MLB Power Rankings: Which NL power is atop our first May list?
A new week brings … shocker! Yet another No. 1 team atop our list.
The National League continues to dominate MLB as well as our power rankings, with seven of the top 10 clubs residing in the Senior Circuit. Meanwhile, the American League is represented by two East teams and a red-hot Central squad.
As we enter May, it’s time to start taking what we’ve seen — for better or worse — a little more seriously as the sample size continues to grow. How do we make sense of all these first month performances?
Our expert panel has combined to rank every team based on 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, Alden Gonzalez and Buster Olney to weigh in with an observation for all 30 teams.
Record: 21-10
Previous ranking: 3
The pitching continues to be nothing short of remarkable, coming at a time when the Mets have been without Sean Manaea and Frankie Montas, and closer Edwin Diaz has been shaky. The Mets’ pitching staff has the best ERA but they’re also dominating in underlying metrics, as well — the lowest home run rate (by far), second-highest ground ball rate, third-highest strikeout rate and fourth-best rate of stranding baserunners. Only one team has allowed fewer stolen bases. — Olney
Record: 21-10
Previous ranking: 1
Shohei Ohtani turned on the first pitch he saw from Marlins ace Sandy Alcantara on Tuesday night and launched it 114 mph for a leadoff homer. It marked his first time going deep in 13 days. Mookie Betts, the man who hits behind him, has scuffled for most of that stretch. Max Muncy, meanwhile, went 106 plate appearances before finally connecting on his first home run Wednesday. The Dodgers’ offense is still rounding into form, an even bigger concern when coupled with the shoulder injuries that recently hit Blake Snell and Tyler Glasnow. But the team has nonetheless won 21 of its first 31 games. — Gonzalez
Record: 18-13
Previous ranking: 4
The Yankees have consistently built strong bullpens over the past decade, and so there is a natural recognition within the organization that more (and better) will be needed from this group as the season progresses. Devin Williams struggled so badly that he made the decision to remove him from the closer role easy for the coaching staff, and for now he’ll try to recover in a middle relief role. Jonathan Loaisiga will soon return, and the team’s hope is that the eventual return of Luis Gil to the rotation next month will ease the stress on a bullpen that’s generated a lot of innings (116 ⅓, seventh most in the majors). — Olney
Record: 19-11
Previous ranking: 2
A Padres offense without Jackson Merrill and Jake Cronenworth received a welcomed sight in the form of Xander Bogaerts on Tuesday. The shortstop entered with his OPS at just .663, then homered for the first time this season and added an RBI single as his team beat the red-hot Giants and snapped a four-game losing streak. Bogaerts is coming off an underwhelming 2024 season that saw him slash just .264/.307/.381. He is in the third year of an 11-year, $280 million contract that was widely viewed as a gross overpay. The Padres could desperately use a bounce-back year from him. — Gonzalez
Record: 18-13
Previous ranking: 7
The Cubs’ offense came back to Earth over the weekend in a series loss to the Phillies, prompting manager Craig Counsell to make lineup changes. Moving up was catcher Carson Kelly, while shortstop Dansby Swanson dropped. He began the week hitting .170 with runners on-base with a whopping 4.75 strikeout-to-walk ratio. It landed him in the 8-hole, where there will be less pressure as the top and middle of the Cubs’ order continue to get on base at a solid clip. Counsell’s decision looked smart as Kelly clobbered a home run in his first game batting cleanup. — Rogers
Record: 19-12
Previous ranking: 5
The Giants wrapped up a 5-2 homestand against the Brewers and Rangers last week with back-to-back walk-off victories. The first was delivered by Patrick Bailey, who went into that game batting just .159. The second came courtesy of a little league home run, when Heliot Ramos‘ slow roller was followed by errant throws from the opposing pitcher and first baseman. With that, the Giants improved to 19-10. It’s early still but in their first year under new president of baseball operations Buster Posey, they seem to have an air of magic about them. — Gonzalez
Record: 19-12
Previous ranking: 9
The Tigers avoided a sweep against the Astros on Wednesday thanks in large part to a grand slam by none other than Javier Baez, who took advantage of Houston’s short left-field dimensions to notch his first home run this season. Baez’s contract has been an albatross, but he has been a solid hitter this season, carrying a .296/.337/.407 slash line through the end of April. The Tigers came into the year in search of right-handed power alongside newcomer Gleyber Torres. Getting production out of Baez and a rejuvenated Spencer Torkelson (.241/.359/.537 slash line) has been huge. — Gonzalez
Record: 17-13
Previous ranking: 8
It is remarkable how closely these 2025 Phillies resemble the Tigers teams that David Dombrowski built when he was with Detroit. The Phillies have an elite rotation, just as those Detroit teams did (Justin Verlander, Max Scherzer, et al), and Philadelphia has a lineup packed with sluggers, like the Tigers had Miguel Cabrera, Magglio Ordonez and Prince Fielder. And these Phillies also have bullpen concerns, just as those Tigers did. At some point, the Phillies will need more relief depth, whether it comes from a starter moved to the bullpen, an internal promotion or a trade. — Olney
Record: 16-14
Previous ranking: 6
Some concern has popped up around D-backs closer Justin Martinez lately. The explosive right-hander had been experiencing a bout of shoulder fatigue that kept him out of some recent games, then saw his fastball velocity drop over his last couple outings. Martinez told MLB.com his arm “doesn’t bother me anymore” and chalked up his velocity dip to shoulder-strengthening exercises he had been taking part in. The D-backs got Kevin Ginkel, one of their more important high-leverage relievers, back from the injured list Tuesday. But Martinez’s health will be important to monitor moving forward — especially with A.J. Puk out for an indefinite time while dealing with elbow inflammation. — Gonzalez
Record: 17-15
Previous ranking: 11
Boston has a good problem developing in Triple-A, where star prospects Roman Anthony and Marcelo Mayer are thriving. Mayer has four doubles and seven homers in his first 24 games, and Anthony is dominating the strike zone, with 21 walks and 22 strikeouts on top of his 1.004 OPS. The front office has clear alternatives in the event of injuries or lack of performance at the big league level, as well as valued trade options — maybe not these two prospects, but marketable big leaguers, like Wilyer Abreu — for the July trade deadline. — Olney
Record: 18-12
Previous ranking: 16
Slowly but surely, the Mariners passed every AL West team recently on their way to first place this week as they’ve won their last seven series in a row. Seattle has finally started hitting — it ranked fourth in OPS last week (April 22-29), tied for the second-most home runs (10). Jorge Polanco went off, hitting five of the 10 while driving in 12. He was 9-for-16 over that time frame and is proving to be a good pickup for a hitting-starved team. — Rogers
Record: 16-14
Previous ranking: 14
Quick, which pitcher leads the league in Baseball-Reference WAR? If you guessed Hunter Brown, you know your baseball. Brown is helping the Astros inch their way toward first place in the division as he’s been dominant through six starts this year, including his latest — a nine-strikeout performance against the Royals on Sunday. He’s given up just 24 hits in 37 innings while issuing a miniscule seven walks to 40 K’s. It’s exactly what Houston has needed as it continues to figure out its new-look offense. Brown showed signs of it last year, but he’s emerging as a true No.1 starter. — Rogers
Record: 14-16
Previous ranking: 15
If the Braves overcome that brutal 0-7 start and make the playoffs, the narrative of their season will have to mention three emerging players — shortstop Nick Allen, acquired in a minor offseason trade with Oakland; right fielder Eli White, who has gone from bench player to regular as the Braves await the return of Ronald Acuna Jr.; and Alex Verdugo, who spent the offseason waiting for a deal before signing with Atlanta for $1.5 million. That trio has spurred the recent turnaround. — Olney
Record: 16-15
Previous ranking: 18
Have the Reds turned the corner or did a series sweep in Colorado just pad some stats? Time will tell, but the confidence boost for the offense must have some meaning. Seemingly everyone in the lineup hit at Coors Field, which celebrated its 30th anniversary Saturday — though it was the Reds who celebrated that night when newcomer Austin Hays blasted two home runs. That came one night after Cincinnati totaled 13 hits in an 8-7 win. Overall, the Reds scored 22 runs in the three games against Colorado and then came home and beat the Cardinals. Nice week. — Rogers
Record: 16-15
Previous ranking: 10
The Rangers continue to have all sorts of problems scoring runs, especially now that Corey Seager is on the shelf. They rank in the bottom five in the majors in average runs per game — and that includes a 15-run outburst against the A’s on Tuesday. That came after six straight games of scoring fewer than four runs. Texas won a few of those contests thanks to its pitching staff but outside of Wyatt Langford and Josh Smith, the Rangers simply aren’t getting enough production at the plate. Marcus Semien heads the list of players who are struggling. — Rogers
Record: 17-13
Previous ranking: 12
Steven Kwan flirted with a .400 batting average into June last year. This year, his early-season surge has been predicated largely on power. His slugging percentage sits at .466, 70 points higher than his career mark heading into 2025. An April surge, though, is nothing new. Lots of major league hitters struggle out of the gate, but Kwan has a career .323/.397/.427 slash line through the season’s first full month. “I think it being the start of the year helps a lot,” Kwan told MLB.com. “All your prep takes just a little longer, in a good way. You’re very intentional.” — Gonzalez
Record: 14-16
Previous ranking: 19
Chandler Simpson made peace long ago with the reality that he is at his best when he gets on base and runs like hell, rather than getting swept up in the collective effort of his generation to put the ball in the air. One number will largely define his career: on-base percentage. And so far, so good — he has a .349 OBP in his first days in the big leagues, with five strikeouts to three walks. He’s hit a total of two home runs since he started college — i.e., in over 2,000 plate appearances. That’s a good thing … for him. — Olney
Record: 16-15
Previous ranking: 13
The Brewers’ rotation is quietly starting to come together. It is up to eighth in starter’s ERA — that’s one spot higher than the first-place Cubs — and just got Tobias Myers back from an oblique strain. With Quinn Priester pitching well in the back end and the long-awaited return of Brandon Woodruff nearing, Milwaukee’s arrow is pointing up. The Brewers haven’t had as tough of a schedule as the Cubs, but until playing the White Sox this week, it’s still been pretty gnarly. Milwaukee has played 23 games against plus-.500 teams — third most in the NL behind the Cubs and Giants. — Rogers
Record: 16-15
Previous ranking: 21
The Royals sat at 8-14 on April 19. Since then they have won eight of nine games to stay relevant in the AL Central. And though their offense continues to be a problem — they’ve hit the fewest home runs in the majors this year, with their outfield combining for just four — their pitching has been a strength. The Royals’ staff has posted a 2.14 ERA since April 20. Four of their starters — Michael Lorenzen, Seth Lugo, Michael Wacha and Kris Bubic — have combined for a 1.66 ERA since then. — Gonzalez
20. Athletics
Record: 16-15
Previous ranking: 24
JP Sears continues to take steps forward, emerging as a top starter for the Athletics. His ERA has dropped each year he’s been with the A’s as he sports a nifty 2.94 mark after six outings, including a one-run performance against Texas on Monday. He tied a season high with seven strikeouts in that game, a number he’s reached in half his starts. Sears is doing it with some nasty breaking stuff, including a slider/sweeper combo that has stymied hitters. He’s even getting some back luck on those pitches, as his expected numbers on them are lower than his actual ones. — Rogers
Record: 13-18
Previous ranking: 26
There’s no better antidote to early season struggles than a light schedule. Give the Twins credit, though — they took advantage of it. They hosted the White Sox and Angels for six games last week and won five of them, including holding the Angels to just one run in 18 innings on Saturday and Sunday. Seven of those innings were pitched by Joe Ryan, who was coming off a rough outing against the Braves but now has a 3.18 ERA through his first six starts. David Festa, meanwhile, has allowed just two earned runs in 13 innings this season. And Chris Paddack has been much better, posting a 2.25 ERA in his last four starts. The rotation beyond Pablo Lopez is seemingly solidifying. — Gonzalez
Record: 14-16
Previous ranking: 17
Toronto plays its home games in a ballpark that fosters home runs, and the team’s big offseason acquisition was Anthony Santander, who hit more home runs last season than anyone not named Aaron Judge and Shohei Ohtani. It is shocking, then, to see Toronto’s lack of power early in this season: Incredibly, the Blue Jays have just four more total home runs (19) than the Yankees have hit in the first inning (15). Santander has just four this year, with a shockingly low slugging percentage of .316, while Bo Bichette is still looking for his first home run. The Jays are 26th place in runs scored. Not good. — Olney
Record: 12-18
Previous ranking: 20
Under general manager Mike Elias, Baltimore has worked from the same playbook as the Astros and Cubs a dozen years ago: tanking, followed by the drafting of elite position players, followed by some success at the big league level. Where the Orioles’ path diverged from those models, however, is in spending on pitching. The Cubs invested $155 million in Jon Lester, for example, and the Astros traded for the pricey Justin Verlander and Gerrit Cole. What the O’s are doing now — struggling — is not a manager problem; it’s about a miserly ownership and front office. — Olney
Record: 14-17
Previous ranking: 22
Lars Nootbaar is on his way to a career season. It’s still early but the signs are good, beginning with a strikeout-to-walk ratio that’s less than 1.00. That’s easily the best of his career as is his overall 17.9% walk percentage. It’s all added up to a .400 OBP and .800-plus OPS. The Cardinals are using this season to figure out who they want as part of their future and the 27-year-old is showing them — at least through the first month — that he should be included in that conversation. — Rogers
Record: 13-18
Previous ranking: 27
Some of the expected teams leading up to the trade deadline aren’t perceived by rival executives to have much in the way of valued options, but the Nationals could be popular among scouts, with Nathaniel Lowe (who has six homers and a respectable .786 OPS), Alex Call (strong OBP) and closer Kyle Finnegan. According to Fangraphs, the Nationals’ chances for making the playoffs stand at 1% — and general manager Mike Rizzo has a reputation built on his decisiveness. — Olney
Record: 12-17
Previous ranking: 23
There were plenty of mediocre performances on the mound for the Angels this past week as no starter gave up less than three runs in an outing while the bullpen had its issues as well. Tyler Anderson and Jack Kochanowicz each pitched a quality start, but in between, Jose Soriano, Kyle Hendricks and Yusei Kikuchi all struggled. Reliever Carl Edwards Jr.’s return to the majors didn’t go smoothly, nor did an outing by Victor Mederos. Only Ryan Johnson pitched well out of the pen. It’s added up to a staff ERA closer to 5.00 than 4.00 and a ranking in the bottom five of the AL. — Rogers
Record: 12-18
Previous ranking: 25
The assumption going into spring training was that Sandy Alcantara would eventually become the most coveted starting pitcher in the trade market, as he works in his first full season after an elbow reconstruction. But there is no getting around this reality: Alcantara is really struggling, with an 8.31 ERA following his truncated outing in Dodger Stadium on Tuesday night. His strikeout rate is a shockingly low 6.58 per nine innings. His changeup has devolved from one of the most devastating pitches to a problem. Right now, he has no trade value. — Olney
Record: 12-19
Previous ranking: 28
Paul Skenes went into the belly of the beast and took care of business Friday, shutting down the Dodgers in Los Angeles with a gem of a performance. He pitched into the seventh inning, giving up five hits — three to No. 9 hitter Andy Pages — while striking out nine without issuing a free pass. Skenes threw fastballs for 38% of his pitches, with an even split between his splitter, curve and sweeper. It was masterful and lowered his ERA to 2.39. The shining light of the Pirates continues to do just that: shine. — Rogers
Record: 7-23
Previous ranking: 29
Through the first 30 games of their 121-loss season in 2024, the White Sox were 6-24. Through their first 30 games of 2025, the White Sox are … 7-23. And though the lack of progress from even the worst of campaigns has been incredibly exasperating on the South Side of Chicago, White Sox general manager Chris Getz preached patience in a recent session with the local media. “It is frustrating when we don’t win ballgames,” he said, “but we’ve got greater hopes of bringing this together. And we know it’s going to take time, but we’re all confident it’s going to happen.” — Gonzalez
Record: 5-25
Previous ranking: 30
German Marquez was charged with seven earned runs in 5⅓ innings against the Braves on Tuesday, and the Rockies lost for the eighth consecutive time. It marked their second such losing streak in 17 games, a 1-16 run that stands as the worst stretch in franchise history. Their overall record by that point was 4-25, tied with the 2003 Tigers and the 1988 Orioles for the worst 29-game start since 1900. The former team ultimately lost 119 games that season. Given the overall strength of this year’s NL West, it isn’t hard to foresee the 2025 Rockies doing even worse. — Gonzalez
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Adam Rittenberg
Michigan’s investigation into its football program and wider athletic department could lead to findings of additional misconduct that might trigger more employment terminations, interim university president Domenico Grasso said Wednesday.
In a video statement, Grasso described the week since football coach Sherrone Moore’s firing as “no doubt a challenging time for our university community.”
Michigan fired Moore on Dec. 10 for engaging in an inappropriate relationship with a staff member, discovered through a university investigation. Moore faces three criminal charges, including felony third-degree home invasion, for allegedly confronting the staff member at her residence after being fired.
Michigan’s investigation into Moore’s conduct and the football program continues, and the university commissioned Chicago-based law firm Jenner & Block to conduct a larger review of the athletic department culture, conduct and procedures following a series of scandals.
“We will take whatever steps are necessary to ensure that conduct like this does not happen again,” said Grasso, who took over as interim president in May and will step down when a permanent president is installed. “Make no mistake. We will leave no stone unturned, and any further action we take will be based on credible evidence and findings, developed through a rigorous investigation.
“If the university learns of information through this investigation or otherwise that warrants a termination of any employee, we will act swiftly, just as we did in the case of Coach Moore.”
Grasso encouraged those who have information regarding misconduct within the football program or athletic department to contact Jenner & Block.
“Our focus is strictly on uncovering the facts,” Grasso said. “It is my job, my duty, to ensure the integrity of this investigation.”
Grasso also briefly addressed Michigan’s search for its next football coach. Athletic director Warde Manuel, who has led the department since 2016, has not publicly addressed the search, which he is expected to lead.
Biff Poggi, a Michigan staff member under both Moore and predecessor Jim Harbaugh, is serving as interim head coach for Michigan’s upcoming Cheez-It Citrus Bowl matchup against Texas on Dec. 31.
“We will hire an individual who is of the highest moral character and who will serve as a role model and a respected leader for the entire football program,” Grasso said. “And who will, with dignity and integrity, be a fierce competitor.”
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Greg Wyshynski
Boston Bruins forward Morgan Geekie can finish a Rubik’s Cube in under a minute.
“I mean, right now I’d be pretty rusty,” he said. “I’m not insane, like those kids that you see on TV, but I’m pretty good at them.”
When Geekie was around 10 years old, a cousin taught him how to speed solve the puzzle. While some have never found a way to line up that mosaic of colors despite years of trying, Geekie said it’s doable once one cracks the code. One summer at their lake cottage, his cousin wrote down its patterns. Geekie spent two weeks memorizing them and working out solutions while fiddling with the cube.
“It’s basically just all algorithms. You just do the same moves all the time once you get the pieces in the right spot. Once you do that, I mean, it’s pretty cut and dry. Everything goes in order,” he said. “I haven’t really forgot. It’s just one of those things that once you know it, you know it.”
Perhaps Geekie just knows how to score goals now, too.
That’s the simplest rationalization for the 27-year-old’s unexpected transformation into one of the NHL’s premier goal scorers. Through 34 games, Geekie is second in the NHL with 24 goals, trailing only the dominant Nathan MacKinnon of the Colorado Avalanche (28). Going back to the start of last season, Geekie is tied for 11th in goals scored (57).
Geekie scored 33 goals in 2024-25, which is 16 more than his previous career high set two years ago with the Bruins. He shot 22%, which obliterated his previous career best of 13.1% set in 2023-24.
There’s always an offensive player whose unexpected scoring surge in one season makes him the consensus choice for regression the following season. Entering this season, that player was Geekie.
He was the first player listed on ESPN’s rundown of regression candidates, with the expectation that he would top out at 26 goals. Sports Illustrated did the same thing, writing that his “offensive numbers are set to dip next season.” Daily Faceoff wrote that Geekie’s shooting percentage was “a strong indication that his performance isn’t sustainable, at least at this level” for the Bruins.
Geekie gets it. He called the predictions “a fair statement” given that he was scoring less than 10 goals in a season with the Seattle Kraken just a few seasons ago.
“I see it all. It’s an easy cherry to pick to be like, ‘Obviously he’s shooting 22%, it’s going to go down.’ It didn’t bother me at all,” Geekie said.
Rather than regress, Geekie has progressed this season. Through 34 games, he is shooting 28.2%.
“I mean, it’s got to go down at some point,” he said, with a laugh. “Like I said, I don’t really pay attention to that and I’m not somebody that has 10 shots a game, so I just try to make the most of my opportunities when I get the puck.”
GEEKIE IS AMUSED by the focus on his shooting percentage, because he feels there are easy explanations for it. The first is that he doesn’t believe he shoots the puck all that much. Over the past two seasons, David Pastrnak averaged 3.79 shots per game in 110 games. Geekie averaged 2.11 in that same span. Only Sidney Crosby (2.45 shots per game) has a lower average than Geekie (2.48) among the top 10 goal-scorers this season.
“I feel like I’m a big quality over quantity person,” he said.
His first season in Boston, coach Jim Montgomery stressed the need for Geekie to get chances from deep inside the attacking zone.
“I think a high-danger chance is better than just shooting it from the wall. That’s kind of the mentality that I’ve had always. I’m not trying to waste shots that aren’t good for anybody,” Geekie said. “Unless I’m trying to create something off it, I’m honestly not trying to put it on net. Maybe that’s why I end up where I end up.”
Pastrnak recently said the Bruins were reminding Geekie to shoot the puck more often. In fairness, Geekie is shooting more this season. Pastrnak said Geekie is “definitely trying to be a little more selfish to take them” when he fights into high-danger areas of the ice. But Geekie acknowledged there are sometimes philosophical differences between his striving for quality over his team’s desire for quantity.
“I think it’s a push and pull,” he said. “It’s like, I don’t think I need to be shooting this, but other people think that it still gives us an opportunity to create a chance. So I just try to keep that in mind when I have the puck”
This is Geekie’s seventh season in the NHL. He was selected by the Carolina Hurricanes with the 67th pick in the 2017 draft as a goal-scoring forward with the WHL Tri-City Americans. His first two seasons as a pro were mostly spent in the AHL with the Charlotte Checkers, before playing 36 games with the Hurricanes in 2020-21.
That summer, the Seattle Kraken held their expansion draft as the NHL’s newest team. Geekie was left off Carolina’s protected list. At the time, it wasn’t expected that former Hurricanes GM Ron Francis would select him for the Kraken, with options like defenseman Jake Bean and forward Nino Niederreiter available from Carolina. But Geekie was the choice, a player whom Francis had drafted while with the Canes.
Geekie had 22 points in 73 games in his first season in Seattle, skating 12:36 per game with just seven goals. His second campaign saw him jump to 28 points in 69 games, but with even less ice time (10:27).
He was a restricted free agent after the 2022-23 season. Francis attempted to re-sign him before the deadline for submitting qualifying offers, but Geekie and his representatives declined it. The two sides couldn’t find common ground. Rather than go to arbitration, where the Kraken weren’t keen on Geekie potentially setting the terms of his next deal, they chose not to qualify him, making him an unrestricted free agent.
“With Morgan, we did make what I felt was a pretty fair offer,” Francis said at the time, via Sound of Hockey. “It didn’t work out, and he has the right once we don’t qualify him to go elsewhere.”
And so he went to Boston, signing a two-year deal worth $4 million in total.
While he wasn’t seeing much time with the Kraken, Geekie felt he was improving as a player. He said a “integral part” of that development was thanks to Jonathan Sigalet, a skills coach who improved all facets of his game.
“When I first started working with him, he was adamant that he wasn’t going to try and make me play like I’m on the first line,” Geekie recalled. “He said, ‘We both know that trying to do things that you do on the first line on the fourth line is going to get you in the press box.'”
He said working with Siglet slowed the game down for him. He started to see the game differently. He began to see “little tendencies” that all of the NHL’s good players share. Geekie also appreciated having a “third party” assessment for his play, apart from that of his coaches and his own.
Geekie was immediately given an opportunity to thrive in Boston in 2023-24, playing 15:21 in his first game with the Bruins. He ended up averaging 15:25 per game, with 17 goals and 22 assists in 76 games. He earned time with Pastrnak and Pavel Zacha on the Bruins’ top line.
His follow-up season didn’t start well. Geekie scored one goal in his first 17 games and was a healthy scratch early in the season. Some trade whispers started about him as a pending restricted free agent. He had eight goals by the end of the 2024 calendar year.
How did he end up with 33 of them? With one of the greatest goal-scoring heaters this side of Alex Ovechkin: Geekie scored 14 goals in his last 20 games of the season. His chemistry with Pastrnak was undeniable — the Bruins scoring ace assisted on 21 of Geekie’s 33 goals last season.
Geekie expressed a desire to stay with the Bruins. The feeling was mutual, as GM Don Sweeney in June handed him a six-year, $33 million contract for a team-friendly $5.5 million annual cap hit.
WHEN GEEKIE SIGNED his new contract, he decided he wanted to join in the tradition of NHL players celebrating a windfall with their teammates. It’s usually a dinner or something of that nature.
But Geekie wanted to do something different.
“Everybody’s eating at the same restaurants in every city. And I’m sure they’d remember it for a little while, but I think it would be just one of those things like, ‘Hey, thanks for dinner.’ So I wanted to do something a little more nostalgic,” he said.
Geekie is a huge baseball fan who played competitively until his late teens. He was in the process of designing a personalized baseball glove for himself through a company called 44 Pro Custom Gloves when his wife, Emma, suggested that he design ones for all of his teammates as a gift.
Geekie started the process in July, sketching out what he wanted on the gloves for 30 teammates — including players that were on the bubble for the Bruins’ roster this season. He had the biographical information for them, from their birth cities and countries to their schools to where they played junior hockey.
“Honestly, for probably three weeks, I just sat in front of my TV watching baseball and I would just draft gloves up. I thought it was so fun,” Geekie said. “My wife got sick of me for a little while.”
He would FaceTime his brother Noah, a coach at Okotoks Dawgs Academy in Alberta, to bounce the designs off him and get input. He was cognizant of having the designs as unique as possible, despite some of the school colors being similar for his teammates.
Before a practice in October, Geekie delivered the gloves to the locker room stalls of his teammates. It went over well.
“Baseball is not that big in Sweden, but it’s obviously cool to have,” center Elias Lindholm told the Bruins website, having received a glove with a Swedish flag on it. “Hopefully, when my kids get a little bit older, we can play a little game or something. For now, it is just going to be at home, resting.”
0:17
Morgan Geekie nets goal for Bruins
Morgan Geekie nets goal for Bruins
While the gloves were a chance to celebrate with his teammates, there weren’t many celebrations anticipated for Boston this season. The Bruins were trading players away at last season’s trade deadline, sending mainstays like captain Brad Marchand (Florida), center Charlie Coyle (Colorado) and defenseman Brandon Carlo (Toronto) elsewhere. They had an incoming first-year coach in Marco Sturm. At best, it was supposed to be a transition year for the Bruins.
But through 34 games, Boston is second in the Atlantic Division with a 20-14-0 record, within a point of division-leading Detroit in the crowded Eastern Conference.
Many around the NHL were surprised. Geekie wasn’t.
“We underperformed. Last season was like the perfect storm of bad events with our kind of discombobulated training camp and then having a coaching change and just kind of everything that could have went wrong went wrong,” Geekie said. “The core group we have is just too good to be written off. But I understand why people had doubts about us.”
But defying doubts is what Morgan Geekie’s all about, whether it’s his team’s predicted finish in the standings or his own predicted regression as a scorer.
“He has everything to score 50 in this league,” Pastrnak said. “He has a heck of a shot. He has the goal-scoring instincts. He is going to get it one day.”
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