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RotoBaller's Kevin Larson drops his latest MLB Power Rankings. Analysis, insight, and rankings for all 30 MLB teams from worst to first as of August 18, 2025.
MLB Power Rankings: Where Does Every Team Stand?
With October just around the corner we can say with confidence that we finally have a clear cut top team in baseball. There’s also a clear cut worst team, but that’s another story. The middle of the pack, though? Kind of a mess! And with not much time left to figure things out teams need to step it up if they want to make a strong run into October. So let’s find out where everyone’s at in this week’s power rankings.
30. Colorado Rockies
This week wasn’t too shabby for the Rockies. Kyle Freeland posted one of the best starts of his career against St. Louis with 7.1 IP en route to a shutout win over the Cardinals. Colorado’s only recorded two shutouts on the year and both have come against the Cardinals. Maybe their season would’ve been better if every game was played against the Cardinals! It’s at least helping them avoid history as they no longer look like they’ll set the modern day record for most losses in a season.
29. Chicago White Sox
The White Sox have continued their August slide. The only series they’ve won this month was against the Angels, the first series of August. They’ve at least had continued contributions from some of their younger guys, such as Lenyn Sosa and Colson Montgomery. That’s good for Chicago to see as they aim towards 2026.
28. Washington Nationals
August started a bit rocky for the Nationals but it’s starting to get a little better for them. They earned a series split against the Phillies, keeping them at .500 over their last three series. Not much to brag about, but any positive signs are a good thing for the Nationals right now. James Wood is starting to get back into the swing of things while 22-year-old Daylen Lile is hitting for a 123 wRC+ in August. The better the young guys finish out the season, the better their fans will feel about 2026.
27. Pittsburgh Pirates
Pittsburgh has not enjoyed watching its starting pitchers this month. Paul Skenes leads their starters in ERA during the month, as you would expect, but it’s a nasty 4.80 ERA. Not what we’re used to from him. In the meantime, Bryan Reynolds has had a very solid month at the plate, hitting for a 161 wRC+. He’d been expecting a bit of positive regression at the plate and he’s finally seeing it. Small wins are what Pittsburgh needs to continue to see throughout the end of the season.
26. Atlanta Braves
Things are actually kind of fun in Atlanta right now with a lot of good things happening. Ronald Acuna Jr. is back from the IL, Michael Harris II is racking up a ton of multi-hit games and the Braves are actually winning. Of course they wish this was in the midst of a playoff push, but this season just hasn’t been that season. Atlanta will do what it can to finish the season strong and gain confidence heading into 2026.
25. Athletics
After Nick Kurtz’s ridiculous four homer game against Houston, a performance that put the entire league on notice, it took him 21 days before he hit his next one. A bit insane given the raw power Kurtz has, but it wasn’t all bad for the rookie. He still hit for a .278 average between homers, but the power was lacking. In the meantime the power show has shifted onto Shea Langeliers, who’s hit seven bombs for a 1.162 OPS in August. The A’s record isn’t pretty, but the bats are really fun to watch when they get going.
24. Baltimore Orioles
It was nearly perfection for Brandon Young on Friday night in Houston until former teammate Ramon Urias broke up the perfecto with an infield single. Baltimore has had a ton of struggles with their pitching staff this year while dealing with a ton of injuries. Having Young put out his best performance against one of the better teams in the American League is a great confidence builder. They’re much too far behind in the wild card race to make a run for it so they’ll be yet another team looking for small victories to build confidence heading into 2026.
23. Minnesota Twins
If not for an injury earlier this season we may be talking about Luke Keaschall in the American League Rookie of the Year conversation. The 23-year-old just gets on base for the Twins, posting a .928 OPS in August with five multi-hit games. Second base had been a bit of a revolving door for Minnesota this season but it looks like they may have found an answer for the coming seasons. Twins fans will be watching for more success from Keaschall to finish the season.
22. Miami Marlins
Perhaps Miami may have been too high on itself a couple weeks ago when it felt like much of the baseball world started realizing just how well they’d been playing. But after losing another series this weekend, they’re now 4-10 in their last 14 games. With the Mets on a slide, but holding onto that last wild card spot, it feels like maybe a bit of a missed opportunity for Miami to have made a run. Now 7.0 GB of the final wild card spot, it’s unlikely they’ll make a miraculous run to the playoffs.
21. Los Angeles Angels
At least the week started off great. They helped make the NL West race an incredibly tight one by sweeping the Dodgers. In fact, they swept the season series from the Dodgers 6-0. But that wasn’t enough to help them gain any ground in the wild card race and losing a series to the A’s right after didn’t help their case either. They’re too far behind the Yankees for the final spot and their playoff chances are likely all but over at this point.
20. San Francisco Giants
Another California team that’s falling. The Giants looked to be in great position for a wild card spot at one point this season. But they’re now looking at their fourth straight month with a losing record. The offense is hitting for just an 89 wRC+ in August while the pitching staff has a 4.45 ERA. That’s not a winning combination and will likely keep the Giants out of the postseason for the fourth consecutive season.
19. Arizona Diamondbacks
After selling it doesn’t feel like Arizona has enough left in the tank to be able to make a run for the last wild card spot. But the offense may be able to propel them there with enough luck. The DBacks’ 122 wRC+ ranks third in the league during August, making them a threat at the plate even after shipping out Josh Naylor and Eugenio Suarez. They may be too far back to make a serious run, and the pitching leaves a lot to be desired, but DBacks games will at least continue to be interesting to watch until season’s end.
18. Tampa Bay Rays
The Rays may be in a tough spot in the wild card race but Junior Caminero is doing all he can to give them a shot every day. Over the last 14 days only three hitters have a higher wRC+ than his 227 mark in that same span. He’s absolutely mashing the ball right now. And while only a couple other Rays are performing at the plate, they’ve still found a way to win each series this week against the A’s and Giants. The Rays have a 5.4% chance to make the playoffs as of Sunday. If they want to make a strong run they’re going to need more than just Caminero to be cooking on offense.
17. Texas Rangers
The Rangers were just a couple games out of the last wild card spot just a couple weeks ago and things were looking up. But a 2-8 slide has really knocked them down a peg or two and the thought of making the playoffs looks very tough now. They had a 40.9% chance of making the playoffs, according to FanGraphs, after being the Yankees on August 5th. That’s now down to 9.1%, a really sharp drop in a really short time. Texas needs to find a way to turn it around if they want to get back to October.
16. St. Louis Cardinals
Nothing can kill the vibes of potentially getting back into the playoff race like a series loss to the Rockies at home. Nothing can bury you more than getting swept by the Yankees immediately after. The Cardinals’ had possibly their worst week of the season given the circumstances. There’s always still the chance they can turn it around, but going 1-5 this week was a major step backwards when they really needed to go forwards. The Cardinals need to correct it this week with a six game road trip to Miami and Tampa, both teams that cannot be overlooked.
15. Kansas City Royals
There’s still some hope in Kansas City, but they don’t have much room for error. That’s why making the most of this week was perfect for Kansas City’s chances, going 5-1 against the Nationals and White Sox. There’s still work to do if they want to catch the Yankees, though. FanGraphs puts their playoff odds at 11.7%. Another strong week would go a long way for the Royals, but they’ve got two tough tests as they host the Rangers for four games before heading out to Detroit over the weekend.
14. Cleveland Guardians
A weekend series in Atlanta put a screeching halt in the Guardians’ momentum, making them fall to 3.5 GB of the Yankees for the final wild card spot in the AL. Their 17-11 record since the All-Star break is one of the best marks in the league, but they need to be even better throughout the home stretch in order to pass New York. The offense is hitting about league average while the pitching staff has driven much of the success, pitching to a 3.81 ERA in the second half. FanGraphs has their playoff odds at 14.7%, meaning these last six weeks will be highly intense for Cleveland.
13. Cincinnati Reds
Hunter Greene made his return from the IL in triumphant fashion, throwing six shutout innings against the Phillies. Reds fans are happy to have him back in the mix of what’s been a pretty decent starting rotation in the second half. Sure, they have some question marks but they’ll have strong options to turn to in October if they make it. They’re hot on the Mets’ heels for that final spot and they can’t let up. They’ll head off on a nine-game west coast road trip on Monday, starting with a three game set against the Angels before visiting the DBacks and then the Dodgers.
12. New York Mets
A series win against the Mariners over the weekend helps to get the Mets back on track but there’s still a ways to go for New York. With the win they are still 4-14 in their last 18 games. They’ve lost pretty much any chance they had at winning the NL East and are now fighting to hold off Cincinnati for the last wild card spot in the National League. They need to keep gaining momentum back to feel confident about their chances in October after coming so close to representing the National League in the World Series last year. They’ll have an opportunity at a true bounce back week with a road trip against the Nationals and Braves on tap.
11. New York Yankees
A 5-1 week is great for any team, but no one could have potentially benefitted from it more than the Yankees. They now have a 3.5 game lead over the Guardians for the final AL wild card spot. Not exactly safe but more breathing room than they had a week ago. Their fans may not be breathing easy quite yet but it’s a huge step forward for a franchise that had been faltering over the past couple months. They’ll visit Tampa for a quick two-game series before heading back home to the Bronx where they’ll host the Red Sox for four games in a huge AL East series.
10. Boston Red Sox
As we just mentioned with the Yankees, all eyes will be focused on this weekend in a huge series for both Boston and New York. From the Red Sox side of things, they’ll be looking to get hot once again as they’ve been stuck in a bit of a .500 rut after starting hot out of the break. They’ll also look to continue their dominance over the Yankees this season as they’re 5-1 against the Bronx Bombers. Their first series against the Yankees also marked a major turnaround point for them as they were 30-34 before facing them. They’re 38-23 since, the third best record in the majors in that span behind only Milwaukee and Toronto. They won’t need much motivation to try and improve that record this weekend in New York, though.
9. Seattle Mariners
After a strong run last week, the Mariners’ momentum came to a bit of a halt this week. They still are in a great spot for the wild card, but more importantly to them they’re only 1.5 games back of the Astros for the AL West lead. That’s clearly in their sights and will be their goal for the next six weeks. Offensively they need to improve, though. Their 96 wRC+ since the All-Star break isn’t bad by any means, but is lower than what should be expected for who’s in their lineup. Josh Naylor, their first acquisition through trade, has been really solid with a 136 wRC+ since coming to Seattle. But Eugenio Suarez, the most prized piece at the trade deadline, has hit for just a 36 wRC+ as a Mariner. Seattle needs him to be who he was in the first half in order to be a real threat to win the AL West.
8. Houston Astros
Houston went 3-3 this week, unable to create any relevant space between them and Seattle. The AL West looked to be theirs just a month ago, but a 13-15 record out of the break has them in a fight for the division title. The good news is both Spencer Arrighetti and Cristian Javier have both returned to the rotation, giving them much needed help in the pitching department. They’ll need that and more in order to fend off the Mariners down the stretch. Houston’s road gets tough this week with a trip to Detroit before heading to Baltimore for a four game set.
7. Chicago Cubs
Chicago got a much needed series win this weekend over the Pittsburgh Pirates, taking two of three at Wrigley. That would normally ease some concerns that fans may have with how the Cubs have been but they’ve got no time to relax. The Brewers come to town for a five game set to start the week. Their recent hot streak combined with the Cubs’ recent cold streak can’t have fans on the North Side feeling comfortable.
They’ll need MVP candidate Pete Crow-Armstrong to show he deserves to be in the conversation after starting off August on a horrid stretch. If he shows up, and Chicago’s pitching keeps them in the game, then Chicago may have a chance to create more space between them and the Mets in the wild card race.
6. San Diego Padres
The Padres entered the biggest series they’ve had this season with a one game lead over the Los Angeles Dodgers and had a great opportunity to make a real impact on the NL West. Unfortunately for them they got swept. That doesn’t put the division out of reach as they’re now two games back, but it’s probably more of a blow to their confidence rather than their actual chances of winning the division. Lucky for them they have almost the exact same schedule this week as they did last week. They’ll host the Giants for four games and then the Dodgers will swing by over the weekend. Look for San Diego to exact as much revenge as possible as they try to regain the NL West lead.
5. Philadelphia Phillies
The Phillies’ week didn’t exactly go great on the field as they went 3-4 against the Reds and the Nationals. But bad went to worse as their ace, Zack Wheeler, landed on the 15-day IL with a blood clot issue in his shoulder. No timeline has been established for Wheeler’s potential return but, given the severity of blood clot issues, there’s a good likelihood his 2025 season could be over.
That would obviously include the playoffs, where Wheeler has been absolutely fantastic for Philadelphia with a 2.18 ERA in the last three postseasons. Luckily for the Phillies they have a plethora of decent arms, but Wheeler has been their best and most reliable arm for quite some time now. It’s a very unfortunate turn of events for Wheeler and the Phillies that puts on a damper on things as they get ready for October.
4. Los Angeles Dodgers
The Dodgers won the games that really counted this week as they swept the Padres and regained the lead in the NL West. But their effort lacked early in the week as they got swept by the Angels. Slowly but surely they’re starting to get healthy but they need their focus to be on point so that they don’t let the division slip away to the Padres yet again. They’ll have a four game set at Coors Field to start the week before heading to San Diego for the weekend.
3. Detroit Tigers
It looks like the Tigers may have started to get things figured out. They’re 7-3 in their last 10 games and are starting to look like the early season Tigers again. Much of that is thanks to Kerry Carpenter and Wenceel Perez having fantastic months at the plate. Carpenter’s smashed five homers for a 165 wRC+ in August while Perez has a 161 wRC+ with a 14.3% walk rate. Detroit’s starting to feel good again and is contending for the American League’s best record at just a half game behind Toronto.
2. Toronto Blue Jays
Another solid week is in the books for the Blue Jays, who took two of three from both the Cubs and the Rangers this week. With a five game lead in the AL East they’ve got enough cushion to feel like hosting a series in the playoffs is realistic, but the Tigers are hot on their trails for the best record in the American League.
The offense has never really been in question for Toronto, but the starting pitching may have been questionable at one point. That may be changing, though, as their starting rotation has a 3.47 ERA since the break. They’re about to get a major reinforcement as well with Shane Bieber being likely to return from injury against the Marlins this weekend. If Bieber performs anywhere close to his normal form then Toronto will be a major threat come October.
1. Milwaukee Brewers
Milwaukee’s run of 14 straight wins came to an end on Sunday in an extra innings loss to the Reds, but that won’t get Brewers fans down that much as they hold an eight game lead over the Cubs for the NL Central lead. They also have a six game lead over Toronto for the best record in the majors, meaning they’d have home field advantage throughout the playoffs if the season ended today.
Milwaukee’s main goal for the rest of the season will simply be to stay healthy for October. They’ll also want to have a little more development out of their young star Jacob Misiorowski. If he’s able to hone in on his control a little more, and become a bit more efficient with pitch count, he’ll be a huge threat in their rotation in October. But until then, the Brewers take home the top spot in our power rankings yet again.
