MLB Opening Day Power Rankings
Just Baseball's ranking of the top 30 teams in Major League Baseball ahead of Opening Day for the 2025 season.
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The Major League Baseball season is finally upon us, as all 30 teams are set to begin what is sure to be a very exciting 2025 campaign. The Los Angeles Dodgers enter the year as overwhelming favorites, coming off a World Series title, followed by a very active offseason.
In their division, the Dodgers will contend with their Wild Card hopefuls with the Arizona Diamondbacks, San Diego Padres and San Francisco Giants all entering the year with playoff aspirations.
On the other coast, the Mets, Phillies and Braves are all set to battle it out in the NL East, with each time hoping to return to the playoffs yet again. Between those powerhouses in the NL East and NL West, along with a wide open NL Central, the National League is full of contenders this year.
The American League is a little bit thinner, but the AL East is still full of viable contenders who enter the season with playoff hopes. The AL Central should be wide-open yet again and the AL West has a few intriguing contenders with the Astros, Rangers and Mariners.
With so many potential great teams in MLB, it is very hard to truly rank who is going to be the best this season until we really get into the slate and see what these teams look like in games.
To come up with our first power rankings of the season, we relied on our betting expert Peter Appel, who has been monitoring the win totals for every team on the betting market to make his future plays for the 2025 season.
Through his research, Peter has come up with a win total projection for every team in baseball, which you can find listed with each team below as our “PeterVision Win Projection”. We have ranked teams in order based on “PeterVision”, starting with the projected worst team in baseball, all the up to the Dodgers (sorry spoiler alert) as the best team in baseball.
Projecting the 10 Worst Teams in Baseball
30. Chicago White Sox
BetMGM Win Total: 53.5
PeterVision Win Projection: 57
Even though they’re (probably) going to get better than they were last year, the White Sox will still be MLB’s worst team in the coming season. This is the same group that just finished dead last in home runs, runs scored, batting average, and wRC+. Their pitching staff finished 28th in ERA, too, so don’t hold you breath for a major bounce-back.
On Just Baseball’s most recent Top 100 Prospects list, the White Sox had seven players make the cut, which provides a ton of optimism for their future. However, none of them are going to crack the team’s Opening Day roster, so don’t hold your breath on this team becoming even halfway decent anytime soon.
Still, it’s going to be very, very difficult for the 2025 White Sox to be quite as bad as the 2024 version. The front office went out and added Mike Tauchman, Josh Rojas, a whole new bench, and a handful of pitchers this past offseason. It’s entirely possible – maybe even likely – that none of them end up being needle-movers, but at least they’re adapting an “out with the old, in with the new” mindset.
Once the top prospects start making it to the big leagues the transformation will begin, but in the meantime it’s not going to be pretty.
Improved? Yes. Good? No chance.
29. Colorado Rockies
BetMGM Win Total: 59.5
PeterVision Win Projection: 58
The Rockies have finished in fourth or fifth place in the NL West every year since 2018, and that’s not going to change anytime soon. They strung together 61 wins last year, but both BetMGM and PeterVision see them coming back down to the 58/59-win range.
The White Sox have a ton of high-end prospects who have yet to make their big league debuts, but the Rockies at least have the intriguing players already on their 26-man roster. Brenton Doyle and Ezequiel Tovar are legit, both having posted 3.6 or higher fWARs last year.
Outside of these two, it’s difficult to find a whole lot to be excited about. Hunter Goodman, Jordan Beck, and Michael Toglia could turn into decent power hitters, but we’re still waiting on long-term sample sizes to come in.
On the pitching side of things, it’s going to remain rough sailing for the Rockies. The Freeland-Marquez-Senzatela trio will once again fill 3/5 of the rotation, with the intriguing Ryan Feltner and top prospect Chase Dollander rounding things out. It’s likely the starting-five will be better than it’s been in quite some time, but the staff as a whole leaves a lot to be desired.
28. Miami Marlins
BetMGM Win Total: 62.5
PeterVision Win Projection: 61
Another team that’s currently stuck in rebuild purgatory, the Marlins are a young and relatively exciting team, but they’re not where they need to be just yet. Year two of Xavier Edwards, along with full seasons from the likes of Connor Norby and Griffin Conine, will be the biggest positive storylines to watch on this team from an offensive perspective.
Then there’s staff ace Sandy Alcantara, who is healthy and ready to reclaim his throne atop the Marlins’ rotation. He’s as big a trade chip as anyone else in the league, so it’s unlikely that he makes it to the end of the year in Miami, but seeing how he bounces back will be worth monitoring as well.
The Marlins have done a solid job of restocking the farm and finding capable contributors from other team’s scrap heap, so to speak. There’s no shot they climb out of the NL East’s basement just yet, but they at least have the pieces in place to make another run down the line.
27. Washington Nationals
BetMGM Win Total: 70.5
PeterVision Win Projection: 71
Despite the fact that the Nationals’ rebuild is coming along nicely, they’re still projected to win the same amount of games as they did last year. Whether that comes true or not remains to be seen, but it’s going to be interesting to see how Dylan Crews and James Wood handle year two at the game’s highest level.
Outside of this dynamic duo, the Nationals are going to be relying on bounce-back campaigns from the likes of CJ Abrams, Josh Bell, and Keibert Ruiz. There are simply too many question marks on the roster to truly feel like they have a chance to progress up the NL East’s standings just yet.
Just because they’re not there yet doesn’t mean they won’t make it there, though. The starting rotation had three players with 2.0 or more fWAR last season and Jake Irvin coming in just 0.2 WAR short of being the fourth. They’re doing a solid job of compiling contributors that’ll help them in their late-stage rebuild and eventual contention window once they get there in a year or two.
26. Athletics
BetMGM Win Total: 71.5
PeterVision Win Projection: 72
Still rolling through the rebuilding clubs, the A’s are out of Oakland and going to have a fresh start beginning in 2025. The team’s second-half showing last year proved that they’ve got the pieces in place to turn heads. This, paired with the fact that the rest of their division is largely up in the air, tells me they could make a surprise run.
Even if a “surprise run” doesn’t result in a playoff spot, the A’s are a back-marker team worth watching. Lawrence Butler, Brent Rooker, JJ Bleday, and Shea Langeliers is about as solid of a quartet as you can find in a rebuilding team’s lineup, and they’ve also brought in some decent starters and have that Mason Miller guy at the back-end of their bullpen.
It’s anyone’s guess just how this A’s team will perform in the coming campaign, but they haven’t quite done enough yet to warrant any sort of projection systems buying into their ascent up the standings.
25. Los Angeles Angels
BetMGM Win Total: 72.5
PeterVision Win Projection: 73
A 10-win improvement from 2024 would be considered a major victory for the Angels in the coming season. However, this feels awfully optimistic and would rely on a whole slew of players bouncing back from rough showings this past year.
On paper, the Angels have a roster that looks like it could surprise people. Kenley Jansen and Ben Joyce in the back end of the bullpen; Yusei Kikuchi and Jose Soriano leading the rotation; Taylor Ward, Mike Trout, Logan O’Hoppe, Jo Adell, and Nolan Schanuel piecing together the lineup, the group doesn’t look that bad.
However, when you’ve got Kyle Hendricks rounding out your rotation and the likes of Tim Anderson and J.D. Davis on your bench, you might be in worse shape than you think.
If the Angels get rebound performances from a multitude of players and the newcomers outperform expectations, they have a chance to be somewhat decent this year. Isn’t that the case with basically any team though?
24. Pittsburgh Pirates
BetMGM Win Total: 76.5
PeterVision Win Projection: 76
The Pirates made no needle-moving signings or trades this past offseason, so it’s understandable why they’re projecting to finish this year right where they did last.
Paul Skenes has yet to reach his 23rd birthday, but he’s got a case for being baseball’s best pitcher. Mitch Keller and the newly-signed Andrew Heaney both posted 2.2 fWAR last season and should be respectable options to follow the staff ace. The club’s bullpen remains highly suspect, but a bounce-back from David Bednar would go a long way to the group’s overall outlook.
Despite the fact that Skenes is leading the pitching staff, the majority of the Pirates’ value comes from their offense. Bryan Reynolds and Oneil Cruz should be the two top contributors in the coming year, but Andrew McCutchen held his own and Joey Bart finally made good on the sky-high potential he flashed many times on his ascent up to the big leagues.
Finishing the coming season as the 24th-best team feels like it could be a bit low for the Pirates, but they’re another team that has a few too many what-ifs hanging over them to fully make us buy into what they’ve got going on.
23. St. Louis Cardinals
BetMGM Win Total: 76.5
PeterVision Win Projection: 77
For years now, the Cardinals have wildly underperformed what the vast majority of the industry thought they’d do. Now, it seems that the preseason projections are learning that the club may not be underperforming anymore. Maybe they really are just a 77-win team.
Paul Goldschmidt is gone from the lineup, but otherwise the group is going to look a whole lot like it did last season. Seven of the nine projected starters posted a wRC+ north of 100 last year, but the unit as a whole still fell short. Nolan Arenado and Willson Contreras are the two “old guys” in the lineup, but it’s going to be imperative that they continue to be above-average contributors in 2025.
On the pitching staff, Sonny Gray is a reliable ace and the organization has about 100 high-end pitching prospects nearing the big leagues, but the rest of the staff is full of question marks.
If the Cardinals fall short yet again, they’re going to be a team to watch at the deadline. Arenado, Contreras, Erick Fedde, and Ryan Helsley could all be sent packing if the Cards lean into a rebuild. Since they’ve been riding around in neutral for so long now, this may not be the worst idea in the world.
22. Toronto Blue Jays
BetMGM Win Total: 79.5
PeterVision Win Projection: 79
Entering what is likely the final season with both Bo Bichette and Vladimir Guerrero Jr., the Blue Jays desperately need to outperform their win projections if they hope to avoid losing the faith of their fanbase and starting a full-fledged teardown.
Anthony Santander, Andres Gimenez, Max Scherzer, and Jeff Hoffman were the biggest additions of the offseason. Even if the Blue Jays didn’t end up with Willy Adames, Corbin Burnes, or Juan Soto, the odds of them at least putting together a better season than 2024 was feel high.
Still, this is a team that’s going to rely heavily on veterans bouncing back to where they need to be. Chief among them are Bichette, George Springer, and Chris Bassitt. A revamped bullpen and a mid-lineup duo of Santander and Guerrero could be enough to help the Blue Jays surprise people in the year-end standings, but they’re another squad that has a bunch of what-ifs.
21. Detroit Tigers
BetMGM Win Total: 83.5
PeterVision Win Projection: 81
The Tigers emerged as a surprise playoff team last year after posting a 39-26 record in the second half. They were a sub-.500 team in the first half, but their performance down the stretch shot them straight into a postseason spot.
All told, they finished the year with 86 wins, but it seems that they’re projected for a regression in the coming season. Detroit only lost one big league free agent (Shelby Miller) this past offseason, but they also didn’t do a whole lot to lure any big fish either.
Of course, Jack Flaherty is back in the starting rotation, which is huge for the Tigers, but they had their sights set much higher on the pitching and position player side of things; only to come away with Flaherty, Tommy Kahnle, and Gleyber Torres as their biggest additions of the winter.
Torres should pair nicely with Riley Greene and Kerry Carpenter in the middle of the Tigers’ lineup, but more than half of the starting-nine comes with its fair share of question marks. Simply put, their lineup has three great hitters in it, and all the rest are unproven. That doesn’t bode well for their chances to make the playoffs in 2025.
10 Teams in the Middle of the Pack
20. Cleveland Guardians
BetMGM Win Total: 82.5
PeterVision Win Projection: 82
It feels a bit disrespectful to project 10 less wins for this past season’s AL Central champions, but this is another team with a slew of question marks on offense. Steven Kwan, Jose Ramirez, and Carlos Santana represent the strongest trio in Cleveland’s lineup. Otherwise, there’s no telling what to expect from the likes of Kyle Manzardo, Lane Thomas, Bo Naylor, or Nolan Jones.
The Guardians will be without Shane Bieber, John Means, Sam Hentges, Trevor Stephan, Erik Sabrowski, and David Fry to open the 2025 regular season. This will start them off on a rough note, and it’s not difficult to see how they could find themselves at a major disadvantage through the first month or two of the season.
Still, Tanner Bibee, Gavin Williams, and arguably the best bullpen in Major League Baseball could easily be enough to keep their heads above water long enough for the offense to click and the injured players to start coming off the shelf. This may not be a 92-win team again, but there’s absolutely a way they could outperform their 82-win projection.
19. Tampa Bay Rays
BetMGM Win Total: 81.5
PeterVision Win Projection: 82
Ah, yes, everybody’s favorite underdogs. The Rays stumbled to an 80-win showing in 2024 and project to play the sleeper team role once again. This past offseason, they barely touched their roster; bringing in Danny Jansen, Mason Englert and three players who will open the season on the injured list in Ha-Seong Kim, Alex Faedo, and Nate Lavender.
Staff ace Shane McClanahan is also going to miss some time, so like many teams before them, the Rays are going to start the year at a disadvantage. This team always finds a way to surprise people and prove the naysayers wrong, but they’re going to need standout performances from their veterans on both sides of the ball. Junior Caminero coming into his own at the big-league level would also help their case.
With uncertainty hovering over their heads as far as where they’re going to play their home games long-term, the Rays are a weird team entering 2025. It’s anyone’s guess if they bust out a 90-win showing, or find a way to underperform and finish last in the AL East. They feel like a team that could go either way.
18. Cincinnati Reds
BetMGM Win Total: 78.5
PeterVision Win Projection: 82
This past offseason, the Reds went out and actively tried to upgrade their big league roster. While they didn’t end up with any of the free agent market’s biggest names, they added Austin Hays, Gavin Lux, Jose Trevino, Brady Singer, Taylor Rogers, and Scott Barlow. Add all of these players together and you may find yourself with an improved record come season’s end.
Having a full season of Matt McLain will be huge for the Reds, if he’s able to perform where the industry believes he should. Losing this past year was a major blow for the club, so having him take over second base on a consistent basis to pair with Elly De La Cruz at shortstop could form a lethal combo.
BetMGM doesn’t buy into the Reds improving by much, as they’re looking at just a 1.5-win improvement. PeterVision is higher on them, though, projecting a five-win boost in the standings. That may not be enough to overtake the Cubs or Brewers in the Central, but it certainly moves them closer to a potential Wild Card berth.
17. San Francisco Giants
BetMGM Win Total: 79.5
PeterVision Win Projection: 82
This year’s version of the Giants is going to look mostly the same as last year’s, but they’ve essentially replaced Michael Conforto and Thairo Estrada with a healthy Jung Hoo Lee and Willy Adames. Justin Verlander and Lou Trivino were the two big adds to the pitching staff, and this unit could quietly take the league by storm this season if all goes well.
There’s a lot to be optimistic about in this Giants lineup, especially with Lee, Adames, Matt Chapman, Heliot Ramos and a still-improving Patrick Bailey leading the charge. We already know what their pitchers can do, so it’s going to be interesting to watch just how well this unit gels.
The Giants are forever going to be trapped in a division dominated by the Dodgers, but this is a roster that could put a run together if all goes right.
16. San Diego Padres
BetMGM Win Total: 85.5
PeterVision Win Projection: 83
Sticking in the NL West, it’s a bit jarring to see PeterVision project 10 less wins for this year’s Padres, but that doesn’t mean the team is devoid of talent.
Armed with some of the most prolific young stars in the league in Fernando Tatis Jr. and Jackson Merrill, the Padres are a team that can be extremely dangerous when they’re “on.”
Most of this regression likely is due to the fact that Gavin Sheets, Jason Heyward, Yuli Gurriel, and Martin Maldonado are going to be getting consistent at-bats on this year’s squad. The starting rotation may leave a bit to be desired as well, depending on Yu Darvish’s health.
Still, don’t be fooled by San Diego’s 16-place rank here. Their good players are superstar-caliber, so seeing the stars perform like, well…stars is not going to take anybody by surprise.
Should the Padres find themselves stalling out around the deadline, they’ll be one of the more intriguing teams to watch, as their trade chips are second to none. Luis Arraez, Jake Cronenworth, Dylan Cease, Robert Suarez, and Michael King all stand out as players who could be on the move if the Padres fall flat.
15. Minnesota Twins
BetMGM Win Total: 83.5
PeterVision Win Projection: 84
It’s difficult to predict just what’s going to come out of the AL Central in the coming season. The Guardians won the division by 6.5 games this past season, yet the projection systems think they’re going to come crashing back down to earth. This leaves the door open for the Twins, who won 82 games and finished fourth in the division.
Seven of the nine projected members of the Twins’ starting lineup posted a wRC+ north of 100 this past year, so there’s plenty to be excited about. Unfortunately, neither Brooks Lee nor Royce Lewis will be healthy on Opening Day, which could very well set the club back to open play.
Still, the Twins have a lethal trio at the back end of their bullpen in Jhoan Duran, Griffix Jax, and the criminally underrated Cole Sands. If their rock-solid starting rotation can keep the team in the game through the sixth or seventh inning, the game is as good as over. Having a reliable staff is going to be of the utmost importance to this year’s Twins, because we already know what’s coming from the lineup.
14. Kansas City Royals
BetMGM Win Total: 82.5
PeterVision Win Projection: 84
One of the biggest feel-good stories from last season, the Royals may be projected to regress by a win or two, but they’re still the top-ranked team in their division.
This is another team that filled out their roster around the edges rather than going “big” in free agency. Yet, each of the major moves they made should play crucial roles for them in the coming season. Jonathan India is going to be an important fixture atop the starting lineup, while returns from Michael Wacha and Lorenzen will round out a starting rotation that’s quietly one of the best in the business.
The Royals have a superstar position player in Bobby Witt Jr., a superstar starter in Cole Ragans, and a back-end duo of Carlos Estevez and Lucas Erceg that’s as trustworthy as it gets. Keeping their best players healthy and having the supporting cast hold their own this year will be the deciding factor in whether or not this Royals team heads back to the postseason for the second straight year.
13. Chicago Cubs
BetMGM Win Total: 86.5
PeterVision Win Projection: 85
The Chicago Cubs had an active offseason, with their biggest move being a blockbuster trade to acquire three-time All-Star Kyle Tucker. The 28-year-old will be a free agent this winter, which gives the Cubs one season to convince him that Chicago should be where he stays long-term. It also gives them one season to try to do as much winning as they can while they for sure have him in tow.
With Dansby Swanson and Nico Hoerner up the middle in the infield and Pete Crow-Armstrong in center field, the Cubs are a strong defensive team. Especially with a Gold Glover in each corner, with Tucker in right and Ian Happ in left field.
Matt Shaw was ranked at No. 12 in our preseason top 100, and is set to take over the everyday role at third base to start the year. The Cubs’ deep lineup also includes Seiya Suzuki at DH and Michael Busch at first base.
The Cubs added Matthew Boyd to bolster a rotation that is headlined by Justin Steele, Shota Imanaga and Jameson Taillon, and traded for Ryan Pressly to be their new closer. The pitching is not as dynamic as their lineup, but the Cubs have as good of a shot as any team to take the NL Central.
12. Milwaukee Brewers
BetMGM Win Total: 82.5
PeterVision Win Projection: 85
Winners of their division in three of the last four seasons, the Brewers have become the presumptive favorites in the NL Central each year. Last season, many projected that the Brewers would fall off after trading away ace Corbin Burnes, but they still found their way to 93 wins.
The Brewers traded away All-Star closer Devin Williams this offseason, and yet they still are going to find their way to having one of the best bullpens in baseball.
The Brewers acquired Aaron Civale at the deadline last year, and added Nestor Cortes in the Williams trade this offseason. Between those two, and the late signing of Jose Quintana, the Brewers rotation suddenly has great depth behind Freddy Peralta.
If Tobias Myers builds off a strong 2024 breakout, and Brandon Woodruff returns to some semblance of what he was pre-injury, the Brewers rotation could be among the best in the National League.
A roster that is predicated on speed and defense, the Brewers win within the margins and are one of the youngest quickest teams in the game. Jackson Chourio is looking to make the leap from standout rookie, to bona fide star. Christian Yelich returns off of back surgery, hoping the result will be a healthy season.
11. Seattle Mariners
BetMGM Win Total: 84.5
PeterVision Win Projection: 85
Featuring a rotation is in the running to be the best in baseball, the Seattle Mariners have one side of the ball figured out. The questions for them comes with their offense, where they did little to improve a unit that was in the bottom-third of the league in runs scored in 2024.
The Mariners re-signed Jorge Polanco and signed Donovan Solano as the two primary additions to their lineup. While those moves are solid in a vacuum, the real core of this lineup is the group that returns from last season.
Randy Arozarena was the Mariners’ blockbuster addition at the trade deadline, and he returns for a full year in 2025. Julio Rodriguez is looking to have a bounce back league to his previous high standards, while Cal Raleigh is fresh off signing a new six-year, $105 million extension.
That trio makes up the middle of a Mariners lineup that will have to be better if they want to make another playoff run after missing out a year ago.
Projecting the Top 10 Best Teams in MLB
10. Texas Rangers
BetMGM Win Total: 85.5
PeterVision Win Projection: 86
Another team that missed out on the playoffs last year, the Texas Rangers suffered from the same World Series hangover that has hurt so many teams in the past. Now they look to shake off the one-year drought and get right back to being one of the more competitive teams in the American League.
The Rangers’ 2024 season was not completely a lost cause, as Wyatt Langford took his lumps but eventually rounded into form and looks like an impact player heading into 2025. The Rangers’ middle infield combo of Corey Seager and Marcus Semien is still one of the best in baseball, and Texas added to the middle of their lineup when they signed Joc Pederson this offseason.
After a brutal spring, Evan Carter was left off the Opening Day roster and has been optioned down to Triple-A to try to rediscover his swing. Still, the Rangers feature a deep lineup, that has the ability to get back to being a plus unit after being bottom of the pack in 2024.
Meanwhile the Rangers’ rotation looks to be a real strength, with Jacob deGrom and Tyler Mahle both entering the fold coming off Tommy John surgery, Nathan Eovaldi returning in free agency and the former Vanderbilt duo of top prospects in Kumar Rocker and Jack Leiter each making the Opening Day rotation as well.
With some of their key cogs from the championship team back in place, and some new faces with plenty upside, the Rangers are a real dark horse in the AL.
9. New York Yankees
BetMGM Win Total: 88.5
PeterVision Win Projection: 87
The Yankees have been dealt some rough breaks in spring training, which may have knocked them down a peg or two in our rankings, as the loss of Gerrit Cole is going to be felt in a major way in 2025. New York will also be without reigning Rookie of the Year Luis Gil for an extended time with a strained lat, and Clarke Schmidt will miss the start of the season with a sore shoulder.
Suddenly the Yankees are relying on Marcus Stroman in their rotation, after shopping him all winter, and the move to trade Nestor Cortes in the Devin Williams deal is now being felt more than expected. Giancarlo Stanton and DJ LeMahieu are each started the year on the IL as well, knocking out some veteran bats that were supposed to play roles in this new Yankees lineup.
The biggest loss, of course, is watching Juan Soto sign with their crosstown rival, taking a huge piece away from the lineup that went to the World Series not even six months ago.
Cody Bellinger and Paul Goldscmidt were acquired to give the Yankees a deeper, and more balanced team – particularly defensively – but they can’t be expected to make up for Soto’s offensive production.
And yet with all of that said, the Yankees are right there with any of the top teams in the AL, featuring the best hitter in baseball in Aaron Judge, and a newfound ace in Max Fried. The Yankees’ season has not gotten off to a great start, but they still have more than enough talent to make another run in 2025.
8. Baltimore Orioles
BetMGM Win Total: 86.5
PeterVision Win Projection: 87
There seems to be some real Baltimore Orioles fatigue this time of year, as many have been disappointed by the lack of a huge blockbuster move.
Yet the Orioles were still busy adding depth this offseason, picking up Tyler O’Neill to replace Anthony Santander, adding Gary Sanchez and Ramon Laureano to their bench, and signing the trio of Charlie Morton, Tomoyuki Sugano and Kyle Gibson to solidify their rotation.
Between Gunnar Henderson, Adley Rutschman, Colton Cowser, Jordan Westburg, and hopefully an improved Jackson Holliday, the Orioles still have a young core most teams would give anything for. Those young players are going to lead the charge for Baltimore, which should be good enough for them to make the playoffs three years in a row for the first time since 1971.
7. Houston Astros
BetMGM Win Total: 86.5
PeterVision Win Projection: 87
Last season, there was a point six weeks into the year where many thought this was the beginnig of the end to their reign atop the AL West. And yet the Astros put it altogether again and won the division for the seventh-consecutive time in a full 162-game season (finished 2nd in the COVID-shortened 2020).
Once again, the Astros should be the favorites in the AL West, although they will look a lot different than they have in year’s past. Alex Bregman was long a staple in the Astros infield, but when Houston could not come to terms with him early in free agency, they pivoted to sign Christian Walker to play first base, and they traded for Isaac Paredes to play third.
While the trade for Paredes solved the Astros needs in the infield, they opened up a big hole out in right field as Paredes came back in a trade that sent Kyle Tucker to the Cubs. Alongside Paredes, the Astros acquired top prospect Cam Smith, who is already proving to be the real star of the deal.
Smith had a great spring training, and was able to win a roster spot as he will now replace the guy he was traded for out in right field. Drafted as a third baseman, the move to right is going to be a challenge for the 22-year-old, but he is athletic enough to make it work.
If Smith can break out this year, the Astros’ maneuvering could look brilliant in retrospect. If not, it is still a deal that should help them in the long run, and Houston has plenty of talent to contend atop the AL West once again.
6. New York Mets
BetMGM Win Total: 90.5
PeterVision Win Projection: 89
The New York Mets went on a shocking playoff run that ended two wins short of the World Series last season, only to add Juan Soto on a $765 million deal a few months later. Along with Soto, the Mets biggest offseason moves were retaining their own top free agents, re-signing Pete Alonso, Sean Manaea, Ryne Stanek and Jesse Winker.
The Mets further bolstered their rotation by signing Frankie Montas, Clay Holmes, and Griffin Canning in free agency. Montas and Manaea will start the season on the IL, but Holmes and Canning both impressed in spring training, with Holmes doing enough to earn the Opening Day nod for the Mets in his first year transitioning back to being a starter.
For the Mets to truly contend atop the NL East, their rotation will need to exceed outside expectations, but they have built a staff that has plenty of depth. If the rotation can be at least middle of the pack, the Mets lineup and bullpen are both good enough to carry them to a lot of wins in 2025.
5. Arizona Diamondbacks
BetMGM Win Total: 86.5
PeterVision Win Projection: 89
The Arizona Diamondbacks went from playing in the World Series in 2023, to missing out on the playoffs via a three-way tiebreaker in 2024. A brutal end to their season had Arizona hungry to make some big moves this offseason. And make big moves they did.
With Walker departing in free agency, the D-Backs pivoted to trade for Josh Naylor to plug their hole at first base. They then made one of the surprise moves of the offseason, signing Corbin Burnes to a six-year, $210 million deal.
A rotation of Burnes, Zac Gallen, Merrill Kelly, Brandon Pfaadt and Eduardo Rodriguez has the chance to be one of the best in baseball this season. Meanwhile Ketel Marte, and Corbin Carroll return to lead an offense that scored the most runs in baseball in 2024.
4. Boston Red Sox
BetMGM Win Total: 86.5
PeterVision Win Projection: 89
The Boston Red Sox look a lot different than the team that finished .500 last season. Alex Bregman has changed the complexion of this lineup, moving Rafael Devers over to DH, with top prospect Kristian Campbell set to take over the keystone. With Trevor Story and Triston Casas each looking to have healthy seasons, the Red Sox infield looks more well-rounded than it has in years.
Jarren Duran, Ceddanne Rafaela and Wilyer Abreu return in the outfield, with the top overall prospect in baseball Roman Anthony being soon ready to join them whenever a need arises at Fenway Park.
The Red Sox biggest move of the offseason may have been trading for Garrett Crochet, which they paired nicely with the signing of Walker Buehler to round out what should be an improved rotation. Boston has their best chance to win the AL East in years, as they look to capitalize on an American League that could not be more wide open right now.
3. Philadelphia Phillies
BetMGM Win Total: 90.5
PeterVision Win Projection: 90
The Phillies have the best rotation in baseball, with Zack Wheeler, Cristopher Sanchez, Aaron Nola, and Ranger Suarez all returning off strong seasons. Jesus Luzardo was acquired to give the Phillies another high-upside arm to round of their rotation. Top 100 prospect Andrew Painter could join this rotation at some point midseason, giving them another great option.
Returning the same lineup from their 95-win team that won the NL East last season, plus Max Kepler, the Phillies enter the season with World Series expectations once again.
Between Wheeler and Bryce Harper, the Phillies have two of the best playoff performers of this decade, but they don’t want to miss their window to capitalize on what is left of their primes. Expect the Phillies to do everything they can to maximize their window to win now in 2025.
2. Atlanta Braves
BetMGM Win Total: 93.5
PeterVision Win Projection: 96
The Atlanta Braves did not have the most active offseason this year because they did not need to. Adding Jurickson Profar was the perfect move to solidify a lineup that will get a lot of their reinforcements from within.
Austin Riley, Michael Harris II, and Ozzie Albies are all looking to bounce back from injury-plagued years, while Ronald Acuña Jr. is coming off another torn ACL. The only hitters who enjoyed a completely healthy campaign in 2024 were the slugging duo of Marcell Ozuna and Matt Olson, who return as a formidable run-producing threat in the middle of the Braves lineup.
The Braves pair one of the best lineups in baseball with a rotation that has elite potential. Reigning Cy Young Chris Sale may not even be the ace anymore once Spencer Strider returns from the IL. Spencer Schwellenbach was quietly one of the best rookies in baseball last year, and Reynaldo Lopez pitched to a 1.99 ERA in his return to starting pitching.
Pair those units with a bullpen that is always consistently solid and the Braves look like the one team in all of baseball that is on par with the powerhouse over in L.A.
1. Los Angeles Dodgers
BetMGM Win Total: 104.5
PeterVision Win Projection: 103
No surprises on who the top team is on our power ranking. The real question is if they will ever be dethroned on our updates throughout the 2025 season.
Coming off their World Series title, the Dodgers proceeded to sign Blake Snell, Tanner Scott, Kirby Yates, and Michael Conforto in domestic free agency, while adding Hyeseong Kim and Roki Sasaki on the international market. They also re-signed both Teoscar Hernandez and Blake Treinen and extended Tommy Edman.
Entering year two of the Shohei Ohtani era, the Dodgers are dynasty building, where they will settle for nothing less than another World Series title.
