As Major League Baseball’s (MLB) regular season comes to an end, many players, coaches and fans may consider this the most important part of the season. Whether contending for a championship or looking to rebuild in the offseason and near future, all 30 teams in MLB are completely locked in for the final stretch of the season. With the playoffs just around the corner and even starting up later this month, let’s take a look back at some of the most exciting and disappointing teams this season.
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers were the best team in baseball this time last year. They went on to win the World Series in dominating fashion, beating the New York Yankees 4-1 in the series, including a walk-off grand slam from first baseman Freddie Freeman in Game 1.
Coming into the season, the Dodgers were expected to be one of the best teams in MLB. So, you may ask, what has made them so disappointing this season. Although the Dodgers haven’t been a “bad team” record-wise, watching them this season shows you all you need to know. Sloppy defensive plays and underwhelming players have dragged this team to a worse record and completely stopped them from reaching their full potential as a team.
After going 98-64 last year, the Dodgers currently have 66 losses, with 12 games left in the regular season. With two tough series against the Phillies and Mariners coming up for this Dodgers team, it’s more likely than not that their win percentage takes a sizable drop compared to last year’s team. One of the Dodgers most talked about moves of the offseason was picking up former All-Star Left Fielder, Michael Conforto. Conforto, however, has not been as good as many fans expected. With a batting average lower than .200 and a WAR (a statistic that measures how many wins a player contributes compared to a hypothetical average replacement player) of 0.7, many would say Conforto is hurting the team more than helping.
Another unfortunate standout for the Dodgers has been pitcher Tanner Scott. The Dodgers closer has had career highs in some of the worst categories. He has given up 11 home runs this year, compared to his former career high of 6 in one season. His ERA is also over 4.5, which is unacceptable if you want to be the main closer on a championship winning team. Overall, the Dodgers have not had what many fans would call a “bad season;” however, it has been very disappointing and underwhelming compared to their pre-season expectations.
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees were the other team in the World Series a season ago. The Yankees came into this season with high hopes after their first World Series birth in 15 years. Fans were excited, and the Yankees were ready to start off their 2025 campaign with the goal of changing the World Series result from last year.
However, this has not been the case this season. While the Yankees had similar problems as the Dodgers, the Bronx Bombers have also had their own struggles this season. They have had star players like Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton and Jazz Chisolm Jr all miss significant time with injuries. Another big struggle for the Yankees has been defensive play. Shortstop Anthony Volpe has received a lot of backlash all season for playing stretches with poor batting performances and constant defensive mistakes. With 13 games left for the Yankees, Volpe has already accumulated nineteen errors this season.
The Yankees also have not been able to find consistency this season, they have had multiple losing streaks of five or more games this season. The one bright spot for the Yankees this season has been their pitching, something many fans questioned coming into the season. With star pitcher Gerrit Cole being ruled out for the season after undergoing surgery, many people thought the Yankees pitching would be their downfall.
The Yankees pitching however, has been a bright spot this season. Max Fried and Carlos Rodon have both stepped up big for the Yankees with both athletes collecting 15 or more wins in 181 innings pitched this season. Late call-up Cam Schlitttler has also been a stud for the Yankees bullpen. As of late, the Yankees have looked better, but this has been an ugly and disappointing season for MLB’s most historic franchise.
Toronto Blue Jays
On the contrary, the Toronto Blue Jays have been one of Major League Baseball’s best teams this season. In the past few MLB seasons, the Blue Jays have been expected to be one of the best teams in MLB. Not wanting to waste generational talent like Vladimir Guerrero Jr., the Blue Jays have found ways to stay competitive during the regular season, finishing with a positive record and playoff spot in 3 out of the last 4 seasons.
It is in the post season, however, where this team has struggled. In their last three playoff appearances, they have lost in the Wild Card series .
Many fans do not see the same future for this year’s team. Canada’s only MLB team is currently leading the American League East and on pace to secure a spot in the American League Division Series. This can be credited to their amazing performances against top teams this season, winning four out of six games against both the Tigers and Mariners this season.
The Blue Jays have built their success off of their electric offense, averaging 4.99 runs a game. This puts them at 3rd in MLB for this stat, just behind the Yankees and the Brewers. Bo Bitchette and Vladdy Guerrero Jr. have been standouts for this Blue Jays team. Bitchette leads the entire league not only in doubles, but hits overall and has posted one of MLB’s highest batting averages.
Although it has not been his best year statistically, Guerrero has shown a lot of improvement on the defensive side of the ball for the Blue Jays. He was named as an All-Star first baseman to the American League team this past All-Star break. Posting an 89-64 record with 9 games left in the regular season, the Blue Jays look forward to the post season with high aspirations for bringing a championship coming back to Toronto.
Milwaukee Brewers
One of the least surprising stories this season has been the success of the Milwaukee Brewers. The Brewers have been one of the best teams in Major League Baseball throughout the 2020’s, reaching 90 wins in 4 out of 5 seasons and only 4 wins off this mark in 2022. Every year, people question whether the Brewers will keep the same consistent success, and every year the Brewers deliver. This year is no exception.
The Brewers have secured the number one seed in National League Central for the third year in a row. They have been one of the most exciting teams in baseball with the 2nd highest run per game average, which currently stands at 5.03 runs a game. One of the biggest contributing factors to the Brewers’ success has been All Star right fielder Christian Yelich. Yelich has maintained a batting average of .267, hitting 27 home runs and bringing in 93 runs for the Brewers. Another reason the Brewers have been so good has been their pitching. Their ace, Freddy Peralta, has collected the most wins in baseball this season (17) and has posted an ERA of 2.68.
The closing innings have also been no problem for the Brewers this season. Trevor Megill has been one of the most clutch players in the league. Megill has posted an ERA of 2.54 and only allowed 3 home runs this season. While the Brewers have enjoyed lots of regular season success recently, their biggest struggle in past seasons has been the postseason. Similar to the Blue Jays, the Brewers have not been able to get past the wild card in the last two seasons, losing to the New York Mets last year and the Arizona Diamondbacks the year before.
With the Brewers season coming to an end, many fans are skeptical with the postseason on the horizon. As it stands, the Brewers hold a spot in the National League Divisional Series, avoiding the Wild Card for the first time since 2021. The Brewers look to re-write history this season and win the franchise’s first World Series. As of right now, they look on track to do just that.
