5 Mid-June MLB Takeaways
It's been a while
Hey! It’s been far too long since I wrote a blog. Life has gotten in the way, but I’m happy to announce that I’m back on the Skippers View grind.
Instead of trying to recap the entire first two-ish months of the 2025 Major League Baseball season, I thought I’d give five takeaways from what has stood out to me, in a condensed list.
Some of these takeaways might be big, others may be small. Either way, I’ve been thinking about them almost daily… enjoy!
1. The Yankees don’t need Juan Soto
Sitting at 39-25 and first in the AL East, the New York Yankees had a glaring question mark heading into the 2025 season: How would they fare without superstar Juan Soto?
I think we all know the answer to that question now. Aaron Judge has dominated all kinds of pitching up until this point, and even looks slump-proof. His 5.7 fWAR leads the Majors by a landslide.
Their lineup looks more balanced, too. Paul Goldschmidt and Cody Bellinger have been fine additions, while Ben Rice has fully broken out. Boone has more options than ever as top prospect Jasson Dominguez gets more comfortable.
Even without Gerrit Cole to lead the rotation, this team is relaxed, looks well-coached, and is winning. Max Fried’s 1.78 ERA and eight-and-one record help.
2. Jacob Wilson is the real deal
Everyone across baseball Twitter seems to be talking about Athletics SS Jacob Wilson — for good reason. The rookie saw his first taste of MLB action in 2024, yet was plagued by injuries.
The 23-year-old was granted full-time access to a Big League infield this spring and hasn’t looked back. He’s 5th in hitter fWAR, batting .372 with eight HR, 38 RBI, five SB, and has a .936 OPS. Jack Wilson’s son has displayed an uncanny ability to avoid both strikeouts and walks.
While his breakout hasn’t helped the A’s win ball games (26-41), Wilson is without a doubt a piece to their future winning puzzle.
3. Big names have struggled
Since we are over two months into the season, these are no longer “slow starts.” There are some deep concerns. Take a look at this brief list of well-known hitters in the negatives for fWAR:
Salvador Perez (KC)
Jonathan India (KC)
Anthony Santander (TOR)
Luis Robert Jr (CWS)
Michael Toglia (COL)
Brenton Doyle (COL)
Ryan Mountcastle (BAL)
Christian Walker (HOU)
Trevor Story (BOS)
Luis Arraez (SD)
Spencer Steer (CIN)
Nick Casteallanos (PHI)
Bryan Reynolds (PIT)
Nathaniel Lowe (WSH)
Yikes. While there is still plenty of time to turn things around, I think it’s fair to say these guys have all shocked many thus far. And not in a good way.
4. Something is wrong with Sandy Alcantara
A 7.89 ERA. That’s what Cy Young winner Sandy Alcantara is sporting in 2025 as I write this blog.
Back in March, it was widely considered that Alcantara would be a popular trade asset for a team looking to bolster their staff at the deadline.
While Alcantara has been popular lately, it’s for the wrong reasons. Just 44 K over 57 frames, his xERA is 4.96 (bottom 16th percentile) with a dismal 11.5 BB%.
Alcantara’s fastball velocity is fine, averaging 97.3 mph… but he is getting his hard. Like, really hard. Bendix may still trade him come deadline time, but he probably won’t warrant back the exciting package Fish fans were hoping for.
5. My World Series predictions are in the gutter
Way back on Opening Day, I predicted the 2025 World Series matchup to be the Red Sox vs the Braves. I liked the direction each team was heading towards, and thought their offseason’s got them over the hump.
Currently, the two clubs combine for a 59-72 record, both under .500. Jurickson Profar was suspended in ATL for PED use, while Alex Bregman and Triston Casas have fought the early IL bug in Boston.
The Red Sox have lost 17 one-run games, while the Braves have lost 19. Both of these marks are the highest in their respective leagues.
I still think the future is bright for Boston and Atlanta, but the 2025 season has not been kind to either of them by mid-June.