Top prospects for the 2025 NHL draft: Updated rankings after U18s, draft lottery
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Rachel Doerrie
The IIHF under-18 world championships are done, and the draft lottery is also in the rearview mirror, so it is time for the next big board for the 2025 NHL draft in June.
Unlike the earlier iteration, these rankings are not based solely on model outputs. They more heavily include viewings, insight from scouts and an evaluation of how the play styles and skills will translate to the NHL level.
Quite a few players shot up the draft board because of elevated projections, rarity of package and upside. Some fell down the draft board related to concerns of translatable skills, discrepancy in projections and concerns about having a “B” game.
There is such variance this year, with a consensus top two, along with two more players below them … and then all bets are off. There are a few pathways for teams in the top 10 to choose from: a high-floor, lower-upside player or a unicorn-upside, high-risk player. Each of those is weighted in the rankings, and by no means is this a mock draft.
With all that considered, these are the top 32 players, along with some honorable mentions, for the 2025 NHL draft.
1. Matthew Schaefer
D, Erie Otters (OHL)
The Erie Otters defender is projected to become a true No. 1 cornerstone for years to come. A dynamic presence at both ends of the ice, the 6-2 blueliner skates with ease and uses his agility to shut down opponents in one-on-one situations, while creating offense with excellent rush capabilities.
Across the league, executives and scouts view him as a future elite NHL defenseman and a foundational piece for a championship-caliber roster. With the ability to control play from the blue line, play tough matchups and run a power play, Schaefer has the tools to become a top-10 defender in the league.
2. Michael Misa
C, Saginaw Spirit (OHL)
Misa, granted exceptional status in the OHL, delivered one of the most remarkable goal-scoring seasons in recent memory, netting 62 goals in just 65 games. He confidently projects to be a top-line forward with the potential to consistently exceed a point-per-game pace at the NHL level.
Misa’s offensive instincts are elite. He processes the game at a high level and executes at high speed. He’s NHL ready, and has the potential to become an elite top-line center if his development continues on its current path.
His two-way game took a major step this season and, when paired with his explosive speed and offensive firepower, Misa profiles as a foundational piece around which to build a Stanley Cup contender.
3. James Hagens
C, Boston College Eagles (NCAA)
A skilled center, Hagens projected to be a top-line center or one of the NHL’s best second-line centers. He brings a good work rate with excellent speed and two-way ability that should see him effectively drive play at the NHL level. The professional details of his game, such as supporting the puck, winning battles and defensive anticipation, will ease the transition to the NHL while he finds his offensive gear.
Hagens likely needs another season at Boston College to further develop his decision-making and add a more dynamic offensive gear to become a top-line NHL center. His understanding of spacing and his anticipation ability stand out among his peers. There’s a mix of Clayton Keller and Matty Beniers in him in terms of playmaking skill and two-way ability.
4. Porter Martone
RW, Brampton Steelheads (OHL)
The 6-3 right winger projects as a high-end second-line player with a competitive streak reminiscent of Corey Perry and Tom Wilson. A big, physical forward, Martone is a dual-threat offensive player with ability to score on his own and facilitate. His competitive nature will make him an effective agitator, and he will physically impose himself on opponents. He needs to hone his competitiveness and physicality to increase his effectiveness, and adjust his skating posture to become a more efficient skater.
His unique combination of scoring ability, size and hard skill make him a very attractive prospect. While his most confident projection is a top-six forward, Martone has a legitimate chance to become a top-line winger if his skating improves.
5. Roger McQueen
C, Brandon Wheat Kings (WHL)
One of the most hotly debated prospects because of injury concerns — he played only 17 games this season — and also his incredible natural abilities.
McQueen is described as “a unicorn” because he’s a 6-5 center who skates with the speed and mobility you’d expect from a smaller player, despite some odd mechanics, which may be a function of adjusting to his size. His projection as an elite top-line center lacks confidence due to lack of playing time. Elite right-handed centers are rare in the NHL, and McQueen’s size and willingness to physically dictate play add significant value. He has professional defensive habits that are translatable to the NHL, as well as unique offensive upside.
He is a textbook case of high risk, high reward. McQueen needs to play against tougher competition, where he will be forced to develop his ability to protect himself and the puck, and create offense against bigger bodies. If developed properly, he could become a two-way force in the NHL.
6. Anton Frondell
C/RW, Djurgardens (Allsvenskan)
Frondell is a versatile two-way forward who plays both center and right wing. His flexibility is attractive to teams, although many believe he is most likely to reach his potential as a winger in the NHL. Frondell is coming off one of the most productive seasons by an under-18 player in Allsvenskan history, giving him a confident projection as a first-line NHL forward.
He’s a cerebral player who picks apart defenders in one-on-one situations — and defensive coverage in offensive zone play. The details of Frondell’s game are translatable, including excellent forechecking ability, willingness to attack the middle of the ice and high-end anticipation on both sides of the puck.
Frondell has shown play-driving capabilities against senior-level players in the Allsvenskan, which has translated to the NHL in the past. He’s projected to produce between 75 and 85 points per season. His play style translates well, and has executives excited about his ability to step in the league in the next 18 months. His two-way ability combined with great anticipation and incredible puck skill make him one of the more captivating prospects in the draft.
7. Jackson Smith
D, Tri-City Americans (WHL)
Smith is a big, physical defenseman who is the consensus second best defender in the draft class. As a pure defender, Smith possesses all the qualities of a top-four matchup guy. He defends the rush very well, closes gaps and steers the play in transition. His offense started to develop more toward the end of the season, and he had a strong showing at the IIHF under-18 tournament. Given the importance of transition defense in the matchup role, Smith has a real chance to reach his ceiling projection of a No. 3 matchup defender.
Smith possesses a blend of skating, size and poise. Smith’s development will be about using his excellent mobility to prevent rush offense, becoming a more consistent offensive threat and continuing to develop his decision-making. If Smith can drive play on both sides of the puck in transition, he has a chance to become a No. 2 defender.
8. Victor Eklund
LW, Djurgardens (Allsvenskan)
Eklund projects as a top-six forward with a fair chance of becoming a top-line contributor. Despite concerns about his size, Eklund’s play style is very translatable to the NHL. He plays a lot bigger than his measurements suggest, with a high-end motor and excellent forechecking ability. Should he grow, which has happened to other prospects in the past, Eklund’s projection becomes more confident as a 70-point producer.
Eklund excels in transition and attacks defenders with speed and fearlessness, darting to the inside and positioning his body to win or protect pucks. His smaller size has forced him to learn how to protect the puck with excellent body positioning. His off-puck play is very mature and should quickly translate to earned trust from NHL coaches. He has the potential to be a difference-maker in the NHL, and there is every reason to believe his blend of hard-nosed play with soft skill will translate seamlessly to the NHL.
9. Caleb Desnoyers
C, Moncton Wildcats (QMJHL)
Desnoyers may go higher than ninth overall because he is one of the best two-way players in the draft. He has been described as a coach’s dream in that he can take an offensive or checking assignment and execute consistently. Desnoyers projects to be a quality second-line center, with a decent chance of becoming a first-line player.
He’s a cerebral player with excellent playmaking ability. It isn’t that he’s flashy and will get you out of your seat, it is that he’s consistently effective and makes intelligent plays with the puck. In other words, he’s reliable. As one scouting director described: “He’s the type of player you win with.” Some have quietly compared him to Patrice Bergeron and Jonathan Toews.
10. Jake O’Brien
C, Brantford Bulldogs (OHL)
O’Brien projects to be a point-producing top-six center with a chance to become a top-line center. The right-hander is one of the best playmakers in the draft, creating high-danger chances with regularity. O’Brien’s elite playmaking skills will be that much more valuable if he can add speed.
O’Brien’s two-way ability has consistently improved this season, through puck support, good defensive tracking and quality stick positioning. He lacks dynamic skating but plays a projectable two-way game. There is risk because he’s slighter than other players available at the center position, but O’Brien should comfortably be a top-six point producer in the NHL.
11. Carter Bear
C/LW, Everett Silvertips (WHL)
Bear is the type of player that a team looking for high-end skill and playmaking covets. He’s versatile and projects as a 65- to 75-point second-line player, with most believing he’ll be a full-time winger. He’s an excellent playmaker with good hands in tight spaces, making him a threat around the net, and one of the best offensive facilitators in the draft.
In addition to his offensive gifts, Bear has professional defensive habits that will translate well. His skating posture needs to be more upright to allow him to develop a more explosive stride to take advantage of his skills. Bear is a good mix of soft and hard skill with reliable defensive traits, and is the perfect second-line player who should thrive in a matchup role.
12. Brady Martin
C/W, Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds (OHL)
Martin has scouts raving about him after an excellent performance at the IIHF under-18 tournament, tallying 11 points in seven games. He’s a workhorse without an off switch, who brings a blend of physicality and hard skill. Martin projects as a middle-six forward capable of scoring 20 goals, with upside as a second-line forward. He’s a Swiss Army Knife-type player who will be most effective on the wing because of his strong wall play.
Most top prospects are invisible if their A game isn’t there, but Martin finds ways to get involved physically, and those traits are translatable. If Martin’s scoring doesn’t translate, he’ll be a valuable member of a third line. The hard-nosed style is rare in today’s NHL, and Martin’s play style is attractive to many scouts who believe he’s the type of complementary player teams need to win in the playoffs.
13. Justin Carbonneau
RW, Blainville-Boisbriand Armada (QMJHL)
Carbonneau possesses a toolbox of attributes that teams covet, including powerful skating and dynamic attacking presence. He projects as a top-six forward with significant variance, and is likely end up as a complementary middle-six player. Carbonneau can drive offense with his playmaking and skating ability, and though he lacks a standout special talent, he plays a well-rounded offensive game that includes playing through contact, good puck skills and a decent shot.
Carbonneau is a player with high upside, and there is inherent risk with his projection. He thrives when given time and space, and his development will come from learning to simplify his offensive attacks, drive to middle ice and play off his teammates. He has tools to become an effective power forward in the NHL with a few years of development.
14. Radim Mrtka
D, Seattle Thunderbirds (WHL)
A 6-6, right-handed defenseman with good mobility who plays in all situations has scouts very excited. Mrtka confidently projects as a top-four shutdown defenseman because of his excellent stick work, mobility and transition defense. Mrtka should develop into a strong transition defender, a reliable penalty killer and be a steady shorthanded presence.
He lacks the offensive prowess scouts would like to see in a top-pair defenseman, but his skating, size and intelligence give him the tools to develop into a reliable, minute-munching, shutdown defender. His late birthday gives him lots of development runway to refine his offensive playmaking, first passes and general understanding of how to best use his physical gifts.
15. Logan Hensler
D, Wisconsin Badgers (NCAA)
The 6-2 defender projects as a second-pairing defenseman with relative confidence. Hensler is very difficult to beat because he moves well and maintains good gap control. He lacks a dynamic offensive trait, but he has looked good when he activates in the rush. There are offensive flashes of head fakes and using his mobility to beat players that, if developed, would be critical to solidifying him as a two-way defenseman.
Hensler is a longer-term project who likely needs three years before he’s ready to make an impact in the NHL. His decision-making under pressure and ability to execute quality plays with consistency will make or break him as a high-end prospect. There is lots to like about his game, with the mobility and transition defense expected to translate well, but he lacks the high-end upside of other defenders in the draft class.
16. Lynden Lakovic
LW, Moose Jaw Warriors (WHL)
The 6-4 left winger has translatable scoring ability and excellent speed for his size. He attacks using his big frame to protect the puck and makes plays using good deception. He has the potential to be a dual-threat winger if he can develop his playmaking and decision-making. Lakovic projects to be a middle-six winger with fair confidence because of his scoring ability, speed and size.
Lakovic’s development will come on the physical side and in decision-making. He needs to lean on defenders and force his way to middle ice to take advantage of his quick hands and shot. Lakovic has quality offensive upside that projects confidently as an NHL player, with potential to be a 60-point player.
17. Braeden Cootes
C, Seattle Thunderbirds (WHL)
A right-handed center, Cootes was a standout performer at the under-18 world championships. He projects to be a middle-six player with value on both sides of the puck. His floor is likely a third-line checking center, similar to Yanni Gourde. Cootes possesses excellent speed that allows him to push the pace and drive play. He anticipates the game at a high level, allowing him to take advantage of his speed at even strength and on the penalty kill.
Cootes has a longer development path and needs to get a little stronger to truly become a quality NHL center. His relentlessness on the puck and strong playmaking qualities make him a desirable asset in this year’s draft. There is a lot to like about his toolbox and, if developed with patience, he could be a solid second-line contributor.
18. Kashawn Aitcheson
D, Barrie Colts (OHL)
There’s a very real chance that Aitcheson goes in the top 10 given the type of game he plays, but his projection as a No. 4/5 defender sees him below other players with higher upside. Aitcheson plays with all kinds of truculence and aggression, while possessing an aura of confidence on and off the puck. He has all the makings of being a complete menace who plays tough minutes and projects as a No. 4 defender.
Scouts see him as a hard-nosed two-way defender with significant bite who can be a momentum shifter with his physical presence.
He needs development time, as his skating and playmaking are very raw, but the competitive attributes and his development curve this season are very promising. Aitcheson’s involvement on offense developed as the season progressed, but he’s likely two or three years away from being ready to step in. When he does, he’s exactly the type of defender every coach and GM would want on their team.
19. Cameron Schmidt
RW, Vancouver Giants (WHL)
While size is not the be-all, end-all, it is exceedingly rare for a player smaller than 5-9 to make the NHL. I fully expect Schmidt to go lower than 19th in the draft, because he is 5-7.
However, every other model input has Schmidt as a top-15 player, with boom-or-bust potential as a second-line winger. He’s got breakneck speed and excellent puck-handling capabilities, making him a dangerous offensive threat.
Scoring 40 goals in the WHL is no easy task. Only three players under 19 eclipsed the mark this season (Schmidt, along with Gavin McKenna and Carter Bear). Schmidt has great offensive instincts and needs to be more efficient with his play selection to translate to the NHL level. He can be a bit of a pest and engage physically, but if he’s going to reach his ceiling, he needs to round out his off-puck play and be more consistently impactful shift to shift.
20. Benjamin Kindel
RW, Calgary Hitmen (WHL)
Kindel had excellent numbers in the WHL, putting up 99 points in 65 games. The right-winger has skill to burn, and terrific hockey sense. Kindel projects as a middle-six player with the most likely outcome being a third-line winger. He doesn’t have blistering speed in top flight, but he is agile and is difficult to pin down because of his water bug style. He needs to refine how he utilizes his skill, because it lacks a dynamic trait. Adding strength will go a long way to improving puck protection and ability to drive to middle ice to create scoring chances.
Defensively, Kindel provides tremendous value. He forechecks and backchecks effectively, plugs lanes and wins his fair share of puck battles. There is real value as a checker and penalty killer that will translate to the NHL level. He consistently competes on pucks and makes life difficult with his pace of play. If his scoring translates, he will likely be a 50-point, two-way player. If it doesn’t, a 40-point, two-way checker that is a plus penalty killer will be a good complementary piece at the NHL level.
21. Cameron Reid
D, Kitchener Rangers (OHL)
A slight defender, Reid is a fast and agile skater, consistently activating in the rush. Reid has upside as a top-four defender if he can develop his offensive traits, specifically his playmaking. His skating allows him to create time and space, evade forecheckers and put defenders in precarious positions. The next step is to use the space and lanes he creates to facilitate offense more effectively.
Defensively, Reid is an excellent rush defender because of his excellent skating ability and good stick work. He guides players to the outside with his stick, and uses his skating to disrupt the rush. In the defensive zone, his stick is timed perfectly to lift opponents’ sticks as the puck arrives, deflect shots out of play and plug passing lanes. The upside is there because of his skating, and the development requires patience to allow him to reach top-four level.
22. Cole Reschny
LW, Victoria Royals (WHL)
Reschny may find himself higher on the board when all is said and done after a standout performance at the under-18 world championships. No player has risen the way Reschny has in the second half of the season, due in large part to his offensive production in the WHL playoffs. Reschny’s projection elevated from a third-line player with a less confident projection to a relatively confident middle-six player.
He’s not as dynamic as his point totals suggest, but his anticipation and reads are among the best in the draft class. He’s not big, but he’s effective when he physically engages and understands how to play through contact. His development will be about adding speed and strength to complement his two-way ability, and to be a Swiss Army Knife-type player in the NHL who can score 50 points.
23. Cullen Potter
LW, Arizona State Sun Devils (NCAA)
Potter had a strong freshman season in the NCAA, particularly when you consider he didn’t turn 18 until halfway through the campaign. He showed consistent growth that culminated in a standout performance at the under-18 world championships. His speed is NHL level, and he’s one of the best skaters in the draft class. He understands how to effectively use his skating ability to pressure players, drive pace of play and create offense. He looks to drive to the middle of the ice, makes plays at top speed and understands when to delay on the rush to allow the play to develop.
Potter is a dynamic skater with flashes of dynamic skill. His off-puck play, both offensively and defensively, improved dramatically this season, which resulted in him becoming a play driver. He has boom-bust potential, but if he hits his ceiling, there is a top-six player there. The projection confidence has steadily improved this season, and with two more NCAA seasons, Potter should be one of the best players at the collegiate level by the time he signs his entry-level NHL contract.
24. Malcolm Spence
LW, Erie Otters (OHL)
Spence falls out of the top half of the first round in large part because other players passed him, but his lack of dynamism combined with non-elite production affected his projection. His relentless work ethic, tenacity and two-way ability give him a high floor as an NHL regular. His lack of play-driving ability and playmaking see his upside as a third-line forward.
He’s not flashy in any sense of the word, but he’s very effective. He’s one of the most defensively sound forwards in the draft, and understands how to forecheck to cause turnovers. His tenacity will translate, and his shot is good enough to be a threat from close range. Coaches love this type of player on their third lines in the playoffs, and Spence should develop into a solid complementary piece in the NHL.
25. Ivan Ryabkin
C, Muskegon Lumberjacks (USHL)
Ryabkin is a hotly debated prospect and is up and down on draft boards. Depending on who you talk to, feedback ranges from a potential second-line guy to might not make it at all. That explains his variance in model projection. He’s most likely to become a depth NHL player, but there is a fair chance of becoming a middle-six, physical presence who can score 15 to 20 goals.
When he’s on, it is easy to see the upside. He is crafty, identifying passing lanes and firing accurate passes to set up scoring chances. When Ryabkin moves his feet to drive to middle ice and create passing lanes, he is a very effective player. His physicality on both sides of the puck should translate to becoming a good checking-line player, with some creative scoring ability if he can develop puck protection and inside ice-battle skills.
26. Joshua Ravensbergen
G, Prince George Cougars (WHL)
It is rare that a goaltender is a consensus first-rounder, but Ravensbergen is that guy. Teams love his 6-5 frame with long limbs and good flexibility. He’s able to cover significant portions of the net, and his puck tracking allows him to proactively move and aggressively angle. His lateral movement is explosive while maintaining control, preventing over-sliding and overactivity. He is sharp in his crease play, calmly directing pucks and communicating with his defensemen on coverage.
Ravensbergen has issues with layered screens, a common trait for young goaltenders and NHLers. His elite puck tracking allows him to stay one step ahead of the play, preventing erratic movements. This gives him the aura of calmness that scouts discuss, and is something that will serve him well as he strives to become an NHL starter.
27. Blake Fiddler
D, Edmonton Oil Kings (WHL)
There is a chance that Fiddler goes higher because he’s a right-handed defender with NHL bloodlines — father Vernon played 877 NHL games — and has an NHL-sized frame at 6-4, 210 pounds. As scouts and executives say, “Those guys don’t grow on trees,” and Fiddler fits the mold.
He’s a strong defender, taking away time and space from opponents and making life difficult in physical battles. He strongly projects as an NHL player with a chance of becoming a No. 4 D-man. Among scouting circles, there is belief he can become a second-pairing defender because he has a long development runway, and his physical play style will translate well.
Fiddler’s decision-making leaves something to be desired, but he’s always activating and can be taught how to be more effective with his reads. His desire to be a difference-maker and his package of plus skating, physical play and size are attractive to teams. He’s a project, and will need three to four years of development to simplify his game and become an effective NHL defender.
28. Jack Murtagh
C/LW, U.S. National Team Development Program
The 6-1, versatile forward is going to provide some value toward the end of the first round. Murtagh projects confidently to be an NHL player, and scouts like his non-flashy, high-motor game. He never cheats for effort, plays a high-pace game and is physically involved. He is most likely to be a third-line forward, which fits his game style of being strong on the puck, winning puck battles and wreaking havoc around the net.
Heading to Boston University will be good for his overall development, offensively in particular. Murtagh has good playmaking ability that lacks creativity or dynamism. He’s a hard-skill player, gritting his way to scoring chances in the hard areas and out-battling opponents. That won’t always work against NHL defenders, meaning developing some creativity and the ability to manipulate defenders will be critical to translating offense and being a well-rounded, two-way forward in the NHL.
29. Sascha Boumedienne
D, Boston University Terriers (NCAA)
Boumedienne played more than half of his freshman NCAA season as a 17-year-old, and was the youngest player in the NCAA this season. His total of 13 points in 40 games is not the type of offense you expect from a potential first-round pick, but against his peers at the under-18s, Boumedienne set a scoring record for most points by a defenseman and was named the tournament’s best defender.
His skating mechanics have improved, leading to more explosive maneuvers and the chance to develop more agile movements for transition play. He’s an offensive horse, facilitating scoring chances by manipulating defenders, moving his feet and creating passing lanes. When he gets his chance, his slap shot packs significant power and should be a weapon in the NHL.
Boumedienne’s defensive transition will need to improve to hit his ceiling of a second-pairing defender. As of now, he can run an effective power play, break pucks out with clean passes and create offense. His agility and ability to defend middle ice will need to develop to match his perimeter defensive ability. He’s got a good stick, and is most disruptive when he engages physically. Improving his anticipation and reads will be critical to reaching his potential.
30. Jack Nesbitt
C, Windsor Spitfires (OHL)
Nesbitt has risen on draft boards in the back half of the season — and with good reason. The 6-4 center brings a physical, defensive force and he confidently projects to be an NHL player. His upside continues to improve with flashes of one-on-one skill and the speed to drive and create in middle ice. There is a top-nine projection with less confidence; Nesbitt could become a checking center with 40-point potential.
His defensive play excites scouts because the scanning, shot-blocking, lane-filling and tracking to force turnovers under pressure will translate to the NHL. Scouts are confident Nesbitt is going to be an effective player in the NHL, and agree he’ll need to show more offensive playmaking ability to provide value on both sides of the puck.
31. William Moore
C, U.S. National Team Development Program
Moore is all over draft boards — from the mid-20s to the third round — because he’s a long-term project, exactly the type of player that teams drafting in the late first like to target. Moore is a cross between a hard-skill and soft-skill player who needs to pick which play style he wants to be. He projects as an NHL player with an outside shot of becoming a middle-six player if he can add to his offensive toolbox.
He has creativity and the skill to execute, manipulating defenders and playing with pace, and picks pucks off the wall with ease. But, he lacks consistency. His compete level and willingness to engage physically show potential as a power forward. He has reliable two-way abilities that will translate well, and will further develop as he stops on pucks, engages physically defensively and adds strength to improve in puck battles and playing through contact.
32. Bill Zonnon
LW, Rouyn-Noranda Huskies (QMJHL)
Zonnon is a raw prospect that some team in the late first round is going to be thrilled to get. He checks all the boxes, with a high-end motor, elite work ethic and playmaking abilities. The big forward is confidently projected to be an NHL player, and has a fair chance of becoming a third-liner. Scouts view him as a high-floor player because of his translatable “intangibles” and long runway to develop the raw skill. He’s already a reliable, 200-foot player and scouts love his no-quit, relentless effort.
If his skating improves, he will become a very effective two-way player, relying on his awareness, playmaking and competitiveness to bring value on both sides of the puck. He’s most likely to be a winger, with excellent wall play and battle skills. He can be a prototypical hard-skill player that teams play on the third line to shut down opponents and rely upon in all situations. He’s likely three years away, and would benefit from NCAA time to develop his skating and offensive abilities.
Honorable mentions (in alphabetical order)
Nathan Behm, LW/RW, Kamloops Blazers (WHL)
Henry Brzustewicz, D, London Knights (OHL)
Milton Gastrin, C/LW, MoDo Hockey (J20 Nationell)
Jakob Ihs-Wozniak, RW, Lulea HF (J20 Nationell)
Jack Ivankovic, G, Brampton Steelheads (OHL)
Benjamin Kevan, F, Des Moines Buccaneers (USHL)
Ryker Lee, F, Madison Capitols (USHL)
Cole McKinney, C, U.S. National Team Development Program
Vaclav Nestrasil, RW, Muskegon Lumberjacks (USHL)
Shane Vansaghi, RW, Michigan State Spartans (NCAA)
For Mike Sullivan, the latest coach of the New York Rangers, there will be many priorities in taking over a team that missed the playoffs a season after winning the Presidents’ Trophy.
Foremost will be communication.
“I have spoken to every player on the roster over the last three days,” Sullivan said Thursday at his introductory news conference. “I think there is a fair amount of leadership in that room. There’s a lot of character in that room.”
Sullivan, the 38th coach in franchise history and fifth since 2018, agreed to lead the Rangers on May 2 after parting ways with Pittsburgh, with whom he won the Stanley Cup twice.
He replaces Peter Laviolette, who was fired April 19 after the Rangers slid 29 points to miss the postseason despite their raft of talent. It will be up to Sullivan to resuscitate a power play that fell from the league’s top echelon to 28th overall in 2024-25 and help the defense improve in front of elite goaltender Igor Shesterkin, who is coming off his worst NHL season.
Sullivan spent four seasons as a Rangers assistant under then-coach John Tortorella from 2009 to 2013. He also coached current Rangers president and general manager Chris Drury during that time. They also worked together through USA Hockey at the 4 Nations Face-Off in February and will be part of the U.S. contingent for the 2026 Milan Olympics.
Sullivan will have top scorers Artemi Panarin, Mika Zibanejad and Adam Fox on his side after years guiding Penguins stars Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang in Pittsburgh, where he won the Cup in 2016 and 2017.
“I’ve grown so much respect over the years for the talent that the Rangers have,” said Sullivan, who lost a seven-game first-round playoff series to the Rangers in 2022. “I look forward to the opportunity to get to know these guys on a more personal level. I look forward to the opportunity to work with them, both on the ice and off the ice, to try to become the most competitive team that we can become.”
Also pressing for the 57-year-old Sullivan — who was drafted by the Rangers in 1987 and later played 709 NHL games for four other franchises — is how he will handle younger Rangers such as 22-year-old Brennan Othmann and 20-year-old Gabe Perreault, a first-round pick in 2023 who joined the team briefly at the end of last season.
“Part of coaching or the art of coaching, I guess, is trying to figure out what that daily recipe is that’s best for the player,” Sullivan said. “Sometimes it’s time in the American League as a young player, sometimes it’s time in the National League depending on the types of minutes that that player can play. What I will tell you is that I think it’s important that every player earns their opportunities, that no one’s entitled to an opportunity.”
Sullivan was joined Thursday by Drury, who was awarded a contract extension last month.
Drury’s previous two coaching hires — Laviolette and Gerard Gallant — each lasted two seasons. The 48-year-old executive expressed enthusiasm for the addition of Sullivan, the only U.S.-born coach with multiple Stanley Cup wins.
“The second Mike was available, we quickly and aggressively pursued him,” Drury said. “We are certainly thrilled that pursuit led us to this moment today. There’s a lot of work to be done.”
The battle between National League powerhouses for the No. 1 spot continues in Week 6.
The Dodgers, Mets and Padres are still duking it out for the title of best team in baseball, with Los Angeles retaking the top spot from New York on our list. The top five is rounded out by a new team, as well, with the Tigers breaking in at the No. 5 spot.
Detroit is the top American League team this week, with the Yankees coming in at No. 7, the Mariners cracking the top 10 and the Royals, the week’s biggest risers, at No. 11.
What else has changed in the span of one week?
Our expert panel has combined to rank every team based on a combination of what we’ve seen so far and what we already knew going into the 162-game marathon that is a full baseball season. We also asked ESPN MLB experts David Schoenfield, Jorge Castillo and Bradford Doolittle to weigh in with an observation for all 30 teams.
Record: 25-12
Previous ranking: 2
The Dodgers are suddenly scrambling in the outfield. Teoscar Hernandez was tied for the MLB lead in RBIs when he landed on the injured list because of a groin strain that manager Dave Roberts said would keep Hernandez out for “weeks.” James Outman replaced Hernandez on the roster and started in center field Tuesday with Andy Pages sliding over to right. Meanwhile, Michael Conforto continues to struggle. With Tommy Edman also out, Roberts says he sees a lot of platooning in the short term. At least Shohei Ohtani and Freddie Freeman are both red-hot to carry the offense. — Schoenfield
Record: 24-14
Previous ranking: 1
When the Mets signed ex-Yankee Clay Holmes this past winter, it was a mild surprise. The bigger surprise was that he was inked to join the rotation. Holmes entered the 2025 season with four career starts, all during his debut season for Pittsburgh in 2018 — whereas he has played a relief role in 307 games over eight MLB seasons. Seven starts into his Mets career, Holmes looks like a bona fide rotation fixture. He’s 4-1 with a 2.95 ERA and 2.18 FIP. His strikeout and walk ratios are matches for what he posted last season as a reliever, and he has yet to give up a homer to 156 batters faced. — Doolittle
Record: 23-13
Previous ranking: 4
Michael King and Nick Pivetta continue to team for one of the best duos in the majors, going a combined 9-2 with a 2.12 ERA. King returned to the Bronx — where he played for the Yankees for four seasons — and pitched another gem Tuesday, giving up three hits and two runs in six innings (although the Padres’ bullpen had a rare meltdown and proceeded to give up 10 runs in the seventh inning). After a poor outing on Opening Day, King has a 1.71 ERA over his past seven starts. — Schoenfield
Record: 22-16
Previous ranking: 5
The Cubs’ offense has been a force, but the team is facing adversity among its starting pitchers. First, Justin Steele needed Tommy John surgery and was lost for the season. Then Javier Assad, out because of an oblique strain to begin the season, sustained another oblique strain during a rehab start and was shut down. Finally, on Monday, Shota Imanaga was put on the IL because of a strained hamstring. The Cubs haven’t provided a timetable for Imanaga’s return. It’ll be on Matthew Boyd (2.75 ERA), Colin Rea (2.43 ERA) and Jameson Taillon (3.86 ERA) to hold down the rotation for now. — Castillo
Record: 23-13
Previous ranking: 7
The Tigers have flourished in a number of ways during the season’s opening weeks but one thing that really stands out is the degree to which they have dominated at Comerica Park. They’ve started 13-3 at home with a net per-game differential of plus-2.81 runs, the best in baseball. To put it another way, that differential translates to an .819 expected winning percentage, or 133 wins over 162 games. Not unrelated: Detroit has also moved into the early lead in the chase for the AL’s top postseason seed, which of course carries with it home-field advantage in October. — Doolittle
Record: 24-14
Previous ranking: 6
Logan Webb just keeps rolling along as one of the most underrated starters in MLB. He led the majors in innings pitched in 2023, ranked second in 2024 and again ranks among the league leaders this season. He has given up only one home run in 48⅓ innings and is producing a career-high strikeout rate (up eight percentage points from last season). He has used his sweeper more this year, but his changeup has been much more effective than it was in 2024, perhaps because he’s throwing it less often. — Schoenfield
Record: 21-16
Previous ranking: 3
Max Fried has been exceptional as a Yankee, posting a 1.05 ERA through eight starts. Carlos Rodón has rebounded from a choppy early stretch and sports a 2.96 ERA in eight outings. Outside of those two, the Yankees’ rotation is iffy at best without Gerrit Cole and Luis Gil. Clarke Schmidt recorded his best start of the season Tuesday against the Padres after dealing with injuries. Will Warren has a 5.65 ERA. Carlos Carrasco was designated for assignment. Marcus Stroman is out indefinitely. While Gil is progressing in his recovery from a lat strain, the Yankees need Fried and Rodón to continue registering quality starts. — Castillo
Record: 21-15
Previous ranking: 8
Bryce Harper‘s homer during the Phillies’ wild 11-9 loss to Arizona on Tuesday ended a 13-game long-ball drought. That’s far from Harper’s longest homerless streak — he went 38 games without one in 2023 — but it still highlighted an uneven start for Philly’s marquee player. Harper has started every game thus far for manager Rob Thomson. Does he need a rest? Should the Phils be worried? Probably not. Harper’s BABIP has cratered but that’s one indicator that tends to regress to career norms. His power numbers are down but, per Statcast, his bat speed is actually up from 2024. He’ll be fine. — Doolittle
Record: 22-14
Previous ranking: 11
And finally Cal Raleigh rested … almost. Raleigh had started the first 34 games of the season, either at catcher or DH. His two-homer, five-RBI game Saturday against the Rangers helped power the Mariners to their eighth consecutive series victory. Against the Athletics on Tuesday, Raleigh was on the bench … until the ninth inning. Trailing 3-2 with the bases loaded and one out, Raleigh pinch hit for Mitch Garver and delivered a go-ahead two-run single in a 5-3 victory. His 12 home runs are tied with Aaron Judge and Kyle Schwarber for the MLB lead. — Schoenfield
Record: 19-18
Previous ranking: 9
Geraldo Perdomo continues to rake, including a 4-for-5 game with two doubles and three RBIs in Sunday’s wild 11-9 win over the Phillies. Perdomo has more walks than strikeouts, is 9-for-9 stealing bases, has a 99th percentile ranking in outs above average at shortstop and has already produced 2.2 fWAR compared to 2.0 all of 2024. That figure puts him in a five-way tie for the third-highest fWAR — behind only Aaron Judge and Pete Alonso. — Schoenfield
Record: 22-16
Previous ranking: 19
The Royals’ offense has been moving in the right direction, aiding a recent torrid stretch that was driven by elite run prevention. Bobby Witt Jr. has produced all along but, as good as he is, he can’t do it alone. Help has arrived in the form of Maikel Garcia, whose surge has brought his season numbers into lockstep with Witt. Garcia’s swing decisions have improved by leaps and bounds, lowering his already-solid strikeout rate and lifting his walk rate well over league average. Garcia, who has started at four different positions, will merit All-Star consideration if he maintains this pace. — Doolittle
Record: 19-19
Previous ranking: 10
Boston received a huge blow over the weekend, losing Triston Casas for the season because of a ruptured patellar tendon. Now the Red Sox have to figure out who will play first base. The current answer is a combination of Romy Gonzalez and Abraham Toro, but that probably isn’t permanent — and Gonzalez exited Wednesday night’s win after a collision on the base path and is day-to-day. Boston could move Rafael Devers to first base and have Masataka Yoshida, who hasn’t played this season because a shoulder injury is inhibiting his ability to throw, as its DH. The Red Sox could shift rookie Kristian Campbell from second base. They could seek external help. They could even call up one of their top two prospects, Roman Anthony or Marcelo Mayer, to play first. They have options. — Castillo
Record: 22-15
Previous ranking: 16
The Guardians have stayed afloat in the standings thanks to a spate of comeback wins and one-run victories. Eventually they’ll need some of their underperforming positions to produce. Steven Kwan has arguably been the best at his position in left field but his outfield partners have collectively been among the worst. Right fielder Jhonkensy Noel has sputtered along with a sub-.500 OPS while, in center, Opening Day starter Lane Thomas had an OPS under .400 before hitting the IL because of a bruised wrist. Cleveland needs numbers from both before the close-game luck begins to run out. — Doolittle
Record: 17-19
Previous ranking: 13
As a group, the Braves’ outfield ranks in the bottom five by wins above average. The fixes: get Ronald Acuña Jr. back, get Michael Harris II going and navigate the weeks until Jurickson Profar returns from suspension. On the latter front, a promising left-field platoon might be taking shape in Alex Verdugo and Eli White. For now, both are needed to man the outfield corners, but that will change when Acuña returns. At the plate, Verdugo has a career .783 OPS against righties; meanwhile, after struggling early in his career against southpaws, White has crushed them in limited time the past two seasons. — Doolittle
Record: 19-19
Previous ranking: 14
The Reds’ season continues to be strange. Their plus-30 run differential ranks eighth in the majors and suggests a 22-16 record. Instead, they remain tethered to .500 territory. The offense’s inconsistency is the main culprit. After scoring 22 runs in a three-game sweep of the Rockies in Denver, Cincinnati tallied three or fewer runs in six of their next nine games. Jose Trevino and Gavin Lux have been crucial contributors in their first seasons in Cincinnati, but the Reds need more from Elly De La Cruz, one of the sport’s most dynamic talents who has been about a league-average hitter so far. — Castillo
Record: 18-18
Previous ranking: 12
As the Astros struggle to score runs, it won’t help that Yordan Alvarez landed on the IL because of hand inflammation. The All-Star slugger was already off to the worst start of his career, hitting .210/.306/.340 with only three home runs and seven extra-base hits in 29 games, when he was scratched from Saturday’s lineup and then didn’t play Sunday before the Astros finally put him on the IL. Alvarez isn’t the only Astros hitter struggling as Yainer Diaz and Christian Walker have sub-.300 OBPs, and Jose Altuve is scuffling with sub-100 OPS+, his lowest since 2013. — Schoenfield
Record: 19-19
Previous ranking: 18
Joey Ortiz, acquired before last season in the trade for Corbin Burnes, put together a 3.1 fWAR rookie campaign in 2024, hitting 11 home runs with a 104 wRC+ and good defense at third base. That’s what makes his production in 2025 so shocking. Now playing shortstop as Willy Adames’ replacement, Ortiz has compiled -0.6 fWAR in 37 games this season. He’s batting .175 without a home run and a .206 slugging percentage. His 27 wRC+ ranks 160th out of 161 qualified players and has hampered the offense, which as a whole has a 90 wRC+, the seventh-lowest mark in the majors. — Castillo
Record: 20-18
Previous ranking: 20
The A’s got to within one game of first place and had a chance to tie Seattle on Tuesday but blew a ninth-inning lead. It was the second blown save in four games for the A’s. On Saturday, Mason Miller had a rare bad outing, serving up a walk-off grand slam to Miami’s Kyle Stowers. With Miller unavailable Tuesday after throwing 55 pitches over three days, Tyler Ferguson came on for the save — his fourth appearance in four days — and gave up a 3-2 lead. It was the first time an A’s pitcher threw four days in a row since 2015. — Schoenfield
Record: 18-19
Previous ranking: 15
Looking to turn around a moribund offense, the Rangers hired former All-Star Bret Boone as the team’s hitting coach, while firing offensive coordinator Donnie Ecker. At the time of the move, the Rangers ranked 25th in the majors in batting average, 25th in slugging and 29th in both runs and walk rate. Previous hitting coach Justin Viele and assistant hitting coach Seth Conner remain on staff. Texas then erupted for 16 hits Tuesday in Boone’s first game, winning consecutive games for the first time since April 17. Evan Carter returned to the majors and went 2-for-5. — Schoenfield
Record: 16-20
Previous ranking: 17
Steinbrenner Field has not been very kind to the Rays so far. They’re 9-15 in their temporary digs and 7-5 elsewhere. The stadium has played as expected, as a hitters’ haven. Opponents have taken better advantage of that with 35 home runs and a .256/.313/.418 slash line. Meanwhile, the Rays have hit 22 home runs at home. They’re built to win games with pitching and defense. That combination so far hasn’t been suited for Steinbrenner Field. — Castillo
Record: 16-20
Previous ranking: 22
The Blue Jays made four major offseason acquisitions. Three — Anthony Santander, Andres Gimenez and Max Scherzer — have been colossal disappointments. Santander has a 75 wRC+ as the team’s primary DH. Gimenez is a defense-first second baseman, but he began the year as the team’s cleanup hitter and has a 68 wRC+. Scherzer has thrown three innings. But Jeff Hoffman has established himself as one of the top closers in baseball after two teams nixed agreements with him during the winter due to concerns about his shoulder health. The right-hander gave up two runs over his first 14 appearances, recording a 1.10 ERA, until his three-run hiccup Tuesday against the Angels. — Castillo
Record: 17-20
Previous ranking: 21
A Twins offense that has floundered for much of the season received a much-needed boost when oft-injured Royce Lewis finally made his season debut. Lewis went down because of a hamstring strain in mid-March and sat out the first five-plus weeks. That was nothing new for a talented player whose career high in games is 82. When he has played, he has produced, posting a 124 career OPS+ with 35 homers and 110 RBIs per 162 games played. Now that Lewis is back, the spotlight falls on shortstop Carlos Correa, who continues to limp along with career-worst percentages. — Doolittle
Record: 19-19
Previous ranking: 24
By most metrics, the Cardinals have by far deployed the best defense in baseball. In the middle of it is center fielder Victor Scott II. Coming off a disastrous rookie season in 2024, in which he posted a 40 OPS+ in 53 games, Scott is thriving as a contact-first speedster with elite defense at a premium position. He’s tied for fourth in the majors in defensive runs saved and outs above average while batting .289 with 11 steals in 12 attempts. At 24, Scott is solidifying himself as a centerpiece of the Cardinals’ rebuild. — Castillo
Record: 17-21
Previous ranking: 25
In the middle of April, the Nationals’ bullpen performance was so off-the-charts bad that manager Dave Martinez called a meeting in his office just to address the relievers. Did it work? At the time, their relief ERA was an astounding 7.21. Three weeks later, that number is … 7.22. The irony is that closer Kyle Finnegan, who was non-tendered by Washington last fall before signing back late in the offseason, has been pretty good (3.07 ERA over 15 appearances with 12 saves in 14 chances). That tells you a little about how badly the rest of the bullpen has struggled. — Doolittle
Record: 13-22
Previous ranking: 23
General manager Mike Elias took blame for the team’s ghastly start and voiced his support for manager Brandon Hyde last Friday. Elias’ offseason decision-making and the subsequent injuries have tanked the starting rotation, but the vaunted offense isn’t doing its part. Cedric Mullins, Jackson Holliday and Ryan O’Hearn have been bright spots, but Adley Rutschman, Ryan Mountcastle, Heston Kjerstad and Jordan Westburg all have an OPS+ under 100. Gunnar Henderson, slowed by an intercostal strain to begin the season, isn’t playing like the MVP candidate he was in 2024. Tyler O’Neill is on the IL again. Baltimore ranks 23rd in runs scored and that isn’t good enough to overcome the rotation’s warts. — Castillo
Record: 12-26
Previous ranking: 28
It has been a disastrous season for the Pirates, on and off the field. There was the controversy surrounding the franchise’s decision to replace a Roberto Clemente logo with a hard iced tea ad at PNC Park. Last week, a fan broke his neck, clavicle and back when he fell from the 21-foot-high Clemente Wall onto the field. This week, a video of a PNC Park usher fighting a fan went viral. On the field, the Pirates are in last place in the NL Central again with one of the worst offenses in the majors. — Castillo
Record: 14-22
Previous ranking: 27
The Marlins have been competitive in some facets this season, but the area that decidedly does not fit that bill has been a glaringly awful starting rotation. Miami’s 6.35 rotation ERA ranks ahead of only the 6-29 Rockies. The Marlins have always been built on strong rotations when they’ve been good — but in 2025, they’ve produced only five quality starts in 36 games. Surely their starter ERA will move in the right direction from here (right?), but if it doesn’t, the franchise nadir (a 5.58 rotation ERA in 2007) could be in jeopardy. — Doolittle
Record: 15-20
Previous ranking: 26
Part of the problem with the slumping Angels: a defense that ranks second worst in the majors in defensive runs saved (ahead of only the A’s). Catcher Logan O’Hoppe, first baseman Nolan Schanuel and third baseman Luis Rengifo all rank as the worst at their positions via defensive runs saved. Schanuel and Rengifo also rank near the bottom in Statcast’s outs above average, as does center fielder Jo Adell. (Kyren Paris has been getting more time there of late.) The Angels back up that bad defense with the worst team OBP in the majors. — Schoenfield
Record: 10-27
Previous ranking: 29
The White Sox aren’t what analysts would label as “good,” but their record would be less terrible if not for an amazing 2-10 start in one-run games. Five of the losses were last-inning road defeats, including Tuesday’s debacle that featured rookie Chase Meidroth getting bonked on the head by a routine pop-up. Chicago’s saves leader is Brandon Eisert — with one. That’s right: After six weeks of the season, the White Sox have recorded exactly one save. The late-game failings undermine a club that, by and large, has cleared the low bar of playing better than it did in 2024. — Doolittle
Record: 6-29
Previous ranking: 30
The Rockies actually won two games in a row last week, beating the Braves 2-1 behind a solid outing from Chase Dollander and then beating the Giants 4-3 with two runs in the eighth inning. Alas, the losing picked right back up and the Rockies’ wRC+ fell to 64 (100 is average). The MLB low since 1901 is 68 (by the 1920 Philadelphia A’s) and even last year’s woeful White Sox came in at 75. So, yes, we’re looking at one of the worst offenses of all time. — Schoenfield
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Alden Gonzalez
We’re six weeks into the 2025 MLB season, long enough to gather some meaningful intel but short enough to wonder how much of it actually matters.
Pete Alonso has gone from unwanted free agent to MVP front-runner, only one team in the typically mighty American League East boasts a winning record, and some of the game’s best closers — Devin Williams, Alexis Díaz, Ryan Pressly and Emmanuel Clase, in particular — are suddenly not.
Those are just a few of the notable surprises through the first 23% or so of this season. Below are five others, and the reasons behind them.
Spencer Torkelson is suddenly hitting like a No. 1 pick
Spencer Torkelson was the Detroit Tigers’ No. 1 draft pick out of Arizona State University in 2020, billed as a can’t-miss bat. The 2024 season was supposed to be the stage for his breakout. Instead, he found himself back in the minor leagues.
Tigers manager A.J. Hinch texted Torkelson almost daily after the team sent him down to Triple-A in June. At one point, the two even met up for breakfast. Hinch wanted to assure Torkelson that the Tigers were thinking about him and still valued him. But what Torkelson might have needed most, some of those around him believe, was to see the team succeed without him. He needed the urgency to change.
“Coming out of college, I felt like I had it figured out, was the greatest hitter ever,” Torkelson said. “And I got humbled.”
Torkelson struggled so profoundly last year — a .669 OPS, 10 homers and 105 strikeouts in 92 games — that he entered 2025 without a clear path for playing time. Now, early in his age-25 season, he looks like the feared hitter so many expected to see. Through 36 games, Torkelson has already equaled last year’s home run total. He’s drawing walks at a significantly higher rate, OPS’ing .879 and ranking within the top 5% in expected slugging percentage — a stat in which he finished 211th among 252 hitters last year.
Torkelson entered this season with a 361-game sample of inconsistency, but scouts don’t see his sudden success as an early-season fluke — they see it as the result of an elite hitter making consequential adjustments.
Torkelson is more athletic and in rhythm in his stance this year, whereas previously he looked “statuesque,” in the words of one Tigers source. He has more bend in his knees, plants his feet closer together and has implemented a slight crouch. But it’s not really a change. It’s how he hit right up until the time he reached the majors.
“You watch any swing in my entire life,” Torkelson said, “I kinda look exactly the way I look right now.”
The taller stance Torkelson fell into at the big league level was what he described as “a Band-Aid.” The high fastball gave him trouble early on, so Torkelson did what felt obvious: make that high fastball seem less high.
“And it worked,” Torkelson said. “I got away with it. I hit 31 homers and I didn’t even feel that great.”
But those 31 home runs, accumulated in his second year in 2023, masked other deficiencies that showed up the following summer. Torkelson slashed just .205/.271/.337 through the end of May in 2024. Shortly after, he was sent back to Triple-A for what became an 11-week stint. He returned in mid-August, produced a more respectable .781 OPS over his last 38 regular-season games, then went into the offseason vowing to hit the way he used to. He took a lesson from studying one of his favorite hitters, Mike Trout, who has built a Hall of Fame career despite struggling against the high fastball.
“We don’t get paid to hammer the high fastball,” Torkelson said. “We get paid to hammer the mistakes.”
The Tigers signed veteran second baseman Gleyber Torres to a one-year, $15 million deal in late December, then announced Colt Keith would move to first base. Torkelson came into spring training having to fight just to get at-bats at designated hitter.
Then everything changed. Torkelson hit his way into a starting role at first base in 31 of the Tigers’ 36 games. His production — along with that of Javier Baez, who has produced an .827 OPS while transitioning to center field — has given the Tigers some much-needed right-handed power and helped them climb to the top of the AL Central.
“I’m seeing the ball better, and I feel dangerous at the plate,” Torkelson said. “As a hitter, that’s all you can ask for. You’re not going to hit 1.000. But when you’re feeling dangerous and you’re seeing the ball well, you feel like you can’t be beat. You’re going to get beat, but it gives you the best shot.”
The Angels’ lineup is trending toward the worst type of history
Last year, the lowly offenses of the Colorado Rockies and Chicago White Sox posted two of the 12 worst walk-to-strikeout ratios in major league history. Now the Los Angeles Angels, who entered 2025 with hopes of finally being competitive again, are making an early run at the all-time mark.
The Angels’ offense has accumulated 81 walks through its first 35 games this season, the lowest total in the majors. Their hitters have struck out 338 times (third most). Before tying their season high with six walks in a walk-off win on Wednesday night, their 0.23 walk-to-strikeout rate was on pace to be the worst in baseball history. It has since improved to a mere 0.24, tied with the 2019 White Sox for the lowest ever.
It’s probably not surprising to learn that the full-season bottom 10 in that category has taken place over the past dozen years, at a time when hitters strike out more often than ever. It’s probably also not surprising to learn that seven of those 10 teams lost at least 100 games.
The Angels’ offense has been that bad. Since putting up 11 runs at the spring training facility where the Tampa Bay Rays play on April 10, they rank 29th in batting average, 27th in slugging percentage, and last in each of the following categories: on-base percentage, strikeout rate, walk rate and runs per game.
And though there’s still plenty of time to turn this around, it’s hard to envision how that historically low walk-to-strikeout rate — an important barometer of success on both sides — significantly improves. (Their pitching strikeout-to-walk rate, ranked 27th at 1.90, isn’t much better.)
On Tuesday, the Angels were happy to welcome back Yoan Moncada, who is capable of drawing walks but also strikes out at an exceedingly high rate. A return from Mike Trout, whose latest knee injury is not considered serious, would certainly help, though he reached base at only a .264 clip during his first 29 games. Taylor Ward, meanwhile, is much better than a .180/.225/.376 hitter.
But then there’s Jo Adell, whose career .639 OPS ranks 100th among the 114 players in Angels history with at least 1,000 plate appearances. And Logan O’Hoppe, who had the fifth-highest strikeout rate in the majors last year. And Jorge Soler, a prodigious power hitter who naturally carries a lot of swing-and-miss. And, notably, Kyren Paris, who looked like a breakout star early on but lately looks overmatched; since a two-hit game put his OPS at 1.514 on April 11, Paris has eight hits, three walks and 32 strikeouts in 66 plate appearances.
The Angels’ coaches have been trying to emphasize a two-strike approach with their hitters, but there’s only so much they can do.
“When you’ve got guys that’s capable of hitting the ball out the ballpark, it’s hard to tell them to cut their swing down because they don’t know what that is,” Angels manager Ron Washington said. “And when you’ve got guys in the lineup that don’t have a lot of experience and you say, ‘Cut the swing down,’ they don’t know what that is. There’s a lot of baseball to be gathered around here, man.”
Washington paused for a moment and smiled. Before being hired by the Angels in November 2023, Washington spent seven years as the third-base coach and infield instructor on Atlanta Braves teams brimming with veteran, championship-caliber players. This Angels team is not that. It’s young and inexperienced, and Washington has to remind himself of that constantly.
He is a teacher at heart, and often that requires patience. His is being tested like never before.
The Brewers’ injury-riddled rotation has somehow found a way
Three Milwaukee Brewers starting pitchers — DL Hall, Tobias Myers and Aaron Ashby — landed on the injured list with soft-tissue injuries during spring training. Two more, Aaron Civale and Nestor Cortes, went on the shelf within the regular season’s first week. By that point, the list of starting pitchers on the IL stretched to seven. And yet, in the most Brewers way possible, their rotation followed with a miraculous run.
From April 6-22, the foursome of Freddy Peralta, Chad Patrick, Jose Quintana and Quinn Priester combined for a 1.55 ERA over 63⅔ innings. The Brewers began the season by allowing 47 runs in 33 innings, but since then, their starting rotation boasts the fifth-lowest ERA in the majors at 3.08.
Peralta is a bona fide top-of-the-rotation starter, but Quintana is a 36-year-old who signed for a mere $4 million in March; Priester is a failed first-round pick acquired in a minor trade early last month; and Patrick is a 26-year-old rookie who wasn’t on anybody’s radar when the season began.
But the Brewers have built a reputation for employing pitchers who overachieve. Because they can’t afford the high-ceiling arms who cost a fortune in free agency, they hammer their depth to raise their floor as much as possible. And to do so, they apply a simple concept: develop and acquire pitchers who fit their environment. More specifically, pitchers who benefit most from a strong infield defense.
Quintana, who can throw his sinker with more conviction with better defense behind him, posted a 1.14 ERA in his first four starts before allowing six runs to the Chicago Cubs on Saturday. Patrick, who boasts an elite cutter with two different shapes, has a 3.08 ERA in his first seven turns through the rotation. Priester, the 18th pick in 2019, had a 6.23 ERA in 99⅔ major league innings heading into 2025. But the Brewers were intrigued by a minor league track record in which he had roughly average strikeout and walk rates and kept more than half the batted balls against him on the ground. Priester maintained a 1.93 ERA through his first three starts before allowing 12 runs over his next 9⅓ innings.
That rough patch aside, Priester helped stabilize a Brewers rotation that was in dire straits when the season began. A key reinforcement could come by the end of this week, when Brandon Woodruff makes his long-awaited return from shoulder surgery. Woodruff has been fully healthy, pitching without restrictions, but his velocity has been down, his fastball sitting in the 92- to 94-mph range as opposed to the upper-90s heat he featured while pitching like an ace. When Woodruff returns, he might have to pitch differently.
The Brewers will probably figure it out.
The next hitting star on the Rays is actually … Jonathan Aranda?
The Tampa Bay Rays exceeded their international bonus pool in 2014, restricting them to signing players for no more than $300,000 over the next two years. And yet, leading up to the 2015 signing period, assistant general manager Carlos Rodríguez and then-international scouting supervisor Eddie Díaz traveled to Tijuana, Mexico, to watch a Cuban outfielder they could not afford: Randy Arozarena.
The trip proved to be beneficial years later, when the Rays acquired Arozarena from the St. Louis Cardinals and helped him become a star. But it was beneficial for another reason: It helped them discover Jonathan Aranda.
Rodríguez, at that time the director of Latin American scouting, asked Díaz to line up other prospects to see during the trip. Aranda was in that group and caught their eye. The Rays signed him for $130,000 in July 2015. Ten years later, they’re watching him blossom.
Aranda, a 26-year-old left-handed hitter, ranks third with 182 weighted runs created plus this season, behind only Aaron Judge and Alonso. He’s slashing .317/.417/.554 with 14 extra-base hits. And so far, at least, he’s stealing the spotlight from Junior Caminero, widely hailed as the Rays’ next hitting phenom. It’s easy to be skeptical — Aranda’s .971 OPS is 279 points higher than his career mark in 110 games going into 2025 — but those who know him best are adamant that this is real.
Aranda has always been an elite hitter. The question was how the Rays would fit him into their major league roster. He came up as a shortstop at around the same time Wander Franco surged through the system. By the time he was on the cusp of the major leagues, the likes of Yandy Diaz, Isaac Paredes, Brandon Lowe and Ji-man Choi occupied the other infield positions.
At one point, the Rays had Aranda try catching in hopes of getting his bat to the big leagues quicker. They felt he might have the arm and the hands for it. Aranda went back to Mexico and caught a handful of bullpen sessions but decided against it. He expressed confidence that his bat would eventually be enough to reach the majors.
It looked like it would in 2024. Aranda slashed .371/.421/.571 in 13 Grapefruit League games that spring and was primed to crack the Opening Day roster. But then he broke his right ring finger fielding a grounder, missed about five weeks and struggled for most of the ensuing season. It prompted a stint in winter ball, where he made small mechanical tweaks that have helped him thrive in the early part of 2025.
But mostly, Rays officials believe, Aranda’s success stems from finally having a pathway for consistent playing time, largely as the stronger half of a DH platoon. His splits are quite drastic — 1.066 OPS against righties, three hits in 18 at-bats against lefties — but Aranda profiles as a 20-plus home run hitter who can rack up doubles and control the strike zone. It just took him a bit to get there.
Max Muncy suddenly can’t hit home runs
Max Muncy went 106 plate appearances before finally hitting his first home run of 2025 on the final day of April. It marked the longest single-season homerless streak of his career, easily topping the 80-plate-appearance rut from 2022, according to ESPN Research.
His biggest issue was one that plagues many left-handed hitters who throw right-handed.
“He gets out on his front side pretty quickly,” Dodgers hitting coach Aaron Bates explained. “Part of the challenge for him is when he needs to start his leg kick and how to maintain balance as he’s striding forward. Because he throws with his right hand and hits lefty, the right side of his body kind of dominates his swing moving toward the pitcher, which is pretty common for a lot of guys. You look at Corey Seager, he’s pretty balanced. But a lot of times, when you have a lefty-righty-combo guy, they get kind of pulled that way. So that’s something that he has to constantly battle, and he has his whole career. When he’s synced up and he’s right, it’s great. And when he’s out of whack, he’s got to work to get it right.”
Muncy spent the better part of the first month working to sync up his timing, specifically when he drives his momentum forward. Few major league hitters stay on their back side through their entire load, Aaron Judge being a notable exception. But for most of this season, Muncy was getting to his front side too early, which resulted in fouling off hittable fastballs and struggling against breaking pitches.
“When you don’t trust yourself as a hitter, you don’t wanna get beat, and so you get off your backside sooner,” Bates said. “So it’s like the chicken or the egg.”
When Muncy settled into the batter’s box in the second inning on April 30, 305 players had already homered in the major leagues this season. Muncy, with four 35-plus-homer seasons on his résumé, was not one of them. That day, he debuted prescription eyeglasses he had been testing out during pregame workouts to combat astigmatism in his right eye. The hope, Muncy told reporters, was that the glasses would make him less left-eye dominant.
But the biggest issue was a swing he had tweaked to produce low line drives instead of fly balls but wound up making him drift forward too early. Getting his weight shift back to normal proved to be a slow process. But to Bates, an encouraging sign arrived two days before Muncy’s first home run — when he stayed back on a sinker and dumped an opposite-field line drive into left-center.
Muncy has produced just the one home run — putting him in the same boat as Alec Bohm, Bo Bichette and Xander Bogaerts, and one ahead of Joc Pederson, Tommy Pham and Gabriel Moreno — and still doesn’t seem fully in sync. But he’s carrying a slightly more respectable .750 OPS since the start of that game on April 30. He’s drawing walks, displaying some power, and at some point, Bates believes, the home runs will come in bunches.
“It can be any at-bat,” Bates said, “he’s homering.”
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