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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 11, 2025.
MLB Power Rankings: Where Does Every Team Stand?
The MLB Postseason is a lot closer than it seems. Just seven weeks away, teams need to get moving in order to separate themselves. We’re seeing that at the top with one team making itself the clear top team in baseball. Meanwhile, both New York teams are rife with panic. Who’s the top team and how far have the New York teams fallen? Read on to find out.
30. Colorado Rockies
The Rockies lost all six of their games this past week, getting outscored 70-23. It dropped their run differential to -329 on the season. Last year’s White Sox, with a 41-121 record, had a run differential of -306 when all was said and done. The Rockies are chasing history, just not in the way anyone in purple pinstripes wants to. It’s to the point in the season where they just want the kids to play and for everyone to escape happy. Kyle Karros, the son of Eric Karros, is one of those kids. He made his debut this weekend and was 4-11 with three RBI. Small successes from the younger guys are what Colorado has to look forward to because the rest of the picture isn’t pretty.
29. Chicago White Sox
After a hot start coming out of the All-Star break, Chicago has cooled off. Prior to Sunday’s win over the Guardians they had lost six straight. But, as with the Rockies, the results of these games don’t really matter on the Southside. They’re simply looking for their players to progress. One good sign is that Luis Robert Jr. looks to have turned his season around, putting him in great position to capitalize on his $20 million club option next season. The White Sox chose not to trade him at the deadline and he’s looking to cash in big. As long as he and the younger White Sox keep producing then Chicago may start to feel good about their projection for the 2026 season.
28. Washington Nationals
It took a while but James Wood may finally be getting back to his productive ways at the plate. His solo shot on Saturday off Carson Whisenhunt was his first homer since July 9th and Sunday marked his first time posting back-to-back multi-hit games for the first time since early June. This may be just what he needs to snap out of the porous funk he’s been in since the All-Star break. Will it change the Nats’ odds this season to be competitive? No, absolutely not. But it will drive confidence in the 22-year-old that will help him be ready for the 2026 season.
27. Pittsburgh Pirates
We keep inching closer to Paul Skenes’ second straight season with a sub-2.00 ERA. The expectations are high for the 23-year-old and he just keeps delivering. More importantly, the Pirates are actually giving him some run support, which has led to a 3-1 record in his four starts since the break. In each of those three wins he didn’t surrender a single earned run. One offensive driver for Pittsburgh has been Spencer Horwitz. He’s been very solid at the plate, posting a .929 OPS with 16 RBI in the second half. Same as the rest of our bottom dwellers, all Pittsburgh wants to see is its young players succeed. Oh yeah, and a nice Cy Young award for Skenes as well.
26. Atlanta Braves
The Braves have to be wondering what they could have gotten for Marcell Ozuna if they were able to find the right trade partner. I say the “right” trade partner because news came out this week that the Braves did try to trade the veteran to three teams but Ozuna and his agent vetoed all three trades. It’s not the worst thing, as Ozuna is hitting for a 165 wRC+ since the break, but it does have to feel like Atlanta had a missed opportunity since this is a lost season. At the same time, rookie Drake Baldwin finds himself at the front of the NL Rookie of the Year race alongside Milwaukee’s Isaac Collins. Some slight positives in Atlanta for those who still are pulling for the team.
25. Athletics
Speaking of rookies, there’s a little more clarity in the American League on who their likely rookie of the year is. That would be Nick Kurtz, who just can’t stop hitting balls. He’s already had four multi-hit games in August, though curiously has not been able to smack a longball yet. In fact he hasn’t hit a home run since his four homer performance against Houston that put the league on notice. He’s sure to put one in the stands sooner rather than later, but the A’s just hope he stays healthy and continues to progress. With a 6-4 record in their last ten games, it’s not as bad as it may seem in Sacramento.
24. Baltimore Orioles
It’s been a little rougher in Baltimore as of late, though that may be more of the schedule’s fault than anything. Having the A’s visit for a weekend series had to feel like a bit of a break after facing off against the Blue Jays, Cubs and Phillies. Gunnar Henderson has helped give Baltimore some hope during that streak, smacking three homers and recording 12 RBI between those three series and the weekend series win against the A’s. He’s started to look a bit more like himself since June, but it unfortunately won’t be enough for the Orioles to get back into any playoff races as they sit nine games behind the final AL wild card spot.
23. Los Angeles Angels
The Angels looked like they may have had some hope at one point, but it’s faded very quickly. They now sit six games behind the Yankees for the final AL wild card spot with five other teams in front of them. With a 3-7 record in their past 10 games, they’re not doing themselves any favors. Neither the pitching or the hitting has been all that bad, but they simply haven’t been able to put things together to get on a nice run. They’ll need something miraculous to be playing in October as FanGraphs has their playoff odds sitting at 0.6%.
22. Minnesota Twins
The Twins’ odds at making the playoffs are only slightly better than the Angels’, which really isn’t saying much. It’s not all that surprising either given that they chose to sell at the deadline thanks to a load of injuries that have held them back. So the rest of the season, much like the others down at the bottom here, will be focused on players simply achieving what they can achieve and hopefully staying healthy. Matt Wallner has been playing very well over the past two weeks, blasting five homers for a 233 wRC+. Small victories like these will drive the Twins’ season the rest of the way.
21. Arizona Diamondbacks
There’s not really a chance, right? The Diamondbacks had a “get right” series against the Colorado Rockies this weekend, sweeping them by a combined score of 25-12. They sit six games back of the final wild card spot. It’s unlikely they catch up to the Mets, especially after selling, but Arizona won’t be a team that anyone is able to overlook on the schedule given their offensive power. On the pitching side, well, that’s a different question. Given their injuries it’s going to be the toughest part for them to figure out, but they’ll have to do what they can to at least be scrappy throughout the rest of the season.
20. Miami Marlins
Sitting in that same six game deficit as the DBacks, the Marlins’ hopes for a miraculous playoff run took a huge blow this week. The deficit is the same as it was a week ago but how they got there was painful. They lost a three game series to the Astros to start the week and then went 1-4 in a unique five game series on the road in Atlanta. The fact they didn’t lose any ground going 2-6 is miraculous in itself, but if they simply would have gone 4-4 we could be looking at a better situation for the fish. FanGraphs isn’t kind with their playoff odds, posting just an 0.8% chance of making a run. It doesn’t look any easier for Miami this week either as they travel to Cleveland and Boston.
19. Tampa Bay Rays
At one point Tampa was 46-35, just a half game behind the Yankees for the AL East lead. My oh my how the trajectories of those two teams have changed this season. Tampa has taken a bit of a free fall and now is 12 GB of the division leading Blue Jays and 5 GB of the New York Yankees in the final AL wild card spot. Their playoff odds sat at 78.7% when they were 46-35. Now they sit at 2.8% with them being 57-62. It’s not the most fun time ever to be a Rays fan as they desperately need to find a way to turn things around if they want a chance at competing in October.
18. St. Louis Cardinals
This week may have been the perfect morale boosting week for the Cardinals, which was something they desperately needed. They handled the Dodgers on the road and took a series from them. They followed that up by taking two of three from their rival Cubs. Now at just 3.5 GB of the Mets for the final NL wild card spot, a run into October is looking a bit more plausible than it did just a week ago. With the Colorado Rockies coming to town this week, there’s another golden opportunity in front of St. Louis to try and make up some more ground.
17. San Francisco Giants
Right there with the Cardinals are the San Francisco Giants. They may be kicking themselves a bit as they were unable to snag a series win hosting the Nationals this weekend. That may take the wind out of their sails that they just had started gaining back after a strong road trip where they took four of six from the Pirates and Mets. A very important series against the Padres starts early this week as the Giants will send out their top two pitchers, Logan Webb and Robbie Ray, to dispatch the Friars and gain ground on the Mets. But with San Diego on a hot streak of its own it won’t be an easy task for San Francisco to keep pace in the NL wild card chase.
16. Kansas City Royals
Kansas City had been on a solid run and regaining ground in the AL wild card chase, but a 2-4 week brought that to a bit of a halt. As they sit four games back of the final wild card spot, Kansas City needs some sort of blessing in their schedule that gives them a chance to feel good about themselves again. They may have just that as they host both the Nationals and White Sox this week at Kauffman Stadium. The Royals have a 6% chance to make the playoffs, according to FanGraphs, so they will need to get everything they can out of this homestand with two very winnable series on deck.
15. Texas Rangers
Texas is starting to falter a bit as well. After having the wild card nearly in their grasp last Tuesday, they’ve now fallen back to a 2.5 game deficit. The Rangers have much of what’s needed to get to the playoffs and succeed, especially within their pitching staff. But the offense is hitting for just an 88 wRC+ in the second half while the staff pitches to a 3.26 ERA. Corey Seager has produced in the second half to a level which we expect him too. Josh Jung and Kyle Higashioka have been solid bats as well. But much of the others at the top haven’t been able to do much. Texas needs them to turn it around to make themselves a series contender.
14. Cleveland Guardians
Don’t look now but the Cleveland Guardians are smoking hot. With an 8-2 record over their last 10 games, they now sit just a half game behind the Yankees for the final wild card spot in the AL. Less than two weeks ago it looked like it may all have been crumbling down with the Emmanuel Clase situation that put them squarely in trade rumors that would’ve seen them parting ways with Steven Kwan. But they’ve been able to knock off nine wins in their last 11 games. Kyle Manzardo has been a big contributor at the plate for Cleveland as of late, posting a 190 wRC+ since the All-Star break. If Cleveland can continue to get offensive production from overlooked sources then they may just be holding that wild card sooner than we think.
13. Cincinnati Reds
Now just 1.5 GB of the final wild card spot in the NL, the Reds are making things interesting. They’re 5-5 in their last 10, but thanks to the Mets’ free fall it’s helping them gain ground. They currently have the best shot at grabbing that last wild card spot out of any team that isn’t already in the playoff picture, though FanGraphs gives them just an 11.6% chance to actually make the playoffs. And maybe that’s fair as many might question if Cincinnati has enough to be taken seriously and actually make it. Some of those questions may be answered real soon as they host both the Phillies and the Brewers this week, a huge test for an anxious Reds team ready to prove that they belong.
12. New York Mets
What exactly is happening in New York? Between the Mets and the Yankees the worries have to be near all-time highs near NYC. It felt like just yesterday that the Mets were neck and neck with the Phillies for the NL East lead. Now they’ve lost seven in a row and are 5.5 GB of the NL East lead. With how we look at teams in the wild card race, that means the East is pretty much the Phillies’ now and the Mets can only fight for a wild card. That’s not a unique position for them, but the fall is hurting more than it normally would right now. Juan Soto is at least heating up, but that won’t ease any Mets fan’s mind right now until they get this ship turned around.
11. New York Yankees
Another New York team that just seemingly can’t win like they should. Perhaps the only team with more worries about their current performance than the Mets is the Yankees. They’ve lost seven of their last nine and have drifted all the way from the AL East lead to being the final wild card with just a half game lead over the Guardians. Aaron Judge has returned to the lineup, but mainly as a DH. That’s kicked Giancarlo Stanton out of the lineup for the most part. The starters, outside of Will Warren, haven’t exactly been reliable. And the lineup as a whole has hit for just a 90 wRC+ since the All-Star break. FanGraphs still gives the Yankees an 81.3% to make the postseason but that doesn’t matter to their fans. It’s panic time in the Bronx.
10. Boston Red Sox
One of the AL’s hotter teams was finally cooled off this weekend but that won’t have Boston fans down for long. They’re 7-3 in their last 10 games and have a 2.5 game cushion in the wild card race. What once looked like a very confusing time after the Rafael Devers trade has somehow worked out alright. The decision not to trade Jarren Duran is looking like a very smart one so far as he’s hitting for a 181 wRC+ since the break. Garrett Crochet is continuing to pitch like an ace and is certainly in contention for the AL Cy Young alongside Tigers’ ace Tarik Skubal. If the bats stay hot then Boston will have a chance regardless of who they’re going up against. They’re in a great spot to play in October for the first time since 2021.
9. Seattle Mariners
It’s much smoother sailing up in Seattle. The Mariners went for it at the deadline and it’s starting to pay dividends. They’re on a 9-1 run, have a 3.5 game cushion in the wild card race and are now just a half game back of the Astros for the AL West lead. As we’ve been mentioning playoff odds, FanGraphs actually gives the Mariners a better chance at making the playoffs than the Astros (94.6% vs 90.8%) thanks to them being FanGraphs’ favorites to win the division (52.2% vs 46.0%). Mariners fans probably don’t want to think about that kind of thing this early, but they’ll take it. The pitching has been great since the break as their staff is throwing to a 3.48 ERA. Julio Rodriguez has also started to turn it on, hitting nine homers since the break. It’s fun times in Seattle has they now have the division in their sights.
8. San Diego Padres
The Padres look like they’re starting to make some moves. Winners in 11 of their last 16, San Diego’s starting to separate from the rest. They’ve got a three game cushion over the final NL wild card spot and have to be feeling good about their chances of making the playoffs. Not only do they look to be set for the wild card, but they’re just two games back of the Dodgers in the NL West. It makes the next two weeks of the schedule very important for San Diego. This week they’ll head on the road for three games in San Francisco and then three in Los Angeles. Then next week they host the Giants for four and the Dodgers for three. It’s a massively important pocket for the Padres that they’ll want to capitalize on if they want to snag the NL West from the Dodgers.
7. Houston Astros
Is it time to start breathing a little easier in Houston yet? The Astros may have stunted their slide a bit by going 4-2 this week. Jose Altuve hit his 250th career homer on Sunday, making him the 25th player in MLB history to record both 250 home runs and 250 stolen bases. Quite the achievement for the 35-year-old! But the Astros can’t rest easy. As we already mentioned, the Mariners are hot on their heels as they hold just a half-game lead over Seattle for the AL West lead. Houston’s not in danger of missing the playoffs, at least at this point, but home field advantage is something they’ll certainly want in the playoffs. A three game series against the Red Sox, who swept them at Fenway last week, will be their first order of business in correcting the course further.
6. Detroit Tigers
The Tigers aren’t exactly flying under the radar any more, but it does feel like they may be able to breathe a bit easier given all the other chaos and disappointment happening in the American League (looking at you, New York Yankees). The offense is starting to pick back up, posting a very impressive 129 wRC+ over the last 14 days. The pitching has been subpar, but not terrible, posting a 4.08 ERA. It gives them a 7-5 record in their last 12 games, which will do for now. With a six game lead over Cleveland in the AL Central, there’s no danger yet in losing the division. Their focus needs to be to simply get back to their winning ways and to stay healthy for October.
5. Philadelphia Phillies
In the blink of an eye, the Phillies now have a 5.5 game lead over the Mets in the NL East. Thank New York for their horrendous slide, but also Philly is 7-3 in their last 10 games. They’ve been producing, especially on the mound. Over the last 14 days they have the 7th best ERA as a staff at 3.69 while they’re hitting for a 109 wRC+. That’s a pretty decent winning formula. Zack Wheeler and Cristopher Sanchez will both be in conversations for the NL Cy Young, helping to drive much of the success Philly has seen this year. Between those two and their strong lineup, they’re going to be a very tough team to deal with down the stretch and into October.
4. Chicago Cubs
It’s not quite panic time in Chicago but this week was not how they wanted things to go. After losing both series this week against the Red and Cardinals, they now trail the Brewers by six games in the NL Central. Those divisional hopes are likely long gone, similar to the Mets, with the focus being solely on keeping that wild card spot. With a 4.5 game cushion they’re unlikely to lose it, but they can’t feel comfortable right now. To make matters worse, their trade deadline acquisition of Michael Soroka went on the 15-day IL this week with shoulder discomfort. Knowing that starting pitching was one of Chicago’s biggest needs at the deadline, it puts a damper on their second half. They’ll need their offense to overcome any deficits they have in the rotation. And after a week where they lacked in offensive production, they need it to turn around quickly.
3. Toronto Blue Jays
So the beginning of the week was really fun for the Blue Jays as they obliterated the Colorado Rockies by scoring no less than 10 runs in any game. But that Coors Hangover can hit hard. Reality came knocking as they lost a weekend series to the Dodgers, scoring just one run in each of their losses. Toronto is sitting just a game above Detroit for the top spot in the American League and is four games ahead of Boston in the AL East. This week they’ll host the struggling Cubs and then the Rangers over the weekend, a good test from both to keep them playoff ready.
2. Los Angeles Dodgers
The Dodgers were glad to see Blake Snell back in action this past week. He’s been able to make two starts and compile 18 Ks across 10 IP. It’s another step to the Dodgers’ rotation getting healthy yet again, something they’ve been lacking for much longer than just this season. It’s makes their work this season almost look more impressive, knowing that they’ve never really been at full strength. They’ve also had weird seasons from some of their offensive players, such as Mookie Betts. The 32-year-old has had a strangely underwhelming season with the bat given who he is, hitting for just a .679 OPS. But he’s starting to pick it up, posting three multi-hit games in his past five games. If he can get going in time for the playoffs, and that coincides with overall health from the Dodgers’ roster, they’re very likely to be the first team to win back-to-back World Series championships since the Yankees three-peated in 2000.
1. Milwaukee Brewers
Count the Brewers as a team that may have what’s needed to stop the Dodgers. Milwaukee reigns supreme as our top team for the second week in a row. They’ve now won nine games in a row and have a five game lead for the best record in the majors. A few weeks ago I said I needed to see more before I could bump them up and the Brewers said, “Well then let’s do that and then some.” Their 128 wRC+ since the break is tied for second behind only the Blue Jays. The pitching staff’s 3.37 ERA ranks fifth in that same timespan. They’re crushing the ball and they’re limiting hitters on the other side. It’s an easy winning formula. They’ll host the Pirates for a three game series in Milwaukee before setting off on an eight-game road trip against fellow NL Central playoff contenders. A three game set in Cincinnati will help set the table for a five game series at Wrigley that will likely be the biggest series all season for either team. But for now, Milwaukee stays as our top team.
