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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 September 2, 2025.
MLB Power Rankings: Where Does Every Team Stand?
We’re in the final month of the regular season the playoff races are starting to look a bit clear. The National League doesn’t have much suspense in terms of who will make the playoffs with the NL West division race being the only real area of intrigue. The American League still has some questions to answer, though, both in the wild card race and divisional races. So where does everyone stand as we hit the home stretch? Let’s dive in and find out.
30. Colorado Rockies
The Rockies celebrated the return of German Marquez to their rotation on Friday. Unfortunately that was good news for the Cubs too, who roughed him up for eight ER in 4.1 IP. The Rockies also made the choice to move the struggling Antonio Senzatela into their bullpen, which also was great news for the Cubs who tagged him for two homers in three innings of relief in his first bullpen appearance on Friday. Colorado just needs to try whatever they can to see how they can make progress in 2026, though gaining ground in the NL West is a tough task for nearly every team in the league.
29. Chicago White Sox
The White Sox have been enjoying a bit of offensive success over the last two weeks, hitting for a 108 wRC+ over the last 14 days. That ranks 12th in the league during that span. Unfortunately their pitching staff has thrown for a 5.59 ERA in those 14 days for just a 5-8 record. Chicago’s not exactly looking for wins right now, though, so they’ll instead continue to look for development from their younger guys to build confidence for 2026.
28. Washington Nationals
An 0-6 week has Nationals fans ready for Commanders season. They were offensively anemic last week, scoring more than 2 runs in just two of six games. Their lineup as a whole has just a 77 wRC+ in the last seven days, fifth worst in the league. MacKenzie Gore landed in the 15-day IL with shoulder inflammation, potentially ending a 2025 that started out very strong but ended with a 7.54 ERA in the second half. It’s not a great time for Nats fans, but shortly they will at least have more distractions in DC.
27. Pittsburgh Pirates
Potentially one of the hottest teams in the league? The Pirates have been on a bit of a roll as of late with series wins over the Red Sox, Cardinals, Rockies and Blue Jays. Can anyone stop them? Only time will tell. Strong pitching efforts from Braxton Ashcraft, Johan Oveido and Paul Skenes (surprise, surprise) have helped limit teams while guys like Jared Triolo and Spencer Horwitz have been major drivers on offense. Baseball is actually fun for now in Pittsburgh. How much longer that will go? Who knows, but it’s a welcome development in yet another underwhelming season for the Pirates.
26. Baltimore Orioles
The Orioles had a good development this week as Kyle Bradish made his long awaited return from the IL. After sitting out all season recovering from Tommy John surgery, Bradish struck out 10 in six innings against Boston in his return. Add in the fact that Trevor Rogers has continued his stellar run since July (1.19 ERA in 68.1 IP) and Baltimore has a lot to be happy about with its rotation. Unfortunately it won’t mean much for them in 2025, but it gives them hope that with a healthy roster in 2026 they’ll be competitive yet again.
25. Minnesota Twins
The Twins find themselves in a similar spot as their division rival White Sox. That’s because the offense has been performing at a pretty decent level, but it’s been the pitching that’s holding them back. Over the last 14 days they’ve pitched to a league worst 6.60 ERA. When it’s too easy to score against your staff it almost doesn’t matter what the offense does. They’ll have to hope that guys like Joe Ryan, Bailey Ober and the newly acquired Taj Bradley can find some solid form to finish the season and build confidence heading into 2026.
24. Atlanta Braves
Chris Sale returned to the Braves’ rotation this week and that’s likely going to be a very good thing for a rotation that has been struggling over the past couple weeks. Hurston Waldrep is the only Braves starter that’s made multiple starts who has an ERA below 5.60 over the past couple weeks. That’s covered some of the surprise production from their offense, such as Jurickson Profar and his 230 wRC+. None of this matters for the Braves for 2025, but they just need some positives to end this season on a good note.
23. Athletics
Sweeping the Tigers to start the week was fantastic. Getting swept by the Rangers immediately after? Not so much. But it’s all good with the A’s knowing that this season isn’t a competitive one. The only thing they have to worry about right now is the health of Nick Kurtz, who’s missed the last two games after being removed Friday with an oblique injury. An MRI didn’t reveal any significant damage, but they’ll want to be careful with the likely AL Rookie of the Year. Until then, A’s games look to be full of runs for both teams until the season ends.
22. Miami Marlins
I’m admittedly still a bit bummed that the Marlins fell out of playoff contention so quickly a few weeks ago. But their 13-17 record in August couldn’t help gain enough ground on the Mets. At nine games back they’re more than likely done thinking about making a playoff run. The focus now is simply to see development from a lineup that’s robust with young talent. In September they’ll want to see Agustin Ramirez and Otto Lopez turn things around while hoping the upstart Jakob Marsee can continue his hot streak.
21. Los Angeles Angels
Splitting a four game series against the Astros this weekend is a great way to make people forget they gave up 20 runs to the Rangers earlier in the week. Angels fans probably weren’t surprised by that blowup given it was Jack Kochanowicz on the mound, who’s given up five or more earned runs in four of his last five starts. Los Angeles simply wants to forget about its August as the Angels were near the bottom for both pitching and hitting in August. Maybe September can drive some hope for 2026, but Angels fans likely are going to have to wait to believe it until they see it.
20. San Francisco Giants
It’s been an underwhelming season for the Giants, but that hasn’t stopped them from being able to rattle off wins in eight of their last nine games. The offense has been explosive as well, scoring 12 or more runs in three of those games. If they were closer in the playoff race this may be a great sign for the Giants, but they’re still sitting five games back in the wild card race. It’s going to take a miraculous run from San Francisco for them to even have a shot, but it’s a very feint possibility if everything goes right.
19. St. Louis Cardinals
The Cardinals just can’t seem to flip the switch on when they need it to and it’s held them back in the playoff race. They likely are out of the race, just like every other NL team that doesn’t already hold a spot. But at 6.5 games back it’s not officially over. The real question lies on if they have enough to make a miraculous run. From a pitching standpoint they are getting contributions from Michael McGreevy and Sonny Gray, but the other starters are slacking. The offense is chock full of underachievers as well, making the chances of a miraculous run all the less likely in St. Louis.
18. Tampa Bay Rays
The Rays are quietly heating up, winning seven of their last nine games. If not for a ninth inning homer to Nolan Jones then they’d have won eight of nine. That’s all well and good, but they’re still sitting 4.5 GB of the Mariners for the final wild card spot. With three other teams between them and Seattle, it’s a lot for them to overcome to get back in the race. But they’ll be sure to try while staying mostly under the radar. The Mariners and Guardians are in town this week for a very important homestand in Tampa.
17. Arizona Diamondbacks
As with pretty much every other NL team that doesn’t already hold a spot, Arizona’s likely too far back in the wild card race to make a real run without doing something miraculous. They’re 6.5 GB of the Mets and that’s a steep hill to climb for any team with just one month left on the calendar. But similar to the Giants, the DBacks are heating up. They’ve now won eight of their last 13 games and just took two of three from the Dodgers in LA. They’ll look to stay hot when the Rangers visit this week for a 2023 World Series rematch.
16. Cincinnati Reds
Just two short week ago the Reds were 1.5 games back of the final wild card spot. Now they sit 4.0 GB of the Mets after going 3-7 in their last 10 games. They’re a bit lucky it’s not a worse deficit, but it’s made the climb that much higher when they were already a bit up against it. Their remaining schedule is the second toughest left in the league, though the Mets’ have the fourth toughest remaining schedule. So that balances things out, but many would still wonder if the Reds will be able to keep up like the Mets likely will. The Reds have a tough road ahead of them when it comes to stealing the final NL wild card spot.
15. Cleveland Guardians
The Guardians are in a bit of a curious spot as they’re now four games back of the Mariners for the final wild card spot. They’re still behind the Royals and Rangers, but they’re a bit more behind them in terms of their chances. They recently let go of Carlos Santana to chase an opportunity with a contender, signaling that they don’t think their shot at October is real. With a 4-6 record in their last ten games maybe they don’t believe they have a real shot either. Some of that can be thanks to the offense as they only have one key contributor who hit for a 100 wRC+ or better in August (Kyle Manzardo). They somehow still have a chance, but it doesn’t seem like many inside or outside of Cleveland are buying into it.
14. Texas Rangers
The Rangers are 9-1 over their last 10 and put up 20 runs against the Angels this week. They’ve been absolutely cooking at have gotten themselves to just 1.5 GB of the Mariners for the final wild card spot. But a rash of injury news has severely gashed their playoff chances. Marcus Semien (10-day IL), Corey Seager (10-day IL), Evan Carter (60-day IL) and Nathan Eovaldi (15-day IL) all have landed on their respective injured listed since August 24th. That’s a huge amount of production Texas will be missing out on in a very important month for their playoff chances. If they can overcome it then it would be a remarkable win for them, but it’s going to be a very tough task after losing that much firepower.
13. Kansas City Royals
Potentially the team with the best chance to find themselves stealing that last wild card spot, the Royals now sit 2.5 games back of the Mariners for the final wild card spot. Just a touch better than they were a week ago, but they’re on the heels of the Mariners. They have a good chance to make a move this week with the Angels and the Twins coming to Kansas City this week. If they’re able to take advantage, the race will come down to the wire.
12. Seattle Mariners
Seattle’s got to turn on the jets. As we just mentioned, the Royals and Rangers are hot on their heels. That 1.5 game lead isn’t big enough for Seattle to rest on. The Mariners have been solid since the trade deadline, but they haven’t quite reached the potential they should have after their acquisitions. A 15-12 record in August is nothing to sneeze at, but a 7-12 slide in their last 19 has opened up the door for the Royals and Rangers. If Seattle’s to reach their full potential for the playoffs, they’re going to have to show it all in September.
11. New York Mets
Mets fans can finally take a big, deep relaxing breath as they have quite a bit more room in the wild card race. The offense has been absolutely cruising over the last few weeks, hitting for a 147 wRC+ in August. That’s a huge reason they’ve started to get back on the right track. Cincinnati’s slide doesn’t hurt their cause either, but either way they now have a bit more comfort in the wild card race. They’re not going to be able to surpass anyone else in the National League, so they’ll need to use September to tune up and get prepped for October.
10. Boston Red Sox
Are the Red Sox building themselves up to be a true threat in the American League? They just aren’t stopping and are staying hot, going 9-3 over their last 12 games. It’s them and the Yankees pretty much hand-in-hand for the top wild card spots. Not only that but there’s a shot at the AL East still with Boston sitting 2.5 games behind Toronto. There may be real opportunity for them to jump up as they posted a 17-11 record in August, even though the offense posted a sub-league average wRC+. Fenway will be filled with a lot of nervous energy in September as they aim for positioning in October.
9. Houston Astros
Houston continues to underachieve even as they get healthier and healthier. A series win against the Rockies started off the week on the right foot but they could only manage a four game split against the Angels over the weekend. They have to be a bit worried that they’ve been unable to continuously string together wins. They’re going to need their A game to get through September. They’ll play host to the Yankees for a three game set before heading to Arlington for the weekend. With just a three game lead over the Mariners in the AL West there’s not much more room for the Astros to slip.
8. New York Yankees
Don’t ask Yankees fans now, because they won’t admit it, but hype is starting to build back up in the Bronx. They’ve gone 14-5 in their last 19 games and are re-emerging as a real threat in the American League. Trent Grisham, Giancarlo Stanton and Jazz Chisholm Jr. have led the Yankees in homers in August, all hitting at least eight. From a pitching perspective they’ve certainly enjoyed the emergence of Cam Schittler, who has thrown to a 1.60 ERA in the month. They’ll need the offense and pitching to continue as they head out on a big stretch of games, starting with a three game series in Houston before they host Toronto over the weekend.
7. San Diego Padres
This week may have been the result of a bit of a Dodgers series hangover as they lost both their series against the Mariners and Twins on the road. They’re now 2.5 games back of LA in the NL West and that may not be the worst thing looking at their schedule as they’ve got seven games against the Rockies coming up in September. That may be a potential difference maker as long as San Diego doesn’t lose focus. They’re very set for a spot in the playoffs but they’ve got their eyes on the division.
6. Chicago Cubs
A series win against the Rockies at Coors Field is nice, but Cubs fans would have like it to not have followed a sweep at the hands of the Giants. Nevertheless, Chicago doesn’t really have anywhere to go in the standings with a 5.5 game deficit to the Brewers in the NL Central and a five game cushion in the wild card race. The goal for Chicago is simply to get right for September. Part of that is addressing their needs as they added Aaron Civale and Carlos Santana on Sunday. The Cubs aren’t going anywhere but they don’t want to be slacking headed into October.
5. Los Angeles Dodgers
The Dodgers continue to be one of the strangest teams in baseball. They just can’t live up to the hype their roster promises, yet they still are one of the top teams in the National League without even really being all that good (comparatively). An important sweep of the Reds started the week and that was followed by a series loss to the Diamondbacks. This week they head out to Pittsburgh and Baltimore on a six-game road trip. It will be a big test to see where the Dodgers are at given their general lack of focus against lesser opponents in the regular season. Especially with the Padres hot on their heels, they can’t slip up much without consequence.
4. Toronto Blue Jays
What was once a really comfortable situation all of a sudden is filled with a bit more fraught. After holding the AL’s best record for a while, they’ve been surpassed by Detroit and trail them by a half game. Most of that’s credit to Detroit, but Toronto finds themselves in a bit of a precarious situation. Not only are they now in a race with Detroit for the best record in the American League, but the AL East has all of a sudden gotten close with the Yankees and Red Sox in shouting distance (2.5 GB for each). Toronto’s season is quickly getting very serious.
3. Detroit Tigers
The Tigers currently have the best record in the American League after, somehow, going 2-6 in their last eight games. August hasn’t been the best month for Detroit, even though they went 15-12. Only Tarik Skubal posted an ERA as a starter below 4.00, something Detroit can’t do if it wants to be a threat in October. The offense hit well, but the pitching needs to improve going forward. The Tigers are back fighting for the best record in the AL and that’s going to drive them through September.
2. Philadelphia Phillies
So Kyle Schwarber at the plate is something ridiculous, isn’t it? His four homer performance on Thursday made waves, the third occurrence of that type of game this year. It’s helped Philadelphia go 18-11 in August and is proving they can still be a threat without their best pitcher. Navigating October will be tough without Zack Wheeler on the mound, but Philly is hoping to prove they can win it all with or without him. Starting the week with a comeback win over the Brewers is a great way to get things kicked off.
1. Milwaukee Brewers
Milwaukee reigns supreme yet again in our power rankings. Their 21-9 record in August speaks for itself. They’re 54-26 since the beginning of June, a pretty surreal mark that would put them on a 109 win pace in a full 162 games. I’ve personally been skeptical of them and their chances in October, but they continue to excel against good teams. They now have a 41-25 record against teams with a .500 record or better, the best in the league. The stats may point toward some negative regression but, for the time being, Milwaukee doesn’t care. They’re looking to prove they’ll be a force in October and another strong month in September will go a long way in showing they’ll be serious in the playoffs. They are our top team yet again.
