What must go right in 2025 for every MLB team

It doesn��t take much.

For any team, just one or two key things going right (or wrong) can make (or break a season). Whether it��s health, breakouts from key players or good fortune in the postseason, every Major League club has something it would love to see in 2025.

With help from MLB.com's 30 beat writers, here��s one thing that needs to go right for each team to succeed this season.

American League East

Blue Jays: Secondary offense must come through
Surely, the trio of Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Bo Bichette and Anthony Santander will handle their business up top. Who��s going to help them, though? The Blue Jays like the combination of the speedy Andr��s Gim��nez hitting in front of Alejandro Kirk lower down, but more broadly, they need someone to break out and become a legitimate force in this lineup. Kirk can do that himself, along with prospects like Orelvis Martinez and Alan Roden, but the Blue Jays need to find some way to keep opposing pitchers on their heels all night long, not just when the top half of the order is at the dish. -- Keegan Matheson

Orioles: The former top prospects in the lineup must keep taking steps forward
Baltimore didn��t make a ton of splashy moves over the offseason. The biggest reason for that was the belief that the young guys on the roster -- many of whom were once among the top prospects in baseball -- will continue to get better. Adley Rutschman needs to bounce back from his tough second half of 2024. Colton Cowser must build on his strong rookie season. Jordan Westburg has to build upon his breakout sophomore campaign. Jackson Holliday needs to be more productive than he was during his disappointing debut year. And if Gunnar Henderson, who is going to start the season on the 10-day injured list with a mild right intercostal strain, can keep getting better -- which is tough to fathom, considering how good he has already been -- the O��s offense should be even more dangerous than many expect it to be. -- Jake Rill

Rays: Healthy pitching must get support from bounce-back bats
The Rays have plenty of pitching depth, so they��re not entirely dependent on all their frontline pitchers going wire to wire this year. But after so many key injuries over the past few seasons, it would go a long way for them to roll out their top arms (like ace Shane McClanahan and returning starter Drew Rasmussen) on a consistent basis once McClanahan returns from his bout with a nerve issue. The more important step forward will have to come from their lineup, specifically the group of hitters who were limited by injuries or underperformance last year: Brandon Lowe, Josh Lowe, Jonathan Aranda, Christopher Morel and so on. There��s no doubt the Rays have the talent to contend; they just need to keep it on the field. -- Adam Berry

Red Sox: The bullpen needs to be reliable
At least leading into the season, this is probably the biggest question mark on the team. Aroldis Chapman (37 years old) and Liam Hendriks (36) are both in the latter stages of their career, and they��ll go into the season as the top two pitchers on manager Alex Cora��s depth chart. The Red Sox like what they have in their two Rule 5 pick success stories: Garrett Whitlock and Justin Slaten. Whitlock will at last settle into one role after swinging back and forth between the bullpen and rotation for several years. -- Ian Browne

Yankees: The captain must lead
Aaron Judge acknowledges that "no one is feeling sorry" for the Yankees, even after a spring in which they lost several bold-faced names. They played in a World Series just a few months ago, and Judge believes this current group has what it takes to get back to the game's brightest stage. That all hinges on Judge continuing to perform like an MVP; while Judge's 62-homer campaign in 2022 was fun and memorable, a strong case can be made that 2024 was his best all-around season yet (that is, until the playoffs). Can Judge remain healthy and take the Yankees back to the promised land? -- Bryan Hoch

AL Central

Guardians: The starting pitching behind Tanner Bibee must deliver
Bibee emerged as an anchor atop the rotation last season after Shane Bieber underwent Tommy John surgery in April, and Ben Lively was one of Cleveland��s most consistent starters. But the rotation overall recorded a 4.40 ERA (tied for 23rd in the Majors) while dealing with injury and inconsistency. Bibee (the Guardians�� Opening Day starter) is set to lead the way again, and Bieber is on track to return during the summer. No team ever feels they have enough starting pitching depth, but Cleveland has a number of rotation options. Along with Bibee and Bieber later in the season, consistency from Lively, Gavin Williams, Luis Ortiz, Logan Allen, Triston McKenzie and Joey Cantillo will be key. -- Tim Stebbins

Royals: The rotation must try to replicate 2024
The Royals rotation was second best in baseball last year with a 3.55 ERA. They had two starters finish in the top five in American League Cy Young voting -- Seth Lugo (second) and Cole Ragans (fourth). Those two combined for 65 starts, and Michael Wacha added 29 starts. The Royals were incredibly lucky with their rotation health and acknowledged as much at the end of the year while also knowing they might not get that lucky again and that they had to get deeper. They believe they are with Michael Lorenzen back on a one-year deal, Kris Bubic returning to the rotation and Daniel Lynch IV, Alec Marsh, Kyle Wright and Noah Cameron all likely to help out throughout the year. If the Royals can come close to replicating what they did last year with their pitching, they��ll be in a good spot throughout the season. -- Anne Rogers

Tigers: The middle of the lineup needs to produce
The Tigers aren��t going to outslug most opponents, but they need the hitters in the middle of their order to stay healthy and productive, starting with All-Star outfielder Riley Greene and AL Division Series hero Kerry Carpenter. Colt Keith needs to emerge as a more consistent run producer in his second season, while Gleyber Torres could stretch the productive portion of the lineup with a bounceback campaign. -- Jason Beck

Twins: Health. Just health.
It��s the Twins, so the answer is health. The rotation dealt with extensive injuries last year, but there appears to be better depth this year to withstand a similar run if it happens. The real questions are always in the lineup. Royce Lewis is already out for a spell. Carlos Correa and Byron Buxton have had healthy springs, which is a good start. If they could both combine for 250 games, it would be absolutely huge -- but they��ve never done that together with the Twins. The more the core hitters play, the more games this team wins. -- Matthew Leach

White Sox: Young players and top prospects need to develop
The team believes not only will it be improved at the Major League level from last season��s dismal and actually record-breaking 41-121 showing but will be competitive. Yet, in this latest version of their rebuild, the story really is how their young core develops. The White Sox have six of the Top 100 prospects, according to MLB Pipeline, and five of those six have a chance to reach the big leagues at some point this season. But it goes beyond the headliners, as the White Sox look to bring along more from their sixth-ranked Minor League system overall. -- Scott Merkin

AL West

Angels: The young core has to continue to develop under mentorship of veterans
The Angels have a young core made up of players such as Zach Neto, Logan O��Hoppe, Nolan Schanuel, Ben Joyce, Jos�� Soriano, Reid Detmers, Jack Kochanowicz and Jo Adell, and they��re going to need them all to produce if they are going to be a surprise contender. They brought in veterans such as Yusei Kikuchi, Jorge Soler, Kyle Hendricks, Kenley Jansen and Travis d��Arnaud, and their production and ability to lead will be important as well. -- Rhett Bollinger

Astros: Reliable bullpen arms need to emerge
Trading Ryan Pressly to the Cubs just before camp punched a big hole in Houston��s bullpen, where Josh Hader (closer) and Bryan Abreu (setup) are the anchors. The club also returns Tayler Scott, who had a 2.23 ERA last year in 69 games, but there��s a lack of experienced depth after that, which is one of the reasons they signed veteran lefty Jalen Beeks midway through camp. Some key injuries in camp have already put the depth to test. -- Brian McTaggart

Athletics: Severino and Springs need to lead the way
The A��s entered 2024 counting on veterans Alex Wood and Ross Stripling to stabilize a rotation that had tied a Major League record 24 starting pitchers the year before, and that plan backfired as neither pitcher ended the season in the rotation. This time around, the A��s will lean on another pair of newcomers in Luis Severino and Jeffrey Springs, two veterans who are still considered in their primes and bring a solid track record of success. Leading a rotation that includes JP Sears, who has been a model of consistency by making 32 starts in each of the past two seasons, Osvaldo Bido and Joey Estes, Severino and Springs staying healthy and pitching up to expectations will go a long way in helping the A��s achieve their goal of contending for the playoffs in 2025. -- Mart��n Gallegos

Mariners: Remarkable starting pitching health has to continue
The floor of this roster being a playoff team hinges on the rotation continuing to avoid the IL. The Mariners only played 13 games last year that weren��t started by Logan Gilbert, Luis Castillo, George Kirby, Bryce Miller and Bryan Woo, and even then, injuries to Castillo and Woo weren��t overly significant. That depth will be tested right out of the gate, though, in 2025, with Kirby expected to miss the schedule��s first month with right shoulder inflammation. Yet if that five can make a combined 150 starts, they should at least match the 85 wins they accumulated last year. -- Daniel Kramer

Rangers: Young arms need to step up
What actually needs to go right is health. Considering that already hasn��t happened due to Cody Bradford (elbow soreness) and Jon Gray (wrist fracture) both opening the season on the injured list, guys need to step up in the rotation. Rookies Jack Leiter and Kumar Rocker specifically. The two first-round right-handers both made their MLB debuts last season and already figured to get their first extended looks in the big leagues in 2025. Now, the door is wide open with Bradford out until at least late May and Gray out until at least late June. -- Kennedi Landry

National League East

Braves: Stars need to stay healthy
The roster construction gave the 2024 Braves a chance to be one of the strongest clubs in franchise history. But six of 10 Opening Day participants missed at least two months because of an injury. It can��t happen two seasons in a row, right? Once Spencer Strider returns in April, the Braves will have one of the game��s best rotations, headed by 2024 NL Cy Young winner Chris Sale. Sale, Reynaldo L��pez and Spencer Schwellenbach proved more durable than expected last year. Can they do it again? The lineup will get a big boost in May, when Ronald Acu?a Jr. returns from the torn ACL that cost him the final four months of 2024. Acu?a, Austin Riley, Matt Olson and Marcell Ozuna will give the Braves four MVP candidates at the top of their lineup. -- Mark Bowman

Marlins: Young star position players are born
Since this season is about development, the Marlins would love to finish 2025 having found a handful of position players to build around moving forward. Shortstop Xavier Edwards and third baseman Connor Norby (who will start the season on the IL) come to mind. By midseason, prospects like catcher Agust��n Ram��rez and corner infielder Deyvison De Los Santos should get their shot. Both have considerable pop but plenty of room to grow. Ram��rez is making progress at a premium defensive position, while 2024 Minor League home run champion De Los Santos must show better plate discipline. -- Christina De Nicola

Mets: The starting pitching has to hold up
Few question the Mets�� ability to bang the ball around the park, with Juan Soto, Francisco Lindor and Pete Alonso leading the way. Of greater concern is the rotation, currently headlined by a reliever-turned-starter in Clay Holmes and several other historically inconsistent pieces. Last year, the Mets did well to mold Sean Manaea and Luis Severino into solid starters. They��ll need to do the same this year with a combination of Manaea, Holmes, Kodai Senga, Tylor Megill, Griffin Canning, David Peterson and Paul Blackburn �� at least until prospect or trade reinforcements arrive. -- Anthony DiComo

Nationals: Young talents in the outfield must produce
After making their debuts last year, outfielders Dylan Crews (MLB No. 4 prospect) and James Wood will be on the Nats' Opening Day roster. This is a key moment the Nationals have been building toward in their new chapter. How powerful can the 6-foot-7 Wood be this year? After debuting last season on July 1, Wood ranked fourth in the NL with 54 batted balls that recorded an exit velocity over 105 mph. -- Jessica Camerato

Phillies: Play well in October
The easy answer is health. Right? Every team will have injuries, but no team can handle major blow after major blow. If the Phillies stay healthy, they should compete for a second consecutive NL East title and a World Series. But the real answer is play well in October. Everybody knows the story by now. The Phillies lost in six games to the Astros in the 2022 World Series, they lost in seven games to the Diamondbacks in the 2023 NLCS, and they lost in four games to the Mets in the 2024 NLDS. Everything about the Phillies this season is geared toward October. Can they play well when it matters most and finish the job? -- Todd Zolecki

NL Central

Brewers: They must get power from new places
The Brewers are built on pitching, defense and speed, but sometimes it takes a three-run homer to win a ballgame. Willy Adames hit 13 of those last season -- matching Ken Griffey Jr.��s MLB record -- but Adames and his team-leading 32 home runs are gone via free agency, and the Brewers may need new sources of power. There are plenty of candidates, starting in the outfield. Second-year star Jackson Chourio is coming off a 20-20 season as a 20-year-old, and it would be natural for him to eye 30-30 next. Garrett Mitchell has plenty of power potential if he can stay healthy; he��s been limited to 116 Major League games in three seasons. And Sal Frelick added 25 pounds of muscle, so it wouldn��t be surprising to see him top last year��s home run total: two. -- Adam McCalvy

Cardinals: They must get bounce-back seasons from several key players
Much of the Cardinals plans to ��reset�� the roster in 2025 is centered on getting consistent at-bats and opportunities for Jordan Walker and Nolan Gorman, two former first-round picks who struggled badly in 2024. Walker, 22, is excited about the swing changes he made while working with new hitting coach Brant Brown, and he is hoping he can improve upon a 2024 where he hit just .201. Gorman, 24, also spent loads of time with Brown in the offseason, and he��s trying to fix a strikeout rate that ballooned to 37.6 percent in 2024. In a perfect world, Walker and Gorman would each get 500 at-bats and hit 20-25 home runs. Steven Matz, who pitched well all spring, is hoping for an injury-free season after having his first three years in St. Louis marred by time on the sidelines. As for Miles Mikolas, the two-time All-Star is working to keep the ball out of the heart of the plate after surrendering 18 two-strike home runs over the past two seasons. -- John Denton

Cubs: Urgency needs to result in a postseason berth
Simply put: the Cubs need to make the postseason. All of the moves made by president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer this offseason pointed to a sense of urgency to return to the October stage. The winter was headlined by the blockbuster trade with the Astros that brought star outfielder Kyle Tucker to the Cubs. Beyond Tucker, the Cubs�� front office built up the team��s depth for the rotation and bullpen (most notably, acquiring veteran Ryan Pressly) while fortifying the bench. The roster looks better prepared to weather some of the injury issues that took a toll on the club in last season��s 83-win showing. -- Jordan Bastian

Pirates: The starting pitching must emerge as one of the best units in baseball
Jared Jones' Spring Training injury scare will keep him out for a chunk of the 2025 season, but he will not have to go under the knife for his right elbow discomfort. It's tough news, because this rotation needs to carry the team. Paul Skenes is one of the best in the sport already, Mitch Keller has All-Star potential (and a revamped changeup), and Andrew Heaney and Bailey Falter are two quality southpaws for the back of the rotation. Even with some stud prospects like Bubba Chandler and Thomas Harrington on the precipice of the Majors, this rotation needs to stay healthy and produce if the Pirates want to take the next step. -- Alex Stumpf

Reds: McLain must have a strong return season
One of the justifications for the Reds not adding more offense in the offseason was that second baseman Matt McLain would be back in the lineup after he missed all of 2024 for left shoulder surgery. As a rookie in 2023, McLain was arguably the club's best all-around player after his debut while batting .290 with an .864 OPS and 16 homers in 89 games. The shoulder injury, suffered during 2024 Spring Training, delayed a true sophomore season, but Cincinnati will need McLain to build on his first season for its overall offense to support the pitchers. McLain is expected to bat second this season, one spot ahead of double-play partner and shortstop Elly De La Cruz, which should create some run-scoring opportunities. -- Mark Sheldon

will keep him out for a chunk of the 2025 season, but he will not have to go under the knife for his right elbow discomfort. It's still tough news, because this rotation needs to carry the team. Paul Skenes is one of the best in the sport already, Mitch Keller has All-Star potential (and a revamped changeup), and Andrew Heaney and Bailey Falter are two quality southpaws for the back of the rotation. Even with some stud prospects like Bubba Chandler and Thomas Harrington on the precipice of the Majors, this rotation needs to stay healthy and produce if the Pirates want to take the next step. -- Alex Stumpf

NL West

D-backs: Pitchers need to stay healthy
The Diamondbacks have built out their pitching depth in recent years as evidenced by the fact that they had three established starters competing for the final spot in the rotation, but as they learned last year, you can never have too much of it. Last season, Zac Gallen, Merrill Kelly, Eduardo Rodriguez and Ryne Nelson �C four-fifths of their expected regular rotation �C spent time on the injured list. It��s hard for any team to sustain those kinds of losses, and it��s a big reason why Arizona underachieved on the mound in 2024. This year the Diamondbacks need to keep their pitchers healthy if they want to return to the postseason. -- Steve Gilbert

Dodgers: Stay healthy, particularly on the mound
For a roster stacked with this much talent, all the Dodgers really need to do is to stay healthy. It's easier said than done: Last year, the pitching staff in particular was ravaged by injuries, leading to the team using 38 pitchers (not including Kik�� Hern��ndez and Miguel Rojas) over the course of the season. The Dodgers ended up having just enough pitching to get through their World Series run, but they don't want to struggle to patch together nine innings on the mound the way they had to at times last year. -- Sonja Chen

Giants: The starting rotation must stay healthy
With an accomplished trio -- Logan Webb, Justin Verlander and Robbie Ray -- leading the way, the Giants�� rotation has the potential to be among the best in the league, but health, as always, will be paramount. Verlander, 42, was limited to only 17 starts in 2024 due to neck and shoulder injuries, but he��s back to full strength now and is determined to show that he still has something left in the tank. Ray, 33, experienced some ups and downs after returning from Tommy John surgery last summer, but he��s looked sharp after going through a normal spring and could be poised to regain his Cy Young form this year. -- Maria Guardado

Padres: The good vibes must continue
Beyond health, the biggest thing that needs to go right for the Padres is somewhat abstract: They need to carry the vibes from summer 2024 into ��25, without letting the bitter ending linger. Said manager Mike Shildt: ��You want to make sure that it stings -- and the sting is there. But you don't want it to consume you. �� We had a lot of really, really good things happen individually and collectively that we need to hold onto and believe and understand that's who we are. And we know, yeah, we've got unfinished business.�� -- AJ Cassavell

Rockies: Frontline players must stay on the field
Injuries have been an issue through the team's long streak of losing seasons, with the last two ending in triple figures in losses. Kris Bryant has struggled with injuries, mostly to his back, in the first three years of his seven-year contract. The Rockies had considered semi-frequent outfield starts but now will use him as designated hitter as often as possible. Starting pitchers Kyle Freeland, Germ��n M��rquez, Antonio Senzatela, Austin Gomber and Ryan Feltner all have had significant health challenges. Keeping frontline players on the field will be crucial if the Rockies are to have any chance to surprise. -- Thomas Harding