2025 Vendetta MLB Power Rankings: May

2025 Vendetta MLB Power Rankings: May

We are over one month through the 2025 MLB Season, which means it’s power rankings time! We had a lot of shuffling in the middle from our preseason rankings through roughly 35-40 games, but the reigning champion Dodgers remain at the top. How does the rest shape up? Let’s dive into it below!

30. Colorado Rockies

Last Month: 30

Average: 30

(Matt Hanifan 30, Jack Sabin 30)

The Rockies suck, plain and simple. They are on pace to win 26 games and, while they likely won’t be that bad, they also won’t be much better. I don’t really know what the future looks like for Colorado either. I guess they have a couple of exciting prospects like Zack Veen and Chase Dollander, but aside from that, there isn’t much to get excited about regarding the Rockies. — Jack Sabin

29. Chicago White Sox

Last Month: 29

Average: 29

(Matt Hanifan 29, Jack Sabin 29)

The White Sox come in as the second-worst team in MLB and the worst in the AL, sporting a paltry 10-28 record through May 8. At least they have god on their side now because this organization’s a mess. Perhaps the biggest breath of fresh air has been starter Shane Smith, who owns a sub-2.5 ERA through 37.1 innings.

28. Miami Marlins

Last Month: 28

Average: 27.5

(Matt 28, Jack 27)

What is there to really say about the Marlins? We know this is going to be one of the worst teams in the league when it’s all said and done. The lineup just has no firepower with the exception of Kyle Stowers. As for pitching, it’s been an absolute mess, though Max Meyer has dealt with a 3.92 ERA across 34 innings. The next best starter (min. 5 starts) right now has an ERA of 6.29. Enough said; it’s going to be another long season for the Marlins. — Sabin

27. Pittsburgh Pirates

Last Month: 23

Average: 27.5

(Matt 27, Jack 28)

The Pirates have arguably the most exciting and marketable player in all of baseball right now, Jared Triolo. Jokes aside, I’m obviously talking about Paul Skenes, who finished third in NL CY Young voting last year after getting called up halfway through the season. This year has been more of the same for Skenes, unfortunately, though it hasn’t yet translated to success for the Pirates as a team.

The rotation has been good enough with Skenes, Mitch Keller, and Andrew Heaney holding it down. The lineup is just unable to produce runs at a consistent rate. It was the Pirates’ biggest issue going into this offseason and they did nothing to address it. Nobody said they had to go and trade for Aaron Judge, but I mean Andrew McCutchen and Isiah Kiner-Falefa? You really think those are the additions you need to make your lineup dangerous? The Pirates have the ability to be legit contenders in the NL, just a matter of management realizing it and actually spending money on some talent. — Sabin

26. Baltimore Orioles

Last Month: 11

Average: 25.5

(Matt 25, Jack 26)

My biggest concern about the Orioles heading into the season has been their pitching staff … and that’s been more than justified after one month. Their rotation is the only one in MLB with a negative fWAR (-0.2) with the third-worst ERA and xFIP, worst FIP, second-lowest strikeout rate and fifth-highest hard-hit percentage allowed. Yikes!

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25. Los Angeles Angels

Last Month: 26

Average: 24.5

(Matt 26, Jack 23)

The Angels are the Angels: Stuck in quicksand. Kyren Paris was exciting for 10 games before crashing back down to earth; I’ve appreciated the starts from Zach Neto and Logan O’Hoppe at the dish and I think there’s something there with Jose Soriano. Other than that, this team (and organization) is a mess. No new news there.

24. Washington Nationals

Last Month: 25

Average: 23

(Matt 22, Jack 24)

For the Nationals, this start has been a little underwhelming so far. Now, nobody was expecting this team to make the playoffs or anything, but I think they thought they’d be looking a little more competitive up to this point. What has been great has been the play of some of the young guys. Keibert Ruiz could finally be breaking out, while James Wood also looks to make a name for himself. While other young guys like Mackenzie Gore and C.J Abrams look to take that next step to stardom. Dylan Crews is going through some rookie struggles, but if he can start getting it together, the core over there in D.C could start looking very nice very soon. — Sabin

23. Tampa Bay Rays

Last Month: 19

Average: 22.5

(Matt 23, Jack 22)

Tampa Bay hasn’t been its feisty, underdog self thus far. Their pitching has been mediocre, at best, with the eighth-worst OPS and 16th-highest wRC+. There really isn’t any sort of “pop” in their lineup, hitting just 31 home runs with the fifth-lowest isolated power despite having played 23 of their first 38 inside Steinbrenner Field, a hitter-friendly park.

22. Minnesota Twins

Last Month: 17

Average: 22.5

(Matt 20, Jack 25)

All I want for the Minnesota Twins is for Royce Lewis to stay healthy. I’m not saying that for fantasy reasons (I don’t have him), to be clear. He’s a fun player and I wish he weren’t injured all the time. I can only imagine how frustrated he is, too.

21. Toronto Blue Jays

Last Month: 22

Average: 22

(Matt 24, Jack 20)

I’ve been pleasantly surprised by how well Jose Berrios, Kevin Gausman and Chris Bassitt have pitched. Jeff Hoffman has been an awesome Jordan Romano heir apparent, but the offense has been fairly murky. It’s been encouraging to see George Springer look close to how he looked when he first stepped down in Toronto in 2021, but I still want to see more from Bo Bichette, Anthony Santander, Alejandro Kirk and, frankly, Vladimir Guerrero Jr.

20. St. Louis Cardinals

Last Month: 24

Average: 20

(Matt 19, Jack 21)

The Cardinals truly went for it all back when they made those moves to acquire Nolan Arenado and Paul Goldschmidt. Seeing as they got Arenado for literal pennies, it made complete sense. Unfortunately, St. Louis was never able to build upon that, making their best run in 2022 after winning the Central with 93 wins but losing to the Phillies in the NLDS. Since then, the Cardinals haven’t really been able to find success and it frankly seems like the Arenado era has come and gone. The rotation has been a mess and, frankly, the future looks bleak up in St Louis. They claim to have the best fans in sports, and I think that claim is going to be put to the test over the next few years. — Sabin

19. Texas Rangers

Last Month: 7

Average: 19.5

(Matt 21, Jack 18)

The Rangers simply can’t score runs, which is an issue for a team fielding Corey Seager, Marcus Semien, Adolis Garcia, Josh Jung, Joe Pederson and Wyatt Langford. They are last in the AL in runs scored with the fourth-worst batting average, plus the second-worst OPS and wRC+.

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18. Milwaukee Brewers

Last Month: 15

Average: 17.5

(Matt 18, Jack 17)

It hasn’t been the best start for the back-to-back NL Central champs, who sit at 19-19. With how close it felt this team was to taking that next step, many expected them to be buyers at some point, either during a trade deadline or offseason. But in typical Brewer fashion, no big moves were made and this team has just continued to fizzle out year after year. The pitching has always been the strength of Brewer teams. But oftentimes when you get to those September months, you can’t rely solely on that pitching as much. You need a lineup that can consistently score and, for the longest time, the Brewers just haven’t had that. Unless some changes are made at the deadline, I fear it’s going to be a very mediocre season for Milwaukee. — Sabin

17. Atlanta Braves

Last Month: 4

Average: 16.5

(Matt 14, Jack 19)

I think a lot of us are still waiting for the Braves to fully put things together. While they have certainly recovered from their 0-7 start, it still just seems like this team is out of sorts. Part of that issue has been injuries, but doesn’t that always seem to be the case with these Braves? It’s unfortunate because this team is loaded with talent. But even right now, Spencer Strider is struggling to stay on the mound while Ronald Acuna Jr. continues to deal with a knee issue. This team has always had the talent, can they just stay on the field long enough to make it matter? — Sabin

16. Cincinnati Reds

Last Month: 16

Average: 16.5

(Matt 17, Jack 16)

Headlined by young phenom Elly De La Cruz, the Reds are always an exciting watch. Their lineup, while lacking consistency, can be so explosive when it’s on, allowing this team to score in a variety of ways. But most impressive with this team has been the pitching: A three-headed monster of Hunter Greene, Nick Lodolo and Brady Singer has helped create one of the best rotations in MLB. The bullpen has been a bit shaky at times, but as mentioned earlier, the real issue with the team is the consistency. A problem that will very likely be corrected as the core of this team continues to develop. I don’t think the Reds are making any real noise this year, but keep your eye on them. — Sabin

15. Houston Astros

Last Month: 8

Average: 14.5

(Matt 16, Jack 13)

The Astros have also struggled to score runs–similar to their intrastate foe. With Yordan Alvarez‘ recent hand injury, they are going to need more from Isaac Paredes and Jeremy Pena–who have been their two-best hitters–in addition to Christian Walker, Jose Altuve and Yainer Diaz, among others. Hunter Brown has pitched like a legitimate ace while Framber Valdez and Ryan Gusto have shown moments. But they need more offense, plain and simple.

14. Boston Red Sox

Last Month: 5

Average: 14.5

(Matt 15, Jack 14)

The Red Sox have played the easiest schedule in MLB and have the second-most one-run losses in MLB (9). They have been a mediocre baseball team so far, even though I don’t think there’s too much to worry about long-term. However, Triston Casas is done for the season … and the Rafael Devers drama is a mess–even though he’s been raking about his very sluggish start to 2025.

13. Athletics

Last Month: 27

Average: 12.5

(Matt 13, Jack 12)

I told Jiarmani during our season predictions that the ball flies in Sacramento–at least relative to Oakland. Small sample size galore, but Sutter Health Park has been the second-most hitter-friendly park in MLB with the highest rate for doubles and ninth-highest for home runs, according to Baseball Savant. The A’s offense has been a top-10 unit in MLB through the first month; conversely, they have the sixth-lowest ERA and 12th-highest FIP. That will need to change.

12. Arizona Diamondbacks

Last Month: 12

Average: 11.5

(Matt 12, Jack 11)

The Dbacks, to me, have been a weird team. Because I look at this team and just feel like they should have a better record. They have been getting great production from guys like Josh Naylor and Eugenio Suarez and have the star power of guys like Ketel Marte and Corbin Carroll. This offense can score runs pretty much any way you can think of. The issue so far has been preventing the other team from scoring.

The rotation has been solid with the emergence of Brandon Pfaadt, and it’s just a matter of veterans like Zac Gallen and Corbin Barnes putting it together and getting into form. The real issue though is the bullpen; they just don’t have enough arms right now to reliably hold down the lead late in games. I think another arm or two in the bullpen could go a long way for this team. Just gonna be hard in the NL West. — Sabin

11. Kansas City Royals

Last Month: 13

Average: 11

(Matt 7, Jack 15)

It’s not very often that you’re seven games over .500 and third in the division after one month. That’s the situation Kansas City is in. AL MVP runner-up Bobby Witt Jr. has been on a torrid pace lately, but he needs help elsewhere–especially against right-handed pitching. Kansas City’s rotation has been excellent, however, as it is second in ERA with the seventh-highest FIP. That’s been the Royals’ saving grace thus far.

10. Cleveland Guardians

Last Month: 21

Average: 10

(Matt 11, Jack 9)

Death, taxes and the Cleveland Guardians out-performing expectations. Well, my expectations, rather. Steven Kwan has been outstanding, though Daniel Schneemann has come out of nowhere to be one of the best second basemen in the AL through the early portion of the season. However, I have been disappointed with the rotation, led by Gavin Williams and Tanner Bibee. If they want to win the AL Central, that must change.

9. Seattle Mariners

Last Month: 14

Average: 8.5

(Matt 9, Jack 8)

I was very critical of the Mariners’ offense before the season. They have quieted those concerns through the first month–thanks to J.P. Crawford having a bounce-back season, in addition to Cal Raleigh and Jorge Polanco absolutely ripping the cover off the baseball. Their rotation hasn’t been as dominant in part due to injuries to Logan Gilbert and George Kirby, who have yet to make an appearance this season. But I have been genuinely pleased with what I’ve seen from Seattle. With it be able to sustain this pace? We’ll see.

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8. New York Yankees

Last Month: 9

Average: 7.5

(Matt 8, Jack 8)

It’s difficult not to view Aaron Judge as the best hitter in MLB right now. He leads baseball in bWAR (2.9) and fWAR (3.4), in addition to hits, home runs, RBIs and each sub-category of the slash line, sporting a 1.241 OPS (249 OPS+). His slugging percentage (.750) is currently 43 points higher than the league-average OPS (.707). New York would have a few more wins if it weren’t for a few Devin Williams blown saves. Its offense has, collectively, been better than expected through one month, too. But it’s hard–heck, damn near impossible–not to watch what Judge is doing right now and appreciate it.

7. Chicago Cubs

Last Month: 18

Average: 7.5

(Matt 10, Jack 5)

The Cubs have been playing some really good baseball to start this year, with some great production coming from the lineup. Kyle Tucker has been everything the Cubs could have wanted so far, but he hasn’t even been the best hitter on his team. Seiya Suzuki is seeing a beach ball right now with a .252 average along with nine home runs; Pete Crow-Armstrong has also taken a huge step as a hitter, matching Tucker with eight home runs. Now, the loss of Justin Steele will be felt by this pitching staff, but a solid bullpen should help with that issue in the short term. I do expect this team to maybe go out and get another arm because, without Steele, I just don’t think the rotation will have it for an entire season. — Sabin

6. Philadelphia Phillies

Last Month: 2

Average: 7.5

(Matt 5, Jack 10)

Only one month into the season and it’s already been pretty up and down for this Phillies team that won its first three series with a five-game losing streak. Plain and simple, the issue has been the bullpen. It’s been one of the worst in MLB up to this point with a 4.71 ERA. The losses of Jeff Hoffman and Carlos Estevez are looming very large as both are seeing success with new teams. Timely hitting hasn’t been great either, but the bullpen has really been the thorn in this team’s side so far. — Sabin

5. San Francisco Giants

Last Month: 20

Average: 6

(Matt 6, Jack 6)

Ahh, yes, the San Francisco Giants–MLB’s representative of middle of the pack for the past three years. It’s not even a diss, records of 80-82, 79-83 and 81-81 prove just that. Never truly bad, but still just not able to take that leap again to make a serious playoff run. Part of the issue has been the inability to bring in top-end talent. San Francisco is by no means a small market, and it’s not an undesirable location like Cleveland. Yet, year after year, it seems like the Giants are unable to land a top free agent.

We all remember the Aaron Judge sweepstakes and that’s not the only one. This year, it looks like it could be a repeat of that very same thing. This team is playing good right now, but in a loaded NL West, I still feel like this lineup is lacking the star power needed to compete. The rotation outside of Logan Webb also needs some help, but an elite bullpen has been the difference-maker for the Giants so far. Maybe another arm in the rotation and a couple of bats are all this team needs. — Sabin

4. New York Mets

Last Month: 3

Average: 3

(Matt 4, Jack 2)

I think even the most biased Mets fan would tell you he’s a little shocked with how good this team has been so far. I mean it was a team that made the NLCS and then added Juan Soto, so I guess it shouldn’t be too much of a shock. What has been a surprise has been the MVP-level play of Pete Alonso: .328 AVG with nine HRs and an MLB-most 34 RBIs. Yeah, I think the Mets will take that production from the polar bear. — Sabin

3. San Diego Padres

Last Month: 6

Average: 3

(Matt 2, Jack 4)

The Dodgers may have the best record in baseball, but right on their tails are the San Diego Padres and they don’t look like they are going to start slowing down anytime seen. Neither does Fernando Tatis Jr., who’s been playing at an MVP level so far, hitting .319 with eight home runs and 19 RBIs. Jackson Merrill and Manny Machado have also done a nice job of helping to round out this lineup. You definitely want more out of Xander Bogaerts, but the surprise play of guys like Gavin Sheets is helping to offset that lack in production for right now. Nick Pivetta is playing out of his mind through 40.1 innings, with Michael King continuing to serve as the team’s true ace. Dylan Cease, though, needs to figure it out and soon. — Sabin.

2. Detroit Tigers

Last Month: 10

Average: 3

(Matt 3, Jack 3)

The Tigers have the best record in the American League with baseball’s highest run differential at plus-83, 22 more than any other team. Their rotation, led by reigning AL Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal, has been exceptional. Their bullpen (outside of Beau Brieske) has been among the best in MLB. Javy Baez has appeared out of nowhere while Kerry Carpenter, Spencer Torkelson, Zach McKinstry and Gleyber Torres have all picked up where they left off from 2024. This has been a fun start from Detroit.

1. Los Angeles Dodgers

Last Month: 1

Average: 1

(Matt 1, Jack 1)

In a NL West that once again looks to be uber competitive, the Dodgers remain the team to beat. With a 25-13 record, the Dodgers hold the best record in the MLB and it’s pretty easy to see why. They have the best roster in the league and we’ve all heard by now how much money they are spending on their team. Well, it’s working and as it stands, the Dodgers like primed to make a run to repeat as World Series champs. — Sabin

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