Welcome to the early 2025 prediction series! This is not for the division winners, but just a bold prediction for every team in each division for the 2025 season. There is still more time in the winter, but for now let’s take a swan dive into these predictions. Now we take a look into the NL East!

Atlanta Braves

Prediction: Ronald Acuna Jr. Finishes As MVP Finalist

An Atlanta Braves player won the comeback player of the year award and his name was Chris Sale. Ronald Acuna Jr could very well do the same, but he will have another award in mind.

Acuna is a competitive player and is a major weapon for the Braves. Between his speed on the base paths, approach at the plate, he is a do it all type of player. After playing just 49 games and missing it due to injury, he bounces back in a major way and returns to his MVP form.

He is one year removed from his MVP winning season, where he stole 73 bases, hit 41 home runs, drove in 106 runs, and had 171 wRC+. He was a pure offensive machine and was not having a poor season in the games he played in 2024.

Acuna is going to come out with a vengeance and we get MVP Ronnie back in our lives. Also, our very own Parker White, co-host of the Sports GPS Podcast weighs in on his beloved Braves.

“The Braves are in for an interesting 2025 campaign. Yes, Acuna and Strider are back, arguably there two best players, but they won’t be ready for Opening Day.

There’s no doubt they are riding their internal talent, which they have plenty of, and oh, General Manager Alex Anthopoulos hasn’t made an impactful signing all offseason.

What’s interesting is, the Braves could either win the division again because they are healthy, or finish 3rd because they don’t have enough depth and the Phillies and Mets are very good teams.

It’ll be interesting to see what Acuna can do after having major surgery on both knees. Maybe he won’t have as many SB, but the guy knows how to put bat on the ball and drive it for HRs. How many, we’ll see, but he could be an All-Star. Not sure about an MVP finalist, but he’s more than capable.

For this team to be at the top of the division again, not only does Acuna need to make an impact, but Austin Riley and Matt Olson need to lead the offense. And here are some questions you need to ask:

Do the Braves have enough pitching? Can Spencer Schwellenbach repeat after his excellent rookie season? Is this the year Michael Harris II takes that next step to stardom?”

New York Mets

Prediction: Juan Soto/Francisco Lindor are Leagues best duo in 2025

There was a dynamic duo in the Bronx in Juan Soto and Aaron Judge. Judge won the MVP and Soto was a finalist and the two of them made one of the best duos in the sport. Also, they were two of the best players in the sport. While that duo is no longer together, a new duo New York will be the best duo in baseball.

Francisco Lindor deserves more love than he received last season. Lindor was an MVP finalist and if it wasn’t for Shohei Ohtani he would’ve won the award. He was instrumental in the teams’ success and was a machine once he became the lead off hitter in May. Overall, Lindor slashed .273/.344/.500 with a .844 OPS. His 110 wRC+ was 11th best among qualified batters.

The Mets have a good batting lineup and now get Soto to hit behind Lindor. Soto was a machine at the plate, slashing .288/.419/.569 with a .989 OPS. His 147 wRC+ was third among qualified batters.

This duo is going to do damage and is going to be the most fun duo to watch this season. It would not be crazy to think both finish in MVP conversations this season as well.

Philadelphia Phillies

Prediction: Lose in the Wild Card Series

This one is bold, especially when you consider the caliber of the team this falls under. The Phillies are in win now mode and the time to bring a championship to the City of Brotherly Love is bound to happen. Hats off to David Dombrowski who has seemingly put together a championship caliber team, especially by adding Jesus Luzardo to a very deep rotation. Despite that and the core talent they have, the prediction to lose in the wild card has a trend.

The Phillies reached the World Series in 2022 and lost to the Astros in six games. They reached the NLCS in 2023, losing to the Diamondbacks. This past season, they lost to the team of destiny in the New York Mets in the NLDS. See the trend? They’ve seemingly have been trending downward and having earlier exits. With them losing in the divisional series, the trend continues and they lose in the wild card. It also kind of fits because the NL is a gauntlet of a conference with multiple championship caliber clubs.

Washington Nationals

Prediction: Dylan Crews Breaks Out for the Nationals

There is so much young impactful talent at the major league level. For the NL, there is plenty with Jackson Merrill and Jackson Chourio to name a few. When we did predictions for the AL East, the prediction was for Jackson Holliday to break out of his shell. The same will be said for Dylan Crews.

Crews was a standout for the LSU Tigers and made quite the climb up the ranks for the Nationals this season. He played roughly 50 games in both AA and AAA, but did make his appearance for the Nationals. In 31 games, he slashed .218/.288/.353 with a .641 OPS.

The sample size for him is small, but the potential is there. In the minors he hit 13 HR and 68 RBI. It’s an adjustment period making it to the show, but Crews will breakout and join the long list of young talent the Nationals have.

Miami Marlins

Prediction: Marlins will Trade Sandy Alcantara

There is no denying that the Marlins are going into a rebuild. They’ve managed to move any piece they have left, including pitcher Jesus Luzardo and Jake Burger. The only domino left that has significant value is Sandy Alcantara.

Alcantara has been able to throw live batting practice and he works himself back from injury. He has a club option in 2027, so a team acquiring him is getting a pitcher with term. For his career, he has a 3.32 ERA and a 1.16 WHIP.

He packs the velocity you want in a pitcher. Can get players to chase and does a good job of limiting his walks. Any contending team or any team looking to land him would be thrilled to add to their rotation.

It likely won’t be until the deadline, as he works his way back from Tommy John.