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MLB Power Rankings: Fastball On SI Poll For May 12
Los Angeles Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman (5) celebrates after hitting a home run against the Miami Marlins at loanDepot Park. Jim Rassol-Imagn Images

MLB Power Rankings: Fastball On SI Poll For May 12

Originally posted on Fastball on SI  |  By Jack Ankony  |  Last updated May 12, 2025 1:28 PM ET

The 2025 MLB season has reached the quarter-pole with each team playing about 40 games. 

The defending World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers lead the league with 27 wins, but there’s plenty of competition as the Mets, Tigers and Padres have each reached the 25-win mark. Division races remain tight as well, with the Tigers’ 2.5-game lead over the Guardians and Royals being the biggest gap.

Two of MLB’s hottest teams are the Twins and Cardinals, both riding eight-game win streaks after getting off to slow starts. It was also a productive week for the Phillies, who won series against the Guardians and Rays to stay close behind the Mets in the NL East race. The Cubs lost their claim as the highest-scoring team after dropping two of three games to the Mets over the weekend and being passed by the Yankees, who hung 29 runs on the Athletics in a series win.

Ahead of Monday’s games, here are the Fastball On SI MLB power rankings.

(This poll takes into account the average ranking from five Fastball On SI MLB writers: Tom Brew, Jack Ankony, Brady Farkas, Teren Kowatsch and Sam Connon. Ties are broken by the highest vote, or multiple highest votes. First-place votes in parentheses.)

  1. Los Angeles Dodgers (4)
  2. San Diego Padres (1)
  3. New York Mets
  4. Detroit Tigers
  5. Philadelphia Phillies
  6. Chicago Cubs
  7. New York Yankees
  8. San Francisco Giants
  9. Kansas City Royals
  10. Cleveland Guardians
  11. Seattle Mariners
  12. St. Louis Cardinals
  13. Arizona Diamondbacks
  14. Boston Red Sox
  15. Houston Astros
  16. Minnesota Twins
  17. Toronto Blue Jays
  18. Atlanta Braves
  19. The Athletics
  20. Cincinnati Reds
  21. Texas Rangers
  22. Milwaukee Brewers
  23. Tampa Bay Rays
  24. Washington Nationals
  25. Baltimore Orioles
  26. Los Angeles Angels
  27. Chicago White Sox
  28. Miami Marlins
  29. Pittsburgh Pirates
  30. Colorado Rockies

Here’s how each writer voted.

Tom Brew

  1. San Diego Padres
  2. Los Angeles Dodgers
  3. Philadelphia Phillies 
  4. New York Mets
  5. Detroit Tigers
  6. New York Yankees
  7. San Francisco Giants
  8. Chicago Cubs
  9. Kansas City Royals
  10. Seattle Mariners
  11. Cleveland Guardians
  12. Arizona Diamondbacks
  13. St. Louis Cardinals 
  14. Boston Red Sox
  15. The Athletics
  16. Houston Astros
  17. Minnesota Twins
  18. Cincinnati Reds
  19. Atlanta Braves
  20. Texas Rangers
  21. Tampa Bay Rays
  22. Toronto Blue Jays
  23. Milwaukee Brewers
  24. Washington Nationals
  25. Los Angeles Angels
  26. Baltimore Orioles
  27. Miami Marlins
  28. Chicago White Sox
  29. Pittsburgh Pirates
  30. Colorado Rockies

Comments: I saw the worst of the Padres so far, getting swept at home by Tampa Bay, but I still have them No. 1. I love the top of their rotation, the back of their bullpen and all those bats that can explode. They are starting to get healthy now, too. I like the Phillies more than the Mets, too. Probably not giving enough love to the Twins, who have won eight in a row. That might be a correction for next week.

Jack Ankony

  1. Los Angeles Dodgers
  2. New York Mets
  3. San Diego Padres
  4. Detroit Tigers
  5. Philadelphia Phillies
  6. Chicago Cubs
  7. New York Yankees
  8. San Francisco Giants
  9. Kansas City Royals
  10. Cleveland Guardians
  11. Seattle Mariners
  12. Arizona Diamondbacks
  13. St. Louis Cardinals
  14. Minnesota Twins
  15. Boston Red Sox
  16. Houston Astros
  17. Toronto Blue Jays
  18. Texas Rangers
  19. Atlanta Braves
  20. The Athletics
  21. Cincinnati Reds
  22. Tampa Bay Rays
  23. Milwaukee Brewers
  24. Baltimore Orioles
  25. Los Angeles Angels
  26. Washington Nationals
  27. Chicago White Sox
  28. Pittsburgh Pirates
  29. Miami Marlins
  30. Colorado Rockies

Comments: The Cubs had their first rough week of the season, losing five of seven games to the Brewers, Giants and Mets. They’re still in first place, but the Cardinals are hot on their tails. Everyone in the AL Central had a good week, even the White Sox who won their weekend series against the Marlins.

Brady Farkas

  1. Los Angeles Dodgers
  2. San Diego Padres
  3. Chicago Cubs
  4. New York Mets
  5. Detroit Tigers
  6. Philadelphia Phillies
  7. New York Yankees
  8. Kansas City Royals
  9. San Francisco Giants
  10. Cleveland Guardians
  11. Seattle Mariners
  12. Arizona Diamondbacks
  13. Boston Red Sox
  14. Houston Astros
  15. Atlanta Braves
  16. The Athletics
  17. Toronto Blue Jays
  18. St. Louis Cardinals
  19. Minnesota Twins
  20. Cincinnati Reds
  21. Milwaukee Brewers
  22. Texas Rangers
  23. Tampa Bay Rays
  24. Baltimore Orioles
  25. Washington Nationals
  26. Los Angeles Angels
  27. Chicago White Sox
  28. Pittsburgh Pirates
  29. Miami Marlins
  30. Colorado Rockies

Comments: The Dodgers hold onto the top spot despite the pitching concerns and the injury issues; being the champs will do that for you. The Mariners just lost three straight to the Jays and have six more with the Yankees and Padres to follow, big week. The Royals lost the series against Boston but their starting pitching and Bobby Witt Jr. make them a real contender.

Teren Kowatsch

  1. Los Angeles Dodgers
  2. San Diego Padres
  3. New York Mets
  4. New York Yankees
  5. Detroit Tigers
  6. Chicago Cubs
  7. San Francisco Giants
  8. Philadelphia Phillies
  9. Kansas City Royals
  10. Cleveland Guardians
  11. Seattle Mariners
  12. Arizona Diamondbacks
  13. St. Louis Cardinals
  14. Toronto Blue Jays
  15. Atlanta Braves
  16. Houston Astros
  17. Boston Red Sox
  18. Athletics
  19. Cincinnati Reds 
  20. Minnesota Twins
  21.  Milwaukee Brewers
  22. Texas Rangers
  23. Washington Nationals 
  24. Los Angeles Angels
  25. Tampa Bay Rays
  26. Miami Marlins
  27. Baltimore Orioles
  28. Chicago White Sox
  29. Pittsburgh Pirates
  30. Colorado Rockies

Comments: The National League has outplayed the American League this season, and the Los Angeles Dodgers remain at the forefront of it by leading the ultra-competitive NL West. Many middle-of-the-pack teams, like the St. Louis Cardinals and Seattle Mariners, have had unexpected runs this season and could rise higher on the rankings depending on how the rest of May and June take shape.

Sam Connon

  1. Los Angeles Dodgers
  2. Detroit Tigers
  3. New York Mets
  4. Philadelphia Phillies
  5. San Diego Padres
  6. Chicago Cubs
  7. New York Yankees
  8. St. Louis Cardinals
  9. San Francisco Giants
  10. Boston Red Sox
  11. Cleveland Guardians
  12. Seattle Mariners
  13. Kansas City Royals
  14. Minnesota Twins
  15. Houston Astros
  16. Toronto Blue Jays
  17. Arizona Diamondbacks
  18. The Athletics
  19. Atlanta Braves
  20. Milwaukee Brewers
  21. Texas Rangers
  22. Cincinnati Reds
  23. Tampa Bay Rays
  24. Washington Nationals
  25. Baltimore Orioles
  26. Los Angeles Angels
  27. Chicago White Sox
  28. Miami Marlins
  29. Pittsburgh Pirates
  30. Colorado Rockies

Comments: There is not a hotter team in the National League than the St. Louis Cardinals. Sweeps over the Pittsburgh Pirates and Washington Nationals may not be parade-worthy, but the hot streak got started against the New York Mets. This week’s series between the Cardinals and similarly streaking Philadelphia Phillies should be one to watch, with the winner likely establishing themselves among the NL’s elite.


This article first appeared on Fastball on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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