MLB 2025: September Power Rankings Analysis
Welcome to the final stretch of the 2025 MLB season! In this month of September, teams are striving to the maximum to secure their place in the postseason. Some of the most outstanding clubs are already on their way to qualification, and could seal their pass even this weekend, as is the case with the Brewers. The Brewers are a clear example of what a team can achieve when they raise their level of play. Since the All-Star break, they have the best record in all of Major League Baseball, solidifying their position at the top and aiming to be the first seed with a direct pass to the next round. The Boston Red Sox have also demonstrated their potential, with an impressive 19-12 record since August 1st, which has allowed them to rejoin the wild card race, competing with the Yankees for a spot. Division titles and wild card spots are still up for grabs, so contenders are not expected to slow down. The season promises to be exciting once we get to October. Our panel of experts has evaluated each team based on their current performance and what was expected of them at the beginning of this long 162-game season. In addition, we have consulted the experts at Alofoke Deportes to get their observations on the 30 teams.Detailed equipment analysis
1. Milwaukee Brewers
Record: 86-54Previous ranking: 1 The outcome of the postseason, where the Brewers could be the best team, will determine if this is the best season in Milwaukee’s history. Unless a collapse occurs in the last month, it seems likely that it will be, at least in the regular season. The Brewers have won 96 games on two occasions (2011 and 2018), although in the last season there was a tiebreaker in game 163. The record for winning percentage (.593) is held by the 2011 team, far from the pace of the current team, which has a winning percentage of .614. The Brewers are also on track to achieve their best run differential. Although they have had other great regular seasons, none have culminated in a championship.
The Brewers could cement their legacy if they win the championship this year.
Bradford Doolittle
2. Philadelphia Phillies
Record: 80-59Previous ranking: 4 Nick Castellanos, with an OPS+ of 89, has performed below average this season and is one of the worst defensive players in the majors according to advanced metrics. He has -12 defensive runs saved, which puts him among the worst five in the league. Meanwhile, the Phillies have three outfielders playing well right now: Brandon Marsh (.478 in his last seven games), Max Kepler (.288/.333/.519 in his last 14 games), and Harrison Bader (.447 in his last 11 games). Manager Rob Thomson could have a difficult conversation with Castellanos as he focuses on winning the end-of-season games.
Castellanos’ defensive performance could affect the team’s decisions down the stretch.
Buster Olney
3. Los Angeles Dodgers
Record: 78-61Previous ranking: 2 Despite a $400 million payroll, the Dodgers face uncertainty in their pitching staff. L.A. will end the season with only two pitchers accumulating more than 100 innings: Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Clayton Kershaw. Manager Dave Roberts and the front office will have to decide who will be the starters and who will go to the bullpen in the postseason.
Inconsistent pitching could be a challenge for the Dodgers in the playoffs.
Buster Olney
4. Chicago Cubs
Record: 80-60Previous ranking: 6 Kyle Tucker appears to have overcome his second-half slump, just in time to boost the Cubs in their pursuit of the NL Central title. Tucker had an MVP-caliber performance in the first half of the season, with a .931 OPS, 17 home runs, and 20 stolen bases. Although his OPS dropped to .815, Tucker has resurged since August 22nd, with .400/.489/.800 in 11 games, during which the Cubs have had a 7-4 record.
Tucker’s return is crucial to the Cubs’ aspirations.
Bradford Doolittle
5. Detroit Tigers
Record: 81-60Previous ranking: 3 With one month left in the season, 24-year-old Riley Greene has already surpassed the 30 home run and 100 RBI marks, placing him in a prominent position in Tigers history. Only three other young Tigers sluggers have reached those marks at age 24 or younger: Jason Thompson (22 years old, 1977), Rudy York (twice, 23 and 24 years old, 1937 and 1938) and Hank Greenberg (24 years old, 1935). If Greene hits eight more home runs, he would become the youngest Tiger to reach 40.
Greene is proving to be a rising star for the Tigers.
Bradford Doolittle
6. Toronto Blue Jays
Record: 81-59Previous ranking: 5 Although the Blue Jays’ rotation is complete, there might be room for prospect Trey Yesavage. The right-hander pitched three scoreless innings for Triple-A Buffalo in his professional debut as a reliever, indicating that Toronto could use him as a reliever and possibly in October. Yesavage was selected in the first round a year ago and started the season in Class A. He could become a key player at the highest level. Yesavage could be a significant factor for the Blue Jays down the stretch.
7. New York Yankees
Record: 77-62Previous ranking: 9 Manager Aaron Boone keeps repeating that it’s a matter of time, not if, Aaron Judge will return to right field this season. However, the “when” remains uncertain, as does how often Judge will play there and how his elbow injury will affect his throwing ability. Judge’s return to right field is a risk the Yankees would prefer not to take. At best, teams will challenge his willingness to make maximum-effort throws. At worst, it aggravates the injury and faces a long absence until 2026. The Yankees would prefer Judge to stay as a designated hitter, but the team works better with Judge and Giancarlo Stanton in the lineup. Stanton, at this stage of his career, can’t play in the outfield every day. It’s a complicated situation that the Yankees must manage.
Judge and Stanton’s situation presents a challenge for the Yankees.
Jorge Castillo
8. Boston Red Sox
Record: 78-63Previous ranking: 8 The Red Sox know their top three starters: Garrett Crochet, Brayan Bello, and Lucas Giolito. However, after that, the rotation is uncertain. Dustin May, their fourth starter, has been inconsistent. In the fifth spot, Walker Buehler was released and Richard Fitts was placed on the injured list, opening the door for prospect Payton Tolle. The lefty, one of the best pitchers in the minors this season, impressed in his debut. Perhaps he will be Boston’s number 4 starter. The Red Sox won’t need him in a wild card or division series, but they will need him if they want to go far in October.
Consistency in the Red Sox’s rotation is key to their aspirations.
Jorge Castillo
9. San Diego Padres
Record: 76-64Previous ranking: 7 It’s difficult to overstate the impact of Jason Adam’s injury on the Padres; he has been one of the best relievers in baseball over the last four seasons. In that time, Adam is tied for seventh among all bullpen arms in appearances (262), third in WHIP (0.94), third in opponents’ batting average (.173), and 14th in fWAR. The best part of the Padres’ roster, their theoretical separator, is their bullpen, and now they have lost arguably the best of that group.
Adam’s absence is a tough blow for the Padres’ bullpen.
Buster Olney
10. New York Mets
Record: 75-65Previous ranking: 12 When Juan Soto had a performance slump at the beginning of the season, manager Carlos Mendoza dismissed the idea that there was any problem developing. Rather, he spoke of how talented Soto is and that it was inevitable that he would hit. Mendoza turned out to be very right about it: Soto is on his way to finishing the season with more than 40 home runs and reaching base more than 250 times. He has been absurdly hot lately. “Elite hitter, getting results now,” Mendoza wrote in a text message on Tuesday. “Not missing pitches and using the whole field.”
Soto is proving his worth as one of the best hitters.
Buster Olney
11. Houston Astros
Record: 77-63Previous ranking: 10 Setting aside the recent controversy, Framber Valdez will be one of the Astros’ top two starters alongside Hunter Brown in their playoff rotation. From there, Houston faces uncertainty. Lance McCullers Jr., with his nearly 7.00 ERA, was recently moved to the bullpen. Cristian Javier and Luis García recently returned from Tommy John surgery. Spencer Arrighetti has a 5.35 ERA but has improved in his last two starts. Journeyman Jason Alexander boasts a 3.19 ERA in nine starts since joining the depleted rotation. The Astros need two of those four to step up. The Astros’ rotation faces challenges in the postseason. Jorge Castillo
12. Seattle Mariners
Record: 73-67Previous ranking: 11 The Mariners have a 6-16 road record since the All-Star break, a dismal record that could cost them a postseason spot. To avoid a collapse, they need to take care of business at T-Mobile Park down the stretch, with 13 of their final 19 games at home. That home schedule includes series against three non-playoff rivals (Cardinals, Angels, and Rockies) and one to end the regular season against a postseason participant (Dodgers) that may have nothing at stake that final weekend.
Home performance will be crucial for the Mariners’ aspirations.
Jorge Castillo
13. Texas Rangers
Record: 72-69Previous ranking: 15 Somehow, the Rangers are back in the AL Wild Card race. They have recovered thanks to the offense, which has been in a coma for much of the season, which has resurfaced against inferior opponents. Now comes a defining stretch of the season against tougher competition, consecutive series against the Astros, Brewers, Mets and again the Astros, with key absences piling up. Already without Nathan Eovaldi and Marcus Semien for the rest of the season, Corey Seager, the team’s best hitter, is out indefinitely after undergoing an appendectomy. The Rangers got into the playoff race. The next two weeks will decide if they have a real chance.
The next few weeks will be crucial for the Rangers’ hopes.
Jorge Castillo
14. Kansas City Royals
Record: 70-69Previous ranking: 14 The nature of baseball means that bad teams sometimes beat great ones. In a single-game sample, there really is no such thing as an upset in MLB. The Royals are not a great team, but a good one, good enough to stay in contention for the wild card entering the final month of the season. If Kansas City ultimately misses a return to the playoffs by one or two games, there are already a series of recent losses for their fans to dwell on, leads squandered in defeats to non-contenders like the Angels and Nationals and contenders like the Tigers. In the AL, only the Orioles, Angels, and White Sox have lost more games they once led than the Royals’ 33.
The Royals need to maintain their level to secure a playoff spot.
Bradford Doolittle
15. Cincinnati Reds
Record: 70-70Previous ranking: 13 What appeared to be a promising push towards the playoffs for Cincinnati has faded in recent weeks. After reaching a season high of seven games above .500 on August 19, the Reds were one game behind the Mets in the wild card race. Since then, Cincinnati has lost 10 of 13, falling five games behind New York and dropping into a group of teams close to .500 with San Francisco, Arizona, and St. Louis. It’s been an untimely and overall slump. During that stretch, Cincinnati ranked near the bottom of the majors in runs per game and runs allowed per game.
The Reds’ slump jeopardizes their playoff chances.
Bradford Doolittle
16. Tampa Bay Rays
Record: 70-69Previous ranking: 16 Just when the Rays seemed headed for a second consecutive season without October baseball, they mounted a winning streak long enough to burst back onto the wild card scene. Making the playoffs is still unlikely, calculated at just over 7%, but wilder things have happened. Regardless, acclimating and getting Carson Williams going for the final month could pay dividends for this season and beyond. The shortstop debuted last month as one of the top prospects in the sport. He’s off to a slow start, but the Rays’ decision to waive Ha-Seong Kim ensures he’ll get regular playing time in September. With third baseman Junior Caminero exploding with a 40-home run season, the future is bright for the Rays’ left side of the infield.
The Rays are looking to consolidate their young talents for the future.
Jorge Castillo
17. San Francisco Giants
Record: 71-69Previous ranking: 20 This season, and how it has unfolded, is one that Rafael Devers could never have imagined. But, at the very least, he knows where he will be next year, and he is finishing this season with an offensive explosion: in his last 28 games, Devers has 11 home runs and a .296/.402/.630 average. He will have a whole offseason to prepare for what will likely be an inevitable move to first base, given the presence of Matt Chapman at third base for the Giants. Devers is proving his worth in the final stretch of the season.
18. Cleveland Guardians
Record: 69-69Previous Ranking: 17 The Guardians will not have star closer Emmanuel Clase in the near future after MLB announced its investigation into sports betting on Clase and starter Luis Ortiz, which will keep the pair on non-disciplinary leave for an indefinite period. Clase, who is coming off a third-place finish in the AL Cy Young award in 2024, has not pitched for Cleveland since July 26. Since then, the Guardians’ bullpen has ranked sixth in the majors with a 3.48 ERA and is 9-for-14 in save situations. It could be worse.
The absence of Clase affects the Guardians’ bullpen performance.
Bradford Doolittle
19. Arizona Diamondbacks
Record: 70-71Previous ranking: 18
Compared to how the situation developed between Devers and the Boston front office before his trade to the Giants, Ketel Marte has been much more flexible in his damage control with the Diamondbacks, apologizing to his teammates for how he handled his absence just after the All-Star break. Contrary to speculation, some rival officials say they believe Arizona will keep Marte this winter, rather than trade him.
Mars seeks to maintain harmony on the team.
Buster Olney
20. St. Louis Cardinals
Record: 70-71Previous ranking: 19 St. Louis speedster Victor Scott II has 2.4 bWAR, placing him in a group of Redbirds hitters with a chance to lead the team. His candidacy is based on everything but hitting, a somewhat important category in which his performance has been worth minus 11 runs according to Baseball Reference’s formulation. Scott’s career OPS+ of 66 would make him unplayable as a starter if it weren’t for his top-tier fielding and baserunning metrics. He has shown progress with his walk rate, but entering his age-25 season in 2026, it will be imperative to show more than that at the plate.
Scott needs to improve his offensive performance to be a key player.
Bradford Doolittle
21. Miami Marlins
Record: 65-75Previous ranking: 21 During the early months of the season, the major league front offices weren’t entirely sure what Sandy Alcantara would be like in August and September, the final months of his first full season after Tommy John surgery. Well, Alcantara is finishing 2025 strong, with just 14 hits and five walks allowed in 27 innings in his last four starts, which will undoubtedly fuel interest from other teams in a possible trade this upcoming offseason. Alcantara is under contract for $17.3 million for next season.
Alcantara’s good performance could attract interest from other teams.
Buster Olney
22. Los Angeles Angels
Record: 66-73Previous ranking: 23 The Angels’ aggressive approach with recent high-level draft picks was immediately effective with Zach Neto and Nolan Schanuel, but Christian Moore’s introduction to the majors was more bumpy. The second baseman, who debuted in June a year after being selected in the first round of the 2024 draft, was recently demoted to Triple-A with a batting average of .195 and an OPS of .623 in 39 games, a production that was not favored by Moore’s absence for a month due to a sprain in his left thumb. Now the Angels hope that Moore can get back on track and finish the year strong with the opportunity to knock on the door in 2026.
The Angels hope Moore improves his performance.
Jorge Castillo
23. Atlanta Braves
Record: 63-77Previous ranking: 22 When Atlanta’s Brian Snitker met with the “Sunday Night Baseball” commentators before Sunday’s game in Philadelphia, he said he hadn’t decided if he wanted to manage in 2026, a decision that will only be up to him. He talked about how much he had missed throughout the many baseball seasons of his life; for example, he has only seen three innings of his son’s high school baseball career. And Snitker wants to travel. If the 70-year-old coach retires, he will continue to work in the Braves organization as a consultant or special assistant.
Snitker’s decision on his future could affect the Braves.
Buster Olney
24. Athletics
Record: 64-77Previous ranking: 25 The rookies this season are divided into two groups: Nick Kurtz and everyone else. The A’s first baseman is putting the finishing touches on one of the best rookie campaigns in recent history. Kurtz’s wRC+ of 177 is tied with Yordan Álvarez’s performance in his first year in 2019 for first place among all rookies with at least 350 plate appearances since 2015, and his OPS of 1.037 and slugging percentage of .636 are second behind Álvarez and his on-base percentage of .401. Kurtz, who has 28 home runs in 96 games, is the favorite to become the Athletics’ first Rookie of the Year since Andrew Bailey in 2009. It has taken him less than 18 months to become a cornerstone of the franchise since he was selected in the number 4 spot in the 2024 draft.
Kurtz is having an exceptional rookie season.
Jorge Castillo
25. Baltimore Orioles
Record: 64-76Previous ranking: 24 The Orioles, long out of the postseason race and relegated to spoiler status, have another month to evaluate which players fit into their plans for 2026. The future is promising with a core of position players consisting of Gunnar Henderson, Jackson Holliday, Jordan Westburg, Colton Cowser, Dylan Beavers, and Samuel Basallo. But what about the other players? Does Adley Rutschman, once a cornerstone of the Orioles, still fit? What about Coby Mayo, Ryan Mountcastle, and Jeremiah Jackson? Then there’s the pitching. Tyler Rogers has been one of the best pitchers in baseball since June. He could lead a playoff rotation. The Orioles must figure out the rest.
The Orioles are looking to define their roster for the future.
Jorge Castillo
26. Minnesota Twins
Record: 62-77Previous ranking: 26 Anyone who followed the season through the prism of the postseason would have stopped paying attention to the Twins as soon as they finished getting rid of half their roster at the trade deadline. If that’s your case, you might want to tune back in at least when Joe Ryan is pitching. With 4.9 bWAR entering September, Ryan is having one of the best pitching seasons in the history of the Twins franchise post-Senators
