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

Los Angeles Dodgers (+240)

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. With a record of 46-29 and a 4.5-game lead in the NL West, I don’t believe they’ve hit their stride yet, either. Find a breakdown of their pitching and lineup below:

Pitching Staff

When they are healthy, the Dodgers could have one of the strongest pitching staffs in baseball. However, injuries have hit the Dodgers’ rotation harder than any other team in the Major Leagues. They’ve had to navigate through several key injuries this season, and the hits have kept coming.

Blake Snell, Tyler Glasnow, Roki Sasaki, and recently, Tony Gonsolin joined them on the injury report. Additionally, Ohtani, who is supposed to be in the starting rotation, only returned in June after missing the entire last season. Overall, the Dodgers are 21st in MLB, with a team ERA of 4.16.

Great to see Shohei Ohtani back on the mound again! pic.twitter.com/2YIhHcsHGe

— MLB (@MLB) June 17, 2025

All things considered, that’s a best-case scenario for the Dodgers given the injury bug. With an ERA of 2.64 and a 1.09 WHIP, second-year starter Yoshinobu Yamamoto has emerged as the ace of the ball club.

The fact they’ve managed to overcome all these injuries and still lead the National League is a scary thought for the rest of the league. When they finally catch a break later this season and hopefully enter the postseason with a healthy pitching staff, the Dodgers are doubly more dangerous than they are now!

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 in 2024. 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. He concluded the 2024 campaign with a .310 average, 54 home runs, 130 RBIs, and 59 steals.

Shohei Ohtani. Inevitable

Fourth career walk-off hit, second career walk-off homer ⭐️ pic.twitter.com/LmN6GgNAel

— MLB (@MLB) April 3, 2025

He’s back to doing Ohtani things in 2024, as the Japanese is hitting an impressive .292 with 25 home runs, 43 RBIs, and 11 stolen bases. Currently, Ohtani is tied for third in the Major Leagues in home runs through the Dodgers’ first 75 games this season.

As a team, the Dodgers are first in home runs and batting average with 116 long balls and a healthy average of .265 at the dish. Along with Ohtani, Freddie Freeman, Max Muncy, and Mookie Betts have all returned to Los Angeles. Also, the franchise inked Teoscar Hernandez to a three-year, $66 million contract. Hernandez is currently absent with a groin strain but should make a return later this summer.

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

New York Yankees (+550)

The New York Yankees are firmly entrenched as the second favorite to win the World Series in 2025 after losing to the Dodgers last year. There was a huge gasp from Yankees fans after Gerrit Cole was ruled out for the season after undergoing Tommy John surgery.

As I noted, the Yankees’ World Series odds immediately regressed on news of Cole’s injury in the pre-season. However, the Bronx Bombers are looking up on the arm of AL Cy Young contender Max Fried.

With a record of 43-31 and a two-game lead in the AL East, the Yankees’ odds have improved to +550. Is this a price worth betting on, or are the Yankees overvalued, as is typically the case?

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 continues to contend with shoulder soreness. Gil remains out of the lineup and isn’t expected to return until after the All-Star break!

With Max Fried dealing for the Yankees, it would have been a dangerous 1-2 punch to have Cole or Gill. If Fried, Cole, and Gil were all together, I’d feel highly confident about the Yankees’ 2025 World Series odds! Fried has been mesmerizing on the bump, with a 1.89 ERA and 0.95 WHIP through 95 innings.

Max Fried’s performance this year has been special.

It’s hard enough being the ace of the New York Yankees. It’s even harder when you’re replacing Gerrit Cole.

Fried is having one of the best first seasons in pinstripes a Yankee has ever had.
pic.twitter.com/KJ8eAk1ViJ

— Chris (@Chris_NYY28) June 11, 2025

Fried is on fire, so what about the rest of the rotation? The Yankees are eighth in the Major Leagues, with a team ERA of 3.52 and a 1.18 WHIP. Carlos Rodon has been in fine form, posting an ERA of 3.10 and a 0.98 WHIP in 16 starts and 95.2 frames.

Additionally, 29-year-old Clarke Schmidt has stepped up admirably, with a 3.16 ERA and 1.15 WHIP in 62.2 innings.

In 2024, the Yankees finished seventh with a team ERA of 3.74. They’re slightly ahead of that curve but need to be healthier to eclipse their results from a season ago.

Conversely, the trade deadline could prove to be a huge turning point for the Yankees. Gil’s form upon his return should also be a focal point for the Yankees’ chances in the fall.

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.

All 300 of Aaron Judge’s homers in 60 seconds! pic.twitter.com/GWW4chh5XJ

— MLB (@MLB) August 15, 2024

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 overall despite hitting a slump in June.

He’s hitting an impeccable .366 with 26 home runs and 60 RBIs! Judge is the clear AL MVP favorite, which goes without saying given his torrid run.

Unfortunately, Giancarlo Stanton hasn’t stepped into the batter’s box and has no end in sight for his return. The Yankees are getting good news on the DJ LeMahieu front, though. He recently came off the IL and is back in the starting lineup for the Yankees.

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 but is showing signs of getting hot. In April, Bellinger struggled with a .182 batting average. Now, the veteran has a .259 average and 10 home runs.

As far as Goldschmidt is concerned, he’s been playing solid baseball from the get-go with his new team. The former D-back owns a .303 average and eight home runs through 74 games.

Back-to-back in the Bronx 🤯

Paul Goldschmidt sends a laser down the line! pic.twitter.com/nO5zxCiin8

— MLB (@MLB) June 19, 2025

Currently, the Yankees rank ninth with a team batting average of .253 and are trailing only the Dodgers in home runs with 113! As long as Judge remains healthy, the Yankees are always going to be the biggest threat to put runs on the board in a hurry.

New York Mets (+800)

The Yankees are attracting most of the attention in New York, but don’t forget about the Mets! They are the first team in the National League to win 40 games and hold the clear edge in the NL East.

Carlos Mendoza’s club is off to a 45-29 start and are up on the Phillies by one game. In May, the Phillies had the third-shortest odds and were one of the most popular 2025 World Series picks. However, money has tilted markedly in the Mets’ direction since then. ko

Check out the latest regarding the Mets and how their World Series chances are shaping up:

Pitching Staff

The Mets have some workhorses in their rotation that are quite underrated! Kodai Senga, Clay Holmes, Tylor Megill, and Griffin Canning don’t sound like the most imposing rotation on paper.

That said, the Mets are letting their performance on the mound do all the talking. Senga has long odds to win the NL Cy Young, but I argue he should be held in higher standing at the moment. The 32-year-old Japanese hurler is flourishing in the Mets’ rotation this season.

Senga has been red-hot, with a 1.47 ERA and 1.11 WHIP through 13 starts and 73.2 innings on the mound. However, the Mets are hurting with Senga out of the rotation.

He’s contending with a hamstring injury, and the timetable for a return remains up in the air. Still, Senga is expected to be ready in time for the postseason, so that’s huge news for the Mets.

Kodai Senga’s early injury timeline revealed as Mets struggle without ace https://t.co/rxnHcf3xeo pic.twitter.com/CwBQTTyjPA

— New York Post (@nypost) June 16, 2025

He isn’t the only star attraction in Queens, as Holmes, Megill, and Canning are having solid campaigns. However, the Mets need Senga back in the rotation to truly excel in the postseason. As a team, the Mets lead the Major Leagues with an ERA of 3.00 and are seventh in strikeouts at 646!

They have a talented core that is well-built and has the depth required for the playoffs. Fortunately, it appears that Senga will be done with his rehab and ready to pitch by October.

Batting

Along with a stout pitching staff, the Mets have an offense that can put a charge into the ball. Overall, the Mets are sixth in the Majors with 93 home runs hit. On the downside, the contact numbers have fallen off considerably over the last month.

The Mets were eighth with a team batting average of .254 last month. Currently, they’re 17th in the Majors, with a .246 average through 74 matchups. It isn’t the largest drop, but several teams have passed the Mets by in the previous few weeks.

The Mets have four players with a .800+ OPS:

Pete Alonso (.961)
Jeff McNeil (.873)
Juan Soto (.861)
Francisco Lindor (.817)

Offensive powerhouse. pic.twitter.com/FE6WZeJQpz

— StatMuse Baseball (@statmusemlb) June 18, 2025

Four Mets’ players have hit at least 13 home runs, including Juan Soto, who started slowly but has woken up recently. Soto has tattooed 14 home runs with a batting average of .248. Pete Alonso continues to lead the Mets in long balls with 17 through mid-June. Francisco Lindor shares second with Soto’s 14 bombs.

Last season, the Mets were sixth in home runs and 12th in batting average. Offensive success isn’t a surprise for the Mets. If the pitching staff stays in form and Senga picks up where he left off, coupled with this solid offense, the Mets are in business!