THE surprise team of 2025? We asked the players
During Spring Training, MLB.com beat writers surveyed their clubhouses, asking players for their opinions on a range of topics. Well over 100 players participated, in exchange for anonymity. In the leadup to Opening Day, MLB.com is publishing a series of stories based on the results of that survey.
Today¡¯s topic: Surprise team
Every season has its Cinderella story, if you know where to look. That consistency is probably why we just can't resist making a disputable prediction -- someone is going to shock the baseball world and we may as well get credit for calling it.
Admittedly, these calls made from afar are often ... off, which is why, when we're talking about which teams are going to surprise us the most in a given season, it's a good idea to ask the people closest to the action -- their opponents. Take, for example, last year's crop of surveyed players, who when asked which team would surprise us the most in 2024, picked the Royals, who had just lost 106 games. To make a long story short, the 2024 Royals went 86-76 and made the playoffs. Nailed it.
So, naturally, we posed the question again -- which teams are going to surprise us the most in 2025? Here's what the players think.
1) Athletics
The A¡¯s were the darling of this year¡¯s player responses. They received at least 10 more votes than any other team, a pretty impressive margin considering 18 different teams were mentioned.
¡°I think the A¡¯s are going to be able to swing it,¡± one AL starting pitcher said. ¡°Like, you look at their second half last year, they're starting to put it together offensively. So yeah, I'd go with the A¡¯s. I don't know how deep they are on the mound, but I think their offense is going to be pretty solid.¡±
¡°Lawrence Butler torched us,¡± added an NL reliever, just days before said outfielder reportedly agreed to a seven-year, $65.5 million extension. The same pitcher also noted the unusually high volume of players coming into the A¡¯s clubhouse, among them versatile infielders Luis Urías and Gio Urshela (each with a 20-homer season under his belt), one-time ace Luis Severino, a healthy Jeffrey Springs and perpetual whiff machine José Leclerc.
Maybe more than anything else, everyone has felt the vibe shift. The A¡¯s were the feel-good hit of 2024. After a 37-61 (.378) first half, they were a .500 team after the All-Star break. Brent Rooker, who also received a contract extension over the winter, is baseball¡¯s most unlikely premier power hitter. Years after losing his prospect status, JJ Bleday was a legitimate everyday player. Zack Gelof, Tyler Soderstrom and Jacob Wilson will each get the opportunity to be the A's next breakout star. There¡¯s a lot to look forward to, a sentiment maybe best summed up by a rival AL relief pitcher:
¡°They've got a really good group of young guys and they all seemed to enjoy each other," one player said. "They also have guys who are fighting for good deals, or they're rookies trying to prove themselves. That's a good mix. And I'm sure they're going to want to be loud in [Sacramento]."
2) Red Sox
The Red Sox¡¯s offseason moves were held in particularly high regard by other AL starting pitchers -- quite the compliment, considering. Garrett Crochet is obviously the man on everyone¡¯s mind after the White Sox dealt the prized left-hander to Boston in December, but there¡¯s just as much excitement at Red Sox camp about Roman Anthony, Kristian Campbell and Marcelo Mayer, the top three prospects the front office hung on to.
Already fixtures in the lineup are last year¡¯s breakout star Jarren Duran and newly minted Gold Glove outfielder Wilyer Abreu. Then there¡¯s the last-minute addition of Alex Bregman, whose presence at third base solves a lot of problems for the Red Sox, who¡¯ve been winning games despite their infield defense for awhile now.
¡°On one of their projections, they were 82-80. I believe before they signed Bregman, their projections were last in the AL East,¡± one AL starter said. ¡°I think that team is too good to be last in the AL East.¡±
3) Reds
The Reds have dropped down a spot from last year¡¯s survey, but their opponents are sticking with them -- not least because the 2025 squad will be managed by player-favorite Terry Francona.
¡°I said it last year, but the Reds, they're built to be good,¡± an NL reliever said. ¡°It's all dependent on their pitching staff. If their young starters show up, they could be really good. And if they don't, who knows? I think the Reds could really surprise.¡±
If it does come down to their pitching, the Reds are starting the year in a good spot. Hunter Greene, coming off a true breakout season, has solid backup in Nick Martinez and Brady Singer, and although they can be less certain of the contributions they might get from Andrew Abbott, Nick Lodolo and Rhett Lowder, all three are sure to factor in.
Not to be outdone by their pitching staff, the Reds¡¯ energetic style of play remained a popular topic -- probably even more so this year, as Elly De La Cruz comes into this season MLB¡¯s reigning stolen base king. If all goes well, they¡¯ll once again have Matt McLain and TJ Friedl, each their own kind of impact player.
4) Pirates
The Pirates were a last-place team in 2024. Based on vibes alone, you would never have guessed. 2024 was the year of Paul Skenes, and there was absolutely no escaping it.
¡°Anytime you have Skenes on the mound, you feel good about it,¡± said an AL second baseman, part of a general theme of praise for Pirates pitching. Jared Jones, who had his moment last April, has a terrific arm of his own. Another flamethrower, top prospect Bubba Chandler, waits in the wings. Pittsburgh¡¯s offseason moves were mostly underwhelming, but as multiple players noted, they did build out their veteran contingent, bringing back Adam Frazier and adding Andrew Heaney and Tommy Pham, among a few others.
The Pirates are at the very first stages of a resurgence, and at the right time, too, as pointed out by a fellow NL outfielder: ¡°The NL Central isn't weak, but it isn't as stacked as a division like the NL West.¡±
5-T) D-backs
Unsurprisingly, among responses concerning the D-backs, there was a clear theme: Corbin Burnes. Burnes' numbers since the beginning of the abbreviated 2020 season are almost unbelievable (2.88 ERA, 1.02 WHIP, 6.7 H/9, 0.8 HR/9, 10.4 K/9, 4.24 K/BB), especially for a team whose starters posted a collective 4.79 ERA in 2024, and now Zac Gallen has a co-ace. It does grab your attention.
To be fair, it wasn¡¯t just Burnes the players were high on -- one AL starter also mentioned the addition of Josh Naylor, who may be a step down from Christian Walker, but can still put up a 30-homer season.
5-T) Royals
As we mentioned, the players loved Kansas City in 2024, and they were right to. Coming off a 106-loss season, the Royals rebounded straight into the postseason, where they quickly dispatched of the Orioles and held their own against the Yankees before making a respectable second-round exit. So a good season wouldn¡¯t necessarily be a surprise, but factoring in the Guardians, Tigers and Twins, most projections still have the Royals hovering around .500.
That did receive some pushback. ¡°I think they're gonna be pretty good again and nobody is talking about it,¡± said one AL starting pitcher.
He's not wrong to think so -- for better and for worse, not much has changed in Kansas City. On the one hand, the Royals still have a great rotation led by top-5 Cy Young finishers Seth Lugo and Cole Ragans. On the other, unless Bobby Witt Jr.'s supporting cast (now featuring Jonathan India) take a step forward at the plate, theirs is still a one-man offense.
Others receiving votes: Mariners, Cubs, Rangers, Tigers, Angels, Nationals, White Sox, Brewers, Giants, Astros, Braves, Cardinals