With the 2025 MLB season set to kick off in earnest on Thursday, it’s time for another round of Ringer power rankings. After years of upsets in the MLB playoffs, it felt right that the league’s top two teams made it to the World Series, where the Dodgers beat the Yankees in five games. The chalk finally won, and we didn’t have to endure a whole offseason of debating whether the MLB playoffs are unfair to the best regular-season teams.
Those two franchises have gone in opposite directions since the Fall Classic, with the Dodgers adding Blake Snell, Roki Sasaki, Shohei Ohtani (the pitcher), and Tanner Scott to a loaded pitching staff. Meanwhile, the Yankees lost Juan Soto to the Mets and Gerrit Cole for the season due to Tommy John surgery.
The Dodgers and Yankees are microcosms of the leagues they play in. There’s a real imbalance in baseball right now, and the top five teams in these preseason rankings all come from the same league. The top-heavy National League makes it really difficult to be a mid-tier NL team, while it’s never been a better time for a team to come from obscurity and make a run at the AL pennant.
Ahead of the 2025 season’s Opening Day, here is our ranking of all 30 MLB teams before the first pitch.
1. Los Angeles Dodgers
The Dodgers finally combined their mastery of the 162-game regular season with playoff success to capture a World Series title in 2024. They did so with a barely functional starting rotation that now includes Tyler Glasnow, Snell, and Sasaki. The Dodgers lineup was the oldest in baseball last year, and an illness to Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman’s rib injury in the week before the start of this domestic season could leave things a bit uncertain in the early portions of the year. I’m not exactly looking to doubt Betts, Freeman, Max Muncy, or Teoscar Hernández in their 30s, but the depth could be tested.
If the Dodgers are at or near full health when the playoffs start, it’s hard to imagine anyone except the second team on this list beating them in a series. But ask any Dodgers fan—not even a World Series title will help them fully overcome those lingering demons of yesteryear.
And hey, they’re already 2-0! (Sorry, Cubs fans.)
2. Atlanta Braves
If there was a “year from hell” award in baseball, Atlanta would have surely won it in 2024. Even after the Braves lost Spencer Strider, Ronald Acuña Jr., and Austin Riley for large portions of the season, they managed to sneak into the playoffs. It’s easy to forget that before the entire team got hurt in 2024, they actually had more wins than the Dodgers and a historically good offense in 2023.
So much of Atlanta’s 2025 season depends on how Acuña and Strider return from their injuries. Strider impressed in limited spring training work, and Acuña is expected back in May. The last time Acuña returned from an ACL injury, in 2022, he wasn’t the same player who won MVP a year later in 2023. Max Fried is gone, but Spencer Schwellenbach appears more than ready to take his place in the rotation behind Cy Young winner Chris Sale and Strider. Schwellenbach had a 2.73 ERA in 79 innings post-All-Star break in 2024.
Atlanta is the rightful favorite in the NL East and the team with the highest ceiling to challenge the Dodgers.
3. Philadelphia Phillies
The last three years in Philadelphia have been intriguing. They’ve won progressively more games in the regular season—87 in 2022, 90 in 2023, and 95 in 2024—all while advancing one round fewer in the playoffs each season. If this trend continues, there will be meltdowns across town after the team wins 97 games, gets a wild-card berth, and loses a three-game series to the Diamondbacks in October.
To explain the difference between the Phillies’ improving regular-season success and worsening playoff outcomes, you could tell a story. The depth of the roster—especially the pitching—has improved considerably from 2022 to 2025. The emergence of Cristopher Sánchez and solid bullpen depth has made the Phillies better suited for a 162-game season. But it’s clear that flaws in the core of this lineup have been exposed by the Diamondbacks and Mets in the last two postseasons.
The question is: With the same aging group of position players, what is left for Philly to prove in the regular season? Not much. They possess one of the most talented rosters in the league with a potentially dominant rotation, but thoughts of Trea Turner and Nick Castellanos chasing sliders out of the zone in October are already giving me nightmares.
4. New York Mets
The third team in the NL East triumvirate of dominance is the Mets, who are looking to capitalize on the momentum that swept through New York City last October and brought Juan Soto from the Bronx to Queens with a historic contract in free agency. The Mets offense has serious potential to be the best in baseball with Soto and Francisco Lindor as proven stars surrounded by capable veterans Brandon Nimmo and Pete Alonso, along with emerging talent like Mark Vientos to round out an excellent five-man offensive core.
Naming converted reliever Clay Holmes as the Opening Day starter could be seen as a positive sign for the Mets’ pitching development. However, it could also be viewed as an indictment of their pitching depth, which remains the biggest question mark heading into 2025. Can Holmes hold up for a full season as a starter? Will Kodai Senga regain his 2023 health and form? Can David Stearns’s pitching lab cook up more diamonds in the rough to give the Mets enough outs to keep up with the superior rotations in Atlanta and Philadelphia?
5. Arizona Diamondbacks
Maybe it’s because they play in the same division as the Dodgers, or because they didn’t make the playoffs in 2024, but I can’t help but feel like Arizona is quite underrated and overlooked entering 2025. The Diamondbacks scored the most runs in baseball in 2024, even though 2023 Rookie of the Year Corbin Carroll’s OPS was just .635 in the first half of the season.
Excellent starting pitching depth is often underrated, and Arizona has as much of it as any team in baseball. Arizona has a combination of intriguing young arms like Ryne Nelson and Brandon Pfaadt, plus experienced veterans Merrill Kelly and Eduardo Rodríguez to join Zac Gallen and Corbin Burnes as real ace-level pitchers in the rotation.
The path to a World Series for the Diamondbacks is challenging, as it will likely go through the wild-card round due to the Dodgers, but we saw Arizona go from wild card to World Series participant in 2023.
The Diamondbacks bullpen is now fully rebuilt and looks better on paper than in years past. Improvements with that unit will lead to a return to the playoffs, where no one will want to face Burnes and Gallen in a short series.
6. Texas Rangers
Determining the top team in the American League right now is quite a challenge. The AL West is considered weaker than the AL East, and the Rangers have seen the most playoff success among the top contenders. For me, that broke the tie and placed Texas at the top of the list. I firmly believe that the league’s five best teams all play in the NL, while the Rangers are the best among a group of murky AL contenders.
The roster is a well-balanced mix of seasoned, exceptional veterans and potential rising stars. The development of Kumar Rocker and Jack Leiter will be vital at the back of a rotation led by Jacob deGrom and Nathan Eovaldi. The health of stars Corey Seager and Adolis García will be essential in anchoring a lineup that includes emerging talents like Wyatt Langford. Texas presents the perfect blend of veteran experience and young potential.
If deGrom or Seager misses significant time, it’s easy to see Texas missing the playoffs. However, the Rangers possess as much talent as any roster in the AL.
7. Boston Red Sox
The era of Boston’s passivity in the trade and free agent markets appears to be over. The franchise is still recovering from its decision to trade Mookie Betts instead of extending him, but the acquisitions of Alex Bregman, Walker Buehler, and Garrett Crochet give the Red Sox some real proven players to surround an intriguing young core in 2025.
Triston Casas was in the midst of a breakout last season before he got injured, just as Jarren Duran was backing up his breakout 2023 with another excellent season last year. The Red Sox could still be a year away from contending, but the current state of the AL has opened the door for a surprise team to come through.
Kristian Campbell, Roman Anthony and Marcelo Mayer are all top prospects expected to debut in 2025, but Boston could find it doesn’t have enough playing time for all of them. That’s a good problem to have. The decision to put Bregman at third and move Rafael Devers to designated hitter is a sign that Boston is serious about contending at the top of the AL.
8. Baltimore Orioles
The Orioles will have a less-than-ideal start to the season with Gunnar Henderson and Grayson Rodriguez beginning on the injured list. This setback comes as the team aims to bounce back from a disappointing end to 2024. The Orioles had a chance to challenge the Yankees for the AL East title but fell short. Then they were swept at home by the Royals in the wild-card round, scoring just one run in two games.
Despite these challenges, the Orioles have an abundance of hitting depth and young talent, making them one of the most promising teams in the league. According to THE BAT X projection system, they are expected to have 12 above-average hitters this season.
The loss of ace Corbin Burnes will be difficult to overcome, and early-season injuries to their best starter and best hitter only compound the concerns of the fan base. Many are questioning whether GM Mike Elias has been proactive enough in improving the roster.
9. Houston Astros
What does the end of a dynasty look like? I know what you’re thinking: It’s silly to question the Astros’ ability to win games. Just asking the question might bring about a 100-win season. But remember, 2024 marked the first time since 2016 that Houston didn’t make the ALCS, and the team didn’t even get close to it. Kyle Tucker, Alex Bregman, and Ryan Pressly are now gone. Jose Altuve is now playing left field. Yordan Alvarez has a history of injuries. The bullpen after Josh Hader and Bryan Abreu looks thin.
Despite these changes, Houston remains in the top 10 out of respect for their legacy of success and the quality of their starting rotation. However, the bullpen and lineup appear quite average compared to past versions of this team.
10. New York Yankees
You can’t replace Juan Soto, but you can attempt to replicate him in the aggregate. That was the Yankees’ offseason plan, and I’ll give them a B-minus for their efforts. Soto being gone means Aaron Judge will have fewer opportunities to bat with runners on base when he hits his towering home runs. Judge’s power output was amplified due to Soto’s incredible on-base skills. Without Soto, the Yankees need big seasons from trade acquisition Cody Bellinger and emerging youngster Jasson Domínguez, better known as “The Martian.” The Yankees also added 37-year-old Paul Goldschmidt to play first base and help solve a position that provided little production last year.
The reason to bet on the Yankees’ high floor was their reliable pitching depth. They added Max Fried and Devin Williams to bolster both the rotation and bullpen. However, the pitching staff has taken a massive hit. It was announced during spring training that Gerrit Cole is out for the year, and 2024 AL Rookie of the Year Luis Gil will miss at least a month of the season.
Last season was great for the Yankees because they ended a 15-year drought of not reaching the World Series. Yet I can’t help but feel that Yankees fans will look back at 2024 as a real missed opportunity given Cole’s long-term injury, the departure of Soto, and the shifting balance of power at the top of the American League.
11. San Diego Padres
Padres general manager A.J. Preller is like that friend who’s on tilt at the blackjack table in Vegas. It’s 3:30 a.m., and just when you think he’s made every possible move at every casino on the Strip, he wants to try to win it all back with some high-stakes hands. Deep down, you know it’s a bad idea, but you also can’t wait to see what happens next.
That’s how I feel about the 2025 Padres. This season could go so many different ways. If they struggle early, we could see a soft rebuild with the trading of Dylan Cease, among others. If they’re in the mix in July, they’ll probably empty what’s left of the farm so Preller can take another shot at a World Series. After all, the Padres lost Blake Snell, Juan Soto, and Josh Hader in one offseason after a disappointing 2023. They finished 2024 with more wins and came the closest to knocking out the Dodgers in October. Never count Preller out.
12. Seattle Mariners
Seattle holds the top spot in my rotation rankings, and yet they still find themselves as a fringe playoff contender. When you have healthy young pitching on team-friendly contracts, that's the time to take real chances and build an offense to challenge for a pennant. There was no better time for the Mariners to have tried than this past offseason, with the top of the AL in flux.
And yet, the Mariners didn’t really do that. As much as I enjoyed the Víctor Roblessance last season and I think Randy Arozarena is a playoff riser, Seattle’s offense was 12th in wRC+ last year and doesn’t look much different on paper entering 2025.
13. Chicago Cubs
The Cubs have come to realize a truth—that no team in the NL Central is particularly strong at the moment. Milwaukee exceeded preseason expectations to claim the division title in 2023 and 2024, but their pitching depth seems thinner than in previous years. Pete Crow-Armstrong, the Cubs’ top prospect, now patrols center field, while Kyle Tucker, acquired in a trade from Houston, is one of the league’s best all-around players in right field.
In recent seasons, the Cubs have had a lineup of solid, above-average hitters. What they have lacked is a star difference maker to strike fear in opposing pitching staffs. They now have that with Tucker. That should be enough for them to win the NL Central and secure the no. 3 seed in the playoffs. The real question is whether an NL Central team can finally win a playoff series, which hasn’t happened since the Cardinals defeated the Braves in 2019.
14. Milwaukee Brewers
It wouldn’t be preseason baseball content if national media outlets weren’t overlooking the Brewers as contenders. Last year, I quickly regretted picking the Cubs to win the NL Central over Milwaukee. I started this year’s rankings before the Tokyo Series and considered changing my mind, but I just don’t believe Milwaukee can consistently find pitching gems year after year.
The Brewers bullpen appears unreliable and lacks depth now without Devin Williams. The rotation’s success relies heavily on Brandon Woodruff’s health after a major injury sidelined him for all of 2024. Jackson Chourio could potentially become a superstar in his second year, or other young players like Brice Turang or Sal Frelick could break out to compensate for the loss of Willy Adames to free agency. In 2024, Milwaukee had the third-youngest offensive lineup in the league. That is a reason for optimism and improvement in 2025.
15. Minnesota Twins
If we were to rank teams based solely on the 26 players who took the field on Opening Day, the Twins would be slightly above the tier they currently occupy. In my opinion, the Twins are the most talented team in the AL Central when at full health. But how often are they at full health? The offensive core of Royce Lewis, Byron Buxton, and Carlos Correa is rarely all in the lineup together.
If you’re a nerd like me who enjoys looking at Baseball Savant or FanGraphs advanced metrics, you probably also like the Twins. They barrel the ball more than their division rivals, and their pitching staff has better stuff grades. Minnesota’s top players are underrated, but unfortunately, their availability is often an issue.
16. Detroit Tigers
The Tigers will really test the theory that a strong finish to the previous season correlates with winning baseball the following year. On August 10 of last year, Detroit was 55-63 and unlikely to make the playoffs. But they finished the regular season on a 31-13 tear, beat the Astros in the playoffs, and came within a game of the ALCS. The reason to be excited about the Tigers in 2025 is their rotation. Tarik Skubal is the best pitcher in the American League (and maybe all of baseball), Jack Flaherty is back after Detroit traded him at the 2024 deadline, and Jackson Jobe is a top-five prospect in the sport.
Detroit’s ceiling depends on how much their young hitters develop. Spencer Torkelson, Colt Keith, and Riley Greene have the most prospect and draft pedigree, and their development is how Detroit can create separation from the glob of AL Central foes.
17. Cleveland Guardians
The Guardians had a disappointing offseason after losing to the Yankees in the ALCS. They lost the right side of their infield after trading Josh Naylor and Andrés Giménez. They’re betting on the whole being greater than the sum of its parts once again, but I have some concerns with the Cleveland bullpen. The Guardians relied heavily on their top relievers last season, and the potential wear-and-tear effects on players like Cade Smith and Emmanuel Clase could become an issue in 2025. The entire Cleveland run-prevention operation, which includes elite defense and dominant situational pitching, depends on using these bullpen flamethrowers as frequently as possible.
18. Kansas City Royals
It feels like Kansas City has already had its leap season, going from 56 wins in 2023 to 86 wins in 2024. Taking another step beyond that seems incredibly difficult without making major roster changes. The Royals had a much quieter winter this year compared to last year. Bobby Witt Jr. emerged as a superstar with an MVP-level season in 2024, and now the Royals need other young players like MJ Melendez or Vinnie Pasquantino to continue to improve in order to maintain their position as top contenders in the AL Central.
The most promising aspect of the Royals is their improved bullpen; the offense still lacks depth and struggled to hit well outside of Kauffman Stadium last season.
19. Cincinnati Reds
Just two years ago, the Reds had one of the game’s most exciting young cores. With Elly de la Cruz, Matt McLain, Noelvi Marte, Spencer Steer, and Christian Encarnacion-Strand all early in their careers, along with the pitching of Hunter Greene and Nick Lodolo, the arrow appeared to be pointing upward. That’s what made 2024 so disappointing. Many of the issues can be attributed to injuries, but the Reds finished 77-85 after an 82-win season in 2023.
Terry Francona now enters as manager to help turn the ship around, but while de la Cruz and Greene appear to be real stars, the rest of the Reds' young group needs to improve. Cincinnati has a case as a potential post-hype sleeper team after taking a step back last season.
20. Tampa Bay Rays
Much of the Rays’ franchise situation is in flux. Tropicana Field was damaged during Hurricane Milton, so the team is now playing their home games at George M. Steinbrenner Field, the spring training home of the Yankees. There are questions surrounding whether the Rays will be sold, whether they’ll stay in Tampa, and whether they can ever keep a star pitcher healthy after Shane McClanahan left spring training with an arm injury.
The move to an outdoor stadium should make the offense really stand out, especially during the summer months in Florida. The Rays should score more runs than usual, but their bullpen looks like it has real holes and lacks depth. The days of blind trust in Tampa Bay have come and gone, and the Rays look like the fourth-best team in an extremely competitive AL East.
21. San Francisco Giants
The Giants are the fourth-best team in their division, and the franchise seems to be at a crossroads between a full rebuild and trying to contend immediately. The offseason additions of Justin Verlander and Willy Adames signal that this roster is close to a playoff spot, but the Giants seem destined to have a .500-type season.
The rotation and bullpen could be much better than anticipated. Verlander, Robbie Ray, and ace Logan Webb form a great trio. However, the offense lacks star power and breakout potential. Keep an eye on 25-year-old Heliot Ramos, who posted a .792 OPS in his first full season.
22. Toronto Blue Jays
The phrase “always the bridesmaid, never the bride” perfectly describes the Blue Jays’ attempts to sign a big-time free agent in recent seasons. They were in the running for Soto, Ohtani, and Sasaki and struck out on all three. Now, Toronto needs to determine whether Vlad Guerrero Jr. will be part of the team’s future.
Toronto’s rotation is aging, with three of their top four starters born in 1991 or earlier. The core of exciting position players hasn’t shown much staying power beyond Guerrero. Having a rotation of Kevin Gausman, José Berríos, Chris Bassitt, and Max Scherzer in 2025 poses a real risk. While Anthony Santander and Jeff Hoffman were solid free agent additions to the outfield and bullpen, it’s unclear what the true upside is for Toronto in a division as tough as the AL East.
23. St. Louis Cardinals
St. Louis is currently in the process of rebuilding, but there’s enough talent on the roster to prevent them from falling into the bottom tier of MLB teams. The biggest questions for the Cardinals might be whether they’ll be able to trade Nolan Arenado and whether they want to trade Ryan Helsley, who could be well sought-after at the trade deadline.
The Cardinals have made a concerted effort to get younger in the past two years, which will be evident on Opening Day when they start Victor Scott II (24) in center, Masyn Winn (23) at shortstop, and Nolan Gorman (24) at second base.
The Goldschmidt-Arenado era isn’t fully closed yet with Arenado still in the picture, but the roster is finally turning over.
24. Athletics
The Athletics had the fourth-youngest group of offensive players last year, and there appears to be a core forming for this team as it begins to play in Sacramento. Unlike the past few seasons, the franchise actually spent some money and gave out multiyear contracts to veteran starting pitchers. The additions of Luis Severino and Jeffrey Springs through free agency and trade give the pitching staff a more solid foundation. Mason Miller is one of the best shutdown relievers in the game, and now we’ll have to see whether Lawrence Butler and Brent Rooker can sustain and build on breakout seasons in 2024. First baseman Tyler Soderstrom is another player to watch: He posted a solid .743 OPS in his age-22 season in 213 plate appearances.
A playoff appearance is probably a bridge too far for this roster, but a .500 season isn’t off the table as the Athletics have now bottomed out and moved out of the league’s basement.
25. Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pirates boast some of the most exciting young starting pitching in the league with established MLB duo Paul Skenes and Jared Jones, as well as the potential 2025 arrival of top prospects Bubba Chandler and Thomas Harrington. The problem with building a future around young arms in modern baseball is that the team is always holding its breath, hoping none of their players blow out an arm. Just ask the Marlins, as their talented pitching core from a few years ago kept getting injured.
Unfortunately, the Pirates find themselves in limbo as they enter this season. Jones had elbow discomfort and has been shut down for six weeks. Additionally, the Pirates also haven’t done enough to supplement their promising pitching with even a league-average offense on paper. Bryan Reynolds and Oneil Cruz are the only players projected to be above-average hitters this season.
Their offseason moves included re-signing 38-year-old Andrew McCutchen, trading for Spencer Horwitz, and adding 33-year-old Adam Frazier and 37-year-old Tommy Pham.
26. Washington Nationals
The Nationals have a young and intriguing core of position players that could excite fans across the diamond in 2025. James Wood and Dylan Crews will play the corner outfield spots as two of the top prospects in the league, putting up impressive numbers as rookies in 2024, with Wood playing 79 games and Crews playing 31. CJ Abrams and Luis García Jr. have had their fair share of ups and downs as MLB players, but it’s easy to overlook that they are both still just 24 years old and playing shortstop and second base. They’ve been surrounded in the lineup by some solid veterans like Josh Bell and Nathaniel Lowe.
Washington is currently ranked fourth in a top-heavy NL East. While it remains uncertain how they will fare with their pitching staff this year, they are expected to be a much more interesting team to watch in 2025 compared to their performances in 2023 and 2024.
27. Los Angeles Angels
Last year was supposed to provide a glimpse of the post-Ohtani Angels. However, with Mike Trout playing only 29 games before getting hurt, it ended up serving as a warning sign for how bleak this roster could be in the post-Ohtani-and-Trout era. The Angels lost 99 games and could reach triple-digit losses with this roster in 2025.
Trout’s presence still draws fans to the ballpark, but his contract is starting to feel like a burden due to his concerning injury history. At some point, we have to consider when the Angels will trade Trout and fully commit to rebuilding from the ground up.
While the Angels have some intriguing young players like Zach Neto, Logan O’Hoppe, and Ben Joyce, there are also veterans on the roster—Luis Rengifo, Taylor Ward, and Kenley Jansen—who could be dealt at the deadline to a contender if they produce.
28. Miami Marlins
Sandy Alcántara is back on the mound after missing all of 2024. He’ll start on Opening Day and give baseball fans a reason to pay attention to the Marlins every fifth day. When Sandy is at his best, there are few pitchers more enjoyable to watch dominate an opposing lineup. Alcántara will find himself in trade rumors at the deadline if he’s healthy and pitching well this season.
The Marlins are in a full rebuild, trying to identify who will be part of their next competitive team. It’s easy to forget that Miami began last season with Luis Arráez, Jazz Chisholm Jr., Josh Bell, Jake Burger, and Bryan De La Cruz all in the lineup. Those five are all gone—traded for upside potential and younger players.
Xavier Edwards might lead MLB in steals and the Marlins have a ton of speed, but scoring runs could be an issue for them.
29. Colorado Rockies
Brenton Doyle and Ezequiel Tovar are exciting young players holding down the crucial center field and shortstop positions for the Rockies. The altitude advantage at Coors Field means opposing teams often struggle when they have to make that trip to Denver.
Unfortunately, there isn’t much else positive to say about the Rockies, especially considering their puzzling decision to trade Nolan Jones to Cleveland just a few years after acquiring him from Cleveland. Colorado appears to be on track for a fourth consecutive last-place finish in the NL West, but I’ll still find myself tuning in to watch some high-scoring 11-10 baseball games on MLB.TV in July.
30. Chicago White Sox
The good news for the White Sox is that it can’t get worse. The bad news? It probably won’t get much better. Chicago had the worst record in MLB history last year, finishing 41-121. The path back to competitive baseball is long, especially since the White Sox traded their best pitcher, Garrett Crochet.
In 2025, the most crucial aspect of the White Sox’s rebuild might be keeping Luis Robert Jr. healthy and engaged so they can trade him for a haul of prospects at the deadline.
