The MLB is WIDE Open

Across the majors, there is no shortage of talent and this year especially, there is minimal room for error. If there is one thing the 2025 season has shown us, it is that there is no one dominant team that will run away with the World Series this year. 

In 2024, it was fairly obvious that the two teams to meet in the World Series would be the Dodgers and the Yankees. However, this year that is definitely not the case. Just take a look at the standings, the top 6 teams in all of baseball are separated by one game in the win column.

It has been some time since we've seen a season like this where one team is unable to pull away and be claimed the best overall team in baseball. It seems like every week we have a new team that is climbing on top of the leaderboard and deeming themselves the World Series favorites. 

For instance, the 1st and 2nd place teams in both the NL East and NL Central are separated by less than a game. Momentum and streaks are always vital to succeed in baseball, but this year especially. Just about a month ago, the Brewers trailed the Cubs by over 10 games in the NL Central.

Fast foward to the present, the Brewers have won 12 of their last 13 games and they now sit atop the NL Central. In baseball, you are never out of it during the dog months of summer and the Brewers certainly proved that throughout July. 

After coming into the 2025 campaign with the Dodgers being the overwhelming favorites to defend their title, times have certainly changed. With just about 60 games left in the MLB season, it will be an interesting and exciting sprint to October. 

Team Preview: Seattle Seahawks

 

After missing out on the playoffs due to a tiebreaker with the Los Angeles Rams, the Seahawks look to redeem themselves in 2025 with their first playoff berth since 2022. Seattle took a different approach this offseason to try and end their brief postseason drought. 

For starters, the command of the Seahawks will look a little different as Sam Darnold has taken over as the franchise's quarterback. Sam Darnold's career was on thin ice until he was able to revive it a year ago after he lead the Minnesota Vikings to 14 wins and a near division title. 

His great season lead to a huge payday after he landed a 3 year, $100 million contract with Seattle. The Seahawks are all in on Darnold's potential after a brilliant year with Minnesota. Like with the Vikings, Darnold will have a lot of weapons at his disposal. 

In addition to adding a new quarterback, Seattle also added a new offensive coordinator in Klint Kubiak after firing Ryan Grubb in January. The tandem of Geno Smith and Ryan Grubb was not enough to get the Seattle offense over the top, so they pivoted to Kubiak and Darnold to right the ship. 

Kenneth Walker is back for his 4th year in Seattle looking to continue his excellent start to his NFL career. The Seahawks will have a decision to make following this season as Walker will be a free agent this upcoming offseason. In my mind it's a no brainer, pay the man. 

At various points in 2024, we saw the emergence of Zach Charbonnet who will also return to the Seattle backfield. The two headed monster of Walker and Charbonnet is a scary site for opposing defenses facing the Seahawks. 

With the departure of DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett, there will a new top duo of wideouts at Lumen Field. Jaxon Smith-Njigba will enter his third season in the NFL in the biggest role he has had during his brief time as a pro. We saw glimpses of how good JSN could be and I think he is ready to take on the role as WR1 for Seattle.

He'll also have a trusted veteran to lean on in Cooper Kupp. Kupp left Los Angeles after 8 seasons and will join the Seahawks on a 3 year, $45 million contract. It is fair to say that Sam Darnold is entering a pretty dynamic offense in Seattle. 

During the 2024 campaign, Seattle ranked towards the top of the NFL in total defense, asserting themselves in the top 12 as a whole. Seattle is always known for their lockdown defense having "12 players" due to their unbelievable home field advantage. 

Seattle made a number of blockbuster trades this offseason after dealing DK Metcalf, Geno Smith, and others, but their biggest move on defense was signing Demarcus Lawrence. Lawrence signed a three-year deal with the Seahawks and will now join a dominant front seven. 

The secondary has always been there, it's almost never a problem. The emergence of Devon Witherspoon as a top cornerback has been a sight to see in Seattle. He will command the secondary along with Riq Woolen. 

The NFC West is always one of the tougher divisions in the NFL, and the Seahawks will face 6 real tests against the Cardinals, 49ers, and Rams in 2025. Will the changes to this squad be enough to get Seattle over the top? 

The Brewers are Brewing

 

The hottest team in baseball right now, the Milwaukee Brewers, have won their last 11 games including 6 of them against the defending world champion Los Angeles Dodgers. 

Milwaukee currently sits atop the bloodbath of an NL Central in 2025. After trailing the Cubs by double digit games at one point this season, the Brewers now have a one game lead over their division rivals. 

The Brew Crew possesses a top 5 ERA in all of baseball, tied for 4th with the Houston Astros, sitting at 3.62 through their first 100 games. Despite losing their ace Corbin Burnes a couple of season ago, and their shutdown closer Devin Williams, the Brewers have remarkably only improved. 

The leader of the Brewers pitching staff, Freddy Peralta has been lights out this season. Leading the team in strikeouts, innings pitched, ERA, wins, and more, Peralta has embraced his role as the ace of the Brew Crew in 2025. 

Another thing that makes the Brewers stand out is their efficiency of doing the little things. Milwaukee is currently 2nd in the MLB in stolen bases. They don't hit a ton of home runs, in fact they rank 25th in total home runs this season, but when they put the ball in play they are dangerous. 

Milwaukee comes as the 24th ranked team in the MLB in payroll with an $112 million roster. Despite the fact they rank this low in payroll and the 3rd least in the National League as well, they currently possess the best record in baseball. 

With a baseball season with no clear dominant team, could this be the year where the Brewers take that next step and get over the hump? With still a lot of season to go, Milwaukee is in for an electric final 62 games in their 2025 campaign. 

Feature: Jasson Dominguez

 

Yankee outfielder Jasson Dominguez has slowly but steadily given the Yankees a reason to make him an everyday player in their lineup. In his first full season in the big leagues, Dominguez is starting to become the player that Yankees fans were dreaming about since he entered the Yankees farm system. 

Dominguez has been hot as of late, batting .392 with a .418 on base percentage in his last 15 games. This includes 20 hits along with a couple of home runs as well. Dominguez, nicknamed "The Martian", was given this nickname for his crazy power and long home runs. 

While Dominguez has only blasted 8 home runs through his first 75 games, the Yankees are developing Dominguez into more of a contact hitter and less of a power hitter. 44 of his 67 hits this season have been singles making him much more of a threat to opposing teams to steal bases, as he has already recorded a team-high 14 this season. 

If it were up to me, Dominguez would be inserted as the Yankees everyday center fielder. While the Yankees do have a good problem with their overload of offensive threats on their 40-man roster, getting Dominguez more and more playing time will be great towards his development. 

It feels like Dominguez has been with the Yankees for some time now while he is just 22 years old. If Aaron Boone and the Yankees continue to find more consistent playing time for the young outfielder, he can become one of the league's top players for years to come. 

The Marlins Have Caught Fire

 

The hottest team in Major League Baseball right now is no other than the Miami Marlins. Miami comes into their home stand against two AL Central foes off of a 7 game winning streak, including six straight on the road. 

Despite the hot streak, the Marlins still find themselves seven games under .500, and tied for 3rd in the NL East with the Atlanta Braves. Although the Marlins don't thrive off of the long ball, the offense has been clicking as of late for the Fish and propelling them to wins. 

As a team, Miami currently ranks in the top 10 in average sitting around .254. Six of the seven teams ahead of them find themselves sitting comfortably in a playoff position. If it weren't for the rough start to the campaign, the Marlins might have also found themselves in a playoff position as well. 

The most impressive thing about the Marlins hot stretch is who is getting it done at the right time. Looking up and down the Marlins roster, there aren't too many, if any, household names or top jersey sellers. In addition, Miami ranks dead last in team payroll with $67 million. 

The team they are currently tied with in the NL East, the Atlanta Braves, has a payroll three times higher than this minuscule number in terms of overall payroll. Not only are the Marlins underpaid, but they are also very young. 

Miami ranks as the youngest team in the MLB with currently just three players on the 40-man roster being 30 years old. In a sport that has often been advertised as pay to win, the Marlins are certainly defying this amidst their hot stretch as we enter the month of July.