MLB Power Rankings: Guess who? A new team takes the top spot and we ask some big questions

New York Times

19 hours ago

By Tim Britton, Johnny Flores Jr. and Andy McCullough
Every week,​ we​ ask a selected group of our baseball​ writers​ — local and national — to rank the teams from first to worst. Here are the collective results.
Now that we're into the second week of June, we've reached the point of the season where a bad start can become a bad season, when the numbers on the scoreboard are tough to change with a good homestand or road trip. In other words, we're starting to see answers for our preseason questions come into focus — on who might break out, who might regress and who will surprise us out of the blue.
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Which means it's time we change the questions. Every organization is on a fact-finding mission over the 50-plus days that separate today from the trade deadline, working to figure out what exactly is real and what isn't.
So, for each of the 30 teams, let's ask one big question: What is the thing that each front office needs to research and answer to propel a pennant, to save a season, or to retrench a rebuild?
Record: 43-24
Last Power Ranking: T-2
One big question: Can Detroit keep its pace?
The Tigers have been far and away the best team in the AL through the season's first 67 games or so. With a little over 90 games left, it's worth wondering if any of this is sustainable.
Detroit has had contributions from up and down the lineup, and from some hidden heroes, like Jahmai Jones and his first pitch, first homer as a Tiger, along with some truly standout pitching (see Tarik Skubal's Baseball Reference page). It's been enough to carve out a seven-game lead in the AL Central, and the Tigers just took the weekend series against one of the NL's best in the Chicago Cubs.
If the Tigers can hold steady, they'll have enough to claim home-field advantage throughout the playoffs, which could bode well for a deep October run — Detroit's 23-9 home record is the best in the AL. Precedent suggests not to count these Tigers out. — Johnny Flores Jr.
Record: 42-24
Last Power Ranking: T-2
One big question: How will the top of the rotation shake out?
Hey, when you win more games as a team than the rest of your division does over a seven-day span, things are breaking right. Juan Soto got on base Sunday more than he did over like the last three weeks of May, Pete Alonso is hot, and the Mets' rotation keeps posting zeroes well beyond the usual time for regression. That rotation should be getting Frankie Montas and Sean Manaea back before the All-Star break, and while the preliminary concern is who gets bumped from the back end, the longer-term one for a team thinking into October is how it shapes the front part. It's great when Paul Blackburn tosses five scoreless at Dodger Stadium; who are the guys the Mets think can do that in an NLCS? Will Manaea and Montas be up to that task? Will Kodai Senga survive his eventual regression? Can Clay Holmes start for seven months? — Tim Britton
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Record: 40-27
Last Power Ranking: 1
One big question: Will the pitchers ever get healthy?
On the same day the Dodgers activated relievers Kirby Yates and Michael Kopech this past weekend, the team placed starter Tony Gonsolin on the injured list with elbow discomfort. Gonsolin became the 14th Dodger pitcher on the list, a group that includes Blake Snell, Tyler Glasnow and Roki Sasaki. The team had hoped its overflow of talent could carry it through the regular season. Upstart campaigns from San Diego and San Francisco are making that challenging. The Dodgers are embarking on a 10-game stretch facing only the Padres and the Giants. These next two weeks could be clarifying about how easily the club can coast into October without its best arms available. — Andy McCullough
Record: 39-25
Last Power Ranking: 4
One big question: Can the bullpen get by without its closer?
Sure, Aaron Judge makes the headlines, but for years, the most impressive aspect of the Yankees as an organization may have been how reliable their bullpen was year after year — how they slotted in bigger acquisitions while also nailing all the smaller ones that become big ones. Luke Weaver is as big a success story as any, and now New York has to navigate the next several weeks without its bullpen linchpin. We'll be honest: This question basically boils down to what Devin Williams can provide. His first save chance after the Weaver injury was dicey, the second one on Friday more sure. If Williams finds his footing, then the Weaver injury can be a blessing in disguise. If not, the Yankees' need to supplement the 'pen come late July will be clear. — Britton
Record: 40-26
Last Power Ranking: 5
One big question: Will Jed Hoyer's front office be given clearance to go all-in?
After back-to-back 83-win seasons, the Cubs are primed to join in on the October festivities for the first time in a full season since 2018. What's more, there's a legitimate shot that the team could finish as the NL's No. 1 seed.
To this point, the club's hitting (.774 OPS, 3rd) and pitching (3.67 ERA, 10th) have been among the league's best, but Chicago could still use another frontline starter and perhaps an extra bat for the stretch run. So will Hoyer, who is in a contract year, be given the chance to get the Cubs to where they need to be for a potential deep postseason run? Cubs fans surely hope so, and we all know how much manager Craig Counsell loves 'out getters.' — Flores
Record: 38-28
Last Power Ranking: 8
One big question: Will Buster Posey's big shakeup boost the offense?
Tired of watching a stagnant offense, Posey executed a flurry of roster moves last week, headlined by jettisoning first baseman LaMonte Wade Jr. in favor of new acquisition Dominic Smith. The team responded with five consecutive victories, including a sweep of the floundering Atlanta Braves that included a walk-off homer from Matt Chapman. The offense hasn't exactly caught fire yet, and in five games, Smith hasn't been much better than Wade had been for the Giants. But Giants fans are unlikely to care about the difference between causation and correlation. What matters is that the club remains competitive in the NL West and is a game and a half behind the Dodgers. — McCullough
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Record: 38-28
Last Power Ranking: 6
One big question: Can the bullpen be salvaged on the fly?
The undercurrent of Philadelphia's bullpen struggles — and what helped cause them — boiled over in a simple part of Wednesday's box score. Win: Jeff Hoffman. Loss: Jordan Romano. What broke down into an offseason 'trade' of Hoffman for Romano hasn't worked especially well for either side. But the Phillies have been left to lament a key strength of 2024 in their bullpen returning to a justifiably maligned weakness in 2025. Romano has not been a sufficient substitute for what Hoffman provided. A less straightforward exchange of Carlos Estévez for Carlos Hernández has also not been fruitful for Philadelphia. All this has been exacerbated by the suspension of José Alvarado. Bullpens can be the easiest element of a team to fix in-season; there are dozens of relievers available come July. But the unpredictability of their performance — see: the 2025 NLDS — makes that task unpleasant anyway. — Britton
Record: 37-28
Last Power Ranking: 7
One big question: Can the rotation hold up without Michael King and Yu Darvish?
The Padres are entering a crucial stretch of the season, with seven games scheduled against the Dodgers across the next two weeks. San Diego will enter this crucible without King, who is nursing an injured shoulder, and Darvish, who is dealing with elbow trouble. The team can line up its two best remaining starters, Nick Pivetta and Dylan Cease, for the first two games of this week's Dodgers series, but will still rely heavily on the trio of Randy Vasquez, Stephen Kolek and rookie Ryan Berget, a group that lacks experience and tends not to miss bats. The trio has pitched well thus far, but the underlying metrics suggest regression could come soon. — McCullough
Record: 36-29
Last Power Ranking: 11
One big question: When will Yordan Alvarez return?
As The Athletic's Chandler Rome outlined earlier this month, updated imaging of Alvarez's injured right hand discovered a new fracture, which complicated his recovery timetable. The Astros have not disclosed when they expect Alvarez — who has not played since May 2 — to return. He is the most dynamic hitter on a team that has still surged into first place in the AL West despite his absence. The infield duo of Jeremy Peña and Isaac Paredes has helped offset the loss of Alvarez and a substandard season from Jose Altuve. It might be enough to win a weak division. But if Houston wants to do damage in October, the club needs its best slugger doing what he does best. — McCullough
Record: 36-30
Last Power Ranking: 11
One big question: What do you do at the deadline?
For a team that emphasized development above all in 2025, the Cardinals are certainly playing well. Sitting just one game back in the NL Wild Card standings, the Cardinals have as good a shot as any to make the postseason.
So what do the Cardinals do at the deadline? Any one of Erick Fedde, Ryan Hesley, Phil Maton and Steven Matz could fetch a pretty nice return, especially with how the pitching market has shaped up. They could also help the Cardinals complete a surprise postseason run.
Whether it's a full fire sale, a deep October run or something down the middle, the Cardinals have some tough decisions to make in the coming weeks. — Flores
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Record: 33-32
Last Power Ranking: 9
One big question: Can Bryce Miller right the ship?
Logan Gilbert and George Kirby tend to receive the most praise among Mariners starters, but it was Miller who posted the rotation's lowest ERA (2.94) in 2024. Seattle is still waiting to see that version of the pitcher in 2025. Miller's ERA bloated to 5.73 after he gave up five runs in five innings to the Angels last weekend. He missed a good chunk of May as he dealt with a bone spur in his elbow. He's been getting punished for pitches over the plate at a time when the Mariners have lost a first-place foothold in the AL West. When Gilbert returns from the injured list, Miller's spot in the rotation could be in jeopardy. — McCullough
Record: 36-30
Last Power Ranking: 14
One big question: How will they handle the road trips?
Thanks to some last-minute schedule changes, Tampa Bay has played 20 more home games than road games so far, and its 59 remaining road games are eight more than anyone else in the American League. That includes 19 of 22 on the road during one stretch bridging July and August. So how will a roster accustomed to overcoming inherent disadvantages conquer that one? The Rays have been good on the road so far, with series wins in Phoenix, San Diego and the Bronx. But those series do get tougher when they're stacked one after the other after the other later in the season. The challenge will be present this week, at Fenway and at Citi Field. — Britton
Record: 35-30
Last Power Ranking: 13
One big question: Can Carlos Correa continue to heat up?
At some point in the early part of the season, there was some legitimate worry that Correa — Minnesota's $200 million man — was 'cooked,' as the kids like to say. Between March and April, Correa's combined .579 OPS was a sight for sore eyes, but in the time since then, Correa has steadily gotten back to his typical self at the plate.
In May, he posted an .875 OPS, and he tallied two hits to help the Twins avoid a sweep against the Blue Jays after being held out with back tightness for three games earlier in the week. Over his last 15 games, he has an .842 OPS, and only figures to see those numbers rise over the summer. A return to form for Correa can help take the Twins from middle-of-the-pack offensively (.701 OPS, 16th) to among MLB's best. — Flores
Record: 36-30
Last Power Ranking: 15
One big question: How can they stabilize the back end of the rotation?
There was a stretch late last season when Bowden Francis was as intriguing a starter as any in the sport, one who flirted with a no-hitter — and we mean got down on a knee and proposed to one on multiple occasions — just about every other time he took the hill. It hasn't worked that way in 2025 for Francis, and the back end of the Toronto rotation has suffered as a result. The Jays are seven games over .500 when one of their three best starters (José Berríos, Kevin Gausman or Chris Bassitt) is on the bump. They're under .500 the rest of the time. Which means their chances of continuing their current surge into playoff position in the American League may reside on different kinds of recoveries from Francis and Max Scherzer. — Britton
Record: 35-32
Last Power Ranking: 16
One big question: Can Joey Ortiz salvage his sophomore season?
A key piece of the deal that sent Corbin Burnes to Baltimore a season ago, Ortiz has not been the same player since returning from a neck injury in mid-2024 (.817 OPS through July 1 vs. a .637 OPS after July 14). This year, his .497 OPS has not been the stuff expected of an everyday player, and his underlying stats (barrel rate, hard-hit rate, average exit velocity, etc.) all rank in the bottom of the league.
Among qualified shortstops, his -0.4 fWAR is 87th in the league … there are 91 qualified players.
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His defense has been good, but it's certainly not enough to keep him in an everyday role. Can he turn things around, or do the Brewers need to give him a break at Triple A to refine his mechanics? — Flores
Record: 28-37
Last Power Ranking: 10
One big question: What happened to the offense?
The window for offensive firepower can be frustratingly brief. In 2023, Atlanta's lineup was relentless: more than 300 home runs and just under six runs per game from a lineup mostly comprised of 20-somethings. Poor health relegated that offense to a league-average outfit last season, and the offense has fallen into the bottom third in baseball in runs per game this season, even as a healthier unit. Yes, overall the offense should produce better moving forward as Ronald Acuña Jr. plays in a larger percentage of its games. But the entire infield and Michael Harris II in center field have all taken steps backward over the last two years, some of them significant. Most of those guys are signed through the end of this decade. — Britton
Record: 34-32
Last Power Ranking: 18
One big question: Is Jac Caglianone enough to lift the offense?
That question is quite the burden to place on a 22-year-old rookie, but it's almost assuredly the exact kind of question that the Kansas City front office hoped to answer when it called up the 2024 first-round pick to the big leagues.
The Royals have become a pitching factory of sorts (3.31 team ERA, fifth in MLB), which are probably not the words anyone thought they'd be typing in 2025, but the offense continues to struggle. Caglianone, who absolutely demolished minor league pitching (.982 OPS in 199 at-bats in Triple A and Double A), could be the answer, or his K-rate could be an easy exploit for pitchers to take advantage of. It's the exact kind of gamut a team runs when it calls up a prospect, but the Royals believe it's a risk worth taking. — Flores
Record: 34-31
Last Power Ranking: 19
One big question: What if Shane Bieber doesn't return?
OK, that's a rough question to propose, but it's a legitimate possibility. Earlier this week, Bieber, who is coming off Tommy John surgery and inked a two-year, $26 million deal in the offseason, was shut down from throwing after experiencing elbow soreness following a bullpen session.
He'll be re-examined in a week, at which point the Guardians will hope it's a minor scare and they can continue to ramp up Bieber for a midseason return. But what if it's more than that? Would Cleveland entertain the possibility of adding a starter at the deadline to boost its rotation (4.09 ERA, 20th) and playoff odds? Can Bieber, who has a $16 million player option for next season that he would almost certainly exercise barring a banner finish to this season, get healthy enough to show he's still a Cy Young-caliber starter? There's a lot riding on Bieber's return for both sides. — Flores
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Record: 32-34
Last Power Ranking: 17
One big question: Will the Diamondbacks sell at the deadline?
That certainly wasn't the plan coming into 2025, not after adding Corbin Burnes to supplement one of the best offenses in baseball in 2024. But the team had been sputtering for weeks, even before Burnes injured his elbow and saw his season ended by Tommy John surgery. Arizona is several games under .500 and plays in perhaps the sport's best division. The club could push for a Wild Card spot. Or it could attempt to take advantage of a seller's market and try to flip pending free agents such as third baseman Eugenio Suárez, outfielder Randal Grichuk, starting pitcher Merrill Kelly or reliever Shelby Miller. — McCullough
Record: 32-36
Last Power Ranking: 22
One big question: How should all the pieces fit?
Years ago when reading David Halberstam's 'The Breaks of the Game,' I was struck by how rigid NBA teams of the 1970s viewed positional fit. If a team had two good players at one position, inevitably, one needed to be traded to fill a need somewhere else. This doesn't really happen in the NBA anymore, and in baseball, it's been a while since the Phillies needed to trade Jim Thome to make room for Ryan Howard. The collection of talent the Red Sox have amassed — with Marcelo Mayer and Roman Anthony now in the bigs — is enviable, and figuring out how it should all fit together is what executives and managers will doubtlessly tell you is 'a good problem to have.' It is still a problem, which encompasses good and bad solutions, and Boston's approach to similar problems this year has not engendered optimism it will nail the landing in finding time for all of its young, left-handed-hitting potential stars. For now, Anthony replaces the injured Wilyer Abreu and Mayer has been filling in for Alex Bregman. But what happens when Abreu and Bregman return? — Britton
Record: 34-33
Last Power Ranking: 20
One big question: Can TJ Friedl make the All-Star team?
The 29-year-old lefty has flown under the radar this season, but the fact is he's been one of the NL's best outfielders. Among qualified NL outfielders, Friedl is eighth in fWAR (1.5), 11th in OPS (.800), third in batting average (.292) and fourth in hits (69).
Those are all marks for becoming an All-Star, but Friedl faces an unfortunate challenge in that Pete Crow-Armstrong, Corbin Carroll, Kyle Tucker and James Wood all have been phenomenal, that Juan Soto is now in the NL and that Kyle Stowers (left field) might be the Marlins' only representative. That makes his chances of showing up in Atlanta all the more distant. — Flores
Record: 31-35
Last Power Ranking: 21
One big question: Can Bret Boone wake up the offense? Can anyone?
When the Rangers fired hitting coach Donnie Ecker on May 4, the offense ranked 29th in runs, 28th in on-base percentage (.284) and 25th in slugging percentage (.358). Under Boone, who returned to the game as Ecker's replacement, the group has been just as ineffective: 26th in runs, 30th in OBP (.282) and 28th in slugging (.353). The lack of production has been exasperating for a team playing in a winnable division and receiving stalwart efforts from its starting rotation. The Rangers took two of three from Washington this weekend, and Marcus Semien's bat is beginning to defrost. It's not too late to make up ground in the West. — McCullough
Record: 30-35
Last Power Ranking: 23
One big question: Who else can be part of the core?
Pull up Washington's page on Baseball-Reference and you get a good feel for how the Juan Soto trade has helped the Nationals: On the line of top 12 performers for the 2025 squad, the first three all came from San Diego in that 2022 deal. Now it's a matter of supplementing that group, be it from the remaining piece of the trade (Robert Hassell III) or from within (Dylan Crews, Brady House, Cade Cavalli, etc.). It's a nice start of a core, but a start of a core isn't enough to compete in this division yet. — Britton
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Record: 26-38
Last Power Ranking: 24
One big question: Can they do enough by July 31 to encourage the front office?
When I covered the 2023 Mets, one player looked at his stats in September and remarked how they were about where they should be — how over 162 games the stats eventually evened out. Problem was, he said, you actually don't have 162 games. You have until the deadline to give your front office a reason to trust you for the last two months. The Orioles are trying to provide that encouragement now. They're 10-4 in their last 14 games as their starting rotation has stabilized — hey, Charlie Morton wasn't totally cooked, after all — and they have some vitally important series coming up. The American League is not a juggernaut, and its competitive flatness has provided Baltimore with an opportunity to get off the mat here and now. — Britton
Record: 31-34
Last Power Ranking: 25
One big question: Is this the real Nolan Schanuel?
As bleak as recent seasons have been, at least the Angels appear to have found long-term answers at shortstop (Zach Neto) and catcher (Logan O'Hoppe). The hope was that Schanuel, a 2023 first-round pick, could provide the same stability at first base. He held his own as a rookie in 2024, and in recent weeks has offered glimpses of a brighter future. He may not provide the power of a classic slugger, but if Schanuel can keep getting on base at a .402 clip, as he did in May, the Angels will take it. — McCullough
Record: 27-40
Last Power Ranking: 26
One big question: What do you do with Paul Skenes?
They say the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, expecting a different outcome. If there's one person who's experiencing it right now, it's Paul Skenes.
Case in point: last week, Skenes took the loss on Tuesday after pitching eight innings of one-run ball against the Astros, and took a no-decision on Saturday after 7 2/3 innings of scoreless baseball. It's the exact kind of thing Skenes experienced in May, April and March. If the team has no intention of building around him, then perhaps fielding some trade offers isn't the worst thing in the world. If these past few seasons, and especially this week, tell us anything, it's that Tommy John or some variation of an elbow injury comes for us all, meaning Skenes' value has never been higher than it currently is. — Flores
Record: 26-42
Last Power Ranking: T-27
One big question: Can the pitchers adjust to Sutter Health Park?
This temporary home in West Sacramento has been hellish for the Athletics, who are 12-23 there this season, even after winning a series against Baltimore over the weekend. Only Colorado has won fewer games at home than the Athletics. The team understood the conditions would not be ideal in the Triple-A ballpark. But it has been brutal for the pitching staff. The A's entered Monday's games with the worst collective ERA (5.68 overall and 5.85 at home) and worst home run rate (1.53 per nine innings) in the sport. No team had allowed more runs, and that included the Rockies. It will be years before the team moves to Las Vegas. The group will have to learn to adjust, or risk more years in the basement of the AL West. — McCullough
Record: 24-40
Last Power Ranking: T-27
One big question: Can Sandy Alcantara be salvaged?
Look, we acknowledge it is probably not any fun for a Marlins fan to Ctrl+F for their team, only to read more about the drop in trade value for what was once its best player. We'd have been happier writing about Ryan Weathers' improved repertoire, too, until he got hit in the head by a warmup throw down to second base and landed on the 60-day IL with a lat strain suffered later in the game. But the best thing that could have happened for Miami's 2025 season, more so than a breakout by Weathers or Kyle Stowers or Edward Cabrera, was a return to form by Alcantara and a trade for a boatload of prospects in a trade market that favors sellers. Instead, Alcantara's ERA entering his start Tuesday night is a grade-school riddle: Why is six afraid of his ERA? Because 7.89. — Britton
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Record: 22-44
Last Power Ranking: 29
One big question: Is it time to lower the asking price on Luis Robert Jr.?
At this point, Robert is who he is. That player who bashed 38 homers en route to an All-Star selection and Silver Slugger award in 2023 isn't coming back. Up until now, the White Sox have seemingly held firm on his potential, as well as his desirable contract in trade negotiations. However, it seems high time that they lower that asking price just a bit.
It's highly unlikely that the White Sox will pick up the club options in his current deal ($20 million in 2026 and 2027), meaning that any return is a good return for a player they're likely to DFA at season's end. Robert is still valuable (league-leading 21 steals and is a true centerfielder), just in a different light, which requires the Sox to view him in a different light (less future Mike Trout and more Harrison Bader — sorry, Harrison). — Flores
Record: 12-53
Last Power Ranking: 30
One big question: Can the Rockies avoid breaking the White Sox's record?
After getting swept by the Mets over the weekend, the Rockies entered Monday on pace for a 30-132 record, a mark that would demolish the recent mark of 121 defeats set last year by the White Sox. To avoid that ugly piece of history, the Rockies will need to play at a .309 clip over the next 97 games. That feels . . . doable? But considering Colorado has played at a .185 pace thus far, it will require a serious burst of winning. Hard to foresee. — McCullough