Tier Rankings for All 30 MLB Teams Entering 2025 Season

The 2025 MLB season is no longer in the future. It gets underway on Tuesday courtesy of the Tokyo Series between the Los Angeles Dodgers and Chicago Cubs.

Congrats, everyone. We've made it to baseball season. Now all we have to do is sit back and watch as the league's teams figure out how where they belong.

All we know for now is where we think they belong, and the easiest way to hash this out is to separate all 30 of them into one of 10 tiers. And we don't mean that S-through-F silliness. This is about telling it like it is.

Don't worry. It'll make more sense as you go along.

Note: World Series odds are from DraftKings and FanGraphs.

30. Chicago White Sox

World Series Odds: 50000 DraftKings, 0.0% FanGraphs

The White Sox lost 121 games in 2024. It's still hard to believe, and harder to believe is the notion they could be just as bad in 2025.

Don't put it past them, though. The roster didn't exactly get a makeover during the winter, and it's just a matter of time before it's stripped of its best player. That is Luis Robert Jr., who's been at the center of trade rumors for what feels like forever.

This said, White Sox fans can hope to bask in the team's young talent at some point. The club has built up a good supply, and among those who could make the majors this year are Noah Schultz, Kyle Teel and Colson Montgomery.

29. Colorado Rockies

World Series Odds: 50000 DraftKings, 0/0% FanGraphs

The Rockies have suffered 100-plus losses in each of the last two seasons, yet the phrase "sense of urgency" doesn't apply to how they're taking it.

As with the White Sox, there are some talented youngsters on whom Rockies fans can pin their hopes. There's already Ezequiel Tovar and Brenton Doyle at the major league level, and have you gotten a load of Chase Dollander? Dude's nasty.

There's otherwise a lot of empty space on the Rockies' roster, whether we're talking what remains of Kris Bryant or what is arguably the worst pitching staff in baseball.

28. Miami Marlins

World Series Odds: 50000 DraftKings, 0.0% FanGraphs

The only reason the Marlins aren't lower is because they could have a decent pitching staff, with 2022 NL Cy Young Award winner Sandy Alcantara back to headline it.

Of course, Alcantara is like Robert in that he's likely on borrowed time in Miami. And like Luis Arraez before him, he may be gone sooner rather than later.

If so...oof. There isn't another ace-caliber pitcher for the Marlins to turn to, and on the other side of the coin is the NL's lowest-scoring offense of 2024.

27. Washington Nationals

World Series Odds: 30000 DraftKings, 0.0% FanGraphs

The Nationals have lost 91 games in back-to-back seasons, and what should have been an exciting offseason instead landed with a "pluh."

Particularly in an NL East that has three World Series contenders, the Nats figure to have a hard time breaking through in 2025. The other big question is if they're going to hit for more power after managing an NL-low 135 homers in 2024.

At least the roster is interesting. James Wood and Dylan Crews have it in them to be a dynamic outfield duo, while Michael Soroka is a candidate to become one of the top signings of the 2024-25 offseason.

26. Los Angeles Angels

World Series Odds: 20000 DraftKings, 0.3% FanGraphs

Hark, baseball gods! We beseech thee to cease punishing Mike Trout and permit him to resume being a titan of the sport.

Apologies for the Willem Dafoe-style incantation, but a healthy Trout is the only hope the Angels have of being watchable, much less competitive. To this end, his move from center to right field can only help.

This is otherwise a spare-parts roster, particularly where past-their-prime newcomers Jorge Soler, Yoán Moncada and Kyle Hendricks are concerned. And if Trout gets injured again, the most exciting Angel will be a mere setup man.

25. St. Louis Cardinals

World Series Odds: 12000 DraftKings, 0.6% FanGraphs

The Cardinals are ostensibly a franchise in transition, but you'd never know it from how they handled the offseason. They were just kind of there, doing nothing.

This especially stinks for Nolan Arenado, who deserves better than to go down with a rudderless ship. In a just world, he'd have already been traded by now.

As for how the Cardinals have a non-zero chance of winning the World Series, it comes down to how this is largely the same roster that produced an 83-win season in 2024. They're not good, but they're not altogether bad, either.

24. Athletics

World Series Odds: +25000 DraftKings, 0.4% FanGraphs

A's players have the respect of their peers, as a survey by MLB.com found that many players expect the A's to be the surprise team of 2025.

One can't help but wonder how much this has to do with how the A's will be a major league team playing out of a minor league park this year. The actual team is plainly solid, and not just because they spent other teams' money over the winter.

Brent Rooker and Lawrence Butler are an elite hitting duo, while Luis Severino, Jeffrey Springs and Mason Miller will anchor the rotation and bullpen. There's a shortage of talent around these guys, sure, but there are worse cores than this one.

23. Pittsburgh Pirates

World Series Odds: +12000 DraftKings, 0.4% FanGraphs

Are the Pirates going to hit? Probably not. They were one of the lowest-scoring teams of 2024 and they failed to add any impact hitters over the winter.

They are going to pitch, though. Mitch Keller will see to it. Jared Jones will see to it. And you better believe that Paul Skenes will see to it. The reigning NL Rookie of the Year is arguably the favorite to win the NL Cy Young Award for this year.

The X-factor is the bullpen, which the Bucs will need to finish what the starters, well, start. A bounce-back year from David Bednar will be crucial, as the Bucs can ill afford another 5.77 ERA from him.

22. Cincinnati Reds

World Series Odds: +9000 DraftKings, 0.5% FanGraphs

There might not be a more volatile roster than this one. The Reds' offense is replete with performance question marks, while the pitching staff is dripping with injury risk.

Things to like, however, include budding superstar Elly De La Cruz and budding ace Hunter Greene. The former is a potential 40-40 threat, while the latter co-led NL pitchers in WAR alongside Cy Young winner Chris Sale in 2024.

Also, Terry Francona is managing this team. Perhaps it's because he just couldn't stay away after leaving the Cleveland Guardians after 2023. Or, it could be that he genuinely sees something special in this group.

21. San Francisco Giants

World Series Odds: +8000 DraftKings, 0.9% FanGraphs

By signing shortstop Willy Adames, the Giants finally convinced a star position player to come to San Francisco. They also signed Justin Verlander, and are looking at a full season with fellow Cy Young winner Robbie Ray.

These guys plus a hopefully healthy Jung Hoo Lee could finally lead the Giants out of purgatory. There's no better word to describe where they've spent the last three seasons, each of which has seen them finish within four games of .500.

By NL West standards, though, this is a mid roster. The Giants basically can't have the above players plus Matt Chapman, Heliot Ramos and Logan Webb not have huge years, which is a lot to ask.

20. Tampa Bay Rays

World Series Odds: 5000 DraftKings, 2.0% FanGraphs

The Rays were not a good baseball team in 2024, but they refused to have a bad record as they stuck close to .500 throughout the year.

That was without Shane McClanahan in their rotation. He's back from his second Tommy John surgery, and the Rays will have a dangerous pitching staff if he's the same guy who made the AL All-Star team in 2022 and 2023.

The bigger question is whether the Rays will hit after ranking 29th in scoring last season. Breakout candidate Junior Caminero is one reason to be bullish, but he alone isn't going to rescue the entire offense from misery.

19. Toronto Blue Jays

World Series Odds: 6000 DraftKings, 2.3% FanGraphs

This had better work, as the Blue Jays face the prospect of losing Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Bo Bichette, Max Scherzer and Chris Bassitt to free agency after 2025.

It is possible that it will work, particularly if the rotation stays together and Bichette hits like he did between 2019 and 2023. And even if he doesn't hit 44 homers again, newcomer Anthony Santander is a second 30-homer threat alongside Guerrero.

But is the offense too shallow? Is the rotation too old? Is the bullpen, as was the case in 2024, too weak? These are the questions that could undermine Toronto in 2025.

18. Minnesota Twins

World Series Odds: 2500 DraftKings, 3.9% FanGraphs

FanGraphs is high on the Twins seemingly in part because of the club's pitching.

It wasn't great in 2024, but Pablo López, Joe Ryan and Bailey Ober have the potential to be an elite trio in 2025. With Jhoan Duran and Griffin Jax at the back end, the bullpen could be similarly excellent.

There's some real downside in this Twins offense, however, and a chunk of it has already been realized via Royce Lewis' latest injury. Though both are fine now, Carlos Correa and Byron Buxton aren't paragons of durability in their own right.

17. Milwaukee Brewers

World Series Odds: +5000 DraftKings, 1.3% FanGraphs

The Brewers don't project well, but that was also the case last year and they ultimately coasted to the NL Central title.

That was with Willy Adames all year and Devin Williams for half the year, and they're both gone now. Both of their absences loom large, as the offense and the pitching staff each feel short by at least one star.

On the plus side, don't rule out Jackson Chourio carrying the offense with an MVP-caliber season. And as for the pitching, well, the Brewers always figure it out. They've ranked in the top three of the NL in ERA three times in four years.

16. Detroit Tigers

World Series Odds: +3500 DraftKings, 2.9% FanGraphs

The Tigers were only a good team for about six weeks last year, and their offseason was more good than great. They really could have used Alex Bregman, but alas.

The Tigers are nonetheless better with Jack Flaherty and Gleyber Torres than they would have been otherwise. They also still have Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal and Riley Greene, who's perhaps the most underrated player in the AL.

It also isn't hard to spot where improvement could come from within. Jackson Jobe is arguably the best pitching prospect in baseball, and Spencer Torkelson has been on a revenge tour with a .955 OPS and four homers this spring.

15. Kansas City Royals

World Series Odds: +3000 DraftKings, 2.0% FanGraphs

The Royals and Tigers may have finished last season with the exact same record, but the Royals were in it from start to finish. And the reasons why still apply.

Their starting pitching was excellent, and should be again despite the loss of Brady Singer. And whereas it was a weakness for much of 2024, the bullpen should benefit from newcomer Carlos Estévez and from having Lucas Erceg all year.

Impact bats are what the Royals lack, and that may be their downfall again if they get to October. But as long as they have Bobby Witt Jr., they have the only bat they need to at least make it back there.

14. Cleveland Guardians

World Series Odds: +4000 DraftKings, 0.7% FanGraphs

FanGraphs is obviously bearish on the Guardians, and they brought that on themselves by subtracting Josh Naylor and Andrés Giménez over the winter.

And yet, no team with José Ramírez should ever be ruled out of doing anything. And while the caveat is that relievers are famously unreliable, the Guardians boldly added to what was maybe the greatest bullpen ever last year.

What they'll need is more from a rotation that ranked last in the AL for WAR in 2024. But to this end, don't overlook the potential contributions of newcomer Luis L. Ortiz and Shane Bieber, who should return from Tommy John surgery in the second half.

13. San Diego Padres

World Series Odds: +2800 DraftKings, 1.3% FanGraphs

To give you a sense of just how bad this offseason was for the Padres, they're projected to open 2025 with Jason Heyward in left field and Jose Iglesias at DH.

Of course, it could have been worse. At least Dylan Cease, Michael King and Luis Arraez are still around. And kudos to the front office for its nifty deal with Nick Pivetta, who has more upside than most other No. 4 starters.

All the same, there isn't much depth underneath San Diego's stars. And if any of those stars—looking at you, Manny Machado, Xander Bogaerts and Yu Darvish—continue to age out of their primes, it could be a frustrating year for the Friars.

12. Houston Astros

World Series Odds: +1500 DraftKings, 4.0% FanGraphs

The Astros didn't sit idle during the winter, and expectations should be high for newcomers Christian Walker and Isaac Paredes. They'll fit right in at Daikin Park.

However, the losses of Kyle Tucker and Alex Bregman can't just be glossed over. They were Houston's best all-around position players, and Tucker's left-handed bat will be doubly missed in a lineup that now leans overwhelmingly to the right.

The Astros are going to pitch, however. And if Jose Altuve debasing himself in left field helps keep Yordan Alvarez healthy as an everyday DH, then so be it.

11. Baltimore Orioles

World Series Odds: +1600 DraftKings, 3.4% FanGraphs

Elsewhere on the topic of rough offseasons, the Orioles lost Corbin Burnes and Anthony Santander and replaced only the latter with Tyler O'Neill.

The loss of Burnes figured to sting even before the O's had Grayson Rodriguez go down with inflammation in his right elbow. Now the whole rotation projects as a bottom-10 unit.

Thank goodness for the offense, which finished two home runs shy of sharing the MLB lead in 2024. And if Jackson Holliday realizes his potential, it'll be as strong a one-through-nine as any in the game.

10. New York Yankees

World Series Odds: +850 DraftKings, 5.9% FanGraphs

The Yankees would not have made it to the 2024 World Series without Juan Soto, Gerrit Cole and Giancarlo Stanton. At least two of them are out of the picture for 2025, and it could be 3-for-3 before long.

Thank goodness Aaron Judge is still around. And by signing Max Fried and trading for Cody Bellinger, the Yankees added at least two bulwarks against disaster in 2025. Notably, Bellinger has looked like his former MVP-winning self in spring training.

Even still, the Yankees' relatively favorable World Series odds just don't pass the smell test. This is a team on the brink, plain and simple.

9. Arizona Diamondbacks

World Series Odds: 2500 DraftKings, 3.3% FanGraphs

The Diamondbacks followed their World Series run in 2023 by winning five more games in 2024, missing the playoffs by the narrowest of circumstances.

Not bad for a team that had a malfunctioning pitching staff. Aboard to fix that problem is Corbin Burnes, who will have Zac Gallen, Merrill Kelly, Eduardo Rodriguez and Brandon Pfaadt behind him. On paper, it's a terrific fivesome.

With Christian Walker and Joc Pederson now in Texas, the Snakes do figure to score fewer runs in 2025. But given they led MLB in scoring last year, that's a department where they could afford to take a hit.

8. Texas Rangers

World Series Odds: 2500 DraftKings, 4.4% FanGraphs

The Rangers' World Series defense in 2024 never really got off the ground, resulting in a slog to a 78-win season.

This hardly feels worth dwelling on, though. The Rangers have what they need to score tons of runs in 2025, and the pitching will be there if their new-look rotation and bullpen hold together.

This, of course, is a big "if." But if ever there was a volatile group worthy of some faith, it's one headed by a healthy Jacob deGrom and a seemingly ageless Nathan Eovaldi.

7. Chicago Cubs

World Series Odds: 3000 DraftKings, 2.7% FanGraphs

Should the Cubs have done more after winning 83 games in 2024? The answer here is yes, particularly considering their payroll is actually down quite a bit.

The Cubs did deepen their roster, however, and Kyle Tucker might have been the best player to change hands over the winter. And if Pete Crow-Armstrong keeps up what he's doing this spring, he's going to be a nightmare for opponents.

Whether the North Siders have enough pitching is the question, but that could just be a perception thing on my part. The club has a 3.79 ERA last year and got plenty of flesh blood over the offseason.

6. Seattle Mariners

World Series Odds: 2800 DraftKings, 4.1% FanGraphs

Speaking of pitching, the Mariners are going to be just fine there. Their starting rotation led MLB in [waves hands] everything last year, and don't underrate what healthy versions of Matt Brash and Gregory Santos could do for the bullpen.

It was offense that let Seattle down in 2024, and you can ask Justin Turner to summarize how royally the team screwed up the offseason in that respect. It needed a bat man and didn't even get a Robin.

But then again, the Mariners went on to lead the American League in scoring after they changed managers last August. More of the same may not be the worst thing.

5. Boston Red Sox

World Series Odds: 2000 DraftKings, 4.5% FanGraphs

The Red Sox basically had the offseason the Mariners should have had. To get not only Garrett Crochet, but Alex Bregman as well? Chef's kiss. Chef's kiss, indeed.

There is some bad juju to acknowledge, including a disgruntled Rafael Devers and a recent wave of pitching injuries. But even with those noted, this is clearly better than the team that went 81-81 last year.

There's also what lies ahead. The Red Sox have an amazing prospect trio in Roman Anthony, Kristian Campbell and Marcelo Mayer, and all three figure to break through at some point in 2025.

4. New York Mets

World Series Odds: 1200 DraftKings, 4.1% FanGraphs

A team with a $330 million payroll ought to have a better pitching staff, and springtime injuries to Sean Manaea and Frankie Montas haven't exactly made it better.

On the plus side, the Mets have Juan Soto now. It's a whole thing, and he fits into an offensive quintet next to Francisco Lindor, Pete Alonso, Mark Vientos and Brandon Nimmo that might be the best in the league.

As for the pitching, the thing to remember is the Mets weren't meant to have much of a staff last year, either. That it was a strength nonetheless traces back to their secret weapon: pitching coach Jeremy Hefner.

3. Philadelphia Phillies

World Series Odds: 1200 DraftKings, 5.4% FanGraphs

The Phillies were the best team in MLB for most of the 2024 season, not ceding the league's best record until late in the schedule.

The gang's all back for 2025, except now with perhaps baseball's best No. 5 starter (Jesús Luzardo) and a new left fielder (Max Kepler) and closer (Jordan Romano), and each has upside. Otherwise, you know the deal with the incumbents: They're stars, just as Dave Dombrowski likes 'em.

The catch? This is an older roster, and many of the ages that begin with threes belong to said stars. Heck, even Bryce Harper is getting up there at 32 years of age.

2. Atlanta Braves

World Series Odds: 750 DraftKings, 15.7% FanGraphs

The Braves won 89 games and made the playoffs in 2024 even though they got nothing from Ronald Acuña Jr. and Spencer Strider and otherwise suffered a massive offensive decline.

The idea of so much going wrong again in 2025 is inconceivable. And while the jury is out in how Acuña will come back from a second torn ACL, Strider sure looks good to go after a second elbow surgery.

The Braves do have other injury concerns, and Chris Sale's age (35) would be scary even if the rotation still had Max Fried and Charlie Morton. But when it comes down to it, there are too many reasons to believe this team will have a better season.

1. Los Angeles Dodgers

World Series Odds: 290 DraftKings, 23.2% FanGraphs

Recent MLB history does not bode well for the Dodgers. They're trying to go back-to-back as World Series champions, which no team has done since the Yankees won three straight between 1998 and 2000.

But...yeesh, this roster. It's something.

Though they did lose Jack Flaherty, Walker Buehler and Gavin Lux, the Dodgers otherwise took a World Series-winning roster and gave it major upgrades for the offense (Michael Conforto), starting rotation (Blake Snell and Rōki Sasaki) and bullpen (Tanner Scott and Kirby Yates).

Last I checked, Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman were still around, too. Further, Ohtani will be returning to pitching in 2025 after going off for MLB's first 50-50 season in 2024.

On paper, at least, this is a ridiculously good team. And while it's true that games aren't played on paper, that's really the only excuse to doubt these Dodgers are about to go far.

Stats courtesy of Baseball Reference, FanGraphs and Baseball Savant.