Now that the Super Bowl has concluded, it is officially baseball season. Following an epic seven-game World Series battle between the Toronto Blue Jays and Los Angeles Dodgers, a number of teams looked to improve in the offseason in order to contend with these two juggernauts. Here are the five teams that have improved the most during the 2025 offseason:
- Boston Red Sox
When the Red Sox lost third baseman Alex Bregman to the Chicago Cubs, the front office quickly pivoted to a run-prevention approach. The additions of pitchers Ranger Suárez, Sonny Gray and Johan Oviedo help build a top-five rotation in the American League led by Garrett Crochet and Suárez — a nasty one-two punch. Suárez was the best of these signings considering he posted a 3.20 ERA last season. The Red Sox also added infield depth by trading with St. Louis Cardinals first baseman Willson Contreras and Milwaukee Brewers third baseman Caleb Durbin. Contreras provides much-needed power after hitting 20 home runs last season while Durbin adds speed, stealing 18 bases in 2025. Losing Bregman was unfortunate for the Red Sox, but they have rebounded well following his departure.
- Baltimore Orioles
The Orioles finished 75-87 in 2025 after a season littered with injuries to franchise shortstop Gunnar Henderson and catcher Adley Rutschman. The team’s front office spent north of $195 million this offseason in hopes of reaching 90 wins again. The Orioles now have plenty of thump in their lineup with the additions of first baseman Pete Alonso and Angels outfielder Taylor Ward, who is coming off a career-high 36-home run season. Baltimore also improved their starting rotation by trading for Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Shane Baz, who remains unproven, but has upside given his arsenal, and signing veterans Chris Bassitt and Zach Eflin. In the bullpen, they added closer Ryan Helsley, who looks to bounce back after a dreadful 4.50 ERA season. These signings do have some risk, but the ceiling, paired with a healthy Henderson and Rutschman, is high enough that the O’s could return to the playoffs in October.
- Los Angeles Dodgers
Just when baseball fans thought they saw the best from the Dodgers, Los Angeles signed two of the best free agents during the offseason. Outfielder Kyle Tucker and closer Edwin Díaz fill much-needed holes for the Dodgers. Outside of Andy Pages and Teoscar Hernández, the Dodgers’ third outfield spot was a weakness. Tucker provides 20-home run power, a career .358 on-base percentage and solid outfield defense. Díaz is a top-tier closer who could earn 35-plus saves for the Dodgers, a mark he has only achieved once in his career. The Dodgers also re-signed third baseman Max Muncy, utility Kiké Hernández and pitcher Evan Phillips. What makes the team scarier going into the 2026 season is that shortstop Mookie Betts and first baseman Freddie Freeman should have a healthy season ahead of them, something neither franchise legend had last season.
- Toronto Blue Jays
Losing game seven of the World Series to the Dodgers was heartbreaking for the Blue Jays, but it clearly motivated them to make big moves this offseason. The Jays’ biggest acquisition of the offseason was pitcher Dylan Cease, who agreed to a seven-year $210 million deal. Cease’s pitching style is volatile, but he has made at least 30 starts from 2021-25, so he provides reliability that is rare in today’s game. Pitcher Shane Bieber also opted into his $16 million player option with the team while the Jays signed Korean Baseball Organization pitcher Cody Ponce to a three-year $30 million deal. The team also signed pitcher Tyler Rogers to strengthen its bullpen. They added depth to their lineup with the addition of third baseman Kazuma Okamoto from Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball league. Okamoto has hit 30 home runs multiple times throughout his career and should provide an instant impact.
- New York Mets
After missing the playoffs in 2025, the Mets won the offseason. Pitching fell apart for them down the stretch, so the team traded for Brewers pitchers Tobias Myers and Freddy Peralta, who is coming off a career year where he pitched to a 2.70 ERA. The Mets also acquired New York Yankees closer Devin Williams and his teammate, pitcher Luke Weaver, to help bolster the backend of their bullpen. The biggest additions came on offense as the Mets signed shortstop Bo Bichette, who will now play third base, and second baseman Jorge Polanco, who will play first base. While the defensive changes are questionable, it should help get these two as many at-bats as possible. The team also traded for second baseman Marcus Semien and outfielder Luis Robert Jr., both are elite defenders whose bats could rebound given their change of scenery.
With Spring Training inching closer, these teams will have the opportunity to showcase their revamped batting lineups, starting pitching rotations and bullpens for the baseball world to see.
