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MLB Power Rankings as Cubs, Padres, Phillies, Tigers Close the Gap on Brewers
The 2025 MLB season is winding to a close, with a little over a month's worth of action remaining for teams to make their final playoff push.
Entering play on Monday, there were still 16 teams within five games of a playoff spot, which means four teams in the thick of contention entering September will end up on the outside looking in when the postseason starts.
The Milwaukee Brewers emerged as the dominant team in baseball earlier this month, but the gap to the rest of the field narrowed last week when they suffered a pair of series losses to the Chicago Cubs and San Francisco Giants.
On the other end of the playoff picture, the Kansas City Royals are trending up and the Cleveland Guardians are trending down in the AL wild-card race, though both would be watching from home if the playoffs started today.
Ahead is an updated look at where all 30 teams stand, though there is still plenty of time for a shakeup in the coming weeks.
Nos. 30-21: Running Out the Clock
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30. Colorado Rockies (37-94)
29. Chicago White Sox (47-83)
28. Washington Nationals (53-77)
27. Minnesota Twins (59-71)
26. Pittsburgh Pirates (57-74)
25. Miami Marlins (61-69)
24. Los Angeles Angels (61-69)
23. Baltimore Orioles (60-70)
22. Atlanta Braves (59-71)
21. Athletics (60-72)
The only team from this group that won both of their series last week was the Pittsburgh Pirates. They took two of three from the first-place Toronto Blue Jays before sweeping the Colorado Rockies. They are now 39-30 on the year at PNC Park, compared to an abysmal 18-44 on the road.
The Washington Nationals (2-1 vs. Mets) and Baltimore Orioles (2-0 vs. Red Sox) also played the role of spoiler last week against contending teams, and the Orioles are now 10-11 in August while also making headlines last week with an eight-year, $67 million extension for top prospect Samuel Basallo.
On the opposite end of the spectrum, the Los Angeles Angels and Minnesota Twins both went 1-5 last week, and the Angels now have just a two-game cushion over the Athletics to avoid the AL West cellar.
Nos. 20-15: A Faint Pulse
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20. San Francisco Giants (63-68)
19. St. Louis Cardinals (64-67)
18. Cleveland Guardians (64-65)
17. Arizona Diamondbacks (64-67)
16. Tampa Bay Rays (63-67)
15. Texas Rangers (66-66)
These six teams are currently long shots to be playing in October, but they might be the leading candidates to play spoiler down the stretch.
The San Francisco Giants took two of three from the Milwaukee Brewers over the weekend, though that came on the heels of losing three of four against the San Diego Padres.
Meanwhile, the Cleveland Guardians fall to this tier after a 1-5 showing against the Arizona Diamondbacks and Texas Rangers on the road. They are now 3-10 in their last 13 games, and they have dipped below .500 for the first time since July 29 while slipping behind the Kansas City Royals in the AL Central standings.
The Arizona Diamondbacks have the toughest remaining schedule of any team, with games left against the Dodgers (x6), Brewers (x4), Phillies (x3), Padres (x3), Red Sox (x3) and Rangers (x3), and they are playing some of their best baseball of the season right now with a 13-9 record and plus-22 run differential in August.
Nos. 15-11: Playoff Hopefuls
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14. Kansas City Royals (67-64)
Previous Rank: 15
Last Week: 3-1 vs. TEX, 1-2 @ DET
The Royals continue to hover just above the .500 mark, and they sit three games back for the final AL wild-card spot with a chance to make a move as nine of their next 12 games are against teams with a losing record. Outfielder Mike Yastrzemski has an .876 OPS with five home runs in 21 games since he was acquired at the deadline.
13. Cincinnati Reds (68-63)
Previous Rank: 12
Last Week: 2-1 @ LAA, 1-2 @ ARI
The Reds pitching staff ranks second in the majors with a 3.26 ERA in August, but the bullpen has nailed down just five of 10 save opportunities this month, and they continue to search for consistency in the middle innings. With the Dodgers, Blue Jays, Mets and Padres among their next five series, they have reached the make-or-break portion of their schedule.
12. New York Yankees (70-60)
Previous Rank: 11
Last Week: 2-0 @ TB, 1-3 vs. BOS
After going 5-0 on their latest road trip, the Yankees lost three straight to the rival Red Sox before avoiding a sweep with a win on Sunday, and they will look to build momentum against the Nationals and White Sox this week. Giancarlo Stanton (1.376 OPS, 8 HR, 18 RBI) and Cam Schlitter (4 GS, 2.08 ERA, 23 K, 21.2 IP) have made a major impact in August.
11. New York Mets (69-61)
Previous Rank: 14
Last Week: 1-2 @ WAS, 2-1 @ ATL
The Mets went 2-11 to start the month of August, but have stopped the skid with a 5-3 record in their last eight games. The offense piled up 39 runs in six games last week, with Mark Vientos (8-for-25, 2 2B, 4 HR, 7 RBI), Jeff McNeil (6-for-17, 2 2B, 3 HR, 9 RBI) and Francisco Lindor (10-for-26, 2 2B, HR, RBI) leading the way.
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Nos. 10-9
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10. Seattle Mariners (70-61)
Previous Rank: 6
Last Week: 0-3 @ PHI, 2-1 vs. ATH
The Mariners offense has scored three or fewer runs in eight of their last 12 games, and they went 4-8 during that span. Slugger Eugenio Suárez (22 G, .175 BA, .614 OPS, 4 HR) has not provided the expected spark since he was acquired at the deadline, and it once again looks like it will fall on the pitching staff to shoulder the load.
9. Houston Astros (72-59)
Previous Rank: 9
Last Week: 0-3 @ DET, 3-1 @ BAL
The search for answers in the starting rotation behind the trio of Hunter Brown, Framber Valdez and Jason Alexander continues for the Astros. However, the offense is poised to get a major boost with Yordan Alvarez expected to be activated from the injured list on Tuesday for his first MLB action since May 2.
Nos. 8-7
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8. Boston Red Sox (71-60)
Previous Rank: 10
Last Week: 0-2 vs. BAL, 3-1 @ NYY
The Red Sox won three in a row at Yankee Stadium last week, coming from behind on Thursday before riding strong starts from Brayan Bello (7.0 IP, 3 H, 0 ER) and Garrett Crochet (7.0 IP, 5 H, 1 ER, 11 K) to victory on Friday and Saturday. The Yankees managed to avoid the sweep on Sunday, but it still gives the Red Sox significant momentum in the AL East and AL wild-card races.
7. Los Angeles Dodgers (74-57)
Previous Rank: 4
Last Week: 2-2 @ COL, 1-2 @ SD
The Dodgers bullpen has been a major question mark for much of the year, but with Tanner Scott and Kirby Yates both activated from the injured list last week, there is still time for it to round into a strength down the stretch. On the offensive side, rookie Alex Freeland (7-for-20, 2 2B, 3B, 2 HR) has done a nice job replacing the injured Max Muncy at third base.
Nos. 6-5
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6. Toronto Blue Jays (76-55)
Previous Rank: 2
Last Week: 1-2 @ PIT, 2-1 @ MIA
The Blue Jays have been one of the best teams in baseball over the past two months, but they continue to struggle on the road, with a 34-34 record away from the Rogers Centre following Sunday's loss in Miami. Deadline pickup Shane Bieber made his season debut on Friday, allowing two hits and one earned run with nine strikeouts in six strong innings to pick up the win.
5. Philadelphia Phillies (76-54)
Previous Rank: 5
Last Week: 3-0 vs. SEA, 2-1 vs. WAS
The Phillies picked up two more series wins last week, but they were dealt a major blow to their playoff outlook when it was announced that ace Zack Wheeler will need thoracic outlet surgery and miss the remainder of the season. Some combination of Jesús Luzardo, Taijuan Walker and Aaron Nola will need to step up to keep their title hopes alive.
Nos. 4-3
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4. San Diego Padres (74-57)
Previous Rank: 8
Last Week: 3-1 vs. SF, 2-1 vs. LAD
The Padres have moved into a tie atop the NL West standings after taking two of three from their rivals last week as part of a five-game winning streak. A strong start from Yu Darvish on Friday (6.0 IP, 1 H, 1 ER) and Nestor Cortes on Saturday (6.0 IP, 1 H, 0 ER) propelled the team to the series win over the Dodgers.
3. Chicago Cubs (76-55)
Previous Rank: 7
Last Week: 3-2 vs. MIL, 3-0 @ LAA
The Cubs went 3-2 while facing the red-hot Brewers five times in four days at Wrigley Field, then swept the Angels to begin a nine-game road trip. After three games on the bench to rest and reset, Kyle Tucker homered three times in two games against the Angels, and it was revealed on Wednesday that he has been playing through a hairline fracture in his right hand since June.
Nos. 2-1
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2. Detroit Tigers (78-54)
Previous Rank: 3
Last Week: 3-0 vs. HOU, 2-1 vs. KC
It looked like the wheels were falling off for the Tigers during a 1-12 stretch of games in July, but they are 18-8 since that stumble and again playing like a serious title contender. Deadline pickups Charlie Morton (6.0 IP, 3 H, 2 ER) and Chris Paddack (5.0 IP, 5 H, 1 ER) both turned in strong starts last week, and they both have the potential to be X-factors in October.
1. Milwaukee Brewers (81-50)
Previous Rank: 1
Last Week: 2-3 @ CHC, 1-2 vs. SF
After six straight series wins, the Brewers finally crashed back to earth last week with a 3-5 performance, though they still hold a five-game lead in the NL Central standings. Outfielder Jackson Chourio began a rehab assignment at Triple-A Nashville on Friday, but Joey Ortiz suffered a hamstring injury that same day, and Andruw Monasterio will now be tasked with handling starting shortstop duties for the time being.
Complete Rankings
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Complete Rankings
1. Milwaukee Brewers
2. Detroit Tigers
3. Chicago Cubs
4. San Diego Padres
5. Philadelphia Phillies
6. Toronto Blue Jays
7. Los Angeles Dodgers
8. Boston Red Sox
9. Houston Astros
10. Seattle Mariners
11. New York Mets
12. New York Yankees
13. Cincinnati Reds
14. Kansas City Royals
15. Texas Rangers
16. Tampa Bay Rays
17. Arizona Diamondbacks
18. Cleveland Guardians
19. St. Louis Cardinals
20. San Francisco Giants
21. Athletics
22. Atlanta Braves
23. Baltimore Orioles
24. Los Angeles Angels
25. Miami Marlins
26. Pittsburgh Pirates
27. Minnesota Twins
28. Washington Nationals
29. Chicago White Sox
30. Colorado Rockies
Stars of the Week
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Hitter of the Week: Vinnie Pasquantino, Kansas City Royals
Stats: 7 G, 11-for-29, 2 2B, 6 HR, 12 RBI, 7 R
Pasquantino has now slugged 13 home runs since the All-Star break, a total eclipsed only by Shea Langeliers (16), Kyle Schwarber (15) and Junior Caminero (14). His 28 home runs on the year already represent a career high; and with eight more RBI, he will become the 21st player in Royals history with a 100-RBI season.
Pitcher of the Week: Ranger Suárez, Philadelphia Phillies
Stats: 2 GS, 2 W, 13.2 IP, 7 H, 2 ER, 0 BB, 21 K
Suárez had a pair of double-digit strikeout performances last week, shutting down the Mariners (6.2 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 10 K) and Nationals (7.0 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 11 K) for his 13th and 14th quality starts of the year. With Zack Wheeler on the shelf for the remainder of the season, his performances become that much more important to the Phillies' success.
Rookie of the Week: Kyle Teel, Chicago White Sox
Stats: 6 G, 11-for-23, 2B, 2 HR, 8 RBI, 7 R
Teel has quietly put together a solid rookie season since making his MLB debut on June 6, hitting .283/.375/.409 with 12 extra-base hits and 41 RBI in 51 games. The 23-year-old doubled his home run total with two long balls last week, and he has the potential to be a key piece of the White Sox rebuilding efforts.
.jpg?w=480 "Busch Stadium Stabbing")
.jpg?w=600 "Bryce Harper Trade Landing Spots 🛬")