MLB Power Rankings: Taking stock entering spring training

Welcome to the first edition of theScore's MLB Power Rankings for the 2025 season as spring training games open. Projected records courtesy PECOTA and FanGraphs. Odds courtesy theScore Bet.

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1. Los Angeles Dodgers

Instead of resting on their laurels following a World Series title, the Dodgers spared no expense to get even better. L.A. made enemies of 29 other fan bases by adding Blake Snell, Roki Sasaki, Michael Conforto, Hyeseong Kim, Tanner Scott, and Kirby Yates to its star-studded roster. The Dodgers also re-signed Teoscar Hernández, Kiké Hernández, and Blake Treinen.

2. Philadelphia Phillies

The Phillies did well this offseason to add valuable depth pieces to one of baseball's most talented - but aging - rosters. Max Kepler makes the lineup even longer and should hit well in Citizens Bank Park. Jesús Luzardo helps round out an excellent starting rotation led by Zack Wheeler and Aaron Nola. This star-studded Phillies group is a lock to make the postseason and will be judged by what it accomplishes in October.

3. New York Yankees

The Yankees couldn't afford to lick their wounds after watching Juan Soto sign with the Mets. General manager Brian Cashman was active, adding Paul Goldschmidt, Cody Bellinger, Max Fried, and Devin Williams to bring more balance throughout the roster. Goldschmidt and Bellinger are coming off down years but will have to find a way to bounce back to help what looks like a fairly lean lineup beyond two-time MVP Aaron Judge.

4. Atlanta Braves

It was an uncharacteristically quiet winter for the Braves. The only noteworthy move came in a multi-year pact with Jurickson Profar. However, Atlanta's biggest improvements will come from its star players returning from injuries. Austin Riley, Ozzie Albies, and Michael Harris II enter camp healthy after missing significant time in 2024. Ronald Acuña Jr. and Spencer Strider are expected to be back around May.

5. New York Mets

The Mets blew the doors off free agency when they signed Juan Soto to a record-breaking $765-million contract. But David Stearns didn't stop there. New York brought back Pete Alonso and Sean Manaea while bolstering its rotation, bullpen, and bench with the additions of Frankie Montas (who's already injured), Clay Holmes, Jesse Winker, Jose Siri, A.J. Minter, and a handful of others.

6. Baltimore Orioles

The Orioles made some interesting additions in veteran starters Charlie Morton and Tomoyuki Sugano. Outfielders Tyler O'Neill and Ramón Laureano, catcher Gary Sánchez, and reliever Andrew Kittredge also signed, and star closer Félix Bautista is back after missing 2024. The O's are good, but are they better? It's hard to say. It feels like they missed a huge opportunity this winter to take this bright young club to the next level.

7. Texas Rangers

The Rangers look like a contender in the winnable AL West after a busy offseason. Adding Joc Pederson and Jake Burger makes the lineup deeper. Re-signing Nathan Eovaldi creates more stability in a rotation full of question marks. A healthy Jacob deGrom could be the X-factor this team needs to reach its ceiling and make the playoffs.

8. Houston Astros

It feels like the end of an era of sorts in Houston, even if the roster is still capable of contending. Losing Alex Bregman and Kyle Tucker is seismic. Christian Walker and Isaac Paredes can produce, but the Astros will lean on the likes of Jose Altuve and Yordan Alvarez more than ever to try to keep the window of contention open for as long as possible.

9. Arizona Diamondbacks

The D-Backs made one of the most surprising moves of the winter when they inked Corbin Burnes to a six-year, $210-million deal. Adding an established ace to a rotation featuring Zac Gallen makes Arizona a legitimate threat in a tough NL West. Losing Christian Walker in free agency wasn't ideal, but the front office did an admirable job finding a replacement by trading for slugger Josh Naylor.

10. Boston Red Sox

The Red Sox finally made good on their promise to be aggressive, bringing in ace Garrett Crochet and Alex Bregman this offseason to complement an excellent young core. Boston has a roster capable of ending a three-year playoff drought and one that should even compete for its first division title since 2018. The biggest question mark remains in the bullpen with who emerges as the team's closer.

11. San Diego Padres

There should be more optimism surrounding the Padres after a 93-win campaign. Yet, the club's ownership battle created financial uncertainty this offseason, resulting in the team adding Connor Joe, Jason Heyward, and Kyle Hart on cheap deals. San Diego also landed Nick Pivetta on a heavily back-loaded contract. There's still a lot of talent here, but payroll limitations could force the front office to trade a star.

12. Chicago Cubs

Trading for Kyle Tucker and Ryan Pressly signaled Chicago's intent to reclaim the NL Central crown. Those two undoubtedly make the Cubs better, but they're far from a complete team. Third base remains a huge question mark. Trading Cody Bellinger puts more pressure on the first-base platoon of Michael Busch and Justin Turner. The Cubs need a full season on the mound from Matthew Boyd, who hasn't done that since 2019.

13. Seattle Mariners

The Mariners will have to count on an almost similar roster to the one that missed the playoffs by one game in 2024. Seattle's rotation is one of the best and deepest in baseball, but the lineup needs to be way better after finishing near the bottom in batting average and slugging percentage. A return to form by Julio Rodríguez and a full season from Randy Arozarena would make a big impact.

14. Cleveland Guardians

The projections are down on Cleveland despite winning 92 games and advancing to the ALCS last season. The Guardians are still a club built around a deep bullpen, a scrappy lineup that consistently puts the ball in play, and a rotation that does enough to give the team a chance to win. We'll see pretty quickly how much of an impact the departures of Josh Naylor and Andrés Giménez have on the right side of the infield.

15. Toronto Blue Jays

The Blue Jays were aggressive in trying to improve a roster that's fallen off over the past few years, capped by a disappointing 88-loss season. The front office did a decent job bringing in Anthony Santander, Andrés Giménez, Jeff Hoffman, and Max Scherzer, among others. Still, it feels like the Blue Jays are missing several pieces on the offensive end. They should be better than the previous campaign, but a lot will need to go right for them to be a legitimate contender.

16. Detroit Tigers

The Tigers aren't getting much love from projection systems after their surprising run to the playoffs. Detroit looks better on paper thanks to the additions of Jack Flaherty, Gleyber Torres, Alex Cobb, and Tommy Kahnle. However, replicating last season's success likely hinges on 2024 AL Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal, All-Star outfielder Riley Greene, and other core pieces having terrific years again.

17. Milwaukee Brewers

Many are tabbing the Brewers for serious regression after a quiet offseason - what else is new? There's no question the bullpen will miss Devin Williams, whose dominance helped win plenty of games over the years. The lineup might miss Willy Adames even more. Milwaukee needs Jackson Chourio to avoid a sophomore slump if it hopes to defend its NL Central title.

18. Minnesota Twins

The Twins did little to improve a roster that collapsed down the stretch and missed the playoffs. Ownership uncertainty left Minnesota's front office hunting for value deals on players like Harrison Bader, Danny Coulombe, and Ty France - who signed for a combined $10.25 million. PECOTA believes the Twins will win the AL Central, but their success heavily depends on the health of Carlos Correa, Byron Buxton, and Royce Lewis, who combined to play 270 games last season.

19. Kansas City Royals

Bobby Witt Jr. is ready to take another gigantic step. Beyond Witt and left-hander Cole Ragans, this team is a bit of a mixed bag. New closer Carlos Estévez had a career year in 2024 and has to replicate that as the anchor of this bullpen. Seth Lugo must repeat his out-of-nowhere success in the second year of his Royals tenure.

20. Tampa Bay Rays

The Rays enter the spring as a dark horse after a few under-the-radar moves. Tampa Bay brought in defensive standout Ha-Seong Kim (expected to return in late May after shoulder surgery), Danny Jansen, and Eloy Jiménez. The club's rotation is also back to full health with the returns of ace Shane McClanahan, Shane Baz, and Drew Rasmussen.

21. Cincinnati Reds

The Reds' biggest offseason acquisition is in the dugout, luring future Hall of Fame manager Terry Francona out of retirement. The anchors of a future contender are all here, especially at shortstop. Pitching remains a question mark, though. Can Hunter Greene repeat his 2024? How will Brady Singer fare pitching at Great American Ball Park? Cincinnati's also banking on a Gavin Lux rebound as a utility player.

22. San Francisco Giants

Willy Adames is a great addition, and we'll see what Justin Verlander has left in the tank, but this doesn't feel like enough to shift the power balance in the NL West. The lineup still lacks a true offensive superstar, and the starting rotation leaves much to be desired beyond durable ace Logan Webb. The organization is trending upward with Buster Posey in charge, but this looks like a .500 team.

23. St. Louis Cardinals

The Cardinals let Paul Goldschmidt walk in free agency but still have several aging veterans on their roster, including Nolan Arenado, who they tried and failed to trade all offseason. Willson Contreras, Sonny Gray, and Ryan Helsley are still here, too. The NL Central is weak enough for St. Louis to talk itself into one last try with this group, even if it probably should've committed to the rebuild it promised during the offseason.

24. Athletics

The Athletics enter the season with positive momentum for the first time in several years. The franchise was aggressive in improving the roster, adding Jeffrey Springs and Luis Severino to boost the rotation and proven late-inning reliever José Leclerc. The A's went a respectable 32-32 after the All-Star break and look poised to surprise some people in the AL West in 2025.

25. Pittsburgh Pirates

The Pirates didn't do enough to help their impressive young pitching trio of Paul Skenes, Mitch Keller, and Jared Jones in a division with no clear favorite. Pittsburgh traded for Spencer Horwitz to be the club's starting first baseman, but he'll miss the beginning of the season after undergoing wrist surgery. The Pirates also signed veterans Tommy Pham, Caleb Ferguson, and Tim Mayza and brought back Andrew McCutchen.

26. Washington Nationals

This looks like the year in which the word rebuild can finally disconnect itself from the Nationals. Washington's young core of CJ Abrams, James Wood, and Dylan Crews are here to stay, while the front office surrounded them with veterans like Nathaniel Lowe, Josh Bell, Paul DeJong, and Amed Rosario. Washington won 71 games in back-to-back campaigns, so more victories with this group seem like a sure thing.

27. Los Angeles Angels

Everything in Anaheim hinges on Mike Trout staying healthy. The Angels hope moving their superstar to right field will help. Even if Trout's back to normal, it's hard to see him lifting this team by himself. The Halos are banking heavily on comeback seasons from Kyle Hendricks, Tim Anderson, and Yoán Moncada, among others. Yusei Kikuchi, their big free-agent signing, is very good but not quite the ace the club makes him out to be.

28. Colorado Rockies

It remains tough sledding for Rockies fans. Colorado is coming off back-to-back 100-loss seasons and hasn't finished with a winning record since 2018. Another underwhelming offseason will do little to improve things. There are some intriguing young offensive pieces, but the pitching staff projects to again be the worst in the sport.

29. Miami Marlins

All signs point to another tough year in Miami. The Marlins were one of baseball's true bottom-feeders in 2024, and their only offseason acquisition was starting pitcher Cal Quantrill on a one-year deal. Xavier Edwards and Jesús Sánchez have impressive tools, but there isn't a single proven major-league bat in the lineup.

30. Chicago White Sox

The White Sox lost the most games in modern baseball history last season, so things have to be on the up-and-up, right? Not exactly. Chicago traded Crochet and replaced him in the rotation with inconsistent lefty Martin Perez. Most of the club's offseason business revolved around adding low-risk veterans on short-term deals, most of whom will probably be playing elsewhere at the trade deadline.