1) Los Angeles Dodgers
Strengths: Shohei Ohtani became the first player in MLB history to hit 50 home runs and steal 50 bases in a regular season (he finished with 54 home runs and 59 stolen bases) and behind him are former MVPs Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman. And behind those hitters is Teoscar Hernández, who finished sixth in the National League with 33 home runs. This is an extremely powerful lineup capable of torturing any big league pitching staff.
Weaknesses: The starting rotation, which finished with a 4.57 ERA in the second half of the season and is missing its veteran ace Clayton Kershaw for at least the Division Series. Rookie Japanese hurler Yoshinobu Yamamoto is one of baseball’s most prized young arms, but he missed three months with an injury and has not thrown more than 79 pitches in a game since June.
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Key player: Starting pitcher Walker Buehler was once expected to succeed Kershaw as the Dodgers’ next great ace. Instead, he had a challenging recovery from Tommy John surgery and struggled to an unsightly 1-6 record with a 5.38 ERA over 16 starts in 2024. If he is unable to rediscover his former self – the pitcher with two top-10 Cy Young finishes – then the Dodgers will struggle to make a deep run.
2) New York Yankees
Strengths: Even in a world where the Dodgers lead off a game with three former MVPs, the Yankees’ combination of Aaron Judge and Juan Soto may be the most fearsome one-two punch in all of baseball. Judge just completed a season that evoked prime Barry Bonds (.322/.458/.701 with 58 home runs and 144 RBI) while Soto led the American League in runs scored (128) in his first season in the Bronx.
Weaknesses: After a strong start to the season, outfielder Alex Verdugo had just 12 extra-base hits in the second half of the season. The fans will clamor for hyper-talented youngster Jasson Domínguez to replace the veteran, but Domínguez has just 100 plate appearances in his MLB career.
Key player: Relief pitcher Luke Weaver seized the closer’s job from ground-ball specialist Clay Holmes in September and finished the month with a 1.50 ERA, four saves and 25 strikeouts in 12 innings. Every team wants a dominant relief pitcher entering the postseason, and Weaver has stabilized what was a struggling New York bullpen.
3) Philadelphia Phillies
Strengths: The Phillies are…