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Final MLB Power Rankings of Regular Season Before 2025 Postseason
The Cincinnati Reds claimed the final NL playoff spot on Sunday by securing a wild-card berth. Meanwhile, the New York Mets' collapse was complete after they lost in a shutout to the Miami Marlins.
After a quick day on Monday for the dust to settle, the Wild Card Round kicks off on Tuesday with all four matchups—Tigers vs. Guardians, Red Sox vs. Yankees, Reds vs. Dodgers and Padres vs. Cubs—getting underway on a busy day of playoff baseball.
The Blue Jays, Mariners, Phillies and Brewers await in the Division Series for the winners of those best-of-three matchups, and the whirlwind of October baseball will be underway in the blink of an eye.
For now, it's time for one final ranking of all 30 teams, with a look back at where each team was slotted in our Opening Day rankings for a comparison of expectations versus reality here in 2025.
Nos. 30-25: The Bottom of the Barrel
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30. Colorado Rockies (43-119)
Preseason Rank: 28
29. Minnesota Twins (70-92)
Preseason Rank: 19
28. Chicago White Sox (60-102)
Preseason Rank: 30
27. Washington Nationals (66-96)
Preseason Rank: 26
26. Los Angeles Angels (72-90)
Preseason Rank: 27
25. Pittsburgh Pirates (71-91)
Preseason Rank: 25
The Twins rattled off a 13-game winning streak in May. Just two months later, they overhauled their roster with a major trade deadline fire sale. This move has restocked their farm system and should better position them for success in the future.
The Nationals (71-91 in 2024) and Pirates (76-86 in 2024) looked like two teams capable of taking a modest step forward this year as they build back toward contention, but instead both dropped five wins off last year's total.
It's no surprise the Rockies and White Sox were the league's two 100-loss teams this year, but the South Siders did show some upside during a 9-2 stretch in late August and early September, and this year's youth movement could pay dividends in 2026.
The Angels have now logged 10 straight losing seasons, and have not been to the postseason since 2014, though a jump from 63 to 72 wins this year and a young core provides some modest hope for the future.
Nos. 24-19: The Competitive Non-Contenders
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24. Baltimore Orioles (75-87)
Preseason Rank: 7
23. Tampa Bay Rays (77-85)
Preseason Rank: 21
22. St. Louis Cardinals (78-84)
Preseason Rank: 24
21. Atlanta Braves (76-86)
Preseason Rank: 4
20. Miami Marlins (79-83)
Preseason Rank: 29
19. Athletics (76-86)
Preseason Rank: 23
While the Mets missing the playoffs is one of the weekend's biggest stories, the Braves and Orioles earn the title of most disappointing teams of the 2025 season after falling well short of expectations. The O's could be ready to shake things up this winter, while better health might be all the Braves need to return to contention after going 30-24 in August and September.
The Cardinals and Rays could both be busy on the offseason trade market, with the Cards looking to turn the page from veterans like Nolan Arenado, Sonny Gray and Willson Contreras, while the Rays are consistently looking for ways to get cheaper by flipping expensive veterans.
Based on strong second-half performances, keep an eye on the Marlins (35-32) and Athletics (35-29) as two teams that could push for a winning record in 2026, though Sandy Alcantara rumors will swirl again this offseason.
Slugger Nick Kurtz will almost certainly be the A's first Rookie of the Year winner since Andrew Bailey in 2009.
Nos. 18-13: Contenders Into September
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18. Texas Rangers (81-81)
Preseason Rank: 16
17. San Francisco Giants (81-81)
Preseason Rank: 20
16. Kansas City Royals (82-80)
Preseason Rank: 17
15. Arizona Diamondbacks (80-82)
Preseason Rank: 3
14. New York Mets (83-79)
Preseason Rank: 5
13. Houston Astros (87-75)
Preseason Rank: 15
The Rangers and Giants were both top-10 teams in these rankings at various points in the 2025 season, and the Rangers were just two games back for a wild-card spot on Sept. 13 before a 2-11 finish to the regular season.
Just two years removed from a 106-loss season, the Royals are a vastly improved team, though five fewer wins than they had a year ago was enough to drop them from the No. 2 AL wild card to the No. 5 spot in those standings this year.
The offseason addition of Corbin Burnes raised expectations for the Diamondbacks' rotation, which also included Zac Gallen, Merrill Kelly, and Brandon Pfaadt. Paired with the highest-scoring offense in 2024, hopes were high. Ultimately, a 29-24 finish brought the team close to a .500 record.
The Mets ($341.1 million, 2nd in MLB) and Astros ($232.8 million, 6th in MLB) had the highest payrolls among teams that missed the postseason. Both face busy offseasons, highlighted by the upcoming free agency of Pete Alonso and Framber Valdez.
There's no reason to think the Mets will stop spending in their pursuit of a title contender, but the Astros could consider steering into a rebuild and shopping some of their key pieces.
Nos. 12-11
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12. Detroit Tigers (87-75)
Preseason Rank: 13
The Tigers looked like one baseball's elite teams for much of the year, with a well-balanced lineup of players exceeding expectations and a pitching staff anchored by baseball's best pitcher and presumptive AL Cy Young winner, Tarik Skubal. A 7-17 record in September cost them the AL Central division title, and they now need to flip the switch to avoid an early exit in the Wild Card Round.
11. Cincinnati Reds (83-79)
Preseason Rank: 22
The Mets' collapse will be what everyone talks about, but the Reds went 9-5 over their final 14 games to capitalize on that window sliding open, and their starting rotation has a chance to be a major weapon in October. The question is whether an offense that ranks 19th in OPS (.706), 21st in home runs (167) and 14th in runs scored (716) can find enough firepower to back their arms.
Nos. 10-9
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10. Cleveland Guardians (88-74)
Preseason Rank: 14
The Guardians were 15.5 games back in the AL Central standings on July 18, but they went 46-26 the rest of the way to set a record for the largest deficit overcome to win a division title in MLB history. The rotation lacks a true ace, the bullpen is not as deep without Emmanuel Clase and the lineup remains inconsistent outside of superstar José Ramírez, but they have the momentum at the perfect time.
9. Boston Red Sox (89-73)
Preseason Rank: 11
Garrett Crochet gave the Red Sox rotation the bona fide ace it had been lacking since Chris Sale was in his prime, and there is a case to be made the move to acquire him from the White Sox was the most impactful addition of the offseason. Can some combination of Brayan Bello, Lucas Giolito, Connelly Early, Payton Tolle and Kyle Harrison throw enough quality innings for them to make a legitimate October run?
Nos. 8-7
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8. San Diego Padres (90-72)
Preseason Rank: 6
The Padres had a share of the NL West lead as recently as Aug. 24, but they settled for runner-up in the division race for the fourth time in the last six years. The four-man rotation of Dylan Cease, Michael King, Nick Pivetta and Yu Darvish might be the biggest question mark in this year's playoff field. If they pitch up to their potential, this team could make a legitimate World Series push, but they have rarely clicked at the same time this year.
7. Chicago Cubs (92-70)
Preseason Rank: 12
With a 57-39 record at the All-Star break, the Cubs played elite baseball into July, and they claimed the No. 1 NL wild-card spot for their first playoff berth since 2020. However, after coasting to a 34-31 record during the second half, it's fair to wonder just how high their ceiling will be in October. The Cade Horton injury is a major blow, as the potential NL Rookie of the Year was pitching like an ace down the stretch.
Nos. 6-5
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6. Toronto Blue Jays (94-68)
Preseason Rank: 18
For the first time since 2015 and just the seventh time in franchise history, the Blue Jays are AL East champions. A 2-6 stretch of games heading into the final series of the year had them trending in the wrong direction, but they finished on a high note with a three-game sweep of the Rays. Does Max Scherzer have one more stellar October run in his 41-year-old arm?
5. Seattle Mariners (90-72)
Preseason Rank: 9
The Mariners got an all-time great season from Cal Raleigh, who slugged 60 home runs in one of the most impressive offensive campaigns ever by a catcher and by a switch-hitter. The starting rotation is again a major strength, with Bryan Woo emerging as one of the game's best young starters, and they are playing some of their best baseball of the season right now with a 17-8 record in September.
Nos. 4-3
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4. Los Angeles Dodgers (93-69)
Preseason Rank: 1
The Dodgers' pitching staff has rarely been at full strength this season, but they head into October with Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Blake Snell and Tyler Glasnow lined up to anchor the playoff rotation, with Clayton Kershaw, Emmet Sheehan and Shohei Ohtani also in the mix. With 12 division titles in the last 13 years, it's World Series or bust for baseball's highest-priced collection of talent.
3. New York Yankees (94-68)
Preseason Rank: 8
With an 11-1 record in their last 12 games, the Yankees enter the playoffs on a roll, though they were unable to overtake the Blue Jays in the AL East race and will need to play their way through the Wild Card Round. Can Aaron Judge make his mark this postseason? Will the rotation behind Max Fried and Carlos Rodón pull its weight? Is the bullpen finally sorted out?
Nos. 2-1
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2. Milwaukee Brewers (97-65)
Preseason Rank: 10
The Brewers won 14 in a row to start August, and in the process, went from one game up in the NL Central to a nine-game advantage over the Cubs on their way to comfortably claiming a third straight division title. Soaking up innings when Freddy Peralta is not on the mound will be their biggest challenge in the postseason, and after going 12-12 in September, they need to regain some of their spark.
1. Philadelphia Phillies (96-66)
Preseason Rank: 2
Even with Zack Wheeler sidelined and Aaron Nola not pitching like himself, the Phillies still look like baseball's best team entering the postseason. Cristopher Sánchez, Ranger Suárez and Jesus Luzardo still have the potential to carry this team through October, while 56-homer slugger Kyle Schwarber will look to add to a postseason resume that includes a .906 OPS and 21 home runs in 69 games.
Complete Rankings
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Complete Rankings
1. Philadelphia Phillies
2. Milwaukee Brewers
3. New York Yankees
4. Los Angeles Dodgers
5. Seattle Mariners
6. Toronto Blue Jays
7. Chicago Cubs
8. San Diego Padres
9. Boston Red Sox
10. Cleveland Guardians
11. Cincinnati Reds
12. Detroit Tigers
13. Houston Astros
14. New York Mets
15. Arizona Diamondbacks
16. Kansas City Royals
17. San Francisco Giants
18. Texas Rangers
19. Athletics
20. Miami Marlins
21. Atlanta Braves
22. St. Louis Cardinals
23. Tampa Bay Rays
24. Baltimore Orioles
25. Pittsburgh Pirates
26. Los Angeles Angels
27. Washington Nationals
28. Chicago White Sox
29. Minnesota Twins
30. Colorado Rockies
