Now that the holiday season is finally behind us, it’s time to start thinking about the important things in life: credit card debt from presents we definitely didn’t use our credit cards for, how we’re going to lose the holiday weight we picked up, and talking about baseball before football has completed. There are still a few big name, highly-touted, and risky free agents left to sign, in addition to dozens more who could change the outlook of the 2025 MLB Season. However, we’re not in the business of waiting until February to ask the real questions.

The easiest answer is, “no,” which has been the correct answer every year since 2001.1 It also hasn’t been particularly close, with only the 2009 Phillies making it back to the Fall Classic after winning the previous year. A few teams have made the World Series in consecutive years, but either lost before winning, or lost both times.2 So, why am I wasting your time asking a question we already know the answer to?

The 2024 Dodgers were something of a Superteam, although not in the traditional way we think of them. Sure, they spent over $1 billion on two players that you may or may not have heard of, and completed a trade with the Tampa Bay Rays that brought Tyler Glasnow to Los Angeles.3 However, the Dodgers still never truly felt inevitable on their path to their first full season title since 1988. The entire rotation spent time on the injured list, they had to utilize Mookie Betts at shortstop - a position he had never played as a professional - for a large chunk of the season, and Freddie Freeman spent October barely able to walk, not that it stopped him from channeling his inner Kirk Gibson.

The more worrying thing, for those who are fans of other teams, is the Dodgers have gotten even better. A lot better. Referencing a few points above, they have added Blake Snell to an already loaded rotation that will also welcome Shohei Ohtani back to the fold as he recovers from a UCL operation that has been cloudy in details.4 They could still add Roki Sasaki, another electric pitcher from Japan. Teoscar Hernandez has been re-signed and will slot right back into the middle of their lineup. Mookie Betts still might have to play shortstop, but they have just added some depth in the form of defensive wizard Hyeseong Kim. Michael Conforto has also been signed to give the outfield even more depth and punch.

The Dodgers again boast one of the strongest and deepest farm systems in the sport as well, with 4 prospects currently in most Top-100 lists across publications, including two - Dalton Rushing and Alex Freeland - who are MLB-ready, first in line should any injuries affect the big league club. The Dodgers continue to develop high-end talent while also spending to address present weaknesses, which is why they have been the best team in Major League Baseball over the last decade by win percentage. This combination of these factors effectively puts them in a better position than perhaps any team of the last 20 years to repeat as champions, and potentially rival previous dynasties in terms of hardware.

As any Dodger fan will tell you, October is where the Dodgers start Seeing Ghosts™5 and Kershaw sliders fly into the 12th row.6 Playoff baseball is basically random. The same reason why the 2024 Dodgers won the title with half a rotation and Freddie Freeman going nuclear is why the 2025 Dodgers might get beat by a team who has half the depth. Beyond potential injuries and the random outcome generator that is playoff baseball, there are a few teams that might put some stress on the Dodgers.

The American League looks to be pretty down this year, but the Yankees could challenge the Dodgers in terms of high-end talent and pitching depth. I don’t really see a lot that would stop the Yankees from making a return trip to the World Series, other than random outcome generator.

The Phillies might be the next most complete team in the National League. They have a certified, playoff-ready rotation, and they boast perhaps the next scariest top half of a lineup in the sport. They also added Jordan Romano and Max Kepler, which should help the pitching and hitting depth.

We get it, New York has some decent baseball teams. Any team that has Juan Soto is going to have a chance, unless you’re the 2023 Padres. They have some pitching to figure out, but they made the NLCS last year on the power of friendship, Grimace, and Hawk Tuah girl. Also, a Pete Alonso reunion could be on the horizon as well.

This might sound like a joke, but if any team is prepared to beat the Dodgers in October, it might be two divisional rivals who are also the last two teams to beat the Dodgers in the playoffs. The Padres should have the offense but might have some concerns with pitching, and the Diamondbacks should have the pitching but might have some concerns with offense.

No, the Dodgers will not win the 2025 World Series. It will actually be the Texas Rangers.7