The 2025 MLB playoffs are heating up as teams battle for a shot at the World Series title.
While 12 teams entered the postseason bracket, 18 went home early. Of those teams on the outside looking in, eight are in search of new managers. What follows is a look at all the available managerial openings across the league, ranking them by their attractiveness to potential applicants.
8. Colorado Rockies
There is not much here to love, and manager Bud Black was mercifully let go in the middle of the season.
The Rockies lost 119 games in 2025 and had the worst run differential (-424) MLB has seen since 1899. The team has lost 100-plus games in three straight seasons and has a .356 winning percentage over the past four years. The bad part? The Rockies haven't taken advantage of their awful play to build for the future. MLB Pipeline ranks their farm system 24th in baseball, meaning there isn't much help on the way.
Catcher Hunter Goodman had an excellent season, so there's a plus, and former first-rounder Charlie Condon isn't too far away. But this year's first-rounder, Ethan Holliday, is just 18 and likely years from the big leagues, and the team's ownership doesn't seem interested in spending to improve the current roster. This isn't quite a dead-end job, but any manager taking it would be smart to get long-term job security.
7. Minnesota Twins
The Twins sold hard at the deadline and wound up finishing 70-92, and looking like a team trending in the wrong direction. Rocco Baldelli was fired following the season, but, honestly, this was not his fault.
There isn't much to be excited about here. Byron Buxton hit 35 home runs, Luke Keaschall had a nice debut season, and Joe Ryan has become a real frontline starter. Top prospect and former No. 5 overall pick Walker Jenkins is in Triple-A and clearly not far from making his debut. Beyond that, the Twins do have a deep farm system ranked No. 2 in baseball, but it will take time to see that come to fruition.
The biggest issue here is the unstable ownership situation. The Pohlad family tried to sell the franchise for about a year, then all of a sudden flipped a switch and opted to keep it. Instead, they took on minority owners in an attempt to pay down more than $425 million in debt. The roster might be better in the future, but right now things up and down the franchise look bleak.
6. Los Angeles Angels
The Angels are this high simply because the other two spots are abysmal right now. Ron Washington is out after a 72-90 season, but he didn't have much to work with. Owner Arte Morenos's club has one of the worst farm systems in baseball, the worst contract in the sport, and already has $126.9 million committed for 2026 for a roster that isn't any good.
The Angels had a bad season, and don't have much to be excited about. Mike Trout had the worst year of his career, Taylor Ward hit 36 home runs but doesn't offer much upside, and Rendon is still an active major leaguer and will make $38.6 million in 2026 to essentially be an empty uniform. Fans can get excited about 24-year-old shortstop Zach Neto, but… yeah, that's about it.
Moreno's franchise needs a complete overhaul from top to bottom.
5. Washington Nationals
The Nationals aren't close to winning a title, but there are a lot of solid building blocks in place. Washington should have been better than 66-96, which is why Dave Martinez lost his job in July.
James Wood, C.J. Abrams, and Dylan Crews can create the core to a really nice middle of the order, third baseman Brady House should hit once he's adjusted to the bigs, and with the right guidance, MacKenzie Gore could turn into a legit No. 1 starter. Meanwhile, righty Travis Sykora and shortstop Seaver King should supplement that group soon.
On top of that, the team only has $47.2 million in payroll committed for 2026, but $32.8 million of that is going to Stephen Strasburg, who retired in August of last year. Yikes. They currently only have $14.4 million committed to their active roster, which is the lowest in baseball. There's plenty of room to add here.
4. San Francisco Giants
The Giants looked like a playoff team for a chunk of the 2025 season, then they traded for Rafael Devers and fell apart. A late-season run almost got them into the postseason, but it didn't save Bob Melvin's job. There's some good stuff here. Devers, Matt Chapman, Willy Adames, and youngster Bryce Eldridge fill out what can be a dangerous lineup, while Logan Webb and Robbie Ray are expensive, but can still get it done on the mound.
The issue here is depth: San Francisco doesn't have it. With Eldridge moving to the big leagues, the team's best prospects are all years away from joining him. The franchise has money and isn't afraid to spend, which means free agency could be the route to contention.
3. Texas Rangers
This job has been filled by Skip Schumaker, but it's worth going over the positives here. This is a team ready to compete now, but the future doesn't look great. The Rangers won the World Series in 2023, but have struggled to a .491 winning percentage over the past two seasons. Bruce Bochy parted ways with the franchise after the 2025 season.
The lineup boasts some juice with Corey Seager, youngster Wyatt Langford, and Marcus Semien, while the rotation is led by Nathan Eovaldi and Jacob deGrom. Evan Carter and Jack Leiter are both young talents who could emerge more consistently as well.
The downside here is that the Rangers' system boasts the No. 6 prospect in baseball, Sebastian Walcott, and not much else. The future third baseman or corner outfielder could reach the big leagues next season, but 2027 is more likely. Other than that, help is most definitely not on the way, so Texas will need to look outside the franchise to find the help it needs.
2. Baltimore Orioles
The Orioles were the most disappointing team in baseball during the 2025 season, which is why Brandon Hyde was fired in May. Despite a rough season that ended with a 75-87 record, there's a reason expectations were so high.
Gunnar Henderson, Adley Rutschman, Jackson Holliday, Colton Cowser, Coby Mayo, and uber-prospect Samuel Basallo combine to create the best young core in the game. On the mound, Trevor Rogers, Dean Kremer, Grayson Rodriguez, and Kyle Bradish front a crop of excellent starters. Talent is not the problem here.
It's also worth noting, new owner David Rubenstein seems willing to spend to win, which should come in handy when the team needs to supplement its roster. Don't be shocked if Baltimore is active this offseason.
1. Atlanta Braves
Injuries played a big part in the Braves flopping to a 76-86 record in 2025, but the team never seemed to get off the ground, even when healthy. Brian Snitker retired at the end of the season and will move into an advisory role as a result.
Still, with a rotation fronted by Spencer Strider, backed up by Chris Sale, Spencer Schwellenbach, Hurston Waldrep, and Grant Holmes, good things should be coming in the near future. On offense, Matt Olson remains an All-Star slugger, rookie catcher Drake Baldwin looks like a cornerstone, and the team still has Ronald Acuna Jr. and Austin Riley.
While that all sounds great, there are some downsides. One is the $214 million in payroll already committed for 2026, which likely limits the team's ability to build. The 28th-ranked farm system in baseball is also a drag on the organization. But any manager taking this job knows he has an excellent general manager in Alex Anthopoulos. This is a job where a new hire could win quickly.