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Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani. Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

Grading NL teams at the halfway point

By Lauren Amour, Kevin Henry, Taylor Bretl | Last updated Jun 30, 2025 1:34 PM ET

The MLB season passed its midpoint this past week. Yardbarker's MLB writers took the opportunity to come together to hand out some first-half grades for the National League teams.

(Records and stats are entering play on Monday.)

NL East

Philadelphia Phillies left fielder Kyle Schwarber (12) reacts next to Atlanta Braves second baseman Ozzie Albies (1) after hitting a double during the first inning at Truist Park. Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

Atlanta Braves (38-45) | Grade: F | Winless through their first seven games of the season, the Braves dug themselves into a hole they have yet to climb out of. Their once potent offense has severely underachieved, and outside of 1B Matt Olson, RF Ronald Acuna Jr., and rookie catcher Drake Baldwin, most of their at-bats aren't as competitive as in recent seasons.

Miami Marlins (37-45) | Grade: D | The Fish are nearly 10 games below .500, and yet their season hasn't been as bad as initially projected. Young players like LF Kyle Stowers, C Agustin Ramirez and 2B Otto Lopez have emerged as potential building blocks for the future.

New York Mets (48-37) | Grade: B | Despite Juan Soto’s uncharacteristic offensive woes, the Mets cruised through the season's first two months. Now that Soto’s bat has woken up, the rest of the team has gone to sleep, losing 13 of their last 16 games and surrendering first place to the Phillies.

Philadelphia Phillies (49-35) | Grade: B+ | It hasn't been a perfect season for Philadelphia, but the strength of its starting rotation, including Zack Wheeler, Cristopher Sanchez, Ranger Suarez and Jesus Luzardo, has willed them into first place. As far as their lineup, DH Kyle Schwarber and SS Trea Turner have led the way offensively, especially in the absence of 1B Bryce Harper.

Washington Nationals (35-49) | Grade: D- | Like the Marlins, the Nats weren't expected to be competitive and their record is about in line with what most pundits were predicting. On the bright side, the team has a star in the making in 22-year-old OF James Wood, sporting a .938 OPS with 22 homers and 11 stolen bases. -- Lauren Amour

NL Central

Chicago Cubs catcher Carson Kelly hits an RBI single against the St. Louis Cardinals in the fifth inning at Busch Stadium. Joe Puetz-Imagn Images

Chicago Cubs (49-35) | Grade: A | The Cubs hold the second-best record in the NL and lead the NL Central by two games. Catcher Carson Kelly and outfielders Kyle Tucker and Pete Crow-Armstrong all reached the final round for the All-Star voting — a major change from last year when they had zero offensive All-Star selections.

Cincinnati Reds (44-40) | Grade: B | In their first year under manager Terry Francona, Cincinnati is on pace for 85 wins — a mark it hasn't reached since 2013. Though headed in the right direction, the Reds sit 2.5 games back of a postseason spot.

Milwaukee Brewers (47-37) | Grade: B+ | While battling many injuries throughout the roster, Milwaukee’s depth has kept it in the playoff hunt. The Brewers have climbed into a wild-card spot and are just two games behind the Cubs for the top spot in the NL Central.

Pittsburgh Pirates (35-50) | Grade: F | Pittsburgh is heading toward a 12th consecutive season without a playoff berth. With a 35-50 record — the second-worst in the NL — the Pirates are on pace for just 67 wins, nine fewer wins than last year.

St. Louis Cardinals (47-38) | Grade: A- | According to FanDuel, the Cardinals entered the 2025 season with their win total at 75.5 games. With breakout performances across the roster, St. Louis has surged to a 47-38 record and currently holds the last NL postseason spot. -- Taylor Bretl

NL West

Arizona Diamondbacks starting pitcher Corbin Burnes reacts after an injury in the fifth inning and leaves the field against the Washington Nationals at Chase Field. Allan Henry-Imagn Images

Arizona Diamondbacks (41-42) | Grade: C | Arizona has certainly underachieved this season, but injuries to key players (Corbin Burnes, Corbin Carroll, etc.) play a big role in the team’s inability to stay above .500 consistently. In what has been a top-heavy division in the first half, can the Diamondbacks right the ship before the MLB trade deadline?

Colorado Rockies (19-65) | Grade: F | This season has been a nightmare in Denver so far, and things could certainly get worse for the Rockies depending on how many players the franchise deals at the trade deadline. No matter how you spin it, when your team is on track for the most losses in the MLB’s modern era, the season has been a failure.

Los Angeles Dodgers (53-32) | Grade: A | The defending world champions have done what they needed to do in the first half, and they’ve done so with a head-shaking number of pitching injuries. Shohei Ohtani is the heavy favorite to win National League MVP honors, pacing a star-studded offense that still hasn’t hit its stride (a frightening thought for the rest of baseball).

San Diego Padres (45-38) | Grade: A- | There’s no question the Padres will make some moves at the trade deadline to shore up left field and other spots where the team can improve. However, even with some early weaknesses, the Padres have shown they can be a dangerous team in the second half of the season and beyond.

San Francisco Giants (45-39) | Grade: A | Adding Rafael Devers showed that the Giants are serious about winning now as well as building for the future. That attitude keeps carrying the surprising team of the division forward and within striking distance of the Dodgers. -- Kevin Henry

Taylor Bretl

Taylor Bretl writes about Major League Baseball with a focus on the Milwaukee Brewers. He is founder of Around the Globe Baseball.

Kevin Henry

A member of the Baseball Writers Association of America (BBWAA), Kevin Henry has been covering MLB and MiLB for nearly two decades. Those assignments have included All-Star Games and the MLB postseason, including the World Series. Based in the Denver area, Kevin calls Coors Field his home base, but travels throughout North America during the season to discover the best stories possible

Lauren Amour

Lauren Amour is a writer and editor based in the Greater Philadelphia area. She works as an editor and writer at Yardbarker, covering MLB and the Philadelphia Phillies.

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