We've now reached the final week of the 2025 regular season, if you can believe it. Some teams are trying to lock up playof positioning (or just hang on to a spot in October entirely), while other teams have already begun preparations for what they hope will be a busy offseason to come.
So let's take stock, both of where we are and where we're headed. In this week's Moonshot, we asked FanSided's MLB staff to hold court on everything from the playoffs to free agency. Whose playoff debut are we most excited for? Which manager is under the most pressure this October? And who's the most underrated free agent set to hit the market this winter? You've got questions, we've (hopefully) got answers.
Well, we believe in exit velocity, bat flips, launch angles, stealing home, the hanging curveball, Big League Chew, sausage races, and that unwritten rules of any kind are self-indulgent, overrated crap. We believe Greg Maddux was an actual wizard. We believe there ought to be a constitutional amendment protecting Minor League baseball and that pitch framing is both an art and a science. We believe in the sweet spot, making WARP not war, letting your closer chase a two-inning save, and we believe love is the most important thing in the world, but baseball is pretty good, too.
This week's panel:
This week, Louisville Slugger announced that it would be partnering with FanSided to exclusively announce this year’s Silver Slugger Awards. (The finalists in each league will be announced on Oct. 22 and Oct. 23, with the winners announced on Nov. 6 and Nov. 7.) Which Silver Slugger race are you most intrigued by this year, and why?
Adam Weinrib: Extremely biased answer, but is Jazz Chisholm Jr. going to be rightfully recognized as the best offensive second baseman in the American League? His All-Star selection came as somewhat of a shock, but while Gleyber Torres was the shoo-in starter at that point, his numbers now pale in comparison to the man who shifted over to replace him in the Bronx. He deserves to fend off Brandon Lowe and Jorge Polanco for the honors, shining as seemingly the only star Brian Cashman has acquired in the past decade who’s embraced the spotlight instead of running from it.
Least intrigued? I told our editors to use Cal Raleigh in any test graphics they mock up. We may not know the winners for almost two months, but we know that one, I think.
Chris Landers: I’ll stick in the infield, and in the AL, but a bit further left on the diamond: I’m really, really curious to see how the voters parse the race between Jose Ramirez and Junior Caminero at third base.
It’s just such a fascinating clash of styles. Ramirez has been steady as a metronome for years now, and sure enough, he’s on pace for another 30/30 season in which he draws a ton of walks, hardly ever strikes out and is generally just one of the most well-rounded players in the sport. Caminero, meanwhile, has never met a pitch he didn’t think he could launch into low orbit. That approach comes back to haunt him sometimes, but the proof is in the pudding: 44 homers in 146 games. These two stars have arrived at more or less the same place; Ramirez’s wRC+ is 130, Camerino’s is 126. But they couldn’t have gotten there any differently.
Eric Cole: I don’t know about intrigued, but I fear that just how good of a year Jeremy Peña has had for the Astros is about to get lost in the shuffle. The guy has put up 5.3 rWAR and a 134 wRC+ this season, but his career year probably isn’t going to yield a Silver Slugger because he plays the same position as Bobby Witt Jr. (who is a freak of nature).
Zach Rotman: As a Mets fan, I’m going to go with the NL first-base race. Pete Alonso seemingly had this on lock for much of the year, but he’s had an up-and-down finish to his season, while Matt Olson has taken the league by storm in September. Olson has the wRC+ lead 141 to 140 over Alonso as of this writing, and Freddie Freeman (137) and Bryce Harper (134) aren’t far behind. Alonso will probably win it because he’s been by far the best run producer of those four, but Olson has been getting on base a ton while putting up strong power numbers and Freeman could still win the batting title. You could realistically make the case for three guys here.
Robert Murray: Does Nick Kurtz end up winning the Silver Slugger in his rookie season? The answer is probably yes. He’s 22, has posted a 5.0 bWAR and is slashing .294/.389/.616 with 32 home runs and 80 RBI this season. He’ll undoubtedly win the American League Rookie of the Year award and should also add some Silver Slugger hardware next to it as well. What a season. What a player.
Which player are you most excited to see make their playoff debut this season? (For the purposes of this exercise and the sanity of greater New England, we can assume that Roman Anthony will make it back in time for a potential Wild Card series.)
Adam Weinrib: It’s not like the Blue Jays are entering October hurting for viable starters, but how and when are they going to use Trey Yesavage as a secret weapon? Game 3 behind Kevin Gausman and Jose Berrios? Do they dare elevate him to Game 2, after Berrios’ prolonged slide? He’s made only one big-league start, but if not for some umpiring malfeasance from the King of Malfeasance, it would’ve been immaculate.
Chris Landers: There are plenty of enticing rookies to choose from, but personally, I can’t wait to see what happens with Pete Crow-Armstrong in October. His second half has been about as ugly as his first half was electrifying, with all those concerns about his uber-aggressive approach at the plate finally coming home to roost. He’s going to be out there every day because of his defense, and the Cubs need him to start hitting like an MVP candidate again if they’re going to get where they want to go. Does he have that in him? And how mentally strong will he prove to be if he gets off to a slow start and Wrigley Field gets restless?
Zach Rotman: I might be a Mets fan, but how can the answer not be Nolan McLean? I mean, he has a 1.19 (!) ERA in his first six big-league starts. He’s pitched so well, and the Mets rotation is such a mess, to the point where he feels like the Game 1 starter assuming they do find a way to get to October. We’ve seen him dominate some good offenses in his first taste of MLB action, but the postseason is a whole different beast. How will he do likely on the road at Dodger Stadium matched up against an elite Dodgers lineup with Yoshinobu Yamamoto on the other side? The Mets are putting an unfair amount of pressure on McLean’s shoulders, but he’s shown thus far that he can handle it. Will that continue into October?
Eric Cole: I’ll go with a different Cub who is poised to make my Braves very unhappy in what is set to be a very close Rookie of the Year race. Cade Horton saw his draft stock shoot through the roof when he went out and dominated in the College World Series in his draft year. In the second half of his rookie season, he has looked eerily similar to the guy that laid waste to college hitters back then. Don’t be surprised if Horton goes out and puts together a special postseason run.
Robert Murray: It’s Roman Anthony and, quite frankly, it isn’t close. Star players are everything in baseball. Anthony has every ingredient to be a top-10 player, if not better, and having him back for the postseason would be everything for the Red Sox. Just look at how much they have struggled without him! Answering this also reminds me of how impactful Jackson Chourio was for the Brewers last year during the postseason. Who says Anthony can’t be even better?
Aside from Aaron Boone, which manager do you think is under the most pressure over the next few weeks? Whose job is hanging in the balance?
Adam Weinrib: Can Aaron Boone get fired for something bad someone else does? That would be really helpful. I know Philly radio is already buzzing about how far Rob Thomson would have to go with this clutch juggernaut in order to keep his job, but that’s Philly radio. If the Mariners fall back from AL West pole position into the Wild Card spot, then get quickly flushed out of the postseason, are we sure Dan Wilson is viewed as the permanent solution there?
Chris Landers: Maybe there’s something in the water in New York (that something? The back page of the New York Post), because I really do not envy Carlos Mendoza right now. The expectations could not be higher given the payroll and all the starry names on this roster. And yet … I mean, have you seen this pitching staff lately? It’s either unreliable or injured or some combination of the two, and good luck winning multiple postseason series with that. It’s entirely possible that he winds up being the guy taking the fall for issues well out of his control.
Zach Rotman: Who is under the most pressure? That really feels like Craig Counsell. The Cubs were ultra-aggressive in acquiring Kyle Tucker with the goal of winning the World Series. An early exit after missing the postseason in 2024 would not be a good look. Since Counsell won’t lose his job, though, my real answer is going to be Rob Thomson. This might be unfair, since Zack Wheeler is out and who knows when Trea Turner will be back (or if he’ll be at 100 percent), but even without Wheeler, this might be this core’s last great chance to win it all. Another early exit, especially after what’s transpired each of the last two postseasons, could have the front office rethinking some things.
Eric Cole: I have to go Mendoza here, and if the Mets don’t make the playoffs, I think he is as good as gone. New York had massive expectations coming into this season and now the Mets are hanging on for dear life to even get into the postseason. Even if the Mets get in, they are going to have to look good in the playoffs for Mendoza’s job to be safe for next season — and even that is debatable.
Robert Murray: I’m shocked it took as long as it did to get to Counsell. No, he’s not in any danger of being fired only two years after signing a five-year, $40 million contract in Chicago. But he is in danger of losing even more patience from a fan base that has grown increasingly frustrated by him and the lack of significant improvement under his watch. Rightfully so: Cubs fans expected the team to be in championship conversations after hiring Counsell. The Cubs even said so, too! But it’s been nothing like that yet, and if they get bounced early again this postseason, those critics will only grow louder.
Who is the most underrated potential free agent in this year’s class?
Adam Weinrib: What is the baseball world going to do with JT Realmuto? It would be disingenuous to say he hasn’t lost a step, but he’s entering free agency as a 2.5-WAR catcher at the age of 35 who can still put up viable offense at a position that’s largely a vacuum. Who will let him complete his journey into the Hall of Very Good, and for how long will they commit?
Chris Landers: What on Earth will the market make of Michael King? When he’s right, he’s one of the very best starting pitchers in the sport. Then again, he’s hardly been healthy at all this year, and he’s a converted reliever who’s thrown more than 105 innings in a season exactly once in his entire career. He’ll also be 31 next May, which complicates the odds of getting the megadeal he seemed to be cruising towards at this time last year. Whoever gets him could be landing the steal of the winter, though.
Zach Rotman: Eugenio Suarez has 46 home runs and 111 RBI this season. He also has 178 strikeouts, has barely reached base over 30 percent of the time, has no speed and is having the worst defensive season of his career. Will he get paid like a third baseman with 45+ home runs and 110+ RBI normally would? Will teams think his best is behind him after a rocky couple of months with the Seattle Mariners? Suarez is an all-or-nothing power hitter who is also 34 years old and probably won’t put up these numbers again. I can see him getting a bloated one-year deal, and I can see him getting a lengthier contract as well. I have no idea what to expect.
Eric Cole: I’ll go with Ranger Suarez. I think most people agree that he is a good pitcher, but I think some team is going to be able to sign him to a far too reasonable deal for what they are likely to get out of him. The Phillies lefty just turned 30 and there is an argument that Suarez is the safest bet among all of the top free agent pitchers this winter.
Robert Murray: Give me Foster Griffin! He’s someone I’ve heard plenty about from people in baseball. He’s 30, a former first-round pick and is coming off a season in which he posted a 1.14 ERA in 16 games in Japan this season. He will have a market, and as someone told me around the All-Star break, is the most underrated free agent to monitor this winter.
With just over a week left in the regular season, give us your team to beat in both the AL and NL.
Adam Weinrib: There’s been so much talk about how there isn’t a “great team” in the American League that I think people missed the Blue Jays becoming a great team. They’ve got this. In the NL, I’m going with the Philadelphia Phillies and a 1993 rematch. Mitch Williams should throw out the honorary Last Pitch.
Chris Landers: In the American League, I’m going with the Mariners – they’ve been red-hot of late, and I just think that the starting pitching and the offense are going to coalesce at the right time. When they’re firing on all cylinders, this might be the most complete team in a wide-open AL, and there are scarce few other teams I trust at all right now.
On the NL side, lord help me, but I think the Brewers finally do it. Missing the Wild Card bloodbath will help, and they’ve been the clear best team in this league for months now. They have the horses in the rotation and an offense that can make life miserable on the opposition. And hey, it has to be their year some time, right?
Zach Rotman: I agree with Chris. I think from top to bottom, Seattle’s roster is better than anyone’s in the AL. The NL is much tougher, but I’m going to go with the Dodgers. Their roster is as good as it gets in the game, they’re as healthy as they’ve been all year and they’ve done it before. None of the other teams have given me a reason to bet against them.
Eric Cole: I know that they seem cursed in the postseason, but I can’t pick against the Brewers this year. They are playing so well, and with Zack Wheeler hurt and the Dodgers struggling to get going, Milwaukee just seems to be in a class of their own. As for the AL, I will go with the Astros even though I don’t feel amazing about it. This is a group of veterans who have been involved with multiple deep playoff runs. Yordan Alvarez getting hurt is a big deal, but you will struggle to find anyone that will bet against Jose Altuve in the postseason, and Hunter Brown can match up with any starter out there. Really close race in the AL, though, with every team having warts.
Robert Murray: In the American League, I’m going with the Toronto Blue Jays. They are formidable and will get Bo Bichette back. In the National League, I’m going with the Philadelphia Phillies. I love everything about Philly. But I would not at all be surprised if the San Diego Padres advanced to the World Series – and won it – because I have so much belief in that roster and leadership group.
Give us something you wrote this week!
Adam Weinrib: Who is among the 10 most forgotten Silver Slugger winners of all time? Oh, and I spoke to Mookie Betts on behalf of Corona, which was crazy.
Zach Rotman: I wrote about George Springer’s career revival and the other biggest surprises to come from the regular season for my First Pitch column.