MLB Power Rankings Week 8: Tigers debut at No. 1 - ESPN

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

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

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

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

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

Week 7 | Preseason rankings

Record: 33-17
Previous ranking: 3

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

Record: 31-19
Previous ranking: 1

The Dodgers' 18 comeback wins are the most in the majors. But the story behind all those