
2023 MLB predictions: From playoffs and World Series to MVPs and Cy Youngs
More Videos
Published
2 years agoon
By
adminIt’s opening week, and you know what that means — season predictions!
There are lots of questions going into the 2023 season: What does Year 2 of MLB’s expanded playoffs have to offer? How will rule changes play out over the season? Is this the year your favorite team will make a run in October, or your favorite player will win a postseason award?
No one can definitively know what’s in store for us this season, but that doesn’t stop us from making our best guesses. We put 28 ESPN writers, analysts and editors on the spot to predict what will happen in baseball this year, from the wild-card contenders all the way up to the World Series champion, plus the MVP, Cy Young and Rookie of the Year in both leagues.
For each category, we’ve asked a contributor or two to explain why they chose what they chose. Did they hit the nail on the head or were they way off their mark? Only time can tell — and you better believe we’ll be circling back to these predictions come October.
Let’s see what our experts had to say.
Jump to:
AL picks | NL picks | WS picks | AL awards | NL awards
AL East
Our pick: New York Yankees (16 votes)
Who else got votes? Toronto Blue Jays (11), Tampa Bay Rays (1)
Why will the Yankees win the AL East?
The Yankees will win the AL East by a slim margin over the Blue Jays and Rays because their injured rotation will get healthy — and when they are, Gerrit Cole, Carlos Rodon, Luis Severino and Nestor Cortes can match any foursome in the game. The Yankees needed a spark, a player that might make them a better offensive team in October. They might have found him in rookie shortstop Anthony Volpe, whose first live batting practice of spring training began with a home run over the batter’s eye off Rodon. The next pitch, Volpe homered over the left field fence. Talk about knocking the door down. — Tim Kurkjian
What is the Blue Jays’ path to winning the division?
The Blue Jays were plenty dangerous last season until facing the Mariners in October. They had the lineup and the aces to advance as the Phillies did. This season, the Jays will take the AL East over the Yankees and Rays. Rotation depth matters, as well as bullpen and lineup depth, and the Jays have it all. They needed offensive upgrades, notably from the left side, and added Brandon Belt and Daulton Varsho. Getting defensive stalwart Kevin Kiermaier was critical, too. Jose Berrios and Yusei Kikuchi will bounce back. This is a complete team that can represent the AL. — Eric Karabell
AL Central
Our pick: Cleveland Guardians (15 votes)
Who else got votes? Chicago White Sox (7), Minnesota Twins (6)
Why will the White Sox beat out the Guardians for the division title?
If we choose to put stock in exit comments from Jose Abreu about not being a “family,” it helps frame why a team with this much talent can stall out. They have a potent and deep lineup that will be chomping at the bat rack. They also have some stellar arms in their rotation to balance it out. Their manager (Pedro Grifol) has been waiting an eternity for this opportunity, and he will hit the ground running, literally. They have more offensive firepower than Cleveland but they must catch the ball and keep the uber talented Eloy Jiménez from running into a fence. Please. — Doug Glanville
AL West
Our pick: Houston Astros (26 votes)
Who else got votes? Seattle Mariners (2)
Why did you pick the Mariners to win the AL West?
(1) The starting rotation is strong and deep, and they have Luis Castillo the entire season. (2) They upgraded at positions that were offensive black holes last season (Teoscar Hernandez, Kolten Wong). (3) The bullpen is good. (4) Jarred Kelenic is — gasp! — figuring things out. (5) Cal Raleigh is going to hit 35 home runs. (6) Julio Rodriguez is a super-duper star.
Look, the Astros are a powerhouse; Vegas has made them the betting favorite to win the World Series and become the first repeat champ since the 2000 Yankees. But Justin Verlander is a huge loss, Jose Altuve is out for a couple of months, lack of depth is a concern, there is some age in the lineup and, frankly, it’s time a few things just happen to go wrong. — David Schoenfield
AL wild cards
Our picks: Seattle Mariners (20 votes), Tampa Bay Rays (17), Toronto Blue Jays (16)
Who else got votes? New York Yankees (13), Los Angeles Angels (10), Texas Rangers (3), Houston Astros (2), Minnesota Twins (2), Chicago White Sox (1)
The Rays have made it to the postseason the last four years, and you and 16 other voters are predicting a fifth. To what do they owe their consistency to?
The Rays have become a player-development behemoth that majors in run prevention as well as practically any team in baseball. From 2018-22, there were three teams that allowed fewer than four runs per game — the Dodgers, Astros and Rays. And every year in that span, their minor-league system ranked in the top two in organizational winning percentage. Their regenerative success has enabled them to thrive at the big-league level, paying cents on the dollar in relation to many of their peers. — Paul Hembekides
You and nine other voters picked the Angels as a wild-card team. Why do you think they’ll make it?
This offseason, the Angels did what they long needed to do — they filled their 40-man roster with more major league-quality players, and thus, significantly increased their floor. A roster that for years was incredibly top-heavy with Mike Trout and Shohei Ohtani and very little beneath them is now a lot more well-rounded, particularly on the position-player side. Their rotation, meanwhile, was sneaky good last year and should be better with the addition of Tyler Anderson. This could be the year they finally break through. If they want to keep Ohtani, it probably has to be. — Alden Gonzalez
The Rangers received just three wild-card votes, and you were one of them. How do you think they’ll sneak into the playoffs?
The Rangers have made an all-in commitment, spending $500-plus million during the 2021-22 offseason and nearly $300 million on pitching this winter, while bringing in a three-time championship manager in Bruce Bochy. And, at least for now, their rebuilt rotation is healthy. If the team can maintain that good fortune in the injury department for long enough, I see them mounting a competitive enough start that they’d make aggressive, in-season moves to fill any prospective holes. There often seems to be a surprise wild-card team, and the Rangers are atop that list for me. — Tristan Cockcroft
AL champion
Our pick: Houston Astros (11 votes)
Who else got votes? New York Yankees (8), Toronto Blue Jays (6), Seattle Mariners (3)
Wait … you picked the Jays to win the AL East but the Yankees to win the AL. Explain yourself!
The Yankees are in a tough spot with their rotation, but that’s the question for the rest of their division rivals as well. If Rodon can pitch for most of the season, Cortes successfully stretches out as a starter and Severino can play his part, this rotation has the most potential in the division. Additionally, Volpe could be a game-changer for the offense. He affects the game on the base paths, in the field and at the plate. Over the last few years, shortstop has been a major weak point for the team, so just solidifying the spot with someone who could be anywhere from above average to an All-Star might change the dynamic of this offense dramatically. — Joon Lee
NL East
Our pick: Atlanta Braves (21 votes)
Who else got votes? New York Mets (6), Philadelphia Phillies (1)
Why did you pick the Braves to win the NL East?
Injuries are already playing a key role in what figured to be a high-powered, three-way chase in the division. The Mets of course lost Edwin Diaz, and Jose Quintana will miss a chunk of time. The Phillies began spring unsure of when Bryce Harper will be back and now have to add Ranger Suarez and Rhys Hoskins to that list, the latter a probable season-ending injury. Maybe the Braves join this unfortunate party if Raisel Iglesias‘ irritated shoulder turns into something serious, but for now, Atlanta seems like the team that has its key parts all lined up for the long haul. — Brad Doolittle
Why do you think the Mets will beat out the Braves?
The Mets, with their two aging aces, appear to be built more for the rigors of a seven-game series than a 162-game regular season. And that’s why it seems counterintuitive to pick them to win the NL East over the Braves, a younger team with better pitching depth and a deeper lineup. But here’s a hunch: Max Scherzer and Verlander, two of the most competitive pitchers of this era, will go back and forth all year trying to outdo each other, and they’ll take the Mets along for the ride. — Tim Keown
NL Central
Our pick: St. Louis Cardinals (25 votes)
Who else got votes? Milwaukee Brewers (3)
Why will the Brewers win the NL Central?
History tells us we rarely see the same teams make the playoffs, so I didn’t want to pick the same six in the NL as last season, and it’s hard to pick against the Braves, Mets, Dodgers, Padres or Phillies. Picking against the Cardinals isn’t rigorous analysis, but the projection systems see this as a close race: PECOTA has the Brewers, while FanGraphs sees the Cardinals as one win better. With Corbin Burnes, Brandon Woodruff and a healthy Freddy Peralta, the Brewers might have three starters better than anyone on the Cardinals. Milk in some regression from Paul Goldschmidt and Nolan Arenado and then note that the Brewers were second in the NL in home runs. — Schoenfield
NL West
Our pick: San Diego Padres (16 votes)
Who else got votes? Los Angeles Dodgers (12)
Why are the Padres the favorites to win the NL West over the Dodgers?
The Padres, for the first time in a long time, simply have more talent than the Dodgers, who punted on the most expensive free agents in order to create more opportunities for their younger players and then watched their young shortstop, Gavin Lux, suffer a season-ending knee injury. The Dodgers probably have more long-term sustainability — largely because they’ve been more pragmatic about the long-term deals and the win-now trades that have made their NL West rivals a juggernaut — but the Padres are better at the moment. They’re better offensively, better in their starting rotation and might be at least just as good in the bullpen. — Gonzalez
NL wild cards
Our picks: Philadelphia Phillies (22 votes), New York Mets (21), Los Angeles Dodgers (16)
Who else got votes? San Diego Padres (11), Atlanta Braves (7), Milwaukee Brewers (5), St. Louis Cardinals (1), San Francisco Giants (1)
Why do the Phillies find themselves as a wild-card favorite despite last year’s WS run?
Here’s a tortured prediction: By the end of the regular season, the Phillies will be the third-best team in the NL East; by the end of the postseason, they’ll be the second-best team in the National League, losing to the Padres in the NLCS. The logic, or illogic, is that the defending NL champs won’t be at their best until the second half of the season, after Harper returns to the lineup. The injuries to Harper and first baseman Hoskins have lowered expectations for the season’s first 162, but history shows a wild-card berth is not always a postseason hindrance. — Keown
You were the only one to vote for the Cardinals as a wild-card team. Why is that?
Because recency bias is real. In 2021, the Brewers won the NL Central by five games — and I’d argue that with a full year of Rowdy Tellez, William Contreras, Garrett Mitchell, Brice Turang and the soon-to-arrive Sal Frelick, they’re a much better offense. St. Louis has also amped up its offense, with Jordan Walker, Brendan Donovan and Nolan Gorman — so this is a bet on pitching, and really as much out of fear that the Cardinals’ staff is vulnerable as anything. I’ll just take Burnes, Woodruff and a healthy Peralta over what St. Louis offers. The NL Central should be a great race. — Jeff Passan
NL champion
Our pick: San Diego Padres (11 votes)
Who else got votes? Atlanta Braves (10), New York Mets (5), Los Angeles Dodgers (1), Philadelphia Phillies (1)
Why do you think the Padres will top the Braves as the NL champion?
We always go into each season wondering which teams will be aggressive at the trade deadline — as the Braves were in 2021, when general manager Alex Anthopoulos added a small army of outfielders — and it’s safe to say: The Padres are all in. Owner Peter Seidler will spend what is necessary to plug any hole that pops up on the San Diego roster, which is exactly the right thing to do, given their investments in older players. Few teams have big money available to add in July, but the Padres will be one of those. — Buster Olney
World Series champion
Our pick: San Diego Padres (7 votes), Atlanta Braves (7)
Who else got votes? New York Yankees (5), Houston Astros (4), New York Mets (2), Los Angeles Dodgers (1), Philadelphia Phillies (1), Toronto Blue Jays (1)
Our voters are tied between the Padres and Braves winning it all. Make the case for Atlanta.
The Braves simply have the best team. Last season, Michael Harris II debuted on May 28 and Spencer Strider made his first start on May 30. From June 1 on, Atlanta played at a 112-win pace and dispatched the Mets’ 10.5-game division lead in the process. Ronald Acuña Jr. is another year removed from knee surgery, the Braves have an embarrassment of riches behind the plate (Sean Murphy and Travis d’Arnaud), and Mike Soroka should make his long-awaited return. Add it all up, and — even without Dansby Swanson — this Braves team should be the favorite to win it all. — Hembekides
Make the case for San Diego.
The Padres are the most intriguing, most compelling and most combustible team in the major leagues. By late October, they might be the best team in the game. They have a terrific rotation, an elite closer, a great manager and potentially the best lineup in baseball. Their success likely will hinge on Fernando Tatis Jr. He’d rather play shortstop or center field, but if he can play right field effectively and be a dynamic leadoff guy, 1-5 looks like this: Tatis, Juan Soto, Manny Machado, Xander Bogaerts, Jake Cronenworth. Wow. — Kurkjian
You have the Yankees beating the Mets in a Subway World Series. Explain your reasoning.
It’s a juicy storyline for sure, but I also have both of those teams as favorites in October. The Yankees will have a youth infusion with Volpe and/or Oswald Peraza, while the Mets’ top four prospects will all play in the big leagues this year. That optionable depth with upside is key for filling unforeseen holes or making a key trade down the stretch. It also doesn’t hurt to have a big financial advantage. — Kiley McDaniel
Only four people picked the Astros to repeat. Why were they your vote?
We just released our first Power Rankings of the season and the No. 1 team was … the Astros. If our experts believe the Astros should start at the top, why can’t they also finish it there? Maybe we’ve just grown used to the idea that a team won’t repeat, but this one is still loaded. The lineup should be even better once Altuve returns, given the addition of Abreu. And sure, losing Verlander hurts — but it was the depth of the pitching staff that carried them through October, not any one pitcher at the top of it. — Dan Mullen
AL MVP
Our pick: Shohei Ohtani (25 votes)
Who else got votes? Yordan Alvarez (1), Julio Rodriguez (1), Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (1)
Why is Ohtani the overwhelming favorite to win the AL MVP?
Ohtani is the overwhelming favorite to win the MVP in any league and will be for the foreseeable future. For him, it’s gone way beyond the two-way novelty of his act. He’s not just a pitcher and a hitter, he’s an elite pitcher and an elite hitter. There are no words that do justice to this guy. He could have an average hitting year and still be an MVP candidate. He could have an average pitching year and be an MVP candidate. He might not win, but it’s hard to see how anyone else could be favored at the outset of a season. — Doolittle
You were the only pick for Alvarez to win AL MVP, while Ohtani had 25 votes. Why did you pick Alvarez over him?
Considering there’s been only one player in over a decade to win the MVP award after being named the preseason favorite, it’s not unthinkable to pick against Ohtani. Of course, that player was Trout, and he did it three times, so it’s certainly possible the obvious choice wins it. But Alvarez was neck-and-neck with Aaron Judge for the award last season before the latter player pulled away in the second half. The arc Alvarez has been on points to another monster season as long as he’s healthy. He’s done everything else in his young career. An MVP is the next step. — Jesse Rogers
AL Rookie of the Year
Our pick: Gunnar Henderson (11 votes), Masataka Yoshida (11)
Who else got votes? Anthony Volpe (6), Hunter Brown (1)
Henderson and Yoshida tied for 11 votes each for AL Rookie of the Year. Why did you go with Henderson?
Yoshida benefits in this voting from what we saw in the WBC — the bat-to-ball skills, the power — to the degree that we may all be wondering if he could constantly dent the Green Monster with that amazing swing. But I picked Henderson because of the athleticism he showed last season, and because of how well-rounded a player he is. Some rival executives wonder about Yoshida’s defense, and whether he’ll inevitably move to DH. There are no such questions about Henderson, who figures to have a high impact offensively and defensively. — Olney
Why do you think Volpe will win it?
Henderson was the favorite in most minds entering March, and I still think he’ll be a good rookie and very good player going forward. The buzz and hype around Volpe is palpable and I think his year will include important games late in the season as a tiebreaker with comparable rookies. While I think Henderson is a slightly better prospect long-term, Volpe’s frame and style of play lends itself slightly more to an immediate impact. — McDaniel
AL Cy Young
Our pick: Gerrit Cole (6 votes)
Who else got votes? Kevin Gausman (3), Shohei Ohtani (3), Jacob deGrom (3), Alek Manoah (3), Cristian Javier (3), Dylan Cease (2), Shane Bieber (2), Shane McClanahan (1), Framber Valdez (1), Michael King (1)
Why is Cole our voters’ pick to win?
It’s the raw stuff that Cole brings to the mound every time he starts. While he relies heavily on his fastball, he’s always been a smart pitcher who’s able to maximize his abilities due to his secondary stuff. He’ll have a chip on his shoulder after having a season that was below his standards in 2022 — and when he’s at his best, there are few pitchers who are scarier to face as a hitter. Plus as prognosticators, Cole represents a pretty safe bet at a time when the skill level of a starting pitcher can vary dramatically from season to season. He remains consistent in terms of his floor as a starter. — Lee
You picked Ohtani to win the AL MVP and Cy Young. Explain your reasoning as to why.
Ohtani is the best player in baseball, thriving as both a versatile offensive player and a dominant starting pitcher. He’s already earned one AL MVP award, and now it is time for him to take the top pitcher award, too. Frankly, he could have won it last season, as he compiled more pitcher bWAR than Verlander, led the AL in strikeouts per nine innings and was fourth in ERA. It is a wide-open AL Cy Young race with Verlander in the NL and as long as the voters are cool with Ohtani winning multiple awards, he will deserve it. — Karabell
Why do you think Javier will win the AL Cy Young?
Can I just say, “I heart Cristian Javier”? He made my fantasy value picks column for 2023, after his tough-to-decipher combo of high-spin fastball and darting slider that fueled a 2019 Double-A breakthrough contributed to a pair of combined Astros no-hitters last season. Javier has filthy stuff, and while the big question about his Cy Young candidacy ties to whether he’ll amass the innings required to seize writers’ votes, I think on a per-inning basis he’s as good as anyone in the league. I like a good long-shot pick, and he’s my guy. — Cockcroft
NL MVP
Our pick: Ronald Acuña Jr. (8 votes)
Who else got votes? Juan Soto (6), Trea Turner (5), Manny Machado (4), Freddie Freeman (2), Mookie Betts (1), Nolan Arenado (1), Matt Olson (1)
Why do you think Soto will beat out Acuña for NL MVP?
Certainly Acuña is a great all-around player, and if he goes 30/40 … or 40/40 … or 40/50 … I may well regret this choice. But his bat is not like Soto’s. No one’s is, really. Since Soto’s debut in 2018, he has been on base 1,130 times — more than anybody but Freddie Freeman. When Soto is locked in, he’s one of the best power hitters on the planet. The lack of pop with San Diego last year bothered him, and with something to prove and a phenomenal roster surrounding him, we’re primed to see the best of Soto this season. — Passan
You were the only vote for Betts. Explain why you chose him.
Since 2015, only Trout has more bWAR, and that’s just by a fraction. Since 2018, when Ohtani entered the majors, Betts has nearly 3.0 more bWAR than any other player. For me, Betts has reached that rarefied space where he is both appreciated for elite skills and all-around performance, but also a little overlooked because he’s as constant as the Northern Star. The NL MVP race has been fairly wide open in recent seasons, and I just don’t see any way that Betts doesn’t win another. Since he’s hitting his age-30 season, it probably will be sooner rather than later. Finally, there is a chance that his performance will stand out a little more on this version of the Dodgers, who might have to lean a little more on their stars this season. — Doolittle
NL Rookie of the Year
Our pick: Corbin Carroll (18 votes)
Who else got votes? Miguel Vargas (5), Jordan Walker (4), Kodai Senga (1)
Why do you think Corbin Carroll will win NL Rookie of the Year?
Because we’ve already seen him perform at the highest level, as evidenced by the .830 OPS he put up in 115 plate appearances last season. Carroll played most of the 2022 season at the age of 21. It acted as his first full season of professional baseball, and yet he surged through Double-A and Triple-A and seemed very much ready for the big leagues. Carroll can hit for average, slug, play elite defense and run with the best of them. He’s very polished for a player his age and should only get better, given that he has played in only 174 games as a pro. — Gonzalez
NL Cy Young
Our pick: Corbin Burnes (6 votes)
Who else got votes? Julio Urias (4), Spencer Strider (4), Sandy Alcantara (3), Max Fried (3), Justin Verlander (2), Max Scherzer (2), Joe Musgrove (1), Aaron Nola (1), Logan Webb (1)
There’s no clear favorite in the NL Cy Young race. Why is that?
The addition of Verlander to the NL added to a crowded field of Cy Young candidates led by the reigning 2022 winner, Alcantara. But the Marlins righty isn’t a sure thing to repeat. As elite teams have loaded up on starting pitchers, several have multiple arms that could take home the honor in 2023. — Rogers
Why do you think Alcantara will repeat as the NL Cy Young winner?
Seems like every time I called a Braves series, Braves manager Brian Snitker would mention how Alcantara is the best pitcher on Earth. He has electric stuff on the first pitch and psychic powers on the last pitch. He is a legendary Pokémon on the mound. Everything he throws is an optical illusion. Hard to dethrone the best pitcher on Earth unless of course, you recruit on Mars. Can someone turn one of those rovers into a scout? Even so, it would take 9 months to get him back to Earth anyway. Oh well. — Glanville
Why is Burnes our voters’ favorite to win?
Over the past three seasons, Burnes has a 2.62 ERA, a 33.4% strikeout rate and a .558 OPS allowed. Among qualified starters, those totals rank first (tied with Scherzer), first (ahead of Cole) and first again (46 points ahead of Scherzer). He wasn’t quite as dominant in 2022 as in his Cy Young campaign of 2021, but he did pitch 202 innings — a 35-inning increase — so he also showed he can handle a heavier workload. There are a lot of good candidates, but Burnes is the best starter in baseball entering the season. — Schoenfield
Why is your pick Strider?
Seeing as there’s no clear favorite, I went pure upside. Strider’s strikeout rate of 13.83 per nine was the highest ever for a starting pitcher with at least 100 innings. If you extrapolate Strider’s per-start innings average over 33 outings and he replicates the K rate, he’ll strike out 271 batters in 177 innings. Perhaps he’ll need to up the innings total slightly to stand alongside Alcantara, Burnes, Verlander and Scherzer, but Strider has taken care of the hard part — dominating hitters — already. — Passan
You may like
Sports
Deadline week update! Rankings for the top 50 MLB trade deadline candidates
Published
12 hours agoon
July 28, 2025By
admin
-
Kiley McDaniel
CloseKiley McDaniel
ESPN MLB Insider
- ESPN MLB Insider
- Kiley McDaniel covers MLB prospects, the MLB Draft and more, including trades and free agency.
- Has worked for three MLB teams.
Co-author of Author of ‘Future Value’
Jul 27, 2025, 06:00 PM ET
The July 31 MLB trade deadline is just days away, so it’s time for a deadline week update to our top 50 trade candidates ranking.
Major League Baseball’s trade market is ever evolving, and to keep you updated, ESPN’s Kiley McDaniel and Jeff Passan have put together a list of potential trade candidates based on players’ performance — and that of the teams that could be involved in potential deals.
This is the most up-to-date accounting of where MLB’s trade market stands. While some of the players on the list are unlikely to be dealt, they’re at least being discussed in potential deals. Others might be making the list for the first time this week as their team’s fortunes have changed.
Note: Players ranked by value for their new team if traded, not likelihood of being dealt.
Chance of trade: 90%
Suarez is in a contract year and playing like one of the best players in baseball. Only Cal Raleigh and Aaron Judge have more home runs than his 33. Despite turning 34 years old before the trade deadline, Suarez is sitting near career highs in isolated power and wRC+ (which measures overall performance). His fielding metrics have declined in recent years, but he’s still an acceptable defender at third base. Even if the Diamondbacks don’t offload all their free agents to be, Suarez could move because they’ve got Jordan Lawlar raking in Triple-A and primed to take over at third.
Best fits: Chicago Cubs, Seattle Mariners, Milwaukee Brewers, Cincinnati Reds, Philadelphia Phillies
Chance of trade: 10%
Ryan is one of the best pitchers in baseball, with a mix of stuff and pitchability, and teams in search of long-term fits dream of the possibility the Twins will actually move him. That is unlikely, but this is deadline season, so there is always the chance a team surveys the market, finds nothing to its liking and overpays. The Twins don’t necessarily want to move Ryan; they are more in listening mode on nearly everyone that occupies a roster spot — and with Ryan not a free agent until after the 2027 season, teams are trying, with little success thus far, to pry him away.
Best fits: Boston Red Sox, Chicago Cubs, Toronto Blue Jays, New York Yankees, Baltimore Orioles, Houston Astros, New York Mets
Chance of trade: 10%
While the general sense is that Gore won’t go anywhere, the Nationals are, at the very least, listening — and that warrants a spot atop the list regardless of the minimal likelihood interim general manager Mike DeBartolo deals him. The prospect of Gore moving is tempting enough to want to engage: 144 strikeouts in 117â…” innings with enough control that he’s walking a career-low 3.4 per nine innings. Even if stuff-plus models aren’t crazy for Gore, he gets elite swing-and-miss and is the sort of pitcher that could tempt teams to overpay.
Best fits: Boston, Chicago Cubs, Toronto, New York Yankees, Baltimore, Houston, New York Mets
Chance of trade: 25%
Another late entry to the proceedings, Cease is throwing as hard as he did in his prime and is here more as a function of the Padres not having payroll flexibility or a deep minor league system than some sort of desire to deal him. As an impending free agent, he wouldn’t bring back nearly the haul of Ryan or Gore. And there are genuine questions about whether the holes the Padres would try to fill by moving Cease would only be exacerbated on the starting-pitching side were he to go. Regardless, they’re at the very least listening, and with Cincinnati and San Francisco breathing down their necks for the final NL wild-card slot, president of baseball operations A.J. Preller could try to get creative in upgrading his roster.
Best fits: Boston, Chicago Cubs, Toronto, New York Yankees, New York Mets
Chance of trade: 10%
An All-Star the last two years and Gold Glove winner in all three of his previous big league seasons, Kwan is a do-everything left fielder with elite bat-to-ball skills and two years of club control after 2025. Cleveland doesn’t want to deal him, but with a dearth of available bats, the Guardians at very least will listen to see if teams are willing to blow them away with offers.
Best fits: Philadelphia, New York Mets, Cincinnati, Toronto, San Diego, Los Angeles Dodgers
Chance of trade: 25%
Duran had a huge breakout season in 2024, posting the seventh-best fWAR in the majors at 6.8. He overperformed his underlying metrics, though — i.e. had some lucky outcomes — and those metrics have regressed a bit this year as has his luck. Duran’s projected to finish the season with around 3.0 WAR, which is more in line with how the league sees him. With Roman Anthony, Ceddanne Rafaela and Wilyer Abreu, the Red Sox have the outfield depth to consider moving Duran for controllable, top-end pitching.
Best fits: San Diego, Atlanta, Cleveland, Kansas City, San Francisco, Philadelphia
7. Jhoan Duran, RP, Minnesota Twins
Chance of trade: 30%
Duran is one of the best relievers in the sport, thanks to his nasty stuff, headlined by a fastball that averages 100.4 mph and a splinker that sits 97.6 mph. He has two more years of team control after this season, so he’d demand a big trade package.
Best fits: Los Angeles Dodgers, Philadelphia, Toronto, New York Yankees, New York Mets, Chicago Cubs, Detroit, Texas
Chance of trade: 20%
Clase was nearly unhittable last season, but his numbers have regressed this year. He has issued more walks and gotten fewer ground balls while allowing more damage on his cutter that averages 99 mph — in part due to more center-cut locations. Under contract for less than $30 million through 2028, he would bring a big return to Cleveland.
Best fits: Los Angeles Dodgers, Philadelphia, Toronto, New York Yankees, New York Mets, Chicago Cubs, Detroit, Texas
9. Cade Smith, RP, Cleveland Guardians
Chance of trade: 20%
Smith has been the best reliever in baseball by WAR since the beginning of the 2024 season, and with more than 13 strikeouts per nine innings this year, he is the solution to many teams’ late-inning woes. With four more years of control, he’s also going to be prohibitively expensive for most teams, making a deal difficult to come by.
Best fits: Los Angeles Dodgers, Philadelphia, Toronto, New York Yankees, New York Mets, Chicago Cubs, Detroit, Texas
10. Griffin Jax, RP, Minnesota Twins
Chance of trade: 30%
Despite a 3.92 ERA that says otherwise, Jax has been one of the top relievers in baseball this season — the best by xFIP and toward the top in other similar metrics. Over the last two seasons, he’s second in the sport behind Cade Smith in reliever WAR. Only Fernando Cruz and Mason Miller have a better strikeout rate than Jax’s 14.37 per nine, and his sweeper-heavy arsenal induces as much swing-and-miss as anyone.
Best fits: Los Angeles Dodgers, Philadelphia, Toronto, New York Yankees, New York Mets, Chicago Cubs, Detroit, Texas
11. Merrill Kelly, SP, Arizona Diamondbacks
Chance of trade: 70%
Kelly doesn’t have big raw stuff, posting the second-lowest average fastball velocity (92.1 mph) among pitchers with 125 innings pitched this season. His changeup is his best pitch by a wide margin, and he gets by with location and offspeed stuff. He was a stalwart in the Diamondbacks’ run to the 2023 World Series, striking out 28 in 24 innings with a 2.25 ERA.
Best fits: Toronto, Boston, Houston, Chicago Cubs
Chance of trade: 65%
Not only is Keller in the midst of a career-best season with a 3.53 ERA, he’s under contract for another three years at a very reasonable $55.7 million. The Pirates need bats, and moving Keller is the likeliest way to fill that void. Teams could be scared off slightly by the quality of contact against him — his average exit velocity and hard-hit rate have spiked while his strikeouts are down — but in an environment with little pitching, Keller is nevertheless desirable.
Best fits: Chicago Cubs, Boston, Toronto, Houston
Chance of trade: 30%
All the potential the Marlins have seen in the 27-year-old right-hander is finally coming into focus this season. While Cabrera’s 97 mph fastball gets hitters’ attention, it’s his curveball and slider that are doing most of the work. And with a changeup that in years past has been his best pitch, the cost to acquire Cabrera will be high because of his full arsenal and three more years of club control.
Best fits: Chicago Cubs, Boston, New York Mets, Toronto, Houston, Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Yankees
Chance of trade: 50%
Alcantara was arguably the best pitcher in baseball in 2022, winning the NL Cy Young unanimously. He was more solid than spectacular in 2023 and missed 2024 with Tommy John surgery. He has been tinkering this season to try to get his pitch mix and locations right in hopes of regaining his former glory. His 6.66 ERA is frightening, and with the Marlins still valuing him as a top starter, they could hold onto him until the winter, when teams like the Orioles would be more inclined to acquire him and the final two years of his contract.
Best fits: Chicago Cubs, Houston Astros, Boston, Toronto, Los Angeles Dodgers, San Diego, Baltimore
15. Zac Gallen, SP, Arizona Diamondbacks
Chance of trade: 70%
Gallen was excellent for the last three seasons but now, in a contract year, is posting career-worst numbers in almost every category. His stuff looks pretty similar, but he’s allowing much more damage when hitters make contact. That said, his strikeout-to-walk ratio is back to normal in his last six starts, at 35-to-6, despite a 6.55 ERA in that span.
Best fits: Toronto, San Diego, Houston, Chicago Cubs
16. Ryan O’Hearn, 1B, Baltimore Orioles
Chance of trade: 85%
O’Hearn is having an out-of-nowhere career year, with an OPS+ of 132 (and he’s been unlucky with ball-in-play luck, to boot) along with being on pace for a career high in homers. He doesn’t face lefty pitchers much at all and his splits suggest that he shouldn’t.
Best fits: Houston, Boston, San Francisco, Texas
17. David Bednar, RP, Pittsburgh Pirates
Chance of trade: 70%
In a market replete with relief options, the 30-year-old Bednar brings high-end performance without quite the price tag of his peers. His swing-and-miss stuff has been elite since his return from Triple-A, and he has more than salvaged his trade value: Over his last 23 outings, Bednar has struck out 29, walked five and posted a 0.00 ERA.
Best fits: Detroit, Toronto, Los Angeles Dodgers, Philadelphia, New York Yankees, New York Mets, Chicago Cubs, Seattle
Chance of trade: 80%
Helsley had the fourth-best WAR among relievers last season and is in a contract year, but he has been notably worse this season. His stuff and locations are pretty similar, but the main difference is his fastball is getting hit hard — with one byproduct being his spiking home run rate.
Best fits: Los Angeles Dodgers, Philadelphia, New York Yankees, Toronto, Detroit, New York Mets, Seattle
Chance of trade: 20%
Fairbanks raised his slot a bit this year, and now his 97.3-mph fastball has more cutting action while his slurvy slider has more depth with both pitches playing a notch better than they did last season. He’s got a club option for 2026 that, with escalators, should wind up around the $10 million range. Tampa Bay’s playoff hopes and bullpen injuries have cut into the likelihood Fairbanks moves.
Best fits: Los Angeles Dodgers, Philadelphia, Detroit, Toronto, Texas
20. Shane Bieber, SP, Cleveland Guardians
Chance of trade: 50%
A late entrant into the trade market, Bieber still hasn’t thrown a big league pitch this season and is coming back from Tommy John surgery. With his fastball up to 94 mph and his slider looking like its old sharp self, though, he’s generating plenty of interest and could be one of the bigger names moved at the deadline.
Best fits: San Diego, Chicago Cubs, New York Mets, New York Yankees, Boston, Toronto
Chance of trade: 60%
Ward comes with an additional year of team control after this season and he’s having a strong 2025 campaign, just one homer away from last year’s career high total of 25 — and in 52 fewer games.
Best fits: Cincinnati, San Diego, Philadelphia, Seattle, San Francisco
Chance of trade: 50%
Robert has been extremely unlucky with ball-in-play results this season, but that has begun to turn around recently. He remains a strong defender and baserunner, with a career-high 24 steals already. But the slashline is unsightly, and his trade value has cratered over the last two seasons. He’s got a pair of $20 million-a-year club options that the acquiring team will be hesitant to exercise absent a turnaround. Finding a match with a team willing to pay more for Robert’s upside than his productivity could be challenging.
Best fits: San Diego, Philadelphia, New York Mets, Cincinnati, San Francisco
23. Nolan Arenado, 3B, St. Louis Cardinals
Chance of trade: 20%
Arenado’s strikeout rate is around his career best and he’s still an above-average defender, but his power and patience are both trending down to around the worst of his career. He’s still a solid starter but no longer a star, and the team taking him on a deal would still have to pay him like one. Potentially complicating any deal: a full no-trade clause.
Best fits: Detroit, Milwaukee, Seattle
Chance of trade: 70%
Ozuna is a stone-cold DH, playing two games in the field in 2023 as his last regular-season experience defensively. He’s also in a contract year, but his power numbers are down a notch from his standout .302 average and 39-homer performance last season. His on-base percentage remains among the highest of potential trade candidates. If anyone is moving from Atlanta, he’s the likeliest candidate, with free agency beckoning.
Best fits: San Diego, Seattle, Texas, Detroit, San Francisco
Chance of trade: 50%
Garcia averaged 30 homers in 2021-24, but he’s fallen off since his 2023 career year. It’s worth noting that per xwOBA, he’s been the 13th-most unlucky hitter in the big leagues this year. He also has another year of team control, so some teams could see a buy-low opportunity.
Best fits: Philadelphia, Seattle, Cincinnati, San Diego, San Francisco
26. Reid Detmers, RP, Los Angeles Angels
Chance of trade: 15%
The No. 10 pick from the 2020 draft transitioned to relief this season and has found similar success to other highly-drafted college lefties, including A.J. Puk, Andrew Miller and Drew Pomeranz. He comes with three more years of control after this season and his velo is up 1.7 mph in the new role, so this might be where he fits long term — and he could fetch a hefty return. Some teams still see Detmers as a starter.
Best fits: New York Mets, New York Yankees, Chicago Cubs, Detroit, Toronto
Chance of trade: 90%
Following a dreadful start to the season, Morton found his curveball and has righted himself. Between his stuff and playoff experience, he has leapt up teams’ boards as a true target and almost certainly will move before the deadline.
Best fits: New York Mets, Chicago Cubs, New York Yankees, Boston, San Diego, Toronto
28. Adrian Houser, SP, Chicago White Sox
Chance of trade: 90%
Houser’s resurgence is a success story for the White Sox. He opted out of a minor league deal with Texas to sign with the White Sox in mid-May and has limited home runs to post a 2.10 ERA in nearly 70 innings. He’ll eat innings for sure, but some scouts see his stuff as good enough to warrant a spot in a postseason rotation.
Best fits: Chicago Cubs, New York Mets, New York Yankees, Boston, San Diego, Toronto
Chance of trade: 80%
Mullins is a 30-year-old center fielder in a contract year who contributes in a number of ways, though he’s hitting only .217 and his defensive metrics have regressed to be below average in center. His walk rate and power numbers are up this season, making him a solid contributor on a contender.
Best fits: Philadelphia, Houston, New York Mets
30. Willi Castro, UT, Minnesota Twins
Castro has played six of the eight field positions this year and has been a solid, versatile utility type since a breakout season in 2023. He doesn’t offer eye-popping numbers or tools, but is around average at most things while playing all over the field on an everyday basis.
Nos. 31-57
31. Seth Halvorsen, RP, Colorado Rockies
32. Zack Littell, SP, Tampa Bay Rays
33. Jeffrey Springs, SP, Athletics
34. Jesus Sanchez, RF, Miami Marlins
35. Bryan Reynolds, OF, Pittsburgh Pirates
36. Dennis Santana, RP, Pittsburgh Pirates
37. JP Sears, SP, Athletics
38. Michael Soroka, SP, Washington Nationals
39. Tyler Anderson, SP, Los Angeles Angels
40. Kyle Finnegan, RP, Washington Nationals
41. Luis Severino, SP, Athletics
42. Zach Eflin, SP, Baltimore Orioles
43. Pierce Johnson, RP, Atlanta Braves
44. Phil Maton, RP, St. Louis Cardinals
45. Steven Matz, RP, St. Louis Cardinals
46. Harrison Bader, CF, Minnesota Twins
47. Jake Bird, RP, Colorado Rockies
48. Ke’Bryan Hayes, 3B, Pittsburgh Pirates
49. Yoan Moncada, 3B, Los Angeles Angels
50. Andrew Heaney, SP, Pittsburgh Pirates
51. Chris Paddack, SP, Minnesota Twins
52. Raisel Iglesias, RP, Atlanta Braves
53. Tomoyuki Sugano, SP, Baltimore Orioles
54. Ramon Urias, 3B, Baltimore Orioles
55. Isiah Kiner-Falefa, UT, Pittsburgh Pirates
56. Luis Urias, 2B, Athletics
57. Shelby Miller, RP, Arizona Diamondbacks
Sports
Ichiro shows funny side, joins CC, Wagner in HOF
Published
16 hours agoon
July 28, 2025By
admin
-
Bradford DoolittleJul 27, 2025, 06:34 PM ET
Close- MLB writer and analyst for ESPN.com
- Former NBA writer and analyst for ESPN.com
- Been with ESPN since 2013
COOPERSTOWN, N.Y. — Ichiro Suzuki became the first Japanese-born player to be enshrined into the National Baseball Hall of Fame on Sunday, one of five new members of baseball’s hallowed institution.
After enduring the baseball tradition known as a rain delay, the five speeches went off without a hitch as the deluge subsided and the weather became hot and humid. Joining Suzuki were pitchers CC Sabathia and Billy Wagner, and sluggers Dick Allen and Dave Parker, both of whom were enshrined posthumously.
“For the third time, I am a rookie,” Suzuki said, delivering his comments in English despite his long preference for conducting his public appearances in Japanese with the aid of an interpreter.
For the American audience, this provided a rare glimpse into Suzuki’s playful side. Teammates long spoke of his sense of humor behind the closed doors of the clubhouse — something the public rarely saw — but it was on full display Sunday.
When Hall voting was announced, Suzuki fell one vote shy of becoming the second unanimous selection for the Hall. He thanked the writers for their support — with an exception.
“Three-thousand [career] hits or 262 hits in one season are achievements recognized by the writers,” Suzuki said. “Except, oh, one of you.”
After the laughter subsided, Suzuki mentioned the gracious comments he made when balloting results were announced, when he offered to invite the writer who didn’t vote for him home for dinner to learn his reasoning. Turns out, it’s too late.
“The offer to the one writer to have dinner at my home has now … expired!” Suzuki said.
Suzuki’s attention to detail and unmatched work ethic have continued into the present day, more than five years since he played his last big league game. That was central to his message Sunday, at least when he wasn’t landing a joke.
“If you consistently do the little things, there’s no limit to what you can achieve,” Suzuki said. “Look at me. I’m 5-11 and 170 pounds. When I came to America, many people said I was too skinny to compete with bigger major leaguers.”
After becoming one of the biggest stars in Japanese baseball, hitting .353 over nine seasons for the Orix BlueWave, Suzuki exploded on the scene as a 27-year-old rookie for the Seattle Mariners, batting .350 and winning the AL Rookie of the Year and MVP honors.
Chants of “Ichiro!” that once were omnipresent at Mariners games erupted from the crowd sprawled across the grounds of the complex while the all-time single-season hits leader (262 in 2004) posed with his plaque alongside commissioner Rob Manfred and Hall of Fame chairman Jane Forbes Clark.
Despite his late start in MLB, Suzuki finished with 3,089 hits in the majors and 4,367 including his time in Japan. Suzuki listed some of his feats, such as the hit total, and his 10 Gold Gloves.
“Not bad,” he said.
Sabathia’s weekend got off to a mildly rough start when his wife’s car broke down shortly after the family caravan departed for Cooperstown. They arrived in plenty of time though, and Sabathia was greeted warmly by numerous Yankees fans who made the trip.
After breaking in with Cleveland at age 20, Sabathia rocketed to stardom with a 17-5 rookie season. Alas, that came in 2001, the same year that Suzuki landed in the American League.
“Thank you most of all to the great players sitting behind me,” Sabathia said. “I am so proud and humbled to join you as a Hall of Famer, even Ichiro, who stole my Rookie of the Year Award in 2001.”
Sabathia focused the bulk of his comments on the support he has received over the years from his friends and family, especially his wife, Amber.
“The first time we met was at a house party when I was a junior in high school,” Sabathia said. “We spent the whole night talking, and that conversation has been going on for 29 years.”
Parker, 74, died from complications of Parkinson’s disease on June 28, less than a month before the induction ceremony. Representing him at the dais was his son, Dave Parker II, and though the moment was bittersweet, it was hardly somber.
Parker II finished the speech with a moving poem written by his father that, for a few minutes, made it feel as if the player nicknamed “The Cobra” were present.
“Thanks for staying by my side,” Parker’s poem concluded. “I told y’all Cooperstown would be my last rap, so the star of Dave will be in the sky tonight. Watch it glow. But I didn’t lie in my documentary — I told you I wouldn’t show.”
Parker finished with 2,712 hits and 339 homers, won two Gold Gloves on the strength of his legendary right-field arm and was named NL MVP in 1978. He spent his first 11 seasons with the Pittsburgh Pirates and entered the Hall representing the Bucs.
Wagner, whose 422 career saves ranks eighth on the all-time list, delivered an emotional but humorous speech about a small-town guy with a small-for-a-pitcher 5-foot-10 stature who made it big.
“I feel like my baseball life has come full circle,” Wagner said. “I was a fan before I could play. Back when baseball wasn’t so available on TV, every Saturday morning I watched Johnny Bench and so many of the other greats on a show ‘The Baseball Bunch.'”
In one of the moments of baseball serendipity that only Cooperstown can provide, the telecast flashed to Bench, sitting a few feet away from where Wagner was speaking.
Allen’s widow, Willa, delivered a touching tribute to her late husband, who died in 2020 after years of feeling overlooked for his outstanding career. The 1964 NL Rookie of the Year for the Phillies, Allen won the 1972 AL MVP for the Chicago White Sox.
“Baseball was his first love,” Willa said. “He used to say, ‘I’d have played for nothing,’ and I believe he meant it. But of course, if you compare today’s salary, he played almost for nothing.”
Willa focused on the softer side of a player who in his time was perhaps unfairly characterized for a contentious relationship with the media.
“He was devoted to people, not just fans, but especially his teammates,” Willa said. “If he heard someone was sick or going through a tough time, he’ll turn to me and say, ‘Willa, they have to hear from us.'”
Sports
Braves get starting pitcher Fedde from Cardinals
Published
16 hours agoon
July 28, 2025By
admin
-
Alden GonzalezJul 27, 2025, 06:42 PM ET
Close- ESPN baseball reporter. Covered the L.A. Rams for ESPN from 2016 to 2018 and the L.A. Angels for MLB.com from 2012 to 2016.
The Atlanta Braves acquired veteran starting pitcher Erick Fedde from the St. Louis Cardinals for a player to be named later or cash, both teams announced Sunday.
As part of the deal, the Cardinals will cover the majority of what remains of Fedde’s $7.5 million salary for 2025, a source told ESPN.
Fedde, 32, is a free agent at season’s end, making him a surprising pickup for a Braves team that was swept by the Texas Rangers over the weekend and is 16 games below .500, trailing the first-place New York Mets by 16½ games.
But the Braves have sustained a slew of injuries to their starting rotation of late, with AJ Smith-Shawver (torn ulnar collateral ligament), Spencer Schwellenbach (fractured elbow), Chris Sale (fractured ribcage) and, more recently, Grant Holmes (elbow inflammation) landing on the injured list since the start of June.
Fedde reestablished himself in South Korea in 2023, parlaying a dominant season into a two-year, $15 million contract to return stateside with the Chicago White Sox. Fedde continued that success in 2024, posting a 3.30 ERA in 177â…“ innings with the White Sox and Cardinals.
This year, though, it has been a struggle for a crafty right-hander who doesn’t generate a lot of strikeouts. Twenty starts in, Fedde is 3-10 with a 5.22 ERA and a 1.51 WHIP.
Trending
-
Sports3 years ago
‘Storybook stuff’: Inside the night Bryce Harper sent the Phillies to the World Series
-
Sports1 year ago
Story injured on diving stop, exits Red Sox game
-
Sports2 years ago
Game 1 of WS least-watched in recorded history
-
Sports2 years ago
MLB Rank 2023: Ranking baseball’s top 100 players
-
Sports4 years ago
Team Europe easily wins 4th straight Laver Cup
-
Sports2 years ago
Button battles heat exhaustion in NASCAR debut
-
Environment2 years ago
Japan and South Korea have a lot at stake in a free and open South China Sea
-
Environment2 years ago
Game-changing Lectric XPedition launched as affordable electric cargo bike