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The MLB season is just around the corner as spring training begins and free agency ends. After the Los Angeles Dodgers rolled to a World Series title last year, some of MLB's biggest free agents ever changed teams. Juan Soto signed the largest deal in North American sports history, Max Fried is now the highest-paid lefty pitcher ever, and the Dodgers got better, too, with a series of moves. Before the spring training games begin, let's launch into the first edition of the 2025 MLB Power Rankings.
The final month of the offseason was relatively quiet outside of two All-Stars signing short-term deals. Pete Alonso came back to the New York Mets on a two-year deal with an opt-out after 2025. Alex Bregman changed teams, going to the Boston Red Sox on a three-year deal with a player option after each season. Both of those guys could be back in free agency next year. But for now, they have a positive impact on their team's standings in the MLB Power Rankings.
Note: we are using Spotrac for all salary and contract stats and FanGraph's Roster Resource for all lineup and rotation projections.
1. Los Angeles Dodgers
When you spend $1 billion in the offseason and back it up, you earn the top spot in the power rankings. But when you follow that up with another fantastic offseason, you run away with the top spot. That's where the Dodgers are now after adding Blake Snell and Roki Sasaki to a stacked rotation. Tanner Scott and Kirby Yates are in the bullpen. Teoscar Hernandez is back, as are Kike Hernandez and Clayton Kershaw. The Dodgers are far and away the number-one team heading into 2025.
2. New York Mets
Last season was supposed to be a bridge year for the Mets. They were going to develop some prospects and scrounge for a Wild Card spot while they waited for dead money to clear off the books. Instead, they went to the NLCS and then added Juan Soto to an already stacked lineup. They take the number two spot in our power rankings, which could change hands multiple times this year due to talent across the National League.
3. Atlanta Braves
One of those talented teams is the Atlanta Braves, who are bringing back a lot of their important pieces after a disappointing season. They lost Max Fried, Jorge Soler, and Charlie Morton, who will all be hard to replace. But Spencer Strider and Ronald Acuña Jr will be back sooner rather than later. With those two stars back, they should be a better team than last year and compete for the NL East title.
4. New York Yankees
The Yankees believe they have gotten better this offseason despite losing Soto. Fried, Devin Williams, Cody Bellinger, and Paul Goldschmidt are the big additions that should give them improved defense and pitching. But did they surround Aaron Judge with enough offensive firepower to get back to the World Series?
5. Philadelphia Phillies
The Phillies are probably the most forgotten team from 2024. They stormed out to a ridiculous 62-34 record and an 8.5-game lead in the NL East. They were 6.5 games better than the Dodgers at the All-Star break. But a 33-33 second half followed by a swift NLDS defeat has them flying under the radar. Jesus Luzardo joins an already great rotation to make them a scary NL contender.
6. Arizona Diamondbacks
Number six is high for a team that missed the playoffs last year, but the Diamondbacks had the top offense and added a stud pitcher. Corbin Burnes signed in Arizona for six years after a one-season stint in Baltimore. The Snakes did lose Joc Pederson and Christian Walker but brought back Randul Grichuk and traded for Josh Naylor. If their offense stays hot and their pitching steps up, watch out for the 2023 NL Champs.
7. Texas Rangers
Their 2023 World Series opponent comes in at number seven. Despite losing Max Scherzer this offseason, their pitching rotation should be solid. Jacob deGrom is healthy, Nathan Eovaldi is back, and Jack Leiter and Kumar Rocker could both make the team. Pederson is in as their designated hitter, they traded Nathaniel Lowe to the Nationals and brought in Jake Burger, and Kyle Higashioka is the new backup catcher.
8. Chicago Cubs
Last year, the Cubs' biggest offseason splash was Craig Counsell. The manager's first season was a disappointment, losing the NL Central by ten games with 83 wins. This year, they made two big trades with the Houston Astros to improve the lineup and bullpen. Outfielder Kyle Tucker came over in December, and Ryan Pressly joined in January. They missed out on Alex Bregman, but things are looking up for Chicago.
9. Houston Astros
The Astros lost Tucker, Pressly, and Bregman this offseason after missing the ALCS for the first time since 2016. While they brought in Christian Walker and Isaac Paredes, their offense could struggle. They need great seasons from Spencer Areghetti and Hayden Wesneski to make their rotation deep enough to win. There are flaws and signs of the end of the dynasty in Space City.
10. San Diego Padres
We round out the top-10 of the MLB power rankings with the San Diego Padres. After a great regular season, they lost Jurickson Profar and could trade Dylan Cease before 2025 begins. Ownership issues loomed over the offseason and prevented them from adding impactful free agents until recently. Is Nick Pivetta going to be enough to fortify their rotation? With the Dodgers running the show in the NL West, it could be a tough year for San Diego.
11. Boston Red Sox
The Red Sox had a solid year last season with one of the youngest rosters in the league. They added Alex Bregman to the lineup to break up the lefties and play second base. Garrett Crochet is in Boston as their new ace, and Alex Cora has a contract extension, so things are looking up in Beantown. But can it end in a rise up the MLB power rankings?
12. Cleveland Guardians
The first AL Central team in the power rankings is the Cleveland Guardians, who made it to the ALCS last season. But losing Josh Naylor and replacing him with Carlos Santana takes pop out of their lineup. They also traded Andres Gimenez to the Blue Jays and have Juan Brito and Gabriel Arias as their current second basemen. Cleveland can win the division but are not the same team they were last year.
13. Baltimore Orioles
Midway through last season, the Orioles were the top team in our MLB power rankings. Their late-season collapse ended with another sweep eliminating them from the playoffs. It is now ten seasons without winning a playoff game in Baltimore, and this young core must stop that this year. Their offseason was quiet, and the rotation has holes. The Birds have a lot to prove in 2025.
14. San Francisco Giants
Last year, the Giants went 80-82 to finish 18 games behind the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NL West. They added Willy Adames and Justin Verlander after extending Matt Chapman. They lost Blake Snell, which will be tough, but full seasons from Jung Hoo Lee and Tyler Fitzgerald should lift the offense.
15. Milwaukee Brewers
The Brewers take the exact middle of the power rankings because of the trust fans have to have in the franchise at this point. After losing their manager to the Cubs and trading Corbin Burnes, they won the division by ten games last year. Why would losing Willy Adames and Devin Williams be any different? Don't be surprised to see the Brew Crew around the playoffs in September.
16. Seattle Mariners
Last year, the Mariners had a ten-game lead in the AL West in June. They collapsed in record fashion, giving the lead back to the Astros and missing the playoffs entirely. Their pitching is elite, but their offense cannot overcome their struggles in their home ballpark, as T-Moblie Park is the hardest stadium to hit in across baseball. Until their offense can overcome that, it's tough sledding for Seattle.
17. Detroit Tigers
The Tigers were the Cinderella story of the 2024 season. They don't crack the top half of the power rankings heading into 2025, but things can continue to trend upward for the Cats. With Jack Flaherty back in the rotation, they have some pitching depth behind Tarik Skubal. If Javier Baez could ever turn back the clock offensively, Detroit could be a dark horse team in the AL.
18. Kansas City Royals
The American League Central had three teams in the playoffs last year, and the Royals were among them. They swept the Orioles in the Wild Card series and lost to the Yankees in four games in the ALDS. Bobby Witt Jr. is one of the best players in the world, and they traded for a solid lead-off hitter in Jonathan India. The question is pitching, which they sacrificed by sending Brady Singer to Cincinnati for India.
19. Minnesota Twins
The Tigers got to have their Cinderella run partly because the Twins collapsed down the stretch. According to FanGraphs, they had a 95.8% chance of making the playoffs on September 2 and were eliminated on September 27. They went 7-18 down the stretch and did not add anyone of note this offseason. Will their first 137 games be the sample that carries into 2025? Or their last 25?
20. Toronto Blue Jays
The Blue Jays have a lot of existential questions to answer in 2025 after a disappointing offseason. They made runs at Soto, Sasaski, Burnes, and Bregman and didn't land any of them. Are Anthony Santander and Max Scherzer enough to keep them competitive? And if not, is Vlad Guerrero Jr on the trade block by the deadline? There's a lot to weigh this season in Canada.
21. Tampa Bay Rays
The Tampa Bay Rays made one significant free-agency signing in Ha-Seong Kim this offseason. He can fill the hole left by Wander Franco at shortstop and play other infield positions if needed. Can Eloy Jimenez find his old form? Will Christopher Morel live up to his hype? There are a lot of questions about a team that has struggled in recent years.
22. Cincinnati Reds
In 2023, the Cincinnati Reds won 12 straight games in June. Since then, they are 122-137 while dealing with injuries, suspensions, and a poor outfield. They improved their rotation by adding Brady Singer, replaced Jonathan India with Gavin Lux, and hired Terry Francona. The ceiling is high, but the floor is very low in Cincinnati, so they fall in the middle of the MLB Power Rankings.
23. Pittsburgh Pirates
There may be no better one-two punch to start a rotation than Paul Skenes and Jared Jones. Outside of that, the Pirates are…the Pirates. Their big offensive splash this offseason was Tommy Pham, Adam Frazier is back, and Oneil Cruz will start in the outfield. The future of the Pirates lies in their offensive prospects, as they missed a chance to add free agents this offseason. Will any of them step up this year?
24. Los Angeles Angels
The Los Angeles Angels have Mike Trout. He barely played last year as his injury issues continue. But if he could stay healthy this year, they could make some noise in a weakening AL West. Yusei Kikuchi, Kyle Gibson, Kenley Jansen, Travis D'Arnaud, and Jorge Soler are all great offseason additions. But health will continue to be a concern with the Halos, as Anthony Rendon is already on the shelf.
25. St Louis Cardinals
The Cardinals are openly entering a rebuild, bringing Chaim Bloom in to get their minor-league house in order. After this year, Bloom will take over all of baseball operations. They are trying to trade Nolan Arenado but cannot get the right team to bite. Almost all of their rotation could be out by the deadline. And Paul Goldschmidt is a Yankee. This is a tall task for the best fans in baseball.
26. Washington Nationals
The Nationals came into the offseason with a promising young core and a lot of money under the luxury tax. Their biggest move was a trade for Rangers first baseman Nathaniel Lowe. Even with Patrick Corbin's contract off the books, they did not spend in free agency this year. Michael Soroka is a nice piece in their rotation, but not enough to save a poor group of starters. Plus, three of their division rivals are in our top-5.
27. Athletics
Cher. Seal. Pele. Going by one name can often mean greatness. The 2025 Athletics? Maybe not. Luis Severino came in on the biggest contract in franchise history, and Brent Rooker signed an extension. But without pressure from the Player's Association to spend, would they have done that? Maybe not. They won 69 games last year, and Severino and Gio Urshela won't be the pieces to push them to .500.
28. Miami Marlins
The Marlins are getting Sandy Alcantara back for the first time since his incredible Cy Young season of 2023. But the surrounding cast is much weaker after last year's trade deadline. Jazz Chisholm Jr., Tanner Scott, Josh Bell, Jake Burger, Trevor Rogers, and Jesus Luzardo are all gone. There are only so many games Alcantara can win.
29. Colorado Rockies
The final National League team in the 2025 MLB power rankings is the Colorado Rockies. They let Cal Quantrill walk and saw Charlie Blackmon retire. The only additions were Kyle Farmer and Thairo Estrada. The Rockies have not won 75 games or made the playoffs since 2018. This is not the team that will break that drought.
30. Chicago White Sox
This was the lock of the MLB power rankings. Last year, the Chicago White Sox had the most losses in the modern era with 121. They followed that up by trading away their best pitcher, Garrett Crochet. Luis Robert Jr could be on the move soon, too, which would tank the Southsiders even more. A successful season for Chicago would be to rise out of the 30th spot at any point during the year.
