At the end of every winter, the question gets asked: Who won the offseason? At the time, it’s mostly speculation. But now that we’re more than two months into the 2025 season, we have a clearer idea of which moves are actually making a difference.
This weekend’s American League East showdown between the Yankees and Red Sox offers a glimpse at two clubs that made aggressive winter pushes -- and have seen those moves pay off in a big way. The Yankees’ high-profile acquisitions have helped them take control of first place in the division. The Red Sox haven’t taken off in the same way, but their offseason moves are keeping them in the playoff picture.
Also taking place this weekend? A marquee Interleague matchup between the teams with the top two records in the sport: the Tigers and the Cubs. Detroit and Chicago can also count themselves among the clubs benefiting from their offseason decisions, even if the Tigers’ approach was a bit more measured than that of the Yankees, Red Sox and Cubs.
With these series set to get underway, we decided to rank the teams getting the most from their offseason moves so far. This isn’t just a reflection of the standings -- it’s a subjective look at impact, weighing both individual performance and team context to highlight the winter moves that are truly shaping the 2025 campaign.
All stats below are through Wednesday.
1. Chicago Cubs
The Cubs were one of MLB’s busiest teams during the offseason, determined to end a four-year postseason drought, and nearly every one of their newcomers has made a positive impact on the field -- some in a major way.
Chicago’s offense has been an unstoppable force so far, averaging an MLB-leading 5.72 runs per game. While returning players such as Pete Crow-Armstrong, Seiya Suzuki and Michael Busch have all had a hand in that success, the Cubs’ top two hitters in terms of wRC+ weren’t with the club last season. One is outfielder Kyle Tucker, who came over from the Astros in a blockbuster trade and has performed exactly as advertised. The other is catcher Carson Kelly, who has emerged as an unlikely offensive standout after signing with the Cubs for two years and $11.5 million.
The Cubs’ moves on the mound have paid dividends as well, with several new arms playing key roles in stabilizing the pitching staff, from starter Matthew Boyd to swingman Colin Rea to relievers Caleb Thielbar, Ryan Pressly and Brad Keller. Boyd has been especially important, becoming a pivotal member of Chicago’s rotation after Justin Steele underwent season-ending left elbow surgery. Boyd, 34, has a 3.01 ERA over 12 starts in 2025.
2. Boston Red Sox
The Red Sox are sitting four games below .500, but if not for their offseason additions, things would likely look a lot worse. As it is, Boston is within four games of an AL Wild Card spot, and the performance of its newcomers is a big reason why. Three of the Red Sox’s top four players in terms of WAR (per FanGraphs) were acquired in the offseason: third baseman Alex Bregman (2.5 WAR), left-handed starter Garrett Crochet (2.4 WAR) and catcher Carlos Narvaez (2.0 WAR). So was closer Aroldis Chapman, who has tallied nine saves with a 1.80 ERA.
Crochet arguably has made the biggest impact of that group, given the state of Boston’s rotation as a whole. Eight pitchers have made at least one start for the Red Sox in 2025. Crochet has a 1.98 ERA and leads the AL in both innings (82) and strikeouts (101). The other seven have combined for a 5.22 ERA over 51 starts.
Bregman has been on the injured list since May 24 with a right quad strain, but he was outstanding before the injury, not only boosting Boston’s lineup but also improving its defense at the hot corner after the club opted to move Rafael Devers to the designated hitter spot. Bregman is tied for fifth among AL qualifiers in wRC+ (160) and ranks seventh in WAR.
3. New York Yankees
Though Aaron Judge remains the centerpiece of the Yankees’ roster and is the biggest reason the club is in first place in the AL East, their new faces deserve a lot of credit too. After losing Juan Soto to the Mets in free agency, the Bronx Bombers were able to make a successful pivot, landing starter Max Fried, first baseman Paul Goldschmidt, outfielder Cody Bellinger and relievers Devin Williams and Fernando Cruz.
Fried has helped the Yankees’ rotation withstand the loss of Gerrit Cole to Tommy John surgery, assuming the mantle of staff ace and recording a 1.92 ERA with 70 K’s over 75 innings. Goldschmidt (.323 BA, 141 wRC+) is having a resurgent season at the age of 37, shoring up a position that was a major weak spot for the Yanks in 2024. Bellinger got off to a slow start but has picked it up lately, hitting .313 with five homers and a .943 OPS over his past 25 games. Bellinger’s strong defense in center field also has been key, allowing the Yankees to move Judge back to his natural position in right.
After struggling at the outset of the year and losing his closing job, Williams has started to turn his season around, too, recording a 2.45 ERA with 16 K’s and two walks over his past 12 appearances. He’s even regained the ninth-inning role after Luke Weaver went on the IL with a left hamstring strain on Tuesday. New York’s bullpen also has benefited from the addition of Cruz, who owns a 2.92 ERA with 38 strikeouts over 24 2/3 innings.
4. New York Mets
The first year of Soto’s historic 15-year, $765 million deal with the Mets has been a bit uneven, but the superstar outfielder still has been a net positive for the club’s lineup, with better days likely coming. The Mets also get credit for re-signing Pete Alonso -- he’s been their best hitter, producing 14 homers, 19 doubles, 53 RBIs and a 166 wRC+.
The Mets’ pitching moves have given the club a significant lift, too, even with injuries to Frankie Montas, Sean Manaea and A.J. Minter. The Mets’ decision to ink reliever Clay Holmes to a three-year, $38 million deal and turn him into a starter has worked out as well as anyone could have reasonably expected, with Holmes notching a 3.07 ERA over 12 starts. Adding Griffin Canning (2.90 ERA) on a low-risk deal after he was traded by the Angels and non-tendered by the Braves is another feather in the cap of president of baseball operations David Stearns. Holmes and Canning have helped the Mets record an MLB-best 2.83 ERA, a key factor behind the team’s position atop the NL standings.
5. Detroit Tigers
After their stunning late-season push to earn a playoff berth in 2024, the Tigers have picked up right where they left off -- and then some. Detroit owns MLB’s best record so far and is on pace for a franchise-record 105 wins. More than anything, it's been the club's returning players who have propelled its surge to the top of the standings, from Tarik Skubal and Riley Greene building on last year's success, to Spencer Torkelson, Casey Mize and Javier Báez far exceeding expectations.
But Detroit’s offseason additions have also made an impact, helping to further deepen its roster. Second baseman Gleyber Torres has been a sparkplug near the top of the Tigers’ lineup, recording a .270/.383/.404 slash with more walks (31) than strikeouts (24) over 50 games. Jack Flaherty’s return to the Tigers after last year’s trade to the Dodgers has been a plus for the team’s rotation, with Flaherty posting a 3.72 ERA and striking out 76 batters over 65 1/3 innings. Tommy Kahnle, meanwhile, has paired with Will Vest to give the club a formidable closing duo. Kahnle has eight saves and a 1.35 ERA in 25 appearances.
6. Houston Astros
With Bregman rejecting their six-year, $156 million offer in free agency and Tucker set to hit the open market at the end of 2025, the Astros had some tough decisions to make this past offseason. They ultimately chose to make the proactive move to trade Tucker, sending him to the Cubs for corner infielder Isaac Paredes, top prospect Cam Smith and pitcher Hayden Wesneski. Houston followed that up by signing veteran first baseman Christian Walker to a three-year, $60 million deal. The Astros also added left-handed reliever Steven Okert on a Minor League deal.
So far, the returns have been mixed. Walker has struggled at the plate, Wesneski underwent Tommy John surgery and Tucker is having a tremendous season in Chicago. But Paredes has capably replaced Bregman at third, producing 12 homers, a 127 wRC+ and 1.7 WAR over 60 games. Smith has stepped into Tucker’s role as Houston’s starting right fielder and provided plus defense -- despite never playing the position prior to 2025 -- with slightly above-average offense (103 wRC+). Okert has been excellent out of the 'pen. And the Astros, as usual, are in contention for the AL West title.
7. San Diego Padres
With so many large contracts already on the books, the Padres didn’t make many additions to their roster over the winter, straying from general manager A.J. Preller’s usual M.O. In fact, much of the offseason chatter involving the Padres had to do with which of their stars they might trade away in an effort to reallocate their resources and replace some notable departures.
However, after spring camp had already opened up, San Diego swooped in to sign starter Nick Pivetta -- a move that has proven to be even more crucial than anticipated. Pivetta has delivered excellent results, helping to anchor a rotation that’s dealt with Dylan Cease’s inconsistency and injuries to Yu Darvish and Michael King.
Shortly before landing Pivetta, the Padres made the decidedly less splashy move to sign Gavin Sheets -- non-tendered by the 121-loss White Sox in November -- to a Minor League contract. Sheets was a lifetime .230/.295/.385 hitter prior to 2025, but he has supplied the Padres' offense with some much-needed left-handed power, ranking second on the team with 11 homers and posting a 129 wRC+.