MLB power rankings: Dodgers, Phillies, Yankees top the list after dominant opening weekends

And we’re off.

The 2025 MLB regular season has officially commenced, and opening weekend gave us plenty to chew on, with no shortage of storylines to react to (have you heard about the torpedo bats?!). After less than a week of action, just three teams remain undefeated, while three others are still seeking their first victory.

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The marathon has only just begun, but we’ve learned plenty from the earliest handful of games. Here’s a first crack at ranking the 30 big-league ballclubs, featuring the biggest takeaway from each team’s opening series.

1. Los Angeles Dodgers (6-0)

So much for a championship hangover. Nitpick all you want — Tanner Scott getting knocked around, Roki Sasaki not throwing strikes, Max Muncy hitting .095 — but the Dodgers look like the best team in baseball by a fairly comfortable margin. The MVP trio of Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman have each homered twice already, yet it’s Tommy Edman who leads the superteam with three longballs. Tyler Glasnow’s and Yoshinobu Yamamoto’s excellence has more than compensated for Sasaki’s early struggles, and we haven’t even seen Dustin May yet. This is quite clearly the team to beat until proven otherwise.

2. Philadelphia Phillies (3-1)

With much of the roster still in place and generally performing as expected, let’s focus on one of the few new faces: Lefty Jesus Luzardo looked fantastic in his Phillies debut, striking out 11 Nationals hitters across five innings. He introduced a new sweeper to go with his more traditional slider and both variations of his fastball, each of which sit around 97 mph. Along with Cristopher Sanchez’s continued ascension, Luzardo could make this Philadelphia rotation truly special.

3. New York Yankees (3-0)

The new “torpedo bats” wielded by Jazz Chisholm Jr., Anthony Volpe and others have stolen the show, but let’s not lose sight of what Aaron Judge accomplished in the first series while swinging his standard stick: All six of his hits went for extra bases, including four homers and two doubles. He struck out only twice and drew three walks in the series finale, including an intentional one with the bases empty. Recall that last year Judge hit .207 through the end of April and still went on to win MVP unanimously; it’s scary to think what he could accomplish this season if he’s this scorching-hot out of the gate.

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4. San Diego Padres (5-0)

The Padres are sizzling to start the year, keeping pace with their undefeated rivals up the freeway with a dominant opening weekend against Atlanta and another resounding victory Monday against Cleveland. Fernando Tatis Jr. and Jackson Merrill have starred as expected, and San Diego has also gotten big-time performances from a couple of newcomers: right-hander Nick Pivetta delivered seven scoreless frames in his Padres debut on Sunday, and Gavin Sheets has been swinging a surprisingly hot bat since joining the organization this spring on a minor-league deal. It’s a shame we don’t get Dodgers vs. Padres until the second week of June.

5. Houston Astros (2-2)

Framber Valdez was marvelous on Opening Day, completing seven scoreless innings against Juan Soto and the Mets. With Kyle Tucker traded away, Valdez’s contract status now looms largest on the Astros’ roster, with the super southpaw slated to hit the open market after this season. He’ll be jockeying with Dylan Cease all year for position as the top starting pitcher available next winter.

6. Atlanta Braves (0-5)

Jurickson Profar being suspended 80 games for PEDs added insult to injury for a Braves offense that looked hapless on opening weekend against the Padres and in the series opener against the Dodgers. The Braves started 0-4 in 2021 and went on to win the World Series, but never in their franchise history have they started 0-5 and gone on to reach the postseason. Atlanta can’t just wait around and hope that Ronald Acuña Jr. and Spencer Strider will fix everything upon their return; this team better start finding some wins soon, or else the Braves will plummet in the standings and these rankings.

7. Texas Rangers (3-2)

The most remarkable part of Adolis Garcia’s first five games is not that he hit three doubles and two homers but that he didn’t strike out once. Let’s be somewhat wary of a strong start for the muscular masher, however, as Garcia was red-hot in April last year before he posted a porous .628 OPS over the remainder of the season.

8. Arizona Diamondbacks (2-2)

Arguably no player in baseball has brought a more potent combination of home runs and good vibes over the past decade than Eugenio Suárez, and the 33-year-old third baseman is showing no signs of slowing down. His four homers on opening weekend have him tied with Aaron Judge for the league lead in dingers, and he’s just 20 away from 300 for his career. It’s an especially encouraging start for Suárez, who was ice cold for nearly three months last year in his first season with the Snakes before he exploded for 24 home runs from July through the end of the season. If Suárez can start hot and stay hot, this high-powered D-backs offense should remain in excellent shape, even with the departures of Christian Walker and Joc Pederson.

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9. New York Mets (2-2)

Outside of Juan Soto’s booming homer in Friday’s win, the Mets’ offense was largely muted over the weekend in Houston but showed much better on Monday, with 10 runs on 11 hits in Miami. Griffin Canning, Tylor Megill and David Peterson were all effective in their season debuts, lending optimism that the trio can hold it down until the rotation gets fully healthy.

10. Boston Red Sox (1-5)

What a miserable start to the year for Rafael Devers, who is 0-for-19 with a league-leading 15 strikeouts through Boston’s first five games. Perhaps Devers’ early struggles are the product of his having barely had a spring training — a nagging left shoulder injury delayed his start to camp and limited him to five Grapefruit League contests — but they could also be construed as a continuation of how he looked down the stretch last season.

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Devers was one of the best hitters in baseball through July, but his performance cratered down the stretch, as he hit just .190/.275/.293 over his final 31 games before being shut down in mid-September due to the aforementioned shoulder trouble. Now he’s adjusting to a new role as Boston’s every-day DH and clearly still getting up to speed after an abbreviated spring. Unless he’s more physically compromised than he’s letting on, Devers is too talented for these ugly at-bats to continue indefinitely. But it’s certainly not an inspiring way to open 2025 for one of the faces of Boston’s franchise.

11. Baltimore Orioles (3-2)

The Birds have generally been as advertised so far: They have a deep and dangerous lineup and a whole bunch of questions on the mound beyond Opening Day starter Zach Eflin. Colton Cowser hitting the IL due to a broken thumb would be a much bigger blow for a team that doesn’t also feature impact bats such as Adley Rutschman, Jordan Westburg and Tyler O’Neill, not to mention a readymade replacement in Heston Kjerstad. But Tomoyuki Sugano leaving his first major-league start early due to cramping in both hands? Sugano isn’t expected to miss his next outing, but his early exit was a stark reminder that Baltimore has very little margin for error when it comes to losing additional arms to injury.

12. Seattle Mariners (2-3)

Seattle’s opening series against the Athletics featured two gargantuan, stadium-shaking home run swings from Randy Arozarena and Julio Rodriguez. Arozarena’s big blast tied the game in the bottom of the eighth en route to a comeback victory on Opening Day, and Rodriguez’s upper-tank shot gave Seattle a lead in the sixth inning of Sunday’s series finale, helping the Mariners to a split in the four-game series. Otherwise, it was a frustratingly familiar slow start for the Mariners bats, as Seattle hit .175 across the first four games while striking out 41 times and scoring eight total runs. With four of their first five series at T-Mobile Park, the Mariners need to find a way to score more runs at home if they want to get off to a strong start in 2025.

13. Chicago Cubs (3-4)

The good news: Chicago’s trio of southpaw starters look great, as Justin Steele, Shota Imanaga and Matthew Boyd combined to allow just four runs across 17 innings against the D-backs. The bad news: Almost every other pitcher who touched the mound during Chicago’s four-game set in Arizona got torched. Cubs pitchers beyond the three top lefties allowed 23 runs in 18 innings, including a complete collective meltdown in Sunday’s finale that cost Chicago a chance to win the series. It was nice to see the Cubs’ bats wake up after a quiet showing in the Tokyo Series, but there are questions about the bullpen similar to the ones being asked a year ago, even with different personnel.

14. Cleveland Guardians (2-2)

The Guardians eked out a nice series win on the road in Kansas City, thanks in large part to a big weekend from sophomore slugger Kyle Manzardo, who collected four extra-base hits, including his first two career home runs against left-handers. After All-Star Josh Naylor was traded away over the winter, Manzardo’s ongoing development as a left-handed, middle-of-the-order threat is paramount to Cleveland’s success in 2025.

15. St. Louis Cardinals (3-1)

The resounding sweep of Minnesota to open the year was a worthy reminder that despite an incredibly inactive winter and the notion that they are in a transition year, the Cardinals still employ a lot of good baseball players who could propel them to some level of contention in the weak NL Central. If not, closer Ryan Helsley is sure to be one of the hottest names on the trade market come July.

16. Tampa Bay Rays (3-1)

George M. Steinbrenner Field’s debut as the Rays’ 2025 home ballpark went fairly swimmingly, with Kameron Misner’s walk-off homer on Opening Day putting an exclamation point on the stadium’s first regular-season game. With identical dimensions to Yankee Stadium, Steinbrenner is expected to play more hitter-friendly than Tropicana Field, but it’s clear that Tampa Bay’s roster is still heavily pitching-oriented.

17. Detroit Tigers (1-3)

Starting the year at Dodger Stadium is a tough assignment for anyone, and Detroit felt the weight of that with a three-game sweep over the weekend. But Spencer Torkelson looking like a more dependable middle-of-the-order bat is a promising development, and the Tigers will need him to produce, with Gleyber Torres joining Parker Meadows and Matt Vierling on the injured list. A nine-run outburst Monday in Seattle was a nice way for Detroit to notch its first win of 2025.

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18. Kansas City Royals (2-2)

There will be less pressure on Seth Lugo, Cole Ragans and Michael Wacha to replicate their sterling 2024 seasons if Kris Bubic authors the breakout campaign many are hoping he can. He’s a fascinating addition to the Royals rotation, having transitioned back into a starting role after dominating in relief last year while coming off Tommy John surgery. Bubic looked fantastic in his season debut Monday in Milwaukee, twirling six shutout innings with eight strikeouts.

19. Milwaukee Brewers (0-4)

The fact that first baseman Jake Bauers pitched in two of the three games is just about all you need to know about Milwaukee’s miserable opening series in the Bronx, during which they allowed 36 runs on 34 hits, including 15 homers. Then things somehow got worse with an 11-1 drubbing in the home opener against Kansas City, which dropped Milwaukee to 0-4 with a minus-32 run differential. The Brew Crew will need to flush that series and hope rotation reinforcements in the forms of Brandon Woodruff, Tobias Myers and Jose Quintana arrive sooner rather than later.

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20. Toronto Blue Jays (3-2)

Last year, Andrés Giménez did not hit his third home run of the season until May 19. He hit three in 2025 before the calendar flipped to April, perhaps an indication that an above-average bat could resurface for Giménez with his new club. That would be a huge development for this new-look Toronto lineup that should be much improved with the addition of Anthony Santander and a healthy Bo Bichette.

21. San Francisco Giants (3-1)

Heliot Ramos started in left field on Opening Day for the Giants, making it 19 consecutive Opening Days with a different left fielder for San Francisco, dating to that Barry Bonds fellow in 2007, who occupied the role for quite some time. It’s one of the more astounding streaks in baseball, but it’s perhaps also one that will be in jeopardy if Ramos continues to mash and secures his status as the Giants left fielder for the long haul. Coming off a breakout year in 2024 in which he made the All-Star team, Ramos homered twice on opening weekend.

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22. Minnesota Twins (0-4)

It’s one thing to get swept on the road by a solid club such as St. Louis, but getting nearly no-hit by the White Sox while allowing nine runs is a far more troubling early sign for the Twins. Minnesota went 12-1 against Chicago last year, with a plus-40 run differential, so struggling against the South Siders is unfamiliar territory that would not seem to portend positive things for a club hoping to reestablish itself atop the AL Central.

23. Cincinnati Reds (2-2)

Cincinnati has to feel great about having Matt McLain back atop the lineup after he missed all of 2024 due to shoulder surgery. The second baseman smashed homers off former Cy Young winners Justin Verlander and Robbie Ray on opening weekend and added a third on Monday in Cincinnati’s rout of Texas. McLain and Elly De La Cruz should form one of the best double-play combos in baseball this year.

24. Athletics (2-3)

Tyler Soderstrom was the offensive star for the A’s in Seattle, as the 23-year-old first baseman collected seven hits in the series, including three homers and a double. With Shea Langeliers entrenched at Soderstrom’s previously primary position of catcher, Brent Rooker secured long-term at DH and top prospect Nick Kurtz likely knocking on the door at some point this summer, it’s crucial for Soderstrom to perform sooner rather than later or else risk being squeezed off the depth chart. It’s safe to say a 1.633 OPS on opening weekend qualifies as performing well.

25. Washington Nationals (1-3)

Catcher Keibert Ruiz has been one of the more disappointing main characters of Washington’s rebuild over the past few years, so it’s good to see him showcase some slugging in the early going. He homered from both sides of the plate over opening weekend, first punctuating a 12-pitch battle against Phillies ace Zack Wheeler with a homer while batting lefty on Opening Day, and then hitting a blast off Luzardo while batting righty on Saturday. Let’s see if Ruiz’s bat stays hot and, perhaps more importantly, if his woeful defense meaningfully improves in his fourth season as Washington’s every-day catcher.

26. Los Angeles Angels (3-1)

Kenley Jansen notched saves in each of Los Angeles’ wins against the White Sox, bringing his career total to 449. He’s now 29 away from tying Hall of Famer Lee Smith for third on the all-time list. It’ll be interesting to see if Jansen can climb to No. 3 with the Angels or if Los Angeles falls out of contention and trades him to a team that already has a closer, making it harder for him to collect saves.

27. Miami Marlins (3-2)

Strangely enough, this was the second season in a row that the Marlins started the year with a four-game series at home against the Pirates. Last year, Pittsburgh took all four games, including two extra-innings contests. This time around, the Fightin’ Fish prevailed in three of the four, collecting all three wins in walk-off fashion and nearly coming back in Friday’s loss. Max Meyer looked stellar in Sunday’s victory and is an important young arm for Miami to build around, especially when looking beyond a likely Sandy Alcantara trade this summer.

28. Pittsburgh Pirates (1-4)

The Pirates became the first team since the 1924 Pirates to get walked off for their first three losses of the season, an ignominious feat the franchise surely would’ve preferred not to repeat. It was a weekend to forget for relievers Colin Holderman and David Bednar, whose high-leverage responsibilities might already be in jeopardy. On a positive note, the Buccos swiped an astonishing 15 bags across the first four games and were caught only once. Whether that has more to do with the Marlins or Pittsburgh’s intentions of running wild this season remains to be seen.

29. Colorado Rockies (1-3)

Colorado was the last team to collect its first home run of the season, and it came off the bat of outfielder Mickey Moniak, who signed with the Rockies on Opening Day. On the bright side, the pitching hasn’t been half-bad for Colorado. Kyle Freeland and German Marquez both excelled in their season debuts, and rookie closer Seth Halvorsen looks like a legitimate late-game weapon.

30. Chicago White Sox (2-2)

White Sox starting pitchers have yet to allow an earned run this season, with Sean Burke, Davis Martin and Jonathan Cannon shining over the weekend and Martin Perez carrying a no-hitter into the seventh on Monday vs. Minnesota. The White Sox still managed to lose the series to the lowly Angels because their offense was so lackluster, but they put up nine runs Monday against the Twins. Overall, it’s looking like a similar recipe for struggles to what we saw a year ago — better-than-expected pitching with an ill-equipped lineup — though this roster projects to be regular levels of bad, rather than the historic ineptitude demonstrated in 2024.