MLB Futures Selection: Los Angeles Dodgers to Win the 2025 World Series

For the 2025 Major League Baseball season, our Futures selection is on the Los Angeles Dodgers to win the World Series.  Currently, the best odds are at BetRivers, at +260.  Some have called them one of the greatest rosters ever assembled and while that may prove to be a bit of an exaggeration, there's no denying the talent that the Dodgers possess heading into the 2025 season.  Whether or not they prove to be another 1998 New York Yankees, the Dodgers enter the season as strong favorites to win it all.  And it starts with the NL West where the chief competition should once again come from the Padres and Diamondbacks.  But as nice as those teams are, they will likely prove no match for L.A.  If the eventual planned six-man rotation can stay healthy most of the time, then the Dodgers should cruise into the playoffs.

   

Not only did the Dodgers land the top player from Japan for the second consecutive year -- RHP Roki Sasaki -- but the aforementioned six-man rotation should allow L.A. to reduce the workloads of its other studs, namely Yamamoto, Snell, Glasnow, and a now-healthy Gonsolin, while working Kershaw and Ohtani back in as starters, if needed.  But it's not all about starting pitching for the MLB favorites.  The core of a very good veteran offense returns as Ohtani, Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman, Max Muncy, Tommy Edman, and Will Smith are still around while HR Derby champ Teoscar Hernandez signed a new three-year deal during the off-season.  They've also added a solid veteran presence in OF Michael Conforto.  If there's a question mark for the Dodgers, it's with the closer role.  But that's something that should be easily addressed as the season goes on with a group of solid veteran arms in the bullpen including Tanner Scott, Kirby Yates, and Blake Treinen.

   

The D-Backs may have landed Corbin Burnes, and the Padres Nick Pivetta, but it simply isn't enough to overcome the immense talent gap between those teams and the Dodgers.  L.A. should easily capture another division pennant that will allow it to utilize that six-man rotation in September and rest those valuable arms for the playoffs.  As for the other MLB divisions, the biggest challenges will likely come from the Phillies and Mets, but those teams have been known to choke in the post-season on multiple occasions.  And even on their best day they are still a notch below the Dodgers (and a big notch at that).  It should also be mentioned that the early AL favorite -- the Yankees -- have received horrible news this Spring with the losses of Gerrit Cole, Luis Gil, and Giancarlo Stanton.  And in Cole's case, it's surgery and he's done for the season.  Take the Dodgers to win the 2025 World Series at +260.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.