And just like that, it is 2025 and everyone is feeling that sense that always seeps in on New Year's Day. It's the one that feels like it's time for a fresh start.

Since this is also the case for Major League Baseball teams, what's say we craft New Year's Resolutions for all 30 of them?

This isn't complicated, folks. Such resolutions come in one of two formats: either doing something better or continuing to do something well. So it will be for the goals we're about to set for each team in 2025.

The only other stipulation is that just one team is allowed the "Win the World Series" treatment. To some degree or another, that will be a mission for every team. Yet only one would truly be letting everyone down if it were to fall short.

Let's go one division at a time and check teams off in alphabetical order as we go.

American League East

Baltimore Orioles: Extend at Least One Core Star

2024 Record: 91-71, 2nd in AL East

Adley Rutschman is the best catcher in MLB today, and Gunnar Henderson has put himself on an early track to be one of the best shortstops of all time. And these are just two of the players the Orioles should have already extended by now.

And yet, they still haven't extended anyone under general manager Mike Elias. Especially now that the franchise has access to David Rubenstein's $4 billion fortune, it's frankly past time to remedy that.

Boston Red Sox: Get Back to the Playoffs

2024 Record: 81-81, 3rd in AL East

Though they came just two wins shy of the World Series in 2021, the Red Sox have otherwise been in a postseason dry spell. That trip in '21 is the only time they've played in October in the last six seasons.

Thankfully, getting back to the playoffs in 2025 is eminently doable. The Red Sox were a consistent pitching staff away from getting there in 2024, and now they have Garrett Crochet, Walker Buehler and a healthy Lucas Giolito.

New York Yankees: Prove You Don't Need Juan Soto

2024 Record: 94-68, 1st in AL East

It is not overstating it to say that the Yankees would not have returned to the World Series if not for Soto. He helped super-charge their offense with a .989 OPS and 41 home runs in the regular season. He then shined with a 1.383 OPS and three homers in the ALCS.

However, him being gone need not be the end of days in the Bronx. The Yankees still have Aaron Judge, after all, and there is a case that they're better off with Max Fried, Cody Bellinger, Paul Goldschmidt and Devin Williams in lieu of just Soto.

Tampa Bay Rays: Do Better with Runners in Scoring Position

2024 Record: 80-82, 4th in AL East

It's hard to know what to expect of the Rays in 2025, but it would be hard for them to be any worse offensively than they were in 2024. Only the Chicago White Sox, famously losers of 121 games, scored fewer runs.

To this end, it didn't help that the Rays had one of the lowest batting averages (.212) with runners in scoring position ever recorded. It's an obvious area for improvement in 2025, and that's really all there is to it.

Toronto Blue Jays: Salvage Something from This Year

2024 Record: 74-88, 5th in AL East

Elsewhere on the topic of uncertain expectations, what even are the Blue Jays right now? They're ostensibly a contender, but they haven't exactly made big advancements since finishing in last place for the first time in over a decade.

This year needs to be worth it in some way or another. If the Blue Jays can't make it back to the playoffs, they need to at least make some trades. To the latter end, they're already running out of time to extend Vladimir Guerrero Jr. beyond 2025.

American League Central

Chicago White Sox: Be Less Bad

2024 Record: 41-121, 5th in AL Central

The White Sox lost 121 games this season. This is a real thing that happened, and it was both tragic and hilarious. No team should have to suffer that kind of misery, but at least they gave us all a few laughs along the way.

In any case, the White Sox should try to win at least 42 games in 2025. A low bar, perhaps, but also a clearable one. They have an outstanding farm system if nothing else, and the time to start mining it is nigh.

Cleveland Guardians: Have a Functional Starting Rotation

2024 Record: 92-69, 1st in AL Central

How the Guardians won 92 games and the AL Central title in 2024 is a long story, but suffice it to say their rotation isn't a main character in it. Only Colorado Rockies starters produced fewer wins above replacement.

The phrase "room for improvement" comes to mind, and not even facetiously. The Guardians will get Shane Bieber back from Tommy John surgery at some point, and Gavin Williams and newcomer Luis L. Ortiz are both breakout candidates.

Detroit Tigers: Prove Last Year Wasn't a One-Off

2024 Record: 86-76, T-2nd in AL Central

The Tigers were going nowhere in 2024 until, suddenly, they went 31-13 to finish the regular season and ultimately came just one win short of the American League Championship Series. As manager A.J. Hinch said, "Somebody let the Tigers get hot."

Now all the Tigers have to do is keep winning games in 2025. They haven't had the most encouraging offseason in this respect, though that could change if they score one or more of the free-agent stars on their radar.

Kansas City Royals: See Above, Basically

2024 Record: 86-76, T-2nd in AL Central

The Royals pulled off a 30-win swing from 2023 to 2024. This is another one of those "Yeah, that totally happened" situations, and it's still a great story despite the unceremonious ending they met with in the ALDS.

As with the Tigers, now the onus is on the Royals to keep the Ws coming. They're pretty much choosing to run it back with the same team to this end, though that's hardly a criticism given that said team revolves around a legit super-duper-star in Bobby Witt Jr.

Minnesota Twins: Find a Buyer

2024 Record: 82-80, 4th in AL Central

Geez, talk about an all-time switcheroo. In 2023, the Twins won a playoff series for the first time in 21 years. In 2024, they dramatically scaled back payroll and ultimately buried their own playoff push with a 12-27 skid to the end of the season.

Not a whole lot has happened since then, but that isn't surprising given that the Pohlad family has put the franchise up for sale. A way forward might not be apparent until a sale goes through, so that will hopefully be sooner rather than later.

American League West

Athletics: Beat Expectations Again

2024 Record: 69-93, 4th in AL West

I almost went with "Just Try to Enjoy Sacramento" here, but one's tongue can be in one's cheek only so firmly. And besides, even if the same can't be said of their owner, the A's have a team that is actually worth pulling for.

Brent Rooker, Lawrence Butler, JJ Bleday and Mason Miller are fun players, and the A's have added two solid pitchers in Luis Severino and Jeffrey Springs. Playoff vibes aren't there, but don't be surprised if this team chases .500 after losing 307 games over the last three years.

Houston Astros: Stop the Trend of Diminishing Returns

2024 Record: 88-73, 1st in AL West

The Astros are in a weird place right now. They're far from irrelevant, but they've gone from 106 wins in 2022 to 90 in 2023 and 88 last year. And this time, they didn't even make it to the American League Championship Series.

Contending is still the name of the game, however, and it's a mistake to underestimate these Astros. That's how it feels, anyway, and all will certainly be forgiven if they end up chasing another 100-win season in 2025.

Los Angeles Angels: Stay Out of Last Place

2024 Record: 63-99, 5th in AL West

The Angels entered 2024 on a string of eight straight losing seasons, but they still hadn't found bottom. That finally happened last year, as they ended up dropping a franchise-high 99 games and finishing in last place for the first time since 1991.

Since there's no sugarcoating the Angels' chances of pulling off a Royals-like ascent in 2025, let's just hope that they don't debase themselves again. Even if that doesn't include finishing with a winning record, it will hopefully not involve finishing last again.

Seattle Mariners: Cut Down on the Strikeouts

2024 Record: 85-77, 2nd in AL West

Among the things Seattle is known for are the Space Needle, coffee, melodramatic surgeons and Mariners hitters swinging and hitting nothing but air. They've been one of the five most strikeout-prone teams in the American League in each of the last six seasons.

It has to stop. Nay, it must stop. Because if it doesn't, the Mariners will risk missing the playoffs again and thus wasting another season of excellent pitching on the part of Logan Gilbert, George Kirby and friends.

Texas Rangers: Turn the Power Back On

2024 Record: 78-84, 3rd in AL West

The Rangers won the World Series in 2023 in large part because of the long ball. They hit 233 in the regular season and a non-COVID-year record 30 in the playoffs. It was fun. Lots of fun.

Ergo, it was decidedly less fun when the Rangers hit only 176 homers in 2024. It was one of the biggest year-to-year drops in the league, and it's a trend that newcomers Joc Pederson and Jake Burger will ideally help reverse in 2025.

National League East

Atlanta Braves: Get the Offense Back on Track

2024 Record: 89-73, T-2nd in NL East

Comparisons to the 1927 Yankees are not to be thrown around lightly, but the 2023 Braves actually earned theirs. Per one statistic, they were even exactly as good as the '27 Yankees offensively. Eat your hearts out, Ruth and Gehrig.

That level of excellence was always unsustainable, but it was still a shock to see the Braves suffer a bigger offensive drop-off than any other team from 2023 to 2024. Reversing that will be key for 2025, for which it will help whenever Ronald Acuña Jr. is back from his torn ACL.

Miami Marlins: Give Fans Something to Cheer For

2024 Record: 62-100, 5th in NL East

The Marlins were not a baseball team in 2024. The word "team" implies some level of cohesion, and they had none as they became the first franchise in MLB history to cycle through 70 different players in a season.

It was a slog, alright, so the least the Marlins can do for their fans in 2025 is give them something anything to root for. A healthy Sandy Alcantara could do the trick, though even that is assuming the Marlins don't trade him the first chance they get.

New York Mets: Make Good on the Hype

2024 Record: 89-73, T-2nd in NL East

Even after they lost the National League Championship Series, it still felt like the Mets were coming out of 2024 on a high. They've since spent $920 million in free agency, with $765 million of that going just to Juan Soto.

That's certainly one way to ask for even more hype, and who are we to not give it to the Mets? The question, of course, is whether they'll take it and run with it or get crushed underneath its sheer weight.

Philadelphia Phillies: Win At Least One Playoff Series

2024 Record: 95-67, 1st in NL East

Here's a weird progression for you, and it concerns how many games the Phillies have won over the last three seasons:

• 2022: 87 regular season, 11 postseason
• 2023: 90 regular season, 8 postseason
• 2024: 95 regular season, 1 postseason

As trends go, this one is...well, let's say uneven. Either way, the goal for the Phillies in 2025 is clear: Regardless of how many games they win in the regular season, they need to get back to winning in the playoffs.

Washington Nationals: Get Over the 71-Win Hump

2024 Record: 71-91, 4th in NL East

The Nationals have mostly been in rebuilding mode since winning the World Series in 2019, and results are starting to come. After 97 losses in 2021 and 107 losses in 2022, they've dropped "only" 91 games in each of the last two seasons.

Time to take things to the next level, guys. Wherever that is, it's somewhere above 71 wins. Provided players like James Wood and Dylan Crews take the next step in their respective progressions, the Nats can get there in 2025.

National League Central

Chicago Cubs: Get Over the 83-Win Hump

2024 Record: 83-79, T-2nd in NL Central

The Cubs looked like a team on the rise coming out of 2023, but their win total ultimately remained stuck in neutral in 2024. It was kind of a bummer, so you have to credit them for forcing the issue this winter.

Swapping out Cody Bellinger for Kyle Tucker? That's a big net positive, and there really isn't a whole lot else the Cubs truly need. Except additional wins, of course, but those will hopefully be coming in larger bunches this year.

Cincinnati Reds: Keep Players on the Field

2024 Record: 77-85, 4th in NL Central

Speaking of teams that looked like contenders coming out of 2023, that was the Reds as well. But an 82-win surprise begat a 77-win letdown, during which Elly De La Cruz and Spencer Steer were pretty much the only ones to avoid the Injury Bug's wrath.

The Reds can't have that happen again in 2025. Because unless the Castellinis are going to stop being cheap and put some money into the payroll, the Reds have the roster they have. It'll only be good enough if it holds together.

Milwaukee Brewers: Another Successful Reorientation

2024 Record: 93-69, 1st in NL Central

In the last few seasons, the Brewers have said goodbye to Josh Hader, Corbin Burnes and Craig Counsell and watched Christian Yelich devolve into a shell of his former self. And yet they just keep winning, as they've now made the playoffs six times in seven seasons.

The Brewers are good at reorientating themselves like that, and they don't have any choice but to do so again in 2025. Willy Adames and Devin Williams are gone, which means Milwaukee will need to dig up answers at shortstop and closer, respectively.

Pittsburgh Pirates: Let Paul Skenes Cook

2024 Record: 76-86, 5th in NL Central

To give credit where it's due, it seems as if the Pirates never even considered shutting Skenes down early. He pitched 160.1 total innings throughout 2024, in which he allowed just 33 runs. It is one of the better pitching performances in recent memory.

Still, the Bucs did limit their prized right-hander to roughly 100 pitches when he did take the ball. Skenes should get more slack in 2025, as they're probably only making the playoffs if he takes them as far as possible every fifth day.

St. Louis Cardinals: Find an Identity

2024 Record: 83-79, T-2nd in NL Central

Remember how much fun the Cardinals were in 2022? Paul Goldschmidt and Nolan Arenado were at the top of their games, and it was a lovely swan song for Albert Pujols and Yadier Molina.

In two seasons since then, the Cardinals have mostly been bad and boring. It'll take time to fix the former, but the latter could change as soon as this year if they become notable for literally anything. Ball's in your court, fellas.

National League West

Arizona Diamondbacks: Get Revenge

2024 Record: 89-73, 3rd in NL West

The next time you think you're having a frustrating experience, just remember that the Diamondbacks went to the World Series in 2023 yet missed the playoffs in 2024 despite improving by five in the win column.

It was a weird year, alright, but kudos to them for trading for Josh Naylor and, even more so, dropping $210 million to sign Corbin Burnes. The result is a roster that isn't even sneaky-good. It's just plain good, and its goal is clearly to get back to October.

Colorado Rockies: Don't Lose 100 Games

2024 Record: 61-101, 5th in NL West

The Rockies have been around for 32 years now, and their only 100-loss seasons have come in their last two campaigns. That is not great! And even if it's overly blunt, one doesn't mind saying that the Rockies are in real danger of making it three in a row in 2025.

But they should just, you know, not do that. Simple advice, perhaps, but it's what I've got for them. And if they want to know how they can avoid the century mark, my question would be how soon they can get Chase Dollander ready for The Show.

Los Angeles Dodgers: Go Back-to-Back

2024 Record: 98-64, 1st in NL West

As the reigning World Series champions, the Dodgers are on top of the world right now. The only way they can go any higher is to win it all again in 2025, thus becoming the first repeat champions since the 1998-2000 Yankees.

This should be a tall order, but this year will see Shohei Ohtani return to the mound and Blake Snell join him in an already dangerous starting rotation. Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman and Teoscar Hernández are also back for more, so what's not to like?

San Diego Padres: Keep the Dodgers from Going Back-to-Back

2024 Record: 93-69, 2nd in NL West

The Padres did not keep the Dodgers from winning the NL West or the World Series last year, but it wasn't for lack of trying. Indeed, they came close enough to knocking the Dodgers out of the NLDS to make an impression on Dave Roberts:

The Padres will be out to finish the job in 2025, though whether they will could hinge on what they do between now and Opening Day. Rather than trading Dylan Cease or Luis Arraez, they could not do that and add good players instead.

San Francisco Giants: Escape .500 Purgatory

2024 Record: 80-82, 4th in NL West

The record books say the Giants won 107 games in 2021, but that feels like some kind of misprint. They were previously a mediocre team in 2020, and they've since been precisely that in going 240-246 over the last three seasons.

You have to hand it to Buster Posey for wanting to establish a new culture in San Francisco, including by way of the Willy Adames signing. But it will soon be time for the Giants to put up, hopefully by rising above .500 and at least chasing a wild-card berth.

Stats courtesy of Baseball Reference, FanGraphs and Baseball Savant.