Welcome back for the week one update of my Major League Baseball power rankings for 2025. Surely everyone agreed in harmony on my preseason rankings.
All but one team from the preseason ranking stayed in the top-10, with most of the change being the rankings within the top-10. The Braves, who will be highlighted below, had the most drastic drop due to their poor start, and the Padres had the most meteoric rise.
As the season goes on, risers and fallers won’t see such drastic changes. Baseball is a marathon, not a sprint. Unlike the preseason rankings, we’ll also have the two teams that just missed the cut to start the list, and then below will be the rankings. Argue in the comments, highlight my stupidity, and most importantly, be nice to each other!
Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images
Just Missed the Cut
To start my weekly odyssey, I’ll list the teams that barely missed the top-10: The Baltimore Orioles and Boston Red Sox.
To start, the Orioles fell off the list after being ranked seventh on the preseason list. The offense exploded in Toronto to begin the season, but still split the series 2-2. Then the O’s went home and dropped two games to the Red Sox, and began their series in Kansas City by scoring only two runs.
Getting Gunnar Henderson back should help, but it’s been more or less the same offensive struggles they had to end 2024. Plus, their rotation, to simply put it, is bad. Charlie Morton looks washed, and the remainder of Dean Kremer, Cade Povich, and Tomoyuki Sugano are borderline unstartable. Thank god for Zach Eflin. And where is Trevor Rogers?
The second team that barely missed the cut is the Red Sox. Garrett Crochet has been filthy and Kristian Campbell is as advertised. They could easily crack the top-10, and should, once Jarren Duran, Rafael Devers, and Triston Casas start to hit.
Now, on to the top-10.
1. Dodgers
Everyone and their mother knew the Dodgers were elite. Even those who watch inferior sports, like football and basketball. But the start the Dodgers have had has been laughably insane.
They started the season 8-0, the best start to a season ever by a defending World Series champion and third-best in franchise history. It started in Japan with two against the Cubs, then a 6-0 homestand against the Tigers and Braves, including the Hollywood-esque walk-off shot by Shohei Ohtani.
The Dodgers had a chance to extend that streak to 9-0 Friday, but were dominated by Jesús Luzardo and fell short in their ninth inning rally to lose 3-2 to the Phillies on the road.
Still, it’s remarkable what they’ve been able to accomplish. All while Freddie Freeman is hurt, Roki Sasaki and Tanner Scott have struggled, and Max Muncy has been non-existent.
This team is only going to be better. And while Ohtani and Aaron Judge get all the attention, Tommy Edman is sneakily tied for the National League lead in homers with five. He looks like a catalyst. And unsuprinsgly, signed to a team-friendly contract till 2030.
2. Phillies (↑ 1)
Philadelphia’s offseason was all about surrounding the core with underrated talent. And it’s worked beautifully so far.
Max Kepler has homered and put up a .861 OPS through six games, and Luzardo shoved against the Dodgers last night to hand the defending champs their first loss of the season. It might be another special season in Philly.
Like the Dodgers, the Phillies have jumped out to a hot start without their A-tier guys. Bryce Harper, J.T. Realmuto, and Alec Bohm all have OPSs under .700, with Bohm’s registering at .508 through seven games.
It’s been the pitching that’s held the early season together. And there’s no reason to believe it won’t last the duration of 162. Zack Wheeler and Luzardo have had two strong starts to begin their seasons, and Taijuan Walker looked vintage in his outing against the Rockies Thursday. Aaron Nola had a rough debut against the Nationals, but will assuredly bounce back for the entirety of 2025.
3. Padres (↑ 5)
Maybe I was too harsh on the Padres to begin the season. The Friars woke up Saturday with a 7-1 record, the best run differential (plus 23) in the National League, and a freshly extended, young superstar in Jackson Merrill.
Yet despite all this, they’re still trailing the Dodgers in the NL West. Yeesh. That still doesn’t hold the Friars back from taking a massive leap, however, in the power rankings to three.
The lineup has gotten elite production from its top, with Fernando Tatis Jr., Manny Machado, and Merill doing the heavy lifting. The rotation has also looked strong in the early goings with Dylan Cease and Randy Vásquez (Juan Soto trade) shoving. Heck, even Michael King bounced back from his two-inning debut with an 11-strikeout, five-inning shutout performance over Cleveland.
It’s a strong team. Maybe stronger than I originally thought. But Jason Heyward, Luis Arraez, and Xander Bogaerts have been abysmal through the first week. Heyward in particular. The Friars will likely need to make an outside-the-organization move at some point to keep up in the West.
4. Diamondbacks
Believe it or not, the Diamondbacks were my sleeper team despite ranking them fourth. I truly believe they can challenge the Dodgers for the NL West. I’m glad they’re proving my bias right.
Sure, they’re 5-3 and fourth in the West right now. But they’ve faired well against strong competition. The Snakes split a four-game series with the Cubs at home, then took two out of three games on the road at Yankee Stadium. Which included a dramatic grand-slam from Eugenio Suárez in Game 2 to steal a game. (Guys, I saw it live; the balls might be juiced again.)
The offense has been as advertised, led by Corbin Carroll‘s hot start and Suarez’s insane .761 slugging percentage and five homers. Geraldo Perdomo has also started blistering hot, posting a .379/.375/.552 slashline with 11 RBIs.
The bullpen, which was a plus entering the year, has also done its job. Outside a couple homers, A.J. Puk has looked sharp alongside Justin Martinez in the closer’s role, and even guys like Shelby Miller and Jalen Beeks have contributed bullish innings.
The one weakness, as it was last year, has been the starting pitching. Brandon Pfaadt at age 26 still hasn’t taken the jump since his breakout 2023 postseason, Merrill Kelly was pummeled for nine runs in 3 2/3 by the Yanks, and Corbin Burnes flammed out after 4 1/3 innings in his debut in the Bronx. The rotation simply has to be better for the Diamondbacks to stay among the top in a loaded NL.
Something to monitor early this season is Ketel Marte. The second baseman was slashing .346/.469/.462 through eight games, but tweaked his hamstring running out a ground ball Friday and potentially could hit the injured list.
5. Yankees
After reading the comments, people almost convinced me the Yankees were bad!
Just kidding, guys. We should all know this team is still a powerhouse. And easily the best in the American League through Week One. The lineup has been nuts, headlined by Judge’s six homers through seven games and 1.103 OPS. They hold the best run differential in baseball (plus 26), and everyone in their starting nine except Oswaldo Cabrera has homered.
The rotation, despite missing Gerrit Cole, has held up. Max Fried has a 2.61 ERA through two starts, Carlos Rodón has a 3.97 ERA with his new beard, and Will Warren was solid in five innings versus the D-backs.
All the talk has been about the torpedo bats. And I refuse to talk about them because, frankly, I’m sick of all the talk. The team is just good. Also, because I’m petty, I’m going to keep an active counter of Jazz Chisholm Jr.‘s season. I said he could go 30/30. Others disagreed.
Jazz Chisholm Jr. 2025 stats: .241/.313/.655, four homers, one stolen base.
6. Braves (↓ 4)
Where to start with the Braves. Maybe their 0-7 start? Perhaps Jurickson Profar‘s 80-game suspension for PEDs? Or their lineup starting the season batting 1-for-34 with runners in scoring position?
It doesn’t really matter where you start. Just enjoy while it lasts, Mets fans. Cause the Braves are still scary. And trust me, they’ll regress to the mean.
The lineup only scored 14 runs during their seven-game losing streak, which won’t be a constant over 162. The Braves picked up their first victory Friday against the Marlins, breaking out for 10 runs while getting much-needed homers from Marcell Ozuna and Matt Olson.
The pitching staff has also been mediocre, and desperately needs Spencer Strider back. Reynaldo López has no timetable to return from his injury, and Grant Holmes, Bryce Elder, and AJ Smith-Shawver isn’t exactly a sexy rotation in the NL East.
Chris Sale and Spencer Schwellenbach are a nice duo at the top, with the latter dominating through two scoreless starts against the Padres and Marlins to start 2025. But this team needs Ronald Acuña Jr., Sean Murphy, and Strider back ASAP. No team in major league history has started 0-7 and made the playoffs. Yet, I have a funny feeling this team will be an exception.
7. Cubs (↑ 2)
The Cubs cracked my top-10 to begin the season, and weren’t on some other lists to begin the year. But I saw the greatness, and the roster has rewarded me.
I highlighted the strong lineup and rotation to be anchors for this team, and so far it’s held true. Kyle Tucker has lived up to his superstar status, slashing .308/.449/.744 with four homers and five doubles through 10 games, and Seiya Suzuki has benefited from the deeper lineup by clubbing four homers of his own with a .908 OPS.
Shota Imanaga has made an early Cy Young case, registering a 0.98 ERA in a major league-leading 18 1/3 innings, making up for the slow starts by Jameson Taillon and Justin Steele. The bullpen hasn’t produced as anticipated, with Eli Morgan and Nate Pearson holding double-digit ERAs on the morning of April 5. Ryan Pressly, however, has registered three saves with one blemish being a two-run homer allowed in a 4-3 win over the Diamondbacks.
The club has the talent to win the NL Central. And after starting the season in Japan by dropping two games to the Dodgers, they’ve split a series on the road with the D-backs, outscored the Atheltics 35-9 in a three-game sweep, and handed the Padres their first loss Friday. Expect this team to begin dominating once top-prospect Matt Shaw clicks in the majors, Ian Happ snaps out of his slow start, and the rotation solidifies.
8. Mets (↓ 2)
I can already see the comments now.
The Mets had a slow start to the season, but one I foresaw. This is me shamefully plugging our excellent podcast by MMO that I guest appeared on with Mathias Altman-Kurosaki. The Mets entered Houston without a series win since the Astros were an NL team, and without a series win overall vs. the Stros since 2014. That stat held up.
Plus, they escaped Miami with a series win thanks to Pete Alonso, and really Alonso alone. Still, they’re 4-3 in the early season, and so far, there hasn’t been any reason to panic. The Amazin’s find themselves at eight.
Francisco Lindor is having his annual April slump, slashing .136/.231/.182 in six games. Soto had a godly series in Houston, but floundered with a 2-for-12 series against the Marlins with zero extra base hits.
Still, those two aren’t even the most of my worries. It’s truly Mark Vientos. I highlighted my skepticism entering the year, but it’s been even worse. He’s batting .074 with a -18 OPS+ through seven games, and his defense cost the Mets multiple runs in Miami. Vientos is the bridge in the Mets lineup, and despite it being early, he could turn a deep, dangerous lineup, into a top-heavy one with his struggles.
Oh, and did I mention second base? The Mets desperately need Jeff McNeil back. Brett Baty is 1-for-14 with a single to start the year, and Luisangel Acuña is batting .143. The at-bat against Josh Hader was cool. But the rest has been forgettable.
Outside Vientos and second base, the rest of the roster looks concrete. The rotation has performed well through one full rotation, with Tylor Megill being the it-factor with his 0.87 ERA early. The bullpen has also been the best in baseball, with only A.J. Minter and Danny Young allowing runs through 25 2/3 combined innings pitched by the ‘pen.
9. Rangers (↑ 4)
I was skeptical of the Rangers to begin the season. I had them outside the top-10 at 13, and thought their pitching would hold them back. I was wrong.
Jack Leiter particularly has turned a corner. Al’s son has a 0.90 ERA through two starts, and more impressively, has only walked one batter in 10 innings. Tyler Mahle and Nathan Eovaldi have also dominated in two starts, registering ERAs that start with ones and ages that begin with threes. There’s also Jacob deGrom, but we all know what he is when on the mound.
The bullpen, which was the most suspect piece of the roster, has also turned out fine performances. Robert Garcia, who was traded by the Nationals for Nathaniel Lowe, has been a great add, striking out five in 4 2/3 innings. The 39-year-old Chris Martin has also been stellar, striking out eight in five scoreless innings.
The lineup, meanwhile, has been the weak spot early on. They were bailed out by their pitching in back-to-back 1-0 wins over the Reds, and are getting no production from Marcus Semien, Jake Burger, and Joc Pederson.
Corey Seager has also struggled, slashing only .200/.304/.200 with zero extra base hits through six games. Luckily, Wyatt Langford and Adolis García have carried the load for the team, and should get some help soon from the previously mentioned names. This team has stuck itself in the top-10 with a strong opening series against the Red Sox. And could stick for a good portion of the season if health prevails. Unfortunately, they’ve already been hit by the bug and placed Leiter on the 15-day IL with a blister.
10. Guardians
I’m sticking with Cleveland at 10. I still believe in Believeland.
Puns aside, don’t let the slow start to the season repel you from the Guardians. They won the opening series on the road verse the Royals, and then were knocked on their behinds by the raging hot Padres. A three-game sweep, to be exact.
But the Guardians bounced back Friday behind José Ramírez‘s three-homer night, defeating the Angels 8-6 and placing themselves atop the gaunt AL Central at 3-4.
The main concern with the Guardians entering the season was their offense. And so far, it’s done what it’s needed to do. Ramírez is playing like the top-five player he is, and the rest of the lineup has produced enough to win ball games.
Steven Kwan and Gabriel Arias have been among those others so far, producing OPSs of .881 and .924. Kyle Manzardo has also broke-out in the first week, slashing .261/.345/.652 with two homers and a triple from the DH spot. He was the driving force in the season opening 7-4 win in Kansas City, and could be another superstar to pair with Ramírez.
Meanwhile, the bullpen that carried Cleveland last season has been okay to begin the year. Emmanuel Clase and Paul Sewald have allowed a combined five runs in 7 1/3 innings, but the rest of the ‘pen have allowed just two runs in 19 2/3 innings.
I still like Cleveland, and believe they have a step over the Tigers and Royals in the AL Central. But the rotation will have to be better, and could really use a healthy Shane Bieber. But that’s a big if.
Rest of the Field
11. Red Sox
12. Orioles
13. Rays
14. Astros
15. Royals
16. Blue Jays
17. Tigers
18. Mariners
19. Giants
20. Twins
21. Cardinals
22. Reds
23. Brewers
24. Angels
25. Nationals
26. Athletics
27. Pirates
28. Marlins
29. White Sox
30. Rockies
