The Top 25 MLB Players for the 2023 Regular Season
Welcome to the 2023 Major League Baseball season, wherein the stars will always be out whether they're accompanied by the sun or the moon.
So, we've ranked the 25 best and brightest of them all.
The first thing to know is that we were only concerned with how players rate in the here and now. There are some—say, a certain Baltimore Orioles catcher—who will keep trending skyward over the long haul, but this is about the 2023 season and the 2023 season alone.
Otherwise, we considered players' track records and any age, injury or performance-related variables that portend upwards or downwards shifts for 2023. Two sections will explain each player's ranking: "Why He's Here" and "Why He's Not Higher."
Let's begin with some honorable mentions and then count down the top 25 one at a time.
Honorable Mentions
1 of 26
Hitters
- 2B Jose Altuve, Houston Astros
- SS Xander Bogaerts, San Diego Padres
- 2B Andrés Giménez, Cleveland Guardians
- 1B Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Toronto Blue Jays
- DH Bryce Harper, Philadelphia Phillies
- 2B Marcus Semien, Texas Rangers
Not that any of these guys were easy omissions, but Altuve and Harper were the most reasonable on account of how both will miss the first couple months of the '23 campaign. Harper is recovering from Tommy John surgery and Altuve has a broken thumb.
Otherwise, leaving Guerrero out pained us the most. But in our defense, it wasn't just his results that regressed from 2021 to 2022. Some bad habits also came back, most notably the oh-so-frustrating penchant for ground balls he had in his first two seasons.
Pitchers
- RHP Dylan Cease, Chicago White Sox
- RHP Gerrit Cole, New York Yankees
- RHP Jacob deGrom, Texas Rangers
- RHP Aaron Nola, Philadelphia Phillies
- LHP Carlos Rodón, New York Yankees
- RHP Max Scherzer, New York Mets
Jeepers, this is a list of some really good pitchers. Scherzer and deGrom have five Cy Young Awards between them, while Rodón and Cole rank 1-2 in strikeouts per nine innings over the last two seasons.
But, alas, deGrom, Scherzer and especially Rodón (who's already injured) come with durability questions, while Cole has become a bit of a long-ball magnet ever since MLB cracked down on sticky stuff in June 2021.
25. RF Ronald Acuña Jr., Atlanta
2 of 26
Age: 25
2022 Stats: 119 G, 533 PA, 15 HR, 29 SB, .266 AVG, .351 OBP, .413 SLG
Why He's Here
Nobody needs to be sold on Acuña's upside. This is the same guy who won the National League Rookie of the Year in 2018 and then darn near went 40-40 in 2019. He was also having as good a season as anyone in 2021 before he tore his ACL in July.
As for the tricky question of how much of said upside still exists, we submit that Acuña continued to put up stellar peripherals even though he clearly wasn't 100-percent upon returning last season. Why, by the way, is something he purportedly is now.
Why He's Not Higher
Peripherals and proclamations of good health aside, it's been close to two years since Acuña was last a top-tier star. He also didn't light up either the World Baseball Classic or spring training. As such, caution's the word for now.
24. 3B Alex Bregman, Houston Astros
3 of 26
Age: 28
2022 Stats: 155 G, 656 PA, 23 HR, 1 SB, .259 AVG, .366 OBP, .454 SLG
Why He's Here
The Alex Bregman who was one of MLB's best players across 2018 and 2019 went away for a while, but came back for the latter part of 2022. He was one of the American League's best hitters in the second half and then put forth a .948 OPS in the playoffs.
Bregman's preference for walks over strikeouts and pull power is an A-OK offensive mindset in our book, and his defense can lean toward terrific. Take last season, in which he ranked fifth among third basemen in outs above average.
Why He's Not Higher
Despite his obvious upsides, it does require some faith to be high on Bregman for 2023. From the start of 2020 through the first half of 2022, he was more good than great in hitting to a 118 wRC+ with 5.8 fWAR.
23. C Adley Rutschman, Baltimore Orioles
4 of 26
Age: 25
2022 Stats: 113 G, 470 PA, 13 HR, 4 SB, .254 AVG, .362 OBP, .445 SLG
Why He's Here
Is Adley Rutschman the best catcher in baseball? Oh, it sure is tempting to say it after how he finished 2022 with a 151 wRC+ and the third-most fWAR of any position player after June 15.
Rutschman's offensive profile contains an advanced approach (see his walk-to-strikeout ratio) and power with room to grow, while his defensive profile contains...[checks notes]...literally everything. He can throw, receive and, above all, block with the best of 'em.
Why He's Not Higher
That tear that Rutschman went on last year happened over only 93 games, so it would be a tad premature to put the "best catcher in baseball" crown on his head even if said crown wasn't already sitting comfortably on the noggin of someone more experienced.
22. C J.T. Realmuto, Philadelphia Phillies
5 of 26
Age: 32
2022 Stats: 139 G, 562 PA, 22 HR, 21 SB, .276 AVG, .342 OBP, .478 SLG
Why He's Here
And here is that more experienced someone we were just talking about. And what a catcher J.T. Realmuto is, as there's a sizable 5.6-rWAR gap between him and MLB's next-best backstop over the last seven seasons.
It also helps that Realmuto is coming off one of the most well-rounded seasons a catcher has ever had. Last year saw him become just the second catcher in history go 20-20, and he also led MLB in caught-stealing percentage.
Why He's Not Higher
Because Realmuto is 32 years old, there is the obligatory question of how much longer he can keep up a superstar-caliber of play. And even if he doesn't necessarily go backward, last year was probably more of a one-off than something he can sustain.
21. 3B Rafael Devers, Boston Red Sox
6 of 26
Age: 26
2022 Stats: 141 G, 614 PA, 27 HR, 3 SB, .295 AVG, .358 OBP, .521 SLG
Why He's Here
What we're trying to say here is that we think the Red Sox were justified in signing Rafael Devers to a 10-year deal that will pay out a club-record $313.5 million. Mainly because that stick of his is mighty indeed.
Since 2019, Devers ranks second in total bases and first in extra-base hits. He also has the league's second-biggest pile of hard-hit balls in that span, for which it's surely helped that he's played in 93.4 percent of Boston's games.
Why He's Not Higher
Per outs above average, Devers was up there with Matt Chapman and Nolan Arenado defensively back in 2019. That sure looks like an outlier now, however, so one wonders if he would already be at first base if Triston Casas wasn't in the way.
20. 3B Austin Riley, Atlanta
7 of 26
Age: 25
2022 Stats: 159 G, 693 PA, 38 HR, 2 SB, .273 AVG, .349 OBP, .528 SLG
Why He's Here
Exactly four hitters have topped 6 rWAR in each of the last two seasons: reigning MVPs Aaron Judge and Paul Goldschmidt, perennial MVP candidate José Ramírez and, well, this guy.
What's more, Austin Riley's trendline is practically at a 90-degree angle. That especially pertains to the quality of his contact, which was good in 2022 that he was firmly among the big boys with a 97th-percentile xwOBA and 98th-percentile xSLG.
Why He's Not Higher
That trendline is why we have Riley over Devers, but here's where we once again bump into the awkward topic of defense. Defensive runs saved does like Riley's glovework, but Ultimate Zone Rating and outs above average paint a picture of a fielder who's not only below average, but downright bad.
19. RF Kyle Tucker, Houston Astros
8 of 26
Age: 26
2022 Stats: 150 G, 609 PA, 30 HR, 25 SB, .257 AVG, .330 OBP, .478 SLG
Why He's Here
When you're an All-Star and Gold Glover with back-to-back seasons of 5-plus rWAR and 30 home runs, you're pretty much granted automatic entry into a discussion of the best players in baseball. And in this case, it's a player who can still get better.
Kyle Tucker was shifted on 91.3 percent of the time in 2022, so more hits should be coming his way in baseball's new post-shift era. And if he could go 25-for-29 stealing bases even without bigger bags, it'll be no great surprise if he pushes to 30 or beyond.
Why He's Not Higher
Then again, Tucker's underlying offensive metrics did take a turn for the worse last season. Unless he corrects that, any improvements facilitated by the new rules could be marginal.
18. SS Francisco Lindor, New York Mets
9 of 26
Age: 29
2022 Stats: 161 G, 706 PA, 26 HR, 16 SB, .270 AVG, .339 OBP, .449 SLG
Why He's Here
Shortstop is a danged important position and Francisco Lindor is danged good at playing it. He ranks second at the position in rWAR dating back to 2015 and he's coming off a season in which he topped the charts in fWAR.
Lindor basically doesn't have any weaknesses in his offensive game, and his defensive game is such that it borders on outrageous that he only has two Gold Gloves. He only leads, you know, everyone in outs above average since 2016.
Why He's Not Higher
As good as Lindor still is, any reasonable pair or eyes will see that his peak years aren't happening right now. Unless MLB breaks out the juiced ball again, the guy who hit north of 30 home runs three years in a row between 2017 and 2019 probably isn't coming back.
17. SS Carlos Correa, Minnesota Twins
10 of 26
Age: 28
2022 Stats: 136 G, 590 PA, 22 HR, 0 SB, .291 AVG, .366 OBP, .467 SLG
Why He's Here
Because Lindor ranks No. 2 among shortstops in rWAR since 2015, it's only appropriate to follow him with the guy who ranks No. 1. And ancient history isn't doing the heavy lifting there, as Carlos Correa also leads shortstops in rWAR over the last two years.
Last year was one of Correa's more well-rounded offensive seasons, and not just in terms of results. And while his defense was suspect, we're not buying it. It was only in 2021 that he led everyone in defensive runs saved.
Why He's Not Higher
Correa's offense is more high-floor than high-ceiling, specifically with regard to a power output that's stuck in the 20- to 25-home run range. And after what he went through this winter, it's not exactly a secret that he comes with substantial injury risk.
16. RHP Justin Verlander, New York Mets
11 of 26
Age: 40
2022 Stats: 28 GS, 175.0 IP, 116 H (12 HR), 185 K, 29 BB, 1.75 ERA
Why He's Here
Well, Justin Verlander is only a three-time Cy Young Award winner who led the majors in ERA last season, as well as WHIP for the third time in the last five years. What further justification could anyone need?
As for how Verlander can still do it even at his age, it helps to have a fastball and command that are both aging like the finest of wines. The former was one of the most valuable pitches in MLB last season, while FanGraphs' Location+ metric likewise rated the latter as elite.
Why He's Not Higher
As amazing as Verlander was last season, his peripheral numbers suggest he wasn't actually sub-2.00 ERA levels of amazing. Even if he wasn't in his 40s and already on the injured list, down would probably be the only way for him to go in 2023.
15. RHP Sandy Alcantara, Miami Marlins
12 of 26
Age: 27
2022 Stats: 32 GS, 228.2 IP, 174 H (16 HR), 207 K, 50 BB, 2.28 ERA
Why He's Here
Sandy Alcantara was underrated going into 2022. By placing him here, we're arguably still underrating him after he rightfully claimed the National League Cy Young Award after doing everything anyone could ever ask of a pitcher last season.
Alcantara had only four starts in which he failed to pitch into the sixth inning, and he kept runs off the board primarily through strikeouts, ground balls and pop-ups. If ever there was a recipe for an ace, that's it.
Why He's Not Higher
Ah, but that recipe would have had more of a kick if Alcantara had at least risen to the level of a strikeout per inning last year. And a league-high 135 of those ground balls were outs by way of the shift, which is a luxury he no longer has.
14. RHP Corbin Burnes, Milwaukee Brewers
13 of 26
Age: 28
2022 Stats: 33 GS, 202.0 IP, 144 H (23 HR), 243 K, 51 BB, 2.94 ERA
Why He's Here
Since moving into Milwaukee's rotation on Aug. 18, 2020, Corbin Burnes has pitched to a 2.60 ERA and racked up league-best totals for both versions of pitching WAR that FanGraphs has. Such things make for a strong case for him as the best ace in baseball today.
As for how Burnes does it, it's simple: He has the best stuff of any National League pitcher and he throws lots of strikes with it. Hence how he has 443 more strikeouts than walks since that fateful day in August, all while allowing just 6.5 hits per nine innings.
Why He's Not Higher
Ah, but what hits Burnes did allow in 2022 were harder than the ones he had previously given up. His home run rate indeed more than doubled from 2021, and not one of his five primary pitches was spared.
13. LF Juan Soto, San Diego Padres
14 of 26
Age: 24
2022 Stats: 153 G, 664 PA, 27 HR, 6 SB, .242 AVG, .401 OBP, .452 SLG
Why He's Here
When you finish in the top 10 for wRC+ and people still mumble about you having a disappointing season, you must be a pretty good hitter.
As for how Juan Soto can charter a course back to the Mel Ott- and Ted Williams-like greatness he experienced between 2018 and 2021, well, it's not complicated. He should have some outstanding good luck to collect on, and not having to worry about a trade and a move to a new city can only help.
Why He's Not Higher
Big, hairy bipods that hang out in woods are less elusive than the reasons for why Soto was a Gold Glove finalist last year. Especially according to outs above average, he was one of the worst outfielders in baseball.
12. DH/LF Yordan Álvarez, Houston Astros
15 of 26
Age: 25
2022 Stats: 135 G, 561 PA, 37 HR, 1 SB, .306 AVG, .406 OBP, .613 SLG
Why He's Here
Yordan Álvarez looked enough like the best hitter in baseball as he was putting up a 177 wRC+ and 27 home runs in just 87 games as a rookie in 2019, and what he did last year might well have removed all doubt that he is exactly that.
Beyond the results, there's how Álvarez ranked in the 100th percentile for five different hitting metrics. And now he doesn't even have the shift to worry about, and that figures to benefit him as much as any hitter not named Corey Seager.
Why He's Not Higher
Álvarez did post solid defensive ratings last year, but it was all arm and no glove. The other question with him concerns his health, as he had surgeries on both knees in 2020 and has had nagging issues with his hands the last two years.
11. 1B Paul Goldschmidt, St. Louis Cardinals
16 of 26
Age: 35
2022 Stats: 151 G, 651 PA, 35 HR, 7 SB, .317 AVG, .404 OBP, .578 SLG
Why He's Here
Reigning National League MVP? Pursuer of the Triple Crown? The most valuable player of the Non-Trout/Betts Division dating back to 2013? Yeah, Paul Goldschmidt is all of these things.
Though he is one of the more solid bets to finish this season with a .300/.400/.500 slash line, let's also grant that Goldschmidt isn't a bat-only player. He's 23-for-24 stealing bases since 2019 and a deserved winner of four Gold Gloves to boot.
Why He's Not Higher
Goldschmidt does have some downward mobility danger for 2023, and we don't say that just because he's smack in the middle of his 30s. If his league-best .368 batting average on balls in play wasn't enough of a tip, other metrics also paint him as the luckiest hitter of 2022.
10. 1B Freddie Freeman, Los Angeles Dodgers
17 of 26
Age: 33
2022 Stats: 159 G, 708 PA, 21 HR, 13 SB, .325 AVG, .407 OBP, .511 SLG
Why He's Here
All players have their ups and downs. Except for Freddie Freeman, that is. His wRC+ hasn't dipped below 130 in any of the last 10 seasons, and the only time he's hit below .300 since 2016 was when he hit .295 in 2019.
What's more, Freeman might actually have underachieved at the plate amid his wildly successful first season with the Dodgers. Factoring in that he's likewise a Gold Glover who's still good in the field, he's basically Goldschmidt minus the regression likelihood.
Why He's Not Higher
Freeman has maintained as an elite hitter in part because he was willing to collect cheap hits against the shift. Those won't be available anymore. Otherwise, there's at least a little worry to be mined from how he hit 10 fewer home runs in 2022 than he did in 2021.
9. CF Julio Rodríguez, Seattle Mariners
18 of 26
Age: 22
2022 Stats: 132 G, 560 PA, 28 HR, 25 SB, .284 AVG, .345 OBP, .509 SLG
Why He's Here
Even Ichiro Suzuki has a hard time finding faults with Julio Rodríguez and, really, who can blame him?
Rodríguez didn't even get going until May 1 of last season, and yet he still became the fastest player ever to 25 home runs and 25 stolen bases. It's possible to dream of a 40-40 season in 2023, and maybe even a Gold Glove after he racked up nine outs above average in 2022.
Why He's Not Higher
Psst. Hey, Ichiro. Here's a hint: Rodríguez could stand to tighten up his approach, as his whiff, strikeout and walk rates were firmly below average in 2022. Discipline and true offensive excellence aren't necessarily mutually inclusive, but they do generally go together.
8. SS Trea Turner, Philadelphia Phillies
19 of 26
Age: 29
2022 Stats: 160 G, 708 PA, 21 HR, 27 SB, .298 AVG, .343 OBP, .466 SLG
Why He's Here
Nobody dominated the World Baseball Classic as much as Shohei Ohtani, but Trea Turner came close by homering five times in six games. For good measure, he added two more long balls in Grapefruit League play.
It all felt like a precursor to what, especially if you go off his ZiPS projections, should be Turner's best season yet. Especially with the bigger bases, he's a lock to hit over .300 and swipe north of 30 bases. And knowing Citizens Bank Park's power-friendly tendencies, his first 30-homer season is also in the cards.
Why He's Not Higher
The issues that Turner had on defense last October weren't altogether misleading. He's had some positive ratings at shortstop here and there, but his glovework has generally rated as roughly average.
7. 3B Manny Machado, San Diego Padres
20 of 26
Age: 30
2022 Stats: 150 G, 644 PA, 32 HR, 9 SB, .298 AVG, .366 OBP, .531 SLG
Why He's Here
Manny Machado was already a regular All-Star and MVP contender going into 2022. Then he had his best season yet, setting career highs with a 152 wRC+ and 7.4 fWAR. Hence why he's here in this particular place in cyberspace, not to mention $350 million richer in real life.
It seems safe to put Machado down for an average around .300 and 30-odd home runs, as well as Gold Glove-caliber defense at the hot corner. He's just really good. No further notes.
Why He's Not Higher
Well, save for maybe one. Similar to Goldschmidt, Machado's underlying metrics from last year suggest that his results were running too hot. Relative to 2021, his strikeout rate was up 4.8 points and his exit velocity was down 1.6 mph.
6. 3B José Ramírez, Cleveland Guardians
21 of 26
Age: 30
2022 Stats: 157 G, 685 PA, 29 HR, 20 SB, .280 AVG, .355 OBP, .514 SLG
Why He's Here
You would think that José Ramírez would have lucked into an MVP award by now. He's finished in the top six of the voting for the award five times in six seasons, across which he ranks fifth among position players in rWAR.
Maybe this will be the year. Ramírez has the speed to make the most of the bigger bases, and the shift ban will benefit him as well. A dead-pull hitter like himself should benefit from his left-handed shift rate dropping from 93.3 percent down to zero.
Why He's Not Higher
Hmmm. Good question. The best answer we've got is that, though his floor is as high as anyone's, Ramírez can probably only push his ceiling so high at this point. The new rules will help him but maybe not transform him.
5. 3B Nolan Arenado, St. Louis Cardinals
22 of 26
Age: 31
2022 Stats: 148 G, 620 PA, 30 HR, 5 SB, .293 AVG, .358 OBP, .533 SLG
Why He's Here
Nolan Arenado has been in the league since 2013, but it was really in 2015 that he began his ascent. Since that year, he checks in behind only Mike Trout and Mookie Betts in rWAR.
The components that put Arenado in that spot are alive and well. Frequent contact and pulled fly balls that often go over the fence are still his calling cards at the plate. And in the field, well, it doesn't get much more self-explanatory than "10 straight Gold Gloves."
Why He's Not Higher
Well, Arenado isn't of much use on the basepaths. Oh, and the 40-homer seasons he had for the Colorado Rockies in 2015 and 2016 probably won't happen again unless the air in St. Louis suddenly gets a lot thinner. Otherwise, that's really it.
4. RF Mookie Betts, Los Angeles Dodgers
23 of 26
Age: 30
2022 Stats: 142 G, 639 PA, 35 HR, 12 SB, .269 AVG, .340 OBP, .533 SLG
Why He's Here
Mookie Betts' first full season in 2015 marked the start of a sort of WAR arms race with Mike Trout. Since then, they're separated by just 0.8 rWAR overall and are the only two hitters with half a dozen seasons of 6-rWAR.
Hot take alert: Betts has been and still is the more well-rounded baseball player of the two. Not as mighty of a hitter, to be sure, but he does more on the bases and certainly more in the field, where he deservedly collected his sixth Gold Glove last season.
Why He's Not Higher
We're not about to say Betts is in his post-prime years...just post-peak. Even the bigger bases aren't likely to bring back his years of 20-30 stolen bases. And while he's still very good, defensive metrics no longer characterize him as a singular presence in the field.
3. CF Mike Trout, Los Angeles Angels
24 of 26
Age: 31
2022 Stats: 119 G, 499 PA, 40 HR, 1 SB, .283 AVG, .369 OBP, .630 SLG
Why He's Here
Mike Trout is just 1.4 rWAR away from surpassing Ken Griffey Jr. on the all-time list, and his 350 career home runs are more than Willie Mays and Harmon Killebrew had at his age. Oh, and he's the active career leader in OBP, SLG and OPS.
We probably need not go on, but another fun tidbit is that Trout became just the fourth player to hit 40 or more home runs in 119 or fewer games last season. It's as if he was barreling the ball with the best when he was able to play.
Why He's Not Higher
Well, there is the back condition and all the other recent injuries. And the diminished baserunning. And let's not forget the frustratingly hit-or-miss defense. But even still, you know who this is and what the deal is.
2. RF Aaron Judge, New York Yankees
25 of 26
Age: 30
2022 Stats: 157 G, 696 PA, 62 HR, 16 SB, .311 AVG, .425 OBP, .686 SLG
Why He's Here
Let's recognize that Aaron Judge was already an elite player before 2022. From 2017 through 2021, he ranked fourth in rWAR and fifth in home runs. Not bad for a guy who played in only 77 percent of his team's games.
And then, well, what is there even left to say about Judge's '22 season? Anyone who witnessed it observed arguably the greatest home run-hitting season of all time, not to mention a top-20 campaign in terms of fWAR. It was spectacular, to say the least.
Why He's Not Higher
This perhaps goes without saying, but the odds of Judge repeating his 2022 campaign are between slim and none. Otherwise, really the only reason he's No. 2 and not No. 1 is because he doesn't moonlight as an elite pitcher when he's not working as an elite slugger.
1. DH/RHP Shohei Ohtani, Los Angeles Angels
26 of 26
Age: 28
2022 Hitting Stats: 157 G, 666 PA, 34 HR, 11 SB, .273 AVG, .356 OBP, .519 SLG
2022 Pitching Stats: 28 GS, 166.0 IP, 124 H (14 HR), 219 K, 44 BB, 2.33 ERA
Why He's Here
Shohei Ohtani had maybe the greatest season ever in 2021, but he must not have been satisfied. He basically did it all over again in 2022, this time earning Cy Young Award votes to go with the ones he also got as runner-up to Aaron Judge in the AL MVP race.
By all rights, Ohtani should have no upside left to explore. But he does. That overpowering sinker he broke out at the end of 2022 will be there from the beginning this time, and he stands to benefit from both the bigger bases and the shift ban.
Why He's Not Higher
Only because this is the end of the line. All that's left to say is that we all ought to be grateful to be living in the Age of Shohei Ohtani, especially now that the Year of Shohei Ohtani is upon us.
Stats courtesy of Baseball Reference, FanGraphs and Baseball Savant.
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