Every MLB team's great unknown ahead of Opening Day 2025

With Opening Day just mere days away, there are many things we can likely expect this season.

The Dodgers will probably be one of the best teams in baseball. Shohei Ohtani, Aaron Judge, Bobby Witt Jr. and Juan Soto will surely produce like some of the sport's top players. But for every certainty we can count on, so many unknowns remain for each team entering the season.

We asked every MLB beat writer about their respective club's greatest unknown entering the season. Here's what they said.

AL EAST

Blue Jays: How will the bullpen hold up?
Last year��s bullpen was a fatal flaw, which can��t happen again. The Blue Jays did well to add closer Jeff Hoffman, bring back Yimi Garc��a and insulate those back-end arms with some depth, but that depth is already being tested. With Erik Swanson and Ryan Burr still building up, the Blue Jays will need some relievers to step up earlier than anyone planned. If the Blue Jays are going to make the postseason, it'll be in a tight race, so they can��t afford to be giving away any close games along the way. -- Keegan Matheson

Orioles: Is the rotation strong enough without a true ace?
The O��s had a bona fide ace in 2024, but Corbin Burnes is gone, having signed a six-year, $210 million deal with the D-backs. Now, Baltimore is hoping its rotation -- which will initially feature Zach Eflin, Charlie Morton, Dean Kremer, Tomoyuki Sugano and Cade Povich, then eventually recent free-agent signee Kyle Gibson -- is strong enough to power the team to success. If it��s not, the Orioles will need to target a frontline starter ahead of the July 31 Trade Deadline. The O��s have aspirations of a deep October run, but they��ll need their starting pitching to help get them there. -- Jake Rill

Rays: How will they handle their new home ballpark?
The Rays have said all the right things about spending the season at George M. Steinbrenner Field, their temporary home ballpark after Tropicana Field sustained significant damage during Hurricane Milton. But talking about it is one thing, and playing under these unusual circumstances is another. Will they rally around their situation and gain a homefield advantage in a park that belongs to the Yankees? How will their pitchers handle the more hitter-friendly dimensions? How much will their hitters capitalize on the shorter right-field porch? How will they adjust to the challenges of playing outdoor baseball in Florida in the summer, specifically the heat and the rain? This will be a unique season for Tampa Bay, probably even a little weird at times, and it��s on the club to determine whether that��s remembered as a good or bad thing. -- Adam Berry

Red Sox: Can Kristian Campbell hit the ground running?
As Jackson Holliday proved last season with the Orioles (.565 OPS in 208 plate appearances), even the most highly-touted prospects can struggle in their initiation. The Red Sox love Campbell��s work habits and ability to absorb information, which is just part of the reason why he made the Opening Day roster. If MLB Pipeline��s No. 7 prospect struggles early, it will be interesting to see if the Red Sox keep him on the roster as they did with Dustin Pedroia after his tough April of 2007. Pedroia wound up winning the American League��s Rookie of the Year Award. -- Ian Browne

Yankees: Will they have enough thump?
The Yankees led the American League with 815 runs scored last season, powered by the historic pairing of Aaron Judge and Juan Soto. With Soto moving across borough lines, the Yanks focused their winter on improving athleticism and run prevention. Adding veterans Cody Bellinger and Paul Goldschmidt should help make up for some of the lost offense, but others must help the club avoid returning to its 2023 level of production, when they scored just 673 runs and missed the playoffs. To do so, they'll need players like Jazz Chisholm, Jr., Anthony Volpe and Austin Wells to be impactful at the plate. -- Bryan Hoch

AL CENTRAL

Guardians: How does second base shake out?
Second base was a key competition for the Guardians throughout Spring Training, and the picture grew more clear after Tyler Freeman was traded to the Rockies on Saturday. Gabriel Arias and Daniel Schneemann will get the bulk of reps at second to start the season, and with their versatility, Cleveland can get both in the lineup. Juan Brito (the Guardians�� No. 10 prospect) figures to make his MLB debut at some point this season after he was in the mix for the starting job this spring. Will someone emerge as the everyday guy? -- Tim Stebbins

Royals: Do they have enough offense?
Jonathan India, Bobby Witt Jr., Vinnie Pasquantino and Salvador Perez make the Royals�� lineup very top-heavy, and they can carry this team to October. But behind them? All the questions reside in the bottom half of the order. The Royals weren��t able to bring in the middle-of-the-order bat they wanted this offseason, so the pressure is on for MJ Melendez and Hunter Renfroe to improve from a year ago and provide a power threat in the fifth and sixth spots. Can Maikel Garcia take the next step in his career, or will he be relegated to a utility role? Will Michael Massey stay on the field and deepen the lineup? As we saw at the end of 2024, even the stars struggle from time to time �C so who will step up when the Royals need it the most? -- Anne Rogers

Tigers: What happens with third base?
Alex Bregman is in Boston after signing with the Red Sox as a free agent. Jace Jung is at Triple-A Toledo after his Spring Training struggles led to a demotion. Detroit opens with a platoon of Zach McKinstry and Andy Ib��?ez at the hot corner, but that��s unlikely to carry for a full season. Jung or prospect Hao-Yu Lee could get a call, or Matt Vierling could take over once he returns from the injured list. It's a position with a ton of flux. -- Jason Beck

Twins: Is there enough depth?
The Twins feel very good about their sixth, seventh, and eighth starting pitchers, but David Festa and Zebby Matthews had growing pains in the Majors last year and Andrew Morris has never pitched in the bigs. Harrison Bader is the backup plan for Byron Buxton, but if Bader has to fill in, then there are real questions about outfield depth behind him, especially from the right side. And there��s no clear plan B behind Carlos Correa, particularly for however long Royce Lewis is out. The frontline talent here is very good; are the next lines good enough? -- Matthew Leach

White Sox: How long will Luis Robert Jr. be with the White Sox?
The five-tool talent is coming off a rough and injury-plagued individual season in 2024, following one of the most complete individual seasons in franchise history in ��23. Robert fully understands the business side of the game and while he hasn��t pushed general manager Chris Getz for any sort of resolution, he also understands with the latest rebuild the White Sox are in, he��s likely to be traded at some point. Other organizations have witnessed his vast talent but might wait for the 27-year-old to show healthy productiveness before upping their offers. -- Scott Merkin

AL WEST

Angels: Can Mike Trout stay healthy?
It��s been a while since Trout, a three-time AL MVP and 11-time All-Star, has been healthy, as his last full season came back in 2019. He was limited to just 29 games last year after tearing his meniscus in his left knee twice but is currently healthy and is making the transition from center field to right field. The Angels are hopeful that��ll help keep him on the field, as the 33-year-old is under contract through 2030. -- Rhett Bollinger

Astros: Can Jose Altuve really handle left field?
Altuve, the nine-time All-Star who��s started 1,765 games at second base in his career, has made a much-publicized move to left field this spring and will open the season at his new position. Altuve has shown the athleticism to handle the position but dropped a pair of fly balls in Grapefruit League and mistimed a jump at the wall on another, so the book is still out on whether he can be a viable option in left field. -- Brian McTaggart

Athletics: How will Sutter Health Park play?
Set to call Sutter Health Park in West Sacramento their new home for at least the next three seasons, the automatic assumption has been that offense will go up as the A��s move from the pitcher-friendly Coliseum in Oakland to a Minor League stadium that is part of the notoriously hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League. It��s probably safe to project that hitters will benefit some while pitchers suffer, but we won��t really know how extreme those effects will look until the season gets underway. -- Mart��n Gallegos

Mariners: Will the offense produce?
The Mariners are mostly running it back with the same position-player nucleus, despite that group being the primary culprit for most of the team��s shortcomings. Aside from budgetary constraints, the front office��s logic in not making more upgrades was their 21-13 finish after Dan Wilson and Edgar Martinez joined the coaching staff on Aug. 22, and that underlying numbers (a 104 wRC+, where league average is 100 and where the Mariners�� ranked tied for 10th) suggested that the lineup should��ve been better. But what they really need is to score more runs, because with their pitching staff, only a few runs could do the job on any given night. -- Daniel Kramer

Rangers: Who is the closer?
The Rangers completely rebuilt the bullpen this offseason, adding several veteran relievers like Chris Martin and Luke Jackson. Even less experienced guys like Shawn Armstrong, Jacob Webb and Robert Garcia could be used in high-leverage situations. But with less than a week until Opening Day, manager Bruce Bochy still hasn��t named a closer. And he isn��t likely to do so until the situation has sorted itself out early in the season. Eventually, Bochy would rather go would one set closer. -- Kennedi Landry

NL EAST

Braves: Bullpen depth
Raisel Iglesias is one of the game��s best closers and Pierce Johnson has shown the ability to be a reliable setup man. But with Joe Jim��nez set to miss most or all of this season and A.J. Minter now a Met, the Braves will need to replace two of their best relievers from the 2024 season. Can Dylan Lee and Aaron Bummer prove effective in high-leverage roles? Will Hector Neris�� experience prove valuable? Was Enyel De Los Santos�� impressive spring an indication he��ll enjoy a productive summer? Will Craig Kimbrel rekindle the success he had in Atlanta a decade ago? The Braves have created experienced depth with the late additions of Neris and Kimbrel. Now, they must hope the depth helps erase the concerns surrounding this relief corps. -- Mark Bowman

Marlins: How will Xavier Edwards fare at shortstop?
While Edwards proved to be the perfect leadoff batter with a slash line of .328/.397/.423 in 70 games last season, advanced metrics considered him to be one of the Majors' worst defensive shortstops. So Edwards, who sustained a shoulder impingement in 2022 during his time with the Rays' organization, followed a detailed offseason throwing program to build back arm strength. -- Christina De Nicola

Mets: What exactly do the Mets have in Kodai Senga?
They��ve been asking themselves this question for more than a year, ever since Senga missed the start of last season -- and ultimately, almost all of it -- due to shoulder, triceps and calf injuries. He��s been healthy this spring but both limited and inconsistent in Grapefruit League games. For that reason, the Mets are holding him out until the fifth game of the regular season in Miami. Will Senga return to the ace-like form he showed in 2022? Will he be a lesser pitcher? Will he even manage to stay on the mound? The next few months should go a long way toward answering those questions. -- Anthony DiComo

Nationals: Will the lineup produce more offense?
The Nationals hit the fewest home runs in the NL the past three seasons, and they ranked second-to-last in the NL in runs scored and slugging percentage last year. With Dylan Crews and James Wood playing their first full seasons in the Majors and the additions of veterans Josh Bell and Nathaniel Lowe, will they boost their offensive production? If the Nats can make consistent contact, they have the speed and athleticism to do damage on the bases. -- Jessica Camerato

Phillies: Max Kepler
The Phillies signed Max Kepler to a one-year, $10 million contract in December. He suffered one of the worst years of his career last year. He has been injured a lot. But Kepler has looked good this spring following an offseason surgery to repair a partially detached abdominal muscle and mechanical adjustments to his swing. If this is a sign of things to come, the Phillies will be thrilled with their new left fielder, who would provide another big bat in the bottom half of the lineup, as well as provide solid defense in the field. -- Todd Zolecki

NL CENTRAL

Brewers: Which versions of Brandon Woodruff and Christian Yelich will they get?
Two of the three players (with Freddy Peralta) who have been with the Brewers for all six of their postseason entries in the past seven years, Woodruff (shoulder surgery) and Yelich (back surgery) are both coming off major procedures. Yelich has been active all spring and homered three times in the Cactus League �C encouragingly, all to center field or left. Woodruff hit a milestone when he started a Major League game this spring, but he��ll need a slow build-up in the Minors at the start of the year. If his velocity holds up as his pitch count grows, Woodruff could be a second-half weapon. -- Adam McCalvy

Cardinals: Can RHP Sonny Gray still be an ace?
Gray delivered on the promise of the three-year, $75 million free agent deal he signed with the club in 2024 by going 13-9 with a 3.84 ERA and 203 strikeouts in 166.1 innings pitched. However, the 5-foot-10, 190-pound Gray seemed to wear down as the season went on. He pitched to a 5.20 ERA and allowed 13 of his 21 home runs after the break after the All-Star break. Now 35, Gray showed more troubling signs of wear and tear in a shaky Spring Training, but he has vowed that he still has high expectations for himself in the year to come. Fixing a four-seam fastball that foes hit .331 off of with six home runs could go a long way to Gray having an ace-like season in 2025. -- John Denton

Cubs: Can Matthew Boyd piece together a full season?
The Cubs invested in the veteran lefty with a two-year, $29 million contract based on only 61 1/3 Major League innings with Cleveland last year between the regular season and playoffs. Boyd has averaged 51 innings per year (topping out at 78 2/3 innings in 2021 before flexor tendon surgery that September). The 34-year-old Boyd returned from Tommy John surgery last season and spun a 2.72 ERA in eight outings before adding three more strong appearances in the playoffs. The Cubs are banking on the strong history of pitchers in their second year removed from TJ. If Boyd does stay healthy and builds off his 2024 showing, that will really deepen Chicago��s rotation. -- Jordan Bastian

Pirates: Can they hit enough?
Oneil Cruz, Bryan Reynolds, Joey Bart and Andrew McCutchen are going to produce like they always do. The Pirates need more than just that quartet to step up, whether that��s Ke��Bryan Hayes staying healthy, Nick Gonzales taking the next step or a young player like Nick Yorke, Henry Davis or Endy Rodr��guez emerging as an impact bat. There doesn��t appear to be a production black hole in the lineup like the team had in right field last season, but outside of Cruz and Reynolds, they may not have a huge bat in the mix. That means they��re going to need to string hits together and produce as a team. -- Alex Stumpf

Reds: Is there enough offense?
Cincinnati lacked a big offense in 2024 and often struggled to consistently provide run support. Then it did not sign a big bat in the offseason. The Reds did add Gavin Lux and Austin Hays to lengthen their lineup and have a healthy Matt McLain back. But they also lost Tyler Stephenson and possibly, Spencer Steer, to injuries to open the season. During Cactus League games, the offense was still ranked in the bottom portion of the league. Those games don't matter, obviously, but Reds pitchers will need more support in the regular season. -- Mark Sheldon

NL WEST

D-backs: Will the offense score enough runs?
It seems strange to be asking that question given that the Diamondbacks led the Majors in runs scored last year (and it wasn��t particularly close) but this is a different-looking offense. Gone are first baseman Christian Walker and DH Joc Pederson, who left via free agency. Arizona traded for Josh Naylor to fill the void at first and is counting on Pavin Smith to pick up some of what Pederson provided as the left-handed DH complement to Randal Grichuk. The Diamondbacks expect a better year from outfielder Corbin Carroll, who struggled in the first couple of months of the season before catching fire but given the big losses, it stands to reason the offense won��t lead the Majors again. The Diamondbacks don��t need to do that, but they do need to score enough to support what figures to be a better pitching staff.

Dodgers: What will Roki Sasaki bring in his first MLB season?
There's a lot of excitement surrounding what Sasaki might do in his first Major League season, but the fact of the matter is no one really knows what he'll bring to the Dodgers this year. He was lights out in two Cactus League outings and allowed one run in three innings (along with five walks) in his MLB debut against the Cubs in the Tokyo Series. Sasaki could shove from the start, or he could take time to adjust to the big leagues. The talent is certainly there, but he remains a self-professed work in progress. -- Sonja Chen

Giants: Can they stay competitive in the National League West?
The Giants bolstered their roster by signing shortstop Willy Adames and veteran right-hander Justin Verlander over the offseason, but it remains to be seen if they��ll have enough pieces to keep pace with the reigning World Series champion Dodgers and the talented D-backs and Padres in the division. The Giants believe their pitching and defense will keep them in games on most nights, but they��ll need more breakthroughs from young players to give them a chance to surprise in 2025. -- Maria Guardado

Padres: The bottom third
The top of the Padres' lineup is loaded with superstars. Among their top six hitters, five are multi-time All-Stars. The other is Jackson Merrill -- who has only played one big league season (and was an All-Star). But the final three places in the lineup are up for grabs -- one for a catcher, one for a left fielder and one for a DH. The production the Padres get from that bottom third might be the difference between a good lineup and a great one. -- AJ Cassavell

Rockies: Can more young players become core pieces?
Shortstop Ezequiel Tovar and center fielder Brenton Doyle have done enough over two seasons that they are considered key pieces, along with third baseman Ryan McMahon and veterans on the pitching staff. Who is next? Could it be first baseman Michael Toglia, who displayed the power and standout defense that the Rockies wanted when they selected him in the first round out of UCLA in 2019? Recent first-round picks Zac Veen and Benny Montogmery, both outfielders, and Chase Dollander and Gabriel Hughes, both pitchers; and international program products Yanquiel Fernandez, an outfielder, and Adael Amador, a second baseman, are keepers and have shots to show that they are keepers. -- Thomas Harding