NL East Future Bets for 2025
A Blog by Greg
The National League East: The most stacked, fun, and exciting division in all of Major League Baseball. While certainly top-heavy, the Braves, Phillies, and Mets are all elite and coming off of postseason berths in 2024. These teams are not only heavy favorites to each make the postseason again in 2025 but also makeup three of the five biggest favorites to win the World Series this season. Additionally, each team made big moves this offseason to bolster already fantastic rosters. Let’s get into how to profit from this division for the 2025 season.
New York Mets to win the NL East (+200)
Two words: Juan Soto. The Mets made the biggest splash this offseason, signing one of the best hitters in MLB history to a historic 15-year, $765,000,000 contract, bolstering a squad that won 89 games last season and made the NLCS. Everything about the offseason acquisitions made by the Mets excites me. Whether it be their offense that added Juan Soto, the rotations that added Frankie Montas and Clay Holmes for additional starting pitching depth, or the bullpen that took A.J. Minter from the division rival Braves, I am very bullish on the 2025 New York Mets. And the sportsbooks will give me the Mets to win the division at +200? I will absolutely be placing this wager. The Braves are elite but will be missing star outfielder Ronald Acuna for a decent portion of the season, and the Phillies’ core is rapidly aging and almost out of their championship window. The Mets will absolutely own the NL East in 2025!
James Wood o19.5 HRs (-110)
Swiftly moving from arguably the best team in the division to arguably the worst, Nationals OF James Wood intrigues me a great deal. Wood is a 22-year-old outfielder who played 79 games for Washington in 2024. Wood is a freak athlete, standing at 6’7” and weighing 234 lbs. Despite his stature, Wood is lightning fast, as evidenced by his 14 SB in only a few appearances last season. Additionally, his power and overall hitting abilities were on display in 2024 as he knocked 9 HRs and slashed .264/.354/.427. Wood is still very young, and while a breakout season this early in his career might be a little premature if he is an everyday starter like the Nats have indicated he will be, I believe he will surpass the 20 HR mark in 2025. The Nationals will almost certainly be one of the weaker teams in baseball this season; however, Wood gives fans and outsiders alike a reason to check in on the team from DC. I will be betting Wood to hit more than 19.5 home runs in 2025.
Mark Vientos o29.5 HRs (-110)
I have already established my feelings on the Mets earlier in the article, so I won’t rehash my feelings on the team but instead focus my attention on the individual himself, Mark Vientos. Vientos plays 3B for the New York Mets and is coming off of a season in which he appeared in 111 games, hit 27 HRs, and slashed .266/.322/.516 during the regular season. Additionally, Vientos was nothing short of spectacular during the 2024 postseason. During the Mets’ Cinderella run to the NLCS, Mark Vientos knocked 5 HRs and had a batting average of .327 in 13 games. This level of production surprised many, as in his previous two seasons, Vientos appeared in only 81 games, hit 10 HRs, slashed an unimpressive .205/.255/.354, and held an abysmal 68 OPS+. Vientos is still in the infancy of his MLB career as he is entering his age 25 season. With plenty of protection in the lineup from the likes of Francisco Lindor, Juan Soto, and (potentially) Pete Alonso, I believe Vientos will improve on his 2024 campaign and easily hit more than 30 home runs.
Thanks for reading all and stay tuned for the next blog covering the NL Central! Also, follow me on X GRMBets, as well as the rest of the Skippers View team.