2025 MLB draft guide: One big question and latest intel for all 30 teams
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Kiley McDaniel
It’s MLB draft week!
This year’s draft will take place July 13-14 in Atlanta as part of Major League Baseball’s All-Star Game festivities hosted by the Atlanta Braves.
As we approach the start of Round 1, here is one big question facing each of the 30 MLB teams.
Teams are listed in draft order.
More draft coverage: Mock draft 2.0 | Top 250 prospects
Watch: July 13 at 6 p.m. ET on ESPN
Day 1 picks: No. 1, No. 49, No. 80
Bonus pool: $16,597,800
One big question: With C.J. Abrams, James Wood, Brady House and MacKenzie Gore in the big leagues, do the Nats’ opt for LSU lefty Kade Anderson over prep shortstop Ethan Holliday due to how they see their competitive timeline?
The industry believes the Nats are down to Holliday or Anderson for the No. 1 overall pick, with a small chance of another player being the choice. Anderson could be in the big leagues next season while Holliday likely takes a few years, at least.
Last year’s draft was the first with a new scouting group in place. The Nats picked No. 10 overall, at the tail end of the top tier of talent, and opted to go underslot with a safer pick in SS Seaver King. They applied those savings to a riskier pick in prep SS Luke Dickerson, who has been a home run so far, already becoming a top 100 prospect.
While they are picking No. 1 this year, the top of this draft doesn’t stack up to last year’s edition. As a draft prospect, Anderson ranks behind the top pitchers in last year’s class, such as second overall pick Chase Burns and, for some teams, behind fifth overall pick Hagen Smith — so this situation isn’t wildly different to that of their top pick last year.
Day 1 picks: No. 2, No. 47, No. 79, No. 105
Bonus pool: $16,656,400
One big question: How hard will the Angels lean into taking quick-moving college prospects this year?
Under GM Perry Minasian, the Angels have prioritized taking potential quick movers and promoting them aggressively: Zach Neto, Nolan Schanuel, Christian Moore, Sam Bachman, and Ben Joyce are all early picks who are currently on the big league roster.
Rumors have been circulating all spring that Los Angeles will take one of the college lefties (LSU’s Kade Anderson, Florida State’s Jamie Arnold, Tennessee’s Liam Doyle) with the No. 2 overall pick and put that pitcher on the express train to L.A.
There were rumors last year that the Angeles considered prep shortstop Bryce Rainer with their first pick, but they ultimately ended up passing and taking Moore out of Tennessee; similarly this year the Angels have been tied to prep shortstop Ethan Holliday and Eli Willits — but the industry isn’t really buying it given the Halos’ history.
Last year, their next two picks were likely relievers in Chris Cortez and Ryan Johnson, and there are a number of similar college arms available for their next few picks in this draft: LSU righty Chase Shores, Georgia righty Brian Curley, Iowa lefty Cade Obermueller, Tennessee righties A.J. Russell and Tanner Franklin and Ole Miss righty Mason Morris. All of those pitchers should land in Rounds 2-4.
Day 1 picks: No. 3, No. 35, No. 57, No. 91
Bonus pool: $17,074,400
One big question: Do the M’s continue with the draft strategy that has been working for them?
There are a couple player demographics that have provided strong returns for Seattle in recent drafts. Prep position players landed with high picks/bonuses is a big one — Colt Emerson, Cole Young, Jonny Farmelo, Harry Ford, Edwin Arroyo and Aidan Smith came in the 2021-2023 drafts. And Seattle also has found success with college pitchers throughout the draft: George Kirby, Logan Gilbert, Bryce Miller, Bryan Woo, Brody Hopkins, Logan Evans.
Right now, industry chatter has Seattle casting a wide net for the No. 3 overall pick, with the three college left-handed pitchers all getting a long look along with prep righty Seth Hernandez and also some college position players in Aiva Arquette and Ike Irish.
Day 1 picks: No. 4, No. 45, No. 74, No. 77
Bonus pool: $15,723,400
One big question: What do the Rockies do if they don’t get Ethan Holliday?
It’s a poorly kept secret that the Rockies want Ethan Holliday, and they’ll probably get him if he doesn’t go No. 1 overall. But if he does go to the Nationals there, what direction does Colorado choose with the No. 4 pick?
Most industry chatter is that the Rockies will take a pitcher, with Florida State’s Jamie Arnold and Oklahoma’s Kyson Witherspoon, the two pitchers they are tied to that should still be on the board. Some think the Rockies would take Oregon State shortstop Aiva Arquette.
Whomever Colorado selects at No. 4 will likely impact the next pick, as the Rockies tend to mix position players and pitchers with their top picks. It’s worth noting the Rockies haven’t taken a high school player in the top 10 rounds in any of the past three drafts, so Holliday seems to be the rare prep player who tickles their fancy.
Day 1 picks: No. 5, No. 55, No. 72, No. 89
Bonus pool: $14,238,300
One big question: Will Chaim Bloom’s influence be felt in this year’s draft?
The Cards haven’t picked a high school player in the top 10 rounds in the past three drafts, instead leaning heavily into college pitching.
While in control in Boston, Bloom wasn’t shy about draft prep position players at high picks, including Roman Anthony, Marcelo Mayer and Nick Yorke. Bloom will be taking control of the Cardinals front office after this season, so it is an open question if his preferences will be felt a few months before he is the team’s top decision-maker.
Prep shortstops Eli Willits, JoJo Parker and Billy Carlson have all been tied here, with the other college players projected in this range of the draft also mentioned.
Day 1 picks: No. 6, No. 50, No. 73, No. 82
Bonus pool: $14,088,400
One big question: Will the Pirates lean toward college prospects with their early picks to try to help the big league team ASAP?
The Pirates have taken an above-average rate of high school players — their first three picks last year and four of their top five — and have found some big success with Konnor Griffin and Bubba Chandler.
That said, they’ve been tied mostly to college players for their top pick this year and some rivals theorize this is being influenced by trying to help the big league team. Any of the three college lefties or Aiva Arquette are rumored here most.
Day 1 picks: No. 7, No. 43, No. 46, No. 78
Bonus pool: $15,187,400
One big question: Do the Marlins continue to lean into prep position players?
In the first draft under new president of baseball ops Peter Bendix (formerly of the Rays) and scouting director Frankie Piliere (formerly of the Mariners), the Marlins took prep position players with their top two picks. Rumors have them eyeballing a similar strategy this year, which would be in keeping with a player demographic that the Rays and Mariners have found success with in the past. With a comp pick and over $15 million in bonus pool money, there’s plenty of muscle to get more than two premium talents in this year’s haul.
Day 1 picks: No. 8, No. 81
Bonus pool: $10,314,600
One big question: Given the stars of last year’s draft class and the strength of the farm system are both on the mound, do the Jays try to find a bat with their first pick?
Pitchers Trey Yesavage, Johnny King and Khal Stephen were the Jays’ top three picks last year and are all arrow up this year. Throw in currently/recently injured pitchers Ricky Tiedemann, Jake Bloss and Brandon Barriera, and that’s the top of the farm system, outside of shortstop Arjun Nimmala.
Given where the Jays’ first pick is, Oklahoma RHP Kyson Witherspoon and prep RHP Seth Hernandez are options, but otherwise it’s looking like mostly position players as the top options expected to be available for the No. 8 pick.
Day 1 picks: No. 9, No. 51, No. 83
Bonus pool: $11,836,800
One big question: Will the Reds get their wish and land Seth Hernandez?
Almost half of the teams in the top 10 won’t pick Seth Hernandez — not because of him necessarily, but they likely wouldn’t take any prep righties in the top 10. Because of that, a consensus top-tier talent might make it to the Reds at No. 9 if he doesn’t go third or sixth. If he makes it this far, it would set up the Reds to begin the draft with a steal — but if they don’t get him, which direction will they go?
There will be a few solid prep position players to choose from (Billy Carlson, Steele Hall, Gavin Fien) and a few college players (Ike Irish, Kyson Witherspoon), but there is also actually a decent chance that Tennessee LHP Liam Doyle runs into a similar issue to the one Hernandez could face and makes it all the way to the No. 9 pick. Either Doyle or Hernandez would both be great outcomes for the Reds.
Day 1 picks: No. 10, No. 44, No. 76
Bonus pool: $12,169,100
One big question: Will the White Sox hit pay dirt with another high schooler with one of their top two picks?
Chicago is picking in a spot where it will have some prep options for its first pick — JoJo Parker, Billy Carlson and Steele Hall are rumored to be in the mix — though there’s also at least as many college players who could also be considered.
Chicago has also been tied to prep lefty Kruz Schoolcraft and there’s a shot the White Sox could float him to their second pick with a big bonus, which might fit better with an underslot choice at their first pick.
Day 1 picks: No. 11, No. 48
Bonus pool: $10,563,500
One big question: Can the A’s take continue to successfully find value with college players?
The A’s did well in the 2021 draft, landing four big leaguers with their first four picks — Max Muncy, Zack Gelof, Mason Miller and Denzel Clarke — and none of them were consensus values for where they were picked. The 2022 class was a little more mixed, but they found two steals on the college side in Colby Thomas in the third round and Jack Perkins in the fifth round. 2023 was also mixed but was headlined by Jacob Wilson. 2024 has been another home run so far, with Nick Kurtz already in the big leagues, Gage Jump not far behind and Tommy White also playing well.
There is a clear trend of finding value with college players and the A’s are rumored to be looking at college position players, including Arizona OF Brendan Summerhill and SS Wehiwa Aloy at their top pick this year.
Day 1 picks: No. 12, No. 52,, No. 84
Bonus pool: $10,991,300
One big question: How often will the Rangers take risks?
In recent years, the Rangers have followed consensus rankings or played it safe with their higher picks, then taken some risks later in the draft.
In 2024, they started with three left-handed hitting college players with low-to-medium upside then took a player who has already had success with their first prep pick in Devin Fitz-Gerald.
Somewhat similarly in 2023, they took the best guy on the board in Wyatt Langford, then with no second or third round picks, still hit paydirt in the fifth round (Alejandro Rosario), sixth round (Caden Scarborough), and 11th round (Maxton Martin). I’d argue taking Kumar Rocker third overall in 2022 was risky and that has worked out.
The board is lining, up so the Rangers will likely choose from the second tier of players which will mean deciding between a range of different upsides: low (Ike Irish, Gavin Kilen), medium (Kyson Witherspoon, Wehiwa Aloy, Brendan Summerhill, Gavin Fien) and high (Steele Hall, Gage Wood).
Day 1 picks: No. 13, No. 85
Bonus pool: $8,403,300
One big question: How will new president of baseball ops Buster Posey impact the draft strategy?
Under scouting director Michael Holmes, the Giants have tended toward either higher upside, standout athletic testers (Bryce Eldridge, Walker Martin, Reggie Crawford, Dakota Jordan) or going underslot (last year’s top pick James Tibbs, now with the Red Sox as part of the Rafael Devers trade) at high picks.
Posey’s point of view tends to be more traditional, so he’s not expected to influence a change in draft strategy. Steele Hall and Wehiwa Aloy fit the athletic tester criteria well, and you could argue Kyson Witherspoon and Gavin Fien do, too.
Day 1 picks: No. 14, No. 37, No. 42, No. 53, No. 67, No. 86
Bonus pool: $16,699,400
One big question: How will the Rays utilize their extra picks?
The Rays have leaned hard into position players, particularly switch- and left-handed hitters, with plenty of high schoolers and some higher-upside collegiates with their top picks of late.
Brendan Summerhill, Jace Laviolette and Gavin Kilen are all fits on the college side for their first pick while preps Sean Gamble, Jaden Fauske, Dean Moss, Mason Ligenza and JoJo’s brother, Jacob Parker, all fit, mostly for later picks. Steele Hall is the one right-handed hitter tied to the Rays’ first pick. I’d expect them to end up with a few of these players given their number of early picks.
Day 1 picks: No. 15, No. 33, No. 75, No. 87
Bonus pool: $12,409,300
One big question: Will the Red Sox find more value at their early picks or in the middle rounds?
The Sox have drafted well of late, finding pretty immediate arrow-up types in Payton Tolle (2nd round) and Brandon Clarke (5th) last year, Kristian Campbell (4th compensation) and Connelly Early (5th) in 2023, along with Roman Anthony (2nd compensation) and Chase Meidroth (4th) in 2022.
They haven’t done poorly with their top picks — Braden Montgomery and Kyle Teel were their last two first-rounders and headlined the Garrett Crochet trade along with Meidroth — but it’s harder to hit a value home run with a first-round pick when expectations are already so high.
If the Sox can nail their first-rounder this year and then continue this trend of finding quick wins with two more middle-rounders, it will be a boon to the top farm system in baseball just as Roman Anthony and Marcelo Mayer are likely to graduate.
I would project that both of those players will graduate in the next month (like Kristian Campbell, Hunter Dobbins and Richard Fitts did earlier in the year) and will drop the Red Sox farm sharply, into the middle tier of systems. For what it’s worth, those five alone would easily be a top 10 farm system, possibly top five.
Day 1 picks: No. 16, No. 36, No. 54, No. 88
Bonus pool: $12,653,000
One big question: Which high upside arm will they hand out a big bonus to this time?
The Twins have given at least $1.5 million to either a high school pitcher or one with a short college track record each of the past four years: Dasan Hill in 2024, Charlee Soto in 2023, Connor Prielipp in 2022 and Chase Petty in 2021.
The only fit for their first pick is Gage Wood, while there are a number of options in the second or third round: Landon Harmon, Cam Appenzeller, Aiden Stillman, Miguel Sime Jr. and Angel Cervantes. The Twins have been tied more so to position players, including Jaden Fauske, Charles Davalan, Jace Laviolette and Xavier Neyens.
Day 1 picks: No. 17, No. 56, No. 90
Bonus pool: $9,636,800
One big question: Do they continue targeting power arms and bats at their high picks?
In the past three seasons, the Cubs have tended toward power-oriented position players (Cam Smith, Cole Mathis, Matt Shaw) and power arms (Jaxon Wiggins, Cade Horton, Nazier Mule) with their bigger bonuses.
There are some solid options this year who are tied to the Cubs in Arkansas teammates Wehiwa Aloy and Gage Wood. Josh Hammond, Xavier Neyens and Jace Laviolette would also fit.
Day 1 picks: No. 18, No. 29, No. 92
Bonus pool: $10,917,800
One big question: Do they continue to target hit-first, up-the-middle bats?
The D-backs are commonly tied to Slater de Brun, Caden Bodine, Kayson Cunningham and Gavin Kilen given their history of taking compactly built position players such as Corbin Carroll, Alek Thomas and Slade Caldwell.
With two picks in the top 30, they’ll have a couple chances and could conceivably land two of the four players mentioned above, maybe even if they just play it straight, with the college players likely not making it to Pick 29, but at least one of the prep hitters likely will.
Day 1 picks: No. 19, No. 30, No. 31, No. 58, No. 69, No. 93
Bonus pool: $16,513,100
One big question: Will the Orioles keep stacking up athletic position players?
The O’s have leaned heavily into up-the-middle position players with some power/athleticism in the draft. That profile describes their first four picks in 2024, first two picks in 2023, first four picks in 2022 and first three picks in 2021.
There is a lack of impact pitching on the big league team and at the higher levels of the farm system (though there is solid depth of big-league-caliber arms in the system), and their first pick is a chance to get a potential impact arm.
They do have a number of picks, so they’ll likely still dip into the group of position players who fit their drafting history: Xavier Neyens, Jace Laviolette, Wehiwa Aloy, Josh Hammond, Dax Kilby, Cam Cannarella and Slater de Brun.
Day 1 picks: No. 20, No. 32, No. 59, No. 68, No. 94
Bonus pool: $13,138,100
One big question: Where will the Brewers find value this year?
The Brew Crew have a somewhat unique approach to the draft, often finding value in later rounds. 2024 fourth-rounder Marco Dinges and 12th-rounder Tyson Hardin are arrow up from last year’s group. And the 2023 haul from the later rounds was huge: sixth-rounder Cooper Pratt, eighth-rounder Craig Yoho, 11th-rounder Bishop Letson, 13th-rounder Brett Wichrowski and 15th-rounder Josh Adamczewski. From their 2022 draft, fourth-rounder Matthew Wood and 12th-rounder Luke Adams are arrow-up prospects along with a second-rounder you might have heard of: Jacob Misiorowski.
Milwaukee aggressively pursues lesser-known high school players, often for six-figure bonuses and from the Upper Midwest, while also finding undervalued players in junior colleges and high school players who have fallen for unclear reasons. By nature, that is harder to predict before the draft, but some names they’re tied to fit these trends: Charles Davalan, Brady Ebel, Coy James and Ethan Rogers.
Day 1 picks: No. 21, No. 95
Bonus pool: $7,181,500
One big question: What type of middle-rounder will the Astros find value with this year?
Junior college shortstop Caden Powell, last year’s sixth-rounder, has been arrow up this year as an athletic-testing standout with big tools. In 2023, the Astros targeted toolsy, underscouted high schoolers in shortstop Chase Jaworsky and outfielder Nehomar Ochoa Jr. along with juco catcher Will Bush. In 2022, they found value from four-year colleges with RHP AJ Blubaugh (seventh round) and Zach Dezenzo (12th round).
Xavier Neyens and Tate Southisene are connected to the Astros’ first pick, but keep an eye on Micah Bucknam and Matt Ferraro in the third or fourth round.
Day 1 picks: No. 22, No. 60, No. 96
Bonus pool: $9,081,100
One big question: Will the Braves continue to use their top picks to stockpile arms?
The Braves have taken pitchers with at least their first three picks in each of the past four drafts. They’re tied to more arms this year — Gage Wood and Tyler Bremner get mentioned at their first pick, along with a number of position players — but will they continue this trend when roughly 75% of the top of their farm system is pitchers?
This is a great opportunity to reverse that trend and select a position player with their first pick, as the pool of best available talent is likely to be about 75% position players.
Day 1 picks: No. 23, No. 28, No. 61, No. 71, No. 97
Bonus pool: $12,794,700
One big question: How will the Royals handle their five picks on Day 1?
The Royals have their full complement of picks plus a compensation pick after the second round and a pick after the first round gained because of Bobby Witt Jr.‘s AL MVP runner-up finish.
Scouting director Brian Bridges loves to draft high school pitchers and upside in general, and his first draft in Kansas City is already showing dividends with his first two picks, Jac Caglianone and David Shields.
Like division mate Detroit with the next pick, the Royals are tied to a number of players as they prepare for all the different ways they could play their picks based on how things go ahead of them.
Their early picks have been tied to most prep pitchers, headlined by Aaron Watson, Kruz Schoolcraft, and Matthew Fisher along with some college arms such as Anthony Eyanson. That said, the board is giving them position players, particularly at their first pick, so the pitchers may be collected more down the board instead.
Day 1 picks: No. 24, No. 34, No. 62, No. 98
Bonus pool: $10,990,800
One big question: Will the Tigers hit paydirt with another left-handed-hitting prep position player?
Bryce Rainer, Max Clark and Kevin McGonigle have all been immediate hits in pro ball for the Tigers after being taken with first-round picks in the past two drafts.
There are some candidates to continue the trend when the Tigers pick at 24 and 34, including Kayson Cunningham, Jaden Fauske, Slater de Brun and Sean Gamble, though the Tigers have also been tied to Michael Oliveto (may fit better in the second round) and Coy James (right-handed hitter).
When a team has two early picks, it often gets tied to lots of players because, in different scenarios, it could go over or under slot or high school or college or hitter or pitcher at each spot. Anthony Eyanson, Aaron Watson and J.B. Middleton are some of the pitchers the Tigers have been tied to, and keep an eye on Jaiden LoRe (another right-handed-hitting shortstop) as a target at a later pick.
Day 1 picks: No. 25, No. 99
Bonus pool: $6,569,100
One big question: Can the Padres still land multiple players with big upside with the third-lowest bonus pool?
The Padres’ first two picks have been high school players in each of the past eight drafts — since the 2016 draft when they took Cal Quantrill out of Stanford with their first pick. They’re once again tied to a number of high-upside high school players.
Kruz Schoolcraft and Quentin Young are the two most rumored fits — but also Dax Kilby and Kayson Cunningham who have more medium upsides. It’s reasonable to assume San Diego takes one of those players with its first pick, possibly under slot, to then move those potential savings plus its overage into its next pick, which would give the team a seven-figure budget at No. 99. The Padres are one team on Maryland prep SS Will Rhine, who could fit the bill at their second pick.
Day 1 picks: No. 26, No. 63, No. 100
Bonus pool: $7,849,400
One big question: Will the Phillies continue to take high school players with their high picks?
The Phillies made the most surprising first-round pick last year, taking Dante Nori at the 27th pick. Their next-highest bonus went to another prep center fielder, Griffin Burkholder, while their top three bonuses in 2023 also went to prep position players and their top pick in 2022 was a prep position player. They found solid value in 2021 and 2020 taking prep right-handers with their top picks, so it’s a safe bet the Phillies will take a high school player with their first pick this year.
There are a number of prep position players who could fit for their first pick (Kayson Cunningham, Xavier Neyens, Quentin Young, Sean Gamble, Slater de Brun) but also a handful of prep pitchers, with Matthew Fisher the one connected to Philly the most.
Day 1 picks: No. 27, No. 64, No. 66, No. 70, No. 101
Bonus pool: $10,198,100
One big question: Which high school pitcher will the Guardians take this year?
The Guardians can be classified as value shoppers, but have also invested seven figures in one prep arm in each of the past three drafts. RHP Seth Hernandez won’t make it to their first pick, but he may be the only one of this year’s top prep arms off the board, while picking at 64, 66, 70 and 101 on the first day gives them plenty of chances and bonus money to maneuver. Judging from their history, Aaron Watson, Cameron Appenzeller and Miguel Sime Jr. are the most likely targets.
Day 1 picks: No. 38, No. 102
Bonus pool: $5,465,900
One big question: Is there enough depth in the Mets’ upper minors that they will lean into high schoolers with their first few picks?
The Mets’ upper minors depth is impressive right now, with Jett Williams, Francisco Alvarez, Drew Gilbert, Jacob Riemer, Luisangel Acuna and Ryan Clifford leading the way behind Mark Vientos, Brett Baty and Ronny Mauricio in the big leagues.
On the pitching side, they have Jonah Tong, Nolan McLean, Brandon Sproat, Blade Tidwell, Dom Hamel and the injured Christian Scott ready to contribute this year or next.
This young depth around the big league team could allow them to lean into high schoolers and high-variance talent with the second-lowest bonus pool in the draft.
Day 1 picks: No. 39, No. 103
Bonus pool: $5,383,600
One big question: With the lowest bonus pool in the draft, can the Yankees replenish the farm system?
The Yankees were missing their second- and fifth-round picks in the 2023 draft and are missing their second rounder this year in addition to having their first-round selection moved down 10 picks because of CBT spending.
In 2023, the Yankees’ first pick was George Lombard Jr., one of the better prospects in baseball and they found some value at later picks but no clear home runs, yet.
Their first pick this year is where we hit the tail end of the 45 FV tier of players in my rankings, meaning there’s some late-first-round-caliber upside still available with high schoolers such as 2B Sean Gamble, CF Slater de Brun and SS Tate Southisene, or one of the college pitchers with some relief risk such as righties Riley Quick, Patrick Forbes and Marcus Phillips.
Day 1 picks: No. 40, No. 41, No. 65, No. 104
Bonus pool: $9,031,300
One big question: Do the Dodgers take a big swing at one of their comp picks?
The Dodgers have been forced to be creative in the draft because they are usually either picking near the end of each round and/or missing picks because of free agent signings. They’ve mixed in plenty of college players, but have tended to take high schoolers with their first-round picks.
This year, they’re tied to the most high-variance prospect in this year’s draft, prep infielder Quentin Young, and a few others who fit later in the draft, such as Mason Ligenza.
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David Schoenfield
We’re past due to hand out some midseason grades, so let’s hand out some midseason grades.
As we pass the 90-game mark in the 2025 MLB season, my team of the first half isn’t the well-rounded Detroit Tigers, who do get our highest grade for owning MLB’s best record, or the explosive Chicago Cubs or Shohei Ohtani‘s Los Angeles Dodgers, but a team most baseball fans love to hate: the Houston Astros. They lost their two best players from last season and their best hitter has been injured — and they’re playing their best baseball since they won the 2022 World Series.
Let’s get to the grades. As always, we’re grading off preseason expectations, factoring in win-loss record and quality of performance, while looking at other positive performances and injuries.
Jump to a team:
AL East: BAL | BOS | NYY | TB | TOR
AL Central: CHW | CLE | DET | KC | MIN
AL West: ATH | HOU | LAA | SEA | TEX
NL East: ATL | MIA | NYM | PHI | WSH
NL Central: CHC | CIN | MIL | PIT | STL
NL West: ARI | COL | LAD | SD | SF
Tarik Skubal is obviously the headline act, but the Tigers are winning with impressive depth across the entire roster.
Javier Baez is putting together a remarkable comeback season after a couple of abysmal years and will become the first player to start an All-Star Game at both shortstop and the outfield. Former No. 1 overall picks Casey Mize and Spencer Torkelson have put together their own comeback stories, while Riley Greene has matured into one of the game’s top power hitters.
Given their deep well of prospects and contributors at the MLB level, no team is better positioned than the Tigers to add significant help at the trade deadline.
I heard someone refer to them as the Zombie Astros, which feels apropos. Alex Bregman left as a free agent, they traded Kyle Tucker, Yordan Alvarez has been injured and has just three home runs, and the Jose Altuve experiment in left field predictably fizzled.
But here they are, fighting for the best record in the majors and holding a comfortable lead in the AL West. They’re getting star turns from Hunter Brown, Framber Valdez and Jeremy Pena, while the risky decision to start Cam Smith in the majors with very little minor league experience has paid off, as he has now become their cleanup hitter.
If we ignore the COVID-19 season, the Astros look on their way to an eighth straight division title.
This could be at least a half-grade higher based on everything that has gone right: Pete Crow-Armstrong‘s attention-grabbing breakout, Tucker doing everything expected after the big trade, Seiya Suzuki‘s monster power numbers and Matthew Boyd‘s All-Star turn in the rotation. The Cubs are on pace for their most wins since their World Series title season in 2016.
There have been a few hiccups, however, especially in the rotation with Justin Steele‘s season-ending injury and Ben Brown‘s inconsistency, plus rookie third baseman Matt Shaw has scuffled, and the bench has been weak aside from their backup catchers.
Still, this is a powerhouse lineup, and the Cubs will seek to improve their rotation at the deadline.
They just keep winning of late, going from 25-27 and seven games behind the Yankees on May 25 to taking over first place from the slumping Bronx Bombers, a remarkable turnaround over just 36 games. They went 27-9 over a 36-game stretch ending with their eighth win in a row on Sunday.
George Springer‘s recent surge has been fun to watch, a reminder of how good he was at his peak, and Addison Barger has been mashing over the past two months.
Some of the stats don’t add up to the Blue Jays being this good — they’ve barely outscored their opponents — but there might be more offense in the tank from the likes of Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and a healthy Anthony Santander, and the bullpen, a soft spot, is the easiest area to upgrade.
Their success is best summed up by the fact that Freddy Peralta is their lone All-Star, but they have a whole bunch of players who have contributed between 1 and 2 WAR.
Brandon Woodruff looked good on Sunday in his first start in nearly two years, so that could be a huge boost for the second half.
I’m curious to see how Jackson Chourio performs as well. While his counting stats — extra-base hits, RBIs — are fine, his triple-slash line remains below last season, especially his OBP. He had a huge second half in 2024 (.310/.363/.552) and if he does that again, the Brewers could find themselves back in the postseason for the seventh time in eight seasons.
The Rays started off slow, with a losing record through the end of April, but then went 33-22 in May and June to claw back into the AL East race — as the Rays usually do, last year being the recent exception.
Two key performers have been third baseman Junior Caminero, who has a chance to become just the third 21-year-old to hit 40 home runs, and All-Star first baseman Jonathan Aranda.
Due to the league wanting the Rays to play more home games early in the season, the July and August slate will be very road-heavy, so we’ll see how the Rays adapt to a difficult two-month stretch, especially since their pitching isn’t quite as deep as it has been in other seasons.
No, they’re not going to be the greatest team of all time. But they might win 100 games — even though Blake Snell and Roki Sasaki, their huge offseason acquisitions, have combined for just two wins in 10 starts.
The lineup, of course, has been terrific, with Ohtani leading the NL in several categories and Will Smith leading the batting race. By wRC+, it’s been the best offense in Dodgers history.
If they can get some combo of Snell, Sasaki and Tyler Glasnow healthy, plus Ohtani eventually ramped up to a bigger workload on the mound, the Dodgers still loom as World Series favorites.
They are on pace for 95 wins, mainly on the strength of Zack Wheeler, Ranger Suarez and Cristopher Sanchez, who are a combined 23-7 with 11.8 WAR. Jesus Luzardo‘s ERA is bloated due to that two-start stretch when he allowed 20 runs, but he’s otherwise been solid as well.
But, overall, it hasn’t always been the smoothest of treks. The bullpen has imploded a few times and the offense has lacked power aside from Kyle Schwarber. Bryce Harper is back after missing three weeks, and they need to get his bat going. Look for some bullpen additions at the trade deadline — and perhaps an outfielder as well.
The Cardinals have been a minor surprise — perhaps even to the Cardinals themselves. St. Louis was viewing this as a rebuilding year of sorts — not that the Cardinals ever hit rock bottom and start completely over. They had a hot May, winning 12 of 13 at one point, but the offense has been fading of late, with those three straight shutout losses to Pittsburgh and six shutout losses since June 25.
The starting rotation doesn’t generate a lot of swing and miss with both Erick Fedde and Miles Mikolas seeing their ERAs starting to climb. Brendan Donovan is the team’s only All-Star rep, and that kind of sums up this team: solid but without any star power. That might foretell a second-half fade.
All-Star starting pitchers Logan Webb and Robbie Ray, plus a dominant bullpen, have led the way, although after starting 12-4, the Giants have basically been a .500 team for close to three months now. Rafael Devers hasn’t yet ignited the offense since coming over from Boston, and the Giants have lost four 1-0 games.
These final three games at home against the Dodgers before the All-Star break will be a crucial series, as Los Angeles has slowly pulled away in the NL West.
This was an “A+” through June 12, when the Mets were 45-24 and owned the best record in baseball, even though Juan Soto hadn’t gotten hot. Soto finally got going in June, but the pitching collapsed, and the Mets went through a disastrous 1-10 stretch.
The rotation injuries have piled up, exacerbating the lack of bullpen depth. Recent games have been started by Justin Hagenman (who had a 6.21 ERA in Triple-A), journeyman reliever Chris Devenski, Paul Blackburn (7.71 ERA) and Frankie Montas, who has had to start even though he’s clearly not throwing the ball well. The Mets need to get the rotation healthy, but also could use more offense from Mark Vientos and their catchers (Francisco Alvarez was demoted to Triple-A).
At times it has felt like Cal Raleigh has been a one-man team with his record-breaking first half. But he will be joined on the All-Star squad by starting pitcher Bryan Woo, closer Andres Munoz and center fielder Julio Rodriguez, who made it on the strength of his defense, as his offense has been a disappointment.
The offense has been one of the best in the majors on the road, but the rotation has been nowhere near as effective as the past couple of seasons, with George Kirby, Logan Gilbert and Bryce Miller all missing time with injuries. They just shut out the Pirates three games in a row, so maybe that will get the rotation on a roll.
They’re just out of the wild-card picture while hanging around .500, so we give them a decent grade since that exceeds preseason expectations. It feels like a little bit of a mirage given their run differential — their record in one-run games (good) versus their record in blowout games (not good) — and various holes across the lineup and pitching staff.
But they’ve done two things to keep them in the race. One, they hit a lot of home runs. Two, they’re the only team in the majors to use just five starting pitchers. The rotation hasn’t been stellar, but it’s been stable.
The Padres are probably fortunate to be where they are, given some of their issues. As expected, the offensive depth has been a problem.
Not as expected, Dylan Cease has struggled while Michael King‘s injury after a strong start has left them without last year’s dynamic 1-2 punch at the top of the rotation (although Nick Pivetta has been one of the best signings of the offseason). Yu Darvish just made his season debut on Monday, so hopefully he’ll provide a lift.
The Padres haven’t played well against the better teams, including a 2-5 record against the Dodgers, but did clean up against the Athletics, Rockies and Pirates, going 16-2 against those three teams.
For now, the Reds are stuck in neutral. Leave out 2022, when they lost 100 games, and it’s otherwise been a string of .500-ish seasons: 31-29 in 2020, 83-79 in 2021, 82-80 in 2023, 77-85 in 2024 and now a similar record so far in 2025.
The hope was that Terry Francona would be a difference-maker. Maybe that will play out down the stretch, but the best hope is to get the rotation clicking on all cylinders at the same time. That means Andrew Abbott continuing his breakout performance, plus getting Hunter Greene healthy again and rookie Chase Burns to live up to the hype after a couple of shaky outings following an impressive MLB debut.
Throw in Nick Lodolo and solid Nick Martinez and Brady Singer, and this group can be good enough to pitch the Reds to their first full-season playoff appearance since 2013.
The Yankees have hit their annual midseason swoon — which has been subject to much intense analysis from disgruntled Yankees fans — and that opening weekend sweep of the Brewers, when the Yankees’ torpedo bats were the big story in baseball, now seems long ago.
Going from seven up to three back in such a short time is a disaster — but not disastrous. Nonetheless, the Yankees will have to do some hardcore self-evaluation heading to the trade deadline.
The offense wasn’t going to be as good as it was in April, when Paul Goldschmidt, Trent Grisham and Ben Rice were all over the heads. So, do they need a hitter? Or with Clarke Schmidt now likely joining Gerrit Cole as a Tommy John casualty, do they need a starting pitcher? Or both?
From the book of “things we didn’t expect,” page 547: The Marlins are averaging more runs per game than the Orioles, Padres, Braves and Rangers, to name a few teams. They’re averaging almost as many runs per game as the Mets, and last time we checked, the Marlins weren’t the team to give Soto $765 million.
An eight-game winning streak at the end of June has the Marlins going toe-to-toe with the Braves for third place in the NL East even though the starting rotation has been a mess, with Sandy Alcantara on track to become just the fourth qualified pitcher with an ERA over 7.00.
Heading into the season, I thought that if any team was going to challenge the Dodgers in the NL West, it would be the Diamondbacks. The offense has once again been one of the best in the majors, but the pitching issues have been painful.
After the aggressive move to sign Corbin Burnes, he went down with Tommy John surgery after 11 starts. Meanwhile, Zac Gallen, Eduardo Rodriguez and Brandon Pfaadt each have an ERA on the wrong side of 5.00. Rodriguez was better in June before a shellacking on July 4, while Gallen remains homer-prone, so it’s hard to tell if improvement is on the horizon. Their playoff odds are hovering just under 20%, so there’s a chance, but they need to get red-hot like they did last July and August.
It feels like it’s been more soap opera than baseball season in Boston, with the Devers drama finally ending with the shocking trade with the Giants.
If you give added weight that this is the Red Sox, a team that should be operating with the big boys in both budget and aspirations and instead seemed to only want to dump Devers’ contract, then feel free to lower this grade a couple notches, even if the Red Sox are close in the wild-card standings.
On the field, the heralded rookie trio of Kristian Campbell, Roman Anthony and Marcelo Mayer hasn’t exactly clicked, with Campbell returning to the minors after posting a .902 OPS in April. A big test will come out of the All-Star break, when they play the Cubs, Phillies, Dodgers, Twins and Astros in a tough 15-game stretch.
After last season’s surprise playoff appearance, it’s been a frustrating 2025 — although I’m not sure this result is necessarily a surprise.
There were concerns about the offense heading into the season and those concerns have proven correct. They were getting no production from their outfield, so they rushed Jac Caglianone to the majors to much hype, but he has struggled and might need a reset back in Triple-A. Even Bobby Witt Jr., as good as he has been (on pace for 7.5 WAR), has seen his OPS drop 140 points.
On the bright side, Kris Bubic emerged as an All-Star starter and Noah Cameron has filled in nicely for the injured Cole Ragans, so maybe they trade a starter for some offense.
Coming off a catastrophic 2024 season, nobody was expecting anything from the White Sox. Indeed, another 121-loss season loomed as a possibility. While they’re on pace to lose 100 again, they’ve at least played more competitive baseball thanks to their pitching.
Rookie starters Shane Smith and Sean Burke have shown promise, while rookie position players Kyle Teel, Edgar Quero and now Colson Montgomery are getting their initial taste of the majors.
There has been the mix of calamity: Luis Robert Jr. has been unproductive and is probably now untradeable, and former No. 3 overall pick Andrew Vaughn hit .189 and was traded to the Brewers.
The Twins are one organization that might like a do-over of the past five seasons. It feels like they’ve had the most talent in the division, but all they’ve done is squeeze out one soft division title in 2023. Now, the Tigers have passed them in talent and other factors, such as payroll flexibility.
There’s still time for the Twins to turn things around in 2025, but outside of that wonderful 13-game winning streak, they haven’t played winning baseball.
Overall, it’s been yet another bad season, despite Paul Skenes‘ brilliance. Really, do we talk enough about him? Yes, we do talk about him, but he has a 1.95 ERA through his first 42 career starts. Incredible.
Here’s an amazing thing about baseball. The Pirates are not a good team, but they recently put together one of the best six-game stretches in history. That’s not stretching the description. First, they swept the Mets — a good team — by scores of 9-1, 9-2 and 12-1. Then they swept the Cardinals — a good team — with three shutouts, 7-0, 1-0 and 5-0. They became the first team since at least 1901 to score 43 runs or more and allow four runs or fewer in a six-game stretch. And then they promptly got shut out three games in a row, making them the first to win three straight shutouts and then lose three straight shutouts.
Eighteen of our 28 voters picked them to win the AL West before the season, but it’s looking more and more like the 2023 World Series might be a stone-cold fluke in the middle of a string of losing seasons. That year, nearly everyone in the lineup had a career year at the plate, and the pitching got hot at the right time.
This year’s Rangers, though, have struggled to score runs, and while some have pointed to the offensive environment at Globe Life Field, they’re near the bottom in road OPS as well. It’s been fun seeing Jacob deGrom back at a dominating level, and Nathan Eovaldi should have been an All-Star.
Put it this way: If the Rangers can somehow squeeze into the postseason, you don’t want to face the Rangers in a short series. Indeed, if any team looms as an October upset special, it might be the Rangers.
The Nationals received superlative first-half performances from James Wood and MacKenzie Gore, while CJ Abrams is on the way to his best season. But there remains a lack of overall organizational progress, which finally led to the firings on Sunday of longtime GM Mike Rizzo and longtime manager Dave Martinez. A 7-19 record in June sealed their fate, as the rotation has been bad and the bullpen arguably the worst in baseball.
Until the Nationals figure out how to improve their pitching — or, better yet, find an owner who wants to win — they will be stuck going nowhere.
That fell apart in a hurry. Sunday’s loss was Cleveland’s 10th in a row, a stretch that remarkably included five shutouts. Indeed, the Guardians have now been shut out 11 times; the franchise record in the post-dead-ball-era (since 1920) is 20 shutouts in 1968.
There’s nothing worse than watching a team that can’t score runs, so that tells you how exciting the Guardians have been. Last year, the Guardians hit exceptionally well with runners in scoring position, keeping afloat what was otherwise a mediocre offense. That hasn’t happened in 2025 (trading Josh Naylor didn’t help either). Throw in some predictable regression from the bullpen, and this season looks lost.
We can’t give this a complete failing grade due to the emergence of All-Star shortstop Jacob Wilson (the Athletics’ first All-Star starter since Josh Donaldson in 2014) and slugging first baseman Nick Kurtz, who have a chance to finish 1-2 in the Rookie of the Year voting. Plus, we have Denzel Clarke‘s circus catches in center field.
But otherwise? Ugh. The Sacramento gamble already looks like a disaster, three months into a three-year stay. The team is drawing well below Sutter Health Park’s 14,000-seat capacity, with many recent games drawing under 10,000 fans. Luis Severino bashed the small crowds and the lack of air-conditioning.
The A’s had a groundbreaking ceremony for their new park in Vegas, renting heavy construction equipment as background props. Maybe they should have spent that money on more pitching help.
Based on preseason expectations, the Braves have clearly been the biggest disappointment in the National League — fighting the Orioles for most disappointing overall.
What’s gone wrong? They haven’t scored runs, as the offense continues its remarkable fade from a record-setting performance just two seasons ago. The collapses of Michael Harris II and Ozzie Albies lead the way, with lack of production at shortstop and left field playing a big role as well. Closer Raisel Iglesias has struggled, and the team is 11-22 in one-run games. Spencer Strider hasn’t yet reached his pre-injury level and Reynaldo Lopez made just one start before going down.
The Braves haven’t missed the playoffs since 2017, but that run is clearly in jeopardy.
The Orioles have a similar record to the Braves but have played much worse, including losses of 24-2, 19-5, 15-3 and two separate 9-0 shutouts.
They will spend the trade deadline dealing away as many of their impending free agents as possible, and then do a lot of soul-searching heading into the offseason. After making the playoffs in 2023 and 2024, will this season just be a blip? While the pitching struggles aren’t necessarily a big surprise, what has happened to the offense? Are some of their young players prospects or suspects?
After two months of Cleveland Spiders-level baseball, it would be easy to make fun of the Rockies. Especially since they recently announced Walker Monfort — son of the owner — was promoted to executive VP and will replace outgoing president and COO Greg Feasel.
On the other hand, the Rockies are doing something right: They just drew 121,000 for a three-game series against the White Sox.
While optimism runs high at most every college football program this time of year, even the rosiest picture has some lurking shadows.
That is true even for the 25 teams in our post-spring Power Rankings. No matter how deep the rosters seem, everyone has some question marks or potential weak spots.
Our college football reporters take a look at the biggest areas of concern for each of the top teams, the potential Achilles’ heel that could keep them from reaching their goals for the season.
Area of concern: Wide receiver
The Nittany Lions addressed the wide receiver spot in the portal with Syracuse’s Trebor Pena and others, but until they actually elevate their production, questions will linger. Penn State has had only one wide receiver rank among the top 10 in the Big Ten in receiving in the past three seasons (Tyler Warren played tight end). Both Warren and top receiver Harrison Wallace III are gone, and Penn State needs its portal haul — Pena, a second-team All-ACC wideout in 2024, as well as Devonte Ross (Troy) and Kyron Hudson (USC) — to give quarterback Drew Allar enough capable targets this fall. Although Allar’s big-game struggles are also concerning, he hasn’t had a great group of receivers at his disposal during his Penn State career. — Adam Rittenberg
Area of concern: Running back
The position group that has been discussed more than any other since the spring at Clemson is running back — the only position on offense that loses the bulk of its production with Phil Mafah off to the NFL. But the Tigers have plenty of depth at running back, and that should help ease any concerns as they move into fall camp. Particularly because running back traditionally has been an area where Clemson has excelled, even when other groups on offense took a step back. (Clemson has had a 1,000-yard rusher 11 of the past 16 years, and that does not include 2023, when Mafah and Will Shipley split the carries nearly evenly and combined for more than 1,700 yards.) It is easy to see true freshman Gideon Davidson as a breakout player, considering the success Clemson has had with true freshman backs since Dabo Swinney arrived. Clemson also has receiver Adam Randall taking reps at running back to help round out the depth in a room that also features Keith Adams Jr. and David Eziomume. Jay Haynes continues to rehab a knee injury. — Andrea Adelson
Area of concern: Offensive line
The Longhorns lost four starters on the O-line to the NFL draft and are breaking in a new quarterback, although Arch Manning made two starts last season, as well as several key receivers with the losses of Matthew Golden, Isaiah Bond and tight end Gunnar Helm. They lost tackle Kelvin Banks Jr., the 2025 No. 9 draft pick, but Trevor Goosby got some key playing time last year at the position when Banks was injured. The Longhorns also lost 56-game starter Jake Majors at center and face Ohio State in Week 1, posing a quick learning curve for an almost completely new offensive line group. — Dave Wilson
Area of concern: Pass rush
The Bulldogs lost six veteran contributors on their front seven on defense, none more important than edge rushers Jalon Walker, Mykel Williams and Chaz Chambliss. Walker and Williams were first-round picks in the NFL draft, and Chambliss was an unheralded contributor over four seasons. They combined for 18 sacks and 28.5 tackles for loss in 2024. Making matters worse, Damon Wilson, a projected replacement on the edge, transferred to Missouri. Georgia feels good about Gabe Harris Jr., and it added Army transfer Elo Modozie, who had 6.5 sacks for the Black Knights last season. — Mark Schlabach
Area of concern: Quarterback
Quarterback Will Howard was everything the Buckeyes could have hoped for last year in his lone season at Ohio State. He was spectacular during the College Football Playoff, posting a QBR of 97.2 over four games during the Buckeyes’ march to the national championship. With Howard now in the NFL, the Buckeyes will be turning to either former five-star freshman Julian Sayin or Lincoln Kienholz this season, pending who wins the job during camp. Throwing to all-world wideout Jeremiah Smith will bolster whomever the starting quarterback winds up being. But even with Smith and All-American safety Caleb Downs anchoring each side of the ball, it’s difficult envisioning the Buckeyes truly contending again unless Ohio State gets good-to-great quarterback play like it did last season. — Jake Trotter
Area of concern: Offensive line
I don’t know that LSU has to necessarily worry about the offensive line because of moves made this offseason, but it has to be something to keep an eye on just because of the magnitude of the losses. The Tigers had one of the best tackle duos in all of college football last season in Will Campbell and Emery Jones, who were first- and third-round NFL draft picks. They lost four starters across the line in total. DJ Chester and Tyree Adams are back in different spots, while Brian Kelly added Braelin Moore from Virginia Tech. — Harry Lyles Jr.
Area of concern: Tight end
Since 2011, the Fighting Irish have had a whopping 10 tight ends selected in the NFL draft, including last season’s leading receiver, Mitchell Evans, who had 43 catches for 421 yards with three touchdowns. While the Irish feel they’ve upgraded their wide receiver group with the additions of Virginia transfer Malachi Fields and Wisconsin’s Will Pauling, tight end remains a bit of a question mark heading into preseason camp. Senior Eli Raridon has the size (6-foot-7) and hands to excel at the position, but he was plagued by injuries during his first couple of college seasons, after tearing an ACL as a freshman. He had 11 catches for 90 yards with two touchdowns in 2024. The status of another tight end, Cooper Flanagan, who tore his left Achilles tendon in the Sugar Bowl, is in question. — Mark Schlabach
Area of concern: Defensive line
It’s hard to say whether this is an area of concern just yet, but there are question marks with Oregon’s defensive line as the Ducks lost both Derrick Harmon and Jordan Burch from last year (as well as Jamaree Caldwell). Defensive end is a strength with Matayo Uiagalelei holding down the edge, but the rest of the line will require some newcomers to step up, such as USC transfer Bear Alexander and rising lineman Aydin Breland, who could be in line for a breakout season. A’mauri Washington, one of the few returning players, will likely be a fixture of the new-look line as well. — Paolo Uggetti
Area of concern: Pass rush
Alabama finished 13th in the SEC last season in quarterback sacks, and while sacks aren’t the end-all when it comes to rushing the passer, the Crimson Tide need to be more consistent in getting to the opposing quarterback. There’s not a pure edge pass rusher in the mold of Will Anderson Jr. or Dallas Turner on this roster, meaning Alabama will need to get more pressure from its interior linemen and perhaps a breakout season from redshirt sophomore outside linebacker Qua Russaw. — Chris Low
Area of concern: Quarterback
When the season ended, quarterback figured to be an obvious strength for BYU considering Jake Retzlaff was set to return. But with him expected to transfer as of late June, the Cougars are left without an established starter. McCae Hillstead showed flashes at Utah State in 2023, Treyson Bourguet started eight games in two years for Western Michigan and true freshman Bear Bachmeier was a big-time recruit who enrolled briefly at Stanford earlier this offseason before leaving for Provo. The expectation is that all three will have a chance to earn the starting job in fall camp, without a clear-cut front-runner. — Kyle Bonagura
Area of concern: Offensive explosiveness
The Illini had a good and efficient offense in 2024, but they weren’t particularly explosive, tying for 64th nationally in plays of 10 yards or longer and tying for 66th in plays of 20 yards or longer. Although quarterback Luke Altmyer and a veteran offensive line return, Illinois needs to replace its top two receivers in Pat Bryant and Zakhari Franklin, who are off to the NFL, and leading rusher Josh McCray, who transferred to Georgia. Offensive coordinator Barry Lunney thinks Collin Dixon, who averaged 14.7 yards per catch in limited work last fall, and incoming freshman Brayden Trimble can spark the offense. “Overall, we’re going to have a little bit more vertical speed in what we’re doing to stretch the defense than what we did,” Lunney told me. “That’s no slight on Zakhari or Pat at all. Those were just kind of bigger, stronger guys.” — Rittenberg
Area of concern: Pass rush
ASU’s late-season surge, from a decent team to one capable of coming within one play of the CFP semifinals, took place primarily thanks to players who are returning in 2025. Obviously losing star running back Cam Skattebo hurts, but the Sun Devils have some of the best overall returning production numbers in the country. We don’t know that they have a pass rush, though. It was an issue last season — ASU ranked just 110th in sacks per dropback — and while both of their sacks leaders (Clayton Smith and Elijah O’Neal) return, that duo combined for just 8.5 sacks between them. Kenny Dillingham evidently thought he had the answers in house, as he didn’t add a single edge rusher in the transfer portal, but while the secondary is sound and experienced, giving QBs too much time to find receivers can bring down even the most seasoned defense. — Bill Connelly
Area of concern: Defensive front
What was perhaps South Carolina’s biggest strength last season could be its biggest concern going into 2025. Gone up front are stalwarts Kyle Kennard, Bam Martin-Scott, Demetrius Knight and TJ Sanders, among others. That left a lot of holes to fill, and the Gamecocks largely addressed them by hitting the portal hard. Rising star Dylan Stewart will be the flashiest player and Bryan Thomas is the lone established senior, with transfers Gabriel Brownlow-Dindy, Davonte Miles and Justin Okoronkwo filling a big void. But perhaps the biggest name to know is sophomore Fred “JayR” Johnson, a rangy linebacker with lauded leadership skills who South Carolina hopes will blossom into the centerpiece of the defense after playing a small role as a freshman in 2024. — David Hale
Area of concern: Wide receiver
With receivers Jaylin Noel and Jayden Higgins both off to the NFL — having been drafted by the Houston Texans in back-to-back rounds — receiver is a good place to start. Noel and Higgins combined for nearly 2,400 receiving yards last season and that type of production will need to be replaced by more than just two players. But even with those holes to fill, the lack of a pass rush last season remains a glaring question mark. If the Cyclones can’t improve upon their conference-worst sack total, it’s hard to see how they can make a run at the Big 12 title, especially given the unknowns at receiver. — Bonagura
Area of concern: Defensive line
One of the most underappreciated keys to SMU’s playoff run last season was the veteran talent up front on defense. Elijah Roberts, Jared Harrison-Hunte and Jahfari Harvey all came from Miami and had multiple years as a starter under their belts in 2024. There won’t be nearly so much experience this year. Add in the departures of Ahmad Walker and Kobe Wilson at linebacker, and there’s a vacuum waiting to be filled in terms of leadership. SMU does return safety Isaiah Nwokobia, who was an All-ACC performer last season, and there’s buzz surrounding East Carolina transfer Zakye Barker at linebacker, but establishing some key voices — and performers — on the D-line remains a question. — Hale
Area of concern: Defense
Does the defensive makeover actually work? The Red Raiders’ D can’t get much worse than what it was in 2024, and that’s not hyperbole. Texas Tech finished 126th in total defense in 2024. The secondary was 132nd in passing yards per game. Shiel Wood takes over as defensive coordinator, and there have been tons of portal additions to this side of the ball. Players such as Stanford linebacker David Bailey and Georgia Tech end Romello Height stand out, along with five transfer defensive backs. There’s really only one way for this group to go, and it’s up. — Lyles Jr.
Area of concern: Defense
Despite the fact that talented defensive end Mikail Kamara is returning, the transfer-heavy unit that allowed the fewest rushing yards per game in the Big Ten last season lost some key contributors. Gone to the NFL are CJ West and James Carpenter, and while Indiana did not hesitate to dip into the transfer portal to reload with players such as Hosea Wheeler (Western Kentucky), Stephen Daley (Kent State), Dominique Ratcliff (Texas State) and Kellan Wyatt (Maryland), one of the Hoosiers’ strongest position groups last year has a lot to prove and live up to in 2025. — Uggetti
Area of concern: Stopping big plays
K-State’s offense was delightfully explosive last season, but the defense often gave up as many big plays as the offense created. The Wildcats blitzed a lot and harassed QBs well, but they ranked 110th in Total QBR allowed and 107th in completions of 10 or more yards allowed. That’s a concern considering the defense lost both leading pass rusher Brendan Mott and four of last year’s five starters in the secondary. Defensive coordinator Joe Klanderman might have to fiddle with the risk-reward balance to get the most out of this defense and help the Wildcats contend in the ultracompetitive Big 12. — Connelly
Area of concern: Wide receiver
One of the reasons Florida is expected to improve in 2025 is because of the talent that quarterback DJ Lagway brings. But the Gators’ top receivers from last season, Elijhah Badger and Chimere Dike, left for the NFL. Eugene Wilson III is back, but also coming off season-ending hip surgery. It will be up to Vernell Brown III, Dallas Wilson, Naeshaun Montgomery and J. Michael Sturdivant (UCLA transfer) to help establish themselves. — Lyles Jr.
Area of concern: Wide receiver
The Wolverines ranked 129th last season with just 1,678 passing yards. Quarterback play was part of the issue, as Michigan cycled through three quarterbacks (Davis Warren, Jack Tuttle and Alex Orji) in its first season after losing national champion JJ McCarthy. But Michigan’s receivers collectively didn’t make enough plays, as no wideout caught more than 27 passes or totaled more than 248 yards. The onus will be even greater on Michigan’s receivers with tight end Colston Loveland — the Wolverines’ only reliable target last year — now playing for the Chicago Bears. Instant impact from transfers Anthony Simpson (UMass) and Donaven McCulley (Indiana), combined with internal improvement from the likes of Fredrick Moore and Semaj Morgan, will be paramount if Michigan is going to threaten opposing defensive backfields in 2025. — Trotter
Area of concern: Linebacker
The Hurricanes did another fantastic job shoring up positions across the roster in the transfer portal, especially considering how much turnover they had from last season. But if there is one position that still has some questions, it is linebacker, mainly because depth may become an issue as the season wears on. Miami returns three key veterans in Wesley Bissainthe, Jaylin Alderman and Popo Aguirre, and signed NC State transfer Kamal Bonner and Rutgers transfer Mo Toure. Miami often looked slow and out of position at linebacker last season, but the new scheme from defensive coordinator Corey Hetherman should help. The player to keep an eye on here is Toure, whom Hetherman coached while he was at Rutgers. Toure is coming off a knee injury (his second torn ACL in three years), but his potential to fit into this defense, considering his past with Hetherman, is huge. — Adelson
Area of concern: Defensive end
For the past three years, Louisville was able to rely on a genuine star off the edge in Ashton Gillotte, who racked up 21.5 sacks from 2022-24. Gillotte is off to the NFL now, a third-round pick by the Chiefs. That leaves a major void at defensive end. Louisville has a couple of transfers — Wesley Bailey from Rutgers and Clev Lubin from Coastal Carolina — hoping to fill the void, but the strength of the D-line will certainly be on the interior, where the Cards have much more established depth. As Louisville works to remedy issues defending the pass, finding someone — or, ideally, a few guys — who can get after the QB will be one of the most critical jobs for the defense as it prepares for 2025. — Hale
Area of concern: Wide receiver
Just like last season, a big question for the Aggies’ potential is how their wide receiver room will shake out. The Aggies lost Noah Thomas, a bright spot in an otherwise spotty position for A&M and new offensive coordinator Collin Klein, to Georgia after Thomas caught 39 passes for 574 yards and eight touchdowns last year. No other player caught more than two TDs or eclipsed 400 yards on the season as the Aggies fought through a QB change from Conner Weigman to Marcel Reed. This year, the Aggies are looking toward NC State transfer KC Concepcion (71 catches, 839 yards, 10 TDs in 2023, 53-460-6 last year), Mississippi State transfer Mario Craver (17-368-3 as a freshman), as well as returners Ashton Bethel-Roman, 6-2, 220-pound freshman four-star recruit Jerome Myles and dynamic 2024 five-star recruit Terry Bussey, who played something of an all-purpose role last year. As this group goes, so will Reed and the offense. — Wilson
Area of concern: Quarterback
Austin Simmons seems like a talented individual — we’re talking about someone who is athletically gifted enough to play baseball for Ole Miss as well. But anytime you are replacing one of the better quarterbacks in your conference, in this case Jaxson Dart, who was a first-round NFL draft pick, there has to be some level of concern. But from what we’ve seen out of Simmons, there’s promise. His drive against Georgia last season, where he led a 10-play, 75-yard touchdown drive to tie the game while Dart was injured, should give the Ole Miss faithful something to be excited about. — Lyles Jr.
Area of concern: Tight end
It’s been a struggle at tight end for the Sooners, and there’s again uncertainty around the position heading into the 2025 season. Granted, there was plenty of blame to go around for Oklahoma’s struggles on offense last season, but finding more consistency at tight end in both the receiving and blocking categories would be a big boost for an offense that has tons of new faces. There isn’t a definitive starter at tight end entering preseason camp. Transfers Will Huggins (Kansas and Pittsburg State) and Carson Kent (Kennesaw State) are expected to battle with converted linebacker Jaren Kanak for the job. — Low
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