20 saves on the board.

Willy Adames is a fine player but an obvious fade, with a big contract and a big park. The Brewers love to run; the Giants always have a red light flashing. Hayden Birdsong’s electric spring didn’t get him in the rotation, but he’s the first man up and eventually, someone will get hurt. I’m in on Logan Webb.

Oneil Cruz has dreamy hard-hit metrics and don’t miss that he was 15-for-15 on steals in the second half. I’ll sign off on a proactive Cruz pick. Joey Bart looked legit in the second half last year, too, and should finally get that coveted full season.

They’re the nomads of baseball, forced out of their park and perhaps moving to a new city altogether in an upcoming season. The midsummer schedule also has an odd shape to it, because outdoor baseball in Florida is hard to handle during the rainy season. For years, I always assumed Tampa Bay would figure things out, even if I didn’t see the genius of the plan. I’m no longer giving this organization the benefit of the doubt.

The second half of the lineup is depressing but the rotation is divine, no matter what George Kirby’s timetable winds up being. All of these pitchers pound the zone and obviously they work in a big park, which makes them easy on the eyes.

This team deserves the rep that the Rays carried for so long — they’re smart, and they do so many little things well. It’s probably the best defensive team in the NL, so you can talk me into almost any of their pitchers. Please, fantasy gods, let Christian Yelich have a healthy six months. He’s good at everything.

I haven’t been reaching on high-end pitching for the most part but Cole Ragans was one of my rule-breakers. Seth Lugo was a steal all month — he’s always been good, just under-appreciated. I’m worried about Vinnie Pasquantino’s lower-body injury — he’s one of the league’s smartest hitters and a favorite of mine. Salvador Pérez is building a Hall of Fame case.

I still feel like they’re one hitter short. A long Alex Bregman contract probably wouldn’t have made sense, but a short-term deal would have fit perfectly. Hey, they tried. I’m curious if Casey Mise can reinvent himself after a winter of tinkering. I don’t think Jason Foley will stick as the closer; remember, he hardly pitched in the playoffs. I’m always in on Riley Greene.

Even if you’re an ardent fantasy player, I dare you to name their entire starting lineup without help. Bo Bichette was affordably priced all spring but I found it hard to make the click. José Berríos might never be truly great but he’s always playable.

The Wyatt Langford rocket ship looks ready to take off. I have no idea how many innings Jacob deGrom will throw — knowing I had him as a cheap keeper in one league, I decided to sit him out through draft season. My heart was already invested, I didn’t want to take it further than that. I was surprised Evan Carter didn’t make the team but after a washout spring, the move makes sense.

Good to see Terry Francona back in the dugout. A healthy Matt McLain could be a second-round fantasy pick by next year. I have no idea how they’re going to handle the closer spot. Whatever gets you through the ninth, it’s alright.

The lineup reminds me of the pricy headphones I used to regularly buy. They look good, they sound good, and they always break. Still, I’m fine to pass on Mike Trout because Byron Buxton is a similar fantasy commodity, about 100 picks later. Bailey Ober is popular in the fantasy industry, but may be more reasonably priced in your pool.

Isaac Paredes has been a steal all spring and it looks like he’ll open the year hitting second. The Rays didn’t always leave him alone in the lineup, but Houston will. Framber Valdez is Mr. Floor at the top of the rotation, but I’m also excited to see if Hunter Brown’s final four months were the beginning of sustainable stardom.

Is the timing right for a Kyle Manzardo breakout? He might bat third, the catbird seat behind Steven Kwan and the forever-underrated José Ramírez. One key is staying out of a platoon.

Kyle Tucker is in the prime of his career — and in a prove-it year for free agency — but how much is the park going to hurt him? Wrigley suffocates left-handed power. Pete Crow-Armstrong offers category juice and he’s a wonder in center field.

It’s a top-heavy lineup, and I’ve been afraid to draft Fernando Tatís Jr. for a few years. Mike King looks the part at the top of the rotation, a Cy Young semi-sleeper.

This lineup led the majors in runs scored last year, by a fairly healthy margin. Trot that question out to an East Coast bar — you’ll drink for free all night. The Corbin Burnes strikeout rate has dropped four straight seasons, enough for me to fade him all spring.

Given the horrible spring they’ve had, I think it’s comical the Yankees are still the A.L. East favorite in the markets. Of course, I said similar things last year and all they did was make the World Series. I’m excited to see if Austin Wells can stick as a leadoff man (at least against right-handed pitching). He’s my most rostered catcher.

I have no idea why they didn’t make a more aggressive move for pitching — and that was doubly true late last summer. Runs will flow easier with the left-field wall coming back in.

It was refreshing to see them ditch the bargain-hunter mindset and actually pay up for Alex Bregman, a signature free agent. How healthy is Rafael Devers, dealing with two bad shoulders? Will he accept DH life if it comes to it? Justin Slaten is the saves sleeper in this bullpen. I still can’t believe Boston somehow acquired Garrett Crochet without having to touch its best rising prospects. Maybe it’s the Chris Sale story all over again.

They’ll score a zillion runs and Zack Wheeler is the perfect No. 1 horse up front. They better hope the Cristopher Sánchez buzz is real because Aaron Nola dealt with lagging velocity all spring.

The rotation is filled with a lot of throw-and-hope, but Juan Soto was the biggest catch of the free-agent season and I loved that the team brought Pete Alonso back. This is a destination offense, top to bottom, for fantasy managers.

I’m giving most of this roster an injury pass after a season from hell last year. But I wasn’t keen on drafting Ronald Acuña Jr. after he openly admitted that he’s going to run less often. This won’t be the dream offense of 2023, but it’s still likely to be top five when all the runs are counted.

You can’t spell Load Management without LAD. Last year, just two pitchers on this club made it past 90 innings, and nobody came close to qualifying for the ERA title. This year, it’s possible Dave Roberts will also be more proactive with resting his position guys. They’re a traveling circus, but be careful with your expectations.

Diamondbacks P Jordan Montgomery needs Tommy John surgery, will miss 2025 season

Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Jordan Montgomery will undergo Tommy John surgery and miss the entire 2025 MLB season.

Montgomery told reporters the news after he lost out on the team’s final starting rotation spot to right-hander Brandon Pfaadt. The decision came after the team tried to move the 32-year-old left-hander all winter. He was set to assume a long relief role to begin the season.

“Kind of like a roller coaster,” Montgomery said Tuesday. “But I’m a believer, and I believe that everything happens for a reason and that my life is made for the good of me.”

[Join or create a Yahoo Fantasy Baseball league for the 2025 MLB season]

Montgomery is entering the final year of his contract that will pay him $22.5 million this season. He had a forgettable 2024 season where he went 8-7 in 25 appearances with a 6.23 ERA, 1.65 WHIP and an opponents’ batting average of .312 in 117 innings pitched — a season that led to team owner Ken Kendrick calling the signing a “horrible decision.”

In trying to find a way into the 2025 starting rotation, Montgomery failed to make his case during spring training with a 15.00 ERA in three innings pitched and a 2.67 WHIP.

“I was probably just trying to throw too hard too soon,” Montgomery said. “I was throwing bullpens really hard, and then get in a game and tense up trying to make the perfect pitch. That’s never good for your arm. I was throwing some pretty good stuff. It was there.”

The Diamondbacks won 89 games last season and missed the playoffs by one victory. The finish to their 2024 season played a role in how manager Torey Lovullo set up his team to begin the 2025 campaign, which included Montgomery being put in the bullpen.

“Of course, of course,” Lovullo said. “Every play that we run, every little inch we’re trying to win on the field, absolutely has a strategy to it, because we don’t want to miss any chances to win one more baseball game.”

The Diamondbacks had been reportedly speaking to teams about Montgomery’s availability as recently as this week. Even as the lefty struggled, Lovullo still had hope that the veteran pitcher would find his game again.

“I think you guys haven’t seen the best of Monty,” Lovullo said on Sunday. “That’s my gut feel. I’m watching every bullpen. I’m watching all the things that he’s doing. He’s working his butt off.”

Diamondbacks P Jordan Montgomery needs Tommy John surgery, will miss 2025 season

Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Jordan Montgomery will undergo Tommy John surgery and miss the entire 2025 MLB season.

Montgomery told reporters the news after he lost out on the team’s final starting rotation spot to right-hander Brandon Pfaadt. The decision came after the team tried to move the 32-year-old left-hander all winter. He was set to assume a long relief role to begin the season.

“Kind of like a roller coaster,” Montgomery said Tuesday. “But I’m a believer, and I believe that everything happens for a reason and that my life is made for the good of me.”

[Join or create a Yahoo Fantasy Baseball league for the 2025 MLB season]

Montgomery is entering the final year of his contract that will pay him $22.5 million this season. He had a forgettable 2024 season where he went 8-7 in 25 appearances with a 6.23 ERA, 1.65 WHIP and an opponents’ batting average of .312 in 117 innings pitched — a season that led to team owner Ken Kendrick calling the signing a “horrible decision.”

In trying to find a way into the 2025 starting rotation, Montgomery failed to make his case during spring training with a 15.00 ERA in three innings pitched and a 2.67 WHIP.

“I was probably just trying to throw too hard too soon,” Montgomery said. “I was throwing bullpens really hard, and then get in a game and tense up trying to make the perfect pitch. That’s never good for your arm. I was throwing some pretty good stuff. It was there.”

The Diamondbacks won 89 games last season and missed the playoffs by one victory. The finish to their 2024 season played a role in how manager Torey Lovullo set up his team to begin the 2025 campaign, which included Montgomery being put in the bullpen.

“Of course, of course,” Lovullo said. “Every play that we run, every little inch we’re trying to win on the field, absolutely has a strategy to it, because we don’t want to miss any chances to win one more baseball game.”

The Diamondbacks had been reportedly speaking to teams about Montgomery’s availability as recently as this week. Even as the lefty struggled, Lovullo still had hope that the veteran pitcher would find his game again.

“I think you guys haven’t seen the best of Monty,” Lovullo said on Sunday. “That’s my gut feel. I’m watching every bullpen. I’m watching all the things that he’s doing. He’s working his butt off.”

World Series odds, predictions: Bettors backing Los Angeles Dodgers despite best World Series odds in 20 years

Fresh off of a five-game World Series victory over the New York Yankees in 2024, the Los Angeles are again the betting favorite at sportsbooks to win the 2025 World Series — only this season, they are a historic favorite.

The Dodgers (+240 at BetMGM and even higher at some other sportsbooks) are the shortest World Series favorite in over 20 years. The Atlanta Braves and New York Yankees (both at +900) have the next-best odds at BetMGM, followed by the Philadelphia Phillies (11-1) and New York Mets (12-1). 

The Chicago White Sox, Colorado Rockies and Miami Marlins all share the longest odds to win the World Series at 500-1 odds.

The last time that a team had shorter odds to win the title was the 2003 Yankees at +200 odds, according to Sports Odds History. The team with the best preseason World Series odds has only won it all three times in the past 20 years, including the Dodgers last season.

[2025 MLB preview: Expert picks for World Series, Cy Young, more]

Those odds aren’t stopping the betting public from backing Los Angeles to repeat, though.

“Despite them being such big favorites at +240, we do have liability on the Dodgers believe or not,” Thomas Gable, sportsbook director at The Borgata in Atlantic City, told Yahoo Sports. “Everybody seems to be betting them. The Yankees, Phillies and Mets have some liability, but outside of those four teams, there isn’t anyone else.”

The Dodgers have twice as many wagers (17.2%) as any other team to win the World Series and more than four times as much money wagered (37.1%) at BetMGM. It’s even more lopsided at some other sportsbooks, as nearly half the wagers in the World Series futures market at DraftKings are on Los Angeles.

“You know the Yankees and Mets are going to be bet,” Johnny Avello, sportsbook director at DraftKings, said. “With the Mets picking up Juan Soto, they’re going to continue to be a hazard for us. The Dodgers, of course, are definitely getting some play even at that small number.”

It’s no surprise the public loves the Dodgers, as the team has won the NL West crown in 11 of the past 12 seasons and made the postseason every year. And after winning the World Series last season, all that Los Angeles did was add two-time Cy Young Award winner Blake Snell, Japanese phenom Roki Sasaki, Tanner Scott and Kirby Yates, in addition to re-signing Clayton Kershaw and Teoscar Hernandez. And superstar Shohei Ohtani is set to resume pitching at some point this season as well.

“It’s been all Dodgers this offseason,” Halvor Egeland, trading strategy manager at BetMGM, told Yahoo Sports in a text message. “If we put a market up with the Dodgers involved, it takes money. I can’t say I blame anyone, that team could be the best ever assembled.”

Jayson Tatum leaves Celtics’ win against Kings with painful ankle injury, says he’s ‘OK’

Jayson Tatum left the Boston Celtics’ Monday night victory over the Sacramento Kings early after suffering a left ankle sprain in the third quarter, but the four-time All-NBA forward expressed optimism after the win that the injury wouldn’t prove to be as bad as it first looked.

Tatum, who sits sixth in the NBA in scoring, had already racked up 21 points to pace the Celtics as he received a pass from Derrick White with just under four minutes to go in the third quarter at Golden 1 Center. A ball screen from Kristaps Porziņġis prompted Kings center Domantas Sabonis to switch onto Tatum above the 3-point arc — a tasty mismatch for Tatum to attack. After a rhythm dribble, Tatum side-stepped to his left and launched a 3-pointer; Sabonis, eager to contest the shot but a bit late in doing so, wound up too close for comfort.

As the shot splashed through the net, Tatum’s left foot landed on top of Sabonis’, leading to a nasty roll that left the Celtics star on the sideline in a heap, grasping for his left foot in clear and obvious pain:

Trainers and teammates surrounded Tatum on the sideline as the officials went to the monitors to review the play, eventually elevating the penalty against Sabonis from a common defensive foul to a flagrant foul-1 for stepping under an airborne shooter. Tatum would eventually be helped to the Boston bench, taking a couple of minutes to gather himself before returning to shoot two free throws for the flagrant; he split the pair and immediately checked out, ending his night with 25 points, seven rebounds and eight assists in 27 minutes.

The Celtics led by 11 when Tatum checked out, and would push the advantage as high as 22 in what settled as a 113-95 road victory. Sixth Man of the Year candidate Payton Pritchard scored 22 points and made five 3-pointers off the bench, while White chipped in 12 points, eight assists, five rebounds and a pair of steals for the defending NBA champions, who have now won six straight, 11 of their past 12 and 17 of 20 to improve to 53-19 on the season — Boston’s fourth consecutive 50-win campaign.

Sabonis, who just recently returned from a nasty ankle sprain of his own suffered after landing on a defender’s foot, expressed remorse after the game.

“I feel horrible,” he told reporters. “I’ve had a crazy month myself, personally, and you never want that to happen. So, I apologize.”

Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe reported that Tatum “was not wearing a boot or using crutches” in the visiting locker room, and that, “when he eventually left to board the team bus, he hardly showed any signs of a limp.” After the game, Tatum told ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne that his ankle is “just sore,” but did say that the team is “going to be cautious.”

There’s no such thing as a good time to lose someone like Tatum, who leads the Celtics in scoring, rebounding and assists, grades out as a top-five player in a slew of advanced metrics, and has long served as the do-it-all, two-way linchpin of a Boston squad that mauls through malleability. If the 27-year-old needs some time to recuperate, though, this isn’t too bad a spot in the calendar for it.

Boston’s all but locked into the No. 2 seed in the East, sitting 4.5 games behind the conference-leading Cavaliers and owning an eight-game cushion on the third-place Knicks. Monday marked Tatum’s 66th appearance of the season, too, so he’s already past the 65-game threshold for year-end awards eligibility, all but ensuring that a fourth straight All-NBA First Team selection — and potentially another top-five finish in MVP voting — will soon come his way.

Hitting the postseason healthy is the most important priority for a Celtics team looking to defend its title. If the training staff decides discretion is the better part of valor, Boston should have more than enough firepower to withstand a few games without Tatum; if he shows up for Wednesday’s meeting with the Suns feeling fully operational and ready to rock, then so much the better.

“I literally just asked him how he was doing and he said, ‘OK,’” Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla told reporters after the game. “He’ll do anything and everything to make sure he gets better.”

Bronny James goes off for G League Lakers with 39-point night

Bronny James has set NBA and G League career highs in points in the past week. (Photo by Luke Hales/Getty Images)
Luke Hales via Getty Images

Days after scoring an NBA career-high 17 points for the Los Angeles Lakers, Bronny James had another career game, this time in the G League, posting 39 points, 7 rebounds, 4 steals and 4 assists during a 122-118 South Bay Lakers win over the Santa Cruz Warriors.

James, the eldest son of Lakers star LeBron James, was reassigned to the G League this week ahead of the NBA Lakers’ four-game road trip. He continued his improved play Monday night with South Bay, shooting 14-of-21 from the field and hitting four of eight 3-pointers.

The performance by James brought out the proud dad in LeBron afterward.

In 23 games in the NBA this season, Bronny James has averaged 2.3 points, 0.6 rebounds and 0.6 assists in limited minutes. After his career game against the Milwaukee Bucks last Thursday, James said he’s continued to be prepared as needed to come off the bench when Lakers head coach JJ Redick calls his name.

“I’ve gained my confidence and getting my comfortability over just reps and getting out there and taking advantage of my opportunity if it was given,” James said. “Just being ready at all times. I think that’s the biggest thing for me is the stay ready games, practices, and stuff like that. Taking advantage like I did tonight.”

The G League regular season wraps up this week, and the 14-17 South Bay Lakers will not be advancing to the playoffs.