MLB Power Rankings: Where All 30 Teams Stand Ahead of 2025 Opening Day
The Chicago Cubs and Los Angeles Dodgers gave baseball fans a quick glimpse of games that count last week in the Tokyo Series, and now it's time for the rest of the league to get in on the fun.
All 30 teams will be in action this Thursday for a more traditional Opening Day, and that means it's time to finalize our MLB power rankings for the start of the new season, setting a baseline for our weekly updates to come throughout the year.
These rankings have been shuffled throughout the offseason as notable free agents have signed and teams have completed blockbuster trades. Now, it's time for one final tweak with spring training wrapping up and Opening Day rosters being finalized.
Also included along with a writeup for all 30 teams are picks for each major AL and NL award, as well as a breakout hitter and breakout pitcher pick for each league, just to sprinkle in some further predictions.
The new baseball season is finally here!
Nos. 30-26
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30. Chicago White Sox
Following a 121-loss season, the White Sox are on the ground floor of what figures to be a lengthy rebuilding effort. They still have a top-tier trade chip in Luis Robert Jr. if he can stay healthy and productive, but the rest of the roster is largely made up of placeholders and post-hype prospects trying to break through. Another 100-loss campaign seems like a safe bet.
29. Miami Marlins
The Marlins offense might be historically bad this season, with a projected 3-4-5 of Griffin Conine, Jonah Bride and Matt Mervis to open the season. The return of Sandy Alcantara provides some reason for excitement, though there's a good chance he will be pitching elsewhere by August if he makes a smooth return from Tommy John surgery. How many times will they get shut out?
28. Colorado Rockies
With Germán Márquez and Antonio Senzatela healthy again, the Rockies should have a more competitive starting rotation. They also have some promising young offensive pieces in Ezequiel Tovar, Brenton Doyle and Michael Toglia, though 2020 first-round pick Zac Veen will start the season in Triple-A. Despite the bright outlook, though, Colorado will likely take up residence in the NL West cellar once again.
27. Los Angeles Angels
The Angels added Yusei Kikuchi and Kyle Hendricks to the starting rotation, Kenley Jansen to the back of the bullpen, and Jorge Soler and Yoán Moncada to the starting lineup. That should be enough for some modest improvement over last year's 63-99 finish, but it's still hard to envision legitimate contention. Here's hoping a shift to right field helps keep Mike Trout on the field for a full season.
26. Washington Nationals
The Nationals have some exciting young offensive pieces, headlined by James Wood and Dylan Crews, and they added some proven run production in Nathaniel Lowe and Josh Bell. However, the biggest addition to a starting staff that ranked 23rd in the majors with a 4.40 ERA last year ended up being Michael Soroka. There is upside here, but until the rotation is upgraded, it's hard to see them making a serious push of the standings.
Nos. 25-21
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25. Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pirates have a generational talent in Paul Skenes and the makings of a top-tier starting rotation developing around him, but another quiet offseason left Spencer Horwitz and Tommy Pham as the most notable additions to an offense that ranks 24th in runs scored in 2024. They will be must-see TV every fifth day when Skenes takes the mound, but they still have a ways to go to contend for a playoff spot.
24. St. Louis Cardinals
The Cardinals failed in their goal to get younger during the offseason, with Nolan Arenado, Sonny Gray, Erick Fedde and other veterans still on the roster after a winter of trade rumors. It's hard to start retooling until they are able to shed some of those high-priced veterans from the roster, so they are in a gray area between contention and rebuilding for now.
23. Athletics
With Luis Severino and Jeffrey Springs joining JP Sears atop the Athletics rotation, the club's pitching staff should be vastly improved this season. Meanwhile, they have quietly assembled a promising young offensive core with Brent Rooker, Lawrence Butler, JJ Bleday, Zack Gelof, Jacob Wilson and Tyler Soderstrom all boasting legitimate impact upside. Don't be surprised if they add 10-15 wins to their total, but that still leaves them with a ways to go after finishing 69-93 in 2024.
22. Cincinnati Reds
With Brady Singer added to the mix and Nick Martinez re-signed alongside Hunter Greene, Nick Lodolo, Andrew Abbott and Rhett Lowder, the Reds have compiled some enviable starting pitching depth. Offensively, they are banking on a healthy Matt McLain and newcomers Austin Hays and Gavin Lux providing a boost alongside rising star Elly De La Cruz, but the pitching staff will need to shoulder the load.
21. Tampa Bay Rays
The Rays sold off several veteran pieces at the trade deadline last year, and they will be counting on former top prospects Junior Caminero, Curtis Mead, Jonathan Aranda and others to pick up the slack at the plate. On the pitching side, a six-man rotation of Shane McClanahan, Taj Bradley, Ryan Pepiot, Zack Littell, Shane Baz and Drew Rasmussen is good enough to carry them to wild-card contention, and this ranking could end up being far too low if they find a way to score enough runs.
Nos. 20-16
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20. San Francisco Giants
The Giants finally landed a top-tier free agent, signing shortstop Willy Adames to a seven-year, $182 million deal, but that ended up being the only major splash of the offseason. Newcomer Justin Verlander and a healthy Robbie Ray will be tasked with replacing Blake Snell, while a middle-of-the-pack offense returns largely unchanged aside from the Adames pickup. Can they realistically avoid a third straight fourth-place finish in the NL West standings?
19. Minnesota Twins
The Twins won just five fewer games last season than in 2023, but they slid from first to fourth in the AL Central standings in the process. Aside from replacing Carlos Santana and Max Kepler with Ty France and Harrison Bader, it was an extremely quiet offseason. Better health from stars Royce Lewis, Byron Buxton and Carlos Correa would go a long way, but Lewis (hamstring) is already headed for the injured list.
18. Toronto Blue Jays
For a second straight offseason, the Blue Jays whiffed on the market's biggest name, but they did a solid job pivoting this time around. Slugger Anthony Santander, defensive whiz Andrés Giménez, future Hall of Famer Max Scherzer and bullpen reinforcements Jeff Hoffman, Yimi García and Nick Sandlin were all added to the mix. The biggest story of the winter was their inability to extend Vladimir Guerrero Jr., and he now enters a contract year eyeing a massive payday next offseason.
17. Kansas City Royals
The Royals were a surprise playoff team in 2024, and with superstar Bobby Witt Jr. leading the way offensively and a strong pitching staff, they should be in the thick of contention once again. Adding Jonathan India (.357 OBP) to serve as the leadoff hitter after relying mostly on Maikel Garcia (.281 OBP) in that role could make a huge difference, while Kris Bubic is a potential X-factor in his return to a starting role.
16. Texas Rangers
With six new faces in the projected eight-man bullpen and a starting rotation expected to feature rookies Kumar Rocker and Jack Leiter due to injuries to Jon Gray and Cody Bradford, the Rangers will go as far as their pitching staff allows. Offensively, they return largely the same core group, with Jake Burger replacing Nathaniel Lowe at first base and slugger Joc Pederson added to be the primary designated hitter. There is a wide range of potential outcomes here.
Nos. 15-11
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15. Houston Astros
Even after trading Kyle Tucker to the Cubs, the Astros still have plenty of offensive firepower with Yordan Alvarez, Jose Altuve, Yainer Diaz and newcomers Christian Walker and Isaac Paredes leading the way. The bigger question is a starting rotation that will be relying on regression candidate Ronel Blanco and the largely unproven tandem of Spencer Arrighetti and Hayden Wesneski to hold things down behind Framber Valdez and Hunter Brown.
14. Cleveland Guardians
The Guardians ended up relying on Alex Cobb and Matthew Boyd to start playoff games last year, and while they added Luis L. Ortiz in the deal that sent second baseman Andrés Giménez to Toronto, they will be counting on Gavin Williams, Logan Allen, Triston McKenzie and eventually Shane Bieber to shore things up in-house. Kyle Manzardo is the X-factor offensively, while veteran Carlos Santana will be tasked with replacing Josh Naylor's production in the middle of the lineup.
13. Detroit Tigers
With Jack Flaherty back in the No. 2 starter spot, top prospect Jackson Jobe set to break camp with a roster spot and Gleyber Torres added to give the offense a boost, the Tigers look like an improved team on the heels of last year's postseason appearance. Parker Meadows, Casey Mize, Colt Keith and Spencer Torkelson all offer some untapped potential, while manager A.J. Hinch will again look to squeeze the most out of his entire pitching staff.
12. Chicago Cubs
The Cubs paid a steep price for one year of Kyle Tucker, and now they have a year to convince him to sign a long-term extension. He immediately becomes the offensive face of the franchise, while rookie Matt Shaw and second-year center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong have significant upside at the plate as well. On the pitching side, Matthew Boyd and Colin Rea were added to shore up the back of the rotation, while Ryan Pressly provides an experienced option in the ninth inning.
11. Boston Red Sox
The Red Sox had a busy offseason, swinging a blockbuster deal to add ace Garrett Crochet to the top of the rotation and signing Alex Bregman, Walker Buehler and Aroldis Chapman in free agency. There is some serious boom-or-bust potential in the starting rotation, especially with Lucas Giolito, Brayan Bello and Kutter Crawford already on the shelf, but that has done little to throw water on some newfound optimism. How much of an impact will MLB-ready prospects Kristian Campbell, Roman Anthony and Marcelo Mayer make in 2025?
Nos. 10-6
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10. Milwaukee Brewers
Shortstop Willy Adames and closer Devin Williams joined a long list of star players the Brewers have either traded away or let walk in free agency, yet they always seem to successfully backfill production. Third base was the big question mark in camp, and it will be Oliver Dunn and Vinny Capra at the hot corner to start the year. A banged up rotation will break camp with three new faces—Nestor Cortes, Jose Quintana and Tyler Alexander—until Brandon Woodruff and Tobias Myers are ready to return.
9. Seattle Mariners
The Mariners should again have one of baseball's best rotations with all five starters from last year's elite group returning, though George Kirby (shoulder inflammation) will start the year on the injured list. It's a travesty they did not do more to address the offense in support of that rotation, though full seasons of Randy Arozarena and Victor Robles could provide an in-house boost. The pitching alone is good enough to believe they can win the AL West and contend for a title.
8. New York Yankees
With Gerrit Cole lost for the season and both Clarke Schmidt and Luis Gil joining him on the injured list, Max Fried has suddenly become baseball's most important offseason addition. If Will Warren and Carlos Carrasco can hold down the fort at the back of the staff, this team still has plenty of offensive firepower. Paul Goldschmidt, Cody Bellinger, a full season of Jazz Chisholm Jr. and rookie Jasson Dominguez are replacing Juan Soto and Gleyber Torres, while the bullpen also has a new anchor in Devin Williams.
7. Baltimore Orioles
If you're keeping track, the Orioles are the top-ranked AL team in our Opening Day power rankings, but that speaks more to the depth of NL contenders than anything else. Charlie Morton and Tomoyuki Sugano will be tasked with replacing Corbin Burnes in the rotation, while Tyler O'Neill takes over for Anthony Santander in the outfield. There is still enough young talent to buy their upside, though Zach Eflin will need to pitch like an ace and Grayson Rodriguez (elbow inflammation) will need to get healthy in a hurry.
6. San Diego Padres
The Padres went 11-4 over their final 15 games during the 2024 regular season and looked like the best team in baseball down the stretch, but it was a quiet offseason. Veterans Jason Heyward, Connor Joe, Jose Iglesias and Gavin Sheets were brought in to replace Jurickson Profar and Ha-Seong Kim, while Nick Pivetta and KBO standout Kyle Hart were the biggest additions to a pitching staff that will be without Joe Musgrove. They are talented, but they also might be the third-best team in their own division.
Nos. 5-1
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5. New York Mets
The Mets made the biggest splash of the offseason when they signed Juan Soto to a massive 15-year, $765 million deal, and they also brought back top free agents Pete Alonso and Sean Manaea. The superstar talent on this roster stacks up to any in baseball, but they also have a projected Opening Day rotation of Clay Holmes, Tylor Megill, Griffin Canning, David Peterson and Kodai Senga. That group will eventually be bolstered by Manaea and Frankie Montas, but that still feels more like a middle-of-the-pack rotation than one that can lead a deep playoff push.
4. Atlanta Braves
It's tough to rank the Braves any higher until Ronald Acuña Jr. and Spencer Strider return to action, and they are also navigating an injury to starting catcher Sean Murphy that has forced top prospect Drake Baldwin onto the Opening Day roster sooner than expected. That said, this team is still stacked offensively and has the makings of a good rotation, though Chris Sale and Reynaldo López will need to avoid significant regression and Spencer Schwellenbach will need to pick up where he left off down the stretch last year.
3. Arizona Diamondbacks
The D-backs quietly led the majors in runs scored (886) a year ago, and they return essentially the same lineup aside from Joc Pederson walking in free agency and Josh Naylor replacing Christian Walker at first base. Meanwhile, Corbin Burnes was added to a starting rotation that already featured Zac Gallen, Merrill Kelly, Eduardo Rodríguez and Brandon Pfaadt, giving them one of the best staffs in baseball to back that high-powered offense. Throw in A.J. Puk and Justin Martínez at the back of the bullpen, and this team looks like the real deal.
2. Philadelphia Phillies
The Phillies looked like the most complete team in baseball for much of the 2024 season, winning 95 games before losing to the Mets in the NLDS. Their offseason was quiet but impactful, with Max Kepler signed to shore up left field, Jesús Luzardo acquired to round out the rotation and two-time All-Star Jordan Romano inked to a one-year deal to lessen the blow of losing Jeff Hoffman and Carlos Estévez in free agency. Their window is closing with an aging core, but it hasn't slammed shut yet.
1. Los Angeles Dodgers
The defending World Series champions went out and added Roki Sasaki, Blake Snell, Tanner Scott, Kirby Yates and Michael Conforto in free agency, while also re-signing Teoscar Hernández and extending Tommy Edman. Even with 11 pitchers projected for the Opening Day injured list, they still have a stacked pitching staff that will be further bolstered by Shohei Ohtani's return to the mound at some point in the first half. It's never easy to repeat as World Series winners, but there is no question this is the team to beat in 2025.
Complete Rankings
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1. Los Angeles Dodgers
2. Philadelphia Phillies
3. Arizona Diamondbacks
4. Atlanta Braves
5. New York Mets
6. San Diego Padres
7. Baltimore Orioles
8. New York Yankees
9. Seattle Mariners
10. Milwaukee Brewers
11. Boston Red Sox
12. Chicago Cubs
13. Detroit Tigers
14. Cleveland Guardians
15. Houston Astros
16. Texas Rangers
17. Kansas City Royals
18. Toronto Blue Jays
19. Minnesota Twins
20. San Francisco Giants
21. Tampa Bay Rays
22. Cincinnati Reds
23. Athletics
24. St. Louis Cardinals
25. Pittsburgh Pirates
26. Washington Nationals
27. Los Angeles Angels
28. Colorado Rockies
29. Miami Marlins
30. Chicago White Sox
AL Award Predictions
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AL MVP: Julio Rodríguez, Seattle Mariners
It speaks volumes that a "down year" for J-Rod last season still saw him post a 116 OPS+ with 20 home runs, 24 steals and 4.3 WAR in 143 games. The 24-year-old remains one of the game's brightest young stars, and after he hit .328/.349/.546 with seven home runs and 22 RBI in 26 games over the final month of the 2024 season, he looks poised for another MVP-caliber performance.
AL Cy Young: Cole Ragans, Kansas City Royals
After impressing down the stretch with the Royals in 2023 after coming over in a trade with the Rangers, Ragans proved his was the real deal during his first full season in a big league rotation. The 27-year-old finished 11-9 with a 3.14 ERA, 1.14 WHIP and 223 strikeouts in 186.1 innings, and his 2.99 FIP is a good indication he can improve on last year's fourth-place finish in AL Cy Young balloting.
AL Rookie of the Year: Jackson Jobe, Detroit Tigers
There is some question of how limited Jobe's workload will be this season considering he has never reached 100 innings pitched in a professional season, but all signs point to him breaking camp with a spot in the Detroit rotation. The 22-year-old checks all the boxes to be a staple at the front of the starting rotation, and after getting his feet wet last September and October he should be able to hit the ground running.
NL Award Predictions
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NL MVP: Shohei Ohtani, Los Angeles Dodgers
Ohtani was a 9.2-WAR player and baseball's first 50/50 man last year, and now he's set to return to pitching at some point during the first half of the 2025 season. With three MVP wins over the last four years, it feels like it will take an otherworldly season from someone else or an injury to Ohtani for him to not be taking home the hardware once again.
NL Cy Young: Paul Skenes, Pittsburgh Pirates
If the Pirates had put Skenes on the Opening Day roster last year, he probably joins Fernando Valenzuela as the second rookie ever to win Cy Young honors. Now he's added to his already electric arsenal of pitches and should be a threat to throw a no-hitter every time he toes the rubber in 2025. Can he stay grounded amid some next-level hype?
NL Rookie of the Year: Dylan Crews, Washington Nationals
Crews took his lumps last season, hitting .218/.288/.353 for an 82 OPS+ with nine extra-base hits and 12 steals in 31 games. However, there's a reason he was a legitimate candidate to be taken ahead of LSU teammate Paul Skenes in the 2023 draft before ultimately going No. 2 overall. He can hit, and he'll have a long runway to figure things out as a potential franchise player for the rebuilding Nationals.
Breakout Player Predictions
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AL Hitter: 3B Junior Caminero, Tampa Bay Rays
Caminero got his first extended look in the big leagues last season after Isaac Paredes was traded to the Cubs, and he posted a 105 OPS+ with nine doubles, six home runs and 18 RBI in 43 games. Still only 21 years old, he has the offensive upside to be a middle-of-the-order run producer, and could take a significant step forward with an everyday job to call his own from the jump.
NL Hitter: OF James Wood, Washington Nationals
Wood did not log enough plate appearances to qualify for batted-ball leaderboards, but his 52.0 percent hard-hit rate and 92.8 mph average exit velocity would have both ranked among the top 20. The 22-year-old logged a 122 OPS+ with 26 extra-base hits in 336 plate appearances as a rookie, and it's not out of the question to think he could go from nine home runs to his first career 30-homer season in 2025.
AL Pitcher: SP Gavin Williams, Cleveland Guardians
With a strong 6'6", 250-pound frame and an electric repertoire of pitches, Williams looks the part of a future ace, and he posted a 3.29 ERA with 81 strikeouts in 82 innings as a rookie in 2023. The 25-year-old took a step backward last year while battling an elbow injury, but with a clean bill of health he could quickly emerge as co-ace in Cleveland alongside Tanner Bibee.
NL Pitcher: SP Hayden Birdsong, San Francisco Giants
It's always wise not to put too much stock in spring training performance, but Birdsong's performance was difficult to ignore. The 23-year-old allowed just six hits and one earned run with an 18-to-0 strikeout-to-walk ratio over 12 innings of work, and he has found a valuable mentor in new teammate Justin Verlander. It looks like the No. 5 starter job is his after Kyle Harrison was optioned to the minors.
