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.
While many spent the weekend watching Rory McIlroy complete his grand slam at The Masters, we spent it watching baseball. Not just any kind of baseball, but April Baseball ™ — the kind that inspires early-season hot takes and dashes hopes before they even have a chance to blossom.
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Who would’ve predicted the once 8-0 Dodgers losing three consecutive series, including the worst home shutout loss in franchise history? Not us. Or what about the always sure-handed Emmanuel Clase posting a 7.71 ERA through seven games? Also, not us. And what about the Rockies getting hit with a shutout for three straight games, with only nine hits (of which Kyle Farmer accounted for five)? OK, maybe we could’ve predicted that.
The point is: Baseball can often be unpredictable. It’s why we love this sport, and also why we are trying to make sense of it every week. Do good teams suddenly not become good teams when they’re marred by stretches of bad play? Are bad teams suddenly good after some uncharacteristically good play? The answer lies somewhere in the middle, and we wouldn’t have it any other way. Now that we’re a few weeks in and things are starting to take shape, we look at what might actually be a problem for each team going forward.
Record: 12-6
Last Power Ranking: 1
What might actually be a problem: They are, in fact, a team of human beings rather than a juggernaut incapable of collapse
A funny thing has happened to the Dodgers since their 8-0 start: They have lost several baseball games. In fact, they have lost three consecutive series, including a 16-0 smashing by the Cubs that is sure to muddle the team’s Pythagorean record for the next few weeks. Blake Snell is hurt. The rotation replacements have gotten bombed. The defense is unreliable. No matter: The team will still probably win more games than anyone else this regular season. The quest for 117, though, looks less and less likely. — Andy McCullough
Record: 14-3
Last Power Ranking: 4
What might actually be a problem: Left field may require a midseason upgrade
The Padres signed veteran Jason Heyward to replace left fielder Jurickson Profar, who boosted the offense in 2024. Thus far, Heyward has performed at rates closer to his final days in Chicago than his 2023 renaissance with the Dodgers. If anything, this creates an opportunity for general manager A.J. Preller, who excels at acquiring talent around the trade deadline. If Heyward cannot recapture his old form, the Padres could find another left-handed hitter and reshuffle the defensive configuration. — McCullough
GO DEEPER
The Padres might be the best team in baseball. So might multiple NL West rivals
Record: 11-5
Last Power Ranking: T-8
What might actually be a problem: Is Brett Baty salvageable?
The Mets have their share of voids in the lineup. Mark Vientos is off to a slow start, until Sunday; the team’s two center fielders each preferred that their OPS+ be expressed in absolute value, and they’ve gotten nothing from second base.
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While that last one isn’t a long-term problem for the 2025 Mets — Jeff McNeil has started his rehab assignment — it’s a long-term concern that one-time top prospect Baty once again couldn’t take advantage of a major-league opportunity. This is the fourth season Baty has appeared in the majors, and his career OPS starts with a five. There are examples of hyped prospects who eventually turned it around after starts like this, but they are getting smaller in number the longer it persists for Baty. And the Mets aren’t in a situation where they can much afford to wait it out. — Tim Britton
Record: 9-7
Last Power Ranking: 2
What might actually be a problem: Alec Bohm may never match his first half of 2024
In early 2024, Bohm’s breakout as another potent right-handed bat in the middle of the order distinguished the Phillies from their recent contenders. He made the All-Star team, a remarkable about-face from his infamous “I hate this f—ing place” moment in 2022. Things have turned again in a negative direction. Bohm sputtered in the second half, was benched for a game in the Division Series loss to the Mets and the subject of constant trade fodder all winter. Now he’s off to a woeful start, and the Phillies are searching for ways to play Edmundo Sosa more. Hmm. — Britton
Record: 12-4
Last Power Ranking: T-8
What might actually be a problem: Jung Hoo Lee probably won’t break Babe Ruth’s single-season extra-base hit record
Ruth put up 119 extra-base hits in 1921. After swatting two homers on Sunday in the Bronx, Lee was on pace for 139. Feels unsustainable. Even so, do Giants fans really want to hear about problems at a time like this? Please send all complaints to Grant Brisbee, he would be happy to hear from you. — McCullough
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Record: 9-7
Last Power Ranking: 6
What might actually be a problem: The National League West looks stacked, yet again
The quirks of geography — in other words, that the Diamondbacks must share a division with the Dodgers — have often worked against the franchise. This year looked like a relative respite for Arizona. Yes, the Dodgers were the defending champions, but the Diamondbacks could look ahead to a relatively clear path to a wild-card berth. With the Padres and Giants storming out of the gates, the path looks more crowded these days. Arizona still has enough talent to surpass its non-Angelino division rivals, but there will be plenty of bumps, and excellent baseball, along the way. — McCullough
Record: 9-7
Last Power Ranking: 3
What might actually be a problem: Starting pitching is, for the moment, still somewhat of a thing in baseball
While Major League Baseball hems and haws about ways to re-emphasize starting pitching, the 2025 Yankees wouldn’t mind its death coming even sooner than foretold. Outside of Max Fried, New York’s starting rotation has been a disaster, posting the highest ERA for any rotation in the sport. Carlos Rodón has been roughed up, Marcus Stroman is ailing and ineffective, Will Warren and Carlos Carrasco share alliterative names and high ERAs. Clarke Schmidt is coming back, so: “Schmidt and Fried then a real big need”? Or “Fried and Schmidt and then some…” never mind. — Britton
Record: 11-8
Last Power Ranking: T-11
What might actually be a problem: The lack of a true No. 1 starter
Entering 2025, the Cubs positioned themselves with a five-man rotation consisting of Justin Steele, Matthew Boyd, Shota Imanaga, Jameson Taillon and Ben Brown. On paper, it was a solid group, perfectly capable of helping the Cubs exit the 83-win cellar in a relatively weak NL Central.
At the same time, it also wasn’t particularly strong enough to make a deep October run, with some, including The Athletic’s Patrick Mooney, projecting Chicago to make a major swing for Marlins ace Sandy Alcantara at the trade deadline. With Steele set for some form of elbow and forearm surgery that will keep him out the rest of 2025 and beyond, the need for a frontline starter has increased tenfold. Yes, the Cubs will benefit from the return of Javier Assad, but losing the closest option to an ace is a gut-punch that very few teams can weather. — Johnny Flores Jr.
Record: 10-6
Last Power Ranking: 13
What might actually be a problem: The center field conundrum
With Manuel Margot on the 10-day IL, the Tigers are firmly without their everyday center fielder (Parker Meadows), his backup (Matt Vierling) and the backup’s backup (Wenceel Perez), as well as the player they signed to fill in for all of those guys (Margot). So far, the Tigers have weathered the storm by being shifty with the options they do have, but should any of those injuries continue to linger, then things could get dicey. Top prospect Max Clark is still a ways away, so there is no immediate relief short of some blockbuster in-division trade between the White Sox and Tigers for Luis Robert Jr. or with the Twins for Harrison Bader. — Flores
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Record: 8-10
Last Power Ranking: 7
What might actually be a problem: Ceddanne Rafaela might just be this
Few teams have been as aggressive over the past few years in extending young talent as the Red Sox, who have agreed to longer-term deals with Garrett Crochet, Brayan Bello, Kristian Campbell and Ceddanne Rafaela. The Rafaela one might not work out as hoped. While the 24-year-old remains an extremely athletic and versatile defender — Exhibit: A right here — his value has been limited by the struggles with his bat. Over close to 200 career games, his on-base percentage is comfortably below .300. Even as a plus defender at a premium position, that’s not going to fly for a championship contender. — Britton
Record: 9-7
Last Power Ranking: 5
What might actually be a problem: You do need hits to score runs
A glance at the Rangers’ Baseball-Reference page on Monday morning functioned as a head-first dunk into a bath of ice-cold water: Egads, those batting averages! Joc Pederson was hitting .070 with one extra-base hit. Marcus Semien: .123 with a .387 OPS. Jake Burger wasn’t much better at .151 and .484. Those numbers are unlikely to hold — it would be shocking to see Corey Seager hit .231 for a full season — but team-wide slumps can be draining for a clubhouse. The Rangers have stayed afloat thanks to excellent starting pitching, but they still need their offense to carry them back to October. — McCullough
Record: 5-11
Last Power Ranking: 10
What might actually be a problem: The depth is gone
It isn’t just that Atlanta has experienced some difficult setbacks early in the season, with the suspension of Jurickson Profar and the shoulder injury to Reynaldo López. It’s that those losses came in areas where the team’s depth was already stressed. Now Atlanta’s playing Jarred Kelenic and Bryan De La Cruz in corner outfield spots, and now Bryce Elder, A.J. Smith-Shawver and Grant Holmes are all in the rotation (at least until Spencer Strider’s return this week). Atlanta should be fine, long-term, but the strong starts in the NL West do make you wonder whether the East can get three teams into the postseason field for a second straight year. — Britton
Record: 6-9
Last Power Ranking: T-11
What might actually be a problem: The rotation just doesn’t have the goods
Ken Rosenthal already made the point last week, but it’s worth reiterating: The Orioles did not act aggressively enough to replace Corbin Burnes. Baltimore’s back-end veteran acquisitions in Tomoyuki Sugano and Charlie Morton have looked like back-end veteran acquisitions. Grayson Rodriguez is hurt, joining the longer-term absences of Kyle Bradish and Tyler Wells. All will eventually be back: Rodriguez probably in May, Bradish and Wells for the second half. But the rotation still lacks that reliable arm, which, look, we like Zach Eflin as much and probably more than the next guy, but he’s not exactly our idea of a No. 1 starter for an October contender. — Britton
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Record: 8-8
Last Power Ranking: 15
What might actually be a problem: Julio Rodríguez may never match his rookie season
Is this even a problem? Not really. Rodríguez is still a wonderful player. He has compensated for an early low batting average with tremendous power thus far. If anything, it’s a reminder that it is not easy to replicate what Rodríguez did at 21 in 2022, posting an .853 OPS while playing strong defense in center field. He came close to matching those numbers in 2023. A sluggish start in 2024 set him back and he finished with a .734 OPS. The slugging has carried his bat thus far, which is important for a player who strikes out in about one-quarter of his at-bats. The sport is always a challenge, even for its most gifted and dedicated participants. — McCullough
Record: 7-9
Last Power Ranking: 14
What might actually be a problem: The pitching depth is already being tested
Houston has grown accustomed to pitching injuries that require surgery. A new one won’t involve a procedure, but it will still deplete the big-league club. Spencer Arrighetti could miss up to six weeks after sustaining a broken thumb from a batted ball before a game last week. His absence will place even more pressure on Lance McCullers Jr., who could return in May after missing all of 2023 and 2024 as he recovered from elbow surgery. Arrighetti put together a strong second half last season as Houston collected its fourth consecutive division title. Keeping that streak alive won’t come easily. — McCullough
Record: 9-8
Last Power Ranking: 16
What might actually be a problem: How good can José Berríos be?
As tempting as it is to quip, “The years 2036 to 2039 on that Guerrero contract,” we, like Mark Shapiro and Ross Atkins, live in the here and the now. In that here and now, the Jays are off to a nice start, buoyed by a Bo Bichette bounceback, nice work from Kevin Gausman in the rotation and a ridiculous start from Chris Bassitt. The problem in the rotation, though, is Opening Day starter Berríos. He is the veteran Toronto starter signed the longest, and he’s off to a start more closely resembling his 2022 campaign than the two solid ones he produced after. Berríos turns 31 next month and has been a league-average starter for Toronto since coming over from the Twins. The expectations were higher. — Britton
Record: 8-8
Last Power Ranking: 17
What might actually be a problem: How long until Junior Caminero can really handle third base?
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It’s early to look at most any statistic, and defensive metrics take longer to normalize than most — years instead of weeks. But it hasn’t been a smooth start to the season for Caminero at third base. He’s been everything you would have expected with the bat, showcasing the big pop that made him a top prospect coming into the year. But whichever defensive metric you fancy — DRS, OAA, UZR — rates Caminero poorly at third base. We don’t doubt the Rays’ creativity, but this roster is already playing Christopher Morel in the field to get others at-bats at DH. — Britton
Record: 8-9
Last Power Ranking: 19
What might actually be a problem: The bullpen has taken a step back in 2025
So much of this era of Brewers baseball has been defined by solid relief pitching — the kind of relief pitching that helps teams win games they absolutely had no business winning — that it’s almost inconceivable to think of Milwaukee having a “bad” bullpen. But that’s precisely what’s happening so far in the early days of the 2025 campaign. After finishing as the league’s second-best relief corps in back-to-back seasons by ERA, the Brewers now sit as MLB’s third-worst with a 6.28 mark through 16 games. That number might be exacerbated by Joel Payamps’ 19.06 ERA, but the point stands. Would having Devin Williams help right about now? Sure. But you also need a solid bridge to get to someone like him and so far that hasn’t been the case. — Flores
Record: 8-7
Last Power Ranking: 21
What might actually be a problem: Fatigue for Emmanuel Clase
To call the 2024 version of Clase absolute nails might be an understatement. Clase was so good (0.61 ERA, 47 saves, 667 ERA+) that there was a legitimate conversation about him as a potential AL Cy Young Award winner, the first legitimate instance a reliever might since Zack Britton finished fourth in voting in 2016. The 2025 version of Clase has been anything but.
Through seven games, he has given up six earned runs, one more than he gave up in all of 2024! It’s worth considering if Clase is experiencing some fatigue from overuse. From 2022-24, he totaled 219 2/3 innings pitched, finishing a league-leading 198 games and securing 133 saves. So much of Cleveland’s success has been due to knowing that any lead, even with the slimmest of margins, is likely safe with Clase as the club’s closer. That he might not be able to replicate that is worrying for a Guardians team that largely lacks the offensive firepower to bully teams into the batter’s box. — Flores
Record: 8-9
Last Power Ranking: 18
What might actually be a problem: The non-Bobby Witt Jr. batters
The Royals have never felt more like the Witt and Co. Show than they have so far this season. Coming off his second-place MVP finish in 2024, Witt has already put up 0.8 fWAR and 137 WRC+. The next closest Royal hitter is Maikel Garcia at 0.4 fWAR. After that, much of Kansas City’s regular lineup has been a net negative. MJ Melendez has a minus-13 WRC+, while Hunter Renfroe has yet to slug a homer.
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Elsewhere, Jonathan India, whom the Royals acquired in the offseason and envisioned as a tablesetter, has been equally middling. Perhaps these early struggles will force the team’s hand in calling up top prospect Jac Caglianone, who’s done nothing but hit this season at Double-A Northwest Arkansas. Maybe it won’t. But if Kansas City has any hope of returning to October, it’ll require a massive offensive turnaround. — Flores
Record: 9-6
Last Power Ranking: 25
What might actually be a problem: The rotation might not be strong enough to sustain contention
The Angels won four series to open the season before dropping two of three games to Houston this past weekend. Keyed by Kyren Paris, the offense has been quite frisky. It’s the starters who have looked shaky, which could hamper the club’s hopes of competing in the wide-open American League West. Neither Kyle Hendricks nor Jack Kochanowicz miss many bats. Yusei Kikuchi has been prone to homers so far. The strikeout-to-walk ratios for Tyler Anderson and José Soriano are worrisome. Kikuchi and Anderson should be fine, and Soriano is building off a strong stint in the rotation last season. But the team’s depth is thin and so is the margin for error. — McCullough
Record: 8-8
Last Power Ranking: 24
What might actually be a problem: Hunter Greene’s innings count
Through four starts this season, Greene has been nearly immaculate. He has a sterling 0.98 ERA and his 1.3 fWAR leads all pitchers. It’s the exact kind of start to a season that the Reds envisioned in 2017 when they drafted Greene No. 2 out of high school. But it’s also where things begin to get dicey.
Consider that the 25-year-old Greene has yet to surpass 151 innings in his first three MLB seasons. Last season, his most available yet, he threw 150 1/3 innings over 26 starts — and he endured a bout of right elbow soreness that kept him out for nearly a month. There’s little doubt that Greene could replicate those figures, but whether he can push past that mark could mean the difference between Cincinnati making a run at an NL wild card berth or playing spoiler as an already eliminated team. — Flores
Record: 8-8
Last Power Ranking: 22
What might actually be a problem: Willson Contreras’ bat
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Up until Sunday’s home run off Zack Wheeler, Contreras’ biggest highlight of the young season might have been him chewing on his batting tape. The Cardinals’ first baseman has a .158/.213/.263 line and has been worth minus-0.6 bWAR to begin the season. Those aren’t good marks for a player St. Louis already moved off from catcher after signing him to a five-year, $87.5 million pact. Nor is it a good look for a player who declined to be moved in the offseason, believing he could “leave the team better than what I found.” If there’s any silver lining, it might be that Contreras has adopted a torpedo bat. — Flores
Record: 5-12
Last Power Ranking: 20
What might actually be a problem: The team’s horrendous start
Last season, the Twins experienced an almost unprecedented collapse, going 12-27 down the stretch to remove themselves from the October equation. This season, the Twins’ 5-11 start was tied for the third-worst record in the sport before Monday’s slate of games. They are just one win better than the White Sox, who lost a record 121 games and lack the star power of Minnesota. Even if the team returns a healthy Royce Lewis and Carlos Correa and Byron Buxton begin to look like their former selves, Minnesota’s early struggles might be too much to overcome down the line. Yes, they are in the AL Central, where almost everything is in play, but it’s also worth remembering that games in April matter too. And so far, the Twins have done little to push games in their favor. — Flores
Record: 8-7
Last Power Ranking: 28
What might actually be a problem: This is probably as good as it gets
Kudos to Miami for its solid start. Behind Matt Mervis and Griffin Conine — the best lefty duo from Duke since R.J. Barrett and Zion Williamson — the offense has exceeded expectations. Max Meyer looks sharp in the rotation again, and Sandy Alcantara is back. Maybe we’re still a bit too attached to our preseason predictions at this point, but there is that nagging thought: This is probably the high-water mark, right? The offense won’t produce at even this modest level throughout the season, Meyer will eventually take a step back as he did last year, and Alcantara likely will be pitching in a different uniform by season’s end. So enjoy all this while you can? — Britton
Record: 6-10
Last Power Ranking: 23
What might actually be a problem: There aren’t enough appearances for Mason Miller
Call it the Joakim Soria Dilemma: What should a rebuilding team do with an elite closer? Miller might be the best reliever in baseball; no qualified pitcher struck out more batters per nine innings than he did in 2024. The Athletics held onto him at the deadline last year and may be even more likely to do the same this summer, especially with an improving, entertaining core of position players. Yet the club is still unlikely to reach the postseason in the present. Miller appeared only five times in the first 16 games, with his save on Saturday against the Mets his first outing in a week. Trading Miller would increase the club’s pool of talent as it prepares to move to Las Vegas. It would also signal a return of upheaval for a franchise that has recently signed Brent Rooker and Lawrence Butler to long-term deals. — McCullough
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Record: 6-10
Last Power Ranking: T-27
What might actually be a problem: The bottom of the rotation might not be competent
Washington looked more like an up-and-coming team in the second week of the season than it did in the first, and James Wood might already be a star. MacKenzie Gore and Mitchell Parker have been strong in the rotation, but the Nats’ veteran additions there have not. Trevor Williams hasn’t been as sharp as he was through last season and Michael Soroka is on the injured list with a biceps strain. Given his late-season performance with the White Sox last season, Soroka was one of the more interesting free agents on the starting market — a potential top-half starter to either lead the Nationals to the bubble of playoff contention or serve as a trade piece at the deadline. — Britton
Record: 6-11
Last Power Ranking: T-27
What might actually be a problem: The lineup’s inability to hit
In their weekend series against the Reds, Pittsburgh’s pitching staff combined to give up just 14 hits, not bad but better than you’d expect (we won’t discuss the walks). Meanwhile, the offense tallied just 10 hits. Through 16 games, the Pirates collectively have a .184/.273/.290 slash line for a league-worst .563 OPS. They’ve yet to crack 100 hits on the season and have struck out 151 times.
Not good.
Yes, the team is dealing with injuries, including to Nick Gonzales and Spencer Horwitz, whom the Pirates envisioned running out every day. And sure, O’Neil Cruz had been sitting after getting hit in the hand. But every team contends with bumps and bruises. That the Pirates seemingly cannot hit with their available depth and their one big offseason signing (Tommy Pham) is an issue. — Flores
Record: 4-11
Last Power Ranking: 30
What might actually be a problem: Luis Robert Jr.’s trade value
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As a rebuilding team, the White Sox are likely to spend much of July wheeling and dealing. Chief among those moves is likely trading center fielder Robert to the team with the best offer. But what if there is no “great” offer? That could be a situation the White Sox find themselves in if Robert’s slow start to the season continues. Even with his .657 OPS last season, Robert still stood as a major trade target, just one season removed from 38 homers, an AL All-Star nod and a Silver Slugger. In other words, a bounceback wasn’t inconceivable. However, we are now farther from that season. Might this be the new normal for the former top prospect? Through 14 games, he has just one home run and a 47 OPS+. That said, his contract still makes him somewhat of a valuable asset (two club options at $20 million per year), but if the White Sox were expecting some sort of haul to help accelerate their rebuild, it seems like that is not going to come unless Robert goes on a tear. — Flores
Record: 3-13
Last Power Ranking: 29
What might actually be a problem: Let’s go with the offense
We don’t need to be rude about this, but there is more than one problem with the Rockies these days. The lineup looked most problematic over the weekend, with the Padres pitching a series-long shutout at Petco Park. The 27-inning drought underscored a long-standing issue for Colorado. Despite the favorable offensive conditions at Coors Field, no Rockie has put together a 30-homer season since 2019. The team ranked 27th in OPS+ last season, and because the Monforts appear content to run back the same roster year after year, more of the same figures to be in store for 2025. — McCullough
(Top photo: Sean M. Haffey / Getty Images)
