Oct 30, 2024; New York, New York, USA; New York Yankees designated hitter Giancarlo Stanton (27) hits an RBI sacrifice fly during the sixth inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers in game four of the 2024 MLB World Series at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Deutsch-Imagn Images Six of the 12 teams in last year’s playoff field did not reach the postseason in 2023, which suggests we’ll be sitting here in a few months realizing we underrated at least a handful of playoff-bound clubs and overestimated a similar number of squads. Here are three teams whose overrated nature may make their path to the postseason more difficult than expected.
1. Los Angeles Dodgers
No, we are just kidding. Let’s get to the actual list.
New York Yankees
Now here we have a worthy candidate as baseball’s most overrated team. The Yankees, who fell to the Dodgers in the World Series last fall, seemed to pivot nicely once Juan Soto headed for the Mets by shoring up their pitching staff with the additions of Max Fried and Devin Williams before acquiring former MVPs Cody Bellinger and Paul Goldschmidt to provide protection for Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton. But then spring training started, and Stanton’s dual elbow injuries thrust the unproven likes of Austin Wells, Jasson Domínguez and Ben Rice into key spots in the order.
The rotation is an even bigger question mark for the Yankees, who are relying on rookie Will Warren and the aging Marcus Stroman and Carlos Carrasco after losing Gerrit Cole to season-ending Tommy John surgery and Luis Gil to a right lat strain that will sideline him for most of the first half. Yet the Yankees’ World Series-winning odds remain the best in the AL and have climbed only slightly from +800 as of last November to +900. But with the Red Sox on the verge of a resurgence and the Orioles coming off back-to-back playoff appearances, the Yankees aren’t even a sure thing to win the AL East.
New York Mets
Mar 17, 2025; Jupiter, Florida, USA; New York Mets starting pitcher Paul Blackburn (58) pitches against the Miami Marlins during the first inning at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rhona Wise-Imagn Images Two overrated Big Apple teams? In this economy? To be fair, the markets and prognosticators seem to recognize the longer path to a title for the Mets, whose odds of winning the World Series are +1200 — down from +1400 in November but still only the fourth-best in the loaded NL behind the Dodgers, Atlanta Braves and Philadelphia Phillies.
The addition of Soto shouldn’t impact the immaculate vibes the Mets built last season, but their rotation — sans Sean Manaea to start the season and with Kodai Senga trying to come back from an injury-ruined season at the back end — might be an even bigger question mark than the one across town. Senga, Clay Holmes, Tylor Megill, Griffin Canning and David Peterson made just 68 regular-season starts in 2024. General manager David Stearns has proven an expert at adding on the margins, but the line between World Series contender and home in October is still a thin one for the Mets.
Chicago Cubs
Mar 27, 2025; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Chicago Cubs catcher Miguel Amaya (9) hits a three RBI double against the Arizona Diamondbacks during the fifth inning at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images This is as much about the defending NL Central champion Milwaukee Brewers being underrated as it is about the Cubs being overrated. But the Brewers’ superior infrastructure — they won the division yet again last season after Craig Counsell bolted Milwaukee for the Cubs, who made him the highest-paid manager in history — deserves a little more attention over the Cubs, who have retained their status as the NL Central favorites through the winter.
Kyle Tucker is an upgrade on Bellinger, and there’s plenty of youthful promise around him in the starting lineup, but the rotation is unspectacular and reliant upon Matthew Boyd and Ben Brown, who combined for 95 big league innings last year. Ryan Pressly was acquired to serve as closer, but he’s 36 and posted his worst peripherals of the decade last season. The Brewers still feel like the better bet to win a division likely to yield only one playoff team.
