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Welcome to the Opening Week edition of our MLB Team Power Rankings. I’ll be here every Monday throughout the 2025 MLB season to take stock of the latest developments around the league and hopefully have some fun along the way. Come September, I hope to look back at this first edition and laugh at the teams we underestimated in the preseason. After all, who doesn’t like surprises?
Let’s get started!
2025 Fantasy Baseball Draft Prep: Rankings, strategy, sleepers, mock draft results
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**Odds from DraftKings**
Odds to win 2025 World Series: +290
Odds to win NL West: -500
Already 2-0 after the recent Tokyo Series, the Dodgers are effectively baseball’s big bad bully. We’ve learned many times that nothing’s a sure thing in baseball, but this is the most complete roster we’ve seen in recent memory. It helps that 2025 NL MVP Shohei Ohtani gets to be all human cheat code and return to the mound this season.
Odds to win 2025 World Series: +750
Odds to win NL East: +110
The Braves mostly sat out the offseason, only adding Jurickson Profar and more recently Alex Verdugo, but that’s okay when you have Ronald Acuña Jr. and Spencer Strider returning from injury. Getting back to 100 wins is a real possibility.
Odds to win 2025 World Series: +1200
Odds to win NL East: +215
On the heels of the Eagles winning the Super Bowl, can the Phillies have a parade of their own this year? It’s still a stacked and experienced roster (with Jesús Luzardo, Jordan Romano, and Max Kepler joining the club this year), but is the clock ticking on this current core’s contention window?
Odds to win 2025 World Series: +2000
Odds to win AL East: +350
Odds to make playoffs: -105
The Red Sox stormed back into relevancy this offseason with a handful of impact moves, including Garrett Crochet, Alex Bregman, and Walker Buehler. The club also has some of the more interesting MLB-ready prospects in the sport with Kristian Campbell, Roman Anthony, and Marcelo Mayer. Look out.
Odds to win 2025 World Series: +1200
Odds to win NL East: +240
Odds to make playoffs: -250
The warm and fuzzy feelings from the offseason quickly gave way to the realities of spring training. Sean Manaea, Frankie Montas, Francisco Alvarez, and Jeff McNeil are all slated to begin the season on the injured list. It helps to remember that Juan Soto is a New York Met.
Odds to win 2025 World Series: +2500
Odds to win NL West: +600
Odds to make playoffs: -125
The D-Backs just missed the playoffs last year, but they are doing their best to make sure there’s no repeat. Corbin Burnes was a massive addition to the rotation and the club was able to offset the loss of Christian Walker with the trade for Josh Naylor. They might be playing for second place behind the Dodgers, but this is a dangerous team.
Odds to win 2025 World Series: +850
Odds to win AL East: +135
The Yankees lost Juan Soto to the Mets, but they pivoted quite well in their offseason plan. They were on track to be higher on this list before injuries hit them hard this spring. Losing Luis Gíl with a lat strain is one thing, but Gerrit Cole needing Tommy John surgery is a crushing blow.
Odds to win 2025 World Series: +2600
Odds to win AL West: +225
Odds to make playoffs: -125
There’s a lot to like about this team with a full season from Jacob deGrom (hopefully) and Corey Seager, Evan Carter, and Josh Jung all expected to be back to full health. Of course, it’s easy to see how this could go wrong too.
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Odds to win 2025 World Series: +1500
Odds to win AL West: +125
Odds to make playoffs: -185
It’s a new era for the Astros. In addition to saying goodbye to Alex Bregman, the club traded Kyle Tucker to the Cubs and they’ve also moved longtime second baseman Jose Altuve out to left field. Christian Walker and Isaac Paredes are the new arrivals, and spring training sensation Cam Smith (part of the Tucker trade along with Paredes) is quickly looking like a key piece for the future.
Odds to win 2025 World Series: +1600
Odds to win AL East: +270
Odds to make playoffs: -175
This offseason was a missed opportunity for the Orioles. Charlie Morton, Tomoyuki Sugano, and the recently-signed Kyle Gibson were the adds to the rotation after Corbin Burnes departed for a big contract with the Diamondbacks, The failure to meet the moment feels more relevant with Grayson Rodriguez set to begin the year on the IL with elbow inflammation.
Odds to win NL Central: +125
Odds to make playoffs: -140
The Cubs might only get one year of Kyle Tucker, but they are going to try to make it count. With the Brewers parting ways with more key pieces, Chicago should be looked at as the favorites in the NL Central.
Odds to make playoffs: +110
Despite constant trade rumors this offseason, the Padres are poised to move into the season with Dylan Cease, Michael King, and Luis Arráez on their roster. It’s a good team as currently constituted, but those names (and more?) figure to be on the block again if the team stumbles during the first half.
Odds to win AL West: +250
Odds to make playoffs: -110
The Mariners arguably have the best rotation in the league, but their lineup was an obvious weak spot going into the offseason. What did they do to address it? **crickets** If that wasn’t underwhelming enough, the Mariners will begin the season without George Kirby due to shoulder inflammation.
Odds to win AL Central: +210
Odds to make playoffs: +100
The Twins might rank the highest here, but they are in a bit of a holding pattern as a franchise amid ownership uncertainty. Harrison Bader and Ty France were the notable offseason pickups, so the help needs to come from within. That Royce Lewis is already hurt again isn’t a great start.
Odds to win AL Central: +270
Odds to make playoffs: +110
Led by AL Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal, the Tigers had a magical run to the postseason last year. While there weren’t any blockbuster moves over the winter, they reunited with Jack Flaherty and signed Gleyber Torres to play second base. Any step forward will likely be on the backs of their young players, and they have plenty of them.
Odds to win AL Central: +270
Odds to make playoffs: +110
Are the Royals in for a letdown after their astounding 30-win improvement last year? It would be unfair to expect repeat campaigns from Seth Lugo and Michael Wacha, so a lot is riding on improvements from the offense, which includes offseason addition Jonathan India.
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Spencer Strider, Cristopher Sánchez, and Christian Yelich are on the rise while Thairo Estrada’s injury takes him off the board.
Odds to make playoffs: +285
The vibes aren’t good. The Blue Jays failed to reach an extension with Vladimir Guerrero Jr. going into his spring training deadline, so we could very well be looking at his final season in Toronto. The same goes for Bo Bichette as he goes into his walk year. Can the Blue Jays make the most out of their last hurrah?
Odds to win NL Central: +260
Odds to make playoffs: +125
The Brewers exceeded expectations last season by winning the NL Central after trading Corbin Burnes. This time, they’ll try to make things work without Willy Adames and Devin Williams. It’s going to be a challenge, even with Jackson Chourio ready to emerge as one of the best young players in the game.
Odds to make playoffs: +205
The NL West is a tough sandbox to play in, but new president of baseball operations Buster Posey will be tasked with getting the Giants back to the postseason. Landing shortstop Willy Adames was step one. They should be in the mix, especially if Robbie Ray and Justin Verlander can help the rotation.
Odds to win NL Central: +650
Odds to make playoffs: +300
Can Terry Francona take this team to the next level? You can see it if you squint hard enough. The Reds have star power with Elly De La Cruz and Hunter Greene, but other questions remain. Can Nick Lodolo stay healthy? Will Matt McLain and Christian Encarnacion-Strand rebound from lost seasons?
Odds to win AL Central: +300
Odds to make playoffs: +120
What have you done for me lately? After surprising under first-year manager Stephen Vogt with an AL Central title in 2024, the Guardians will once again have to prove the doubters wrong. The question, as it often has been in recent years, is whether this offense can provide enough firepower.
Odds to make playoffs: +180
The Rays are a team without a home, not just because they are playing in a minor league stadium this season, but also because ownership no longer plans to go ahead with stadium plans in St. Petersburg. The Rays have thrived through uncertainty for years, so this year’s squad can’t be ruled out, but it's hard to imagine them hanging in there if Shane McClanahan misses significant time.
Odds to make playoffs: +360
What do you do when you have the best young pitcher in the game? Sit on your hands, apparently. The Pirates did shockingly little this offseason (Spencer Horwitz, Adam Frazier, Tommy Pham) to take advantage of their Paul Skenes window. It would be great to put them higher on this list, but they just don’t deserve it.
Odds to make playoffs: +850
For a team without an official city affiliation who will be playing in a minor league ballpark until who knows when, there’s actually some optimism here. Spending money goes a long way, which the A’s have done with free agent Luis Severino and extensions for Brent Rooker and Lawrence Butler. Probably not a playoff team, but more interesting than they have been in a minute.
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Odds to make playoffs: +360
This is a transition year for the Cardinals, with president of baseball operations John Mozeliak on his way out and Chaim Bloom set to take the reins. That translates to the roster, where Nolan Arenado is still on the team despite a very public trade process playing out over the winter. It’s reasonable to expect the club to trade anything that isn’t nailed down a few months from now.
Odds to make playoffs: +850
You can begin to see the wheels turning here, as James Wood and Dylan Crews look like future centerpieces for the franchise. The club added some complimentary pieces (Nathaniel Lowe, Josh Bell, Paul DeJong, Michael Soroka) this offseason, but not enough to push them to contention just yet.
Odds to make playoffs: +900
The Angels did a lot of things this winter, but will it matter? The odds are against it. Perhaps the most important move is Mike Trout sliding over to right field. Anything close to a full season from Trout would be a gift to the Angels and baseball fans in general. Pretty please?
Six straight sub-.500 seasons and little reason to think that’s changing anytime soon. One glimmer of hope, though? 2023 first-round pick Chase Dollander is getting closer to the majors.
The Marlins continue to be stripped down the studs. Following a rash of moves last season, the club traded Jake Burger and Jesús Luzardo this offseason. Even with Sandy Alcantara coming back (and Eury Perez later this year), things look extremely bleak. This could be one of the weakest offenses in recent memory.
Could things actually be worse than last year? After setting the single-season record with 121 losses in 2024, the White Sox are slated to move into the season with veteran Martin Perez and a cast of relative unknowns in their rotation. Luis Robert Jr. will likely be traded if he can actually stay healthy, so this figures to be another ugly year for the White Sox even with some interesting prospects on the way.
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2025 Fantasy Baseball Draft Prep: Rankings, strategy, sleepers, mock draft results
Your one-stop-shop for Rotoworld’s preseason fantasy baseball content.
**Odds from DraftKings**
1) Los Angeles Dodgers
Odds to win 2025 World Series: +290
Odds to win NL West: -500
Already 2-0 after the recent Tokyo Series, the Dodgers are effectively baseball’s big bad bully. We’ve learned many times that nothing’s a sure thing in baseball, but this is the most complete roster we’ve seen in recent memory. It helps that 2025 NL MVP Shohei Ohtani gets to be all human cheat code and return to the mound this season.
2) Atlanta Braves
Odds to win 2025 World Series: +750
Odds to win NL East: +110
The Braves mostly sat out the offseason, only adding Jurickson Profar and more recently Alex Verdugo, but that’s okay when you have Ronald Acuña Jr. and Spencer Strider returning from injury. Getting back to 100 wins is a real possibility.
3) Philadelphia Phillies
Odds to win 2025 World Series: +1200
Odds to win NL East: +215
On the heels of the Eagles winning the Super Bowl, can the Phillies have a parade of their own this year? It’s still a stacked and experienced roster (with Jesús Luzardo, Jordan Romano, and Max Kepler joining the club this year), but is the clock ticking on this current core’s contention window?
4) Boston Red Sox
Odds to win 2025 World Series: +2000
Odds to win AL East: +350
Odds to make playoffs: -105
The Red Sox stormed back into relevancy this offseason with a handful of impact moves, including Garrett Crochet, Alex Bregman, and Walker Buehler. The club also has some of the more interesting MLB-ready prospects in the sport with Kristian Campbell, Roman Anthony, and Marcelo Mayer. Look out.
5) New York Mets
Odds to win 2025 World Series: +1200
Odds to win NL East: +240
Odds to make playoffs: -250
The warm and fuzzy feelings from the offseason quickly gave way to the realities of spring training. Sean Manaea, Frankie Montas, Francisco Alvarez, and Jeff McNeil are all slated to begin the season on the injured list. It helps to remember that Juan Soto is a New York Met.
6) Arizona Diamondbacks
Odds to win 2025 World Series: +2500
Odds to win NL West: +600
Odds to make playoffs: -125
The D-Backs just missed the playoffs last year, but they are doing their best to make sure there’s no repeat. Corbin Burnes was a massive addition to the rotation and the club was able to offset the loss of Christian Walker with the trade for Josh Naylor. They might be playing for second place behind the Dodgers, but this is a dangerous team.
7) New York Yankees
Odds to win 2025 World Series: +850
Odds to win AL East: +135
The Yankees lost Juan Soto to the Mets, but they pivoted quite well in their offseason plan. They were on track to be higher on this list before injuries hit them hard this spring. Losing Luis Gíl with a lat strain is one thing, but Gerrit Cole needing Tommy John surgery is a crushing blow.
8) Texas Rangers
Odds to win 2025 World Series: +2600
Odds to win AL West: +225
Odds to make playoffs: -125
There’s a lot to like about this team with a full season from Jacob deGrom (hopefully) and Corey Seager, Evan Carter, and Josh Jung all expected to be back to full health. Of course, it’s easy to see how this could go wrong too.
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When is 2025 MLB Opening Day? Matchups, start times, probable starting pitchers
Everything you need to know about the start of the 2025 MLB season.
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You must be registered for see images attachD.J. Short
,
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You must be registered for see images attachD.J. Short
,
9) Houston Astros
Odds to win 2025 World Series: +1500
Odds to win AL West: +125
Odds to make playoffs: -185
It’s a new era for the Astros. In addition to saying goodbye to Alex Bregman, the club traded Kyle Tucker to the Cubs and they’ve also moved longtime second baseman Jose Altuve out to left field. Christian Walker and Isaac Paredes are the new arrivals, and spring training sensation Cam Smith (part of the Tucker trade along with Paredes) is quickly looking like a key piece for the future.
10) Baltimore Orioles
Odds to win 2025 World Series: +1600
Odds to win AL East: +270
Odds to make playoffs: -175
This offseason was a missed opportunity for the Orioles. Charlie Morton, Tomoyuki Sugano, and the recently-signed Kyle Gibson were the adds to the rotation after Corbin Burnes departed for a big contract with the Diamondbacks, The failure to meet the moment feels more relevant with Grayson Rodriguez set to begin the year on the IL with elbow inflammation.
11) Chicago Cubs
Odds to win NL Central: +125
Odds to make playoffs: -140
The Cubs might only get one year of Kyle Tucker, but they are going to try to make it count. With the Brewers parting ways with more key pieces, Chicago should be looked at as the favorites in the NL Central.
12) San Diego Padres
Odds to make playoffs: +110
Despite constant trade rumors this offseason, the Padres are poised to move into the season with Dylan Cease, Michael King, and Luis Arráez on their roster. It’s a good team as currently constituted, but those names (and more?) figure to be on the block again if the team stumbles during the first half.
13) Seattle Mariners
Odds to win AL West: +250
Odds to make playoffs: -110
The Mariners arguably have the best rotation in the league, but their lineup was an obvious weak spot going into the offseason. What did they do to address it? **crickets** If that wasn’t underwhelming enough, the Mariners will begin the season without George Kirby due to shoulder inflammation.
14) Minnesota Twins
Odds to win AL Central: +210
Odds to make playoffs: +100
The Twins might rank the highest here, but they are in a bit of a holding pattern as a franchise amid ownership uncertainty. Harrison Bader and Ty France were the notable offseason pickups, so the help needs to come from within. That Royce Lewis is already hurt again isn’t a great start.
15) Detroit Tigers
Odds to win AL Central: +270
Odds to make playoffs: +110
Led by AL Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal, the Tigers had a magical run to the postseason last year. While there weren’t any blockbuster moves over the winter, they reunited with Jack Flaherty and signed Gleyber Torres to play second base. Any step forward will likely be on the backs of their young players, and they have plenty of them.
16) Kansas City Royals
Odds to win AL Central: +270
Odds to make playoffs: +110
Are the Royals in for a letdown after their astounding 30-win improvement last year? It would be unfair to expect repeat campaigns from Seth Lugo and Michael Wacha, so a lot is riding on improvements from the offense, which includes offseason addition Jonathan India.
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2025 Fantasy Baseball Top 300 overall: Bobby Witt Jr. and Shohei Ohtani lead preseason rankings
Spencer Strider, Cristopher Sánchez, and Christian Yelich are on the rise while Thairo Estrada’s injury takes him off the board.
-
You must be registered for see images attachMatthew Pouliot,
-
You must be registered for see images attachMatthew Pouliot,
17) Toronto Blue Jays
Odds to make playoffs: +285
The vibes aren’t good. The Blue Jays failed to reach an extension with Vladimir Guerrero Jr. going into his spring training deadline, so we could very well be looking at his final season in Toronto. The same goes for Bo Bichette as he goes into his walk year. Can the Blue Jays make the most out of their last hurrah?
18) Milwaukee Brewers
Odds to win NL Central: +260
Odds to make playoffs: +125
The Brewers exceeded expectations last season by winning the NL Central after trading Corbin Burnes. This time, they’ll try to make things work without Willy Adames and Devin Williams. It’s going to be a challenge, even with Jackson Chourio ready to emerge as one of the best young players in the game.
19) San Francisco Giants
Odds to make playoffs: +205
The NL West is a tough sandbox to play in, but new president of baseball operations Buster Posey will be tasked with getting the Giants back to the postseason. Landing shortstop Willy Adames was step one. They should be in the mix, especially if Robbie Ray and Justin Verlander can help the rotation.
20) Cincinnati Reds
Odds to win NL Central: +650
Odds to make playoffs: +300
Can Terry Francona take this team to the next level? You can see it if you squint hard enough. The Reds have star power with Elly De La Cruz and Hunter Greene, but other questions remain. Can Nick Lodolo stay healthy? Will Matt McLain and Christian Encarnacion-Strand rebound from lost seasons?
21) Cleveland Guardians
Odds to win AL Central: +300
Odds to make playoffs: +120
What have you done for me lately? After surprising under first-year manager Stephen Vogt with an AL Central title in 2024, the Guardians will once again have to prove the doubters wrong. The question, as it often has been in recent years, is whether this offense can provide enough firepower.
22) Tampa Bay Rays
Odds to make playoffs: +180
The Rays are a team without a home, not just because they are playing in a minor league stadium this season, but also because ownership no longer plans to go ahead with stadium plans in St. Petersburg. The Rays have thrived through uncertainty for years, so this year’s squad can’t be ruled out, but it's hard to imagine them hanging in there if Shane McClanahan misses significant time.
23) Pittsburgh Pirates
Odds to make playoffs: +360
What do you do when you have the best young pitcher in the game? Sit on your hands, apparently. The Pirates did shockingly little this offseason (Spencer Horwitz, Adam Frazier, Tommy Pham) to take advantage of their Paul Skenes window. It would be great to put them higher on this list, but they just don’t deserve it.
24) Athletics
Odds to make playoffs: +850
For a team without an official city affiliation who will be playing in a minor league ballpark until who knows when, there’s actually some optimism here. Spending money goes a long way, which the A’s have done with free agent Luis Severino and extensions for Brent Rooker and Lawrence Butler. Probably not a playoff team, but more interesting than they have been in a minute.
You must be registered for see images attach
2025 Fantasy Baseball: 60 Undervalued Players, from Jasson Domínguez to Bo Bichette
60 undervalued players to help you win your fantasy league.
-
You must be registered for see images attachMatthew Pouliot,
-
You must be registered for see images attachMatthew Pouliot,
25) St. Louis Cardinals
Odds to make playoffs: +360
This is a transition year for the Cardinals, with president of baseball operations John Mozeliak on his way out and Chaim Bloom set to take the reins. That translates to the roster, where Nolan Arenado is still on the team despite a very public trade process playing out over the winter. It’s reasonable to expect the club to trade anything that isn’t nailed down a few months from now.
26) Washington Nationals
Odds to make playoffs: +850
You can begin to see the wheels turning here, as James Wood and Dylan Crews look like future centerpieces for the franchise. The club added some complimentary pieces (Nathaniel Lowe, Josh Bell, Paul DeJong, Michael Soroka) this offseason, but not enough to push them to contention just yet.
27) Los Angeles Angels
Odds to make playoffs: +900
The Angels did a lot of things this winter, but will it matter? The odds are against it. Perhaps the most important move is Mike Trout sliding over to right field. Anything close to a full season from Trout would be a gift to the Angels and baseball fans in general. Pretty please?
28) Colorado Rockies
Six straight sub-.500 seasons and little reason to think that’s changing anytime soon. One glimmer of hope, though? 2023 first-round pick Chase Dollander is getting closer to the majors.
29) Miami Marlins
The Marlins continue to be stripped down the studs. Following a rash of moves last season, the club traded Jake Burger and Jesús Luzardo this offseason. Even with Sandy Alcantara coming back (and Eury Perez later this year), things look extremely bleak. This could be one of the weakest offenses in recent memory.
30) Chicago White Sox
Could things actually be worse than last year? After setting the single-season record with 121 losses in 2024, the White Sox are slated to move into the season with veteran Martin Perez and a cast of relative unknowns in their rotation. Luis Robert Jr. will likely be traded if he can actually stay healthy, so this figures to be another ugly year for the White Sox even with some interesting prospects on the way.
Continue reading...
