RADIO
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 September 15, 2025.
MLB Power Rankings: Where Does Every Team Stand?
No lead is safe in baseball. Just a few weeks ago the NL playoff picture looked to be all figured out but a Mets slide and a Giants rise is going to send this race down to the wire. Meanwhile, the American League West has a new leader and may be won by a team that’s not the Astros for the first time in a non-COVID season since 2016. It’s getting hectic as we sprint to the finish. Let’s see where everyone ranks as chaos looks to define the home stretch.
30. Colorado Rockies
The Rockies exorcised some demons in San Diego this weekend by simply being able to score a run. Prior to Friday’s game, they hadn’t scored a run in San Diego this year. That’s not a whole ton of games, but being shutout in four consecutive games isn’t something any team should be able to do. But with the 2025 Rockies, anything is possible. Just not the way they want it to be. They’ll have one last homestand at Coors before heading out to potentially play spoiler against the Mariners and Giants to end the season.
29. Chicago White Sox
Prior to this weekend September had actually been a very positive month for Chicago, posting an 8-4 record in September. But a weekend sweep at the hands of the Guardians stymied those vibes for the White Sox. That doesn’t matter much though as they’re more focused on their younger players’ development. And in September they’ve seen continued positive development from youngsters Colson Montgomery, Chase Meidroth and Kyle Teel. As long as they finish the season strong then White Sox fans will at least have those silver linings to head into the offseason with.
28. Washington Nationals
Though Washington’s season has pretty much been over for quite some time now, they’re still getting positive developments from the younger guys on their roster. The most notable example of late is Daylen Lile, who’s now recorded eight multi-hit games in September. Sunday’s multi-hit performance included a go-ahead RBI double in the 8th inning against Pittsburgh. The rookie is hitting for a .902 OPS since the All-Star break, becoming yet another standout left-handed bat in Washington’s lineup. As the season winds down, they’ll look for Lile to finish strong.
27. Pittsburgh Pirates
As the season’s starting to wind down for Pittsburgh they’re unfortunately back on the downswing. Going 2-8 in their last 10 games, they’re looking like the only thing left for them is to watch Paul Skenes pitch well enough in his next couple starts to lock down the NL Cy Young award, though that’s not exactly something that’s in doubt right now. The schedule isn’t all that exciting for them to finish the season either as they’ll only have one real chance to play spoiler against Cincinnati. A slow finish to the year won’t have many Pirates fans yearning to tune in.
26. Minnesota Twins
It’s starting to get a bit quiet in Minnesota on offense again, leading to a 3-7 record in their last 10 games. One of those wins was a standout win, though, as Kody Clemens hit three bombs on Friday night. The third was the catalyst to a ninth inning comeback win against Arizona. At the very least, it will be a lasting memory Twins fans have from this season even though it’s been largely forgettable. They do have a chance to make things interesting in the playoff race as every team remaining on their schedule is currently in or fighting for a playoff spot.
25. Atlanta Braves
A win on Sunday helped Atlanta avoid a sweep at the hands of the Astros, but the week as a whole defines how September has gone for the Braves. They’re now 4-8 this month and clearly are ready for the season to be over. It’s been mired by continuous injuries, so the disappointment is understandable, but Atlanta fans are ready to shift their focus to Falcons football and Hawks basketball. Before that, though, they’ll get very acquainted with the Washington Nationals, who they face seven times in their last 13 games.
24. Los Angeles Angels
The Angels are just trying to creep their way to the finish line. With a 3-7 record in their last 10 games, and a couple injuries affecting their lineup, they’re ready for the season to come to an end. That hasn’t stopped Jo Adell from crushing baseballs, though. He’s hit six homers in 11 games in September and has posted a 1.187 OPS this month. He went on a scorcher in the middle of the season and he’ll look to be the reason people pay attention to the Angels to finish 2025.
23. Baltimore Orioles
Similar to the White Sox, the Orioles had been having a pretty stellar month until getting swept this weekend. They were 8-1 before the Blue Jays took care of them this weekend with four of those being walkoff wins. They’ve been driven by their pitching this month, though, and they’ve very happy about the returns of Tyler Wells and Kyle Bradish. Both have an ERA below 2.50 in September. They’ll look to build on that positive momentum to finish the season and then aim to return to competitiveness in 2026.
22. Miami Marlins
The good news for Miami is that Sandy Alcantara has definitely found his form again. He’s posted a 2.48 ERA in his last six starts. That should give him confidence that heading into 2026 he’ll be able to help lead this young Marlins team. From there Miami will have two questions it needs to figure out. The first is if they have enough firepower on offense as they’ve been streaky outside of a few consistent pieces. The second will be if the rest of the rotation can be reliable. Eury Perez and Edward Cabrera bring a ton of talent to the mound but have battled consistency issues throughout their young careers. They’ll get to see just how explosive their offense can be as they start the week at Coors Field.
21. Athletics
It’s Nick Kurtz’s world and we’re just living in it. The more than likely AL Rookie of the Year added to his stellar rookie campaign with a grand slam on Saturday night and another bomb on Sunday, bringing his season total to 32. Him and the rest of the A’s offense have been proving they’re a lineup that contenders won’t be able to look over. The Reds found that out this weekend as the A’s swept them in Sacramento. Next up will be a surely offensively explosive series against the Red Sox at Fenway Park.
20. St. Louis Cardinals
At four games back with two weeks to play, it certainly doesn’t feel like the Cardinals should have a shot at snagging that last wild card spot. But with the Mets’ inability to create any space between them and the teams right behind them, you can never say never. Unfortunately for St. Louis, they just aren’t helping themselves much as their 4-6 record in their last 10 games has greatly held them back. They’ll get Nolan Arenado back into their lineup on Monday, a much needed boost. He hasn’t played since early August and they’ll need him at his absolute best if they want to make a miraculous run to finish the season.
19. Tampa Bay Rays
Tampa looked like a team that was capable of making a run at the last wild card spot but a 2-7 run in their last nine has essentially knocked them out of the race. They’re not eliminated yet, but at 7.5 GB of the Astros for the final wild card spot they would need the miracle of all miracles to clinch a spot. Consider the fact that three of their remaining four series come against current contenders in the Blue Jays and Red Sox and that task seems impossible to overcome. Nevertheless, they’ll have a chance to play spoiler against those two and potentially affect seeding.
18. Kansas City Royals
Another team that was knocking on the door but ended up falling on their face, the Royals are all but eliminated as well with a six game deficit for the final wild card spot. With Cleveland and Texas ahead of them, and also needing Houston or Seattle to seriously falter, it’s looking grim in Kansas City. Vinnie Pasquantino has been their only regular starting to post a wRC+ above 100 in September. That lack of offensive power is simply something you can’t have when you’re chasing a playoff spot. For the Royals, they’ll have to wait until next year to prove they can still be the team they were in 2024.
17. Arizona Diamondbacks
It’s a bit crazy to think the DBacks even have a chance here at the end of the season. After selling at the deadline, and enduring numerous injuries to the rotation and lineup, they’re only two games back of the Mets for the final wild card spot. That’s very impressive given their season, but they unfortunately have the toughest remaining schedule in the league. Thankfully, three of their last four series are at home, but the competition will be an absolute test. It starts with the Giants on Monday before they face the Phillies, Dodgers and Padres to end the regular season.
16. Cincinnati Reds
The Reds are just a touch behind Arizona at 2.5 GB of the Mets, but their remaining schedule looks a bit more favorable. They have to be kicking themselves a bit after getting swept by the A’s this weekend, especially knowing there were missed chances to gain more games on the Mets. But their remaining schedule is key here as they’ll be finishing against all their NL Central foes. The toughest series is likely to be against the Cubs, simply because Milwaukee should be taking things incredibly easy in the last series of the season. Cincinnati still has to win the games, though. And while they’ve shown they have enough to compete, they need to go through one last big stretch to really get there.
15. San Francisco Giants
It wasn’t all that long ago that it looked like the Giants were going to be spending October hitting the links, but they’ve found a way to get themselves back into things and now sit only 1.5 games behind the Mets for the final wild card spot. A walkoff grand slam by Patrick Bailey on Friday night may have been the highlight of the season for the Giants. Had they won at least one more game against the Dodgers they may be feeling a little better about things, but they’re heading into the last two weeks with a really good shot at sneaking in. This week is the big week for them as they hit the road against Arizona and LA before coming home to finish the season against St. Louis and Colorado.
14. New York Mets
The Mets keep defying the odds. But that’s not really a positive thing here because it’s truly miraculous they somehow still have the final wild card spot. Since June 13th they’ve posted a 32-49 record, which is fourth worst in the league in that span. As soon as it seems like they’ve got things figured out they watch the wheels fall off yet again. If they want to stave off the Giants, Reds and DBacks for good they’ll need to snap into playoff mode immediately. That won’t be an easy task this week as it starts with a three game set against the Padres.
13. Cleveland Guardians
Somehow they just keep trucking along. Another team that looked like they were admitting defeat after the trade deadline, Cleveland finds itself just 2.5 GB of the Astros for the final wild card spot. A nice 9-1 run has helped them gain as much ground as they have, especially since that’s come against quite a few teams that are in the playoff race. It’s been a great run, but where they’re truly at is going to be shown over the last two weeks. They have two series against the Tigers and another against the Rangers. It’s a bit brutal to finish. But if they can scratch out enough wins then they may be able to jump Texas and Houston for the final spot.
12. Texas Rangers
Texas now has a real shot at not just snagging an AL wild card spot from Houston (just 2 GB), but they have an outside shot at snagging the division from the Mariners with a three game deficit in the AL West. The craziest part of the Rangers’ recent success too is it’s happened amidst the loss of a significant amount of key contributors. But they’re not just hanging in there; they’re thriving and just swept the Brewers earlier this week too. Fans rooting for the underdog need to look no further as their rooting interests should be focused on Arlington. They start a massive series in Houston on Monday, one that can potentially define their season.
11. Houston Astros
Houston’s been playing with its food the past couple months and now it’s finally caught up to them. They no longer lead the AL West and have Texas and Cleveland hot on their heels for the last AL wild card spot. A strong 19-7 June put them in a spot where they’d be able to absorb a few losses here and there but they’re 31-35 since July. That’s not good enough for a team with aspirations to go far in the playoffs, even though it’s been in the midst of multiple costly injuries. They may have to deal with another big one as Jose Altuve is dealing with foot discomfort, something that kept him out of Sunday’s game. Astros fans better hope the severity isn’t bad as they have a huge week on hand hosting the Rangers and then the Mariners.
10. Boston Red Sox
Boston fans have been starting to panic a bit lately and they’ll tell you it all started when Roman Anthony went on the injured list earlier this month with an oblique strain. The rookie had been performing at a very high level, but Boston’s gone 4-6 since then. They’re hoping he’ll be back sooner than later, but his type of injury usually takes 4-6 weeks to heal. That puts his return during the playoffs. As of now, Boston is three games up on Texas. That should hopefully be enough cushion to keep them in the picture, but the remaining schedule is tough and they can’t slip up any further. They’ll start this week with the A’s before heading out to Tampa for the weekend.
9. Seattle Mariners
I’ve been harping on Seattle in these rankings over the past month about them not being the team we expected them to be after the trade deadline. Well, they’re starting to really get it rolling and have won nine straight. That’s gotten them sole possession of first place in the AL West for the first time since June 1st. Everything is clicking for Seattle right now and it may just be the right time to start getting hot. They’ll head to Kansas City to start the week before visiting Houston for a series that very well may decide the winner of the AL West.
8. San Diego Padres
It’s always a good thing when you’re in the playoff hunt and the Colorado Rockies are on your schedule. They went 3-1 against Colorado over the weekend, keeping them at 2.5 GB of the Dodgers in the NL West. If they want to catch LA for the NL West lead they’re going to have to start on the road. They visit the Mets this weekend. New York is incredibly desperate for wins and won’t go easily. A weekend series against the White Sox may be something San Diego welcomes, but Chicago’s not an offense they can overlook.
7. New York Yankees
The Yankees have started to get things corrected and are rolling, winning five of their last six series. That looks great on paper, and taking a series against the Red Sox in Boston is always satisfying, but it’s the bludgeoning the Tigers delivered to them this week that will have Yankee fans anxious for the postseason. They were outscored 23-3 in the first two games that series, something that certainly is going to stick with them heading into the postseason. At four games back they’re likely not catching the Blue Jays in the AL East, but they instead just need to stay healthy and get right for October. That starts by hosting the Twins and the Orioles this week.
6. Los Angeles Dodgers
The Yamamoto near no-no is hopefully all the way in the rear view mirror now. LA’s certainly done everything that they can to forget about that, going 6-1 since that fateful day. Mookie Betts has certainly been doing all he can to keep LA in the lead in the NL West, posting a 1.160 OPS in September. He’s finally looking like himself after a very non-Mookie type of season. His season-long OPS of .742 is still well below the Mookie Betts we’re used to, but this version of him can be a difference maker in October.
5. Chicago Cubs
The good news for Chicago? They may finally be getting some much needed help from their starting pitching that they’ve desperately been needing over the past few months. Jameson Taillon has made his return to the rotation after multiple stints to the IL, posting a 2.35 ERA in three starts. A calf strain hampered him for some time and he recently dealt with a groin issue, but his return to the rotation certainly helps. Rookie Cade Horton has been fantastic as well, allowing just five ER since the All-Star break. If Chicago can produce on the mound during October then they will be a serious threat to win it all. If not, then the offense will have to continue to carry the load as it has done for most of this season.
4. Detroit Tigers
Tigers fans thought the worst may have happened when ace Tarik Skubal was removed from his start on Friday with side discomfort. Thankfully imaging revealed nothing serious and he’s expected to make his next start, but all of Detroit was panicking for at least 24 hours. That may present an issue in October, though, if Skubal’s issues pop up again. The Tigers’ pitching has been a bit questionable outside of Skubal this season. They’re going to need other guys like Jack Flaherty to get back to their normal form so that they can have trust in anyone that isn’t Skubal in October.
3. Toronto Blue Jays
Toronto’s sitting in a great spot heading into the last couple weeks of the season. They’ve got a four game lead over the Yankees in the AL East, plenty of breathing room. They hold the best record in the AL by 2.5 games over Detroit. They also trail Milwaukee for the best record in the league by just 3.5 games. There’s a lot to be excited about in Toronto right now. A major weapon for October is starting to get into form as well. Trade deadline acquisition Shane Bieber now has a 3.72 ERA after six innings of one run ball on Sunday. The Blue Jays are getting right just in time for October.
2. Philadelphia Phillies
If you haven’t looked at the standings then it may be a bit of a surprise to see a couple things. First, Philadelphia has a 12 game lead in the NL East, something that didn’t look possible just a couple months ago. Second, they’re just 2.0 GB of Milwaukee for the best record in the majors. Given that the Brewers have held that distinction for the past couple months, usually with a wide gap between them and the competition, that’s credit to Philadelphia. They’re 10-3 in September and need to keep this energy rolling into October. The playoffs will be a whole lot tougher without Zack Wheeler on the mound, but the Phillies haven’t lacked pitching depth the past few seasons. They’ll need to prioritize health over the last two weeks to prep for October.
1. Milwaukee Brewers
Still our number one team, Milwaukee reigns supreme. But it’s not without a bit of worry now. They got swept by Texas earlier in the week, the first time they’ve gotten swept since the opening series against the Yankees. That’s a ridiculous stat in itself and is a credit to Milwaukee. But as we mentioned with the Phillies, the Brewers hold just a two game lead for the best record in the majors. Is that a gigantic difference maker? Not necessarily, but if they faced Philadelphia in the NLCS it sure would be nice to have home field advantage. In the meantime they will need their top pitchers to get back into their best shape. Freddy Peralta, Brandon Woodruff and Jacob Misiorowski all have ridiculous talent but can struggle. If those three can bring their A game in October then Milwaukee has a great shot at winning the World Series.
