Padres fans will be disappointed by first MLB power rankings for 2025

Baseball fans will be excited to see that the first power rankings of the 2025 MLB season have arrived, but Padres fans may be a little disappointed seeing their new position. After finishing the 2024 campaign in rough fashion with a streak of 24 scoreless innings, the Padres fell out of the top 5 moving from fourth to sixth.

It should be no surprise to Padres fans that our neighbors to the north in Los Angeles retained their position on top of the league, and at this point, any attempt to dethrone the reigning champion Dodgers may seem futile. The Padres however are no pushovers, and will surely be looking to improve on their initial ranking as the season progresses.

Key missing pieces are holding Padres back

The Philadelphia Phillies also retained their spot coming in at second, while both New York teams moved ahead of the Padres into third and fourth respectively. The Braves round out the top 5, something Padres fans may not be too thrilled about after sweeping Atlanta in the 2024 Wild Card.

The disaster that was the National League Division Series obviously set the Padres back in the eyes of the MLB's writers, but it is the amount of key missing pieces that may be holding San Diego back even further. A glaring weakness at catcher, and a pitching staff with key injuries and uncertain futures, any attempts to move up in the rankings will have to start on the free agency and trade markets.

The Padres have shown though, if nothing else, they are resilient. A fall in the power rankings should not and will not be enough to change the course of this team's season. Coming off their best season since making the '98 World Series, Padres fans should be hopeful, and excited about the position the team currently finds itself.

As for the rest of the NL West, the Diamondbacks have caught the eye of some moving up into the top 10, with the addition of Corbin Burnes quickly adding depth to an already strong starting rotation. The Giants also improved their standing since the end of the year, moving up to 19th from 21st. Adding Giants legend Buster Posey to the front office has already paid off, with Willy Adames and Justin Verlander both headed to the Bay. The Rockies are still the Rockies, but did move up one spot to 28th. Any chance to improve relies heavily on the failures of teams above.