I am already a few days behind on this one so let’s get right into it. See where each MLB team stands after 5 weeks of the 2025 season.
National League
NL East
Atlanta Braves – Last week the Braves “settled in” & got on a little roll. This week that roll continued with series wins vs the DBacks & Rockies. Mets fans, close your eyes. I think we all knew with how good their lineup was the Braves slow start wouldn’t hold up. Most importantly they’re starting to get some quality starts from guys. They’ve got series against the Dodgers & Reds this week though which could halt progress if they’re not playing their best.
Miami Marlins – Lost to the Mariners & swept by the Dodgers. Tough road trip for the punching bag fish, but with both of those teams towards the top of their league hard to say that result isn’t expected.
New York Mets – Frustrating week for the Metropolitans as they split a series with the Nationals & lost one to the Diamondbacks. There were some absolute heartbreakers as well. Two blown 9th inning leads against the Nats & 2 late inning comebacks that fell short against the Diamondbacks. Bullpen appears a bit tired & the bats are still hit or miss. Juan Soto had his first homer at Citi Field on a bright note (he ended up with 2 in that game). Quick pit stop in St. Louis before heading out west for another battle with the Snakes this week.
Philadelphia Phillies – For a Phillies team that really needed to get back on track following a nightmare weekend at Citi Field, that’s exactly what they did. They took series wins from the Nationals, but more importantly, the Cubs who look like one of the best teams in the league. It’s still early, but it is a sigh of a reliefs for the Philly faithful to see their team get up off the mat after being knocked down.
Washington Nationals – Took 2 of 4 from Mets. 1 of 3 from the Phillies. About what you’d expect. Although they did show great heart against the Mets with two electric comeback walkoff wins.
NL Central
Chicago Cubs – Despite a .500 record last week, this Cubs team never fails to impress me. Lineup is deep with so many recognizable names, (Tucker, Suzuki, Hoerner, PCA, etc.) the division is still theirs for the taking.
Cincinnati Reds – The Reds continued their success by an absolute pounding of the Rockies in a 4 game series, followed by a strange series loss to the Cardinals where they lost both games of a doubleheader badly. With that being said, that was their only bad week this week, & every team has them. The lineup led by young star Elly de la Cruz (who is battling his doppelgänger O’Neil Cruz for the league stolen base lead) is coming into its own and this team is starting to threaten as potential wild card sleepers.
Milwaukee Brewers – Straight up skipping the Brewers this week. I made excuses for their inconsistency for three weeks in a row and all they know how to do is play .500 baseball each week. They have no respect!
Pittsburgh Pirates – Something happened this week that would allow me to say the Pirates had the most nightmare first month of the season out of any team in baseball. A fan stood up too quickly in right field and plummeted 20 feet onto the warning track. Fractured skull, critical condition. There has been so much buzz around this team & ALL of it is for the wrong reasons. Ownership mishaps, fan tragedy, poor baseball, just a disaster.
St. Louis Cardinals – The Cardinals appear to be developing an identity: win at home, lose on the road. They’re 10-6 at home but a dreadful 4-13 outside of St. Louis. They won their home series & split a road series against the Brewers & Reds respectively. Let’s see if this pattern continues moving forward.
NL West
Arizona Diamondbacks – The middling start continues for the Diamondbacks. They’re dropped a series to the hot Braves before knocking off a tough Mets team at Citi Field. I traded for Zac Gallen in fantasy this week (a Zac Gallen who dominated the Mets on Thursday afternoon) which is indicative of my commitment to this team to be a successful. I think they’re the 2nd best team in the division & will show us their true colors by the end of the year.
Colorado Rockies – *takes (another) deep breath* They are really really bad (but won 2 games this week so congrats)
Los Angeles Dodgers – Yeah Im not turning my nose at the Dodgers ever again as they made me eat my words en route to a 6 game win streak. We could talk about their stars all day, but Yamamoto has been really impressive in his 2nd year with the team, serving as the team’s ace thus far.
San Diego Padres – They managed to shake off an uncharacteristic sweep at the hands of the Rays by winning their next 3 against the Giants & Pirates. I’m sure the sweep had Padres fans beginning to question their existence, but their rebound confirmed their existence at the top of the NL West.
San Francisco Giants – The Giants celebrated Brandon Crawford Day, honoring the team’s all-time leader in games played at shortstop & a guy pleasure to watch growing up. Despite their .500 record this week the Giants have also been a pleasure to watch & I’m excited to see them battle the Cubs in Wrigley this week.
American League
AL East
Baltimore Orioles: The Orioles made a statement this week, taking two of three from the Yankees in what felt like a must win series. Their offense came alive, and the pitching staff held strong for this important series, signaling that Baltimore is ready to crawl back into the division race.
Boston Red Sox: The Sox roller coaster ride continued as they beat the Guardians and lost to the division rival Blue Jays on consecutive series, another .500 week. An unfortunate moment unfolded when Jarren Duran exchanged words with a fan in Cleveland. Duran later suggested the fan’s comment referenced his past mental health struggles & attempted suicide, which is a brutal look for Cleveland fans. The moment may have fueled Duran however, as he raised his batting average by 80 points in the course of one week. He continues to shine as a star for the Red Sox.
Tampa Bay Rays: The Rays completed a stunning sweep of the Padres in San Diego, capping a 5-1 road trip. This surge brought them back to .500 and re-energized their season a little bit after a less than ideal start. They ended up taking steps in the wrong direction against the Royals in the following series, but we’ll see if they can rebound against the Yankees and keep up with the pack in the AL East.
Toronto Blue Jays: Toronto’s offense struggled to find consistency this week, leading to a .500 week against division rivals the Yanks & Sox. For a team that would’ve liked to have a statement week they walk away with a neutral one, as well as a neutral record of 16-16. Their signature moment as a team will have to wait. One signature moment however came in a game against the Red Sox when centerfielder Dalton Varsho made an absurd catch after falling mid play. Video is attached to this article, it’s must watch.
AL Central
Detroit Tigers: The Tigers continue to dominate, boasting the league’s best pitching staff with a 2.80 ERA in April—their best since 1984 (which is a very significant year if you know your Tiger baseball). Tarik Skubal remains a force on the mound, and Riley Greene made history by hitting two home runs in the ninth inning of a single game, a first in MLB history. Maybe the most key piece of the team has been the career resurgence of Javy Baez who is making dazzling plays in centerfield & hitting the cover off the ball.
Chicago White Sox: Chicago’s pitching woes persisted this week, with the bullpen struggling to hold leads. The offense showed flashes of brilliance but couldn’t compensate for the pitching deficiencies. Just a typical week for the fans from the South Side.
Cleveland Guardians: The Guardians lost a series to the Red Sox before beating up on the Twins at home to close out the week. I tuned in live for their impressive comeback rally against the Twins led by Jose Ramirez, who might be one of the most underrated players in the league.
Kansas City Royals: Bobby Witt Jr. extended his hitting streak to 22 games, as the Royals SURGED to a 7-1 record this week. For a team who sleepwalked through April this sudden awakening will play a key role in the race for the Central.
Minnesota Twins: Team is a tough watch on all fronts. Minnesota deserves more.
AL West
Oakland Athletics: Defying expectations, the A’s are on the rise despite a rebuild that yielded little. A new core of hitters has emerged, propelling the team to a winning record and renewed optimism in Oakland (?), Sacramento (?), & Las Vegas (?). If nothing else they’ve inspired me. I’ve been pretty mean to the A’s through the first handful of weeks but they really got hot & are closing in on the AL West lead. Luis Severino career resurgence continues, as he is pitching quite well for the A’s so far.
Houston Astros: The Astros’ offense sputtered this week, failing to capitalize on scoring opportunities. The pitching staff kept games close, but the lack of run support led to a .500 record for the week.
Los Angeles Angels: Despite a 28% increase in attendance, the Angels’ on-field performance remained lackluster. Mike Trout is hurt and the team is spiraling very quickly in the wrong direction. The fun of the first 3 weeks is quickly fading as an unfortunate reality might be setting in. At least LA fans can head over to Chavez Ravine for some meaningful games.
Seattle Mariners: Seattle’s pitching staff delivered strong performances, as they beat up on bad opponents (as good teams should always do). They currently sit atop the AL West!
Texas Rangers: A couple weeks ago I talked about the Rangers maintaining a lead in the division for a long time so I can’t help but feel directly responsible for their demise over the past couple weeks. The pitching for the most part has been very competitive, but the lineup with no Seager is atrocious. They need to find a way to start scratching some runs across quickly.
AH Top 10 MLB Power Rankings: Week 5
- Dodgers
- Mets
- Cubs
- Padres
- Tigers
- Yankees
- Giants
- Mariners
- Phillies
- Red Sox
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