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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 October 20, 2025.
MLB Power Rankings: Where Does Every Team Stand?
After the Blue Jays forced Game 7 with a win Sunday night over the Mariners, we’re in for a treat as two teams who haven’t been to the World Series in a long time will fight to finally get there. Much of the rest of the league is still fighting to get there but doesn’t currently have what they need to get there. With that said, it’s time we take a look at what each team needs in order to make the World Series. Some may not need all that much. But others may have a list longer than is allowable in an everyday tweet. What does your team need in order to make it in the coming years? Let’s find out.
30. Colorado Rockies
There may not be enough help on the planet to get the Rockies enough help to make the World Series. For starters they need to revamp pretty much everyone in their starting rotation. The hitting is young and, as a whole, unspectacular. The bullpen had its moments early in the season, but they don’t inspire confidence. And that front office? They’re doing an external search for GM, but we’ll see how that goes. And even if they fix all that, they’re in a division with the Dodgers. Realignment could help? Who knows.
29. Chicago White Sox
To get to the World Series, the White Sox need a mix of pitching, pitching, more pitching and time. Davis Martin and Shane Smith have had promising moments in the regular season, but there needs to be a lot more development. The lineup has some hope, especially after posting a 102 wRC+ in the second half of the season. But they need pitching to be able to have a real advantage. When that rotation and the bullpen gets steadied then the White Sox may be able to return to the postseason in the coming seasons.
28. Washington Nationals
The Nationals need some right-handed bats that can handle lefties on the mound. Their lineup is dominated by left-handed bats. That provides a platoon advantage but against lefties the Nationals were one of the worst in the league. James Wood can only take you so far. On top of needing to improve against lefties, the Nationals simply need more pitching of all kinds. The rotation isn’t dominant and better arms never hurt you.
27. Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pirates’ hopes of returning to the World Series starts with the front office if you ask Pirates fans. After all, they’re prepping for the eventual departure of Paul Skenes. There’s no way Pirates fans can having something nice for too long, right? A new front office would recognize they need much more efficient bats as their 82 wRC+ was the second worst in the league. The pitching staff, driven by Skenes, was actually a very solid staff with a 3.76 ERA, seventh best in the league. Keep the pitchers doing what they’re doing but improve the bats mightily.
26. Minnesota Twins
The Twins weren’t that far away from competing until they were. Injuries ruined 2025 but that doesn’t mean they were all that close to a World Series anyway. The pitching needs to improve all around. Their staff’s 4.55 ERA was one of the worst in the league. Starting pitching or bullpen, it didn’t matter. Get the pitching right and then the lineup can have a chance. Speaking of the lineup, they held up OK through all the injuries and posted a 97 wRC+ in the second half. It’s not overly impressive, but with Target Field’s hitting environment it could be enough to at least make them competitive again.
25. Los Angeles Angels
Angels fans will tell you this is a rather large list, but the truth is if they are able to get a solid starting rotation then they may be able to compete at the very least. Baseball fans are itching to see Mike Trout in the postseason, but he’s 34 now and his remaining years as a Hall of Fame type contributor are limited. Never mind the fact the Dodgers are right across the street wreaking havoc on the league. The lineup has enough intrigue to it but the rotation needs a ton of help in order to make the Angels formidable.
24. Atlanta Braves
Health. It’s really that simple for the Braves. 2025 was ruined by injuries but when healthy Atlanta is one of the best teams in the league. Maybe the rotation is lacking without Max Fried. Maybe you’re worried about Chris Sale given his age. I totally get it. Atlanta needs a bit more in the pitching department, as do most teams. But ultimately this team needs health and then its powerful lineup can literally swing momentum their way. Keep them away from the IL in 2026 and Atlanta will be back in the postseason like they never even left.
23. Baltimore Orioles
Give the Orioles a healthy pitching staff and a few more hitters and they’ll find themselves fighting to represent the American League in the World Series for the first time since 1983. Kyle Bradish and Tyler Wells being healthy will help propel this team further, but they need a bit more than that. The lineup is solid, but shipping out Ryan O’Hearn and Ramon Laureano to San Diego leaves a couple open holes that need to be filled. Baltimore hopes 2025 isn’t indicative of their prior two seasons when they made noise getting into the playoffs. But there’s still a bit of work to do.
22. Athletics
The A’s need pitching. And then they should think about adding some more pitching. Once they do that they should find a way to add some efficiency to their pitching staff. Then they can admire the open spot on the shelf that will soon be filled by Nick Kurtz’s AL Rookie of the Year award. And once they’re done thinking about his glorious 2025 campaign they should go find some more pitching. That’s their recipe for success in the future. The offense is powerful and fun, but this franchise isn’t going anywhere without a dominant pitching staff.
21. St. Louis Cardinals
For the Cardinals to return to the World Series, they may need to do something they’re not all that used to. They may need to hit the reset button. They haven’t won a playoff game since 2020. Paul Goldschmidt is gone and Nolan Arenado is likely on his way out this offseason. The current pitching staff isn’t exactly inspiring and the lineup is often underwhelming. As they’re currently constructed they probably only ever achieve mediocrity and that usually doesn’t fly with Redbird fans. All areas of the franchise need some help and the best way to do that is to simply hit that reset button.
20. Tampa Bay Rays
The first thing the Rays need to do is make these glorious throwbacks the official home uniforms once again. Look how perfect they are. Then they need a couple more solid arms in the rotation to aid Shane McClanahan in his return next year. The southpaw is a Cy Young contender when healthy and a huge boost to Tampa’s chances. But they need more than just him. The lineup has some very strong hitters, but it’s top heavy. Only four of their main contributors had a wRC+ of 100 or greater. To reach the World Series, that lineup needs to be dominant. And there’s work to do in Tampa.
19. Miami Marlins
The Marlins are, for the most part, young and feisty. The lineup has so much potential behind guys like Kyle Stowers. The rotation has some electric arms like Edward Cabrera and Eury Perez. But the team as a whole needs a proper amount of seasoning. Maybe a couple solid vets could be added to give them both a strong leader and role models for the younger guys to learn from. Sandy Alcantara can be that guy for Miami’s pitching staff, but the lineup needs quite a bit of seasoning to truly unleash their potential. If not, then Miami will likely do what it traditionally does by smashing the reset button repeatedly.
18. San Francisco Giants
For a team that’s almost perpetually at .500 you’d think that there doesn’t need to be a ton added here. But San Francisco lacks quite a bit more than it seems. On the surface, their hitters are solid but not overwhelming. The pitching can be strong at times, but just like their hitters it’s not overwhelming. The Giants need to pack a little more punch in order to really reach their full potential.
17. Kansas City Royals
Kansas City, like others, needs a clean bill of health for its pitching staff. Losing Cole Ragans for most of the season didn’t lead to much success. Losing up and comer Kris Bubic hurt as well. Having those two would help bump KC into contention. But they still need more pop in the lineup. On top of that, they need more in their staff. Signing Seth Lugo instead of trading him at the deadline may have been a questionable choice in most people’s eyes based on the underlying stats. If the Royals are to advance anywhere in the playoffs they need dominant arms. which have been an issue for them in most of their recent history.
16. Texas Rangers
The Rangers simply want a clean bill of health. If you looked at who they finished the season with, you’d have assumed it was the roster of a Spring Training intrasquad scrimmage. Ironically one of the players that was healthy all season was Jacob deGrom, who they won a World Series without in 2023 when he was hurt. Texas knows it has all the pieces, but they need health. A few extra productive bats wouldn’t hurt either, but ultimately they need to not be constantly worrying about who may be ending up on the IL next.
15. Arizona Diamondbacks
Another team that is just wishing for health. Only two seasons removed from facing the aforementioned Rangers, the DBacks looked both like a team that could win the World Series with a dominant offense and a team that couldn’t stop anyone with a weak rotation. They had to put Corbin Burnes on the shelf and sold with Eugenio Suarez and Josh Naylor at the deadline. But ultimately they need health, specifically in their rotation. A few more strong arms wouldn’t hurt either. Burnes can be dominant in the playoffs, and so can longtime DBack Zac Gallen, but if the Brewers’ 2025 postseason has taught us anything it’s that more starting pitching depth is never a bad thing in October.
14. Houston Astros
Another team just wishing for health. Houston’s been there and done that. They know what it takes in October. But 2025 was a different battle for them. They went into the season with key injuries to the pitching staff and encountered more down the stretch to major contributors. Losing Yordan Alvarez for much of the season was key to the lineup. Losing Isaac Paredes felt like a gut punch. And while Houston kept it close for most of the season, it all came unraveled when Seattle swept them and won the AL West. Houston could always use another bat or two, but they really just need a clean bill of health.
13. New York Mets
Where do we even begin here? The first is simply having luck swing their way. Much has been made of their second half fall, but the stats make it more baffling. Their 119 wRC+ in the second half ranked second best in the league, something that almost always leads to wins. But the staff threw to a nasty 4.74 ERA in that same time frame. Maybe luck wasn’t on their side, as a 3.95 xFIP shows it should have been better for them, but they still need more than luck. The starting rotation is questionable at best in terms of dependability. And depending on how the offseason goes they may need to find another first baseman that can absolutely crush the ball on command. The list of needs shouldn’t be that long for the Mets, but it’s longer than Queens wants it to be.
12. Cincinnati Reds
After an upstart season to make the playoffs, the Reds should feel good about their 2025. But for real World Series ambitions, they have to recognize that there’s more they’re going to need. The first place they need to start is with the bats. Their 92 wRC+ ranked 24th overall. Elly De La Cruz and TJ Friedl were their most effective hitters, only hitting for a 109 wRC+ each. That’s not bad, but playoff teams have hitters with a much higher number. On top of that, they’ll need stronger starters. Hunter Greene and Chase Burns should continue to develop, which is great. But who else in the rotation can be dominant? The questions are there in Cincinnati, who shouldn’t be taken lightly in 2026.
11. Cleveland Guardians
A comeback for the ages drove Cleveland’s season, giving their fans hope that the team can still compete. But the truth is they still need to change a lot in order to make the World Series again. The lineup, for the most part, lacks power. The Guardians have recently been a great bat-to-ball team, but the power has evaded them. They were 20th in homers and hit for an 87 wRC+, only better than Pittsburgh and Colorado. The pitching staff could always use some help too, but the biggest focus needs to be improving the offense to make them a force at any point in their lineup.
10. San Diego Padres
Back to the health train. San Diego missed the likes of Joe Musgrove on the mound this postseason as their starting pitching depth seemed to lack. Sure, a trio of Nick Pivetta, Dylan Cease and Yu Darvish should be enough to get you two wins and advance in the Wild Card round. But that wasn’t the case this season. Had Musgrove been healthy they could have gotten more rest for their starters and their fantastic bullpen. Health and starting pitchers are paramount for San Diego’s success. They came close in 2022 but they haven’t quite regained that success. Healthy arms would go a long ways for this roster.
9. Boston Red Sox
A couple better bats and a couple better arms may be all Boston needs to find themselves back in the World Series. They have a bona fide ace in Garrett Crochet, who will be a threat to win the Cy Young award in 2026. Brayan Bello can be decent but got pulled with a quick hook against the Yankees. Connelly Early has promise but needs seasoning. Lucas Giolito was hurt and couldn’t pitch in the Wild Card round. But the names don’t inspire a bunch of confidence as a whole. On top of that, the lineup was timely in the regular season with their hitting. Old heads will tell you that’s important, but a 97 wRC+ in the second half says that Boston was barely average with their bats. They aim for a lot of platoon matchups but maybe they need a couple more solid all-around bats that can produce.
8. New York Yankees
Yankee fans may feel like they’re a ways away from getting back to the World Series and maybe most baseball fans are happy about that. But the truth is they don’t need a whole ton more. They do, however, need to improve on their pitching. They’ve got some solid starters but they’re very streaky. Acquiring Max Fried over the offseason was a solid addition, but with him being more of a contact pitcher first, rather than focusing on swing-and-miss stuff, he opens himself up to more potential trouble against better teams. Cam Schlittler looked the part in the postseason but he needs to continue that roll into 2026. And Gerrit Cole needs to be back in the rotation. But they need to plan on more reliable arms in the rotation. Never mind the fact the bullpen could use help too, but that’s another issue.
7. Chicago Cubs
The lineup showed it can hold its own. Even when struggling in the second half, the bats kept the Cubs in contention in October. But the starting pitching was a major question mark to finish the season and the lack of depth bit them against Milwaukee. They tried to fix some of that starting pitching depth by acquiring Michael Soroka at the trade deadline, but he had his own injury issues that kept him from competing. But does the rotation honestly inspire much confidence as a whole? Chicago needs its lineup to keep doing what it’s doing and they’ll return to the World Series soon, but that’s only if the starting rotation sees a lot of improvement.
6. Detroit Tigers
Detroit’s been making the news in regards to their negotiations with Tarik Skubal. The southpaw, who’s going to win his second consecutive AL Cy Young award, is heading into the final year of his contract and him and Detroit are far apart in negotiations. The first key to Detroit returning to the World Series would be keeping Skubal on the roster. After all, he’s one of the best lefties we’ve seen this generation. The second would be stronger starting pitchers behind him. His colleagues are decent, but not overwhelming. Then the Brewers need just a couple more impactful bats. No matter how strong Skubal is in do-or-die playoff games Detroit seems to only find a way to must up two or three runs. Just a couple tweaks and Detroit’s there, but it all hinges on Skubal’s presence.
5. Philadelphia Phillies
The way 2025 finished for the Phillies starts to feel like a breaking point in Philadelphia. Is it actually? Only time will tell. But the postseason gave us a look at a Philadelphia rotation without Zack Wheeler. At 35 years old his career isn’t over yet, but Philly has to plan for it. With that, they need to find dominant right-handers to balance out their incredibly strong left-hand dominant rotation. You need to split those arms up to make them most effective, especially if you’re facing a team strong against southpaws like the Dodgers. The lineup seemed to be a bit less potent this year too, at least to start the season. Extra bats never hurt but the big focus needs to be on strong right-handed pitching.
4. Milwaukee Brewers
The postseason showed us two main things about the Brewers that they need to have a better shot next season. The first is starting pitching depth. The amount of “How many Aaron Ashby starts are we going to get?” comments that flooded social media are way too telling. Only Freddy Peralta was healthy as a dependable starter for Milwaukee. But word now is that they’re going to entertain trading him in his final year on his contract? Questionable in my mind. The second thing the Brewers need are more power bats. October is generally dominated by the three true outcomes (strikeouts, walks, home runs). Milwaukee ranked 22nd in homers in the regular season. Some more power certainly wouldn’t hurt. At the very least it may cut down on the amount of times the broadcast tells us, “They led the league in bunt hits in the regular season,” which fans simply aren’t jumping up and down to hear.
3. Seattle Mariners
After a Game 6 loss against Toronto the Mariners look to find a way to win one more game on the road. So to make this year’s World Series they’re going to need their trade deadline acquisitions to launch the longball. Josh Naylor has done that so far this series, even though it’s not necessarily his forte. Eugenio Suarez crushed two bombs in Game 5, but outside of that he’s been relatively quiet at the plate. Seattle made an investment in him for moments like these. He needs to show up in order for the Mariners to win Game 7.
2. Toronto Blue Jays
How big of a shot can Toronto give to George Springer’s knee? In Game 6 he was in obvious pain during some swings, still feeling the effects of getting hit by Bryan Woo. A huge piece of Toronto’s success at the plate this season, Springer needs to be at his best for Toronto to be at its best. But beyond him the lineup has still been a force this season. That means an even larger load for Vladimir Guerrero Jr., who’s been one of the best hitters this whole postseason. If he continues to put pressure on Seattle’s pitchers then that makes the lineup all the more formidable. The bullpen is going to need to be at its best in Game 7 as well, but they’ll have two solid additions tonight with Max Scherzer and Kevin Gausman reportedly available to throw.
1. Los Angeles Dodgers
The Dodgers are already in the World Series, so they don’t need anything else to get there. But what do they need to win this year’s World Series? The biggest focal point will be their bullpen. It was a weakness coming into October but it’s been solid since they started playing. A lot of that is also thanks to Roki Sasaki being able to slam the door shut on opponents. The starting pitchers routinely going at least six innings has only made things that much easier for the bullpen. It’s been relatively stress free for Los Angeles because everything’s been clicking. If the bullpen keeps opponents locked down, though, then it’s likely the Dodgers hold up the Commissioner’s Trophy yet again. The only question remaining will be what incredible thing Shohei Ohtani does during those (hopefully) seven games.
