Why wait? Here are our first 2025 Power Rankings

November 11th, 2024

The World Series is over, the Hot Stove is warming up and there are pumpkins and turkeys everywhere you look. Every team’s roster is in a bit of flux, but we still have an idea of what they might look like, what they might be trying to add, and what their goals for 2025 will be.

In other words, it’s time to turn the page and look forward, toward next year. It’s time for some Power Rankings -- the first Power Rankings of the upcoming season. At this point, how does everybody project to stack up in 2025? Here’s our guess.

These rankings, as always, are compiled from MLB.com contributors whose names you can find at the bottom of this (and every) piece, but the words are mine. If you dislike the rankings, yell at all of us. But if you dislike the words, feel free to yell at me.

1. Dodgers
The defending World Series champs are right where you’d expect them, and how could they not be? They’ve got three MVP Award winners, they’re getting sized for rings and they’ve got more money to spend on any holes that might pop up. Oh, and don’t forget: Shohei Ohtani gets to pitch next year, too. They’re just getting started.

2. Phillies
The postseason, for the second straight year, ended in disappointing fashion, but the Phillies are as much a lock as anyone in baseball (outside of the Dodgers) to be back there again in 2025. They’ve got a veteran roster and every desire to win right now. They may bring in even more veterans to make another run at the title.

3. Braves
Just about everything that could have gone wrong for them in 2024 did -- other than likely NL Cy Young Award winner Chris Sale. But 2025 has to be healthier, right? Even with the news that Ronald Acuña Jr. and Spencer Strider probably won’t be ready for Opening Day, this team is stacked. They wanted to hit the reset button on 2024 all year. Now they get to.

4. Padres
They were this close to taking out the eventual champs in the NLDS, after chasing them all season in the NL West. Can they challenge the Dodgers again? It will be fascinating to see what sort of moves the Padres make around the margins this offseason. General manager A.J. Preller figures to be aggressive, as usual.

5. Yankees
There may be no team in the top 10 with more questions than the Yankees, who have a big flashing “SIGN JUAN SOTO” light above all their to-do lists. Their crosstown rivals may not make it so easy for them. The Yankees did make the World Series this year. But that just raises the bar. That won’t be enough in 2025.

6. Orioles
The postseason was a huge bummer for the Orioles, but it is worth remembering that they struggled throughout the second half, too. This is obviously still an incredibly talented team, with more talent on the way in the farm system, but the time to take a big step forward is now.

7. Mets
This was supposed to be a transitional year for the Mets, but it ended with them just two wins away from the World Series. Now they will likely power up, and the only real question is how big they will swing. Could they really pry Soto away from the Yankees? They are certainly going to try.

8. Astros
As usual, those who counted out the Astros were proven foolish. That said, they did finally miss the ALCS this year, and this team does look a little bit older than you’d like them to be. It will be fascinating to see what happens with free agent Alex Bregman. Regardless, this team isn’t going anywhere. Again.

9. Brewers
This felt like a blessed year for the Brewers, at least until the NL Wild Card Series started. Still, it’s difficult to be upset about a season in which you lose your star manager and your star pitcher and get better. Looking ahead to 2025, the Brewers have plenty of questions -- but so does everyone else in the NL Central.

10. Guardians
You’d presume that the Guardians would be a bit more active this offseason than they were last winter, but then again, that inactivity didn’t prevent them from nabbing an AL Central title in 2024. They could probably use an extra power bat or two, though, if you’ve got one lying around.

11. Diamondbacks
The D-backs had moments when they looked like they could make the World Series again … and then moments when they very much looked the opposite. They’ve got a big question to figure out at first base, with Christian Walker a free agent, but it’ll be fascinating to see which direction they take in a division with two wooly mammoths at the top.

12. Tigers
Their late-season tear got them into the playoffs for the first time in a decade and served as a legitimate proof of concept for their entire plan. Now it’s probably time to take the next step forward: They should be one of the stealthily aggressive teams in free agency this offseason.

13. Royals
They may have overperformed a bit, and that lineup was looking awfully thin by the ALDS, but this is still a team with an AL MVP candidate in Bobby Witt Jr., an excellent rotation, good vibes and a division in which they don’t have to blow the doors off to be competitive. Last season wasn’t a one-off.

14. Mariners
Are the Mariners at a point of reckoning? Julio Rodríguez took a small step backward last year, but only a small one, and he’s still the guy you build around. They also, of course, have all that pitching. But the lineup remains a puzzle to be solved. The good news is they have a low floor here. It doesn’t take a massive addition to improve this offense. But how big are they willing to go?

15. Red Sox
It sure feels like the Red Sox should be an offseason player. There’s a lot to like on this roster, but this is still a team that hasn’t finished above .500 since 2021 and has some clear deficiencies. We know the Yankees are going after Soto; will their AL East rivals also act boldly?

16. Cubs
The Cubs may have gotten an unexpected gift with Cody Bellinger not opting out of his contract. After a couple of seasons that haven’t quite panned out the way they had planned, you wonder if they’ll look to build a little faster this winter. The NL Central is no juggernaut. It could be theirs if they’re willing to push hard enough.

17. Rangers
The World Series title defense didn’t go the way anyone wanted, but this is still a team with established stars and some young emerging talent. Don’t forget, Jacob deGrom came back looking sharp at the end of 2024 and figures to front the rotation in '25.

18. Twins
It had to be frustrating for Twins fans to see all those other AL Central teams in the playoffs while their team sat out October. If Minnesota is going to get back to the postseason in 2025, health, as always, is going to be pivotal.

19. Rays
This was a losing team in 2024, something we haven’t seen from the Rays since 2017, but don’t count on that repeating. As they usually are, they will enter next season young and unproven but unquestionably talented. Remember Shane McClanahan? The ace should be back atop the rotation in 2025, after recovering from Tommy John surgery.

20. Reds
The Reds are loaded with young talent, but it feels like we’ve all been saying that for a while now. The question is when they are going to figure it out, when that talent coalesces into a winning team. Elly De La Cruz may be primed for another leap, so don’t be shocked if 2025 is the year it happens.

21. Giants
Buster Posey’s in charge of the front office now, which feels right and just if you’re a Giants fan. But he still has to answer this fundamental question: When can they get a star like Buster Posey to build around? He’ll at least know one when he sees one.

22. Blue Jays
I’ll confess, this seems a little low for a team that held off on trading anyone other than its pending free agents at the Deadline. The idea, clearly, was to gear up for another run with this core. This team very, very much wants to win now. But if the Blue Jays get off to a bad start, the floor could fall out from under them fast.

23. Cardinals
The Cardinals’ front office is transitioning from John Mozeliak to Chaim Bloom this season and has signaled that some big names may be on the trade block. But there’s still a lot of young talent here with a team that did, after all, have a winning record in 2024.

24. Pirates
Their young rotation, led by likely NL Rookie of the Year favorite Paul Skenes, will make them a terrifying team to face in a short postseason series, if they can ever make one. But their lineup, without some additions, makes it unlikely they’ll get the chance.

25. Nationals
The Nats are going to be a trendy pick to make a move upward this season, thanks to all their young talent and, seemingly, a willingness to make additions to the roster. Heck, you’ve even heard rumblings they may try to bring Soto back. That might seem ambitious, but the Nats are clearly working their way back into the public consciousness.

26. Athletics
They will be playing in a new city in 2025, and the team they are bringing with them played some pretty good baseball late last season (32-32 in the second half, 29-21 in July and August specifically). It might be a stretch to say they’ll be ready to contend in 2025, but there are certainly some positive signs at least.

27. Angels
The Angels have been pretty active already, bringing in Jorge Soler and Kyle Hendricks. The real addition, of course, would be a healthy Mike Trout. He should be ready for Opening Day (fingers crossed), but the key will be making it all the way through the season.

28. Marlins
The first order of business was hiring a new manager, and it looks like they found one in Dodgers first base coach Clayton McCullough. After that? Well, it’s youth as always in Miami: Every current member of their lineup and rotation is under 30.

29. Rockies
It’s steady as she goes in Colorado, as usual, so don’t expect many dramatic changes following the team’s second straight season of more than 100 losses. The good news is that they really may have a star to build around in 23-year-old Gold Glove shortstop Ezequiel Tovar.

30. White Sox
They’ve got a new, highly regarded manager in Will Venable, and don’t forget, Garrett Crochet is still here for now (and Luis Robert Jr. too!) We guarantee 2025 will be better than 2024. (Right?)

Voters: David Adler, Anthony Castrovince, Daniel Feldman, Doug Gausepohl, Will Leitch, Travis Miller, Arturo Pardavila, Mike Petriello, Manny Randhawa, Andrew Simon, David Venn, Zac Vierra.