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RotoBaller's Kevin Larson drops his latest MLB Power Rankings. Analysis, insight, and rankings for all 12 MLB playoff teams from worst to first as of September 29, 2025.
MLB Playoff Power Rankings: Where Does Every Contender Stand?
After a wild couple weeks to finish the season, we finally have the playoff picture completed. Ohio baseball fans are in a state of jubilation after Cincinnati and Cleveland defied the odds as they streaked to their playoffs berths. Others, such as the Tigers, enter the postseason in a little more than a backpedal that’s leaving their fans filled with more worry than excitement. But they’re all thankful they’re not the Mets, that’s for sure. Now throw our regular season rankings out the window. This is the postseason and we’re ready for a reset. So let’s dive in and see how all these MLB contenders rank in our playoff power rankings.
12. Cincinnati Reds
A 9-4 run to finish the season was good enough to clinch the final wild card spot in the National League for Cincinnati. The Reds made a concerted effort to improve their rotation coming into the season, adding Brady Singer via trade. They’ve seen upgrades midseason as well with the acquisition of Zack Littell and the promotion of Chase Burns. The rookie Burns has been working out of the bullpen since September and will certainly be called on in big situations this week. But the Reds will first need their offense to show up. And with an 89 wRC+ in the second half of the season, it’s going to need to improve to advanced past their first round matchup against the Dodgers.
11. Detroit Tigers
Yikes. That’s all that can really be said about their September slide that saw them lose the AL Central to the Cleveland Guardians. They won’t have to wait long to try and get revenge as they’ll see them in the Wild Card round on Tuesday. But no one in Detroit is feeling easy about things. They’re sure to have ace, and likely AL Cy Young winner, Tarik Skubal on the mound Tuesday in Cleveland. But beyond that they may face some question marks in their rotation. Jack Flaherty had postseason experience with the Dodgers last year but he hasn’t found the same form this season, especially on the road. The offense will need to hit effectively in order to succeed, which is something they didn’t do in the second half (94 wRC+). Detroit’s on its heels heading into the postseason.
10. Cleveland Guardians
On top of the AL Central, the Guardians completed a historic comeback in the division. No team prior to the Guardians had ever come back from a 15.5 game deficit. They did it with a 20-7 September. The offense wasn’t overly great, posting a 99 wRC+ in the month, but they pitched to a 2.49 ERA. If they can keep pitching that effectively then it almost won’t matter what the offense does. But at some point you have to wonder how much longer they can keep it up. They’ll get a chance to prove they are truly for real when they host Detroit in the Wild Card round.
9. Chicago Cubs
The Cubs cooled off a bit in the second half of the season but did enough to never have to worry about their playoff spot. They’ve also done very well with their rotation, which had looked to be a question mark at one point. Their starters have a second half ERA of 3.54, third best in the league. Much of that is thanks to rookie Cade Horton (1.03 ERA) and Jameson Taillon (1.57 ERA). Shota Imanaga and Matthew Boyd, their southpaws that have generally been pretty reliable, started to falter in the second half. If Chicago wants to establish dominance in October then they will need these two to snap back into shape. They’ll host the Padres at Wrigley for the Wild Card round, a tough draw for anyone this postseason.
8. San Diego Padres
San Diego ultimately lost out on the NL West but that didn’t stop them from finishing the regular season on a strong 7-1 run. Their success in the second half of the season was driven by a 110 wRC+ (8th overall) and a 3.61 ERA (4th overall). Those are winning numbers that you generally love to see. The lineup should be able to hang with anyone they face, but they may have some questions in the rotation. In the second half of the season Nick Pivetta was their best starter, throwing to a 2.86 ERA. But Dylan Cease (4.04 ERA) and Yu Darvish (5.23 ERA) left much to be desired. Beyond them there’s not much depth in the rotation. The bullpen has been nails, though, and San Diego may find itself using it a ton to get through the postseason.
7. Boston Red Sox
There’s one team I’ve had my eye on as a potential sleeper this postseason and they’re right here. The Red Sox have the potential to make a deep run this postseason and potentially represent the American League in the World Series. Unfortunately they have probably the toughest draw in the Wild Card round with the Yankees, but that’s for another article (stay tuned). Boston looked to be left for dead after trading away Rafael Devers to San Francisco, but they instead made a run and went 36-28 in the second half of the season. They’ve got one of the best pitchers in the league in Garrett Crochet, whose ability to rack up strikeouts is going to be incredibly valuable in the postseason. They also have plenty of platoon matchups that they’re sure to utilize when the bullpen games begin. If they are able to get past the Yankees, the league may have something to worry about.
6. New York Yankees
Speaking of those Yankees, they will be looking to repeat as American League champions this October. Their lineup finally got their swag back in the second half, making it through an Aaron Judge injury scare while hitting for a 117 wRC+. No one came close to their 123 homers in the second half of the season. That can’t be understated given the fact that home runs matter significantly more in the playoffs than they do in the regular season. But the big question mark for New York will be their bullpen. The bullpen had a 4.86 ERA in the second half of the season, fifth worst in the league. If the offense gives them a big enough lead they’ll have less reason to worry, but they’ll always be sweating in late innings if the pen can’t get it together.
5. Toronto Blue Jays
The race for the AL East crown came down to the very last day of the season and Toronto has to be absolutely thrilled they’re the ones with the crown. News broke this past weekend that Bo Bichette likely wouldn’t be available for a wild card round, so giving him more time for his recovery can only help. Additionally, the Blue Jays had to throw Kevin Gausman on Sunday. He likely wouldn’t have been available in a Wild Card series, so giving him more time to be ready for the ALDS helps Toronto’s cause. But they may have some worries regardless of Bichette or Gausman’s statuses. Their bullpen was only slightly better than the Yankees’ pen in the second half, pitching to a 4.74 ERA. They also lack depth in their starting rotation beyond Gausman and their trade deadline acquisition Shane Bieber. A great regular season will reach a pivotal point in the ALDS where they’ll host either the Red Sox or Yankees.
4. Milwaukee Brewers
The National League’s top seed in the regular season, the Brewers will host the NLDS and face the winner of the Cubs and Padres series. Their staff’s 3.51 ERA in the second half ranked third overall and the lineup’s 117 wRC+ in the second half ranked fifth. It turned them into one of the most well-rounded teams in baseball during the regular season. But similar to Toronto, they’re going to face questions in their rotation. Outside of Freddy Peralta, they don’t necessarily have a reliable starter with both Brandon Woodruff and Jose Quintana on the IL. Their bullpen has at least been lights throwing, throwing to a 3.14 ERA in the second half. Similar to what we said about the Padres, they may be relying very heavily on their bullpen this October.
3. Philadelphia Phillies
The Phillies are no stranger to October baseball over the past few seasons. They’ve got a formula down that’s been built around a strong rotation and a lineup built around both the long ball and average. But this postseason they’ll face a different challenge than they’ve had to face recently: Get through a postseason run with Zack Wheeler. Their ace, who’s out with blood clot issues, has been a dominant force in their prior runs. Without him they still have strong options, but almost all southpaws (Cristopher Sanchez, Ranger Suarez, Jesus Luzardo). Aaron Nola has also been a major question mark since coming back from injury. If their pitchers can hold their own they’ll be fine, but Wheeler is a big, big missing piece in their path to postseason success.
2. Los Angeles Dodgers
The Dodgers are, unsurprisingly, going to be a threat once again this postseason. They were built for this and, in the regular season, they’ve generally played like they know it. It’s gotten them in trouble against lesser competition but they should be fully focused this offseason. They also enter this postseason with the rotation the healthiest it’s been. Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Tyler Glasnow and Blake Snell are going to be tough for any opponent to get through in any series. Oh yeah, that guy Shohei Ohtani is going to be healthy on the mound too. The Dodgers should be able to get early leads and that should go a long way. But the big question mark will be if their bullpen can show up. Its 5.16 ERA over the last 30 days doesn’t inspire confidence regardless of how much they’re up.
1. Seattle Mariners
It took a while for the Mariners to get going after the trade deadline but once they got going they didn’t stop. They’ve got a lineup that’s built around power, especially with Cal Raleigh being able to rake from both sides of the plate. Their rotation has always been solid but was stellar in the second half of the season, posting a 3.46 xFIP that was second best in the league. The bullpen was just excellent as well with a 3.60 xFIP, third best in the league. They’ve got the fewest question marks of any team in the playoffs besides, well, their general postseason history that all Mariners fans have stuck in the back of their head. But in an October environment in Houston a week ago they snapped into playoff mode and ended the Astros’ hopes of winning the AL West. If Seattle approaches every series with that mentality then no one in the league may be able to beat them. They’re our top ranked playoff team as we head into the Wild Card series starting on Tuesday.
