The 2025 Memorial Cup is upon us, and there is a ton of intrigue. The tournament is brimming with talented young players, some of whom will play in the NHL as soon as next season and one who is the consensus first overall selection in 2026.

There’s everything from elite forwards who should become 30-goal scorers in the NHL to top-four defenders that will man NHL blue lines for years to come. The level of talent on display in this Memorial Cup surpasses those of the last few years. There is no shortage of eye-popping talent in every game of this tournament, and each team has a few players that NHL fans should expect to see as soon as this fall.

Here’s a team-by-team rundown of the top prospects, including scouting notes on each:

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London Knights
OHL

It is no small feat to hold the playoff scoring record for the London Knights given the top-flight talent that has come through the team, and Easton Cowan has accomplished that feat; he now has 96 playoff points after tallying 39 points in 17 playoff games this year. He is the straw that stirs the drink in London, and will be looking to avenge a loss in last year’s Memorial Cup Final.

Cowan plays an in-your-face style with high-end skill. He hits, gets in the kitchen of opponents, dangles and creates high-danger scoring chances. His chemistry with Halttunen played a key role on London’s OHL Championship run, and everyone expects him to be a major talking point over the next 10 days.

The MVP of the OHL playoffs tallied 15 goals in 17 playoff games, including multiple hat tricks in the OHL final. He went through playoff opponents like a hot knife through butter, and is going to be the No. 1 shut-down target in the Memorial Cup.

If London is going to win as the Memorial Cup favorites, Halttunen will likely need to lead the tournament in goal scoring. He can score from distance with an NHL-ready shot, and can also deflect pucks, and drive the net. On the power play, his one-timer is a significant weapon. Halttunen will be one of the best offensive players in the tournament and the top priority for opponents to neutralize.

The two-way center was fantastic for London throughout the OHL playoffs, tallying 22 points while shutting down the opponent’s best players. He is going play a key role in shutting down the likes of Gavin McKenna, Andrew Basha, Caleb Desnoyers and Jacob Mathieu.

O’Reilly is a quality penalty killer and excellent matchup center because he’s relentless on the puck, his stick routinely breaks up passes and he wins most of his puck battles. O’Reilly is Dale Hunter’s go-to player in tight situations, and will be deployed in every key spot. If he can effectively neutralize the opponent’s best players and put up around four points, London will be in good shape.

Dickinson is one of two standouts on the Knights’ blue line and is their best offensive defenseman, tallying 31 points in the OHL playoffs. The offensive facilitator has been excellent as a junior player, and finds himself projected to become a top-pair defender in the NHL.

Dickinson will be expected to play a steady game, break up plays and thwart offensive threats. He’s at his best when he plays a simplified defensive game while joining the rush offensively with excellent skating ability. He can tilt the ice in the Knights’ favor from the back end, and if he plays mistake-free hockey defensively, the Knights will be in good shape.

Bonk is not flashy the way Dickinson is, but Hunter relies on him to play the toughest matchups. He’s a steady presence on the blue line, shutting down opponents effectively by forcing them into poor areas of the ice and killing the play.

He’s a defense-first player who doesn’t get caught up ice. His gap control allows him to force turnovers, steer opponents through the neutral zone and force dump-ins. Hunter will need him to shut down junior hockey’s best players, and it will be a major test of Bonk’s ability to neutralize NHL-caliber players. If Bonk can win his matchups against McKenna, Desnoyers and Cataford, the Knights will be in pole position to win the Memorial Cup.

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Medicine Hat Tigers
WHL

After missing a year with injury, the No. 4 overall pick from 2024 tallied four points in four WHL championship games. The big forward is going to have a lot of eyes on him at the Memorial Cup after losing a year of development. He needs to use his body to protect pucks, drive to the middle and be a consistent scoring threat.

Lindstrom has the ability to tilt the ice in Medicine Hat’s favor, driving offense and physically imposing himself on opponents. He is the X factor for Medicine Hat; if he’s excellent, the Tigers have a real chance to win the Memorial Cup. If he can’t perform at his very best, they may struggle to handle the depth of London and Moncton.

Gavin McKenna, 2026 draft prospect

There will be at least two or three viral plays from Gavin McKenna in the Memorial Cup. One of the best players — if not the best player — outside of the NHL is not draft-eligible until 2026.

McKenna has eye-popping offensive abilities, elite hockey sense and routinely turns defenders into pretzels. He’s the most gifted player in this Memorial Cup, and if Medicine Hat is going to win, will likely lead the tournament in scoring.

McKenna is a threat with and without the puck, in the offensive zone and in transition, and no one at the junior hockey level has effectively neutralized him. He’s a truly special talent, and unlike other special talents before him (Connor McDavid, Connor Bedard), McKenna has the opportunity to play in the Memorial Cup.

A point-per-game player in the WHL playoffs, Ritchie doesn’t get the same media attention as McKenna, Lindstrom and Basha do, but he’s a very effective player. A dual-threat offensive talent, Ritchie struggled to adjust to Medicine Hat’s system of play earlier in the season after an August trade from Prince Albert, and rounded into form as the season wore on.

Ritchie can shoot the puck with authority and his playmaking ability prevents defenders and from cheating to the shot or pass. He can drive play, create scoring chances and facilitate for his teammates. Medicine Hat will need him to facilitate offense and be a catalyst in the middle of the lineup to provide scoring depth.

Basha missed a significant portion of the regular season and playoffs recovering from ankle surgery, but made an immediate impact when he returned. At his best, Basha is a dynamic offensive threat who beats defenders with speed. He can beat teams in many ways, with playmaking and scoring ability.

While he’s more of a playmaker than shooting threat, Basha will be a major part of Medicine Hat’s offensive production at even strength and on the power play. With the likes of Lindstrom, McKenna and Ritchie, Basha has no shortage of players with whom to make plays. He’s the type of player who elevates the play of his teammates, and shows flashes of truly elite offensive talent.

With 20 points in 18 playoff games, Molendyk continues to be an elite defenseman at the junior level. He defends the rush with supreme effectiveness, which will be key against the likes of Easton Cowan, Kasper Halttunen, Caleb Desnoyers and the like.

He neutralizes elite offensive talent in transition with elite skating and puck moving. His identity as a two-way defender who moves the puck well and defends the rush gives him a confident projection as a top-four defender in the NHL. Molendyk is the leader on Medicine Hat’s back end, and the player relied upon to drive play from the blue line. Expect him to play a significant role in all situations for the Tigers at the Memorial Cup.

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Rimouski Océanic
QMJHL

The two-way forward will be key for the hosts of the tournament, who lost to Moncton in the QMJHL Final. Cataford is a well-rounded player that provides significant value on both sides of the puck. He will need to be impactful on the forecheck, facilitate offense with his passing skill and get quick shots off from scoring areas.

He’s got the strength and skill to drive transition play and create plays at the net front. He can and will play in all situations, and will need to be a catalyst in all three zones for Rimouski to overcome the champions of the OHL, QMJHL and WHL.

Jacob Mathieu, Undrafted free agent

The leading point producer in the QMJHL playoffs will need to lead the charge for the hosts in the Memorial Cup. The 21-year-old undrafted player is looking to make an impression to earn an invite to an NHL development camp and perhaps, an entry-level contract.

Mathieu tallied 31 points in 23 playoff games, including four goals and seven points in the QMJHL Final. He’s found the offensive game that many teams hoped to see in his draft year, and has put it together at the right time for Rimouski. They will need him to produce and drive offense, as well as support plays in all three zones. If Mathieu continues to perform and produce at the Memorial Cup, he will surely get consideration for an NHL contract this fall.

The big, right-handed defender missed the entirety of the QMJHL playoffs with a broken ankle, and is hopeful to return for the Memorial Cup. He’s a quality defender who can be a difference-maker on the back end with his physicality and transition ability, if he’s able to play.

There is no word on whether he will be ready or not, but Gill’s presence in the lineup would be a major boost to for the host’s chances after losing 4-2 to Moncton in the QMJHL Final.

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Moncton Wildcats
QMJHL

Caleb Desnoyers, 2025 draft prospect

Desnoyers has a rare chance to make a final impression on scouts and NHL executives long after many of his draft-eligible counterparts have stopped playing. While they’re readying for the combine, Desnoyers is looking to lead his team to a Memorial Cup.

An excellent two-way player, Desnoyers has excellent hands and quality playmaking ability. He plays in the face of opponents and can neutralize their best players. Moncton is expecting him to lead the charge offensively while playing head-to-head against the top players. If Desnoyers has a standout performance on both sides of the puck, he may find himself inside the top 5 when the draft rolls around.

One of Moncton’s best players in the playoffs, with 22 points in 19 games, the big center will continue to play a key depth role for Moncton after scoring the series clincher in the QMJHL Final. He is a menace at the net front, proving near impossible to move, with proven ability to deflect pucks and finish rebounds in tight.

At 6-5 and 207 pounds, he’s almost too much to handle at the junior level, bullying his way through battles, forechecking and holding opponents off. He should be able to continue physically dominating players at the Memorial Cup, even if he lacks dynamic skill. He plays an effective, power-forward game and can turn momentum with a big hit or altercation.

Expected to play on the top line with Desnoyers, Pekarcik tallied nine goals in the QMJHL playoffs, including goals in each of the first three games against Rimouski in the Final. Pekarcik is one of the smarter players on the Wildcats’ roster, and can execute plays at a high pace. He understands how to read defensive coverage, find holes and attack them with speed. He takes what defenders give him and will need to continue that to produce alongside Desnoyers.

He’ll play a key role on the power play recovering pucks, funneling the puck to the net and dissecting coverage.

One of the best defenders in the QMJHL playoffs, Morin is the catalyst from the back end for Moncton. Tallying 11 power-play points this postseason, Morin was a major reason the Wildcats made opponents repeatedly pay for their infractions.

He quarterbacks the Moncton power play, is a shooting threat from the point and facilitates opportunities for Desnoyers and Pekarcik. Defensively, he plays a physical game, punishing opponents while effectively moving the puck and getting himself out of trouble. He’ll play major minutes against the top players in the tournament, and will be required to shut them down for Moncton to have success.

We’ve inched past the quarter mark of the 2025 MLB season and, in many ways, the season has gone as expected: The American League looks to have a crowded playoff race, the Los Angeles Dodgers are good even with a slew of pitching injuries, contending National League teams are living up to expectations and we have some awful squads at the bottom of the overall standings.

That doesn’t leave a lot of room for surprises, but let’s look at five clubs that began the season with projected playoff odds of less than 50%, according to ESPN reporter Bradford Doolittle’s initial preseason projections, and have so far exceeded those predictions.

Which of these teams are for real and which might be early-season flukes? We’ll start with a red-hot AL team that has dominated the first two months — and no, it’s not the New York Yankees.

(All stats through Sunday.)

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Preseason playoff odds: 41.2%

Key stat: Last season, the Tigers hit 162 home runs in 162 games. This season, they hit 60 in their first 47 games, a pace of 207. The team OBP has improved from .300 (29th in the majors) to .333 (sixth). As a result, Detroit has increased its runs per game from 4.21 to 5.38.

Hot start: Former No. 1 picks Spencer Torkelson and Casey Mize both scuffled in 2024, with Torkelson finding himself demoted to Triple-A at one point and finishing with 10 home runs and 0.3 WAR, and Mize going 2-6 with a 4.49 ERA and 0.2 WAR. Torkelson already has 12 home runs and ranks among MLB’s best in RBIs, while Mize is 6-1 with a 2.53 ERA.

Can he keep it going? Javier Baez was so bad in 2023 and 2024 that he likely would have been let go if he didn’t still have three seasons left on his contract. However, not only is he hitting .291/.326/.485 in 2025, but he has moved to center field with Parker Meadows injured and looks like a natural out there.

Area of concern: Third base? Starting pitching depth? Really, the Tigers have shown no obvious weakness so far. Once Meadows returns, Baez can always move to third base if needed, keeping Zach McKinstry in a utility role. Sawyer Gipson-Long has started a rehab assignment, and the Double-A rotation is stacked if help is eventually needed in the rotation.

The question at this point isn’t if the Tigers are for real, but rather if they have a chance to be the best team in Tigers history. The 1984 team holds the club record with 104 wins and had that famous 35-5 start on its way to a World Series title. The 2025 Tigers are on pace for 107 wins after 47 games. They’ve been extremely well-rounded with a surprisingly deep lineup, solid defense, Tarik Skubal leading a good rotation and a bullpen picking up where it left off from last year’s out-of-nowhere trip to the postseason. Detroit has done all this with Matt Vierling and Meadows — who were second and third among position players a year ago in WAR — injured so far this season.

Mize has been a nice surprise as well, walking just nine batters in seven starts, and he should remain effective if he keeps doing that. With Skubal leading the way, the Tigers rank second to only the Philadelphia Phillies in strikeout rate among starting pitchers. The bullpen isn’t quite as dominant in that department (17th in the majors), but that’s also the easiest area to add to at the trade deadline if necessary.

If you want to nitpick, you could point to the lack of one consistent closer, as changeup specialist Tommy Kahnle, Will Vest and Brant Hurter have split duties with 12 saves between them. It’s unconventional, but all three have been effective, and manager A.J. Hinch and pitching coach Chris Fetter have certainly shown over the past two seasons they know how to work a bullpen. While some of the Tigers’ hitters can be expected to regress — Baez, in particular — getting Vierling and Meadows back will give Hinch all kinds of lineup flexibility to maximize matchups.

This probably isn’t a 107-win team or even a 104-win team, but this could be Detroit’s first 95-win team since 2011.

Verdict: Real

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Preseason playoff odds: 33.9%

Key stat: The Cardinals went 12-1 from May 4 to 17, posting a 2.33 ERA and throwing three shutouts in that stretch. The rotation ranks a solid eighth in the majors with a 3.64 ERA — although just 25th in strikeout rate.

Hot start: Brendan Donovan is hitting .330/.387/.466 with 15 doubles. Ivan Herrera missed a month with a bone bruise in his knee but is hitting .429 in 15 games with 11 of his 21 hits going for extra bases.

Can he keep it going? Matthew Liberatore pitched primarily out of the bullpen in 2024, but the 25-year-old lefty has moved into the rotation and is 3-3 with a 2.92 ERA and an impressive 47-8 strikeout-to-walk ratio.

Area of concern: Former top prospect Jordan Walker was up and down between the Cardinals and Triple-A last year, struggling while in the big leagues with a .201 average. Given another opportunity at regular duty, he’s off to a slow start, hitting .189 with 44 strikeouts in 145 plate appearances.

The Cardinals dropped to 14-19 in early May and looked kind of like what everyone expected: not very interesting and not very likely to be a factor in the NL Central race. Then came that hot streak, and while it included sweeps of the Pittsburgh Pirates and Washington Nationals, it also included series wins over the Phillies, New York Mets and Kansas City Royals. Indeed, there’s nothing fluky in the team’s overall win-loss record, with a plus-38 run differential — heck, St. Louis is even 0-4 in extra-inning games to drag the record down a bit.

The number that jumps out, however, is the strikeout rate from the rotation. Erick Fedde, Andre Pallante and Miles Mikolas are all averaging fewer than 6.0 K’s per nine, and it’s difficult to remain successful in this baseball era with strikeout rates that low. Of 116 pitchers with at least 40 innings, that trio ranks 105th, 106th and 111th in strikeout rate and has also combined for a 3.77 ERA. Add in Liberatore and Sonny Gray, and that’s a rotation that could make the playoffs — if they can keep it going. I’m skeptical, although Pallante in particular is an extreme ground ball pitcher and has great infield defense behind him with Masyn Winn, Nolan Arenado and Donovan.

The offense feels a bit more like the real deal, even as Walker and Nolan Gorman struggle. Victor Scott II has been much better after being overmatched in the majors a year ago, and Winn has a .349 OBP after looking lost in spring training, when he went 4-for-50. If Scott and Winn can provide decent enough offense to go with their defense, it makes the lineup a little deeper and helps make up for the team’s overall lack of power.

In the end, those are two things that pop out: the lack of strikeouts from the starting pitchers and the offense having not quite enough power. There is potential here to surprise and battle the Chicago Cubs for the division, but for now, I’m not completely sold.

Verdict: Not real

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Preseason playoff odds: 24.6%

Key stat: Relievers Camilo Doval, Tyler Rogers, Randy Rodriguez and Erik Miller are a combined 10-2 with a 1.27 ERA in 78 innings while holding batters to a .164 average.

Hot start: Logan Webb looks better than ever with a 2.42 ERA, just two home runs allowed and a career-high 27.4% strikeout rate.

Can he keep it going? Wilmer Flores has 10 home runs and leads the majors with 42 RBIs, even though his overall batting line doesn’t pop out at .258/.324/.454. He has hit .395 with runners in scoring position, and his home runs include one grand slam and three with two runners on.

Area of concern: Jordan Hicks just got removed from the rotation with a 6.55 ERA and Justin Verlander remains winless in nine starts. Giants first basemen are hitting .189 with just four home runs and their catchers rank next to last in OPS in the majors (although defensive stalwart Patrick Bailey isn’t going anywhere).

Maybe the most impressive aspect of the Giants’ start is that they’re winning even though the entire team hasn’t necessarily clicked on all cylinders. Besides the concerns listed above, Willy Adames got off to a slow start and closer Ryan Walker has had a couple of hiccups. The bullpen has otherwise been dominant, however, and could get even better with the hard-throwing Hicks moving back there with Hayden Birdsong getting a shot in the rotation.

Can San Francisco keep it going? It’s worth noting the Giants haven’t played the Dodgers yet and went 0-2 against the San Diego Padres and 1-2 against the Arizona Diamondbacks in their lone series against those other NL West rivals. Flores probably isn’t going to finish with 145 RBIs — the pace he’s currently on. Indeed, the entire lineup has hit especially well with runners in scoring position, ranking third in OPS behind the Dodgers and Cubs (but ranking just 15th in overall OPS).

The Giants need to get Adames going on a consistent basis and need to get more from first base, but the bullpen has a chance to be special, with Rodriguez emerging as a top setup guy and Doval pitching well again after struggling with his command last year. For now, I’m a believer. Let’s see what happens with that first series against the Dodgers in June.

Verdict: Real

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Preseason playoff odds: 19%

Key stat: Based on their underlying statistics, the Guardians would be an expected 19-27, not 25-21. Most of the “clutch” performance has come on the pitching side, where they’ve allowed 4.39 runs per game against an expected total of 4.80 runs per game.

Hot start: Hunter Gaddis is showing last year’s 1.78 ERA was no fluke as he has a 1.00 ERA through 18 innings with 26 strikeouts. The only two runs he allowed both came on solo home runs.

Can he keep it going? Kyle Manzardo is hitting .221 with a .309 OBP but has 10 home runs and is slugging .493. That puts him on pace to hit 35 home runs — essentially replacing the power production of the traded Josh Naylor.

Area of concern: The rotation ranks 21st in the majors in ERA, 19th in strikeout rate, 24th in innings and 25th in OPS allowed. Cleveland isn’t getting any offense from shortstop with Brayan Rocchio hitting .165, and his defensive metrics haven’t been as impressive as they were in 2024 (although they’re still average overall).

Even though they won 92 games and reached the American League Championship Series last season, the preseason prognostications weren’t high on the Guardians, with concerns about the starting rotation plus factoring in some regression from the historic performance of last year’s bullpen. Emmanuel Clase had some early bumps, but the bullpen has been solid overall, ranking fifth in the majors in win probability added. The rotation, no surprise, hasn’t dominated, especially with Tanner Bibee seeing dips in his numbers across the board (his strikeout rate, in particular, has dropped from 26.3% to 16.4%, a huge year-to-year decrease).

You can see where this is headed: The Guardians are fortunate to be four games over .500. The offense, even with Jose Ramirez and Steven Kwan, probably isn’t good enough to overcome a shaky rotation over the long haul of a 162-game season. Additionally, with Andres Gimenez in Toronto and Rocchio’s defense not as good early on, the defense hasn’t been nearly as impressive as it was last season — the team batting average allowed on balls in play has jumped from .277 to .313.

Still, at least Cleveland has put itself in a contending position. The rotation had been healthy, with the top five guys starting 44 of the team’s 46 games, until Ben Lively went on the injured list last week with a forearm strain. Slade Cecconi had a strong start filling in for Lively, so he now becomes a huge key. And maybe the Guardians will get Shane Bieber back at some point.

In the meantime, they’ll be tested over the next month, with series against the Minnesota Twins, Tigers, Dodgers, Yankees, Houston Astros, Seattle Mariners and Giants. If they can survive this stretch, we’ve learned to never count out the Guardians, but for now, it feels like they’ve overachieved.

Verdict: Not real

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Preseason playoff odds: 8.4%

Key stat: The A’s were just one game out of first place in the AL West after beating Seattle on May 5, but then they went 2-9 against the Mariners, Yankees, Dodgers and Giants to fall under .500.

Hot start: Jacob Wilson is hitting .337/.369/.478 with just 10 strikeouts in 188 plate appearances.

Can he keep it going? In Tyler Soderstrom‘s case, maybe not. He was hitting .315 with nine home runs through his first 19 games but hit .243 with just one home run in his next 28 games.

Area of concern: The A’s have a lack of front-line pitching, both in the rotation and the bullpen. In going 6-10 to start May, they posted a 6.13 ERA, including six games in which they allowed at least nine runs. The team’s defense isn’t helping — it ranks last in the majors in defensive runs saved.

The Athletics looked a lot more like a viable playoff contender 10 days ago but struggled in this brutal stretch against winning teams, losing four consecutive series. Indeed, the A’s are 7-12 in blowout games — those decided by five or more runs — and that’s an indicator that they might not stay relevant for the duration of the season.

On the other hand: It’s possible no team runs away with the AL West. The Mariners have three starting pitchers on the IL, stressing a pitching staff that’s already without much depth, while the Texas Rangers and Astros have both scuffled to score runs at times. One little winning streak and the A’s can climb right back into it.

Two keys: Lawrence Butler and Nick Kurtz. Butler was on my breakout list after hitting .302/.346/.597 over the final three months last season, but he’s hitting .227/.292/.386 in 2025 with a lot of swing-and-miss (he was in the 37th percentile last season in whiff rate but has dropped to the eighth percentile). Kurtz looked ready for the majors after ripping up Triple-A to begin the season, but he has been overmatched so far, hitting .219 with one home run and 30 strikeouts in 81 plate appearances. He’s going to have to improve the contact rate, or a demotion back to the minors might be forthcoming.

This is still a fun up-and-coming team. Wilson looks like a hitter who will contend for batting titles year after year with his ability to put the ball in play. I still believe in Butler and Kurtz. But the A’s rank 26th in rotation ERA and 28th in bullpen ERA. Some of that is Sacramento’s Sutter Health Park, but they’re also still 20th in road ERA. They probably don’t have the pitching to stay close all season, even in a mediocre AL West.

Verdict: Not real

The Detroit Tigers have continued their meteoric rise up our list … all the way to No. 1, usurping the Los Angeles Dodgers for the top spot in Week 8.

The Tigers, who started at No. 18 in our preseason rankings, continue to dominate the majors in 2025. You would have to go back maybe more than 10 years to find the last time they sat atop ESPN’s power rankings.

The St. Louis Cardinals join Detroit as another team on the rise this week, jumping up three spots to No. 12, as the Baltimore Orioles continue to collapse, dropping to No. 27 from their preseason ranking of sixth.

Where does every other MLB club stand ahead of Memorial Day?

Our expert panel has combined to rank every team based on a combination of what we’ve seen and what we already knew going into the 162-game marathon that is a full baseball season. We also asked ESPN MLB experts Jesse Rogers, Jorge Castillo and Bradford Doolittle to weigh in with an observation for all 30 teams.

Week 7 | Preseason rankings

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1. Detroit Tigers

Record: 33-17
Previous ranking: 3

Plenty is going right for the Tigers: the resurgence of Javier Baez … in center field; Tarik Skubal‘s sterling defense of his AL Cy Young Award; former No. 1 picks Spencer Torkelson and Casey Mize finding their way; and the bullpen’s dominance. Lost in those headlines is Gleyber Torres having a solid season, continuing where he left off down the stretch in 2024 with the Yankees. The second baseman is batting .281 with five home runs and an .794 OPS. If that production continues, the 28-year-old Torres, who signed a one-year deal for $15 million, will be in line for a multiyear contract next offseason. — Castillo

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2. Los Angeles Dodgers

Record: 31-19
Previous ranking: 1

The Dodgers’ 18 comeback wins are the most in the majors. But the story behind all those rallies is less about an emergent resilience and more about an injury-riddled starting rotation that has put the club in early holes too often. The Dodgers’ 4.30 rotation ERA ranks 23rd in the majors. That’s stunning enough but it’s worse when you look at the first inning, where L.A.’s 6.30 ERA ranks 28th. Amazingly, Cy Young candidate Yoshinobu Yamamoto has allowed just one first-inning earned run in 10 outings. The other Dodgers’ starters have a collective 7.65 first-inning ERA. — Doolittle

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Record: 31-18
Previous ranking: 6

A torrid stretch that began in late April lifted the Phillies into first place in the NL East, positioning them for another postseason push. Alas, if Philadelphia does earn a spot in the NL bracket, closer Jose Alvarado won’t be there to help. He tested positive for PEDs, leading to a suspension that will cost him 80 regular-season games and postseason eligibility. The silver lining is that Jordan Romano, the Phillies’ new top option for saves, appears to have righted the ship after a ragged start. His spree of eight scoreless outings included four saves and a couple of holds. — Doolittle

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Record: 29-19
Previous ranking: 5

The Subway Series was all about Juan Soto‘s return to Yankee Stadium, but it was Cody Bellinger, one of Soto’s replacements in the Bronx, who starred all weekend. The versatile former NL MVP went 7-for-11 with three walks, two doubles and two home runs, including a grand slam, in the three games. The Mets retired him just four times in his 14 plate appearances. The outburst is part of Bellinger’s turnaround since his sluggish start. Bellinger entered April 29 batting .194 with a .574 OPS and two home runs in 26 games. Since then, he’s slashing .357/.430/.686 with six homers in 18 games. — Castillo

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Record: 30-20
Previous ranking: 2

A disappearing offense led to the Mets’ worst week of the season. They lost road series against the Yankees and Red Sox, dropping them out of first place in the NL East behind the Phillies. Soto’s numbers remain below his career standard, and that’s made some fans antsy. Pete Alonso‘s recent sudden cooling after a blistering start has sapped the heart of the Mets’ lineup. Through May 5, Alonso had a 1.143 OPS, 25 walks and 24 strikeouts. Since: a .414 OPS, three walks and 24 strikeouts over 14 games, seven of which the Mets have lost. — Doolittle

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Record: 30-20
Previous ranking: 7

Since being dropped to eighth in the batting order at the end of April, Dansby Swanson is hitting close to .400 with an OPS over 1.000. He’s back up higher in the order as he’s seemingly figured things out after the slow start, raising his batting average from .185 to .262 in that time frame. It’s hard to know for sure but the lineup change may have helped him relax. Pitches he was swinging through previously, he’s now hitting with authority, making him a bigger part of a dangerous offensive attack in Chicago. — Rogers

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Record: 27-20
Previous ranking: 4

A Padres’ rotation that has ranked in the top 10 by ERA all season should get even stronger soon with the impending return of Yu Darvish. Darvish pitched four innings in a rehab outing at the Triple-A level last week, but the exact date of his return remains unknown. According to reports, Darvish may join the team this weekend, even if he doesn’t make a start. The Padres can afford to be patient with him thanks to fill-in Stephen Kolek, who posted a 2.33 ERA over his first three outings. — Doolittle

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Record: 28-20
Previous ranking: 9

Luis Castillo looked like his vintage self against the White Sox on Monday, pitching seven scoreless innings after doing nearly the same against the Yankees in his previous start. In three of his four outings this month, he’s totaled 19 innings while giving up just two runs. Castillo’s changeup isn’t nearly as valuable as it once was, but his other pitches are as good as ever, including his four-seam fastball, which batters are hitting just .189 off of. The Mariners will continue to lean on the longtime veteran as they deal with injuries to their rotation. — Rogers

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Record: 29-21
Previous ranking: 8

The Giants moved Jordan Hicks to the bullpen this week. It was a surprise when the Giants signed Hicks (1-5, 6.60 ERA) as a starter instead of a reliever, and the gambit hasn’t worked out. He is 5-16 with a 4.91 over 37 career starts between the Giants and Cardinals. His ERA as a reliever is 3.73 and his strikeout rate is 1.1 more per nine innings in that role. Replacing Hicks in the rotation is Hayden Birdsong, who held the Royals to one unearned run over five frames in his first start. — Doolittle

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Record: 27-22
Previous ranking: 16

The Twins won 13 straight games — the longest winning streak in the majors in 2025 — to erase a dismal start and plant themselves in the postseason picture before Memorial Day. But even that blistering stretch was accompanied by injury woes. Carlos Correa and Byron Buxton landed on the seven-day concussion injured list Friday after the two collided while pursuing a shallow fly ball. Pitching has fueled the Twins’ turnaround — their staff is tied for fifth across the majors in ERA — but the club will need its stars healthy and productive to stay within striking distance of the Tigers in the competitive AL Central. — Castillo

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Record: 26-24
Previous ranking: 11

The Diamondbacks have been a baseball version of a high-tempo basketball team. They are the only team in MLB scoring and allowing more than five runs per contest — and they would obviously like one of those trends to end. Improved pitching health would help, and there is hope on that front. Eduardo Rodriguez, A.J. Puk and Justin Martinez are on the IL but all have resumed throwing. Martinez has made a pair of rehab outings in the minors and topped 100 mph in his last appearance. — Doolittle

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12. St. Louis Cardinals

Record: 27-23
Previous ranking: 15

The surge up the standings by the Cardinals has been partly due to a balanced lineup and a starting staff performing above expectations. Take Miles Mikolas, for example. In the past, he has given up more hits than innings pitched — but not this year. He has allowed 40 hits in 45⅓ innings with only two leaving the yard. That’s been a trend for the Cardinals this season, as their entire rotation has only given up 26 home runs, putting them among the league leaders in fewest allowed. Combine that with the return of hot hitting catcher Ivan Herrera, and St. Louis is keeping pace with the Cubs near the top of the NL Central. — Rogers

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Record: 28-23
Previous ranking: 12

Starting pitching is the Royals’ strength, and the club’s quest to solidify its depth has led it to a very experienced option. Rich Hill, 45 years young, signed a minor league deal with Kansas City last week. He made his debut for the organization in the Arizona Complex League against the Cubs on Tuesday, striking out seven of the 12 batters he faced — none of which were born when he was drafted in 2002. He is expected to join Triple-A Omaha soon, and if he makes it to Kansas City, he will join Edwin Jackson as the only players to play for 14 major league teams. — Castillo

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Record: 24-24
Previous ranking: 14

The Braves’ season has been a roller coaster, ranging from the heights of lofty preseason expectations to the lows of an 0-7 start before finally settling into MLB’s middle as Atlanta surpassed .500 for the first time last week. All of this before Memorial Day. Now the Braves are getting whole. Spencer Strider returned to the rotation this week and Ronald Acuña Jr. is getting close, though no specific date has been announced for his return. Acuña reached base in 13 of his first 22 plate appearances while on a rehab assignment. If that’s rust, the Braves will take it. — Doolittle

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Record: 25-24
Previous ranking: 17

Framber Valdez might have found his rhythm in May. He has thrown 22 innings over his past three starts, giving up a total of five runs and striking out 22 while using his curveball more efficiently. Batters are hitting .224 off of it compared to .121 last season, but it’s still trending in the right direction compared to where he was last month. In his last outing Sunday, he threw 31 curveballs, producing 10 total swings-and-misses or called strikes to go with nine foul balls. Valdez is heating up. — Rogers

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Record: 25-26
Previous ranking: 13

The uproar surrounding Rafael Devers‘ decision to not even entertain moving to first base isn’t bothering the man himself. Since May 8, the day he flatly said he will not make the switch from designated hitter, Devers is batting .413 with five home runs and a 1.331 OPS. He has hits in 10 of the 13 games and multiple hits in six of them. On Saturday, he delivered his first career walk-off home run against the Braves to snap Boston’s four-game losing streak. The Red Sox are stuck in neutral, hovering around .500, but Devers isn’t the issue. He has been designated to hit — and he’s doing just that. — Castillo

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Record: 25-25
Previous ranking: 18

So how is the Bret Boone as hitting coach era going? There are mixed reviews as the Rangers still reside in the bottom third of the majors in OPS over the past couple of weeks — but they have shown signs of coming out of it. A nice five-win stretch in six games against the Tigers and Rockies helped vault them back into contention in the AL West, with the offense putting up three six-plus run outings over that span. Josh Jung has been hot since Boone came onboard, compiling an OPS over 1.000 in his past 11 games. Texas needs more of that from plenty of others in its lineup. — Rogers

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Record: 26-22
Previous ranking: 10

Typically, the Guardians’ pitching staff has masked an average-to-below-average offense. But that isn’t the case in 2025: The pitching staff ranks 20th in ERA, which means Cleveland’s offense could use more juice.

Jose Ramirez (146 wRC+) is in All-Star form again. Steven Kwan is batting over .300 again. Daniel Schneemann (135 OPS+) has been a pleasant surprise. But Cleveland’s production in right field — by wRC+ — is the second worst in the majors, glove-first shortstop Brayan Rocchio was optioned to the minors last week after posting a .433 OPS and first baseman Carlos Santana had a .320 slugging percentage until homering in consecutive games this week. Travis Bazzanna, the No. 1 overall pick in last year’s draft, was on track to possibly help this season, but he is expected to miss at least two months with a strained oblique. — Castillo

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Record: 25-26
Previous ranking: 21

The Reds’ offense came alive last week with nine home runs over a seven-game span, and over half of those came off the bat of one player: Will Benson. He slugged five while driving in 10 runs to give Cincinnati some much-needed pop since being called up from Triple-A earlier this month. Benson was a first-round pick in 2016 but has been slow to reach his potential, hitting just .187 in 128 games last season. While he’s not much of a fastball hitter, he has been hitting the breaking stuff all over the park. He’s likely to see a diet of four-seamers moving forward. — Rogers

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Record: 24-26
Previous ranking: 20

Two more shutouts at the plate — in back-to-back games against the Twins over the weekend — gave the Brewers six on the season as they continue to search for answers. Fortunately, the slumping Orioles can fix a team’s hitting woes, as Milwaukee broke out against them in a series win earlier this week. Perhaps 2024 MVP candidate William Contreras is finally getting hot — he’s had three multihit games in his past seven, including a four-hit affair against Baltimore on Monday. He’s a key cog in an offense that has been stuck in neutral too many times this season. All six shutouts have come since May 1. — Rogers

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Record: 24-24
Previous ranking: 22

Bo Bichette is better resembling his All-Star form after going without a home run through April. The shortstop is slashing .276/.345/.513 with four home runs and six doubles in 18 games this month. He’s recorded multiple hits in seven games. In all, he owns a 115 wRC+ and has accumulated 0.9 fWAR. It’s a step in the right direction for Bichette, an impending free agent coming off a disastrous injury-plagued 2024 season in which he posted a 71 wRC+ and 0.3 fWAR in 81 games. — Castillo

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Record: 23-26
Previous ranking: 23

Player development is rarely linear, and Junior Caminero is going through some struggles in his first full major league season. The former top prospect is batting .230 with a .662 OPS and 87 OPS+. He’s grounded into 14 double plays, which leads the majors by five, and has hit just two home runs in May. Defensively, his minus-7 outs above average and minus-7 defensive runs saved rank last among qualified third basemen. Caminero is still just 21 years old and has the skills for stardom. Right now, though, he’s going through growing pains for a Rays club that needs more oomph from the middle of the lineup. — Castillo

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23. Athletics

Record: 22-28
Previous ranking: 19

Things have gone wrong on both sides of the ball for the A’s, who have scored just 16 runs while allowing 52 over their seven-game losing streak. Nick Kurtz, Brent Rooker and Tyler Soderstrom have struggled during the skid. Is the dip a sign of things to come or just a bump in the road for the young Athletics? — Rogers

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Record: 23-25
Previous ranking: 26

The highlight of the Angels’ season came this past weekend when they swept the host Dodgers while scorching their pitching staff with 23 runs in the three games. Most impressive was a wild, back-and-forth affair Saturday when the Angels scored five times in the seventh inning en route to an 11-9 win. Catcher Logan O’Hoppe continued to impress as he hit his 10th home run in that game. He added another one Tuesday against the Athletics, making him just the second catcher to reach double digits in home runs this season. — Rogers

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Record: 22-27
Previous ranking: 25

When the Nationals acquired their mega package of prospects from the Padres in the 2022 Juan Soto trade, Robert Hassell III ranked alongside CJ Abrams, MacKenzie Gore and James Wood as major components of the deal. While the other three have justified their billing, it’s been slower going for Hassell, who was summoned to the majors for the first time Wednesday. He was needed after injuries to starting big league outfielders Dylan Crews and Jacob Young. It’s a golden opportunity for Hassell, whose numbers for Triple-A Rochester in 2025 were up across the board from last season. — Doolittle

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Record: 19-29
Previous ranking: 28

The brightest spot for the Marlins has undoubtedly been the early play of rookie catcher/DH Agustin Ramirez, who has wielded a potent power bat during his first MLB stint. Though Ramirez didn’t debut in the majors until April 21, he ranks third on the Marlins with six homers and leads the club with a .567 slugging percentage. Only Washington’s Dylan Crews has more homers among rookies (7) and only Atlanta’s Drake Baldwin has a higher slug (.583). The promising start has thrust Ramirez into early NL Rookie of the Year chatter. — Doolittle

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27. Baltimore Orioles

Record: 16-32
Previous ranking: 24

The Orioles are in shambles. Two weeks after general manager Mike Elias told reporters he was “very confident” in manager Brandon Hyde amid the club’s horrid start, Elias fired his skipper. The decision came the day after an ugly loss to the Nationals on Friday night, one in which they squandered a one-run lead in the last two innings. The move hasn’t changed the results. Baltimore lost the next four games under interim manager Tony Mansolino before winning Wednesday. A team with World Series aspirations before the season might have its playoff hopes dashed by Memorial Day. — Castillo

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Record: 17-33
Previous ranking: 27

Nothing has gone right for Pittsburgh this season. After firing manager Derek Shelton, the Pirates got more bad news this week: Righty Jared Jones will undergo surgery on his elbow and miss the rest of the season. A setback in his rehab led to the decision to go under the knife, further putting a damper on the last-place Pirates. Jones and Paul Skenes were to be a dangerous 1-2 combo at the top of this year’s rotation, but instead Skenes will go it alone in 2025. Jones compiled a 4.14 ERA during a promising rookie season in 2024, but he’ll essentially start from scratch when he makes it back next year. — Rogers

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Record: 15-35
Previous ranking: 29

Luis Robert Jr., coming off a disappointing 2024 season, has been so lousy that a contending team probably won’t give up much to acquire him before the trade deadline. Just ask him. Robert, through an interpreter, was candid to reporters Monday, telling them, “Right now, as my season is going, I don’t think anybody is going to take a chance on me.”

He’s probably right, and that’s a huge disappointment for the rebuilding White Sox. Robert was a ticket to another haul of young talent for their reset. But the center fielder, who has $20 million team options for each of the next two seasons, is batting just .178 with a .565 OPS in 46 games. That’s not good enough. — Castillo

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Record: 8-41
Previous ranking: 30

If Colorado hoped that canning manager Bud Black would light a fire under the team, those aspirations were quickly dashed. The Rockies lost seven of their first eight under Warren Schaeffer, keeping them on pace for some ignominious outcomes — and not just the White Sox’s all-time loss record. Colorado is on pace to finish 74 games out of first place, which would shatter the all-time record. But wait, there’s more: The Rockies are also on pace to finish 58 games out of fourth place. They aren’t just in the basement, they are tunneling their way to the center of the Earth. — Doolittle