2025 MLB Power Rankings, Vol. 22: Brewers rise, Mets tumble

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2025 MLB Power Rankings, Vol. 22: Brewers rise, Mets tumble

Christopher Hennessy · ClutchPoints

Mon, Aug 18, 2025 ·

15 min read

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The post 2025 MLB Power Rankings, Vol. 22: Brewers rise, Mets tumble appeared first on ClutchPoints .

The 2025 MLB Power Rankings have had a small rotation of teams at the top, and the Milwaukee Brewers join them this week. Even with their 14-game winning streak snapped by the Cincinnati Reds , the Crew takes the top spot. The New York Mets have fallen again, even after winning a series. How do the rest of the MLB Power Rankings shake out?

#1: Milwaukee Brewers (+1)

The Brewers swept the Pittsburgh Pirates and took the first two games against the Reds. That extended their franchise-best winning streak to 14 games . They lost the final game in Cincy after William Contreras gave Milwaukee the lead in the ninth inning. They have the best record in the majors at 78-45, six games ahead of the next-best record, and have an eight-game lead over the Chicago Cubs . Milwaukee faces Chicago this week at Wrigley Field for a rare five-game set. Then, they host the San Francisco Giants .

#2: Philadelphia Phillies (-1)

The Philadelphia Phillies have fallen out of the top spot in the MLB Power Rankings for the first time since June 29. They lost a series to the Reds and split four games with the Washington Nationals to tumble down one spot. Aaron Nola returned to the rotation but only lasted 2.1 innings , thanks to six runs allowed. Zack Wheeler hit the injured list with blood clots, which could be dreadful news for the NL East leaders. Without Wheeler, they host the Mariners and Nationals this week.

#3: Los Angeles Dodgers (-)

The Los Angeles Dodgers lost the NL West lead because they were swept by the Los Angeles Angels to start the week. After losing the season series 0-6 to the Halos, they welcomed the San Diego Padres in for three games. They swept the Padres, picking up a two-game lead in the National League West. Mookie Betts capped off the sweep with an eighth-inning home run off of Robert Suarez on Sunday. Kike Hernandez and Hyeseong Kim are working their way back from injury , hopefully giving LA a much-needed boost. The Dodgers visit the Colorado Rockies and Padres for a big rematch.

#4: Toronto Blue Jays (+1)

The Toronto Blue Jays took two games from the Cubs and two more from the Texas Rangers to move to 73-52 on the season. They are five games ahead in the American League East and rolling toward a playoff berth. Vladimir Guerrero Jr was vital to their success, with a 1.130 OPS in the six games. Myles Straw had five RBI on Saturday, with two of his 10 career home runs in one game. Next, the Jays visit the Pirates and the Miami Marlins for three games each.

#5: Chicago Cubs (-1)

The Cubs have been struggling since the All-Star Break, with a 13-14 record in the second half. They dropped two games to the Blue Jays. Then, they took two from the Pittsburgh Pirates to hopefully turn things around. Pete Crow-Armstrong had five hits in the Pirates series, hoping to improve on a .636 OPS since the break heading into the weekend. The Brewers have taken the spotlight in the NL Central, but Chicago needs to turn things around to stay alive in the NL Wild Card series. Next up, they host Milwaukee for five games and visit the Angels for three.

#6: Detroit Tigers (+1)

The Detroit Tigers took two of three from the Chicago White Sox and the Minnesota Twins this week. They took advantage of two sets against the basement-dwellers of the AL Central. Tarik Skubal broke out of his slump with seven innings of three-run ball. He still has the AL's best ERA and bWAR among pitchers despite a shaky run recently. They have the AL Central lead and the inside track to a division crown. The Tigers host the Houston Astros and the Kansas City Royals starting Monday.

#7: New York Mets (-1)

The Mets fall again in the MLB Power Rankings despite taking two of three from the Mariners over the weekend. They started the week by dropping two of three from the Atlanta Braves . Even in their Sunday win, some significant issues resurfaced. Clay Holmes struggled through the fourth inning and labored through the fifth. And their bullpen allowed some runs, but the game was out of reach. They are still holding the last NL Wild Card spot with the Nationals and Braves on the docket, both on the road.

#8: Houston Astros (-)

The Astros took two games from the Boston Red Sox but dropped two games to the Baltimore Orioles this week. The one win they picked up over Baltimore was on a Ramon Urias walk-off fielder's choice after he beat out a double play. Urias was traded from Baltimore to Houston at the deadline. They briefly lost the sole AL West lead, with Seattle tying them. But they have opened up a 1.5-game lead now with sets against the Tigers and Orioles on the road coming up.

#9: Seattle Mariners (-)

The Mariners lost both of their series this week, dropping two of three to the Orioles and Mets. Cal Raleigh was held without a hit in the three games against Baltimore, but made up for it against New York. He had seven hits with two homers, including one in the Little League Classic, for a 1.917 OPS in the three games. They are tied with the Red Sox for the top Wild Card spot and 1.5 games behind the Astros in the AL West. Seattle visits Philadelphia and hosts the Athletics next.

#10: San Diego Padres (-)

The Padres took the NL West lead after sweeping the Giants to start the week. They immediately gave the lead back to the Dodgers, getting swept in Los Angeles over the weekend. Manny Machado had a tough series, with just one hit in 16 plate appearances and a strikeout to end Sunday's game. They are two games out of the division lead, but have a firm grasp on the second Wild Card spot. It's deja vu coming up, with sets against the Giants and Dodgers this week, but all seven games are at home.

#11: New York Yankees (+1)

The New York Yankees won both of their sets, taking two from the Minnesota Twins and sweeping the St Louis Cardinals . They were hanging on by a thread heading into the week, but have pulled away from the Cleveland Guardians and are a half-game behind the Mariners and Red Sox for the top Wild Card spot. Max Fried continues his poor stretch, with seven runs in five innings on Saturday. His ERA since July 1 is 6.80, after a 1.92 through the first three months. They visit the Tampa Bay Rays for two games and host the Red Sox for four massive tilts in The Bronx.

#12: Boston Red Sox (+1)

The Red Sox dropped two to the Astros and took two from the Marlins to stay in the thick of the playoff race. Trevor Story hit a walk-off on Friday during a great week, with a .748 OPS and six RBI. Garrett Crochet put together another awesome start on Sunday in his Cy Young chase, holding the Marlins to three hits in seven innings. Boston has a huge week coming up, with three against the Orioles and four against the Yankees up next, which could change the MLB Power Rankings.

#13: Texas Rangers (-2)

The Texas Rangers beat the Yankees on August 5 to close the gap to a half-game between them and the final playoff spot. Since then, they are 2-8 with two seperate four-game losing streaks. They lost sets to the Arizona Diamondbacks and the Blue Jays to fall to 62-63 this week. Texas is 5.5 games behind the Yankees in the Wild Card and 7.5 games behind the Astros in the AL West. Nathan Eovaldi continued his great season amid that stretch, with seven innings of two-run ball on Sunday. Next, they visit the Kansas City Royals and host the Guardians.

#14: Cincinnati Reds (-)

The Reds took a series from the Phillies and dropped two of three to the Brewers last week. They stopped Milwaukee's 14-game winning streak thanks to a great game from Jose Trevino , who had two RBI and a great defensive play in the tenth. Hunter Greene came back from injury with six shutout innings on Wednesday, improving their strength. Cincy is 1.5 games behind the Mets for the final playoff spot, with the Angels and Diamondbacks coming up on a road trip.

#15: Cleveland Guardians (+1)

The Guardians took two of three from the Marlins but were swept by the Braves to fall to 63-60. They are 3.5 games behind the Yankees for the final Wild Card spot. Steven Kwan had a great week, with a .333 batting average and .860 OPS, including three multi-hit games. And Jose Ramirez hit two homers on Tuesday . But Cleveland missed an opportunity to keep pace with the Bombers and may pay for it down the stretch. They need to get back on track against the Diamondbacks and Rangers on the road.

#16: St Louis Cardinals (-1)

The Cardinals lost a series to the Colorado Rockies and were swept by the Yankees, all at home. They had a chance to pick up games on the Mets, but failed to do so, falling to 5.5 games back. The season is likely over for the Redbirds, which started with low expectations but could have been magical. Jordan Walker continued a dreadful season with just one hit in 21 plate appearances this week. Instead, STL looks for a miracle run starting with the Marlins on Monday and the Rays for three games after that.

#17: Tampa Bay Rays (+2)

The Rays are 61-64 and moving up in the MLB Power Rankings after taking two of three from the Athletics and the Giants. Chandler Simpson continued his solid rookie season, raising his batting average to .302 and picking up his 34th steal. He has no home runs, but the speed and contact have been great. They are 6.5 games out of the playoffs, but have two games against the Yankees that can help them vault up the standings. After that, it's three games against the Cardinals at home.

#18: Kansas City Royals (+2)

The Royals took two of three from the Nationals and swept the White Sox to jump into the AL Wild Card Race. They are four games behind the Yankees with an outside chance of roaring into the playoffs. Bobby Witt Jr. was incredible this week, with hits in all six games and a .976 OPS. They will have to do it against better opposition to make the postseason. That starts with the Rangers and Tigers coming up.

#19: San Francisco Giants (-2)

The Giants have spiraled out of the postseason race after getting swept by the Padres and dropping two to the Rays. They got great pitching performances from Logan Webb and Justin Verlander over the weekend, but still only got one win. When they traded for Rafael Devers , there were high expectations. But they have not been met. Recent reports indicate that manager Bob Melvin is on the hot seat , and a coaching change could be coming this winter. But first, they visit the Padres and the Brewers.

#20: Arizona Diamondbacks (-2)

The Diamondbacks took two of three from the Rangers and lost three of four to the Colorado Rockies to fall to 60-65. Ketel Marte had an incredible week , hitting two game-winning homers in the ninth inning against Texas. He has had an amazing season, with the fourth-highest OPS in the league, behind just Aaron Judge , Cal Raleigh, and Shohei Ohtani . He does not have much help after the trade deadline, however. Next up, Arizona hosts Cleveland and Cincinnati.

#21: Atlanta Braves (+1)

The Braves move up a spot in the MLB Power Rankings after taking a set from the Mets and sweeping the Guardians. Their season is just about over, ten games behind the Mets for the final spot, but they have finally won some games. Ronald Acuña Jr returned from the injured list for the Cleveland series, picking up three hits. Jurickson Profar was great in the six games, with an .872 OPS. Next up, the Braves host the White Sox and the Mets.

#22: Miami Marlins (-1)

The Marlins have finally cooled off, dropping sets to the Guardians and Red Sox. They were already well out of the playoff race, but the losses pushed them to seven games behind the Mets. Kyle Stowers hit the injured list with a left-side strain and is expected to miss multiple weeks. Stowers has had an incredible season, with a .912 OPS and 25 homers. The Marlins host the Cardinals and Blue Jays this week.

#23: Los Angeles Angels (+1)

The Angels are moving up in the MLB Power Rankings after sweeping the Dodgers to sweep the season series. It is the first time the Halos have won seven straight games in the Freeway Series, which dates back to last year. They followed that up by losing a series to the Athletics. Zach Neto continued an excellent season with his 20th homer , becoming the fourth player in franchise history with multiple 20-homer, 20-steal seasons. Next up, the Halos host the Reds and Cubs.

#24: Baltimore Orioles (+1)

The Orioles won both of their series last week, taking two of three from the Mariners and the Astros. Rookie pitcher Brandon Young took a perfect game into the seventh inning on Friday against Houston. He allowed just one hit in eight innings and no walks, and Yaramil Hiraldo finished it off with a perfect ninth. This week, the Orioles visit the Red Sox and host the Astros for three games each.

#25: Minnesota Twins (-2)

The Twins are floundering to the finish, losing sets to the Yankees and the Tigers to fall to 58-66. They are nine games out of the postseason and have limited elite talent left on their roster after the trade deadline. One great player remaining is Joe Ryan , who dominated the Bombers in the one game Minnesota won in that series. The Pohlad family will not be selling the team , so the future just got dimmer in Minnesota. Next up, the Twins host the Athletics and visit the White Sox.

#26: Athletics (-)

The bottom tier of the MLB Power Rankings starts with the Athletics, who lost two of three to the Rays and took two of three from the Angels. While the season is over in Sacramento, Nick Kurtz has been a revelation for the A's. In August, he has a .327 batting average and a .953 OPS. The possible Rookie of the Year hit his first two homers of the month in these sets. Next up, the A's visit the Twins and the Mariners.

#27: Washington Nationals (-)

The Nationals dropped a set to the Royals and split a series with the Phillies to fall to 50-74. They are not in the playoff conversation and playing out the string. Washington designated Nathaniel Lowe for assignment , ending a disastrous one-year experiment with the first baseman. They traded for him from the Rangers, but his .665 OPS did not cut it. Washington hosts the Mets and visits the Phillies coming up.

#28: Pittsburgh Pirates (-)

The Pirates were swept by the Brewers and dropped two of three against the Cubs to continue a disappointing season. Paul Skenes had his worst start of the season, going just four innings and allowing four runs in a 14-0 loss to Milwaukee. That was the game when Oneil Cruz dove for a flyball and landed on the seven-day concussion list . The Buccos face the Blue Jays and the Rockies this week.

#29: Chicago White Sox (-)

The White Sox lost two of three to the Tigers and were swept by the Royals, moving to 44-80 on the season. They have secured a better record than last year, but they won't beat that number by too much. Colson Montgomery has been excellent, with two RBI in their one win of the weekand a .790 OPS on the season. He is the first true glimmer of hope this season, but can it last on the Southside? They visit the Braves and host the Twins coming up.

#30: Colorado Rockies (-)

Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images

The Rockies won both of their series last week, taking two of three from the Cardinals and three of four from the Diamondbacks. For two teams looking to get back into the playoff race, those are dreadful losses. Warming Bernabel cooled off a bit , but still has solid overall stats since joining the team. If you are only looking at Colorado scores to see if they break the 2024 White Sox' record for losses in a season, the math is starting to go in the Rockies' favor. They are currently on pace for 45.6 wins, clear of the 41 wins that would tie the record. Next up, they host the Dodgers and visit the Pirates.

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