MLB power rankings: Dodgers, Mets stay on top as Tigers, Yankees move up the list

We’re roughly a quarter of the way through the 2025 MLB season, and the standings have begun to produce some demarcation between the good teams and the bad. The top of the National League continues to look more formidable than the elite counterparts in the American League, and the messy middle of the AL seems to get reshuffled daily, regularly altering any early sense of which teams will be relevant come October.

This edition of our MLB power rankings takes an early look at this year’s rookie class and the first-year players who have impacted the 30 big-league ballclubs the most so far in 2025.

1. Los Angeles Dodgers (27-14)

It has been an undeniably underwhelming, if not borderline concerning, introductory stint to the big leagues for prized right-hander Roki Sasaki, whose fastball has been troublingly hittable and whose command has been notably less refined than anticipated. Sasaki’s sensational splitter and developing slider have been good enough to enable him to eat a decent number of innings, but it will be flatly impossible for this gifted pitcher to reach his ceiling until he can find a more effective heater and throw more strikes. It’s far too early to doom Sasaki’s ability to achieve his sky-high potential, but there’s work to be done here.

2. New York Mets (27-15)

Luisangel Acuña’s explosive entrance to the Mets roster in September (.966 OPS in 14 games) might have misrepresented the kind of player he is, one whose speed, athleticism and contact skills spearhead his profile, rather than star-level slugging. By that standard, Acuña’s performance as a rookie has more than sufficed, and he looks like he could be a popular role player in Queens for years to come.

3. Detroit Tigers (27-15)

Like Sasaki, Jackson Jobe has had a difficult time garnering whiffs with his fastball, and he is still trying to figure out a pitch mix that can consistently stifle big-league bats. Jobe also shares command shortcomings with Sasaki, only further hampering his ability to pitch deep into games. The supersonic talent is readily apparent in the 22-year-old right-hander, but we might have to be patient while we wait for that ability to translate to reliable run prevention.

4. New York Yankees (24-17)

All it took was a trip to Sacramento for Jasson Domínguez’s highly anticipated rookie season to go from underwhelming to reasonably impressive for a 22-year-old. Domínguez hit more home runs in Friday’s rout of the A’s (3) than he had in his first 31 games of the season (2), and he reached base three more times on Sunday to raise his OPS to .792. His outfield defense has remained problematic, and he’s still striking out a bunch, but Domínguez deserves ample opportunities to continue proving himself as a down-lineup contributor.

5. San Diego Padres (25-15)

The Kyle Hart signing was a cool story after the left-hander spent last season thriving in the KBO, but the 32-year-old left-hander struggled to find his footing in the Padres’ rotation (6.00 ERA) in April and has since been optioned to Triple-A. Brandon Lockridge has been on the big-league roster all season, but he’s strictly a bench bat, deployed almost exclusively for his speed and defense.

6. Chicago Cubs (24-18)

Third baseman Matt Shaw entered the year as one of the favorites to win NL Rookie of the Year but struggled mightily over his first 18 games (.172/.294/.241) and was optioned to Triple-A to reset. It’s not like the Cubs have found a fantastic solution at the hot corner since then, so the job is seemingly still there for Shaw if he can get right in the minors, but it’s clear Chicago won’t rush things. For now, the focus turns to top pitching prospect Cade Horton, called up last week as a rotation reinforcement in the wake of Shota Imanaga’s strained hamstring.

7. Philadelphia Phillies (24-17)

Error: Not found. Philadelphia is the only team in MLB with zero rookie-eligible players on the roster. The Phillies are also the only team that hasn’t featured an MLB debut this season, so this fun fact isn’t just a product of timing. There is, however, one debut worth looking forward to: Top pitching prospect Andrew Painter is working his way back from elbow surgery and should factor into the Phillies’ plans at some point in the second half, if not sooner.

8. San Francisco Giants (24-18)

Christian Koss, a 27-year-old utility infielder who has filled in at second base while Tyler Fitzgerald has been injured, is the only rookie to appear for the Giants this season, and he’s hitting .220 with zero extra-base hits. Keep an eye on San Francisco’s trio of pitching prospects named Carson — Whisenhunt, Seymour and Ragsdale — all of whom are currently in Triple-A and could contribute at some point in 2025.

9. Cleveland Guardians (24-17)

Southpaw Joey Cantillo had been generally stellar until a disastrous outing over the weekend in which he allowed more earned runs (5) than he had across his first 15 appearances of the season (4). This is the first extended run we’ve seen from Cantillo as a reliever, and it’s going fairly well, so it’ll be interesting to see if Cleveland commits to him in a bullpen role or keeps the window open to stretch him out as a starter.

10. Kansas City Royals (25-18)

The Royals currently have zero rookie-eligible players on their active roster. The highlight thus far among Kansas City rookies was left-hander Noah Cameron’s major-league debut, in which he allowed one hit in 6⅓ innings against the Rays on April 30, but Cameron was optioned back to Triple-A after that game because there’s no room for him in the rotation as things stand. Perhaps he reemerges at some point this summer.

11. Seattle Mariners (22-18)

Less than two years removed from being selected in the second round out of the College of William and Mary, Ben Williamson has emerged as an unlikely every-day third baseman for Seattle. As anticipated based on his super-brief minor-league record, he has looked largely overmatched offensively but has shown flashes of brilliance on defense. With few alternatives available at the hot corner for the Mariners, we’ll see if Williamson stays there for the remainder of the season or if his below-average bat eventually needs to be replaced in some form.

12. Arizona Diamondbacks (22-20)

Second baseman Tim Tawa is tied for the rookie home run lead (5) with the markedly more famous duo of Jasson Domínguez and Dylan Crews. It will be fascinating to see how Tawa’s playing time is impacted by the recent call-up of top prospect Jordan Lawlar, who was torching Triple-A pitching and appears ready for the breakout many have forecast for years.

13. Boston Red Sox (22-21)

Kristian Campbell isn’t the only rookie position player making a difference in Boston, as catcher Carlos Narváez has been terrific defensively behind the dish and has provided the occasional spark with the bat. On the mound, right-handed starter Hunter Dobbins has filled in admirably when called upon. Even with Walker Buehler scheduled to return from the injured list soon, Dobbins deserves to stick in the rotation moving forward if Tanner Houck (8.04 ERA) continues to struggle.

14. Houston Astros (20-20)

An epic spring-training showing earned top prospect Cam Smith, acquired from the Cubs in the Kyle Tucker trade, a spot on the Opening Day roster as the starting right fielder. It has been a mixed bag so far, with Smith’s bat coming along slowly (.679 OPS) while his outfield defense has graded out far better than anyone could’ve hoped for a former third baseman adjusting to a new position at the big-league level.

15. Texas Rangers (21-21)

There were high hopes for Jack Leiter and Kumar Rocker entering the season, as former college teammates forging their way in a big-league rotation, but both have been disappointing so far. Leiter looked good in his first two starts but then went on the injured list due to a blister and has not been very effective since returning in late April. Rocker had an 8.10 ERA across his first five starts and is now on the injured list due to a shoulder injury.

16. St. Louis Cardinals (23-19)

Pope Leo XIV wasn’t the only Cardinal who went to Villanova who had a good week: Rookie right-hander Gordon Graceffo registered his first career save last May 6 against the Pirates. Whether Graceffo profiles better as a starter or a reliever is still something of an open question, but his stuff looks much improved from what we saw in his brief big-league stint last season.

17. Toronto Blue Jays (20-20)

While Alan Roden and Will Wagner have both disappointed thus far in their opportunities to impact the Blue Jays’ lineup, left-hander Mason Fluharty has emerged as a go-to relief arm for manager John Schneider. Fluharty attacks exclusively with cutters and sweepers. Neither pitch has standout velocity whatsoever, but each has more than enough movement to give opposing hitters fits. It’s a unique look relative to what we normally associate with high-leverage arms, but every bullpen needs a funky lefty or two, and Fluharty certainly qualifies.

18. Minnesota Twins (21-20)

It was a huge bummer to see Luke Keaschall go on the injured list due to a fractured forearm from a hit-by-pitch after the 22-year-old infield prospect got off to such a hot start, hitting .368 with five stolen bases in his first six games. Keaschall still projects as the best bet among Minnesota’s rookies to make an impact whenever he returns, as the Twins’ only other rookie right now is DaShawn Keirsey Jr., a speedy extra outfielder hitting .097.

19. Atlanta Braves (20-21)

His playing time has waned since Sean Murphy returned from the injured list, but Drake Baldwin has looked plenty comfortable in the batter’s box as a rookie. If you lower the minimum to 50 batted balls, Baldwin’s 66% hard-hit rate ranks second in MLB behind only Shohei Ohtani. Meanwhile, 22-year-old AJ Smith-Shawver appears to be finding his stride in the rotation, with his splitter rating as one of the most effective offspeed offerings in baseball.

20. Tampa Bay Rays (18-22)

Outfielder Kameron Misner has cooled off considerably in recent weeks after his scorching-hot start, but he’s been a pleasant surprise on the whole. Chandler Simpson’s otherworldly speed has been on display in spurts, but his playing time has been limited. If there is a Rays rookie who deserves more attention, it’s reliever Mason Montgomery: He is one of just four left-handers to throw a pitch in excess of 100 mph this season, along with José Alvarado, Aroldis Chapman and Tarik Skubal.

21. Milwaukee Brewers (20-22)

Traded twice before he made his MLB debut with Milwaukee this season, right-hander Chad Patrick has quietly done his job in the Brewers’ rotation. Patrick’s stuff, headlined by a high-80s cutter he throws 46% of the time, might not turn any heads, but he knows how to use it, and his 2.83 ERA across his first eight career starts reflects that.

22. Cincinnati Reds (20-22)

The 23-year-old Luis Mey has future closer written all over him. With a hellacious sinker up to 102 mph and a sharp slider as well, Mey’s pure stuff is good enough to get big-league bats out on its own. Only recently has he started to demonstrate more consistent command of his high-octane arsenal. If that trend sustains, he’ll become an elite bullpen weapon in a hurry.

23. Athletics (21-20)

Shortstop Jacob Wilson has attracted his fair share of skeptics over the years for his swing-happy approach, but it’s tough to argue with the results so far. His elite contact skills have enabled well above-average production, despite the infrequent walks and limited power. Add solid defense at shortstop, and it’s no surprise that Wilson is the current front-runner for AL Rookie of the Year.

24. Baltimore Orioles (15-24)

At 35 years old, Tomoyuki Sugano is the oldest rookie in baseball by a laughably large margin. But he deserves serious credit for being a stabilizing force amidst an otherwise catastrophic season for the Orioles rotation. As expected, Sugano’s low-velocity attack isn’t yielding many whiffs, but he’s throwing a ton of strikes, and his ultra-deep arsenal is keeping opposing hitters off-balance enough to regularly pitch deep into games. He has the same ERA as Jacob deGrom: 2.72.

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25. Los Angeles Angels (17-23)

Ryan Johnson deservedly earned headlines for making the Opening Day roster despite having thrown zero minor-league innings after being drafted in the second round last year, but Ryan Zeferjahn has proven to be the more impactful rookie reliever thus far. Acquired from the Red Sox last summer in the trade for veteran bullpen arm Luis García, Zeferjahn attacks with a high-90s heater, a cutter and a sweeper. Among relievers with at least 10 innings pitched, his 43.1% strikeout rate is second behind only Athletics closer Mason Miller.

26. Washington Nationals (17-25)

A 5-for-47 slump to start the season put top prospect Dylan Crews in quite the hole, and his overall stat line has yet to recover despite improved play in recent weeks. He has made a positive impact in right field and on the basepaths, but we’re still waiting to see Crews’ heralded bat find a groove at the big-league level.

27. Pittsburgh Pirates (14-28)

Beyond 28-year-old Chase Shugart, who has been a reasonably reliable reliever, it has been a light rookie crop for Pittsburgh thus far. But top pitching prospect Bubba Chandler should be arriving soon, and when he does, carve out time to enjoy one of his starts. His fantastic fastball could make an immediate impact similar to what we saw from Jared Jones a year ago — and Chandler could be even better than Jones.

28. Chicago White Sox (12-29)

Trade acquisitions Edgar Quero and Chase Meidroth, plus lovable homegrown slugger Tim Elko, have brought new life to a White Sox lineup that had become rather moribund, but no rookie has made a bigger difference than Rule 5 pick Shane Smith. With the same ERA (2.08) as rival ace Skubal through eight starts, the right-hander would be Chicago’s All-Star if selected today.

29. Miami Marlins (15-25)

The Marlins have had an MLB-leading 13 rookie-eligible players appear this season. But the standout is fairly obvious: Catcher Agustín Ramírez, the most prominent prospect acquired from the Yankees in the Jazz Chisholm Jr. trade last summer, already looks like a game-changing offensive force, smashing 12 extra-base hits in his first 18 career games. If his defense behind the dish improves, he could be a star.

30. Colorado Rockies (7-34)

There’s no sugarcoating how bad this season has been for Colorado, but there are some young arms worth watching for the Rockies. Chase Dollander’s tremendous talent was on full display during his no-hit bid on Monday in Texas, and hard-throwing right-handers Seth Halvorsen and Zach Agnos wouldn’t look out of place in a contender’s bullpen.