**Follow the Money: The 2025 Baseball Season Recap**
The time-tested philosophy of **“Follow the money”** perfectly bookended the 2025 baseball season. It began with a pair of record-breaking free-agent signings and ended with two of the three top-paid teams making deep playoff runs. The Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Yankees—last year’s World Series opponents—invested heavily in the open market and reaped big rewards as a result. Meanwhile, the New York Mets, another big-spending team, weren’t so fortunate.
—
### Soto’s Windfall
After a wild winter bidding war, the Mets successfully lured slugging outfielder **Juan Soto** from the Yankees with a record contract worth $765 million. The deal spans 15 years, paying Soto an average of $51 million per year, all up-front.
Not to be outdone, the crosstown Yankees redirected some of the funds earmarked for Soto to sign star starting pitcher **Max Fried** to an eight-year, $218 million contract—the largest and longest ever awarded to a left-handed pitcher.
Playing between Francisco Lindor and Pete Alonso in a potent Mets lineup, Soto delivered a career-best 43 home runs and narrowly missed joining the rare 40/40 club by finishing with a league-leading 38 stolen bases.
On the Yankees’ side, Fried stepped up as the team ace following **Gerrit Cole’s** Tommy John surgery. He dominated the mound with a career-best 19 wins—the most in the majors—and a 2.86 earned run average, propelling the Yankees into the playoffs.
—
### Payroll Powerhouses and Playoff Results
The season reaffirmed the adage that teams who pay well usually perform well. According to Roster Resource, the Dodgers topped payroll charts with a record $394 million, followed by the Mets at $339 million and the Yankees at $294 million.
Yet, dreams of the first Subway Series since 2000 were dashed when the Mets missed the playoffs on the season’s final day, despite having the best record in baseball as recently as June 12.
—
### Detroit’s Disaster and Cleveland’s Comeback
The Detroit Tigers suffered a crushing collapse after leading the American League Central by double digits as late as Labor Day. Meanwhile, the Cleveland Guardians mounted a historic comeback, clawing back from 15½ games behind Detroit on July 8 to clinch their second consecutive division title.
Both Cleveland and the Milwaukee Brewers reached the playoffs without exorbitant payrolls. The Brewers, with a $123 million payroll, won home-field advantage throughout the playoffs by posting 97 wins—the most in the majors and just shy of a .600 winning percentage. Cleveland’s $102 million payroll ranked 25th according to Roster Resource.
—
### Playoff Picture and Division Titles
Entering the final day of the 162-game season, three playoff spots remained undecided: the winners of both the AL East and Central Divisions as well as the third and final National League wild-card spot.
The AL East champion earned the top seed, securing a playoff bye starting September 30 and home-field advantage through the Championship Series. The **Toronto Blue Jays** finished with the same record as the Yankees at 94-68 but claimed the division crown by winning the season series against New York. This marked Toronto’s sixth AL East title and their first since 2015.
The other American League playoff bye went to the **Seattle Mariners**, who earned their first divisional title in 24 years. Seattle’s success was powered by switch-hitting catcher **Cal Raleigh**, who produced the seventh 60-homer season in baseball history. Mid-season trade acquisitions **Eugenio Suarez** and **Josh Naylor** also bolstered the Mariners’ roster.
—
### Home Run Highlights and MVP Contenders
Suarez, while still with Arizona, hit four home runs in a single game—a feat later matched by rookie **Nick Kurtz** of the Athletics and veteran **Kyle Schwarber** of the Phillies. Philadelphia clinched their second straight National League East crown.
Schwarber emerged as a strong candidate for NL MVP but could face stiff competition from **Shohei Ohtani**, the only two-way player in the majors. Ohtani led the majors in several categories, including on-base percentage and runs scored, while topping 50 home runs for the second consecutive season.
Other players to reach the 50-home run milestone included Cal Raleigh, Kyle Schwarber, and defending AL MVP **Aaron Judge**. Suarez finished just one home run short.
—
### The 30/30 Club and Notable Performances
The 30/30 club—the group of players with at least 30 home runs and 30 stolen bases—saw record membership this season with seven players joining the elite group. Leading the pack were Mets teammates **Francisco Lindor** and Juan Soto. Other members included **Corbin Carroll**, **Jazz Chisholm Jr.**, **Jose Ramirez**, **Pete Crow-Armstrong**, and **Julio Rodriguez**.
Red Sox-Giants slugger **Rafael Devers** combined to hit 34 home runs after playing 163 games—the only player to exceed the regular schedule since **Justin Morneau** in 2008.
—
### Pitching Stars and Rookies
Though no no-hitters were recorded in 2025, several pitchers shined. Detroit’s **Tarik Skubal**, the defending American League Cy Young Award winner, made a strong bid to retain his title. Pittsburgh’s **Paul Skenes** was the overwhelming favorite for the National League Cy Young Award.
Rookies who reached stardom included **Nick Kurtz**, who hit 35 home runs for the Athletics after his April 23 promotion, and catcher **Drake Baldwin**, who took over for the Braves during Sean Murphy’s struggles and injuries.
—
### Strange Ending to the All-Star Game
For the first time in history, the All-Star Game concluded without a winning pitcher. The game ended in a 6-6 tie after nine innings. The winner was decided with an in-game Home Run Derby, won by Kyle Schwarber, representing the National League.
The regular Home Run Derby, held the previous night, was won by Cal Raleigh, offering a compelling preview of the season ahead.
—
### Minor League Parks and Team Future Concerns
Two teams played their home games in minor-league ballparks this season: the Tampa Bay Rays at **George M. Steinbrenner Field**—borrowed from the Yankees—and the Oakland Athletics at **Sutter Health Field** in West Sacramento, awaiting the completion of their new stadium in Las Vegas.
Tampa Bay’s future remains uncertain after new ownership took over. The costly restoration of the Tropicana Field roof, damaged by Hurricane Milton, is in jeopardy even on a temporary basis. Without a stable home park, discussions about expanding Major League Baseball to 32 teams have been put on hold, according to Commissioner Rob Manfred.
—
### Innovations and Labor Concerns
Manfred announced that next season MLB will implement **ABS (Automated Balls and Strikes)** technology to aid umpires with home plate decisions, aiming to improve accuracy.
However, the bigger concern looming over the league is maintaining labor peace between players and owners. The current Basic Agreement expires after the 2026 season and could trigger a serious work stoppage, with financial issues at the core.
Many teams advocate for a salary cap or at least a payroll cap, an idea firmly opposed by the Players Association. In 2025, the average player salary topped $5 million for the first time, reaching $5.2 million—a 3.6% increase from roughly $4.7 million the previous year, according to The Associated Press.
—
The 2025 baseball season demonstrated once again that while money often paves the way to success, the game remains unpredictable—full of historic comebacks, rising stars, and dramatic finishes that keep fans eagerly watching year after year.
https://bitcoinethereumnews.com/finance/costly-free-agents-help-yankees-and-dodgers-reach-playoffs-again/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=costly-free-agents-help-yankees-and-dodgers-reach-playoffs-again
