The Show 25 season sim: Yankees claim 28th World Series

We're back for another season of Major League Baseball. Before we dive into seven months of the real thing, we always like to see how the season could shake down virtually by simulating the year with MLB The Show 25. We've had some hits, and misses, but it's always been fun. And before you get mad at the results, remember this is a video game.

AL: EAST I CENTRAL I WEST
NL: EAST I CENTRAL I WEST
Jump to: PLAYOFFS I AWARDS

Orioles: Baltimore claims a second AL East title in three years. Gunnar Henderson puts together another MVP-caliber season, hitting 31 homers to go with a .947 OPS.

Yankees: Aaron Judge leads New York back into the postseason while also claiming his third AL MVP in four seasons. Max Fried posts a 3.60 ERA across 202 1/3 innings in his first season in pinstripes.

Blue Jays: Toronto misses the postseason due to a lackluster offense that scores the third-fewest runs in the AL. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. slashes .296/.383/.508 with 30 homers.

Red Sox: Garrett Crochet finishes third in AL Cy Young voting, but the rest of the rotation struggles. While Rafael Devers and Triston Casas combine for 71 homers, no other player finishes with more than 19.

Rays: Tampa Bay finishes in last place in the division for the first time since 2016. Only two qualified hitters - Yandy Díaz and Brandon Lowe - post an OPS over .700.

Royals: Kansas City posts its third-most wins in franchise history, and it does so without a big season from Bobby Witt Jr. The shortstop hits just 15 homers but does manage to steal 42 bases.

Twins: Joe Ryan posts a 2.73 ERA and AL-best 1.01 WHIP across 204 1/3 innings. Minnesota grabs a wild-card spot despite going 22-30 against the AL Central.

Guardians: Cleveland gets another brilliant season from José Ramírez (28 home runs, 25 stolen bases, .867 OPS), but the supporting cast can't do enough to help the offense score runs.

Tigers: Detroit's offense is horrendous, scoring the second-fewest runs in MLB. Spencer Torkelson leads the club with 23 homers. Tarik Skubal finishes second in the AL in WHIP (1.03) and third in ERA (2.53).

White Sox: Chicago posts triple-digit losses for a third straight year, but it's still a 15-win improvement over 2024. Luis Robert Jr. tallies a team-leading 33 homers to go with 23 stolen bases.

Mariners: Seattle grabs the AL's No. 1 seed after posting the second-most wins in the franchise's history. Led by AL Cy Young winner Logan Gilbert, the Mariners allow the fewest runs in the majors.

Athletics: The A's take advantage of a weak AL and grab a playoff spot despite a .500 record and negative run differential. Brent Rooker posts a 42-homer, 109-RBI season.

Astros: Houston misses the postseason for the first time since 2016 after losing seven straight to finish the schedule, including three against the A's. Isaac Paredes leads the team with 39 home runs.

Rangers: Texas misses the playoffs despite scoring the most runs in the AL. The pitching staff ranks 28th in ERA, while Corey Seager finishes second in MVP voting.

Angels: Los Angeles posts the second-worst AL record and second-worst run differential in the majors. Mike Trout leads the team with 25 homers, 77 RBIs, 17 stolen bases, and a .918 OPS.

Braves: Atlanta is back atop the NL East after missing out last season. The Braves dominate their division (34-18) with a pitching staff that allows the fewest runs in the NL. Austin Riley, Matt Olson, and Marcell Ozuna each hit at least 30 homers.

Mets: New York wins 11 of its final 12 games to grab the NL's last playoff spot. Juan Soto posts 43 home runs and a .936 OPS in his first season in Queens.

Phillies: Philadelphia misses the playoffs by one game despite 88 wins and an elite run differential. Zack Wheeler leads the NL in innings pitched and WHIP, while also finishing third in ERA.

Nationals: Washington isn't quite ready to take the next step and finishes a fifth straight season with at least 90 losses. Dylan Crews claiming NL Rookie of the Year is a positive sign of things to come.

Marlins: It's another brutal year in Miami, but at least the club avoided another 100-loss season. Sandy Alcantara excels in his return from injury, posting a 3.05 ERA across 197 2/3 innings.

Cubs: Chicago claims its first division title and playoff appearance since 2020. Kyle Tucker is the superstar the team desperately needed, hitting 36 homers while driving in 124 runs.

Reds: Terry Francona helps Cincinnati return to the playoffs for the first time in five seasons as the club posts its most wins in a season since 2012. Elly De La Cruz puts up an incredible 38-homer, 34-stolen base, 105-RBI season.

Brewers: Milwaukee finishes outside the top two in the division for the first time since 2020. While missing the playoffs is disappointing, Freddy Peralta wins the NL Cy Young and Christian Yelich adds an NL batting title (.325).

Cardinals: St. Louis stays out of the NL Central basement, but it's an otherwise underwhelming season. Willson Contreras leads the club with 33 homers and an .887 OPS.

Pirates: Pittsburgh finishes with a losing record for a seventh straight season. Paul Skenes has a solid sophomore year, posting a 3.50 ERA, 1.12 WHIP, and 209 strikeouts in 190 1/3 innings.

Dodgers: To no one's surprise, the Dodgers claim the NL's best record and run differential. Shohei Ohtani wins another MVP award, while Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Tyler Glasnow finish second and third in NL Cy Young voting, respectively.

D-Backs: Arizona gets 30-plus-homer seasons from Corbin Carroll, Ketel Marte, and Josh Naylor. Corbin Burnes also dazzles in his first year with the club, posting a 2.39 ERA, 1.12 WHIP, and 197 strikeouts across 207 1/3 innings.

Giants: San Francisco drops four of its last five games and narrowly misses the postseason. Willy Adames hits 34 homers in his first year with the Giants.

Padres: Despite a brilliant season from Fernando Tatis Jr. (38 homers, 113 RBIs), San Diego posts its worst winning percentage since 2019.

Rockies: Colorado goes 19-33 against the NL West to finish with a third straight 100-plus-loss season. Ezequiel Tovar leads the club with just 21 homers.

Playoffs

AL wild card

No. 5 Twins vs. No. 4 Yankees (2-0 NYY)
No. 6 Athletics vs. No. 3 Orioles (2-0 BAL)

NL wild card

No. 5 D-Backs vs. No. 4 Reds (2-0 ARI)
No. 6 Mets vs. No. 3 Braves (2-0 NYM)

ALDS

Yankees vs. No. 1 Mariners (3-2 NYY)
Orioles vs. No. 2 Royals (3-2 BAL)

NLDS

D-Backs vs. No. 1 Dodgers (LAD 3-1)
Mets vs. No. 2 Cubs (CHC 3-1)

ALCS

Yankees vs. Orioles (4-1 NYY)

NLCS

Cubs vs. Dodgers (4-3 CHC)

World Series 🏆

Yankees vs. Cubs (4-2 NYY)

Start spreading the news: The Yankees knock off the Cubs in six games to win their 28th World Series in franchise history. Aaron Judge conquers his postseason demons, claiming World Series MVP after hitting .522 with three home runs against Chicago.

Major awards

AL MVP - Aaron Judge, Yankees

NL MVP - Shohei Ohtani, Dodgers

AL Cy Young - Logan Gilbert, Mariners

NL Cy Young - Freddy Peralta, Brewers

AL Rookie of the Year - Kristian Campbell, Red Sox

NL Rookie of the Year - Dylan Crews, Nationals