MLB World Series 2025 Odds and Predictions: Are the Dodgers Unstoppable?

Los Angeles Dodgers (+225)

As the favorites to win the World Series in 2024, the Dodgers defeated the Yankees in five games to capture their eighth title in franchise history. It’s usually difficult for squads to maintain their talent levels after a championship season.

It can be much harder to improve and become a better team. Well, the Dodgers appeared to be able to do just that. Find a breakdown of their pitching and lineup below:

Pitching Staff

Despite not having Shohei Ohtani in the starting rotation, the Dodgers’ pitching staff made it work a season ago. In addition to Ohtani only batting, rookie Yoshinobu Yamamoto wasn’t up to par, and Clayton Kershaw only played in seven games.

Nevertheless, the Dodgers finished 13th in the Majors, with a team ERA of 3.90. The bullpen was in top-notch form, as they combined for a 3.53 ERA, good for fourth in baseball. If you were hoping that the Dodgers’ pitching would fall off this season, I have some bad news.

The Dodgers have depth, and it’s been on display to open this season. After Yamamoto was up and down last year, he’s on fire with a 1.23 ERA and 0.91 WHIP through 22 innings this season. Additionally, Dustin May is on point, with a 1.06 ERA and 0.76 WHIP.

MLB Pitchers with a GB% over 50% and K% over 35%:

– Clay Holmes
– Carlos Rodon
– Logan Gilbert
– Yoshinobu Yamamoto

Yamamoto is solidifying himself as a true ace, and could be a real Cy Young contender, while Holmes is making a good impression by being on here. pic.twitter.com/iCRLmrfJEV

— LouisAnalysis (@LouisAnalysis) April 15, 2025

First-year pitcher Roki Sasaki and former Cy Young winner Blake Snell have also been in sharp form. However, I am still waiting for Tyler Glasnow to come around. When he does, the Dodgers’ rotation should be just about unbreakable.

Batting

The Dodgers have no shortage of heavy hitters in their lineup to punish opposing pitchers again this season. They finished fourth with a team batting average of .258. Additionally, the Dodgers were third in home runs and second in runs.

Ohtani was the catalyst for the Dodgers’ offense. He was unstoppable and became the first player in MLB history to join the 50-50 club, becoming the first to record 50+ home runs and 50+ steals.

Play No. 1 of 2024: "One-of-a-kind player, one-of-a-kind season!"

Shohei Ohtani goes 6-for-6 with 3 HR, 2 SB, 10 RBI and records the first 50/50 season in MLB history! pic.twitter.com/00mniHyAUx

— MLB (@MLB) December 17, 2024

He finished the season with a .310 average, 54 home runs, 130 RBIs, and 59 steals. If Ohtani remains healthy, there isn’t any reason to believe that he can’t do something similar. The Dodgers’ offense is likely to rank at the top of the Majors again this season.

Along with Ohtani, Freddie Freeman, Max Muncy, and Mookie Betts are all returning for the Dodgers. Also, the franchise inked Teoscar Hernandez to a three-year, $66 million contract. In 2025, the Dodgers currently rank first in the Major Leagues in home runs with 33 to put them just ahead of the Yankees.

The Dodgers will have no problems putting runs up on the board this season, and their World Series 2025 odds certainly reflect that.

New York Yankees (+925)

The Yankees have moved up to the second spot but their odds to win the World Series have actually regressed. Previously, the Yankees had a price of +900, so as I stated, the Dodgers continue to be the clear team to beat in 2025.

Last season, the Yankees came three wins short of winning the 2024 World Series. They fell to the Dodgers in five games following capturing the AL East and ALCS title. Aaron Judge fell down, while the Dodgers’ bats rose to the top of the mountain. How will the Yankees respond in 2025? They’re going to have to do it without some key arms in their rotation.

Check out the details for their upcoming campaign below:

Pitching Staff

The Yankees were expected to enter this season with some potent arms in the rotation. It took Gerrit Cole a minute to shake off a slow start last season, but heated up in the second half. Cole, however, will be absent all year after it was announced he requires Tommy John surgery.

Cole’s return to 2023 form was paramount to the Yankees’ success this season, but that’s a big blemish against them. Additionally, reigning AL Rookie of the Year Luis Gil is dealing with shoulder discomfort, which is likely to hold him out through the start of the season. This would have been a strong rotation with Cole, Gil, and the newly acquired Max Fried.

Yankees pitcher Gerrit Cole will undergo Tommy John surgery and miss the 2025 season

Tough break for the Yankees 😔 pic.twitter.com/1Re83vnygz

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) March 10, 2025

However, Cole is done for the year, and Gil’s status remains questionable — the latest news points to a June return. Carlos Rodon steps into a more prominent role in the Yankees’ rotation. He needs to step up and look more like the Cy Young candidate he was with the White Sox.

After finishing seventh with a team ERA of 3.74 in 2024, the Yankees had room to improve on that number. With the injuries, though, it’s going to be difficult for the pitching staff to show strides forward in 2025. Right now, the Yankees are struggling to win games with their pitching staff.

As a team, the Bronx Bombers hold a 4.29 ERA, for 20th in the Majors. That isn’t going to work, so the Yankees must hope that Gil gets healthy and returns to top form this season.

Batting

The Yankees’ offense had plenty of pop in the batter’s box last season. They led the Major Leagues in home runs with 237 long balls. Additionally, they ranked second in RBIs, just ahead of the Dodgers with 815. The offense had a .248 batting average for ninth in Major League Baseball. They depended on the home run ball to score a huge chunk of their runs.

AARON JUDGE.
THREE HOME RUNS.
ARE YOU SERIOUS?! pic.twitter.com/XsvEP6dNvO

— MLB (@MLB) March 29, 2025

Of course, the Yankees’ success offensively comes down to Aaron Judge’s health. So far, all good for Judge, who is swinging a hot bat. He’s hitting an impeccable .381 and has launched six homers.

Unfortunately, Giancarlo Stanton hasn’t stepped into the batter’s box and has no end in sight for his return. Also, DJ LeMahieu is still nursing a calf injury and recovering on the sidelines.

After losing Juan Soto, the Yankees signed Paul Goldschmidt and Cody Bellinger in the offseason. This provides the roster with added depth, and improved defense.

Goldschmidt is a four-time Gold Glove winner at first base, so this is a solid add for the Yankees. Bellinger is off to a slow start, with a .180 batting average and one home run, but Goldschmidt is in great form with a .349 average.

Paul Goldschmidt has already picked up his 22nd hit of the year in just 16 games.

Last season, it took Goldschmidt 29 games to pick up his 22nd hit of the year. pic.twitter.com/arCIwV0z3h

— Fireside Yankees (@FiresideYankees) April 15, 2025

If Stanton and LeMahieu can re-join the starting lineup, the Yankees’ offense will be in fine shape. Currently, they rank second with 32 home runs, so the power is most definitely present. And, as long as Judge remains healthy, they are always going to have a dangerous threat to put multiple runs on the board in an instant. Nevertheless, there are question marks here as well for the Yankees in 2025.

Philadelphia Phillies (+1250)

The Phillies are off to a decent start in the NL East this season with a mark of 10-7. The Braves have been disappointing, while the Phillies and Mets look like the teams to beat.

Last year, the Phillies won the division fairly comfortably with a record of 95-67. However, the Mets got stronger in the offseason, so are they still the top contender?

Let’s delve into how the Phillies look and their chances in 2025:

Pitching Staff

The Phillies have some workhorses in their starting rotation. Zack Wheeler, Jesus Luzardo, Taijuan Walker, and Cristopher Sanchez make for a fairly formidable combo. However, Aaron Nola isn’t in form to open the season, and the bullpen is holding the pitching staff back.

Zack Wheeler, Vicious Sweeper and Curveball. 😤 pic.twitter.com/QSnBurXNUN

— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) April 2, 2025

Philadelphia’s bullpen is in rocky shape, as they boast a 4.50 ERA through the first three weeks. Overall, the Phillies are 14th, with a team ERA of 3.81. The rotation is holding the Phillies up, so the relievers must offer more support if they’re going to pull away in the NL East.

Nevertheless, the pitching is pretty well on par with the Phillies’ results from last season. They finished with a 3.85 ERA for 11th in MLB. That’s only 0.4 off of their current mark! However, again, the Mets are a stronger team. That may not be enough to win by six games this season.

In any event, the Phillies could target bullpen help at the trade deadline and suddenly look like a team that could perhaps compete with the Dodgers. Right now, they don’t have the depth to oust a Dodgers squad with their offensive depth.

Batting

The Phillies remain one of the most feared offenses in baseball. With a lineup featuring Bryce Harper, Kyle Schwarber, and Nick Castellanos, the Phillies are in good shape.

However, I wouldn’t say that they have had the hottest bats to open the season. They are 18th in home runs this season but are making decent contact for a .241 batting average for 11th in the Majors.

Bryce Harper sneaks this one out to extend the @Phillies lead ⚾️ pic.twitter.com/ixvNKj4S8v

— MLB (@MLB) April 16, 2025

In 2024, the Phillies ranked fifth with a .257 batting average and seventh in home runs with 189. As the weather heats up, expect the Phillies to get their bats working a little harder this season.

The Phillies didn’t lose anything significant from their 2024 roster, so I don’t foresee much volatility. They should once again flirt in the top 10 offensively.

That being said, if the Phillies catch the injury bug, it’s going to be tough to overcome losing Harper or Schwarber. In comparison, a team like the Dodgers could get by with an injury or two.

I must admit, I’d rather bet on the Phillies at +1250 than the Yankees at +925, though.