GRIFF’S MLB POWER RANKINGS … 5

American League restores inter-league balance with AL East leading way

2025 Division Combined Record (thru June 10)

1-NL Central +12 … 2-AL East +11

3-AL Central +6 … NL East -3

5-NL West -10 … 6-AL West -16

SUMMARY: There has been a dramatic shift of power over the last month of play, with the AL East going from a low of 15 games under .500 to its current number at 11 games above the break-even mark. That ranks as the second-best combined division total in baseball. Shockingly, the worst two divisions, suddenly, are out West -- the NLW at -10 and ALW at -16. And, somehow, saddled as it is with the White Sox, the AL Central still manages to be eight games above .500, thanks to the combined plus-mediocrity of the Twins, Royals and Guardians.

Griff’s 2025 Power Rankings (Last ’25 Ranking is in parentheses)

1-Tigers (2) … Top 5 starters 25-13 with WAR total of 6.9. UT Javy Diaz leading comeback playerat four positions. 1B Spencer Torkelson and LF Riley Greene each with 44+ RBIs … MGR: A.J. Hinch … Most Important Players: LF Greene; LH Tarik Skubal … Highest Paid: Baez/Jack Flaherty $25.0M

2-Mets (5) … Top 5 starters 28-14 with WAR total of 7.0. 1B Pete Alonso leads team with 17 homers, 61 RBIs. Have attained this lofty ranking even with RF Juan Soto occasionally booed at home … MGR: Carlos Mendoza … Most Important Players: 1B Alonso; RH Kodai Senga … Highest Paid: OF Soto $61.9M.

3-Cubs (8) … Top 5 starters 21-14 with WAR total of 2.3. CF Pete Crow-Armstrong has 17 HR and 21 RBIs and is a leading MVP candidate. DH Seiya Suzuki with 16 HR and 55 RBIs … MGR: Craig Counsell … Most Important Players: RF Kyle Tucker; LH Matthew Boyd … Highest Paid: SS Dansby Swanson $28.0M.

4-Dodgers (1) … Top 5 starters 16-13, with WAR total of 2.1. Have required 13 starters due to injury. DH Shohei Ohtani has 11 steals and 23 homers but only 39 RBIs. Leader in RBIs is old friend RF Teoscar Hernandez with 43 … MGR: Dave Roberts … Most Important Players: DH Ohtani; RH Yosh Yamamoto … Highest Paid: Ohtani $70.0M.

5-Yankees (4) … Top 5 starters 25-12 with WAR total of 6.0. Have RH Luis Gil, RH Gerrit Cole and RH Marcus Stroman on IL. Leading MVP candidate RF Aaron Judge has 24 HR and 58 RBIs, with a 1.267 OPS … MGR: Aaron Boone … Most Important Players: OF Judge; LH Max Fried … Highest Paid: Judge $40.0M

6-Phillies (3) … Top 5 starters 19-17 with WAR total of 6.6. With CL Jose Alvarado suspended 80-games, the bullen situation is back to square one, with an iffy RH Jordan Romano. DH Kyle Schwarber dominates the offence out of the cleanup spot with 20 HR and 46 RBIs … MGR: Rob Thomson … Most Important Players: DH Schwarber; RH Zack Wheeler … Highest Paid: RH Wheeler $42.0M

7-Padres (7) … Top 5 starters 17-14 with WAR total of 4.9. White Sox castoff DH Gavin Sheets leads team with 39 RBIs. That’s more like other stars taking a step back. RF Fernando Tatis Jr should be better but has 13 HR, 12 SB and a .793 OPS … MGR: Mike Shildt … Most Important Players: OF Tatis Jr; RH Nick Pivetta … Highest Paid: SS Xander Bogaerts $25.5M

8-Giants (9) … Top 5 starters 18-18 with WAR total of 3.6. Starting pitching is shallow behind LH Robbie Ray and RH Logan Webb. DH Wilmer Flores leads with 49 RBIs and 3B Matt Chapman leads in HR with 12 … MGR: Bob Melvin … Most Important Players: 3B Chapman; RH Webb … Highest Paid: 3B Chapman $25.2M

9-Blue Jays (21) … Top 5 starters 19-19 with WAR total of 2.2. SS Bo Bichette team leader with 37 RBIs and OF George Springer leads with 10 HR. Problems exist in 4-5 starter spots … MGR: John Schneider … Most Important Players: SS Bichette; RH Jeff Hoffman … Highest Paid: 1B Vlad Guerrero Jr. $28.5M.

10-Cardinals (15) … Top 5 starters 21-17 with WAR total of 3.7. A little bit offensively challenged with LF Lars Nootbar team leader with 8HR and 1B Willson Contreras leading with 41 RBIs … MGR: Oliver Marmol … Most Important Players: 1B Contreras; RH Sonny Gray … Highest Paid: 3B Nolan Arenado $32.0M

11-Astros (17) … Top 5 starters 21-17 with WAR total of 5.7. RH Hunter Brown is a clear ace and a legit Cy Young candidate. DH Yordan Alvarez being on IL has created a power-challenged lineup. 3B Isaac Paredes leads team with 14 HR and 39 RBIs … MGR: Joe Espada … Most Important Players: LF Jose Altuve; RH Brown … Highest Paid: LF Altuve $33.0M

12-Brewers (23) … Top 5 starters 16-13 with WAR total of 5.3. Clear ace is RH Freddy Peralta. Offensive leader is DH Christian Yelich with 13 HR, 41 RBIs and 10 SB … MGR: Pat Murphy … Most Important Players: RF Jackson Chourio; RH Peralta … Highest Paid: DH Yelich $26.0M

13-Mariners (6) … Top 5 starters 14-15 with WAR total of 2.6. Offensive leader is clearly C Cal Raleigh with 26 HR, 53 RBIs and a 1.035 OPS. This team clearly built around a rotation that when healthy is the nastiest in MLB. M’s starters have been decimated … MGR: Dan Wilson … Most Important Players: C Raleigh; CL Andres Munoz … Highest Paid: RH Luis Castillo $24.2M

14-Rays (20) … Top 5 starters 23-22 with WAR total of 3.4. Surprise offensive leader is 3B Junior Caminero with 15 HR and 40 RBI followed closely by 1B Jonathan Aranda … MGR: Kevin Cash … Most Important Players: 3B Caminero; RH Pete Fairbanks … Highest Paid: IF Ha-Seong Kim $13.0M

15-Twins (10) … Top 5 starters 20-14 with WAR total of 5.6. Resurgent CF Byron Buxton leads with 38 RBIs and has 10 HR and 10 SB. The Twins are a rollercoaster … MGR: Rocco Baldelli … Most Important Players: CF Buxton; RH Jhoan Duran … Highest Paid: SS Carlos Correa $37.3M.

16-Guardians (13) … Top 5 starters 17-21 with WAR total of 3.2. There is no doubt who is the star of this team. 3B Jose Ramirez leads with 12 HR, 31 RBIs, 18 steals, a .333 average and .947 OPS … MGR: Steven Vogt … Most Important Players: 3B Ramirez; CL Emmanuel Clase … Highest Paid: 3B Ramirez $19.0M

17-Royals (11) … Top 5 starters 17-22 with WAR total of 6.0. The big difference from last year is the aging DH/C Sal Perez and the fall off of RH Michael Wacha and RH Seth Lugo. SS Bobby Witt Jr. is MLB best at his position. 1B Vinnie Pasquantino leads with 38 RBIs … MGR: Matt Quatraro … Most Important Players: SS Witt Jr; LH Kris Bubic … Highest Paid: C/DH Perez $22.0M

18-Reds (18) … Top 5 starters 23-18 with WAR total of 7.6. RH Hunter Greene and SS Elly de la Cruz still worth the price of admission. De la Cruz leads witgh 12 HR, 43 RBI and 19 SB … MGR: Terry Francona … Most Important Players: SS de la Cruz; RH Greene … Highest Paid: RH Nick Martinez $21.1M

19-Diamondbacks (12) … Top 5 starters 21-19 with WAR total of 3.6. Hurts that RH Corbin Burnes is on IL, but RH Brandon Pfaadt has also been disappointing. 3B Eugenio Suarez leads the team with 48 RBIs and they have four players at 40+ … MGR: Torey Lovullo … Most Important Players: OF Corbin Carroll; RH Burnes … Highest Paid: RH Burnes $35.0M

20-Red Sox (19) … Top 5 starters 15-13 with WAR total of 1.2. If this clubhouse is as dysfunctional as it seems, it could be a long hot summer at Fenway. The DH Rafael Devers snit has not affected his stats as he leads team with 14 HR and 57 RBIs. But 3B Alex Bregman took his position … MGR: Alex Cora … Most Important Players: CF Jarren Duran; LH Aroldis Chapman … Highest Paid: 3B Bregman $40.0M

21-Braves (16) … Top 5 starters 16-17 with WAR total of 3.6. RF Ronald Acuna Jr has made 16 starts but not back to form. 1B Matt Olson is the team leader with 14 HR and 39 RBIs. This team better than it has showed … MGR: Brian Snitker … Most Important Players: 3B Austin Riley; LH Sale … Highest Paid: LH Sale; 3B Riley; 1B Olson $22.0M.

22-Rangers (14) … Top 5 starters 22-15 with WAR total of 8.4. Patience has run out on a team with a superior rotation but can’t score. Yet they won a World Series two years ago. RF Adolis Garcia leads with a paltry 28 RBIs, while LF Wyatt Langford leads with 10 HR, the lone Ranger in double digits … MGR: Bruce Bochy … Most Important Players: SS Corey Seager; RH Nate Eovaldi … Highest Paid: RH Jacob deGrom $40.0M

23-Orioles (26) … Top 5 starters 18-23 with pathetic WAR total of 1.0. O’s are the most disappointing team in ’25 costing MGR Brandon Hyde his job. Shockingly is CF Cedric Mullins leading in both HR (10) and RBIs (31) … MGR: Tony Mansolino … Most Important Players: SS Gunnar Henderson; RH Tomo Sugano … Highest Paid: RH Zach Eflin $18.0M

24-Angels (24) … Top 5 starters 14-26 with WAR total of 5.1. LF Taylor Ward trade bait in off-season but leads with 18 HR, 45 RBIs. RF Mike Trout hits .220 with 10 HR and 25 RBIs … MGR: Ron Washington … Most Important Players: SS Zach Neto; CL Kenley Jansen … Highest Paid: *3B Anthony Rendon $38.6M

25-Nationals (25) … Top 5 starters 18-23 with WAR total of 4.8. LH Mackenzie Gore leads MLB with 108 Ks. LF James Wood lead the way with 16 HR and 45 RBIs … MGR: Dave Martinez … Most Important Players: SS CJ Abrams; LH Gore … Highest Paid: 1B Nathaniel Lowe $10.3M

26-Athletics (22) … Top 5 starters 14-23 with WAR total of 1.4. A couple of offensive revelations have been 1B Tyler Soderstrom leading with 14 HR and 44 RBIs, while rookie SS Jacob Wilson leads with 93 hits … MGR: Mark Kotsay … Most Important Players: RF Lawrence Butler; CL Mason Miller … Highest Paid: RH Luis Severino $15.0M

27-Pirates (28) … Top 5 starters 13-26 with WAR total of 6.0. To have a dismal W-L record like that and an elevated WAR total shows how bad the rest of the team is. RH Paul Skenes may win the Cy with fewer than 10 wins. Beautiful ballpark, underrated city … MGR: Don Kelly … Most Important Players: CF Oneil Cruz; RH Skenes … Highest Paid: RH Mitch Keller $15.4M

28-White Sox (29) … Top 5 starters 12-23 with WAR total of 6.1. 3B Miguel; Vargas leads with 9 HR and 29 RBIs, while the 23-man position player combined WAR sits at 0.8. The Pope Leo XIV bump that fans prayed for has not happened yet … MGR: Will Venable … Most Important Players: CF Luis Robert Jr; RH Shane Smith … Highest Paid: OF Andrew Benintendi $17.1M

29-Marlins (27) … Top 5 starters 11-23 with WAR total of minus-1.2. One of two MLB rotations with negative WAR. Former Cy guy RH Sandy Alcantara has allowed 96 runners in 63 innings with a 7.14 ERA and is trade bait for the Fish. LF Kyle Stowers leads with 10 HGR and 33 RBIs as fans are staying away en masse … MGR: Clayton McCullough … Most Important Players: SS Xavier Edwards; RH Alcantara … Highest Paid: RH Alcantara $17.3M

30-Rockies (30) … Top 5 starters 6-34 with WAR total of minus-2.2. The team for all 53 men has a combined minus-4.3 WAR and is on pace for 29 wins. Leaders in victories have 2 apiece. Leader in HR (10) and RBIs (37) is some guy named C Hunter Goodman … MGR: Warren Schaeffer … Most Important Players: CF Brenton Doyle; RH Jake Bird … Highest Paid: OF Kris Bryant $27.0M.