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What are the 10 biggest contracts in MLB history?

FOX Sports Research

FOX Sports Research

Opening day of the 2025 MLB season isn’t until March 18th, with the reigning champion Los Angeles Dodgers taking on the Chicago Cubs in Japan, but spring training is already in full swing.

The Dodgers made a splash this offseason, signing Japanese pitcher Roki Sasaki just one season after signing both Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto to deals that rank as some of the biggest in league history.

Exactly where do those deals rank all-time, and how does Juan Soto‘s new deal with the New York Mets fit into the equation?

Let’s take a look at the 10 largest contracts in MLB history in terms of total dollar amount, based on Spotrac data.

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Top 10 biggest contracts in MLB history

Yamamoto signed the largest contract by any pitcher in MLB history, narrowly eclipsing Gerrit Cole‘s nine-year, $324 million pact with the Yankees. At 25 years old, he was posted by the Orix Buffaloes (Nippon Professional Baseball) last winter following one of the most dominant stretches in Japanese baseball history. He was a three-time Pacific League Most Valuable Player and has a lifetime ERA of 1.82.

Stat line after deal (2024): 7-2, 90 IP, 3.00 ERA, 105 K, 1.111 WHIP

In 2014, Stanton capitalized on his stardom by signing the then-richest deal in MLB history. That deal expires after the 2027 season. Stanton was traded to the Yankees just three seasons after he signed the monster extension. He was named the 2022 All-Star Game MVP and 2017 National League MVP, earned Silver Slugger honors in 2017 and made three more All-Star Game appearances since his extension.

Stat line after extension (2015): .249/.334/.516/, 275 HRs, 704 RBIs, 131 OPS+

Seager had become a playoff hero even before signing with the Rangers prior to the 2022 season. The shortstop’s deal — which now looks like it was very much worth it — ends in 2031, when he will be 37. Since his extension, he has been a three-time All-Star and put up a stellar 2023 season — finishing as the American League MVP runner-up that season, being named a Silver Slugger and taking home the World Series MVP. 

Stat line after deal (2022): .280/.350/.524, 96 HRs, 253 RBIs, 143 OPS+

After playing with the Nationals for his whole career, Harper left for the division-rival Phillies in 2019. His 13-year deal is the longest given to a free agent and was the largest in MLB history at the time it was signed. Since his extension, he won the 2021 NL MVP, 2022 NLCS MVP, made the All-Star team twice and earned Silver Slugger honors three times. 

Stat line after deal (2019): .285/.391/.533/, 152 HRs, 455 RBIs, 149 OPS+

Tatis inked his contract when he was just 22 years old in 2021. The deal, which is far from the only long-term commitment on San Diego’s books, will take him through the 2034 season, at which point he will be 35. Since his extension, he has made the All-Star team twice and has been awarded one Gold Glove and one Silver Slugger award.

Stat line after extension (2021): .271/.341/.514/, 88 HRs, 224 RBIs, 65 SBs 134 OPS+

Lindor was the face of the Cleveland franchise but was traded and agreed to an extension with the Mets in 2021. The deal is through the 2031 season, but his contract is set up with $50 million in deferred money due to him in $5 million annual payments from 2032 to 2041. Since his extension, he has been named the 2024 NL MVP runner-up and also won two Silver Slugger awards.

Stat line after extension (2021): .259/.336/.461/, 110 HRs, 359 RBIs, 86 SBs 122 OPS+

After signing a 10-year, $300 million deal with the Padres in 2019 free agency, Machado re-upped with San Diego for a jaw-dropping $350 million. Machado will be 43 years old by the time the last year of the deal arrives. He has been named a Silver Slugger one time since his extension.

Stat line after extension (2023): .267/.322/.467/, 59 HRs, 196 RBIs, 116 OPS+

Before 2022, Judge bet on himself. Then the slugger made history and slugged an AL-record 62 homers and secured his $360 million deal. The deal will take him through the 2031 season, at which point he’ll be 39. Since his extension, he won the 2024 AL MVP, made the All-Star team twice and recorded the highest OPS+ by a right-handed hitter in MLB history in 2024 (223).

Stat line after deal (2023): .300/.438/.666/, 95 HRs, 219 RBIs, 204 OPS+

After being traded from the Red Sox in 2020, Betts signed a 12-year extension with an MLB-record $65 million signing bonus. Betts helped deliver a World Series title that very year. Since his extension, he has been named to the All-Star three times, won a Gold Glove in 2022, was named a Silver Slugger twice and finished in the top five of MVP voting twice.

Stat line after extension (2021): .288/.373/.527/, 116 HRs, 322 RBIs, 145 OPS+

Trout signed this deal in 2019, and it extends through the 2030 season, at which point he’ll be 39. He’s missed 417 out of a possible 870 games due to injuries, but since his extension, he has still amassed four All-Star selections, won the 2019 AL MVP and was named a Silver Slugger twice. 

Stat line after extension (2019): .281/.397/.598/.995, 138 HRs, 306 RBIs, 168 OPS+

After spending the first six seasons of his MLB career with the Angels, Ohtani signed a record-breaking contract in 2023 to remain in Southern California and play for the Dodgers. The deal, which includes $680 million deferred, will end after Ohtani turns 39. He’s one of just nine players in MLB history with multiple 40-HR and 20-SB seasons, has won three unanimous MVP awards (only player to win unanimously multiple times) and was the only AL pitcher in 2022 with at least 130 innings pitched to hold opponents to a batting average under .200. 

Prior to Ohtani, the most homers hit by a player with 10 or more wins as a pitcher was 11 by Babe Ruth in 1918. Ohtani hit 46 in 2021, 34 in 2022 and 44 in 2023. 

Stat line after deal (2024): .310/.390/.646/, 54 HRs, 130 RBIs, 99 XBH, 59 SBs
Career pitching line (did not pitch in 2024): 38-19, 481.2 IP, 3.01 ERA, 608 K, 1.082 WHIP

Soto’s 15-year deal topped Tatis’ 14-year extension as the longest in MLB history, as well as the largest, topping Ohtani’s. A five-time Silver Slugger and four-time All-Star, Soto will be 40 years old when the deal is complete. 

Soto, the 2020 batting champion, boasts three top-five finishes in MVP voting and. He has led the league in walks three times, in on-base percentage twice and in slugging and OPS once.

Career stats: .285/.421/.532, 201 HRs, 592 RBIs, 769 BBs, 395 XBH, 160 OPS+

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What Juan Soto gifted Brett Baty for jersey number in first season with Mets

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When you receive a $765 million contract, you can afford to dish out lavish gifts for a jersey number. 

Juan Soto did just that. The New York Mets star outfielder gifted third baseman Brett Baty an SUV after his new teammate gave up his jersey number, No. 22, in the offseason.

“Oh, no you didn’t,” a surprised Baty said to Soto in a video of him receiving the car at the Mets’ spring training facility in Port St. Lucie, Florida, on Thursday. “No you didn’t! My guy! my guy!”

Soto embraced Baty and even put a bow on the car.

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“I really appreciate the number. It’s the first number I ever wore,” Soto said, pointing to his jersey number. “I thought I’d give you something nice.”

“Well, this is definitely really nice,” Baty replied.

Baty later went into the car and asked Soto how he looked while sitting in the driver’s seat.

“It’s all you,” Soto said. “Enjoy.”

“You’re the man,” Baty told Soto. “Let’s have a great year.”

It was later revealed on Thursday that the SUV was a Chevy Tahoe. Soto said that the car set him back $93,000, but he found out that it was Baty’s dream car after doing some digging.

“For me, it was great. It was a great feeling,” Soto told reporters. “We [went through] our sources and tried to make sure it was a car he likes. He was talking to one of our guys and he was letting him know it was the car of his dreams, that he dreams of one of those cars. So I made sure he got it.”

Baty shared that he had still been driving his high school car, a 2016 Toyota 4 Runner, prior to Soto’s gift to him on Thursday. 

“It’s amazing, just for him to be able to think to do something like that, I couldn’t be more grateful,” Baty told reporters. “I’m just really excited that he’s on our team and I get to learn from him.”

As Soto told Baty, he’s worn No. 22 with the three previous teams he was a part of. He actually included it in his record-setting 15-year, $765 million contract with the Mets that he had to wear No. 22.

“Twenty-two is the first number I had when I made it to the big leagues,” Soto said when he was introduced as a member of the Mets in December while wearing a gold No. 22 chain at the press conference. “It was important to me. When the Nationals gave me that number, I was really happy, really excited. That was the first number I’ve ever wore and I am more than happy to keep embracing that number.” 

As for Baty, he’ll switch to No. 7. He shared that he picked that number because grew up a fan of former Mets star José Reyes and Joe Mauer.

Baty also didn’t have any ill feelings toward Soto contractually receiving his previous jersey number. 

“I’m happy he’s the one,” Baty said. “Out of anyone in the league, like, the best hitter in the league? I’d love for him to wear that number.”Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account, follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily.

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2025 MLB strikeout leader odds: Paul Skenes favored

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The big arms are nearly ready to take the mound. 

Opening Day of the 2025 MLB season is set for March 27, meaning each franchise will trot its ace out to the mound. 

Which pitcher will tally the most strikeouts in 2025? 

Check out the odds at DraftKings Sportsbook as of Feb. 20.  

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Most regular-season strikeouts

Paul Skenes: +400 (bet $10 to win $50 total)
Tarik Skubal: +950 (bet $10 to win $105 total)
Garrett Crochet: +1100 (bet $10 to win $120 total)
Dylan Cease: +1400 (bet $10 to win $150 total)
Blake Snell: +1700 (bet $10 to win $180 total)
Gerrit Cole: +2500 (bet $10 to win $260 total)

The consensus is that this season will serve as Paul Skenes’ true breakout season. 

One could argue, however, that Skenes’ rookie season was his breakout one. He went 11-3 in 23 starts for the Pirates, striking out 170 batters in 133 innings, an average of 11.5 strikeouts per nine innings. 

Skenes also posted a 1.69 ERA, well below that of NL Cy Young winner Chris Sale’s 2.38. However, Skenes did not pitch nearly enough innings to qualify for the ERA title race. 

Still, Skenes was named an All-Star and NL Rookie of the Year, and finished third in Cy Young voting. 

Second on the oddsboard is Detroit’s Tarik Skubal, who led the league in strikeouts last season with 228, winning the AL Cy Young at the end of the year. 

DraftKings also has odds for just how many strikeouts Skenes and others can register. 

Skenes is at +190 to tally 240 or more Ks. He’s at +110 to reach 220 or more, and he’s at -150 to reach 200. 

Skubal is at -110 to reach 210 and at +150 to tally 230 or more. 

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What is ABS? MLB begins spring training test of automated ball-strike challenge system

Rowan Kavner

Rowan Kavner

MLB Writer

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At Yankees camp on Wednesday, Luis Gil threw a pitch to Aaron Judge that tailed just below the zone. Gil disagreed. Believing it caught the bottom of the plate, he put his hand to his cap. The players gazed up toward the video board, which revealed that the pitch did indeed miss by 1.8 inches. Less than 30 seconds later, the at-bat continued. 

This was the automated ball-strike challenge system at play. 

While NFL fans dream of the day an electronic system that can more accurately determine first downs, MLB is in the process of figuring out its own way to attempt to remove human error on balls and strikes. Robot umpires haven’t arrived at Major League Baseball yet, but a version of an automated strike zone will be tested this spring.

Starting Thursday at Camelback Ranch, where the Dodgers and Cubs will open Cactus League play, the ABS challenge system will begin being implemented. The system will be in place at 13 stadiums and in more than 60% of spring training games across Arizona and Florida. The setup represents a compromise between humans and full ABS, allowing umpires to decide the majority of balls and strikes while affording players the ability to fix the more egregious calls. 

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“We’ve heard good things about it, heard bad things about it,” Diamondbacks ace Corbin Burnes said Thursday. “At the big-league level, we want to see how things work and get a good few weeks in to see if it’s something that will be feasible in the future, but we’ll see how it goes. It’s still technology, so it’s still going to have its bugs that they’re going to have to figure out.”

This spring, teams will get two challenges per game and will only lose a challenge if it is unsuccessful. Only a batter, pitcher or catcher can challenge a call, which they will indicate by tapping their head. They have to do so immediately after the pitch without assistance from the manager or players in the dugout. The Hawk-Eye tracking technology will then be displayed on the videoboard, showing whether the pitch was a strike or not. On average, challenges at the Triple-A level have taken 17 seconds to complete. 

The dimensions of the strike zone will be determined by the batter’s height — the top of the zone is 53.5% of the player’s height, while the bottom of the zone is at 27%. The heights of all position players in camp have been measured this spring. 

The reason it’s not at every spring stadium is because they’re not all equipped for the technology. In the Cactus League, the ABS challenge system will be utilized at the five dual-team stadiums — Camelback Ranch (Dodgers/White Sox), Surprise Stadium (Rangers/Royals), Peoria Sports Complex (Mariners/Padres), Goodyear Ballpark (Reds/Guardians) and Salt River Fields (Diamondbacks/Rockies). In the Grapefruit League, it will be at George M. Steinbrenner Field (Yankees), Clover Park (Mets), BayCare Ballpark (Phillies), TD Ballpark (Blue Jays), LECOM Park (Pirates), Publix Field (Tigers), Hammond Stadium (Twins) and Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium (Marlins/Cardinals). 

The system won’t go into effect during the 2025 MLB season, but if deemed successful during Cactus and Grapefruit League play could be implemented as soon as 2026. The challenge system will occur at the Triple-A level this year. 

MLB has already experimented with different versions of ABS in the minor leagues, but this spring is the first time it will be tested at the big-league level. Big-leaguers on rehab assignments, however, have already gotten a taste of a version of ABS. The Guardians’ Steven Kwan, who made a rehab start and experienced full ABS, is among them. 

At the All-Star Game last year, Kwan said he thought the concept was a good idea but wondered about the psychology of a player’s willingness to burn a challenge on a close call. 

“I’m not sure how I’m going to adapt to that part,” Kwan said. “In a vacuum, it sounds like it’s going to be effective, but we’ll see.”

Dave Roberts, who will be managing the first spring game with ABS technology, has not yet decided if he’s a fan. He told his hitters to be careful of challenging breaking balls low in the zone, believing those are often strikes when hitters believe otherwise. He also smiled, relaying what he told one of his hitters in particular before Thursday’s Cactus League opener. 

“I told [Max] Muncy not to challenge,” Roberts said. “He’s our biggest culprit of not agreeing with the strike zone, so I said save your challenges.”

Pitchers, often, are the most skeptical about the technology, which has been tested at Triple-A the last two years. That includes Burnes, who is accustomed to studying the historical strike zone of the umpire behind the plate before each start. 

“They’re pretty good about sticking to their zones historically,” Burnes said. “They make mistakes at home plate, but if you look at kind of the general strike zone of an umpire over the course of a 10-year career in the big leagues, those guys are pretty good.”

For Triple-A players who were exposed to both full ABS and the challenge system, the latter seems to be the prevailing preference. 

“It’s currently a little inconsistent,” Dodgers pitcher Landon Knack said. “Ballpark to ballpark, it would not be calibrated the same. So, you’d go some places and it’d be higher or lower. You go to some places, and it’s actually moved over an inch or two.”

Knack also said in his experience, the zone tended to be smaller than the one he’s been accustomed to growing up, often taking away calls he’d normally get at the top of the zone. As a pitcher whose fastball lives in the mid-to-low 90s, command and precision are especially vital. A couple calls that go against him on the edges can make or break a start. 

He referenced his walk rate at Triple-A since the system began being utilized. In 2023, Knack walked twice as many batters per nine innings than he did in Double-A that same season. Last year, he walked a career-high 4.1 batters per nine innings in Triple-A but only 2.3 in 15 big-league games. 

Knack, however, understands the interest in the technology and the desire to get as many calls correct as possible. He believes it’s engaging for fans and could eventually be a positive for the game once the kinks are worked out, even if it’s not quite there yet. 

“It’s close,” Knack said. “It’s not like it’s super far off where it needs to be, but it’s still a little bit away.”

Rowan Kavner is an MLB writer for FOX Sports. He previously covered the L.A. Dodgers, LA Clippers and Dallas Cowboys. An LSU grad, Rowan was born in California, grew up in Texas, then moved back to the West Coast in 2014. Follow him on Twitter at @RowanKavner. 

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Yankees, manager Aaron Boone agree to 2-year contract extension

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Aaron Boone and the New York Yankees agreed Thursday to a two-year contract extension through the 2027 season.

Boone is entering his eighth season as manager. The team had exercised his 2025 option in November.

He has led the Yankees to a 603-429 record, three AL East titles and one pennant. New York reached the World Series last year for the first time since 2009, losing to the Los Angeles Dodgers in five games.

Boone became the third Yankees manager to lead the team to the postseason in six of his first seven years, after Casey Stengel and Joe Torre.

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Boone agreed in October 2021 to a three-year contract that included a team option for 2025.

He was a major league third baseman from 1997 to 2009 and an All-Star in 2003, when New York acquired him from the Cincinnati Reds at the trade deadline. His 11th-inning home run off Boston Red Sox pitcher Tim Wakefield in Game 7 of the AL Championship Series won the pennant.

Reporting by The Associated Press.

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2025 MLB home run leader odds: Will Aaron Judge lead the league again?

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Everyone digs the long ball.

“Home runs” is one of those statistics that seems to hold more weight than other statistics. 

In two of the last three years, Aaron Judge has led the league in dingers. The year he didn’t Iead Major League Baseball in homers, he missed nearly 60 games.

Let’s take a look at the odds on who is favored to lead the major leagues in home runs in 2025 at DraftKings Sportsbook as of Feb. 20.

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Most regular-season home runs

Aaron Judge: +400 (bet $10 to win $50 total)
Shohei Ohtani: +650 (bet $10 to win $75 total)
Kyle Schwarber: +1000 (bet $10 to win $110 total)
Fernando Tatis Jr.: +1800 (bet $10 to win $190 total)
Pete Alonso: +1900 (bet $10 to win $200 total)
Yordan Alvarez: +2200 (bet $10 to win $230 total)
Juan Soto: +2800 (bet $10 to win $290 total)

Judge and Ohtani had quite the race last season, with the Yankees superstar hitting 58 and the Dodgers superstar finishing with 54. Ohtani also became the first player in MLB history to hit over 50 homers and steal over 50 bases. 

In 2022, Judge hit a career-high and American League record 62 home runs, and after last season, he has three seasons tallying over 50 home runs in a single season (2017, 2022, 2024).

As for Ohtani, he led the AL in home runs in 2023 with 44 (the year Judge was battling injuries) before leading the NL in home runs last season. 

Ohtani’s previous career high in home runs was 46 in 2021.

Outside the reigning AL and NL MVPs, third on the oddsboard is Philadelphia’s Schwarber. Over the past three seasons, he’s hit a total 131 home runs. 

DraftKings also posted odds for players to hit 60-plus home runs, 55-plus home runs and 50-plus home runs.

Judge is at +400 to hit 60 or more, at +210 to hit 55 or more, and at +105 to hit 50 or more.

Ohtani is at +800 to hit 60 or more, at +380 to hit 55 or more, and at +190 to hit 50 or more. 

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Aaron Judge is open to playing in 2026 World Baseball Classic: ‘We gotta win it’

Deesha Thosar

Deesha Thosar

MLB Writer

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TAMPA, Fla. — We all remember it. 

Two years ago, Mike Trout and Shohei Ohtani faced off in the at-bat of a lifetime before Team Japan rushed onto the field to claim its third World Baseball Classic title. Team USA had the tying run on base with no outs in the ninth inning when Ohtani, moonlighting as the Samurai Japan closer, induced a double play, struck out Trout, and closed the book on a tournament that was nothing short of epic.

Maybe next time Team USA will get a little help from one of the most talented sluggers in baseball history. He’s certainly open to it.

“I think that would be pretty fun,” Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge told FOX Sports on Wednesday. “It just depends. See where I’m at in my career at that point. Hopefully they still want me.”

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Judge will be entering his age-34 season at this time next year, which is when the 2026 WBC is scheduled to take place. Rosters will not be finalized until next February. 

If Judge does agree to play, it would be his first time participating in the international event. 

“It would be cool to represent your country,” Judge said. “[Team USA] made it to the finals, but they didn’t win it. So we gotta win it. We’ll see. We’ll see.”

A couple of Judge’s teammates are also interested in suiting up for their countries. Infielder Jazz Chisholm said he would play for Great Britain in next year’s WBC. Shortstop Anthony Volpe was asked to play for Team Italy in the 2023 WBC, but he said he would only ever play for Team USA, and that he would love to participate in next year’s event. Two years ago, the Yankees had three players participating in the WBC, including Gleyber Torres, Kyle Higashioka, and Jonathan Loáisiga. 

Judge was recruited to join Team USA’s roster in the winter of 2022, but he was a little busy navigating his own free agency at the time. Plus, he had just finished a grind of a 2022 campaign; hitting 62 home runs with the media and fan frenzy that accompanied breaking a historic record can take a toll on anyone.

“If I sign with the Giants, sign with the Padres, sign somewhere else, I’d rather be — what’s more important to me is getting to know my teammates, my coaches. Get a feel for that,” Judge said. “I didn’t want to mess that up by being in the World Baseball Classic for four weeks, and then all of a sudden, I show up for the last two weeks of spring or whatever. That was my main focus. But now, I’ll be here for quite a long time.”

When the two-time MVP award winner eventually signed a nine-year deal with the Yankees and was named captain in December of that year, his main priority became spending time with his teammates. Specifically, he wanted to make sure he got to know the prospects in the organization, and Yankees manager Aaron Boone said Judge felt an added responsibility as captain to come early to spring training and coach up the team’s younger players. 

The circumstances are different now, and it’s safe to say Team USA will want Judge’s bat in the lineup. Even without him, manager Mark DeRosa piloted the most star-studded roster in WBC history. In 2023, Team USA’s 30-man roster featured 21 All-Stars and four MVPs, including Trout, Mookie Betts, Paul Goldschmidt and Clayton Kershaw. Though they came close two years ago, Team USA’s last and only WBC championship was won in 2017. The first three installments of the tournament, which began in 2006, were won by Japan (twice) and the Dominican Republic. 

Team USA should be hungry to reclaim its championship and trim the gap between Japan. Like last time, big names participating in the event could create a ripple effect throughout Major League Baseball. We already know Judge wants to see Team USA lift the trophy. Maybe next spring it will be his at-bat that we’ll remember for years to come.

Deesha Thosar is a MLB reporter and columnist for FOX Sports. She previously covered the Mets for four years as a beat reporter for the New York Daily News. Follow her on Twitter at @DeeshaThosar.

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Red Sox newcomer Alex Bregman addresses Rafael Devers-3B issue: ‘I’ll play wherever’

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The Boston Red Sox gave star third baseman Alex Bregman a three-year, $120 million deal to play the hot corner … right?

Well, not if preexisting Red Sox third baseman and three-time All-Star Rafael Devers has anything to say about it.

Devers recently made it clear that he views third base was his position. First baseman Triston Casas also gave Devers a vote of confidence at third base, saying that “Bregman should play second.”

But none of this talk bothers Bregman.

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“We’ve been having a lot of fun,” Bregman said Tuesday when asked about getting to know Devers at spring training. “We’ve been taking ground balls back here, during our work together. Talking about winning. Talking about baseball. Talking about being excited for the season. Last night we all got together and had dinner. It’s great. …

“I’m super excited to just be his teammate. He’s a great player. I think everybody in this clubhouse is worried about winning, and whatever it takes to help the team win — that’s all I’m focused on. I’ll play wherever [manager Alex Cora] tells me to play.”

The initial thought was that Bregman, a Gold Glover, would start at third for Boston, with Devers — who posted -9 DRS at third base last season and has never finished a regular season with a plus-DRS — moving to first base. 

Bregman has overwhelmingly played third base throughout his nine-year MLB career, having made 977 career starts at the hot corner, 107 starts at shortstop and just two starts at second base. Last season, Bregman posted 6 DRS and an American League-best total zone of 12 at third base, after posting 5 DRS in 2023.

Unless shortstop Trevor Story, who hasn’t played 100 regular-season games in each of his three years with the Red Sox, misses extensive time due to injury or is moved to second base — which he primarily played for Boston in 2022 — Bregman figures to play second base if Devers is staying at third.

A one-time Silver Slugger, two-time All-Star and two-time World Series champion with the Houston Astros, Bregman is one of the best third basemen of his generation. Since becoming a full-time player in 2017 — and excluding the 2020 truncated season — Bregman has averaged 25.3 home runs and 86.7 RBIs per season, while boasting a combined .273/.368/.483 slash line and 4.7 WAR from 2017-24 (including 2020). 

That said, Bregman is coming off a season that saw his offensive production dip, totaling 75 RBIs and a .768 OPS in 2024. Nevertheless, Bregman headlines a substantial offseason haul for the Red Sox, who also acquired budding left-handed starting pitcher Garrett Crochet from the Chicago White Sox, signed former Los Angeles Dodgers right-hander Walker Buehler and added reliever and seven-time All-Star Aroldis Chapman, among other moves.

The Red Sox are coming off an 81-81 season that saw them miss the playoffs for a third consecutive season, but Bregman is bullish that the franchise’s fortunes are changing.

“I think everybody here believes in their abilities,” Bregman said. “I think all of us believe that if we all put together a good effort this season, we have a really good chance of being a winning baseball team. For me, I can only talk for myself, I’ll play wherever it helps the team win.”

Bregman joins a Boston offense that was in the top 10 in MLB in runs (751), hits (1,404), on-base percentage (.319) and slugging percentage (.423) last season.

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2025 MLB AL, NL Rookie of the Year odds: Sasaki, Dominguez favored

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Every year, a newcomer makes their mark in baseball. 

Last year, it was Luis Gil and Paul Skenes that took MLB by storm. 

Which young guys will it be this year?

Check out the odds for AL and NL Rookie of the Year at DraftKings Sportsbook as of Feb. 19.

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American League Rookie of the Year 2025

Jasson Dominguez: +450 (bet $10 to win $55 total)
Roman Anthony: +650 (bet $10 to win $75 total)
Kristian Campbell: +750 (bet $10 to win $85 total)
Jacob Wilson: +800 (bet $10 to win $90 total)
Jackson Jobe: +1000 (bet $10 to win $110 total)
Will Wagner: +1200 (bet $10 to win $130 total)

What to know: The Yankees’ Jasson Dominguez is nicknamed “The Martian.” Need more be said? Dominguez, 22, is arguably the most-promising young prospect in baseball, and New York signed him when he was just 16. In his major-league debut on Sept. 1, 2023, he hit a home run on his first swing in his first at-bat. Before tearing his UCL just nine days later, an injury which required him to undergo Tommy John surgery, he had four home runs in his first eight games. He only had 67 plate appearances in 18 games last season, as he worked his way back from injury. 

National League Rookie of the Year 2025

Roki Sasaki: +225 (bet $10 to win $32.50 total)
Dylan Crews: +380 (bet $10 to win $48 total)
Matt Shaw: +435 (bet $10 to win $53.50 total)
Bubba Chandler: +900 (bet $10 to win $100 total)
Jordan Lawlar: +1200 (bet $10 to win $130 total)
Tirso Ornelas: +1900 (bet $10 to win $200 total)

What to know: Roki Sasaki joining the Dodgers was arguably the biggest free-agent news of the offseason. Sasaki, 23, was a star in Japan’s top league (Nippon Professional Baseball) over the past few years, pitching a perfect game in April 2022 and tying Shohei Ohtani for the fastest pitch in NPB history in April 2023. MLB.com named him the top prospect in baseball heading into the 2025 campaign.

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2025 MLB AL, NL Cy Young odds: Skenes, Skubal open as early favorites

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Pitching is on fire again. 

Several stars on the mound — both fresh-faced and well-traveled — lit it up last season, including a rookie in Pittsburgh. 

It’s nearly time to see which flamethrowers can etch their names in the MLB history books at the conclusion of the 2025 season.

Let’s take a look at the early odds for the AL and NL Cy Young Awards, with odds from DraftKings Sportsbook as of Feb. 19. 

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American League Cy Young 2025

Tarik Skubal: +400 (bet $10 to win $50 total)
Garrett Crochet: +600 (bet $10 to win $70 total)
Cole Ragans: +900 (bet $10 to win $100 total)
Jacob deGrom: +1100 (bet $10 to win $120 total)
Gerrit Cole: +1600 (bet $10 to win $170 total)
Logan Gilbert: +1600 (bet $10 to win $170 total)
Framber Valdez: +1700 (bet $10 to win $180 total)

What to know: Detroit’s Tarik Skubal was last season’s winner in the AL, and for good reason. He won the pitching triple crown in the AL, leading his league in wins (18), strikeouts (228), and ERA (2.39). It was truly Skubal’s breakout year. Entering 2024, he was 23-27 all time as a starter and had a career high of 164 strikeouts back in 2021. Second on the oddsboard is Boston’s Garrett Crochet, last season’s AL Comeback Player of the Year after returning from Tommy John surgery. Despite going just 6-12 as a member of the White Sox, he struck out a career-high 209 batters last season.

National League Cy Young 2025

Paul Skenes: +300 (bet $10 to win $40 total)
Zack Wheeler: +750 (bet $10 to win $85 total)
Chris Sale: +800 (bet $10 to win $90 total)
Blake Snell: +1000 (bet $10 to win $110 total)
Corbin Burnes: +1200 (bet $10 to win $130 total)
Dylan Cease: +1600 (bet $10 to win $170 total)
Tyler Glasnow: +1700 (bet $10 to win $180 total)

What to know: Pittsburgh’s Paul Skenes was so good last year, he almost won the NL Cy Young as a rookie, finishing third behind Atlanta’s Chris Sale (last year’s winner) and Philadelphia’s Zack Wheeler. Skenes’ 1.96 ERA would have put him well below Sale’s league-leading mark of 2.38, but Skenes’ 133 innings pitched did not qualify him to lead in that category. Still, in those 133 innings, he tallied an impressive 170 strikeouts. As for Wheeler, he opens in second on the oddsboard after finishing second in voting last season. He tallied 224 Ks in 200 innings pitched in 2024.

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