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On “The Kevin O’Connor Show,” longtime NBA veteran Marcus Morris was highly critical of 76ers president of basketball operations Daryl Morey, ripping the executive’s approach to the game and team management style.

“I don’t trust Daryl Morey,” Morris said. “I just don’t trust him. I think he’s thinking too far ahead of the way basketball needs to be played.”

Morris expressed concerns about Morey’s heavy reliance on numbers and AI, emphasizing the importance of team chemistry and the human aspect of basketball. He critiqued Morey’s tendency to prioritize analytics over the intangible aspects that contribute to a team’s success.

“Does he even understand the dynamic of being in Philadelphia?” Morris asked “What guys you need to play in Philadelphia? Like, understand how the team needs to jell first.

“What does AI do? Like, I understand the effects it can have on other spots … but telling you what guys you should choose or which guy fits what you’re trying to do?”

According to Morris, Morey’s strategy of frequently changing players and trying to innovate the game may overlook the significance of stability and cohesion within a team. Despite Morey’s successful track record with the Houston Rockets, Morris believes his methods may not necessarily translate well to the Philadelphia 76ers due to differing team dynamics and player requirements.

“It’s kind of like he’s trying to outsmart the game too much,” Morris said

Ultimately, Morris questioned whether Morey’s analytical approach could potentially undermine the team’s chemistry and overall performance on the court.

With the 76ers sitting at 23-45, good for 13th in the Eastern Conference, and Paul George joining Joel Embiid in being out for the season, things are a long way from getting better in Philadelphia.

To hear the full discussion, tune into “The Kevin O’Connor Show” on Apple, Spotify or YouTube.

Opening Day is less than two weeks away on March 27, but for two of the teams in the National League, the season started much sooner. The Dodgers and Cubs began this year’s regular-season action with two games in Tokyo on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Before the rest of the squads get going on domestic Opening Day, Yahoo Sports’ MLB experts are going team by team to preview the season, offering a best-case scenario, worst-case scenario, make-or-break player and season prediction for each team.

We’ve covered five divisions so far. Check back later this week as we conclude our previews with the teams in the American League West.

Jump to a division: NL East | NL Central | NL West | AL East | AL Central

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NATIONAL LEAGUE EAST

Atlanta Braves

Projected record (per FanGraphs, as of March 19): 94-68, 92.9% odds to make the playoffs, 63.9% odds to win the division

What happened last year? The injury gods cast decimation and destruction upon the Atlanta Braves, as reigning NL MVP Ronald Acuña Jr., hard-throwing ace Spencer Strider and a cavalcade of other regulars spent significant time on the shelf. A career year from DH Marcell Ozuna and a Cy Young-winning bounce-back from Chris Sale squeaked the Braves into a playoff spot before a wild-card round sweep defeat against the San Diego Padres sent Atlanta packing.

Best-case scenario: Acuña and Strider, two of the game’s best players in 2023, come back with a vengeance. The rest of Atlanta’s still-loaded core — Austin Riley, Ozzie Albies, Sean Murphy, Michael Harris, Ozuna, Sale, Matt Olson, Jurickson Profar, Orlando Arcia, Reynaldo Lopez and Spencer Schwellenbach, who have all performed at an All-Star level in one or both of the past two seasons — stays healthy and productive. The Braves win 110 games and the World Series.

Worst-case scenario: Atlanta sinks to fourth place as injuries expose a concerning lack of organizational depth. Acuña, like the last time he returned from ACL surgery in 2022, needs a few months to recapture his electrifying best. The enormous uptick in year-over-year innings for Atlanta’s three best returning arms — Sale (70 more in ‘24), Lopez (69 more), Schwellenbach (58 more) — works on a tape delay to undermine the rotation. The catching situation, a key dynamic in this era of Braves baseball, struggles with the departure of Travis d’Arnaud and the recent injury to Sean Murphy. Blooper, the team’s confrontational mascot, is indicted for tax fraud and ends up serving a year in the slammer.

Make-or-break player: Chris Sale. It was a magical 2024 for the limbed-out lefty. After a half-decade of injuries, the sidewinder came roaring back in his age-35 season to lead the league in strikeouts, post a 2.38 ERA in 177 2/3 innings and earn his first career Cy Young. But can he do it again? Because, well, the Braves kinda need him to. A healthy Chris Sale is a monster; a hurt Chris Sale is a monstrous issue.

Season prediction: Division champs and a nice playoff run. The Braves simply have too many good offensive pieces. Last year was an injury-heavy aberration that can’t possibly happen again. Granted, the lack of depth beyond the starting lineup is a real concern, but there’s just too much established talent on this team to seriously wager against them.

Philadelphia Phillies

Projected record: 88-74, 70.4% odds to make the playoffs, 20.8% odds to win the division

What happened last year? The Phillies won the NL East for the first time since 2011 but crumbled against the Mets in a strikeout-filled NLDS capitulation.

Best-case scenario: A forest of greased poles and a parade down Broad Street. Veteran hitters Bryce Harper, JT Realmuto, Kyle Schwarber, Nick Castellanos and Trea Turner continue to fend off Father Time. The younger trio of Brandon Marsh, Alec Bohm and Bryson Stott reach their full potential. And the pitching staff, which has a shot to be historically good, is boosted by offseason acquisition Jesus Luzardo and top pitching prospect Andrew Painter.

Worst-case scenario: Continuity begets stagnation, and the Phillies miss out on October for the first time since 2021. The bullpen misses Jeff Hoffman and can’t finish games. All-world hurler Zack Wheeler starts showing signs of wear in his age-35 season. The bottom of the lineup, which underwhelmed in 2024, drops down another tier. An important player or two gets hurt, and the Phillies spend October on the couch watching the Eagles and “Landman” instead of at Citizens Bank Park.

Make-or-break player: Trea Turner. The twitchy shortstop, who is under contract in Philly for another nine seasons, had a topsy-turvy second year in the City of Brotherly Love. He was money in the first half but had a below-average hitting line after the All-Star break. Finding a sense of consistency will be huge for Turner, who could soon be thrust back into the leadoff spot.

Season prediction: A wild-card spot and a nice playoff run. This Phillies club is, year-over-year, the most similarly built roster in baseball. Early in the winter, it appeared that president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski was willing to oversee a roster shake-up. But that never came to fruition, and this Phillies club is going into battle with the same soldiers. Once again, the simple, all-encompasing question for this group is: Do they strike out a prohibitive amount in October? Because while the window isn’t closing, the future is most certainly getting hazier. Realmuto and Schwarber are free agents after this season, while the core of other high-paid vets clicks one year closer to decline. The clock is ticking. Can the Phillies make the most of their opportunity?

New York Mets

Projected record: 86-76, 61.9% odds to make the playoffs, 15.0% odds to win the division

What happened last year? The OMG/Grimace Mets captivated baseball and the Big Apple on their way to an improbable October run that crashed to a halt in the NLCS due to a dearth of pitching. Then they gave Juan Soto $765 million in December.

Best-case scenario: An overpowering offense leads this club to a division crown and the first World Series title of the Moneybag Mets era. The Soto-led lineup rakes the way it should, with Francisco Lindor, Pete Alonso, Brandon Nimmo and Mark Vientos all contributing All-Star-level performances. The MLB pitching coaches conjure more magic from what looks to be an undermanned rotation. Sean Manaea’s oblique strain — he’s expected to be out until April — doesn’t linger, and the lefty hurler continues his brilliance from 2024. Jeff McNeil writes his own Latin pop smash hit, and the Mets kick off an era of dominance in Queens.

Worst-case scenario: A starting pitching catastrophe drops the Mets to an embarrassing fourth-place finish. Manaea and fellow injured starter Frankie Montas turn out to be unavailable for quite a while. None of the other rotation pieces steps up. Alonso’s slow offensive decline continues. Lindor is simply good instead of an MVP candidate. Vientos can’t back up his breakout year. The bullpen leaks runs, and everything goes sideways by the All-Star break.

Make-or-break player: Kodai Senga. In 2023, the Japanese forkballer was a legitimate No. 1 starter, posting an ERA under 3.00 in 166⅓ innings. That earned him a runner-up Rookie of the Year finish and a handful of Cy Young votes. In 2024, Senga battled injuries all year and made just one regular-season start. He returned for a few postseason outings but didn’t look like the same guy. The Mets are desperate for a return to form, but the range of possible outcomes for Senga is downright chasmic right now.

Season prediction: A playoff appearance, a pretty good year, but one that falls short of expectations. The 2024 Mets ran out of gas because they ran out of pitching, an issue that doesn’t seem rectified five months after their NLCS defeat. Don’t get it twisted: This lineup rules, and the Soto Show is going to convert youngsters in New York to the Mets. But it’s difficult to imagine this starting rotation guiding the Mets through the October gauntlet to a World Series title.

Washington Nationals

Projected record: 72-90, 3.1% odds to make the playoffs, 0.2% odds to win the division

What happened last year? The Nats were aggressively meh in 2024, though a few bright spots such as James Wood and Dylan Crews provided encouraging glimpses of a better future.

Best-case scenario: A rejuvenating, surprising, against-the-odds playoff appearance. Wood and Crews are immediately franchise-changing, All-Star-level performers. Shortstop CJ Abrams proves that his stellar first half was the real deal. Nathaniel Lowe and Josh Bell, a pair of veteran sluggers added during the offseason, give the lineup some much-needed depth. Arms such as Jake Irvin, DJ Herz, Mitchell Parker and MacKenzie Gore continue to take steps forward while under-the-radar signings such as Mike Soroka, Trevor Williams and Shinnosuke Ogasawara contribute solid innings.

Worst-case scenario: A deflating fifth place in the NL East raises doubts about the organization’s immediate future. Wood and Crews show that their flaws — swing-and-miss and too many ground balls, respectively — are legitimate concerns. The starting pitching can’t hang, and the Nats are out of most games by the third inning. None of the other young players, such as Jacob Young, Luis Garcia or Keibert Ruiz, plays well enough to solidify themselves as key members of the next good Nats team.

Make-or-break player: MacKenzie Gore. Acquired in the Juan Soto deal, the 26-year-old lefty has shined in spurts but has yet to deliver a full season of excellence. Besides flamethrowing prospect Jarlin Susana, Gore is still D.C.’s best candidate to become a homegrown starting pitcher atop the rotation. That will happen only if he can figure out a way to get right-handed hitters out.

Season prediction: An invigorating, hope-building, fourth-place finish. This Nats team seems like a group on the brink that, with a handful of big-time free-agent additions, could’ve made some serious noise in the wild-card hunt. But there’s a dearth of obvious impact here, particularly on the pitching side. A strong step forward from Gore seems like an absolute must this year. The top objective for the 2025 Nats will be convincing the team’s ownership group that the 2026 Nats are worth investing in.

Grant Thomas/Yahoo Sports

Miami Marlins

Projected record: 70-92, 1.4% odds to make the playoffs, 0.0% odds to win the division

What happened last year? Coming off a Cinderella playoff appearance in 2023, the Marlins … fired GM Kim Ng, got off to a horrendous start, traded away a treasure trove at the deadline and finished the season with 100 losses.

Best-case scenario: A cheeky, scrappy, fourth-place finish. The rotation could be pretty solid, especially if Sandy Alcantara looks like his old self after a year on the shelf and No. 2 starter Ryan Weathers sustains his spring training velocity jump. Shortstop Xavier Edwards and DH Jonah Bride, who are both coming off stealthy good offensive seasons, build on that to lead the offense.

Worst-case scenario: Worst team in MLB history. This offense could be a cataclysm, a mudslide, a no-good-very-bad-day. Only the Chicago White Sox are projected to have a soggier lineup. It’s really difficult to win baseball games when you don’t score runs.

Make-or-break player: Sandy Alcantara. The 2023 NL Cy Young winner missed all of 2024 while recovering from Tommy John surgery but was named Miami’s Opening Day starter way back on Feb. 13. He’s under team control through the end of 2027 at a very affordable price for a frontline arm. Considering that this Marlins front office has traded away anything of value in recent months, it’ll be interesting to see if/when they pull the ripcord on Alcantara if he has a strong first half.

Season prediction: The pitching is good enough to keep Miami from sinking to historic depths, but the Fish finish with the worst record in the NL. This Marlins team, unfortunately, is designed to lose, so they’ll probably do that a lot. New president of baseball operations Peter Bendix ripped this thing up from the studs to rebuild the organizational foundation from scratch. There are a few interesting players here and there, but it’s going to take a long while before baseball is relevant again in Miami. It seems unlikely that the players destined to change the fortunes of this bizarro franchise are currently employed by the Marlins.

NATIONAL LEAGUE CENTRAL

Milwaukee Brewers

Projected record: 81-81, 34.9% odds to make the playoffs, 23.3% odds to win the division

What happened last year? After Craig Counsell bolted for Chicago and Corbin Burnes was traded right before spring training, the Brewers were written off by many entering 2024. Yet once again, their organizational excellence shined through as Milwaukee took advantage of the mediocrity surrounding it in the division and surged to an NL Central crown in Pat Murphy’s first year at the helm. A heartbreaking exit in the wild-card series preceded a winter that saw yet another wave of familiar faces depart, as shortstop Willy Adames left in free agency and closer Devin Williams was traded to the Yankees.

Best-case scenario: The meteoric ascent of 21-year-old Jackson Chourio continues, giving the Brewers another elite position player alongside star catcher William Contreras. The bullpen doesn’t miss a beat without Williams, and new lefties Nestor Cortes Jr. and Jose Quintana fortify a rotation that clearly needed reinforcements. Rhys Hoskins rediscovers his Philadelphia form and slugs a career-high 35 home runs, which helps to make up for Adames’ absence in the lineup. Fan favorites Christian Yelich and Brandon Woodruff return from their respective surgeries and perform at or near pre-injury levels, pushing Milwaukee to another 90-plus-win season and another division title. The Brewers win a playoff round or two before falling in October to one of the big-market behemoths in the NLCS.

Worst-case scenario: The bullpen regresses just enough without Williams, increasing the burden on a rotation that isn’t quite up to the task. Inconsistency on the mound is compounded by a lineup that falls off harshly after the first handful of hitters, as the bevy of 26-and-under bats fail to demonstrate further progress, leaving the offense in an unreliable state. Organizational competence prevents a totally dismal finish, but the Brewers are out of the mix for the division by September and aren’t nearly good enough to be relevant in what should be a vicious NL wild-card race.

Make-or-break player: Joey Ortiz. While it isn’t settled just yet, Ortiz appears to be the favorite to succeed Adames at shortstop after spending the bulk of his rookie year at third base. Acquired from Baltimore as part of the return for Corbin Burnes, Ortiz looked like quite the pickup when he posted an .891 OPS through the end of May, but he tailed off pretty hard at the plate in the second half. If Ortiz’s plus glove translates to shortstop and he can rediscover his first-half form offensively, the Brewers won’t miss Adames as much as you might expect.

Season prediction: An improved division makes for a more difficult path than last season. The Brewers stay competitive for much of the season and finish with a winning record but don’t have quite enough firepower to secure a wild-card spot.

St. Louis Cardinals

Projected record: 79-83, 22.6% odds to make the playoffs, 13.9% odds to win the division

What happened last year? The Cardinals improved by 12 wins from their stunningly bad 2023 campaign, yet the 2024 season felt like a similar slog. St. Louis then followed its snoozefest of a season by being the least active team of the winter. The NL Central collectively accounted for just 3.3% of all spending in free agency, lower than any other division, and the Cardinals were the most extreme case: They were the only team in baseball to not sign a single major-league free agent. And despite declaring their intention to trade third baseman Nolan Arenado, they were unable to do so before spring training, leaving their roster virtually unchanged outside of a few departures in free agency (Paul Goldschmidt, Lance Lynn, Kyle Gibson).

Best-case scenario: This is one of the more difficult teams for which to define a best-case scenario because of how this franchise has talked about its goals for 2025. With baseball operations scheduled to be turned over to Chaim Bloom from John Mozeliak after this season, the Cardinals are viewing this as a transition year of sorts, with the focus on improving the infrastructure at all levels of the organization while prioritizing the development of young players. That also means a willingness to part with veterans via trade, which they obviously attempted with Arenado.

But there is still enough talent on this roster to be competitive if everyone plays to their potential. So is the best case for this organization to keep all the veterans and make a surprise push for the division? Or would they be better served long-term to flop early and execute a dramatic sell-off at the deadline, similar to what they did in 2023? This question makes the Cardinals one of the more interesting teams to monitor over the first couple of months of the season.

Worst-case scenario: A worst-case scenario is a bit more clear: It’s a combination of poor performance from veterans that saps their trade value and failure by the key young players to take steps forward and solidify their roles on the roster. This outcome would result in St. Louis having missed their potential window to cash in on the likes of Ryan Helsley and Erick Fedde in exchange for young talent while also having massive questions about just how good the team is moving forward, which could delay a return to contention further into the future, something this fan base — one unused to long stretches of irrelevance — will have a tough time tolerating.

Make-or-break player: Jordan Walker. It’d be foolish to give up on this guy — he’s younger than top prospect Dylan Crews, for some perspective — but Walker’s sophomore season was undeniably a discouraging step back after a promising rookie campaign. There’s still a path for Walker to become a middle-of-the-order force for St. Louis, but it’s important he gets back on track in a season in which the franchise intends to give him every opportunity to reestablish his once sky-high value.

Season prediction: The Cardinals hover around .500 and are within shouting distance of the wild-card picture as the trade deadline approaches, but they opt to sell off as many veterans as possible in an effort to acquire as much young talent as they can entering the Chaim Bloom Era. These moves not only help boost the farm system but also clear the way for more at-bats and innings for younger players to get their feet wet in the big leagues in the second half. The Cards fade hard in the season’s second half, finishing fourth or fifth, but generally execute the organizational plan for the season and enter the winter with the intention of building a roster that can compete in 2026.

Chicago Cubs

Projected record: 84-78, 50.7% odds to make the playoffs, 38.1% odds to win the division

What happened last year? An ugly skid in May and June had the Cubs contemplating being sellers at last year’s trade deadline, but they instead held on to Cody Bellinger and added another bat in Isaac Paredes in an effort to stay in the mix. An 18-8 record in August appeared to vindicate that decision — the Cubs were two games behind the Mets on Sept. 1 — before the team collapsed in September and missed the postseason for the fifth time in six years. Knowing the clock is ticking entering the final year of his contract, president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer acted with a sense of urgency this winter, most notably flipping Paredes and last year’s first-round pick, Cam Smith, to Houston for star outfielder Kyle Tucker in one of the biggest trades of the winter. The Cubs also added several veteran pieces (Ryan Pressly, Matthew Boyd, Justin Turner, Carson Kelly) in hopes of fueling a return to October.

Best-case scenario: The addition of Tucker and the debut of top prospect Matt Shaw elevate this lineup from its longstanding status as a merely solid unit to one of the best position-player groups in the National League. The rotation features three highly effective southpaws in Shota Imanaga, Justin Steele and Boyd, while Pressly anchors a much-improved bullpen that badly needed some veteran stability. Seiya Suzuki continues to rake in his new role as the nearly full-time DH, and Pete Crow-Armstrong’s bat improves to the point that, along with his elite speed and defense, he is one of the best all-around center fielders in baseball. The Cubs win more than 90 games and cruise to a division title in Year 2 under Craig Counsell, and Hoyer gets an extension.

Worst-case scenario: The impressive collection of talent on the roster once again fails to translate to wins. Tucker is good, but as the Cubs struggle to stay in the postseason race, the discussion around him changes from how he can help the Cubs win to whether they should trade him at the deadline. Meanwhile, Smith reaches the big leagues in a hurry and is raking right away for Houston. For Pressly, a decline that began quietly a year ago continues in earnest as he is unable to fix a bullpen that remains a clear weakness. Despite substantial hype, the team stays stuck in neutral, costing Hoyer his job and perhaps necessitating a more dramatic shake-up next winter.

Make-or-break player: Tucker. No need to overcomplicate this one: The 28-year-old outfielder is one of the more important players in baseball in 2025. It’s a lot to ask of a player who has largely played a supporting role in Houston, despite elite production that portrays a superstar, but it’s Tucker’s time to shine for a team that desperately needs him to live up to his potential right away. How he performs will have a big impact not only on the Cubs but also on how many hundreds of millions he commands on the open market next winter. He’s a big deal, plain and simple.

Season prediction: The Cubs finally break through and return to the playoffs as the division winner, albeit the one with the fewest wins and thus without a first-round bye. They notch at least their first playoff win since 2017 but don’t have enough to make the full-blown pennant run the fan base craves. It’s generally considered a successful and encouraging season, but Tucker’s pending departure in free agency casts a shadow of uncertainty entering the winter.

Taylor Wilhelm/Yahoo Sports

Cincinnati Reds

Projected record: 78-84, 20.0% odds to make the playoffs, 12.0% odds to win the division

What happened last year? The Reds failed to sustain the momentum garnered in 2023, with injuries and underperformance leading to an awful 9-18 stretch in May that effectively sunk any hope of being relevant in the NL race. In an effort to flush their disappointing campaign and get back on track, Cincinnati hired legendary skipper Terry Francona as its new manager, the first big move of what turned out to be an awfully busy offseason that featured several notable additions to both the lineup (Gavin Lux, Austin Hays, Jose Trevino) and pitching staff (Brady Singer, Taylor Rogers, Scott Barlow).

Best-case scenario: Francona not only energizes the franchise but also is able to effectively mix and match with the various chess pieces on the roster who don’t appear to fit together. Lux plays capable defense at multiple positions and hits like he did in the second half of last season, helping to power an offense that benefits significantly from the highly anticipated return of second baseman Matt McLain from injury. Hunter Greene delivers another All-Star campaign atop a rotation that stays healthy, and of course, Elly De La Cruz takes another leap, vaulting into top-five MVP consideration after finishing eighth in 2024. The Reds surge into the wild-card mix and snag a postseason spot in the final week of the season before an early October exit.

Worst-case scenario: Tito doesn’t make much of a difference, as the roster proves to be too flawed on the margins for the team to stay competitive. McLain is rusty in his return, which puts pressure on De La Cruz to shoulder the burden of the offense like he did a year ago. The lineup turns out to be notably undermanned relative to the other NL contenders, and either the bullpen or the rotation severely underwhelms, leaving the Reds stuck in or near fourth place once again, forced to contemplate another offseason of overhaul.

Make-or-break player: Jeimer Candelario. The first year of the corner infielder’s three-year, $45M deal with the Reds was one to forget, as Candelario ranked 165th out of 169 position players (minimum 450 plate appearances) with a -0.4 fWAR. As Cincinnati’s highest paid and most veteran position player, Candelario needs to get back to producing at even an average level if this lineup wants to be anything more than mediocre.

Season prediction: Francona does make a meaningful impact, guiding a hungry Reds club back to relevance in the NL postseason race before coming up short in September, similar to 2023 but with perhaps a few more wins. It’s another year of waiting for a franchise that hasn’t won a playoff series since 1995, the longest drought in MLB.

Pittsburgh Pirates

Projected record: 78-84, 21.0% odds to make the playoffs, 12.7% odds to win the division

What happened last year? Paul Skenes arrived, fundamentally changing the perception of the franchise’s contention window and amplifying Pittsburgh’s relevance tenfold. But the lackluster offense and porous bullpen resulted in an identical record to 2023: 76-86 with a last-place finish. Unsurprisingly (albeit still maddeningly), the Pirates continued to operate on the frugal side over the winter, spending roughly $20 million on six low-impact free agents, ranging from the return of franchise icon Andrew McCutchen to back-end lefty Andrew Heaney. Their biggest trade acquisition — infielder Spencer Horwitz — needed wrist surgery before spring training even started.

Best-case scenario: Skenes wins the NL Cy Young and headlines one of the best rotations in baseball, one that also features continued All-Star-level performance from Mitch Keller and another big step forward from Jared Jones. Prospects Bubba Chandler and Thomas Harrington dominate Triple-A and ultimately replace soft-tossing lefties Heaney and Bailey Falter in a rotation that is the envy of the league by season’s end. Oneil Cruz takes to center field brilliantly and becomes an absolute wrecking ball at the plate, carrying a lineup that is just good enough to support the outstanding pitching staff. The Pirates miss the postseason but win more games (83-plus) than they have since 2015 and demonstrate enough organizational growth to be genuinely optimistic about a postseason push in 2026.

Worst-case scenario: Some portion of the promising pitching staff either gets injured or regresses hard, putting pressure on an ill-equipped lineup to compensate for worse-than-expected run prevention. The Pirates finish in last place again and still don’t have a clear path to build an above-average offense, a problem made worse by the continued unwillingness to spend significant dollars in free agency.

Make-or-break player: David Bednar. Cruz is a quintessential X-factor due to his cathedral ceiling and frustrating floor, and the Pirates need a bunch of hitters to step up if they want to be competitive. But Bednar was the most glaring disappointment in a brutally bad bullpen last year, and the Pirates need him to bounce back. The Pittsburgh native was one of the best closers in baseball for two seasons before things went haywire in 2024, and if he can return to form, that could be the difference between this pitching staff being merely very good and legitimately excellent.

Season prediction: The Pirates’ pitching is formidable enough to avoid a third consecutive 76-win season, but the well-below-average offense keeps them from breaking through as an actual winning team. They win 77-80 games and finish in fourth or fifth place again, extending the National League’s longest playoff drought to a full decade.

NATIONAL LEAGUE WEST

Los Angeles Dodgers

Projected record: 97-65, 97.9% odds to make the playoffs, 85.1% odds to win the division

What happened last year? With Shohei Ohtani in the fold and recording the first 50-50 season in MLB history, the Dodgers cruised to yet another division title despite an onslaught of injuries in the starting rotation. They were challenged by the Padres in the five-game NLDS but handily defeated the Mets and then the Yankees to win the franchise’s first non-pandemic World Series title since 1988. Then they doubled down by soundly winning the offseason with the additions of Blake Snell, Roki Sasaki, Michael Conforto, Tanner Scott and more.

Best-case scenario: The Dodgers do what everyone is afraid of and absolutely demolish the rest of the league, setting the MLB record for wins in a season. Ohtani continues to be a machine, delivering his one-of-one prowess offensively while returning to being one of the league’s best on the mound. Sasaki is the runaway NL Rookie of the Year, Snell mows hitters down, and L.A. captures back-to-back World Series titles.

Worst-case scenario: Disaster strikes, and the Dodgers not only fail to make it back to the World Series but also get knocked out before reaching the NLCS. The team’s rotation is once again decimated by injuries, and the organization struggles to fill holes the way it managed in 2024. Sasaki isn’t ready for the big leagues and disappoints as L.A.’s big-money strategy fails to deliver.

Make-or-break player: Ohtani. It’s tough to envision a season in which Ohtani is a member of the Los Angeles Dodgers and isn’t the team’s make-or-break player. The Dodgers’ success is significantly attributed to his prolific greatness, and even with all the other amazing players on the roster, if Ohtani is unable to perform at his typical levels, L.A. will suffer. We’ve reached a point where his offensive numbers are pretty consistent from year to year, but it’ll be interesting to see how he performs once he resumes pitching full time. With the Dodgers slowing down his ramp-up, it remains to be seen when that will happen.

Season prediction: The Dodgers are an absolute force, and if they play to 90% of their capabilities, they’re going to put together one of the most impressive regular seasons in MLB history, and they’ll probably become the first team to repeat as World Series champions since the Yankees won three straight from 1998-2000. Even if things don’t fall completely into place for L.A. — that often happens in baseball — the Dodgers’ roster might be the best, top to bottom, in league history. They’re going to be a problem for the other 29 teams all year.

San Diego Padres

Projected record: 82-80, 34.4% odds to make the playoffs, 3.5% odds to win the division

What happened last year? After a confounding and disappointing 2023, the Padres bounced back in 2024. With a crew of star players, they won 93 games and made the Dodgers sweat out the division title in the final weeks of September. As the NL’s top wild card, San Diego easily bounced Atlanta and then had L.A. on the ropes in the NLDS before another disappointing October exit for the Friars. The winter brought a great deal of uncertainty, as an ownership dispute seemed to prevent the organization from doing much of anything in free agency.

Best-case scenario: The Padres finally put it all together, getting great contributions from all of their superstars while Manny Machado and Fernando Tatis Jr. earn MVP votes. Last year’s rookie sensation, Jackson Merrill, takes another step forward and solidifies his place as the best center fielder in baseball. Xander Bogaerts plays like the Bogaerts of old. And not only does San Diego find a rhythm on offense, but also its pitching staff helps support a strong lineup, making it one of the NL’s toughest teams and carrying the Padres to the NLCS.

Worst-case scenario: Machado continues to age, as injuries and lack of production lead to a down season. Tatis is unable to recapture the electric form that made him one of the faces of the league. But the actual worst case for the Padres is if the pitching is unable to keep the team in games for the duration of the season. After Yu Darvish, Michael King and Dylan Cease, a rotation full of question marks gets shelled, and the Padres are forced to sell at the deadline.

Make-or-break player: Tatis. There are few players in baseball who captivate the masses like Tatis when he’s on. Whether it’s monstrous homers, Gold Glove defense in right field or his athleticism around the diamond, the man is truly electric. If the Padres are to do anything significant in 2025, they’ll need their two-time All-Star to carry them. We haven’t seen Tatis return to the level he was playing at in 2022, before he was suspended for PEDs, but he has shown signs that player is still there. If he can return to top form, it could be a huge factor in sending the Padres on a deep postseason run.

Season prediction: The Padres will be one of the more interesting this season. On paper they still have plenty of high-end talent, but between the team’s ownership situation and stated desire to cut salary for payroll relief, there are a number of possible outcomes in San Diego. That said, until there are further changes to the roster, the Padres should once again be in the NL wild-card picture, with the opportunity to upset anyone they face in October.

Arizona Diamondbacks

Projected record: 86-76, 59.9% odds to make the playoffs, 8.9% odds to win the division

What happened last year? Coming off an NL pennant, the Diamondbacks were pretty ho-hum in 2024. They won 89 games and were in the wild-card mix until the final day of the season — or, rather, the day after, when they were eliminated after the Mets and Braves both clinched via their bizarre doubleheader. The D-backs surprised everyone with a quietly strong offseason headlined by the unexpected signing of ace Corbin Burnes.

Best-case scenario: The D-backs come out of the gate like a team possessed and show that their new roster has what it takes to compete in baseball’s toughest division. Former NL Rookie of the Year Corbin Carroll returns to his 2024 form and puts himself back in MVP discussions, forming one of the best tandems in the sport alongside 2024 NL MVP finalist Ketel Marte. But the biggest strength is Arizona’s rotation, which is in the conversation for best in MLB, as Burnes, Zac Gallen, Merrill Kelly, Eduardo Rodriguez and Brandon Pfaadt pitch the D-backs not only back into the postseason but also all the way to the NLCS with another chance to shock baseball.

Worst-case scenario: The investment in Burnes doesn’t pay off, as the 2022 NL Cy Young Award winner regresses. The rest of Arizona’s rotation does the same, as what was thought to be the team’s strength fails to come to fruition. Carroll’s slow start in 2024 carries into 2025, and the lack of production seeps into the rest of the lineup, causing the offense to be stagnant as the D-backs find themselves on the outside of the postseason picture once again.

Make-or-break player: Marte. He was the D-backs’ best player last season, and he put himself in the conversation as one of the best players in the sport on the way to finishing top-three in MVP voting. He has taken his game to new heights over the past six seasons, and if he’s healthy, there’s no reason he can’t continue to be a force at the top of Arizona’s lineup. Marte is a top-10 player in the game who’ll have another opportunity this season to show the world just how good he is.

Season prediction: The D-backs could be one of the best teams in the National League this season. They added a former Cy Young winner to their rotation, and they made their team better in multiple areas with the addition of first baseman Josh Naylor. Who’s to say Arizona isn’t the third- or fourth-best team in the NL by the time we get to September? The NL wild-card race is guaranteed to be a fight this season, but Arizona has enough to get a say and secure a playoff spot before it’s all said and done.

San Francisco Giants

Projected record: 81-81, 28.9% odds to make the playoffs, 2.5% odds to win the division

What happened last year? After a winter of significant spending, it was another disappointing .500-ish season in San Francisco. New addition Jung-Ho Lee was injured for most of the season as the Giants were largely a non-factor in the playoff picture. After an 80-82 finish, they again were major players in free agency, adding shortstop Willy Adames and veteran Justin Verlander during Buster Posey’s first winter at the helm.

Best-case scenario: When it comes to the Giants, starting pitching is always going to be front and center. If things go well, it’ll mean ace Logan Webb continuing to be one of the best starters in baseball. Adames becomes the big bat San Francisco hoped for as the Giants’ offense finds the power it’s desperately needed. The Giants are in the middle of the wild-card race all season, and their pitching prowess means they constantly put other teams on upset alert.

Worst-case scenario: Buster Posey’s first year as president of baseball operations doesn’t prove fruitful, as the 42-year-old Verlander, Robbie Ray and former top prospect Kyle Harrison are unable to stay healthy, leaving Webb to once again try to carry the team’s rotation. Even worse is another season of stagnant offense, with the addition of Adames’ bat doing little to improve the lineup’s production.

Make-or-break player: Adames. The Giants have been in need of offense for a while, and after adding Korean outfielder Lee last offseason, they acquired the power-hitting shortstop to add some thump in the middle of the order. Adames’ importance as a right-handed run producer can’t be understated. The shortstop is coming off the best season of his career, with career highs in hits, homers, runs and RBI. The ominous stat that has hung over the Giants since the departure of Barry Bonds is that no player has eclipsed 30 homers in the Bay since MLB’s all-time leader in homers did it in 2004. While it’s a tall task for a right-handed hitter in San Francisco, Adames’ consistency is a welcome sight, and his ability to lead a clubhouse will also be a huge benefit.

Season prediction: The addition of Adames notwithstanding, it feels like the Giants’ goal this season is to have the players who were already on the roster improve. It’s not a bad strategy, with solid players such as Lee, Matt Chapman and 2024 All-Star Heliot Ramos entrenched on the roster. Yet it’s fair to wonder if they can be more than just a middling team in baseball’s toughest division. The Giants are going to show flashes, but it’s difficult to imagine a jump back into the postseason in 2025.

Mallory Bielecki/Yahoo Sports

Colorado Rockies

Projected record: 63-99, 0.1% odds to make the playoffs, 0% odds to win the division

What happened last year? Another season of irrelevance. In a loaded division full of stars, the Rockies were totally forgettable — and out of the playoff picture virtually immediately. Then, as per usual, the Rockies spent almost no money in the winter.

Best-case scenario: First and foremost, Kris Bryant returns to being a power threat, hitting 30 home runs for the first time since 2019. And it’s not just Bryant who performs. The team’s young core of Ezequiel Tovar, Brenton Doyle and Nolan Jones all become the best versions of themselves as the Rockies make their opponents sweat for the first time in years.

Worst-case scenario: It can’t really get worse for the Rockies than it’s already been, right? Bryant continues to be a shell of his former self, yet again playing less than half the season. Colorado’s young core of players fails to develop, and some even begin to regress as the Rockies sink further into the depths of baseball’s cellar, becoming the worst team in baseball.

Make-or-break player: Bryant. The reality is the Rockies’ make-or-break player for the past three seasons has been Bryant. The former NL MVP hasn’t played more than 80 games in a season since he signed his seven-year, $182 million deal with Colorado in 2022. While the days of Bryant being a perennial All-Star might be in the rearview mirror, there’s nothing that says he can’t still be a real power threat in his 30s. The Rockies need that from him if they are to have any hope of staying afloat.

Season prediction: Honestly, the bar for the Rockies couldn’t be any lower than it already is. They’ve been among the bottom three teams in baseball for the past five years, and it’s hard to imagine they’re not close to that level again in 2025. But they have interesting talent and a solid crop of top-tier prospects who could be on the door of the big leagues. The goal in Colorado should be to play competitive baseball.

AMERICAN LEAGUE EAST

New York Yankees

Projected record: 86-76, 63.4% odds to make the playoffs, 30.8% odds to win the division

What happened last year? Juan Soto, baseball mercenary, delivered.

Behind Soto’s patience, Aaron Judge’s power and a sturdy pitching staff, the Yanks won 94 ballgames, the division crown and the AL pennant. And then … Nestor Cortes Jr. threw Freddie Freeman a meatball, Aaron Judge dropped a pop-up, Gerrit Cole forgot to cover first base, and the Yankees spent winter getting clowned on by the victorious Dodgers. Soto’s crosstown flight and Gerrit Cole’s season-ending Tommy John surgery have only intensified the consternation in YankeeLand as the game’s most notorious franchise continues its quest for title No. 28.

Best-case scenario: New York’s core competency of run prevention — they own the fourth-lowest ERA in MLB since the start of 2022 — is enough to overcome a year without Cole. Big-money free-agent addition Max Fried pitches like the ace he was paid to be. So does Carlos Rodón, who has his first All-Star-level season in pinstripes. Anthony Volpe makes The Leap™ in his age-24 season, going from glove-first shortstop to all-around superstar. Jasson Dominguez goes 30/30 and wins AL Rookie of the Year. Judge cranks out another 60 homers. The Yankees — all rocking playoff beards — storm through October and win the first World Series of the Judge Era. Owner Hal Steinbrenner looks like ZZ Top when he accepts the trophy.

Worst-case scenario: It turns out that replacing Juan Soto and Gerrit Cole is extremely difficult. Judge desperately misses Soto’s presence in the lineup, as recent additions such as Cody Bellinger, Paul Goldschmidt and Jazz Chisholm fail to step up. Giancarlo Stanton, sidelined by two ailing elbows, doesn’t play a single game. The gaping hole at third base proves to be an anchor. Dominguez’s bat doesn’t blossom, and he remains a blindfolded toddler in left field. The catchers behind youngster Austin Wells are bad enough that Wells has to play six days a week, and he’s an exhausted husk by late summer. Judge cranks out only 40 homers. The Yankees finish under .500 for the first time since George H.W. Bush was president, and Steinbrenner is so embarrassed that he reinstates the facial hair policy for 2026.

Make-or-break player: Jazz Chisholm Jr. Since making the All-Star team in 2022, the Bahamian typhoon of effortless swagger has effectively been a league-average hitter. He showcased his immense talent during a 46-game stint in New York after being dealt at the deadline (11 homers and a.825 OPS). If he can sustain that over a full season and be The Second-Best Yankees Hitter, it would change the complexion of this lineup while turning Jazz into the fully actualized, immensely famous baseball force he has always wanted to be.

Season prediction: The Yankees miss Soto much more than they miss Cole, but Judge does enough to carry the supporting cast to 90 wins and a wild-card berth. Volpe emerges, and Chisholm is solid, but the rest of the lineup underwhelms. It’s a decent, ultimately disappointing Yankees season that pushes the franchise one year closer to ending the Judge Era without a ring.

Baltimore Orioles

Projected record: 83-79, 47.8% odds to make the playoffs, 18.7% odds to win the division

What happened last year? A potent, young offense that stampeded through spring lost steam down the stretch as the O’s settled for a wild card. Come October, the lineup was a no-show during an embarrassing wild-card loss at home to Kansas City that stretched Baltimore’s postseason losing streak to 10 games.

Best-case scenario: Grayson Rodriguez returns more quickly than expected from his scary triceps injury and blossoms into a legit ace atop Baltimore’s starting staff. Soft-tossing 35-year-old Tomoyuki Sugano, an MVP last year in Japan, makes an effective transition to stateside ball. Charlie Morton, who turns 42 in November, keeps raging against time. Southpaw Cade Povich becomes a rotation stalwart. A heroic return from flamethrowing closer Felix Bautista, who missed all of 2024 due to an elbow injury, shortens games and changes the complexion of the whole club. The offense bops like it’s supposed to, with Jackson Holliday putting a rocky rookie year behind him to join Gunnar Henderson, Jordan Westburg, Adley Rutschman and Colton Cowser as homegrown stars.

Worst-case scenario: Rodriguez misses a significant stretch, and this undermanned rotation can’t keep games close enough to give the lineup a shot. Rutschman’s disappointing 2024 proves to be the start of a trend and not a blip. Holliday continues to struggle, raising doubts about the former top prospect’s future. Offseason acquisitions Morton, Sugano and outfielder Tyler O’Neill fall flat. The O’s finish dead last in the division, and the front office regrets not being more aggressive in adding pitching over the winter.

Make-or-break player: Adley Rutschman. The O’s franchise catcher was horrendous in the second half, with disgusting offensive numbers whenever he started behind the dish. Once hailed as the savior of this fallen franchise, Rutschman is still only 27 years old, but he needs a bounceback campaign to prove he’s still a needle-moving force. His framing numbers, which were awesome in ‘23 and awful in ‘24, simply need to bounce back.

Season prediction: The O’s, under new owner David Rubenstein, spent money during the offseason. It was, in fact, the largest year-over-year percentage payroll increase in baseball. Still, it’s hard to say this team got better, with its best pitcher (Corbin Burnes) and its home run leader (Anthony Santander) departing in free agency. People around the game were confused about the way Baltimore opted to spend money and are concerned that this front office isn’t making the most of an impressive homegrown offensive core. I tend to agree, particularly when it comes to the rotation. Baltimore will be in the wild-card mix, and the lineup is still really good, but I’m skeptical about the pitching — to the point that I think they’ll miss out on the postseason.

Boston Red Sox

Projected record: 85-77, 55.5% odds to make the playoffs, 23.3% odds to win the division

What happened last year? The Red Sox had a Netflix documentary crew following them around for what turned out to be a forgettable, lackluster season of .500 baseball. A lot went right — outfielder Jarren Duran raked, starter Tanner Houck carved, the farm system took a massive leap forward — but enough went wrong for Boston to aggressively upgrade its roster in the offseason. The additions of southpaw starter Garrett Crochet via trade and All-Star infielder Alex Bregman via free agency have the Sox primed to contend for a division title in ‘25.

Best-case scenario: The positional drama — longtime third baseman Rafael Devers has expressed hesitation about moving off the hot corner for Bregman — is resolved by Opening Day. A more energized Devers takes to the DH role and rips 40 homers while Bregman, rejuvenated by his new surroundings, rediscovers his power stroke. The trio of highly touted position-player prospects — Kristian Campbell, Roman Anthony and Marcelo Meyer, all of whom homered during the Spring Breakout game — carve out roles by midseason and prove to be difference-making pieces. An already ailing middle of the rotation — Lucas Giolito has a hamstring issue, Kutter Crawford’s dealing with a knee problem, Brayan Bello’s shoulder is barking — gets healthy to back up Grochet and Houck, both of whom contend for the Cy Young. The Yankees roll into Boston for the ALCS and get absolutely embarrassed. Aaron Judge hums “Dirty Water” to himself the whole drive home.

Worst-case scenario: Injuries and infighting derail the good vibes. Boston has so many startable position players that somebody will certainly be spending more time on the bench than they’d like. We’ve seen clubs such as the Dodgers ride that strategy to success, but having too many cooks in the kitchen can always go sideways. The Devers/Bregman positional situation seems to be mostly resolved, but if there’s genuine resentment beneath the surface, that could have an impact if it lingers. Boston is also relatively weak up the middle, at catcher and shortstop, where Connor Wong projects as a bad defender and Trevor Story represents something of an unknown after three injury-marred seasons.

Make-or-break player: Garrett Crochet. The Sox sent quite a haul to the Other Sox for Crochet, who emerged as one of MLB’s best left-handed starters in 2024. But as impressive as his strikeout rate and peripheral numbers were, Crochet has yet to prove that he can handle the bulk of being a frontline arm on a good team. His 146 innings last year were a career high, and while he’s built, physically and mentally, to lead a staff, we won’t know he can until we see it. I’m betting on Crochet being the real deal, but the Red Sox really need this guy to perform like an ace.

Season prediction: How and when Sox leadership opts to call upon their vaunted prospect trio should be fascinating. It has been difficult to figure out how skipper Alex Cora is going to make all these pieces fit together, but guess what? That’s a first-world problem. Having a lot of talented ballplayers is a good thing. Somebody (or somebodies) will get hurt and create an opening (or openings). But if this team stays healthy, I think it wins the AL East.

Tampa Bay Rays

Projected record: 82-80, 36.6% odds to make the playoffs, 12.2% odds to win the division

What happened last year? The offense flat-out stunk, and the Rays finished out of the top three in the AL East for the first time since 2016. Then, in November, a hurricane blew the roof off their stadium, forcing them to relocate to the Yankees’ spring training complex for the foreseeable future.

Best-case scenario: This is the best pitching staff in baseball, and four Rays starters make the All-Star team. Flamethrowing lefty Shane McClanahan, finally back from Tommy John surgery, wins the Cy Young. The position-player group, as it does whenever the Rays inexplicably win 93 games, plays great defense and hits just enough. Yandy Díaz and his person-sized biceps bounce back from a lackluster 2024. Junior Caminero becomes a super-duper star. The bizarre stadium situation becomes a legitimately galvanizing force in the clubhouse, and the Rays host World Series games at a minor-league park.

Worst-case scenario: The lineup stinks again. Trading away Isaac Paredes and Randy Arozarena at last year’s deadline creates too big a void to fill internally, at least in the short term. Caminero’s swing-happy, inexperienced approach limits his impact. No other hitter performs at an All-Star level. The sweltering heat and unyielding rains of the Florida summer are too much to overcome, and the exhausted Rays, used to an air-conditioned dome, deliver another forgettable season.

Make-or-break player: Junior Caminero. He’s the only dude on this roster capable of a top-five MVP finish. How he develops this year and beyond will be a pivotal storyline for this organization.

Season prediction: The move to the short-fenced Steinbrenner Field helps Tampa’s offense, leading to a noticeable uptick in power production. That doesn’t impact the rotation, which misses enough bats to keep the ball in the yard. Tampa and its interchangeable carousel of randos sneak into a wild-card spot yet again, and we do indeed get playoff games in a minor-league park.

Amy Monks/Yahoo Sports

Toronto Blue Jays

Projected record: 82-80, 42.2% odds to make the playoffs, 15.0% odds to win the division

What happened last year? Besides a big season from Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Toronto’s offense was frustratingly average. The same was true of its rotation. That double-sided mediocrity, plus the second-worst bullpen in baseball, meant the 2024 Jays never really got out of first gear and slogged to a fifth-place division finish.

Best-case scenario: Long-term? The Jays and Guerrero find middle ground on an extension at some point during the season, which, given the reporting, seems extremely unlikely. As far as 2025, the Jays still have a playoff ceiling. To reach that ceiling, they’ll need their older pitching staff to stay healthy and effective. The bottom of the lineup — some combination of Andrés Giménez, Ernie Clement, Will Wagner and Joey Loperfido — needs to outperform expectations. Bo Bichette rediscovering his best self is also a must, as is free-agent closer Jeff Hoffman reviving a brutally bad relief group. Anthony Santander, who joined the Jays over the winter on a big contract, needs to hit at least 35 bombs again. If all that happens, Toronto could sneak into October.

Worst-case scenario: The rotation turns out to be weathered and worn instead of experienced and wily. Gausman (34), Bassit (36) and Scherzer (40) all show signs of decline and/or spend time on the IL. Injuries and age-related decline also limit 35-year-old outfielder George Springer, who hasn’t performed at an All-Star level since 2022. Even with Hoffman, the bullpen doesn’t take significant steps forward. Toronto is close enough to a wild-card spot at the deadline that they don’t trade away impending free agents — which immediately looks foolish as they endure a late summer slide. Guerrero rakes through it all, driving his price beyond the Jays’ means, and he departs next winter. This era of Jays baseball fades into history as a “what coulda been.”

Make-or-break player: Bo Bichette. From 2020 through 2023, Bichette compiled the sixth-most fWAR amongst shortstops, receiving downballot MVP consideration in ‘21, ‘22 and ‘23. But last season, things went very wrong for the long-haired Floridian. A nagging calf issue kept him sidelined for much of the summer, and Bichette didn’t hit whenever he was available. Still just 27 years old and set to hit free agency this winter, Bichette needs a bounceback to (1) make himself some money and (2) give the Jays’ offense a real second option behind Guerrero.

Season prediction: The rotation and the lineup are both better than they were in 2024, but neither is better enough for this team to make a playoff push. Guerrero and Bichette leave after the season, and this organization faces a doomy and gloomy future.

AMERICAN LEAGUE CENTRAL

Cleveland Guardians

Projected record: 79-83, 22.4% odds to make the playoffs, 10.8% odds to win the division

What happened last year? It was a spectacular managerial debut for Stephen Vogt. With baseball’s best bullpen and just enough offense around Jose Ramirez, the Guardians overcame instability in the rotation to not only win the division but also reach the ALCS. But rather than running it back in 2025 with the same group, Cleveland was quite active over the winter reshaping its roster. The Guardians dealt away the right side of their infield in two trades (Andres Gimenez to Toronto and Josh Naylor to Arizona), reunited with Carlos Santana to handle first base and added several arms to reinforce the pitching staff (Luis Ortiz, Paul Sewald, Slade Cecconi, Jakob Junis). Perhaps most importantly, Cleveland re-signed Shane Bieber amid his Tommy John rehab, setting up a highly anticipated return for the former Cy Young winner later this summer.

Best-case scenario: The bullpen continues to excel, with Sewald’s addition and a markedly improved rotation lessening the burden on the core four relievers (Emmanuel Clase, Cade Smith, Hunter Gaddis, Tim Herrin) who threw so many innings in 2024. Bieber returns with no rust and leads the way in the second half, giving Cleveland an ideal Game 1 starter for October. Another MVP-caliber campaign from Ramirez, a fully healthy year for Steven Kwan and a full season from Lane Thomas amount to a much improved lineup that also features steps forward from younger hitters such as Kyle Manzardo, Brayan Rocchio and Bo Naylor. The Guards repeat as AL Central champs and win a playoff round or two.

Worst-case scenario: The bullpen regresses to a troubling degree, leaving little room for error for a rotation that remains relatively unstable outside of Tanner Bibee until Bieber’s return. Naylor’s big bat and Gimenez’s elite glove are both sorely missed, and Cleveland doesn’t boast a single above-average position player outside of Ramirez and Kwan, resulting in a wholly lackluster offense. Rivals Kansas City and Detroit continue their organizational ascents while Minnesota bounces back, making for an ultra-challenging division race that leaves Cleveland on the outside looking in, without a good enough record to even be in the wild-card mix.

Make-or-break player: Gavin Williams. As a rookie in 2023, Williams looked like the latest in a long line of great Cleveland starters. But injuries derailed his sophomore campaign, delaying his ascent and adding to the Guardians’ rotation woes in 2024. Now Williams is healthy, and he has looked splendid in spring training, making him an especially intriguing X-factor on this starting staff. Ortiz should also help fortify this unit, but among homegrown arms, there seems to be significantly more optimism surrounding Williams than guys such as Triston McKenzie and lefty Logan Allen. It’d be huge for this pitching staff if Williams can harness and sustain his high-end stuff over a full season.

Season prediction: Even with the fairly dramatic changes to the roster, the Guardians’ recipe for success remains: Kwan and Ramirez set the tone, and enough other bats step up to support a standout pitching staff that is notably more balanced than a year ago. The core of this Guardians squad prevails en route to another division title, albeit without the first-round bye they garnered last year.

Kansas City Royals

Projected record: 82-80, 42.8% odds to make the playoffs, 24.9% odds to win the division

What happened last year? After losing 106 games in 2023, the Royals surged to a stunning 30-win improvement and a playoff berth, thanks to a sensational season from Bobby Witt Jr. and a tremendous starting rotation. Three major moves headlined a relatively quiet subsequent offseason: the extension of mid-rotation anchor Michael Wacha, the acquisition of Jonathan India from Cincinnati in exchange for starting pitcher Brady Singer and the free-agent signing of closer Carlos Estevez.

Best-case scenario: Witt improves the few holes remaining in his game, drawing more walks and becoming a much more efficient base-stealer en route to a 40 HR, 50 SB, 10 WAR season that earns him his first AL MVP Award. India gets on base a ton atop the lineup, ensuring that Vinnie Pasquantino and Salvador Perez continue to collect a boatload of RBI. Top prospect Jac Caglianone arrives midseason and boosts the lineup further. The rotation repeats as one of the American League’s best, with Cole Ragans and Seth Lugo both in the AL Cy Young conversation and Kris Bubic breaking out in his return to the starting staff. Estevez and Lucas Erceg combine to be excellent game-enders, and the Royals win their first division title since 2015.

Worst-case scenario: Witt regresses from MVP level to merely very good, putting more pressure on the rest of a lineup that proves ill-equipped to produce at an October-worthy level. Perez’s production dips as his years of outrageous workload behind the dish finally catch up to him in his age-35 season. The rotation is still pretty good but no longer anywhere near elite, which isn’t enough to compensate for a well-below-average offense. The Royals fall back below .500 to a humbling fourth-place finish.

Make-or-break player: Jonathan India. India represents Kansas City’s most notable attempt to upgrade a lineup that was severely lacking beyond Witt, Perez and Pasquantino. Swapping Singer’s innings for India’s on-base skills is a direct acknowledgement that the need for offense was worth sacrificing some mound talent, but now it’s on India to produce as planned — especially considering that his fit on the roster defensively is somewhat unclear.

Season prediction: The few moves Kansas City made over the winter aren’t quite as impactful as hoped. The bottom of the lineup remains a severe weakness, and the rotation takes enough of a step back to leave the Royals hovering around .500 for much of the season — within shouting distance of the AL wild-card race but not close enough to qualify.

Detroit Tigers

Projected record: 83-79, 46.4% odds to make the playoffs, 28.3% odds to win the division

What happened last year? Detroit ended its decade-long playoff drought, rejuvenating the fan base and inspiring excitement for this new era of Tigers baseball. Tarik Skubal emerged as one of the best pitchers on the planet, dominating all season before surrendering a devastating grand slam to Lane Thomas in ALDS Game 5. An interesting offseason followed: Gleyber Torres was brought in to bolster the lineup as the every-day second baseman, and Jack Flaherty was brought back after being dealt away at last July’s deadline to reunite with Skubal atop the rotation.

Best-case scenario: Riley Greene takes another leap, powering an improved lineup alongside Torres en route to another All-Star appearance and a top-10 MVP finish. Kerry Carpenter continues to demolish right-handed pitching to a ridiculous degree. Skubal and Flaherty lead a breakout rotation that also features AL Rookie of the Year Jackson Jobe and a resurgence from former No. 1 pick Casey Mize. Spencer Torkelson, another former No. 1 pick, bounces back and leads the team in home runs. The Tigers win their first division title since 2014, and AJ Hinch wins Manager of the Year.

Worst-case scenario: The rotation beyond Skubal remains suspect at best, as free-agent signing Alex Cobb gives Detroit next to nothing due to injuries, and Flaherty disappoints in his return to Detroit. The lineup remains well below-average outside of Greene, with none of the other young hitters taking big enough steps forward and Torres struggling to slug in a more spacious ballpark. The Tigers aren’t brutally bad, but they’re well out of postseason contention come September.

Make-or-break player: Tyler Holton. Holton was arguably the most important character in Detroit’s self-described “pitching chaos” strategy that carried them down the stretch on days Skubal wasn’t starting and was simply marvelous by all measures before faltering in the ALDS. It was wildly impressive to watch both how Hinch utilized Holton in a wide range of situations and how Holton handled it, but it seems like a lot to ask him to reprise that role. Reliever volatility is hardly a secret, but Holton is a key arm to watch if the Tigers want to return to October.

Season prediction: The Tigers benefit from enviable depth in the upper minors, which the Royals lack, putting them in position to stay in the mix over the course of a long season. They remain in the wild-card race all the way through September before coming up just short, as the Detroit offense continues to underwhelm relative to other AL contenders.

Hassan Ahmad/Yahoo Sports

Minnesota Twins

Projected record: 84-78, 55.0% odds to make the playoffs, 36.0% odds to win the division

What happened last year? The heavy favorites to repeat as division champs, the Twins played well in the first half and stayed in the race as late as mid-August before collapsing in catastrophic fashion in September, losing 18 of their final 25 games. Any hope of a busy winter that could help flush the bad vibes from their frustrating finish proved unwarranted, as Minnesota was one of the least active teams of the offseason, adding only outfielder Harrison Bader, first baseman Ty France and lefty reliever Danny Couloumbe via free agency.

Best-case scenario: Carlos Correa and Byron Buxton combine for 250 games played and 10 WAR, finally fulfilling the hype as bona fide costars in their fourth season together. Eduoard Julien bounces back, and Trevor Larnach breaks out, which, along with slugger Matt Wallner, makes Minnesota’s lineup an absolute nightmare for right-handed pitchers. Pablo Lopez gets back to looking like a Cy Young contender and leads a stellar rotation backed up by one of the best bullpens in the American League, headlined by Jhoan Duran and Griffin Jax. Buoyed by perhaps the most balanced roster in the division (when healthy), the Twins reclaim the AL Central crown.

Worst-case scenario: Correa and Buxton combine for fewer than 200 games, and the offense suffers accordingly. The struggles Lewis showcased even when healthy last season (.620 OPS over final 58 games) spill over into 2025, magnifying the lack of impact in the lineup. The rotation continues to underperform its strong peripherals, and the bullpen disappoints relative to sterling projections. Minnesota falls to fourth place again, marking the team’s first time finishing worse than third in the division in consecutive seasons since 2013-14.

Make-or-break player: Brooks Lee. With the health of several other stars perpetually up in the air and the departures of veterans Carlos Santana and Max Kepler, it’s crucial that some of Minnesota’s younger position players start to elevate their games in 2025. Lee hasn’t exactly been the picture of health over the course of his young career, but his contributions could become particularly pivotal in the wake of Lewis’ latest injury, a hamstring strain that will put him on the IL to start the season. A top-30 overall prospect as recently as a year ago, the switch-hitting Lee has the talent to make an impact on both sides of the ball if things start to click.

Season prediction: With another year of injury-related interruptions, the Twins find themselves stuck in the middle again. They boast enough talent to avoid having the bottom fall out from under them but not enough impact to power a return to the postseason. Minnesota finishes third while either Kansas City or Detroit disappoints and falls to fourth.

Chicago White Sox

Projected record: 62-100, 0.1% odds to make the playoffs, 0.0% odds to win the division

What happened last year? A truly astonishing amount of losing. We all knew the White Sox were going to be bad in 2024, but no one expected them to be one of the worst teams in the history of the sport. Alas, such was the case for last year’s squad as the losses piled up in a hurry thanks in large part to a historically horrendous offense that finished a distant 30th in virtually every major category. There were, however, a handful of promising developments on the mound, most notably the remarkable breakout of Garrett Crochet, who was traded over the winter for an exciting package of prospects from Boston. After a trial run for Grady Sizemore as interim manager following Pedro Grifol’s firing, another former big-league outfielder in Will Venable was hired as the skipper entering 2025.

Best-case scenario: What constitutes success for the White Sox coming off last year’s nightmare of a season? Ideally, more than the 41 wins they mustered in 2024, but it’s not like anyone on the South Side is expecting a playoff run anytime soon. An ideal outcome for this season is a last-place finish that isn’t a complete embarrassment for everyone involved and a year in which young players are given the opportunity to fail and grow at the major-league level while demonstrating tangible progress toward becoming not just useful big-league players but also good ones. The White Sox have a promising collection of arms (Sean Burke, Jonathan Cannon, Hagen Smith, Noah Schultz) who warrant considerable optimism for what the pitching staff could look like in the not-so-distant future. But this organization needs bats badly, which means that the best thing that could happen for them this season is to find some hitters to build around, whether that’s homegrown guys such as Colson Montgomery or the hitters in the Crochet return, such as Kyle Teel, Braden Montgomery and Chase Meidroth.

Worst-case scenario: The White Sox aren’t as bad as they were in 2024 — that genuinely seems impossible — but they’re still by far the worst team in baseball, with little signs of progress on offense resulting in another 110-plus-loss season. Worse yet, the farm system fails to produce enough positive developments on either side of the ball to warrant much optimism for 2026, making it even more difficult to envision the White Sox being even remotely competitive in the near future. The rebuild remains a long-term venture, prompting further apathy and disdain among Sox fans.

Make-or-break player: Luis Robert Jr. With zero hope of reaching October, the focus for this franchise is squarely on figuring out which players can be core pieces for the next good White Sox team, even if that’s several years down the road. But Robert also represents the team’s last opportunity to cash in a valuable trade chip for a package of young talent similar to what they reaped for Crochet. That said, Robert must return to All-Star form after a poor 2024 if teams are to come calling offering a huge haul of prospects. He certainly has the talent to do so, but that must happen sooner rather than later if the White Sox want to maximize a return for the center fielder.

Season prediction: Avoiding 100 losses feels like simultaneously a monumental task and a legitimate goal for this club in Venable’s first year at the helm. That said, the losses will have to come from somewhere in the standings, and it seems likely the White Sox will find a way to collect more than their fair share of defeats in 2025. I think the Sox will ultimately sink below the rebuilding Marlins and finish with MLB’s worst record once again — but with at least 10 more wins than they managed last year.

Rejoice, baseball fans, because the MLB regular season started earlier than ever in 2025. Tuesday marked the start of the Tokyo Series between the Chicago Cubs and Los Angeles Dodgers.

While spring training is still in full swing for most teams, the Cubs and Dodgers traveled to Tokyo for a two-game series that counts toward the regular season. The reigning champion Dodgers got off to a hot start, winning the first game of the series 4-1 behind a strong start from Yoshinobu Yamamoto and some timely hitting from Shohei Ohtani.

With the Cubs’ and Dodgers’ 2025 seasons already underway, when does the rest of the league start playing regular-season games? Here’s everything you need to know about MLB Opening Day 2025.

When is MLB Opening Day 2025?

For the Cubs and Dodgers, Opening Day was technically Tuesday, March 18, in Tokyo. They will play another regular-season game Wednesday before flying back to the United States to finish spring training.

For 26 other MLB teams, Opening Day will take place Thursday, March 27, with 14 games scheduled that day. The Milwaukee Brewers and New York Yankees will get things started at 3:05 p.m. ET, and the Baltimore Orioles and Toronto Blue Jays will get underway two minutes later. The final two games of the day — the Cubs vs. the Arizona Diamondbacks and the Athletics vs. the Seattle Mariners — will begin at 10:10 p.m. ET. Despite playing regular-season games on March 18 and 19, both the Cubs and Dodgers will play on March 27.

The Colorado Rockies and the Tampa Bay Rays are the only two teams that won’t play a regular-season game by the 27th. Those teams will open the season the following day, on Friday, March 28. The Rays and Rockies were initially set to begin play March 27, but the game was moved back a day after Hurricane Milton damaged Tropicana Field in October. 

In fact, Tropicana Field will not be ready for the start of the season, forcing the Rays to play their home games this year at George M. Steinbrenner Field in Tampa, where the Yankees play their spring training games. The Rays pushed back their first regular-season game so stadium workers would have an additional day to transition the ballpark from Yankees to Rays.

What is the MLB Tokyo Series?

To kick off the 2025 MLB regular season, the league opted to play two games between the Cubs and Dodgers in Tokyo a week before domestic Opening Day. Both teams boast Japanese stars, including Ohtani, Yamamoto and Wednesday’s starter, Roki Sasaki, for the Dodgers, as well as Seiya Suzuki and Tuesday’s starter, Shota Imanaga, for the Cubs.

This is the second straight season in which the league has played its first regular-season game overseas. The Dodgers and the San Diego Padres opened the 2024 MLB season with a two-game series in Korea while the rest of the league was still in the midst of spring training.

MLB Opening Day 2025 schedule

As noted, the Brewers and Yankees kick things off on March 27 at 3:05 p.m. ET on ESPN. ESPN will also broadcast the Detroit Tigers vs. Dodgers contest, which starts at 7:10 p.m. ET. Those are the only two games that will be nationally broadcast that day.

Full schedule of March 27 games (all times Eastern):

• 3:05 p.m. – Milwaukee Brewers at New York Yankees

• 3:07 p.m. – Baltimore Orioles at Toronto Blue Jays

• 4:05 p.m. – Texas Rangers at Boston Red Sox

• 4:05 p.m. – Philadelphia Phillies at Washington Nationals

• 4:10 p.m. – Cleveland Guardians at Kansas City Royals

• 4:10 p.m. – New York Mets at Houston Astros

• 4:10 p.m. – San Francisco Giants at Cincinnati Reds

• 4:10 p.m. – Atlanta Braves at San Diego Padres

• 4:10 p.m. – Los Angeles Angels at Chicago White Sox

• 4:10 p.m. – Pittsburgh Pirates at Miami Marlins

• 4:15 p.m. – Minnesota Twins at St. Louis Cardinals

• 7:10 p.m. – Detroit Tigers at Los Angeles Dodgers

• 10:10 p.m. – Chicago Cubs at Arizona Diamondbacks

• 10:10 p.m. – Athletics at Seattle Mariners

On March 28, the Colorado Rockies and Tampa Bay Rays will play their first regular-season game at 4:10 p.m. ET.

MLB Opening Day 2025 starting pitchers

With the regular season quickly approaching, a number of teams have already announced who will be on the mound for Opening Day. The Dodgers called on Yamamoto to start Game 1 of the Tokyo Series, and he opposed Imanaga in the contest.

The following pitchers will get the ball for their teams on domestic Opening Day:

• Freddy Peralta (MIL) vs. Carlos Rodón (NYY)

• Zach Eflin (BAL) vs. José Berríos (TOR)

• Garrett Crochet (BOS) vs. Nathan Eovaldi (TEX)

• Zack Wheeler (PHI) vs. MacKenzie Gore (WAS)

• Tanner Bibee (CLE) vs. Cole Ragans (KCR)

• Clay Holmes (NYM) vs. Framber Valdez (HOU)

• Logan Webb (SFG) vs. Hunter Greene (CIN)

• Chris Sale (ATL) vs. Michael King (SDP)

• Yusei Kikuchi (LAA) vs. Sean Burke (CWS)

• Paul Skenes (PIT) vs. Sandy Alcantara (MIA)

• Pablo López (MIN) vs. Sonny Gray (STL)

• Tarik Skubal (DET) vs. TBD (LAD)

• TBD (CHC) vs. TBD (ARI)

• Luis Severino (ATH) vs. Logan Gilbert (SEA)

• TBD (COL) vs. Shane McClanahan (TBR)*

*-Game on March 28

The Cubs, Dodgers and Rockies are the only four teams that have not named their starters ahead of their first regular-season games following the Tokyo Series.

Carlos Carrasco strengthened his case to make the Opening Day roster but the Yankees‘ bats were silent as they fell to the Braves, 4-0, in split-squad action.

Here are the takeaways…

-Carrasco put the finishing touches on what was a fantastic spring in Yankees camp. The non-roster invitee shut out the Braves for five innings, allowing just one walk while striking out three batters. He threw 54 pitches (33 strikes) and made it look easy against a Braves lineup that had most of their regulars.

Across 16 innings pitched, Carrasco has pitched to a 1.69 ERA and a 0.94 WHIP. The veteran right-hander has an opt-out on Saturday if he doesn’t make the roster, but the Yankees, with their injuries, may not have a choice but to bring him on.

-After Carrasco left the game, the Yankees bullpen struggled especially Fernando Cruz. Cruz, who the Yankees obtained from the Reds in the Jose Trevino deal this offseason, started the sixth inning with a throwing error before allowing a two-run shot to Austin Riley. After a four-pitch walk to Matt Olson, and a mound visit, Cruz spiked a wild pitch before getting Bryan De La Cruz to strike out. But that would be it for Cruz who allowed two runs (one earned) across 0.1 innings (22 pitches/10 strikes).

Wednesday was not the best audition for Cruz who is looking to capture a spot in the bullpen. The hard-throwing right-hander has allowed at least one run in three of his last four appearances.

–Luke Weaver allowed a solo shot on the first pitch he threw in the eighth inning to Patrick Clohisy who jumped on the first-pitch cutter to put the Braves up 4-0.

Devin Williams dominated the ninth inning, getting the Braves in order, including two strikeouts on his patented Airbender changeup.

-Despite the stellar starting pitching, the Yankees bats just could not get to Braves starter Spencer Schwellenbach. The young right-hander allowed just two hits, walking one while striking out 10 batters across six innings.

–Austin Wells led off again on Wednesday, finishing 1-for-3 with a strikeout. It’s looking more and more likely Wells will be the Yankees leadoff hitter on Opening Day.

Aaron Judge‘s tough spring continued as the reigning AL MVP went 0-for-2 with a strikeout and is hitting a paltry .120. Oswaldo Cabrera (0-3) and Trent Grisham (0-2, BB) were the other notable hitters who went hitless in this one.

What’s next

The Yankees hit the road to take on the Baltimore Orioles. First pitch is set for 6:05 p.m.

Will Warren will take the mound in what could be his final audition for a roster spot.

The Golden State Warriors have had over 600 players don the more than 60 jersey numbers used by their players over the more than 75 years of existence the team has enjoyed in its rich and storied history.

Founded in 1946 during the Basketball Association of America (BAA — a precursor league of the NBA) era, the team has called home the cities of Philadelphia, San Francisco, Oakland, and even San Diego.

 To commemorate the players who wore those numbers, Warriors Wire is covering the entire history of jersey numbers and the players who sported them since the founding of the team. For this article, we begin with the first of 12 players who wore the No. 8 jersey for the Warriors.

That player would be Golden State guard alum Monta Ellis. After ending his high school career, Ellis made the jump directly to the NBA, going 40th overall in the 2005 draft to the Dubs.

His stay with the team would span parts of 7 seasons, ending when Golden State dealt him to the Milwaukee Bucks in 2012.

During his time suiting up for the Warriors, Ellis wore only jersey No. 8 and put up 19.6 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 1.7 assists per game.

This article originally appeared on Warriors Wire: Warriors jersey history – No. 8 – Monta Ellis (2005-12)

The Oklahoma City Thunder (and the Seattle Supersonics before them) have 51 jersey numbers worn by the players who have suited up for the franchise since its founding at the start of the 1967-68 season. To commemorate the players who wore those numbers, Thunder Wire is covering the entire history of jersey numbers and the players who sported them since the founding of the team.

And while those Supersonics jerseys may not remain part of the franchise history should a new team be established in Seattle as was the case with the return of the Charlotte Hornets, they are part of the Thunder’s history today.

For this article, we continue with the 24th jersey number in the series, jersey No. 22, with 20 players in total having donned the jersey in the history of the franchise.

The first of those players did so in the Seattle SuperSonics era, big man alum Bob Kauffman. After ending his college career at Guilford College, Kauffman was picked up with the third overall selection of the 1968 NBA draft by the SuperSonics.

The Brooklyn, New York native would play the first season of his pro career with Seattle before he was dealt to the Chicago Bulls the following offseason.

During his time suiting up for the Sonics, Kauffman wore only jersey No. 22 and put up 7.8 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 1.0 assists per game.

This article originally appeared on OKC Thunder Wire: Thunder jersey history No. 22 – Bob Kauffman (1968-69)

The Brooklyn Nets have 52 jersey numbers worn by over 600 different players over the course of their history since the franchise was founded in 1967 as a charter member of the American Basketball Association (ABA), when the team was known as the “New Jersey Americans”.

Since then, that league has been absorbed by the NBA with the team that would later become the New York Nets and New Jersey Nets before settling on the name by which they are known today, bringing their rich player and jersey history with them to the league of today.

To commemorate the players who played for the Nets over the decades wearing those 52 different jersey numbers, Nets Wire is covering the entire history of the franchise’s jersey numbers and the players who sported them since the founding of the team. The 13th of those 52 different numbers is jersey No. 11 which has has had a total of 19 players wear the number in the history of the team.

The seventh of those players wearing No. 11 played in the (then) New York (now, Brooklyn) Nets era, forward alum Rudy Hackett. After ending his college career at Syracuse, Hackett was picked up with the 37th overall selection of the 1975 NBA draft by the (then) New Orleans (now, Utah) Jazz.

The Mount Vernon, New York native would play the first season of his pro career with the (defunct) Spirits of St. Louis instead, signing with Denver Nuggets in 197, who promptly dealt him to New York. His stay with the team would span a single game before he’d be cut by the team.

During his time suiting up for the Nets, Hackett wore only jersey No. 11 and put up 2.0 points and 3.0 rebounds per game.

This article originally appeared on Nets Wire: Nets jersey history No. 11 – Rudy Hackett (1976)

This week, the UFC takes a trip across the pond.

UFC Fight Night 255 takes place at The O2 in London. The event features a welterweight showdown between former champ Leon Edwards and contender Sean Brady.

Elsewhere, many other combat sports events are taking place, featuring several familiar names who have competed under the UFC banner.

Check out which veterans of the global MMA leader are competing March 19-23.

Scroll below to see how the UFC veterans fared last week, and see the names and details of this weekend’s competitors.

Upcoming event information from Tapology.

Last week’s results

• Blood Diamond: Unanimous decision loss vs. Jack James at Beatdown Promotions 10
• Curtis Millender: Submission loss vs. Yaroslav Amosov at CFFC 140
• Joshua Weems: Submission loss vs. Eduardo Penha at Tuff-N-Uff 142
• Diego Brandao: TKO win vs. Jamie Siraj at Tuff-N-Uff 142
• Khama Worthy: March 15 vs. Jeremy Henry at 247 FC: Brawl in the Burgh 27 – official results pending

James Llontop (14-5 MMA, 0-3 UFC)

• Next fight: March 19 vs. Yuri Neles at FFC 88
• Last MMA fight (also last UFC bout): Unanimous decision loss vs. Mauricio Ruffy at UFC 309 on Nov. 16, 2024
• Record since UFC exit: 0-0

Dustin Pague (12-11 MMA, 1-5 UFC)

• Next fight: March 21 vs. Andrew Angelcor at BKFC Fight Night: Philly (bareknuckle boxing)
• Last MMA fight: Submission loss vs. Anthony Morgan at WCC 14 on Sept. 15, 2015
• Last UFC fight: TKO loss vs. Kyoji Horiguchi at UFC 16 on Oct. 19, 2013
• Record since UFC exit: 1-2 MMA, 1-0 boxing, 3-2 bareknuckle boxing

David Dvorak (20-6 MMA, 3-3 UFC)

• Next fight: March 22 vs. Mikhail Sirbu at RFA x ZHS
• Last MMA fight (also last UFC bout): Unanimous decision loss vs. Steve Erceg at UFC 289 on June 10, 2023
• Record since UFC exit: 1-0 boxing

Jay Perrin (12-8 MMA, 0-3 UFC)

• Next fight: March 22 vs. Kenny Champion at Cage Titans 70
• Last MMA fight: Unanimous decision win vs. Jay Pressley at Cage Titans 67 on Sept. 14, 2024
• Last UFC fight: Submission loss vs. Raul Rosas Jr. at UFC 282 on Dec. 10, 2022
• Record since UFC exit: 2-1

Zac Pauga (7-4 MMA, 1-3 UFC)

• Next fight: March 22 vs. Robinson Perez at DBX 1 (custom rules)
• Last MMA fight: TKO loss vs. Alex Nicholson at XFC 51 on Sept. 27, 2024
• Last UFC fight: TKO loss vs. Bogdan Guskov at UFC on Feb. 10, 2024
• Record since UFC exit: 1-1

Oluwale Bamgbose (6-4 MMA, 1-4 UFC)

• Next fight: March 22 vs. Jeffrey Craig at DBX 1 (custom rules)
• Last MMA fight (also last UFC bout): Knockout loss vs. Alessio Di Chirico at UFC on FOX 26 on Dec. 16, 2017
• Record since UFC exit: 0-2 boxing

Maurice Greene (11-9 MMA, 4-4 UFC)

• Next fight: March 22 vs. Rakim Cleveland at DBX 1 (custom rules)
• Last MMA fight: TKO loss vs. Renan Ferreira at 2023 PFL Playoffs on Aug. 18, 2023
• Last UFC fight: Unanimous decision loss vs. Marcos Rogerio de Lima at UFC on May 8, 2021
• Record since UFC exit: 2-3 MMA, 1-0 bareknuckle MMA

Mike Breeden (11-6 MMA, 1-3 UFC)

• Next fight: March 22 vs. Keith Speed at DBX 1 (custom rules)
• Last MMA fight (also last UFC bout): Knockout win vs. Anshul Jubli at UFC 294 on Oct. 21, 2023
• Record since UFC exit: 0-0

Andrei Arlovski (34-24 MMA, 23-18 UFC)

• Next fight: March 22 vs. Terrance Hodges at DBX 1 (custom rules)
• Last MMA fight (also last UFC bout): Split decision loss vs. Martin Buday at UFC 303 on June 29, 2024
• Record since UFC exit: 0-0

Yoel Romero (16-7 MMA, 9-4 UFC)

• Next fight: March 22 vs. Raw Hylton at DBX 1 (custom rules)
• Last MMA fight: Unanimous decision win vs. Thiago Santos at PFL vs. Bellator on Feb. 24, 2024
• Last UFC fight: Unanimous decision loss vs. Israel Adesanya at UFC 248 on March 7, 2020
• Record since UFC exit: 3-2 MMA, 1-0 custom rules

Luis Henrique (15-9 MMA, 2-4 UFC)

• Next fight: March 22 vs. Justin Sumter at LFA 204
• Last MMA fight: Submission win vs. Luis Oliveira at The Conqueror Fight 2 on Dec. 23, 2023
• Last UFC fight: Unanimous decision loss vs. Ryan Spann at UFC Fight Night 137 on Sept. 22, 2018
• Record since UFC exit: 5-4 MMA, 0-1 bareknuckle boxing, 1-0 custom rules

Joe Giannetti (16-6-1 MMA, 0-1 UFC)

• Next fight: March 22 vs. Leonardo Limberger at LFA 204
• Last MMA fight: Split decision loss vs. Peter Barrett at Cage Titans 66 on July 20, 2024
• Last UFC fight: Split decision loss vs. Michael Trizano at The Ultimate Fighter 27 Finale on July 6, 2018
• Record since UFC exit: 10-5-1 MMA, 1-0 karate

John Lineker (37-11 MMA, 12-4 UFC)

• Next fight: March 23 vs. Hiroki Akimoto at ONE 172 (kickboxing)
• Last MMA fight: Submission loss vs. Shinya Aoki at ONE 165 on Jan. 28, 2024
• Last UFC fight: Split decision loss vs. Cory Sandhagen at UFC on ESPN+ 8 on April 27, 2019
• Record since UFC exit: 6-2 (1 NC) MMA, 2-1 Muay Thai

Carlton Minus (14-5 MMA, 0-2 UFC)

• Next fight: March 23 vs. Kolton Englund at Fury FC 103
• Last MMA fight: TKO win vs. Charlie Kennedy at Alaska Combat Entertainment at Jan. 19, 2024
• Last UFC fight: Unanimous decision loss vs. Christos Giagos at UFC on Dec. 19, 2020
• Record since UFC exit: 4-2

This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: UFC veterans in MMA, kickboxing, bareknuckle boxing and custom rules action March 19-23

It appears there’s a method to the San Francisco 49ers‘ offseason madness.

After a six-year window of tweaking and adjusting every offseason to try and roster a Super Bowl contender, the 49ers have let go of the rope in 2025 and allowed a mass exodus of free agents without bringing in many replacements. Their high-profile losses include linebacker Dre Greenlaw, All-Pro cornerback Charvarius Ward and All-Pro safety Talanoa Hufanga. They’ve also outright released starters like defensive linemen Javon Hargrave, Leonard Floyd and Maliek Collins.

The tumultuous offseason comes after a disappointing 6-11 finish to the 2024 season for San Francisco. Despite the departure of so many players with so few replacements coming via free agency, general manager John Lynch isn’t panicked.

He spoke with the Athletic’s Matt Barrows on Wednesday at Stanford’s Pro Day and insisted there’s a plan the team is executing.

“We’ve got this thing called the draft, and we’ve got a lot of picks,” Lynch told the Athletic. “And I think the thing the fans should know is, we have a plan. And we’re gonna execute that plan. And we’re excited about the opportunity.”

It’s true the 49ers have an NFL-high 11 picks in this year’s draft, and a trade back or two could give them a massive rookie haul. In recent years the volume of selections has mattered less for San Francisco because they haven’t had as many holes to fill. Now, with a sizable extension likely on the horizon for quarterback Brock Purdy, the team is adjusting its financial situation to ensure they’re in a healthy salary cap position.

That leaves a slew of openings for starting jobs and the 49ers will be looking for young, cost-controlled players to fill those roles in the immediate and beyond.

It’s a bit of a risk, but it’s also the reality of team-building in the NFL. At some point teams have to hit on draft picks, and San Francisco hasn’t done a good enough job in recent years to ensure their roster was restocked with young, affordable talent. That puts a spotlight on the 2025 offseason where the exodus of expensive, aging players looks more dire because the cupboard is relatively bare.

The 49ers are now turning toward the draft where they’ll need to replenish their roster for a bounce-back year in 2025, and so they can try opening a new Super Bowl window that extends beyond the next season or two.

This article originally appeared on Niners Wire: John Lynch addresses 49ers’ lopsided offseason of free agency losses