2025 MLB Power Rankings, Vol. 26: The collapsing Mets and the surging Mariners

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2025 MLB Power Rankings, Vol. 26: The collapsing Mets and the surging Mariners

Christopher Hennessy, ClutchPoints · ClutchPoints

Mon, Sep 15, 2025 ·

16 min read

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The post 2025 MLB Power Rankings, Vol. 26: The collapsing Mets and the surging Mariners appeared first on ClutchPoints .

There are just two weeks to go in the 2025 MLB season, and two postseason spots are clinched. As the Milwaukee Brewers and Philadelphia Phillies sip champagne, there are teams fighting for their October lives. The 2025 MLB Power Rankings are back after the New York Mets nearly dropped out of the playoffs and the Seattle Mariners stole the AL West lead. How does the list shake out?

#1: Philadelphia Phillies (+1)

The Phillies are back at number one after sweeping the Mets and taking two of three from the Kansas City Royals . Jesus Luzardo allowed four runs in the first inning against New York on Thursday, but followed that up by retiring 22 consecutive batters. Philadelphia came back to win that game and complete the sweep. They have 89 wins, second-most in the National League, and have clinched a playoff spot. They look to clinch the NL East on the road against the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Arizona Diamondbacks .

#2: Milwaukee Brewers (-1)

The Brewers were swept by the Texas Rangers before taking two of three against the St Louis Cardinals . Jackson Chourio had a stellar week, with nine hits across the six games and four RBI. But Christian Yelich hit .154 in the two sets, continuing his sluggish month. Both of the outfielders have to be clicking for Milwaukee to overcome its playoff woes. With the playoffs clinched, they turn their focus to an NL Central title with the Angels and the Cardinals on deck.

#3: Toronto Blue Jays (-)

The Toronto Blue Jays took two of three from the Houston Astros before sweeping the Baltimore Orioles over the weekend. After they lost a set to the New York Yankees , they were up only two games in the AL East. Now, they are four games up with the tiebreaker in hand. Anthony Santander started his rehab assignment , which they hope gets him back in time for October. After signing a massive free-agent contract, he has not played since May. The Blue Jays hit the road for four in Tampa Bay and three in Kansas City this week.

#4: Los Angeles Dodgers (-)

The Los Angeles Dodgers swept the Colorado Rockies and took two of three from the Giants, moving to 84-65. Milwaukee and Philadelphia's greatness will likely send them to the Wild Card round, but LA's pitching will help there. Yoshinobu Yamamoto has a 2.02 ERA in his last five starts, Blake Snell just threw six shutout innings, and Tyler Glasnow has not allowed more than three runs since July. Those arms could send the Dodgers to another World Series, but Will Smith's trip to the injured list could not come at a worse time . They host the Phillies for three and the Giants for four next.

#5: Chicago Cubs (-)

The Chicago Cubs took two of three from the Atlanta Braves and the Tampa Bay Rays , moving to 85-64. They also honored Anthony Rizzo , who retired after 14 seasons in the major leagues. He did not latch on with a team for this season, so he signed a one-day contract to retire a Cub while sporting a jersey signed by childhood cancer patients. The Cubs are almost certainly headed to the playoffs, with a 10-game cushion in the Wild Card. Pete Crow-Armstrong is hitless in his last four games while Kyle Tucker nurses a calf injury on the IL . Next up, Chicago visits the Pittsburgh Pirates for three and the Cincinnati Reds for four.

#6: Detroit Tigers (-)

The Detroit Tigers suffered the biggest possible scare this week. Tarik Skubal left his Saturday start against the Miami Marlins with a left side injury. Manager AJ Hinch said that the tests came back clean, but Skubal is not guaranteed to make his next start. With the AL Central all but locked up, there is no reason to risk anything. The Tigers took two of three from the Yankees, but lost two of three to the Marlins. They are 6.5 games up in the Central with 12 games to play. Next up, Detroit hosts their final home stand against the Cleveland Guardians and the Braves.

#7: Seattle Mariners (+3)

The Mariners have overtaken the Astros both in the MLB Power Rankings and in the American League West. Their sweeps of the Cardinals and the Los Angeles Angels brought their winning streak up to nine. At 82-68, Seattle has stolen the division lead, looking for their first West crown since 2001. Cal Raleigh hit his 54th homer on Sunday, tying Mickey Mantle for the most in a season by a switch-hitter. Can he snag the MVP with 60 homers and a division title? They look to move toward both of those goals against the Royals and the Astros on the road.

#8: New York Mets (-1)

The Mets are in the midst of a collapse that would make even their history books. They were a half-game behind the Phillies and 4.5 games clear of the playoff line to start August. Since then, they are 15-25, the second-worst record in the National League. On Saturday, the Giants tied the Mets in the standings. But a win on Sunday marked New York's only victory of the week and gave them a one-game cushion. With 12 games to go, this expensive roster must pull through. They have the San Diego Padres and Washington Nationals coming to town for the final home stand of the year in Queens.

#9: Houston Astros (-1)

The Astros lost two of three to the Blue Jays and took two of three from the Braves, which was all the space the Mariners needed. Houston may have seen the debut of their next star prospect on Friday. Zach Cole hit a homer on the first pitch he faced, finishing the day with 4 RBI in an 11-3 victory. The Astros have won the AL West in seven of the last eight years, but may be headed on the road in the postseason. But they are also looking over their shoulders, with an in-state rival just two games back. They start the week with three games at home against the Texas Rangers before the big weekend set against the Mariners.

#10: San Diego Padres (-1)

The San Diego Padres round out the top 10 in the MLB Power Rankings after dropping a set to the Reds and taking three of four from the Colorado Rockies. They've had plenty of opportunities to steal the NL West from the Dodgers, but they remain 2.5 games back because of some puzzling losses. Jackson Merrill has broken his sophomore slump just in time, however, which is a good sign for October. The Padres play their final road games of the year against the Mets and the Chicago White Sox .

#11: New York Yankees (-)

The Yankees dropped two of three to the Tigers before taking two of three from the Boston Red Sox . They ended their 12-game stretch against AL playoff teams 7-5, which should be enough to get them into the postseason. The Detroit series was dreadful for the Bombers' bullpen, allowing 19 runs in the first two games. Was their bounce-back at Fenway enough to ride the momentum into the postseason? At 83-66, they head to Minnesota and Baltimore for the final road trip of the year.

#12: Texas Rangers (+1)

The Rangers are the first team out of the American League Wild Card race, two games behind the Houston Astros. They swept the Brewers and took two of three from the Mets to get there, with a big opportunity coming up. Jacob deGrom returned to Citi Field and dominated his former team, keeping the hot pitching alive even without Nathan Eovaldi . Next up, Texas goes to Houston for three vital games before hosting the Miami Marlins .

#13: Boston Red Sox (-1)

The Red Sox took two of three from the Athletics in Sacramento before dropping two of three to the Yankees at home. They got two solid starts out of Garrett Crochet , bouncing back from his poor start last week against Cleveland. Without Roman Anthony , their offense stumbled against New York, which is not a good sign for October. They will likely be on the road against the Bombers in the Wild Card round, which will be must-watch TV. First, Boston hosts the A's and visits the Rays.

#14: Cleveland Guardians (+1)

The Guardians are moving up in the MLB Power Rankings as they sneak toward the final Wild Card spot. They are 2.5 games back after taking three of four from the Royals and sweeping the White Sox. With nine wins in their last 10 games, Cleveland is looking to salvage what looked like a lost season just last week. The pitching was strong, allowing just 11 runs in the seven games they played. The hot streak must continue on the road against the Tigers and the Twins this week.

#15: San Francisco Giants (+3)

The Giants took two of three from the Arizona Diamondbacks and dropped two of three to the Dodgers, moving to 75-74. After Patrick Bailey 's walk-off grand slam on Friday, they were tied for the final Wild Card spot with the Mets. But they lost both games over the weekend, falling to 1.5 games back. The Giants have to heat up to catch the sliding Mets, but they are running out of time. Next up, they visit the Diamondbacks and Dodgers for rematches.

#16: Tampa Bay Rays (-)

The Rays lost two of three to the White Sox and the Cubs over a week-long trip to Chicago. They are 73-76 now, 7.5 games out of the final Wild Card spot, ending their season. Junior Caminero hit another homer to continue a fabulous sophomore season, with 44 homers and 108 RBI. The 22-year-old is two homers shy of tying Carlos Peña's single-season franchise record from 2007. That'll be the thing to watch in their final home stand at Steinbrenner Field against the Blue Jays and the Red Sox.

#17: Cincinnati Reds (-3)

The Reds were peaking at the right time before they went west for a big road trip. That trip started off well, taking two of three from the Padres. But then, they were swept by the Athletics, dropping them to 74-75, 2.5 games behind the Mets for the final Wild Card spot. Hunter Greene struggled in Sacramento, allowing five runs in 2.1 innings on Saturday. Plus, Elly De La Cruz 's offensive outage continued, with just three singles in five games. Without those two clicking, the Reds are going nowhere. They need to turn it around against the Cardinals on the road and the Cubs at home.

#18: Kansas City Royals (-1)

The Royals had a dreadful week, likely ending their slim playoff chances. They lost three of four to the Guardians and two of three to the Phillies, falling to 75-75. That puts them six games back of the Astros for the final Wild Card spot in the American League. Noah Cameron continued his quietly stellar rookie season with seven innings of two-run ball against the Phillies on Sunday. He has made 22 starts this year with a 2.98 ERA this year, providing hope for the future of the Royals' rotation. Next up, they host the Mariners and the Blue Jays in the final home stand of the year.

#19: Arizona Diamondbacks (-)

As the Mets collapse, there are teams across the National League suddenly finding themselves with a fighter's chance. The Diamondbacks are in that group, two games back of the postseason after dropping two of three to the Giants and taking two of three from the Twins. Ketel Marte missed a game with forearm tightness and may be the DH moving forward. Even after their trade deadline sell-off, they have a slight chance. They host the Giants and the Phillies, needing a lot of wins.

#20: St Louis Cardinals (-)

The Cardinals were swept by the Mariners and dropped two of three to the Brewers to effectively end their season. At 73-77, they are four games behind the Mets, with four teams to jump to steal the last playoff spot. They shut down Masyn Winn due to a knee injury , ending a disappointing season for the shortstop. He must improve on his .673 OPS for the Redbirds to have any chance in 2026. They finish off their home schedule against the Reds and the Brewers.

#21: Atlanta Braves (-)

The Braves' season is over, but they just keep losing. At 68-83, they are second-to-last in the NL East. They lost two of three to the Astros and the Cubs, which looked like two great September series when the schedule came out. But Matt Olson continued his excellent season with a .350 average and 1.217 OPS in the two sets. He is creeping in on a 6.0 bWAR season despite the poor team season. They finish off their road schedule against the Nationals and the Tigers. Will this be the final two weeks of Brian Snitker's managerial career ?

#22: Miami Marlins (-)

There was a viral clip this week of a reporter offering people at a Marlins game a free hot dog if they could name one player on the Marlins. Sammy Alcantara was one of the answers, which was deemed correct despite his name being Sandy. That about sums up the Marlins' existence these days, playing out the string of another lost season. There is some excitement around their young players, like Xavier Edwards , who was the most popular answer. But they are a far cry from the postseason. They split four with the Nationals and took two of three from the Tigers. Now, they visit the Rockies and the Rangers.

#23: Los Angeles Angels (-)

The Angels took two of three from the Twins before getting swept in a four-game set by the Mariners. Mike Trout 's struggles continued, with just three hits in 18 at-bats against Seattle. Reports surfaced that the Angels are nervous about Trout's future with nearly $200 million left on his contract . He did break his homerless drought, sitting with 399 in his career. Trout's 400-homer watch is the last thing to look for this season for the Halos. He can pull it off on the road against the Brewers and the Rockies.

#24: Athletics (+1)

The Athletics' offense came to life after dropping two of three to the Red Sox by sweeping the Reds. Nick Kurtz hit a monstrous grand slam , continuing his Rookie of the Year push and likely ending Cincinnati's season. In the 2024 MLB Draft, the Reds passed on Kurtz, instead drafting pitcher Chase Burns . They hit the road for their final trip of the year against the Red Sox and the Pirates.

#25: Baltimore Orioles (-1)

The Orioles swept the Pirates and got swept by the Blue Jays, pushing them to 69-80. Tyler O'Neill returned to the lineup with just one hit in seven at-bats. They need him to ride some momentum into 2026. There was also the news this week that Mike Elias has been the Team President since the beginning of the season , and they are looking for a new General Manager. Can the Orioles find someone willing to dole out the big contracts needed to keep this core together? This is a key offseason for Baltimore, but first, they have to finish out the season. That continues with the White Sox on the road and the Yankees at home.

#26: Pittsburgh Pirates (-)

The Pirates were swept by the Orioles and dropped two of three to the Nationals, continuing a poor season. They are 65-85 on the season, last in the NL Central, and 12 games out of the final Wild Card spot. They are now 53-59 with Don Kelly as the manager, which may not be enough for the interim to get the permanent job. Who will be trusted with Paul Skenes ' prime? The Pirates finish out their home schedule against the Cubs and the Athletics.

#27: Minnesota Twins (-)

The Twins dropped two of three to the Angels and the Diamondbacks, continuing their dreadful second half. Ever since they traded away everyone with value besides Byron Buxton , they are 14-27, worst in the American League. Buxton has clinched a 30-30 season and needs four more homers to get to a 35-35 campaign. They finish out their home schedule with three against the Yankees and four against the Guardians. Both teams come to town needing wins, so it could get ugly for Minnesota.

#28: Washington Nationals (-)

The Natonals are eliminated from playoff contention with a 62-87 record. They split four with the Marlins and took two of three from the Pirates to get to 62 wins. With one more victory, they will avoid just the fourth 100-loss season in the 20 seasons since moving to Washington. James Wood was hitless in the last two games against Pittsburgh, but picked up six hits in three games against Miami. Washington hosts Atlanta for four and travels to Queens for two NL East battles coming up.

#29: Chicago White Sox (-)

The White Sox remain at No. 29 in the MLB Power Rankings after taking two of three from the Rays and getting swept by the Guardians. They are 57-93, which is dreadful but so much better than last year's debacle. A big reason why is shortstop prospect Colson Montgomery . In the first 1o games of September, Montgomery had an .869 OPS, and Chicago won eight games. But in the three games against Cleveland, he did not have a hit. The White Sox say goodbye to the South Side this week against the Orioles and the Padres.

#30: Colorado Rockies (-)

The Rockies have won exactly 41 games, securing no worse than a tie for the worst record in baseball history. If they win just one of their final 12 games, the 2024 White Sox will stand alone. They were swept by the Dodgers before taking one of four from the Padres. Mickey Moniak had five RBI in Sunday's 9-6 loss, as he continues his tryout for a 2026 contract. They finish their home schedule with the Marlins and the Angels coming up.

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