How many games will the Rockies win in 2025? Who will take home hardware around baseball?
It’s that time of year again…Purple Row staff predictions!
The Rockies start their 162-game quest tonight in sunny Tampa, FL at Tropicana George M. Steinbrenner Field as they take on the Tampa Bay Rays, who are playing their season in the spring training home of the New York Yankees after Hurricane Milton destroyed the Trop. They’ll then head to the City of Brotherly Love for a three-game set against the Philadelphia Phillies before returning home for the Home Opener next Friday, April 4th.
With all that said, here is what the Purple Row staff thinks will happen during this baseball season:
Let’s start with a win total
Last year, the majority of the staff predicted the Rockies would go 63-99. They ended up with a second-straight 100-loss season, finishing 61-101. But the two-game improvement from 2023 was enough to let the majority of their staff keep their jobs.
This year, nobody picked fewer than 90 losses for the team at 20th and Blake. The majority of folks (3) picked them to finish one loss better than last year, with a square 62-100 record. The most optimistic person predicted a 71-91 record, and most pessimistic said 58-104, which would be their worst record to date.
National League winners
In 2024, the Purple Row staff once again unanimously predicted that the reigning-champion Los Angeles Dodgers would win the NL West, especially after their torrid spending spree over the last few years.
In the NL Central, 50% of the staff predicts that the Milwaukee Brewers will be victorious. 40% believe that the Chicago Cubs will be crowned, and one person believes it will be the Cincinnati Reds.
In 2024, all 10 staff members predicted that the Atlanta Braves would be victorious in the NL East. However, this year saw a shift. Seven folks believe the Phillies will rise to the top, two still believe in the Braves, and one person is hoping the New York Mets (with newly-acquired Juan Soto) will win the division.
As far as the Wild Cards go, if the Purple Row staff are correct, the Arizona Diamondbacks (9), New York Mets (5) and San Diego Padres (4) will make the postseason. Otherwise, the Braves (3), Cubs (3), Brewers (3), Phillies (2) and Pirates (1) also received votes.
American League winners
Switching leagues, the answers were a little more sporadic.
In the AL West, five of the 10 votes went to the Texas Rangers to take the crown. The Houston Astros received three votes, and the Seattle Mariners earned two.
The Central was the most sporadic. The majority of voters (40%) believe in the Kansas City Royals, but 30% believe in the Detroit Tigers. The Cleveland Guardians have the support of 20% of our staff, and one voter believes in the Minnesota Twins.
Finally, in the AL East, three teams received nearly-equal votes. The majority of voters (4) believe the Baltimore Orioles will finally claim victory, while the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox each received three votes.
As far as Wild Cards go, the Purple Row staff believes that the Yankees (6), Orioles (5) and Guardians (4) will make the postseason. The Red Sox (3), Tigers (2), Astros (3), Royals (3), Mariners (2), Rays (1) and Rangers (1) also received votes.
Champions
The staff was a little more divided in their championship predictions than in 2024. 60% of the staff believes the Dodgers will repeat as NL champions. However, the AL side was a bit more up-in-the-air. 60% believe either the Yankees or Red Sox will raise the AL pennant, while 40% are split between the Rangers and Orioles.
Purple Rowers were split only five different ways on who would win the World Series. Five staffers believe that the Dodgers will repeat, while the other five believe in the Phillies (2), Yankees (1), Braves (1) or Red Sox (1).
Hardware
As far as individual awards go, the staff was nearly-unanimous in their prediction for Shohei Ohtani (LAD) to repeat as NL MVP. One person believes Juan Soto (NYM) might wrestle the trophy away from him.
On the AL side, the Royals’ Bobby Witt Jr. is the favorite, having amassed five votes from staffers. Aaron Judge (NYY) received three votes, while Gunnar Henderson (BAL) and Yordan Alvarez (HOU) each earned one.
For pitchers, 2024 rookie sensation Paul Skenes (PIT) received seven votes for NL Cy Young. Corbin Burnes (ARI) earned two, and Zack Wheeler (NYM) earned one.
On the AL side, results were a bit more mixed. Five votes were split between two Garrett’s – four for Crochet (BOS) and one for Gerrit Cole (NYY), though the latter had Tommy John surgery on March 13. Jackson Jobe (DET), Jacob deGrom (TEX) and Logan Gilbert (SEA) also each received a vote.
Finally, looking at rookies, Roki Sasaki (LAD) edged out Dylan Crews (WAS) five votes to three. Matt Shaw (CHC) received the remaining two votes.
On the AL side, things were a little more mixed. The two Jacksons — Holliday (BAL) and Jobe (DET) — each earned two votes, as did Kristian Campbell (BOS) and Jasson Domínguez (NYY). Jac Caglianone (KCR) and Roman Anthony (BOS) each earned one vote.
Bold predictions
Now is the fun part of the staff predictions! 2025 will be another interesting and important year for the Rockies, so let’s see what people think!
Here are some of our Rockies-specific predictions:
- Tyler Freeman takes to playing at elevation better than folks think he will.
- Kris Bryant plays 140 games this season
- Two Rockies hit over 30 home runs this season and one of those is 40+
- Rockies having a winning record against the Dodgers.
- For the first time since 2021, the Rockies will have a starting pitcher that surpasses 10 wins.
- Rox enter final week of season with 99 losses. Rox sweep Mariners on the road then win first 2 games in a season-ending road series against the Giants but drop the finale in extra innings on a walk-off Giants homer to end year with 100 losses.
- At the trade deadline, the Rockies will send German Márquez to an AL East team, receiving two prospects in return (a pitcher and a catcher).
- The Rockies will have multiple All-Stars (Doyle, Tovar and Toglia) for the first time since 2019.
And others to watch around MLB:
- The Dodgers win the most games in the regular season and the least of those teams who make the Division Series. Because baseball.
- Justin Verlander will be a Cy Young finalist.
- Injuries decimate the Los Angeles Dodgers, causing them to miss the postseason (we can dream)
- Two perfect games will be thrown this year.
- The Dodgers and Yankees will rematch in the World Series, but the Yankees will sweep.
- Jackson Jobe will be the first pitcher to win the Cy Young and RoTY in the same season since Fernando Valenzuela in 1981.
Some of these bold predictions will come true, and we’ll all wish we had come up with them ourselves. But either way, baseball is back everyone! Stay tuned for our community predictions later this afternoon!
Happy (almost) Opening Day!