MLB Power Rankings Week 1: New York Yankees Take Tumble Amid Injury Woes

In 2024, the Chicago White Sox set the modern-day record for most losses in a season at 121. After trading Garrett Crochet, it’s entirely possible the 2025 White Sox squad will drop even more games. Expect former All-Star Luis Robert Jr. to be traded around the deadline.

If you can name more than five players on the Miami Marlins, kudos to you. Ace Sandy Alcantara is returning from Tommy John surgery and will definitely be in demand at the trade deadline if he’s healthy. The Marlins also have Eury Perez returning to the rotation later this season. On the offensive side, Xavier Edwards and Connor Norby will be asked to carry the load after trading away Jake Burger. It shouldn’t surprise anyone that the Marlins will finish last in the NL East this year.

The Colorado Rockies have been the NL West basement dwellers for the last three years, including consecutive 100-loss seasons. Ezequiel Tovar has established himself as one of the better young shortstops in the NL, and centerfielder Brenton Doyle has already won two Gold Gloves in his first two seasons. The Rockies are hoping Michael Toglia, Jordan Beck, and Nolan Jones can make the leap, while they try to keep Kris Bryant healthy and on the field.

The Los Angeles Angels are coming off a 99-loss season, the most in franchise history. They had a busy offseason, signing starters Yusei Kikuchi and Kyle Kendricks, closer Kenley Jansen, catcher Travis d’Arnaud, and third baseman Yoan Moncada, while trading for designated hitter Jorge Soler. The Angels will be counting on their young players to take a step forward in Zach Neto (who is dealing with a shoulder injury), Logan O’Hoppe, and Nolan Schanuel. Mike Trout’s health will also be a focus as he hasn’t played in more than 119 games in three of the last four seasons.

The St. Louis Cardinals say they aren’t rebuilding, just resetting, as they moved on from former National League MVP Paul Goldschmidt and are counting on young players like Masyn Winn, Victor Scott II, Ivan Herrera, Jordan Walker, and Nolan Gorman to lead the team into the future. The big question hovering over the Cardinals is whether they will be able to trade future Hall of Fame third baseman Nolan Arenado at some point. They thought they had a deal done with the Houston Astros over the offseason only for Arenado to nix it.

It’s going to take some getting used to not putting Oakland before Athletics anymore. The team is calling Sacramento home now until they officially move to Las Vegas. They had a surprisingly active offseason, reaching contract extensions with outfielder Lawrence Butler and All-Star slugger Brent Rooker, signing starter Luis Severino to a three-year, $67 million deal, trading for another starter in Jeffrey Springs, and bringing in reliever Jose Leclerc. The A’s have one of the most dominant relievers in baseball in Mason Miller and are looking for young players like J.J. Bleday, Shea Langeliers, Zack Gelof, and Jacob Wilson to make a leap. They could be a fun team to keep an eye on this season.

Led by reigning National League Rookie of the Year Paul Skenes, the Pittsburgh Pirates rotation can compete with any other elite staff in the league. On top of Skenes, they have Jared Jones, Bubba Chandler, and Mitch Keller to round out a young corps. However, on the offensive side, they don’t have much outside of Oneil Cruz and Bryan Reynolds. They will be looking toward young players like Nick Gonzales, Endy Rodriguez, and Henry Davis to make a leap. At least the Pirates will be worth watching every five days with Skenes on the mound.

The Washington Nationals could be a fun team to watch this season. Young players Dylan Crews and James Wood are ready to lead the franchise into the future. They also have All-Star shortstop C.J. Abrams and brought in Nathaniel Lowe and Josh Bell to bring power to the lineup. On the pitching side, the Nationals will lean on MacKenzie Gore, Jake Irvin, and Mitchell Parker. They might not contend for a playoff spot this season, but don’t be surprised if they’re knocking on the door in the next two to three years.

The Toronto Blue Jays are coming off an incredibly disappointing 2024 where they finished last in the AL East. They are also dealing with the uncertain futures of both Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Bo Bichette as the two faces of the franchise are free agents after the season. The Blue Jays added All-Star outfielder Anthony Santander to help bolster the lineup, traded for Gold Glove second baseman Andres Gimenez, signed future Hall of Famer Max Scherzer on a one-year deal, and solidified their bullpen with All-Star reliever Jeff Hoffman. If the Blue Jays are out of contention come the trade deadline, attention will turn to what they do with Guerrero and Bichette.

The Tampa Bay Rays will be calling Steinbrenner Field in Tampa home for 2025 after Hurricane Milton literally blew the roof off Tropicana Field. Instead of playing inside an air-conditioned stadium, they will be dealing with the Florida heat and humidity throughout the summer. On the player side, the Rays will get back two-time All-Star pitcher Shane McClanahan after missing all of 2024 with Tommy John surgery. He will anchor a rotation featuring Taj Bradley, Ryan Pepiot, Zack Littell, and Shane Baz. They also have 21-year-old third baseman Junior Caminero ready to explode on the scene. However, they don’t have enough offense to carry them to October.

The San Francisco Giants lost two-time Cy Young winner Blake Snell and outfielder Michael Conforto to division-rival Los Angeles Dodgers, but made a splash by giving shortstop Willy Adames the richest contract in franchise history. They also brought future Hall of Famer Justin Verlander onboard following an injury-marred 2024 with the Houston Astros. The rotation will be led by Logan Webb, Robbie Ray, and Jordan Hicks, as they hope Kyle Harrison can continue developing. Adames is teaming up with Matt Chapman to make a dynamic left side of the infield, but will need Heliot Ramos, Tyler Fitzgerald, and Jung Hoo Lee to contribute to have a chance in a stacked NL West.

The Minnesota Twins collapsed late in the season, costing them a chance at playing postseason baseball. Their lineup is anchored by Carlos Correa, Byron Buxton, and Royce Lewis, but they consistently have trouble staying healthy. The Twins have a solid rotation in Pablo Lopez, Joe Ryan, Bailey Ober, Simeon Woods-Richardson, and Chris Paddack. If they stay healthy, there’s a good chance they could make a run in October. If not, they will be on the outside looking in again.

The Milwaukee Brewers took a step back after winning the NL Central in 2024. Gone are shortstop Willy Adames and All-Star closer Devin Williams. However, they have young talent in the exceptional Jackson Chourio, All-Star catcher William Contreras, Sal Frelick, and Garrett Mitchell. Christian Yelich got back to All-Star form last year but a back injury cut his season short. They also have several questions in their rotation behind Freddy Peralta.

The Cleveland Guardians’ all-world bullpen helped carry them to the ALCS in 2024. But can they still be dominant in 2025? Their offense is led by the best third baseman in baseball in Jose Ramirez, but they did trade away first baseman Josh Naylor and Gold Glove second baseman Andres Gimenez. They re-signed Shane Bieber, but he won’t be coming back until later this year from Tommy John surgery. They traded for starting pitcher Luis Ortiz and brought back Carlos Santana after jettisoning Naylor. The offense will need to improve if the Guardians want to get back to the postseason.

The Seattle Mariners boast one of the best rotations in baseball with Logan Gilbert, George Kirby, Luis Castillo, Bryce Miller, and Bryan Woo. They also have one of the most electric stars in baseball in Julio Rodriguez on top of Randy Arozarena and Cal Raleigh. However, they did nothing to upgrade a lineup that desperately needed it after missing out on the playoffs in 2024 by one game. The Mariners need another bat to compete in October.

The Kansas City Royals secured a Wild Card spot in 2024 and dispatched the Baltimore Orioles before losing to the New York Yankees in the ALDS. The offense is led by American League MVP finalist Bobby Witt Jr., and supplemented by Vinnie Pasquantino and Salvador Perez. They also traded for second baseman Jonathan India and his .357 on-base percentage. However, they did send back starter Brady Singer to the Cincinnati Reds in the deal. The Royals re-signed Michael Wacha and brought in Michael Lorenzen and Carlos Estevez. To make a bigger postseason push, they still need to upgrade their offense.

The Houston Astros are an intriguing team in 2025. They let Alex Bregman walk in free agency and traded away elite outfielder Kyle Tucker. But they brought back All-Star infielder Isaac Paredes in the Tucker trade and signed first baseman Christian Walker. The Astros are also moving second baseman Jose Altuve to play left field for the first time in his career. They still have a strong rotation led by Framber Valdez and Hunter Brown, and Cristian Javier is expected to come back from Tommy John surgery in the second half of the season. Do the Astros have enough, though, to make the postseason?

The Cincinnati Reds are a popular sleeper pick in 2025. They boast an electric and young rotation in Hunter Greene, Rhett Lowder, Andrew Abbott, and Nick Lodolo. They have one of the most talented shortstops in the game with Elly De La Cruz. The Reds will be getting back a healthy Matt McLain at second base. If Spencer Steer can get his shoulder issues squared away, this can be a very surprising team this season.

The Detroit Tigers surprised all of baseball by making an incredible playoff push after essentially waiving the white flag on the season. They are looking to improve on that after bringing back pitcher Jack Flaherty, whom they traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers at last year’s deadline, to pair again with reigning American League Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal. The Tigers also brought in Gleyber Torres to solidify their infield and are counting on Riley Greene, Parker Meadows, Colt Keith, and Kerry Carpenter to carry them offensively.

Are the San Diego Padres going to try to make a postseason push or will they sell off assets as they are in a payroll crunch? Starters Dylan Cease and Michael King were involved in rumors all offseason but are staying put — at least for now. They lost All-Star outfielder Jurickson Profar and Gold Glove infielder Ha-Seong Kim in free agency. However, they still have All-Stars in Fernando Tatis Jr., Manny Machado, and Jackson Merrill anchoring their lineup.

The Chicago Cubs have become the team to beat in the National League Central. The Cubbies acquired All-Star outfielder Kyle Tucker in a blockbuster trade with the Houston Astros and also solidified their bullpen by trading for Ryan Pressly. On top of that, they deepened their rotation by signing left-hander Matthew Boyd. The Cubs will also be counting on Matt Shaw to fill their third-base void after including Isaac Paredes in the Tucker deal. In a weak National League Central, the Cubs could emerge and return to the postseason for the first time since 2020.

Despite losing Juan Soto, the New York Yankees still had an impressive offseason, signing All-Star pitcher Max Fried, former National League MVP Paul Goldschmidt, and acquiring another former NL MVP in Cody Bellinger and elite closer Devin Williams in trades. However, spring training injuries have hit them hard. Former Cy Young winner Gerrit Cole is out for the season due to Tommy John surgery, reigning American League Rookie of the Year Luis Gil won’t be back until June due to a shoulder injury, and it’s not known when designated hitter Giancarlo Stanton will return due to elbow issues. They also have a hole to fill at third with Jazz Chisholm Jr. going back to second. It’s a rough start to the season for a team coming off a World Series appearance.

The Baltimore Orioles still have a dynamic young team led by Gunnar Henderson and Adley Rutschman but their offseason was much to be desired. Ace Corbin Burnes bolted after one season and they lost All-Star outfielder Anthony Santander to division-rival Toronto Blue Jays. To make up for their losses, the Orioles brought in outfielder Tyler O’Neill and pitchers Charlie Morton and Tomoyuki Sugano, but it’s not enough if Baltimore wants to progress further in the playoffs. They are also counting on All-Star closer Felix Bautista to be at full strength after missing all of 2024 from Tommy John surgery.

Despite an injury-marred 2024, the Atlanta Braves still made it to the postseason before being quickly dispatched by the San Diego Padres in the Wild Card round. They lost former National League MVP Ronald Acuña Jr. to an ACL tear and ace Spencer Strider to an elbow injury, but both are expected to be back by May. They did lose two key rotation pieces in Max Fried and Charlie Morton, but are expecting Reynaldo Lopez and Spencer Schwellenbach to fill those voids. The Braves are hoping Matt Olson, Austin Riley, and Ozzie Albies can have bounce-back seasons. If so, the Braves will be a force once again.

The New York Mets made the biggest free agent splash of the offseason by signing Juan Soto to a record-breaking $765 million contract. They also brought back homegrown All-Star Pete Alonso on a two-year deal. They have an incredibly dangerous lineup along with Francisco Lindor, Mark Vientos, and Brandon Nimmo. However, they still have questions surrounding their rotation as they are dealing with injuries to Frankie Montas and Sean Manaea. Don’t be surprised if the Mets try to deal for an ace at the trade deadline.

Nothing went right for the Texas Rangers in 2024 as they finished 78-84 in an injury-plagued season after winning their first World Series championship. But now, their players are healthy and ready to roll. The Rangers will be counting on Jacob deGrom, Evan Carter, and Josh Jung to return to form, and the additions of Jake Burger and Joc Pederson lengthen an already power-happy lineup. If they stay healthy, the Rangers will be one of the best teams in the American League.

The Boston Red Sox have emerged as the team to beat in the American League East in 2025. They had an impressive offseason: acquiring ace Garrett Crochet from the Chicago White Sox, signing World Series champion Walker Buehler, and bringing Alex Bregman aboard for the right-handed bat they desperately needed. They also have uber prospects Kristian Campbell, Roman Anthony, and Marcelo Mayer waiting in the wings.

The Arizona Diamondbacks are coming off a season where they won 89 games and scored the most runs in baseball at 886 — and that was with 2023 National League Rookie of the Year Corbin Carroll having an awful first half. They upgraded their rotation by adding former Cy Young winner Corbin Burnes, and despite the loss of first baseman Christian Walker, they traded for Josh Naylor from the Cleveland Guardians. They will be the Dodgers’ biggest competition in the National League West.

The Philadelphia Phillies upgraded one of the best rotations in baseball by acquiring lefty Jesus Luzardo from the Miami Marlins. On top of that, they have top prospect Andrew Painter waiting in the wings as he’s expected to make his debut this summer. The lineup essentially remains the same with the exception of new left fielder Max Kepler. The Phillies have increased their win totals the last three seasons, capturing the National League East crown in 2024 for the first time in 13 years, but they were bounced in the NLDS by the New York Mets in four games. Can Bryce Harper and company finally get that elusive World Series championship this October?

Who else would it be? After winning the World Series, the juggernaut Los Angeles Dodgers went out and inked two-time Cy Young winner Blake Snell, brought back All-Star outfielder Teoscar Hernandez, won the Roki Sasaki sweepstakes, and signed outfielder Michael Conforto, infielder Hyeseong Kim, and premier relievers Tanner Scott and Kirby Yates. They have one of the deepest lineups in baseball — led by reigning NL MVP Shohei Ohtani, along with Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman — and an incredibly strong rotation and bullpen. A team is going to have to morph into Thanos in “Infinity War” to defeat the Avengers-like Dodgers this year.