Soon, the baseball world will pause to watch some of the biggest names in the sport participate in the Home Run Derby and All-Star Game in Atlanta.

A number of teams might welcome the reset that comes with the All-Star break. Powerhouses such as the Dodgers and Yankees have struggled of late, and the Braves continue to not be able to dig themselves out of their below-.500 hole; all three will hope to stop their respective skids. On the other hand, red-hot clubs such as the Blue Jays (debuting at No. 6 this week) and Tigers and the steadily-rising Astros and Cubs (who cracked the top three for the first time this season) will hope to ride their momentum into the second half.

Where do all 30 teams stand ahead of some of the most anticipated baseball events of the summer?

Our expert panel has ranked 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, Jesse Rogers and Jorge Castillo to weigh in with analysis on the players selected as All-Stars for all 30 teams.

Week 14 | Preseason rankings

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Record: 59-35
Previous ranking: 2

Tarik Skubal joined elected starters Riley Greene, Gleyber Torres and Javier Baez as an All-Star selection, giving the Tigers four All-Stars for the first time since 2015, when Miguel Cabrera, J.D. Martinez, David Price and Jose Iglesias made it. Baez will become the first player to ever start an All-Star Game at shortstop and the outfield. (Robin Yount won an MVP as a shortstop and center fielder, but he never made an All-Star team as an outfielder.) Skubal’s next scheduled start is Saturday, so he’s a candidate to start if the Tigers are willing to let him pitch an inning on two days of rest. — Schoenfield

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Record: 56-38
Previous ranking: 1

You have to wonder if all the pitching injuries will catch up to the Dodgers — and maybe it did this past weekend, when the Astros outscored the Dodgers 29-6 in an embarrassing three-game sweep at Dodger Stadium. Yoshinobu Yamamoto followed up his All-Star selection with his worst start as a Dodger, getting knocked out in the first inning in a 9-1 loss to the Brewers the following day as manager Dave Roberts was forced to remove him after just 41 pitches. The Dodgers have now used 35 different pitchers, tied with the Mets for most in the majors (that includes two position players). — Schoenfield

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Record: 54-38
Previous ranking: 5

Lefty Matthew Boyd is another feel-good story at this year’s All-Star Game. A first timer at age 34, he’s been dynamic for the Cubs — especially after teammates Justin Steele and Shota Imanaga went down with injuries. After making just eight regular-season starts in 2024, plus three more in the playoffs, Boyd earned a two-year, $29 million contract with the Cubs. He’s already outpitched his value, throwing a nasty changeup to righties and a sneaky good slider to lefties. And he’s made every first-half start. He’s a well-deserving All-Star. — Rogers

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Record: 55-38
Previous ranking: 4

Hunter Brown isn’t quite a household name like Paul Skenes, Tarik Skubal and Jacob deGrom, but he belongs in that tier of starting pitchers. The 26-year-old right-hander ranks in the top five in ERA and strikeout rate across the majors and allows the fewest hits per nine innings in the American League. He’s been a reliable starter, compiling 110 innings over 18 starts. Just when we thought the Astros were done making the postseason every year, here they are again. They keep chugging along atop the AL West — and Brown is a huge reason why. — Castillo

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Record: 54-39
Previous ranking: 3

Zack Wheeler has seemingly only gotten better with age and could finally be in line for his first Cy Young Award after finishing second twice. He ranks near the top of the National League in stats across the board, including ERA (2nd), innings pitched (tied for 2nd), strikeouts (1st), WHIP (1st) and batting average against (1st). Batters are hitting .161 off his four-seam fastball — that will play in any park in any conditions. Considering the injuries the Phillies have endured from Ranger Suarez to Aaron Nola to Bryce Harper, Wheeler might also be the MVP of the team. — Rogers

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Record: 54-39
Previous ranking: 10

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. wasn’t the only Blue Jays All-Star signed to a contract extension this year. While Guerrero signed for $500 million over 14 years, Alejandro Kirk agreed to a five-year, $58 million deal that flew under the radar in March. The portly 5-foot-8 catcher from Mexico is now a two-time All-Star — he started behind the plate for the AL in 2022 — after a strong first half following two disappointing seasons.

Kirk is batting .306 with seven home runs, a .775 OPS and a slim 9.8% strikeout rate — stout numbers for most any catcher not named Cal Raleigh. Defensively, he ranks in the 98th percentile in framing, 97th percentile in catching would-be base stealers and 100th percentile in blocking pitches. The early returns on Toronto’s modest investment are excellent. — Castillo

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Record: 53-39
Previous ranking: 9

Edwin Diaz wasn’t a sure-fire All-Star at the end of the season’s first month but found his groove in time to end up in Atlanta nonetheless. He’s given up just one run since April 21. May and June were lights out for the Mets’ closer, whose fastball/slider combination has been stellar. The body language of hitters facing Diaz tells a story: They look uncomfortable. Diaz has exactly the same number of plate appearances end in a slider as a fastball. The result is a .172 batting average on the former and a .160 average on the latter. — Rogers

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Record: 51-41
Previous ranking: 6

Babe Ruth registered the top four fWAR (Fangraphs) seasons in MLB history. Aaron Judge is on pace to finish tied for fifth. The superstar has compiled 7.1 fWAR — 1.4 ahead of second-place Cal Raleigh — and is on course to accumulate 12.7 after posting 11.3 fWAR in 2024. Ruth finished with 12.9 fWAR while tormenting pitchers for the 1927 Murderers’ Row Yankees. Barry Bonds totaled his career-high 12.7 in 2002. Judge’s 2025 total would tie Bonds as he continues to make his case as the greatest right-handed hitter of all time. — Castillo

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Record: 53-40
Previous ranking: 8

With so much change around him from year to year, righty Freddy Peralta is the one constant in the Brewers’ rotation. He’s making his second All-Star appearance after a three-year absence thanks to a solid first half, which featured a minuscule 6.7 hits per nine innings pitched. And he has taken the ball every five days for a team that was pitching-depleted to start the season. With Brandon Woodruff back and rookie Jacob Misiorowski lighting up radar guns, it’s not all on Peralta in the second half, but he was undoubtedly the rock that kept Milwaukee afloat during a rough start to the year. — Rogers

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Record: 50-43
Previous ranking: 7

Junior Caminero turned 22 on July 5. Four days later, he was added to the AL All-Star team as a replacement for the injured Alex Bregman, becoming the youngest All-Star in baseball this season. Camerino, who has 22 home runs and a .503 slugging percentage, also committed to participate in the Home Run Derby. It’ll be an opportunity for the small-market Rays’ franchise cornerstone — and one of the sport’s brightest stars — to shine on the national stage. — Castillo

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Record: 51-43
Previous ranking: 13

Logan Webb, Robbie Ray and Randy Rodriguez were named All-Stars, giving the Giants three All-Star pitchers for the first time since 2011, when they landed four (Tim Lincecum, Matt Cain, Ryan Vogelsong and Brian Wilson). Rodriguez was a minor surprise, making it as a setup guy, but he has been one of the best relievers in the majors, with a sub-1.00 ERA. The players voted him in as one of the three NL relievers alongside Edwin Diaz and Jason Adam. — Schoenfield

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Record: 48-44
Previous ranking: 14

The Mariners have four All-Stars, which is their most since 2018. Their two position player representatives drew very different reactions upon selection. On one end, there’s Cal Raleigh, who is having the best offensive season by a catcher in history and is a no-brainer starter. The “Big Dumper,” as he’s affectionately nicknamed, leads the majors in home runs while casually remaining one of the best backstops in baseball. Then there’s Julio Rodriguez, whose OPS starts with a six but who provides enough value in the field and on the bases to be on pace for a 4.0-fWAR season. Still, Rodriguez’s inclusion raised eyebrows. — Castillo

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Record: 49-43
Previous ranking: 12

Manny Machado‘s fourth-inning single on Monday was the 2,000th hit of his career, as he became the fifth active player to reach that milestone. While Machado turned 33 on Sunday, this is categorized as his age-32 season, meaning he’s just the 12th player with 2,000 hits and 350 home runs by his age-32 season. Eight of the other 11 are Hall of Famers, while the three non-Hall of Famers are Miguel Cabrera and Albert Pujols, who are not yet eligible, and Alex Rodriguez. — Schoenfield

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Record: 49-45
Previous ranking: 18

Boston’s three All-Stars — Garrett Crochet, Alex Bregman and Aroldis Chapman — were all acquired over the offseason. Crochet and Bregman were expected to supply All-Star-level production. Chapman, however, is 37 years old. His All-Star days appeared behind him — but he might be better than ever. The hard-throwing closer has been a revelation on a one-year, $10.75 million contract, posting a 1.25 ERA and 0.78 WHIP across 39 appearances. His 39% strikeout rate ranks fourth among relievers with at least 20 innings thrown, and he is 15-for-16 on save opportunities. As a result, he is an All-Star for the eighth time and for the first time since 2021 as a Yankee. — Castillo

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Record: 49-44
Previous ranking: 11

No, it’s not third baseman Nolan Arenado or closer Ryan Helsley going to the All-Star Game for St. Louis. Instead, its jack-of-all-trades Brendan Donovan getting his first nod. Donovan has played second base, left field and even some shortstop this year for the Cardinals, while producing some career numbers at the plate. His .800-plus OPS would rank as the highest of his career. Donovan has been a steady force on a team that doesn’t feature star-level players like it used to, recording a hit in all but one game this month. St. Louis needs that kind of production to stay in the wild-card race in the second half. — Rogers

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Record: 47-46
Previous ranking: 15

It just keeps getting better and better for Elly De La Cruz. The 23-year-old has increased his batting average, on-base percentage and slugging percentage in each of his first three seasons in the big leagues, while continuing to steal bases at a high clip. Another good note? His strikeout to walk ratio is coming down as well. The better he understands the strike zone, the more pitches he’ll get to slug there. He’s also at the top of the majors in arm strength among shortstops. It might only be a matter of time before MVP is next to his name instead of just All-Star. — Rogers

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Record: 46-47
Previous ranking: 16

Maybe there’s some hope for the Diamondbacks’ rotation. Zac Gallen has reeled off back-to-back quality starts, allowing just one earned run while racking up 19 strikeouts in 13 innings. Ryne Nelson has been excellent since joining the rotation, going 4-1 with a 2.41 ERA since May 20, and Merrill Kelly has been the one consistent starter all season. Even Eduardo Rodriguez had reeled off a series of solid starts before a poor outing on July 4. — Schoenfield

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Record: 45-48
Previous ranking: 17

Jacob deGrom is Jacob deGrom again, just with a few slight adjustments. His velocity is down from his peak, leading to fewer strikeouts and more hard contact. But this 37-year-old version of deGrom remains one of the best pitchers in baseball with a 2.29 ERA. Most importantly, the two-time Cy Young Award winner has made 18 starts and logged 106⅓ innings. That output nearly matches the 105⅓ innings across 20 outings he accrued over the last three seasons. When deGrom is healthy, he’s elite. — Castillo

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Record: 46-48
Previous ranking: 23

The Royals ended up with two All-Stars in Bobby Witt Jr. and Kris Bubic, although Maikel Garcia, Seth Lugo and Carlos Estevez had strong first halves as well. Salvador Perez will miss just his third All-Star Game since 2013, previously not making it only in 2022 and 2019 (when he missed the entire season with an elbow injury). Perez has 13 home runs and 54 RBIs, but his current .712 OPS would be the third lowest total of his 14-year career. — Schoenfield

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Record: 45-47
Previous ranking: 22

Byron Buxton is the Twins’ lone All-Star rep, getting selected for the second time in his career after starting the 2022 contest. He’ll also compete in the Home Run Derby, becoming the first Twins player to participate since Miguel Sano in 2017, who finished as the runner-up to Aaron Judge. Health has been the key for Buxton, as he’s on pace to play 130 games for just the second time in his career and first since 2017. If he stays on the field and gets to 6.0 WAR, he’d be the first Twins outfielder with a 6-WAR season since Kirby Puckett and Shane Mack in 1992. — Schoenfield

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Record: 45-47
Previous ranking: 21

The Angels’ decision to give Yusei Kikuchi a three-year, $63 million contract in November generated plenty of second-guessing for its timing and price point, but the aggressive move has paid off so far. Kikuchi has been a stabilizing force in the overachieving club’s rotation, registering a 3.02 ERA across 107⅓ innings. That was good enough for the 34-year-old left-hander’s second All-Star bid as the Angels’ lone representative. — Castillo

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Record: 43-48
Previous ranking: 20

The Guardians saw their playoff hopes crumble with a 10-game losing streak in which they were shut out five times with two 1-0 losses along the way. It was the franchise’s longest skid since an 11-game streak in 2012 that cost manager Manny Acta his job and led to the hiring of Terry Francona for 2013. The Guardians hit just .166 during the streak and scored 15 runs, with six coming in one inning. They’re on pace for their lowest team OPS since 1972 — a notorious low-scoring season across the AL. — Schoenfield

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Record: 42-49
Previous ranking: 25

Kyle Stowers is one of those feel-good stories everyone can get behind. He was going about his business his first few years in the majors — trying to establish himself in Baltimore — until a trade to Miami last July changed everything. But not right away. After hitting .186 in 50 games for the Marlins last year, no one knew what his role would be this season. He was even doubting himself this spring, but then the regular season started and things began to click. The hits came first and then the power. Two multi-home run games in the span of three days in late April showed what he was capable of — and helped lead Stowers to his first All-Star appearance. — Rogers

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Record: 40-51
Previous ranking: 19

Somehow he pulled it off. Despite missing nearly two months of the season recovering from a torn ACL, Ronald Acuña Jr. still made the All-Star team thanks to his hot start. He showed no rust in collecting hits in seven of his first eight games, including a home run in his first at-bat in late May. He hasn’t stopped hitting — although he’s slowed down on the bases, where he’s usually a major threat. A back issue that sidelined him this week, however, could impact his All-Star participation. Considering Acuña’s lofty batting average and OPS over 1.000, his main goal for the Braves should be to stay in the lineup. — Rogers

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Record: 40-50
Previous ranking: 24

Ryan O’Hearn jokingly thanked Red Sox president of baseball operations Craig Breslow for trading Rafael Devers to the NL and clearing the path for him to start the All-Star Game as the AL’s designated hitter. But O’Hearn is a worthy All-Star nonetheless. The veteran has been one of the few consistent performers on a disappointing club, slashing .286/.378/.462 with 11 home runs in 77 games this season. Two years after being designated for assignment by the Orioles and beginning the 2023 season in Triple-A, he heads to Atlanta as the club’s lone representative. — Castillo

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Record: 38-56
Previous ranking: 26

What can you say about Paul Skenes that hasn’t been said before? He’s the best pitcher in the majors right now — at least, according to ERA. He’s the lone NL pitcher with a sub-2.00 mark, yet he’s just 4-7 on the season. Thank the Pirates’ offense for that. Skenes has given up just five home runs in 116 innings pitched, making it extremely difficult to put up a crooked number against him. And he’s been even better than last season, when he won Rookie of the Year. Could Cy Young be next? He and Zack Wheeler will duke it out in the second half for that honor. — Rogers

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27. Athletics

Record: 38-56
Previous ranking: 28

The Athletics — the Moneyball franchise famous for deemphasizing batting average in favor of on-base percentage — have a star rookie shortstop who harkens back to a different time. Jacob Wilson is an elite contact hitter who prefers making contact and doesn’t strike out often — his 7.3% strikeout rate ranks third in the majors. He also doesn’t walk often — he drew his first walk in his 88th plate appearance this season and has just a 5.6% walk rate. The formula is unique in 2025 and it’s working. Wilson is second in the majors in batting average behind Aaron Judge as he vies to become the first Athletic to win a batting crown since Ferris Fain in 1952 — back when the A’s were in Philadelphia. That was three cities ago. — Castillo

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Record: 38-54
Previous ranking: 27

Stop me if you’ve heard this before: James Wood is the most unheralded rising star in the game. A top-five OPS combined with an ability to steal bases while also improving his play in the outfield landed him in not only his first All-Star Game, but the Home Run Derby too. The latter event will give him some well-deserved national attention after he’s made such a huge leap from his rookie season of 2024 to now. He’s already blown by his home run and RBI totals from last year while increasing his on-base percentage to nearly 40%. His elite hitting stuff is the reason he’s in Atlanta. — Rogers

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Record: 31-62
Previous ranking: 29

Right-hander Shane Smith is Chicago’s lone All-Star, becoming the first White Sox rookie pitcher to ever make an All-Star team. A Rule 5 pick in the offseason from the Brewers, Smith had an excellent first two-plus months with a 2.37 ERA through June 10. He’s struggled of late, however, allowing 22 runs over his past four starts to see his ERA climb to 4.20. He’s the second Rule 5 pick to make an All-Star team in the year immediately after he was drafted, following Dan Uggla, who made it with the Marlins in 2006. — Schoenfield

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Record: 21-72
Previous ranking: 30

After hitting .190 in 2024, Hunter Goodman is an All-Star — and it’s more than just a token selection. The players voted Goodman in as the backup catcher behind the Dodgers’ Will Smith. Goodman played first and right field for the Rockies in 2023 and served as a utility player last season, catching just 23 games. But he has focused on his work behind the plate this year, and it’s brought out the best in his offensive game as well. He’s just the second Rockies All-Star catcher in franchise history, after Elias Diaz made it in 2023 (and won ASG MVP honors with a home run). — Schoenfield