With the 2025 MLB season officially underway, beginning on March 27, there are already a number of compelling stories making noise across the league.
Woes in Atlanta
Perhaps the most surprising of them all is the Atlanta Braves’ abysmal start. Their 0-7 start is the team’s worst through seven games since 2016 when they went winless through nine. On top of those struggles, Braves outfielder Jurickson Profar was just suspended for 80 games, a massive chunk of the season, after testing positive for an illegal substance. To say the least, it’s been a miserable start to the year for one of the most consistently good teams in baseball.
War out West
On the opposite side of the spectrum, the defending World Series Champion Los Angeles Dodgers have jumped out to a perfect 8-0 in their chase for a second straight title. Though while the Dodgers are the league’s obvious powerhouse, they’re joined on the loss-less pedestal by the rapidly improving San Diego Padres, who are 7-0 and share a division with the Dodgers. Already, we’ve got a compelling battle in arguably the best division in baseball.
A Local Letdown
Of local relevance, the Cincinnati Reds are off to a brutal 2-5 start, having at one point gone multiple games (23 innings) without scoring a single run. After the past few years of increased excitement at the Great American Ballpark, with the squad claiming fringe playoff status, it appears that fans are in for a downturn this season. You never know, though… maybe Elly De La Cruz and company are just warming up. 2-5 is salvageable, if nothing else.
Torpedo Bats
In what is certainly the weirdest story to come out of the new season so far, the New York Yankees are making waves with their new “torpedo bats”, which they’ve already used to set the MLB home run record through the first four games (18). Essentially, a team analyst developed a new bat (which is legal, for now) that increased weight and depth in the spot where the ball most often makes contact. Clearly, his theory was sound, and it won’t be long before the rest of the league catches on. How the MLB responds will make for a compelling story all on its own.
When it comes to the MLB, expect the unexpected. The 2025 season is off to the races in as interesting and exciting a fashion as ever. And the best part? It’s only just begun.
