We’re in the thick of September baseball, and a few teams are making a final postseason push. As some kick back and think about cactuses and grapefruits, Ethan and Spencer are back to offer up their answers to the tough questions of 2025 baseball: Is it the year of the Dumper? It’s a resounding no from both, but maybe you shouldn’t have asked two Yankees fans.
What team has been the biggest surprise (either way)?
Ethan: Atlanta Braves
This year Atlanta will finish below .500 for the first time since 2017, as they sit at 69–83 for fourth place in the National League East Division as of publication. Injuries weakened the team, with franchise player Ronald Acuña Jr. sidelined until late May recovering from an ACL tear. But even without him, the Braves performed well last year, winning 89 games with big contributions from their other bats and the triumphant return of Chris Sale to the top of Cy Young ballots. This year the supporting cast fell flat, and even though Acuña turned in a solid half season-plus, the Braves only have one qualified hitter with an .800 OPS (first baseman Matt Olson). The stagnant offense contributed to the fall-off, but the Braves pitching (leading the league in ERA last year) dropped into the bottom-10 for most stats, a major setback. The Atlanta faithful will hope to forget this season and turn their attention to ’26.
Spencer: Milwaukee Brewers
The only team with a chance to reach 100 wins (they’ll need seven wins in their 10 remaining games), the Brewers have cooled off since their 14-game winning streak in August, with an even 15–15 record in their last 30 games. They won 93 games in 2024. But this year has still been a well-balanced revelation, especially considering they started off 0–4 and 39–35. The rotation, led by Freddy Peralta living up to his potential, has been excellent, with all four starters with at least 20 starts posting a 106 ERA+ or higher. The relief pitching has similarly been above par, despite a lack of flashy relievers. Together, Milwaukee has the lowest ERA in the National League and the second-best in MLB. Supporting the pitching staff is one of the best defensive infields, many of whom are hitting solidly or better. Christian Yelich leads regulars with an .809 OPS, 29 homers, and 99 RBIS, not quite a return to MVP form, but a strong showing nonetheless. The other regulars are not far behind him, with everyone but shortstop Joey Ortiz coming in with at least a 100 OPS+ (league average). The Brewers will be able to avoid the Wild Card Series this year and will likely face the Padres or Mets in the division series; they have a great chance to win their first pennant since 1982.
What player performance has flown under the radar this year?
Ethan: Geraldo Perdomo
During the preseason, if you asked me who would lead the National League in Wins Above Replacement (WAR) among all position players, I would’ve said a lot of names before Geraldo Perdomo. But here we are with 15 games remaining and Perdomo sits atop the leaderboards with 6.8 WAR. Perdomo, a fifth-year player for the Arizona Diamondbacks, solidified his place as a contact-hitting, plus defender in the infield last year. This year, however, he turned into a bonafide star, slashing .289/.391/.461 so far with career highs in all major offensive categories (not to mention swiping 26 bags). Although Arizona struggled to stay above .500 this year, Perdomo’s surge gives Diamondbacks fans something to be excited about for the first time since their World Series bid in 2023.
Spencer: Brice Turang
I love it when a good defensive player finds out how to hit, and that’s what Brice Turang has done in 2025. Turang won both a Gold and Platinum Glove last year at second base but put up a mediocre .665 OPS, with just 7 homers in 559 at-bats. While his defense and stolen bases have taken a step back since 2024, his bat has broken out in a big way, jumping to over 20% above league average with a slugging percentage almost 100 points higher. This is just his third season, and he has no All-Star appearances, but if he continues his ascent, Turang could become one of the best Brewers second basemen of all time. Of course, a great playoff performance wouldn’t hurt either.
What team that’s going to miss the playoffs is set up well for next year?
Ethan: Oakland Athletics
It seems like every other day Nick Kurtz shows up on ESPN doing something nobody’s seen before for a mediocre Athletics team. Six-for-six with four dingers, including a 493-foot grand slam high off the batter’s eye, he’s undeniably exciting, and so is the A’s roster. Built around a full season of “The Big Amish,” the team boasts Jacob Wilson, a rookie hitting .317 swinging at every pitch he sees (and serving them through the holes for base hit after base hit), and the consistent production of catcher Shea Langeliers and DH Brent Rooker, who took a slight step back in 2025 after a career year in ’24. Center fielder Lawrence Butler has also shown flashes and has been no stranger to the highlight shows for his magical catches over the center field wall. If the pitching rotation can bolster around veteran starter Luis Severino, the Sacramento, Vegas, or wherever-else-they-choose-to-play Athletics can make a push in 2026.
Spencer: San Francisco Giants
The Giants are still technically in the playoff mix but are unlikely to make it, with a 76–76 record. There are holes here and there, but they have the pieces to take advantage of a good offseason in 2026. The offense is led by Matt Chapman, perhaps the best third baseman in the National League. They also picked up Rafael Devers, whose stats might look worse going from Fenway to Oracle but will still be great in his first full season next year. Willy Adames got a huge contract and has been a little disappointing proportionate to his salary, but I could see him putting up big numbers in his second year in San Francisco. The rotation is headed by Logan Webb and Robbie Ray, the equivalent of Wilbur Wood and Stan Bahnsen in 2025 baseball. Justin Verlander, 42, has bounced back since the All-Star Break, an odd but welcome development for the oldest player in the four major professional U.S. sports leagues. While he may not be back next year, another solid starter or two, along with a reliever, could help send the Giants to the playoffs for the first time since their similarly odd but welcome 2021 season.
We’ll do a full playoff preview later, but which likely playoff team are you planting your flag on?
Ethan: Philadelphia Phillies
With a 6–5 win in extra innings over the Los Angeles Dodgers on Sept. 18, the Phillies clinched the NL East, defending their division title from 2024. It might be a boring answer, but I think the other NL flash-in-the-pan teams will not be able to hold up to the steady bats and solid pitching of Philly. Along with their year-in-year-out stars, starting pitcher Christopher Sanchez has been a revelation, pitching to a 2.66 ERA while leading the league in innings pitched and most likely crossing 200 strikeouts. The Phillies have also gotten hot at the right time, winning 12 of 16 since Sept. 1.
Spencer: Chicago Cubs
The Cubs have also clinched the playoffs, despite losing their NL Central division lead for good to Milwaukee two months ago. Nico Hoerner leads the team in WAR as one of the two qualified National League hitters over .300 (along with Trea Turner of the Phillies) and has been an excellent defender at second base. Pete Crow-Armstrong has been ice cold in the second half, but I think that playoff baseball could light a fire under him. Kyle Tucker has also had a rough second half, but still has a 147 OPS+ overall. He is also getting hot, with a 1.189 OPS over his last 12 games. Seiya Suzuki, Ian Happ, Michael Busch, and Carson Kelly round out a lineup that has been the best offense in the National League this year. While the rotation is not as strong, Shota Imanaga is still solid, and Matthew Boyd (who has allowed just one run in 12 career playoff innings) and Cade Horton have come out of nowhere to be well above-average. Wrigley is always raucous, especially during the playoffs, and runs are historically hard to come by in the postseason. If the rotation can hold up, the offense could carry them to a deep run.
Spencer Landers can be reached at sklanders@wesleyan.edu.
Ethan Lee can be reached at ejlee@wesleyan.edu.
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