MLB Regular Season Nears End With No Clear Dominant Teams

The 2025 Major League Baseball season has shown remarkable parity, with no team dominating despite the financial gap between big-market and small-market franchises. Most of the league's big spenders, including the Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Yankees, and New York Mets, are positioned well for the playoffs but have not been as dominant as expected. For the second consecutive year, no team is likely to surpass 100 wins, with only the Milwaukee Brewers, who have a relatively modest $112 million payroll, having a realistic chance if they perform strongly in the final games. The playoff picture is becoming clearer with 12 teams—six from each league—likely to make the postseason, including the Yankees, Blue Jays, Red Sox, Tigers, Astros, Mariners in the American League, and the Brewers, Dodgers, Phillies, Mets, Cubs, and Padres in the National League. Several other teams remain hopeful but face long odds. The top two teams in each league will bypass the wild card round and advance directly to the division series, underscoring the competitive balance across the league this season.