MLB season preview and predictions

When to bet

The 2025 MLB season starts on Tuesday, March 18.

Where to watch

MLB is available to stream on MLB.TV and broadcast on TNT Sports in the UK.

Best Bets

Los Angeles Dodgers to win the World Series
2pts 5-2 Hills

Minnesota Twins to win the AL Central
2pts 9-4 bet365, Hills

Minnesota Twins to win the American League
0.5pts 14-1 each way Hills

Aaron Judge to win the American League MVP
1pt 3-1 Hills, Paddy Power, Betfair

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MLB season predictions

The MLB regular season gets off to something of a false start when the Los Angeles Dodgers face the Chicago Cubs in Tokyo for the first of a two-game series, before the rest of the teams enter the fray later in the month.

Fans in Japan are in for a real treat, though, as they will get the first look at a Los Angeles Dodgers team who have an excellent chance of winning back-to-back World Series titles.

They won an unrivalled 98 games last season before successfully navigating their way through the playoffs, where they had to overcome the extremely tough task of getting past the San Diego Padres, New York Mets and finally the New York Yankees in the Fall Classic.

Their pitching looks superb and new additions Blake Snell and Tanner Scott bolster their ranks with real quality. They are joined by Roki Sasaki, an exciting recruit from the Japanese league who is known for his devastating speed.

The offence is also stacked with quality. The Boys in Blue knocked in 842 runs last season, the second-highest in the game, and boast big hitting star names such as Shohei Ohtani, Freddy Freeman, Mookie Betts and Will Smith.

The layers are taking no chances on the Dodgers cruising to the playoffs, and they are an incredibly short 1-6 to win the NL West. They look extremely likely to make the post-season and have a great chance of repeating last autumn’s World Series win.

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In the American League, it might be worth taking a chance on Minnesota to win a mediocre central division and take a shot at reaching the Fall Classic for the first time since 1991.

The Twins had a strange season in 2024 that started well but ended in disappointment.

As close to the end of the season as late August, they were still only a few games behind division leaders Cleveland and on course for a wildcard playoff spot. However, a disastrous final few weeks saw them go 12-27 as the season neared the finish, and they missed out on a post-season place by four games.

They suffered quite a few injuries, which contributed to that poor form, but if their key players can stay fit they have an excellent chance of putting that disappointment behind them. They undoubtedly have plenty of talent, particularly ace starting pitcher Pablo Lopez and top slugger Carlos Correa.

The America League Central doesn’t look the strongest division and there are no teams among the Twins’ rivals who appear to have a clear chance of winning 90-plus games, so the section may not take much winning.

Aaron Judge has been remarkably consistent over the last few years and is worth backing to win the American League MVP award. The New York Yankees slugger won the award for the second time in three years last year by a unanimous vote and there is little reason to suggest that he cannot claim the prize again.

Despite his age, 32-year-old Judge played as well as ever in 2024, hitting 58 home runs, and he looks set to have another campaign where he knocks in more than 100 runs and 50-plus long balls. If he does then he will surely go close to retaining the American League honour and equalling the league’s MVP record.

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Champions France odds-on to retain Six Nations title in 2026

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Stephen Morgan

Published on 16 March 2025inBaseball tips