Ranking the Top 100 MLB Players of the 2023 Season
From Atlanta's Ronald Acuña Jr. and Los Angeles' (for now) Shohei Ohtani all the way down to New York's Pete Alonso, our top 100 players of the 2023 MLB season come in all shapes, sizes, locations and positions.
Wins Above Replacement—via both FanGraphs and Baseball Reference—was the primary driving force behind these rankings, but we looked at much more than just those two data points. Full-season stats, partial-season surges, Gold Glove finalists, All-Star honors, IL stints and everything in between all factored into the mix.
One huge thing that doesn't factor in, though: Postseason production. What the players accomplished in October will be mentioned periodically, as the four ALCS and NLCS teams combined to place 24 players in this top 100. However, neither Adolis García's rampage through the past four weeks nor Kyle Tucker's vanishing act in the postseason were part of the equation.
And just so we're clear, this should not be viewed as some sort of way-too-early ranking of the top 100 players heading into the 2024 season. There are guys who didn't make this top 100 who would be top 50 players on that list and vice versa. But this is solely a ranking of who was best/most valuable in 2023.
At the end, we've also included an index of sorts for where each player ranks by team. (If you're checking that index for Oakland or Washington, tough luck.)
Ten players who just missed the cut, many of whom simply didn't play enough: Thairo Estrada, Ryan Jeffers, Steven Kwan, Royce Lewis, Manny Machado, Gabriel Moreno, Joe Musgrove, Eury Perez, Tarik Skubal, and Brandon Woodruff. We also chose not to include Wander Franco, though his WAR prior to his suspension would've been enough to land in the top 25.
Nos. 100-96: P. Alonso, A. Nola, T. Scott, M. Keller, L. Gilbert
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100. Pete Alonso, 1B, New York Mets
.217/.318/.504, 46 HR, 118 RBI, 92 R, 121 wRC+
Kyle Schwarber's 47 home runs and .197 batting average didn't make the cut, but Alonso sneaks in by virtue of a better slugging percentage and not being a black hole on defense. He's only 28, but this was already Alonso's third season with at least 40 home runs and 118 RBI. Quite the long road ahead to match Babe Ruth with 11 such campaigns, but he is one of just 29 players in MLB history to do it at least three times. (The only other active member of that club is Nolan Arenado.)
99. Aaron Nola, RHP, Philadelphia Phillies
12-9, 193.2 IP, 4.46 ERA, 4.03 FIP, 1.15 WHIP, 9.4 K/9
Nola's final season before entering free agency was a bit of a mixed bag, allowing a career-worst 32 home runs and having an unusually difficult time striking anyone out early in the year. But, as always, he stayed healthy and eventually came around. Making four postseason starts with a 2.35 ERA should help alleviate any concerns that may have arisen during the regular season.
98. Tanner Scott, LHP, Miami Marlins
9-5, 12 SV, 78.0 IP, 2.31 ERA, 2.17 FIP, 0.99 WHIP, 12.0 K/9
With nine wins, 12 saves and 24 holds, Scott was the individual pitcher most responsible for Miami going 33-14 in one-run games. In fact, he pitched in 25 of those victories. But this came out of nowhere. He did save 20 games for the Marlins last season, but he entered the year with a career 4.61 ERA and 1.56 WHIP before suddenly slashing his walk rate and becoming a reliable late-inning option.
97. Mitch Keller, RHP, Pittsburgh Pirates
13-9, 194.1 IP, 4.21 ERA, 3.80 FIP, 1.25 WHIP, 9.7 K/9
During the first half of the season, Keller went at least seven innings allowing either zero or one runs on six separate occasion. He recorded a quality start in 12 of his first 19 appearances and was named an All-Star. However, he had quite a few duds in the second half, allowing at least six earned runs in five of his final 13 starts, causing his ERA to balloon north of 4.00. When he gets in the zone, though, not many current pitchers are better.
96. Logan Gilbert, RHP, Seattle Mariners
13-7, 190.2 IP, 3.73 ERA, 3.85 FIP, 1.07 WHIP, 8.9 K/9
Gilbert is the first of three Mariners starting pitchers in our top 100, speaking volumes to how good that staff was this season despite immediately losing Robbie Ray to Tommy John surgery. Gilbert was especially hot during the warmest months, tossing a complete-game shutout against the Giants on July 4 and striking out 12 Padres over seven one-hit innings a month later.
Nos. 95-91: J. Candelario, L. Nootbaar, M. McLain, J. Altuve, J. Peña
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95. Jeimer Candelario, 3B/1B, Chicago Cubs (Traded from Washington Nationals)
.251/.336/.471, 22 HR, 77 R, 70 RBI, 8 SB, 117 wRC+
Over his final 22 games, Candelario probably cost himself at least 22 spots on this list and possibly some income in free agency. After an initial flourish when he landed with the Cubs, he hit .127 down the stretch. But through August 23, he had an .850 OPS, on pace for both 50 doubles and 25 home runs. Though the ending wasn't great, 2023 still went a heck of a lot better for Candelario than 2022 did. He should be one of the five most coveted hitters in free agency.
94. Lars Nootbaar, OF, St. Louis Cardinals
.261/.367/.418, 14 HR, 74 R, 46 RBI, 11 SB, 118 wRC+
Overlooked while St. Louis put together its worst season in more than three decades, Nootbaar was one of the most valuable Cardinals in 2023. His full-season numbers don't jump off the page, but between July and August, he had a .318 batting average and a .975 OPS. His ability to play all three outfield spots was key, as the Cardinals couldn't seem to find an outfielder who could stay healthy or effective.
93. Matt McLain, SS/2B, Cincinnati Reds
.290/.357/.507, 16 HR, 65 R, 50 RBI, 14 SB, 128 wRC+
The Reds didn't call McLain up until 40 games into the season, and then he missed their final 30 contests with an oblique injury. For those 15 weeks in between, though, the rookie made one heck of a first impression, undeniably outperforming teammate Elly De La Cruz without getting nearly as much national fanfare. McLain had 12 multi-hit performances within his first 22 games.
92. Jose Altuve, 2B, Houston Astros
.311/.393/.522, 17 HR, 76 R, 51 RBI, 14 SB, 154 wRC+
Like McLain, probably could've gone a good bit higher than this on Altuve. However, there's a bit of a glass ceiling when you miss darn near half of the regular season. That said, the 13-year veteran was on pace for roughly 30 home runs and 25 stolen bases, posting an OPS north of .910 for the fourth time in his career. He finished top-five in the AL MVP vote in each of the other three years.
91. Jeremy Peña, SS, Houston Astros
.263/.324/.381, 10 HR, 81 R, 52 RBI, 13 SB, 96 wRC+
The reigning World Series MVP didn't even hit half as many home runs as he did last year (22), but his overall impact on offense was just about the same, drawing more walks and getting more singles and doubles. And though he wasn't named a finalist to defend his Gold Glove crown, Peña's defense was considerably above-average once again.
Nos. 90-86: E. Rodriguez, B. Garrett, B. Marsh, T. Bibee, M. Ozuna
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90. Eduardo Rodriguez, LHP, Detroit Tigers
13-9, 152.2 IP, 3.30 ERA, 3.66 FIP, 1.15 WHIP, 8.4 K/9
Rodriguez had one of the more impressive five-start stretches in recent memory, going at least seven scoreless innings in four of them and allowing just one solo home run in the other. By the end of May, he had a 2.13 ERA. He was a bit more hit or miss after coming back from a five-week absence because of a ruptured finger tendon, but he does enter free agency on a high note with one run allowed over his final 14 innings.
89. Braxton Garrett, LHP, Miami Marlins
9-7, 159.2 IP, 3.66 ERA, 3.68 FIP, 1.15 WHIP, 8.8 K/9
Garrett had one nightmare of a start in early May against Atlanta, allowing four home runs and 11 earned runs. But give him a mulligan for that one and he finishes the season with a much more respectable 3.13 ERA. Over his final 11 starts, he had a 2.56 ERA. The future is still bright for this 2016 first-round pick.
88. Brandon Marsh, OF, Philadelphia Phillies
.277/.372/.458, 12 HR, 58 R, 60 RBI, 10 SB, 125 wRC+
Marsh's home run and stolen base totals were almost identical to what he put up a year ago, but the 25-year-old took a gigantic step in the right direction from an overall offensive perspective, increasing his OPS by 150 points. He did a lot of that damage right off the bat with 10 extra-base hits in his first 14 games. Even after that blistering hot start, though, he was considerably more productive than where he finished the previous two years.
87. Tanner Bibee, RHP, Cleveland Guardians
10-4, 142.0 IP, 2.98 ERA, 3.52 FIP, 1.18 WHIP, 8.9 K/9
One rookie starting pitcher from each league made the top 100, with Bibee representing the AL. In all but two of his 25 starts, he went at least five innings and allowed three or fewer runs. Even though he's a fly-ball pitcher—his 36.8 percent ground-ball rate lines up with he did in the minors—he was one of the best in the majors at keeping the ball in the yard, allowing 0.82 homers per 9 innings pitched.
86. Marcell Ozuna, DH, Atlanta Braves
.274/.346/.558, 40 HR, 84 R, 100 RBI, 139 wRC+
This is a fantastic spot for a reminder that WAR was the primary data point leveraged for these rankings, and neither site rated Ozuna as a top-60 hitter, let alone top-60 overall player this season. But WAR, what is it good for? Aaron Judge was the only player with at least 40 home runs, 100 RBI and a .900 OPS last season, and the only players to reach those marks in 2023 were Atlanta's Matt Olson, Ronald Acuña Jr. and Ozuna. He probably deserves better than this ranking after bouncing back spectacularly from rough seasons in 2021 and 2022.
Nos. 85-81: R. Devers, R. Arozarena, J. Heim, Y. Cano, L. Castillo
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85. Rafael Devers, 3B, Boston Red Sox
.271/.351/.500, 33 HR, 90 R, 100 RBI, 124 wRC+
Devers was solid as usual at the plate this season, giving the Red Sox at least 30 home runs and 100 RBI for the third time in the past four 162-game seasons. His defense at the hot corner remains decidedly not great, though, now saddled with 129 errors since the beginning of 2017. (No other third baseman has more than 77.) If Justin Turner leaves this offseason, the DH portion of Devers' career should begin in 2024.
84. Randy Arozarena, OF, Tampa Bay Rays
.254/.364/.425, 23 HR, 95 R, 83 RBI, 22 SB, 126 wRC+
Along with José Ramírez and Trea Turner, Arozarena is one of just three players with at least 20 home runs and at least 20 stolen bases in each of the past three seasons. Granted, he barely got there in all three years and has declined in both batting average and slugging percentage in now three straight seasons, but at least the 2021 AL Rookie of the Year was finally named an All-Star.
83. Jonah Heim, C, Texas Rangers
.258/.317/.438, 18 HR, 61 R, 95 RBI, 103 wRC+
Heim had a bit of a breakout in 2022, but he was Captain Clutch in 2023, improving his OPS with runners in scoring position from .718 to 1.126. He did also improve a bit overall, raising his batting average 31 points and his OPS 58 points. But showing up like that when it counts the most is how you go from a relatively anonymous 48 RBI hitter to a 95 RBI All-Star.
82. Yennier Cano, RHP, Baltimore Orioles
1-4, 8 SV, 72.2 IP, 2.11 ERA, 2.84 FIP, 1.00 WHIP, 8.1 K/9
Cano didn't open the season on Baltimore's roster, only getting called up when both Keegan Akin (paternity list) and Cole Irvin (demoted to Triple-A) were removed from the pitching staff on April 14. But Cano was immediately sensational upon re-arrival in the majors, going 11.0 innings before allowing his first hit or walk of the season and going 21.2 innings before allowing his first run. Even from that point on, though, he had a 3.00 ERA and played a huge role in Baltimore's endgame.
81. Luis Castillo, RHP, Seattle Mariners
14-9, 197.0 IP, 3.34 ERA, 3.81 FIP, 1.10 WHIP, 10.0 K/9
Unfortunately for Seattle, Castillo stumbled to the finish line, losing each of his final two starts against Houston and Texas en route to finishing just behind both AL West rivals. But, I mean, the M's wouldn't have been that close to the postseason in the first place were it not for Castillo putting up a 3.06 ERA through his first 31 starts.
Nos. 80-76: J. Verlander, C. Burnes, P. Goldschmidt, C. McCormick, B. Harper
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80. Justin Verlander, RHP, Houston Astros (Traded from New York Mets)
13-8, 162.1 IP, 3.22 ERA, 3.85 FIP, 1.13 WHIP, 8.0 K/9
Verlander missed the first month of the season with the same teres major injury that caused Max Scherzer's regular season to end prematurely. And when Verlander got back on the mound, he oscillated between solid and sub-par performances until finally getting into a groove in late June. By that point, though, New York's season was in shambles, and he ended up back "home" in Houston to lead a playoff push. He had a 2.61 ERA over his final 18 starts.
79. Corbin Burnes, RHP, Milwaukee Brewers
10-8, 193.2 IP, 3.39 ERA, 3.81 FIP, 1.07 WHIP, 9.3 K/9
From 2020-22, Burnes was probably the best starting pitcher in the majors. FanGraphs believes so. However, he didn't quite have the same stuff in 2023. Not as consistently, at any rate. He did go at least six scoreless innings seven times, including eight no-hit innings at Yankee Stadium. But he also allowed at least six earned runs three times, which didn't happen once in the previous three years. Burnes was still an All-Star, though, and he pitched better in the second half than he did in the first half. It certainly wasn't a bad year.
78. Paul Goldschmidt, 1B, St. Louis Cardinals
.268/.363/.447, 25 HR, 89 R, 80 RBI, 11 SB, 122 wRC+
The reigning NL MVP was...fine. It wasn't a vintage year for Goldy, who posted his worst OPS (.810) since his rookie season (.808 in 2011). He also had 35 fewer RBI than last season, despite 19 additional plate appearances with runners in scoring position. But compare Goldschmidt to your average MLB player in 2023 as opposed to comparing him to what he had been over the past decade, and he's still pretty darn good.
77. Chas McCormick, OF, Houston Astros
.273/.353/.489, 22 HR, 59 R, 70 RBI, 19 SB, 133 wRC+
McCormick sticks out like a sore thumb in a quintet otherwise full of former Cy Youngs and MVPs, but he sure looked like an MVP in the making for a good chunk of 2023. In 58 games played from June 1 through August 21, McCormick hit .318 with a 1.005 OPS, with 162-game paces of 42 home runs, 112 RBI and 25 stolen bases. And though he doesn't have a great arm, he has committed just three errors in more than 2,500 career innings between the three outfield spots.
76. Bryce Harper, 1B/DH, Philadelphia Phillies
.293/.401/.499, 21 HR, 84 R, 72 RBI, 11 SB, 142 wRC+
Harper returned from Tommy John surgery faster than anyone could have reasonably expected. But it wasn't until two weeks after he started playing first base on occasion that Harper remembered how to hit for power. Of his 21 home runs, 16 came in the final two months of the regular season—followed by five more in the postseason. A strong finish, to be sure. Not quite enough to land in the top 75, though.
Nos. 75-71: K. Hayes, M. Harris II, T. Turner, J. Lowe, M. Kelly
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75. Ke'Bryan Hayes, 3B, Pittsburgh Pirates
.271/.309/.453, 15 HR, 65 R, 61 RBI, 10 SB, 101 wRC+
After back-to-back seasons with a sub-.700 OPS, Hayes seemed destined for more of the same, sitting at .606 after 52 games played. But from May 31 onward, Hayes was a completely different force, triple-slashing .309/.336/.532 while also playing Gold Glove caliber defense at third base. Had he hit that well for the first two months and/or not missed five weeks with back and wrist injuries, he may have been a top-25 player.
74. Michael Harris II, OF, Atlanta Braves
.293/.331/.477, 18 HR, 76 R, 57 RBI, 20 SB, 115 wRC+
Harris missed three weeks in April with a back injury, and it was a long time before he started to look like he did while winning NL ROY in 2022. Through 60 team games, Harris was batting .163 with just two home runs. His final 100 games looked nothing like that, though, batting .335 with a .912 OPS, 16 home runs and 15 stolen bases. He's also a worthy Gold Glove finalist for his work in center field.
73. Trea Turner, SS, Philadelphia Phillies
.266/.320/.459, 26 HR, 102 R, 76 RBI, 30 SB, 108 wRC+
Turn this into a ranking of who played best from Aug. 5 to Sept. 12, and Turner probably lands at No. 1. For that 33-game stretch, he hit .385 with 162-game paces of 79 home runs and 196 RBI. But in the 108 games prior to that, Turner was batting .236, on pace to finish the year with just 15 home runs. He went from looking like a $300 million bust to being worth every penny, even posting a 1.033 OPS in 13 postseason games. (Though, he did disappear in the last three.)
72. Josh Lowe, OF, Tampa Bay Rays
.292/.335/.500, 20 HR, 71 R, 83 RBI, 32 SB, 131 wRC+
After his brother, Nathaniel, was one of the biggest breakout stars of 2022, Josh followed suit this year. A top prospect who dominated Triple-A in 2021-22, Lowe had a rough 52-game rookie campaign last season, batting .221 and slugging .343. But the former first-round pick was drastically better this time around, putting up numbers on par with those of Kyle Tucker, Fernando Tatis Jr. and José Ramírez. Among AL players with at least 500 plate appearances, Lowe tied with Rafael Devers for the seventh-best slugging percentage.
71. Merrill Kelly, RHP, Arizona Diamondbacks
12-8, 177.2 IP, 3.29 ERA, 3.85 FIP, 1.19 WHIP, 9.5 K/9
After the seven-inning gem he delivered in Game 2 of the World Series, Kelly can hardly be considered one of the most underrated pitchers anymore. But did you know Kelly, teammate Zac Gallen, Framber Valdez and Corbin Burnes were the only pitchers to log at least 175 innings and whiff at least 175 hitters with a sub-3.50 ERA in each of the past two seasons? He made 18 quality starts in 2023, lasting at least five innings in each of his final 29 appearances.
Nos. 70-66: C. Raleigh, F. Valdez, C. Walker, J. Luzardo, C. Yelich
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70. Cal Raleigh, C, Seattle Mariners
.232/.306/.456, 30 HR, 78 R, 75 RBI, 111 wRC+
The "Big Dumper" blossomed into a more complete hitter this season, tallying more than twice as many singles (65) as he did in 2022 (30). As a result, he had a still-not-great-but-less-awful batting average to go with his 30 home runs and plus defense. Notably, though, 19 of those home runs came in the second half, trailing only Corey Seager for most in the AL. It's not like he has stopped swinging for the fences.
69. Framber Valdez, LHP, Houston Astros
12-11, 198.0 IP, 3.45 ERA, 3.50 FIP, 1.13 WHIP, 9.1 K/9
Through 15 starts, Valdez had a 2.27 ERA and seemed to be well on his way to leading the majors in quality starts for a second successive year. He wasn't nearly as effective over the course of his final 16 starts with a 4.64 ERA, though there were two ginormous exceptions to that rule: His August 1 no-hitter against the Guardians and his seven hitless innings of work against the Tigers a few weeks later.
68. Christian Walker, 1B, Arizona Diamondbacks
.258/.333/.497, 33 HR, 86 R, 103 RBI, 11 SB, 120 wRC+
Heading into this past offseason, there was speculation that Walker—who still has one more year of arbitration eligibility remaining before free agency—would be a trade candidate either in the winter of 2022-23 or certainly in the summer of 2023. Instead, the veteran first baseman remained in the desert, leading the Snakes in both home runs and RBI en route to an unexpected trip to the playoffs.
67. Jesús Luzardo, LHP, Miami Marlins
10-10, 178.2 IP, 3.58 ERA, 3.55 FIP, 1.22 WHIP, 10.5 K/9
With Sandy Alcantara struggling to defend his Cy Young crown, with Eury Pérez on an innings restriction and with Pablo López now in Minnesota, Luzardo took the reins as the ace of Miami's rotation. Blowing right by his previous career high of 100.1 IP, Luzardo ranked seventh in the National League with 208 strikeouts, joining 2000 Ryan Dempster (209) and 2016 José Fernández (253) as the only Marlins to ever whiff that many hitters in a season.
66. Christian Yelich, OF, Milwaukee Brewers
.278/.370/.447, 19 HR, 106 R, 76 RBI, 28 SB, 122 wRC+
Cody Bellinger is going to be the NL's Comeback Player of the Year, but Yelich sure does warrant consideration after bouncing back from a rough three-year stretch of his own. He didn't come anywhere close to matching his peak production from 2018-19, but at least he somewhat lived up to his $26 million salary for a change after hitting .243 and slugging .388 from 2020-22.
Nos. 65-61: J. Outman, TJ Friedl, N. Jones, D. Bednar, M. Chapman
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65. James Outman, OF, Los Angeles Dodgers
.248/.353/.437, 23 HR, 86 R, 70 RBI, 16 SB, 118 wRC+
Early in the year, it was Outman—not Corbin Carroll—who appeared to be running away with the NL Rookie of the Year trophy. Outman finished April with a .991 OPS, including a pair of multi-HR games. He then completely vanished in May and June but came back strong in the second half, posting an .851 OPS after the All-Star break. There's been some unsubstantiated speculation that the Dodgers may pursue a reunion with Cody Bellinger in free agency, but why bother when they already have this center fielder for much, much cheaper?
64. TJ Friedl, OF, Cincinnati Reds
.279/.352/.467, 18 HR, 73 R, 66 RBI, 27 SB, 116 wRC+
Friedl is nowhere near the prodigal sensation that Matt McLain, Elly De La Cruz, Christian Encarnacion-Strand and Noelvi Marte are for the up-and-coming Reds. But Friedl did play considerably more than those rookies, ranking second only to Spencer Steer in each of hits, home runs and RBI. (Ranking well ahead of Steer on this list because of his superior defense and baserunning.) And Friedl did his darnedest to get Cincinnati into the postseason, posting a 1.154 OPS in September/October.
63. Nolan Jones, OF, Colorado Rockies
.297/.389/.542, 20 HR, 60 R, 62 RBI, 20 SB, 135 wRC+
Between not getting called up until late May and playing for a 103-loss mess of a team, Jones was easily the most underappreciated player of the year. He almost hit .300. He did join the 20 HR/20 SB club in just 106 games played, and he racked up an MLB-best 19 outfield assists in just 793 innings. It's all very reminiscent of Jeff Francoeur's MLB debut in 2005.
62. David Bednar, RHP, Pittsburgh Pirates
3-3, 39 SV, 67.1 IP, 2.00 ERA, 2.53 FIP, 1.10 WHIP, 10.7 K/9
Though the Pirates fell to pieces after a triumphant run through April, Bednar just kept doing his thing, finishing in a tie with San Francisco's Camilo Doval for the NL lead in saves. This was his first healthy season as Pittsburgh's full-time closer, and the two-time All-Star is now pretty well-cemented as one of the best ninth-inning options in the sport.
61. Matt Chapman, 3B, Toronto Blue Jays
.240/.330/.424, 15 HR, 66 R, 54 RBI, 110 wRC+
Quite a few of the hitters in our top 50 started slow before a strong showing over the final four or five months. Chapman went the opposite route, finishing April with a .384 batting average and a 1.152 OPS, only to put up marks of .205 and .659 the rest of the way. Add it all up, though, and 2023 was pretty much business as usual for Chappy, who has always been a streaky hitter with an elite glove at the hot corner. He will be a top commodity in this free-agent cycle.
Nos. 60-56: C. Kershaw, P. López, S. Murphy, G. Kirby, K. Senga
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60. Clayton Kershaw, LHP, Los Angeles Dodgers
13-5, 131.2 IP, 2.46 ERA, 4.03 FIP, 1.06 WHIP, 9.4 K/9
As has become a trend over the past three seasons, Kershaw wasn't particularly close to logging enough innings to qualify for an ERA title. Among pitchers with at least 130 innings of work, though, only Blake Snell (2.25) had a lower ERA in 2023. Kershaw did walk more batters than usual this year, resulting in a much higher FIP than he typically has. But for the five-ish innings he's able to give L.A. 24-ish times per year, he's still one of the toughest pitchers to hit against. (Let's not talk about that NLDS disaster, though.)
59. Pablo López, RHP, Minnesota Twins
11-8, 194.0 IP, 3.66 ERA, 3.33 FIP, 1.16 WHIP, 10.9 K/9
Four starts into the season, Pablo López looked like a top Cy Young candidate, sporting a 1.73 ERA with 33 strikeouts. It was quite the lucrative start for López, too, signing a four-year, $73.5 million extension shortly after that fourth start. While the ERA quickly thereafter bubbled up, the strikeout rate remained one of the best among qualified pitchers.
58. Sean Murphy, C, Atlanta Braves
.251/.365/.478, 21 HR, 65 R, 68 RBI, 129 wRC+
Because of Marcell Ozuna's near-everyday role in Atlanta's DH spot, Murphy received almost 200 fewer plate appearances than he did last year with Oakland. Incredibly, though, he hit three more home runs this season, averaging one for every 20.9 trips to the plate—basically the same as Juan Soto (20.2). And though he was not named one of the three finalists for the NL's catcher Gold Glove, he had another excellent season behind the plate, too.
57. George Kirby, RHP, Seattle Mariners
13-10, 190.2 IP, 3.35 ERA, 3.34 FIP, 1.04 WHIP, 8.1 K/9
For a guy whose most (in)famous moment of the 2023 season was a postgame comment about not wanting to pitch the seventh inning in a pivotal September game, Kirby gave the Mariners one heck of a full-season effort. The 25-year-old "sophomore" led the majors in both walk rate (0.9 BB/9) and K/BB ratio (9.1). And he did go at least seven full innings on 11 occasions, making 20 quality starts.
56. Kodai Senga, RHP, New York Mets
12-7, 166.1 IP, 2.98 ERA, 3.63 FIP, 1.22 WHIP, 10.9 K/9
In a world where Corbin Carroll doesn't exist, Senga is almost certainly your 2023 NL Rookie of the Year. He struggled mightily with walks early in his transition to Major League Baseball, issuing free passes to 14.3 percent of batters faced in his first 12 starts. But he got that rate down to 8.9 percent the rest of the way, posting a 2.74 ERA and a 1.12 WHIP from June 17 onward. The Mets traded away Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander, but they still have an ace.
Nos. 55-51: B. Nimmo, Z. Eflin, A Giménez, B. Stott, W. Smith
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55. Brandon Nimmo, OF, New York Mets
.274/.363/.466, 24 HR, 89 R, 68 RBI, 130 wRC+
Nimmo had a stellar 2022 run, resulting in an eight-year, $162 million contract that no one could have possibly forecasted heading into that season. And he was even better (at least at the plate) in 2023, posting the exact same batting average with a 50 percent increase in home runs while leading the Mets in OPS.
54. Zach Eflin, RHP, Tampa Bay Rays
16-8, 177.2 IP, 3.50 ERA, 3.01 FIP, 1.03 WHIP, 9.4 K/9
Though he didn't have his best stuff in the Wild Card Game against Texas, Eflin was Tampa Bay's hero during the regular season, making 10 more starts than anyone else on the injury-riddled pitching staff. Heck, Eflin almost had as many quality starts (17) as the next-closest Rays pitcher had games started (21). And more than that, he logged all of those innings with a 7.8 K/BB ratio, for which he deserved a better ERA than where he ended up.
53. Andrés Giménez, 2B, Cleveland Guardians
.251/.314/.399, 15 HR, 76 R, 62 RBI, 30 SB, 97 wRC+
Offensively, Giménez took a big step backward from his 2022 breakout run, with his OPS dropping from .837 to .712. But for a 24-year-old second baseman, he was still plenty productive at the plate and on the bases. And defensively, the reigning Gold Glove recipient may well be headed for a Platinum Glove this year. Among qualified AL position players, only Cal Raleigh had a better defense rating on FanGraphs, and no AL player had a higher dWAR on Baseball Reference.
52. Bryson Stott, 2B, Philadelphia Phillies
.280/.329/.419, 15 HR, 78 R, 62 RBI, 31 SB, 101 wRC+
Between the slow starts by Bryce Harper and Trea Turner, the poor defense by Kyle Schwarber and Nick Castellanos and losing Rhys Hoskins for the year before it began, Stott was surprisingly Philadelphia's most valuable hitter in 2023. He opened the year on a 17-game hitting streak, but even after that ended, he hit .265 with 14 home runs and 28 stolen bases while also providing excellent defense at second base.
51. Will Smith, C, Los Angeles Dodgers
.261/.359/.438, 19 HR, 80 R, 76 RBI, 119 wRC+
Smith has been one of MLB's best-hitting catchers since his arrival in 2019, and he was particularly potent in the first half of the season, riding an .889 OPS to his first All-Star Game. He wasn't anywhere near as good in the second half (.701), though at least he did show up for the postseason with five hits, which is more than can be said for the pair of Dodgers in the top 10.
Nos. 50-46: L. Arraez, I. Paredes, O. Albies, J. Montgomery, B. Bichette
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50. Luis Arraez, 2B, Miami Marlins
.354/.393/.469, 10 HR, 71 R, 69 RBI, 132 wRC+
It just feels right to have Arraez at the average of the top 100, considering he had MLB's best batting average (in a 162-game season) in over a decade. Even though he rarely homered, Arraez ended up with the same OPS as Austin Riley did with 37 dingers. And his league-leading 5.5 percent strikeout rate was very Tony Gwynn-like.
49. Isaac Paredes, IF, Tampa Bay Rays
.250/.352/.488, 31 HR, 71 R, 98 RBI, 137 wRC+
Where does Tampa Bay trading Austin Meadows to Detroit for Paredes right before 2022 opening day rank on the greatest fleece jobs in MLB history? Since the swap, Paredes has hit 51 home runs for the Rays, while Meadows has appeared in 42 games for the Tigers. He had a .592 OPS in his brief time with Detroit, but that spiked to .740 last year and spiked again to .840 this year. And he's still only 24, so he might still have some more blossoming to do.
48. Ozzie Albies, 2B, Atlanta Braves
.280/.336/.513, 33 HR, 96 R, 109 RBI, 13 SB, 124 wRC+
It's patently absurd that with 33 home runs and an .849 OPS, Albies was simply a middle-of-the-pack hitter for Atlanta this season. Put that production on Toronto's roster or in Minnesota's lineup and he suddenly looks like the driving force of a playoff team, worthy of a decent number of votes for AL MVP. But his career-best marks in homers and RBI got kind of lost in the shuffle of that juggernaut offense. Make no mistake about it, though, Albies was a huge reason that teams had to keep pitching to the guys who hit even more home runs.
47. Jordan Montgomery, LHP, Texas Rangers (Traded from St. Louis Cardinals)
10-11, 188.2 IP, 3.20 ERA, 3.56 FIP, 1.19 WHIP, 7.9 K/9
An impressive run through the postseason has forced more people to finally realize how good Montgomery has been for a while now. He doesn't get a ton of strikeouts. He maxes out at around 94 mph on his fastball/sinker. But he keeps hitters off-balance, and he's unafraid to throw any pitch in any count while still keeping walks to a minimum. Can't wait to see where he lands (and for how much) in free agency.
46. Bo Bichette, SS, Toronto Blue Jays
.306/.339/.475, 20 HR, 69 R, 73 RBI, 125 wRC+
Because he missed 27 games, Bichette's streak of leading the American League in hits ends after two seasons. He still came close, though, finishing just 10 hits behind Marcus Semien despite 152 fewer plate appearances. And in a rather fitting conclusion to a season where it often felt like he was the only Blue Jay not disappointing at the plate, Bichette had four of their 15 hits in the Wild Card Round against Minnesota and scored their lone run.
Nos. 45-41: X. Bogaerts, J. Hader, C. Bellinger, K. Bradish, Z. Gallen
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45. Xander Bogaerts, SS, San Diego Padres
.285/.350/.440, 19 HR, 83 R, 58 RBI, 19 SB, 120 wRC+
After five consecutive seasons batting at least .288 with an OPS north of .830, the beginning of Bogaerts' 11-year contract with the Padres wasn't quite what they were hoping for. He did finish remarkably strong, though, batting .424 with a 1.146 OPS over his final 25 games, spearheading a valiant effort to climb back into the postseason field.
44. Josh Hader, LHP, San Diego Padres
2-3, 33 SV, 56.1 IP, 1.28 ERA, 2.69 FIP, 1.10 WHIP, 13.6 K/9
After a roller-coaster ride through 2022, Hader was electric this season, almost topping his career-best ERA of 1.23 from 2021. His whiff rate was lower than it had been for the past half-decade, but it was still one of the best in the majors. For as dominant as he can be, though, Hader did blow the save in five of the 11 times he entered the game with a one-run lead. Then again, three of those were in the bottom of the 10th inning with the "ghost runner" on second base.
43. Cody Bellinger, 1B/OF, Chicago Cubs
.307/.356/.525, 26 HR, 95 R, 97 RBI, 20 SB, 134 wRC+
Probably could've gone a bit higher than this for Bellinger, who should be named NL Comeback Player of the Year later this month. But even top 50 for a guy who missed about 20 percent of the season is mighty impressive. In the 48 games he played from June 24 through August 19, Bellinger hit .392 with 162-game paces of 44 home runs and 138 RBI.
42. Kyle Bradish, RHP, Baltimore Orioles
12-7, 168.2 IP, 2.83 ERA, 3.27 FIP, 1.04 WHIP, 9.0 K/9
Like Grayson Rodriguez this season, Bradish had a woeful 10-start debut to his career in 2022, getting sent back down to Triple-A with a 7.38 ERA. But he was drastically better when he returned (3.28 ERA in his final 13 starts), and he carried that momentum over into becoming maybe the biggest non-rookie breakout sensation of 2023. He had a 2.18 ERA over his final 19 starts of this season and may well be the ace of Baltimore's staff for years to come.
41. Zac Gallen, RHP, Arizona Diamondbacks
17-9, 210.0 IP, 3.47 ERA, 3.26 FIP, 1.12 WHIP, 9.4 K/9
Gallen made 20 quality starts in 2023, including maybe the most important individual performance of the season in a 1-0 complete-game shutout of the Chicago Cubs in September. (Arizona would finish one game ahead of Chicago for the last wild-card spot.) But he also had some duds, falling out of the NL Cy Young conversation by bookending that shutout with four starts in which he allowed a combined 21 earned runs. On the whole, though, another impressive year from this star.
Nos. 40-36: J. Steele, A. Bregman, A. Rutschman, A. García, K. Marte
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40. Justin Steele, RHP, Chicago Cubs
16-5, 173.1 IP, 3.06 ERA, 3.02 FIP, 1.17 WHIP, 9.1 K/9
Over his final 14 starts of last season, Steele showed a ton of promise with a 2.05 ERA. But it was still quite unexpected that he was hanging around this year's NL Cy Young conversation into mid-September with a 2.49 ERA through his first 27 starts. Unfortunately, he stumbled to the finish line, allowing 15 earned runs in his final three outings as the Cubs slipped out of the playoff picture. But Wrigleyville may have found its ace for the foreseeable future.
39. Alex Bregman, 3B, Houston Astros
.262/.363/.441, 25 HR, 103 R, 98 RBI, 125 wRC+
Bregman couldn't hit much of anything through the first month-and-a-half of the regular season. But he heated up in a big way in the second half, posting a .901 OPS in his final 71 games—compared to .643 in his first 40. He also rated well on defense this season and was named a Gold Glove finalist in spite of a career-worst 15 errors at the hot corner.
38. Adley Rutschman, C, Baltimore Orioles
.277/.374/.435, 20 HR, 84 R, 80 RBI, 127 wRC+
Offensively, Rutschman was every bit as good this season as he was when he arrived and served as the catalyst of Baltimore's turnaround in 2022. His defensive metrics weren't nearly as impressive, though, causing him to slip ever so slightly from No. 35 on this list last year, despite playing a full season this time around. The 25-year-old is still easily one of the best catchers in the sport, though, and he figures to be for quite a few years.
37. Adolis García, OF, Texas Rangers
.245/.328/.508, 39 HR, 108 R, 107 RBI, 9 SB, 124 wRC+
Before his October heroics, García put together the best season of his career, setting new personal bests for both home runs and RBI. And when he wasn't destroying opposing pitchers, his cannon in right field was causing problems for baserunners. The Gold Glove finalist now has double-digit assists in three consecutive years.
36. Ketel Marte, 2B, Arizona Diamondbacks
.276/.358/.485, 25 HR, 94 R, 82 RBI, 8 SB, 127 wRC+
Another October hero, Marte finally rekindled some of his near-MVP magic from 2019. He struggled during the pandemic season, missed nearly half of the 2021 campaign and never found his hitting stroke last year, but Marte really should have been an All-Star this year. He went ice cold in August, but he heated back up for the games that mattered most.
Nos. 35-31: W. Contreras, D. Swanson, S. Strider, D. Williams, N. Hoerner
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35. William Contreras, C, Milwaukee Brewers
.291/.369/.459, 17 HR, 86 R, 78 RBI, 6 SB, 124 wRC+
Among players who primarily play catcher, only Adley Rutschman (687) had more plate appearances this season than Contreras (611), as Milwaukee made sure to get its best hitter as much playing time as possible. Thanks to occasional starts at DH, from July 7 onward, he started all but one game. And he certainly never seemed any worse for wear, hitting .318 in the second half of the season.
34. Dansby Swanson, SS, Chicago Cubs
.244/.328/.416, 22 HR, 81 R, 80 RBI, 9 SB, 104 wRC+
I did not think Swanson was going to have the best 2023 campaign of the four shortstops who signed nine-figure contracts in free agency last year. But he was rock solid in his Cubs debut, possibly headed for a second consecutive Gold Glove. It's a little weird that he stole half as many bases this year as he did in 2022, considering the leaguewide rate increased by 41 percent. It's hard to blame the Cubs for perhaps wanting to minimize the risk of a baserunning injury to their $177 million man, though.
33. Spencer Strider, RHP, Atlanta Braves
20-5, 186.2 IP, 3.86 ERA, 2.85 FIP, 1.09 WHIP, 13.5 K/9
Based largely on his MLB-best 281 strikeouts, Strider's FIP suggests he should have had an ERA a full run lower than where he actually finished the season. But if the fielders let him down at all, they sure made up for it at the plate, giving him 6.5 runs of support on average en route to a rare-in-today's-game 20-win season. Strider racked up at least nine strikeouts in 22 of his starts.
32. Devin Williams, RHP, Milwaukee Brewers
8-3, 36 SV, 58.2 IP, 1.53 ERA, 2.66 FIP, 0.92 WHIP, 13.4 K/9
Not only did Williams put up great numbers, but he didn't give the opposition a bit of hope in nearly half of his appearances. He didn't have any immaculate innings, but in 29 of his 61 games, he went 1-2-3. He did blow four saves, but two of those were at least partially fueled by errors, and in one of the others, he allowed inherited runners to score in what Milwaukee hoped would be a four-out save.
31. Nico Hoerner, 2B, Chicago Cubs
.283/.346/.383, 9 HR, 98 R, 68 RBI, 43 SB, 102 wRC+
Marginally more valuable than Swanson was his middle infield partner-in-crime who is also a finalist for a Gold Glove award. But while Swanson's stolen bases declined this season, Hoerner's went through the roof. He ranked sixth in the majors with 43 at an 86 percent success rate.
Nos. 30-26: K. Gausman, J.P. Crawford, H. Kim, Y. Díaz, F. Bautista
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30. Kevin Gausman, RHP, Toronto Blue Jays
12-9, 185.0 IP, 3.16 ERA, 2.97 FIP, 1.18 WHIP, 11.5 K/9
Good luck finding pitchers more consistently solid than Gausman has been over the past four seasons. After leading the AL in FIP and K/BB in 2022, he led the league in both strikeouts and K/9 this season. In eight of his 31 starts, Gausman went at least six innings without allowing a single run. And were it not for a couple of implosions early in the year against Houston (seven earned runs) and Boston (eight earned runs), he might've edged out Gerrit Cole for the ERA title.
29. J.P. Crawford, SS, Seattle Mariners
.266/.380/.438, 19 HR, 94 R, 65 RBI, 134 wRC+
Crawford was OK in the first half, but he really got into a groove from July 1 onward, batting .292 with 13 home runs (162-game pace of 30) in his final 71 games. And you want to talk about clutch? In 17 plate appearances with the bases loaded, he went 11-for-16 with a sac fly and a 1.897 OPS, including the walk-off double and the grand slam in back-to-back games in the final series against Texas when the M's still had a playoff pulse.
28. Ha-Seong Kim, IF, San Diego Padres
.260/.351/.398, 17 HR, 84 R, 60 RBI, 38 SB, 118 wRC+
Whether at second, third or short, Kim has proved to be one of the most valuable defenders in baseball, worth at least 2.0 defensive WAR on Baseball Reference in each of the past three seasons—which no one else can boast. And he has developed into quite the asset on offense, too, bringing his OPS up from .622 in 2021 to .708 last year to .749 this year, while also becoming San Diego's top base-stealing threat. We're probably still underrating him here at No. 28.
27. Yandy Díaz, 1B, Tampa Bay Rays
.330/.410/.522, 22 HR, 95 R, 78 RBI, 164 wRC+
Díaz has always been a solid hitter, entering this season with a career .278 average in six seasons. But he kicked it up a couple notches en route to the AL batting title, setting new career highs for hits, runs, doubles, home runs and RBI. Can't imagine many people are aware Díaz had the seventh-best OPS among qualified hitters this season—and the top six on that list all rank in the top seven on this list.
26. Félix Bautista, RHP, Baltimore Orioles
8-2, 33 SV, 1.48 ERA, 1.88 FIP, 0.92 WHIP, 16.2 K/9
"The Mountain" was nothing short of dominant in striking out 46.4 percent of batters faced. In the past 20 years, the only other pitchers to log at least 50 innings with a K rate that high were Craig Kimbrel (2012 and 2017), Josh Hader (2018 and 2019), Aroldis Chapman (2014) and Edwin Díaz (2022). And Chapman (41.4) was the only other pitcher to top 40 percent this year. Here's hoping Bautista can come back from Tommy John surgery at anything close to the same level in 2025.
Nos. 25-21: J. Ramírez, F. Tatis Jr., B. Witt Jr., Y. Alvarez, A. Judge
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25. José Ramírez, 3B, Cleveland Guardians
.282/.356/.475, 24 HR, 87 R, 80 RBI, 28 SB, 123 wRC+
In 2022, Jo-Ram was an instant MVP candidate, batting .360 with 28 RBI in Cleveland's first 20 games. This year's start was considerably slower for him, but Ramírez did catch fire for a while in June, batting .408 with 22 RBI during a 19-game stretch. The only year-end number that was drastically different from last season was his RBI, plummeting from 126 to 80, despite having more plate appearances with runners on base (341) than he had last season (319). He simply wasn't as clutch.
24. Fernando Tatis Jr., OF, San Diego Padres
.257/.322/.449, 25 HR, 91 R, 78 RBI, 29 SB, 113 wRC+
Considering he was suspended for the first 20 games of the season before returning to a new position, Tatis had himself one heck of a year, even getting named a Gold Glove finalist for his work in right. 2023 was also by far the healthiest season of his career, as he only missed one game after he was allowed to return to action. Of note, though, he was a career .596 slugger before the PED suspension, so we'll see if mid-.400s is his new, clean norm.
23. Bobby Witt Jr., SS, Kansas City Royals
.276/.319/.495, 30 HR, 97 R, 96 RBI, 49 SB, 115 wRC+
If you snoozed through Witt's season on account of Kansas City's terrible record, consider this your heads up that MLB's next five-tool star has arrived. Over his final 110 games, Witt hit .301 with 162-game paces of 196 hits, 34 HR, 113 RBI and 53 SB. He also looks much more comfortable in the field now that he's the full-time shortstop as opposed to bouncing between short and third last year. Now let's see if the Royals can build anything around him.
22. Yordan Alvarez, DH, Houston Astros
.293/.407/.583, 31 HR, 77 R, 97 RBI, 170 wRC+
Alvarez missed 48 games, most of them while recovering from the oblique injury suffered in June. He certainly didn't get rusty during his time off, though, hitting better in the 57 games after the injury (.308 AVG, 1.002 OPS) than in the 57 games before it (.277 AVG, .978 OPS). And while postseason stats didn't factor into the rankings, it sure would've helped in this instance, as Alvarez hit .465 with six homers and 15 RBI in Houston's 11 games.
21. Aaron Judge, OF, New York Yankees
.267/.406/.613, 37 HR, 79 R, 75 RBI, 174 wRC+
Judge missed a huge chunk of the season with the toe injury suffered when he crashed into the wall at Dodger Stadium. When he was able to play, though, it was pretty much business as usual, operating at a 162-game pace of 57 home runs and 115 RBI. Among players who made at least 400 plate appearances, only Shohei Ohtani (1.066) had a higher OPS than Judge (1.019).
Nos. 20-16: L. Robert Jr., Z. Wheeler, K. Tucker, G. Henderson, L. Webb
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20. Luis Robert Jr., OF, Chicago White Sox
.264/.315/.542, 38 HR, 90 R, 80 RBI, 20 SB, 128 wRC+
Chicago didn't have much worth cheering for this season, but Robert was a colossal exception to that rule. He struggled to stay healthy the past two seasons, but the only struggle this year was by opposing pitchers trying to keep him in the yard. Robert hit more home runs in 2023 than he did in 2020-22 combined (36). He's also a finalist for what could be the second Gold Glove of his career.
19. Zack Wheeler, RHP, Philadelphia Phillies
13-6, 192.0 IP, 3.61 ERA, 3.15 FIP, 1.09 WHIP, 9.9 K/9
Ho hum. Another strong year from Wheeler, who leads the majors in fWAR since the start of 2021. His ERA was higher than usual, but he did his usual thing with a K/BB ratio around 5.0. And much of that elevated ERA was contained to the first two months of the season while the Phillies struggled to get rolling. Once he (and Aaron Nola) turned a corner, so did the entire team.
18. Kyle Tucker, OF, Houston Astros
.284/.369/.517, 29 HR, 97 R, 112 RBI, 30 SB, 140 wRC+
If you waited until the postseason to watch Tucker play, you're surely flabbergasted to find him this high on the list, as he was a ghost with no home runs and just one RBI in Houston's 11 games. Prior to October, though, he put together a third consecutive season worthy of some AL MVP votes, leading the AL in RBI while also setting career highs for hits (163), runs, stolen bases and total bases (297).
17. Gunnar Henderson, SS/3B, Baltimore Orioles
.255/.325/.489, 28 HR, 100 R, 82 RBI, 10 SB, 123 wRC+
Henderson entered the year as the clear-cut favorite for AL Rookie of the Year before getting out to a rough start. Take out the first two months, though, and there's a pretty decent case to be made for Henderson as a top-10 player. He was, hands down, Baltimore's best hitter from June 1 onward, carrying the O's to an AL East title that hardly seemed possible in March.
16. Logan Webb, RHP, San Francisco Giants
11-13, 216.0 IP, 3.25 ERA, 3.16 FIP, 1.07 WHIP, 8.1 K/9
#KillTheWin, am I right? Webb finished in a tie with Gerrit Cole for the most quality starts this season (24), he led the majors in innings pitched and he led the National League with a 6.3 K/BB ratio. However, he got a losing record to show for it, as the Giants gave him an average of 3.15 runs of support. Even Jacob deGrom and Félix Hernández (both of whom won Cy Young awards with just barely winning records) would agree that is some seriously tough luck.
Nos. 15-11: A. Riley, S. Gray, J. Soto, J. Rodríguez, F. Lindor
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15. Austin Riley, 3B, Atlanta Braves
.281/.345/.516, 37 HR, 117 R, 97 RBI, 127 wRC+
In the middle of Atlanta's juggernaut of an offense, Riley put up numbers eerily similar to what got him a sixth-place finish in last year's NL MVP vote. He hit one fewer home run, but had three more total bases, four more RBI and 27 more runs—the latter boost a product of getting to hit ahead of both Matt Olson and Sean Murphy for most of the year.
14. Sonny Gray, RHP, Minnesota Twins
8-8, 184.0 IP, 2.79 ERA, 2.83 FIP, 1.15 WHIP, 9.0 K/9
Gray finished third in the AL Cy Young vote in 2015 and seventh in the NL Cy Young vote in 2019, but this was his best season yet, leading the majors in FIP and allowing just eight home runs. He has always been above-average in the home run department, but he was outrageously good this year, not allowing a single dinger in his first 11 starts. Like Logan Webb, Gray deserved a much better W-L record than he got.
13. Juan Soto, OF, San Diego Padres
.275/.410/.519, 35 HR, 97 R, 109 RBI, 12 SB, 155 wRC+
The bar has been set so high for Soto that it probably felt to you like he had a disappointing season, right? And yet, he hit a career-high 35 home runs and ranked eighth among qualified hitters in both OPS and wRC+. Perhaps if San Diego had been able to win the occasional one-run affair, we would've better appreciated the solid year Soto had.
12. Julio Rodríguez, OF, Seattle Mariners
.275/.333/.485, 32 HR, 102 R, 103 RBI, 37 SB, 126 wRC+
It took about 50 games for Rodríguez to hit his stride this season, but he still got into the 30/30 club thanks to a stretch of 97 games (May 26-Sept. 20) in which he hit .312 and was on pace for 40 home runs and 47 stolen bases. Suffice it to say, the "sophomore slump" didn't last long and the future remains extremely bright for this 22-year-old.
11. Francisco Lindor, SS, New York Mets
.254/.336/.470, 31 HR, 108 R, 98 RBI, 31 SB, 121 wRC+
'Twas a disastrous season for the Mets as a whole, but Lindor had one heck of a year with 31 home runs and a career-high 31 stolen bases. Granted, he did a lot of his damage after New York had already thrown in the towel, batting .285 with 15 home runs and 22 stolen bases from July 1 onward. But it still counts, and he might get a few MVP votes for what would be the sixth time in his career.
Nos. 10-6: B. Snell, C. Carroll, M. Semien, M. Olson, F. Freeman
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10. Blake Snell, LHP, San Diego Padres
14-9, 180.0 IP, 2.25 ERA, 3.44 FIP, 1.19 WHIP, 11.7 K/9
It's been over a month since he last pitched, and it is still incomprehensible that Snell led the majors in ERA while also issuing more walks (99) than anyone has in a season since 2012. From May 25 through the end of the season, he made 23 starts with a 1.20 ERA. And in 10 of those 23 starts, he walked at least three batters without allowing an earned run to score. It was like a four-month-long high-wire act in which the daredevil refused to stumble.
9. Corbin Carroll, OF, Arizona Diamondbacks
.285/.362/.506, 25 HR, 116 R, 76 RBI, 54 SB, 133 wRC+
Carroll played a colossal role in Arizona's run to the World Series, but that was just business as usual for the rookie sensation, whose combination of 25 home runs and 54 stolen bases would have been a much bigger deal were it not for Ronald Acuña Jr. And Carroll likely would've stolen even more bases were he not so darn good at simply hitting for extra bases in the first place, racking up an NL-best 10 triples en route to 286 total bases.
8. Marcus Semien, 2B, Texas Rangers
.276/.348/.478, 29 HR, 122 R, 100 RBI, 14 SB, 124 wRC+
The closest thing we have to a Cal Ripken Jr. in today's game, Semien played in all 162 of his team's games for the third time in the past five seasons. This time around, he led the American League in both hits (185) and runs (122) while batting leadoff in every single game. And he saved his best for the stretch run, posting a .940 OPS with nine home runs over the final month of the regular season.
7. Matt Olson, 1B, Atlanta Braves
.283/.389/.604, 54 HR, 127 R, 139 RBI, 160 wRC+
A streaky hitter who had more than enough hot streaks to lead the majors in both home runs and RBI, Olson had 10 home runs in the span of 13 games in June. He later snapped out of an 18-game homerless funk with eight jacks in a 10-game stretch in September. Shame he couldn't save one of those grooves for October, though, as he was held without either an extra-base hit or an RBI in the NLDS loss to Philadelphia.
6. Freddie Freeman, 1B, Los Angeles Dodgers
.331/.410/.567, 29 HR, 131 R, 102 RBI, 23 SB, 163 wRC+
It's truly remarkable what Freeman is still able to do at his age. Per FanGraphs, he just had the most valuable age-33-or-older season (by a hitter) of the past 15 years, even outdoing what Paul Goldschmidt did en route to winning NL MVP last season. And from a baserunning perspective, we might as well start calling him Benjamin Button. Freeman set career highs for both doubles (47) and stolen bases (13) in 2022, and then annihilated both of those marks at 59 and 23, respectively, this season.
Nos. 5-1: C. Seager, G. Cole, M. Betts, S. Ohtani and R. Acuña Jr.
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5. Corey Seager, SS, Texas Rangers
.327/.390/.623, 33 HR, 88 R, 96 RBI, 169 wRC+
Might be a teensy bit high on Seager here, but you rarely see a qualified hitter bat at least .325 and slug at least .620 in the same season. Excluding three instances in the truncated 2020 season, it had happened just five times dating back to 2011: 2013 AL MVP Miguel Cabrera, 2015 NL MVP Bryce Harper, 2018 AL MVP Mookie Betts, 2018 J.D. Martinez (fourth in AL MVP vote) and 2019 Christian Yelich (second in NL MVP vote). If Seager hadn't missed 43 games, he would've given Shohei Ohtani a real run for his money for AL MVP.
4. Gerrit Cole, RHP, New York Yankees
15-4, 209.0 IP, 2.63 ERA, 3.16 FIP, 0.98 WHIP, 9.6 K/9
Lost a bit in New York's disappointing season, Cole had one of the most impressive years of his career and should be getting the Cy Young Award that has eluded his grasp in recent years. He was one of 21 hurlers to log more than 184 innings pitched this season, but the only one to do so with a sub-3.00 ERA or a sub-1.00 WHIP, let alone both. He also tossed two complete-game shutouts, which is basically voodoo in modern baseball.
3. Mookie Betts, 2B/OF, Los Angeles Dodgers
.307/.408/.579, 39 HR, 126 R, 107 RBI, 14 SB, 167 wRC+
Betts falls just a bit shy of No. 1, but he does take the crown for most dominant month of the 2023 campaign, batting .455/.516/.839 with 11 home runs in August while the Dodgers completely ran away with the NL West title. And it sure was tempting to put him in the top spot on account of his defensive impact, as he was named a Gold Glove finalist both in right field and for the utilityman spot. (This didn't factor into the rankings, but it is still stunning that he went 0-for-11 in the NLDS against Arizona.)
2. Shohei Ohtani, RHP/DH, Los Angeles Angels
.304/.412/.654, 44 HR, 102 R, 95 RBI, 20 SB, 180 wRC+
10-5, 132.0 IP, 3.14 ERA, 4.00 FIP, 1.06 WHIP, 11.4 K/9
If Ohtani had been able to stay healthy and make it through the full season, there's really no question that he'd be No. 1 on this list. As is, he was effectively a combination of Clayton Kershaw on the mound and Yordan Alvarez at the dish, plus 20 stolen bases. Over the past three seasons, we've just about run out of ways to put into words how valuable Ohtani is, but that pretty well sums it up.
1. Ronald Acuña Jr., OF, Atlanta Braves
.337/.416/.596, 41 HR, 149 R, 106 RBI, 73 SB, 170 wRC+
Watching Acuña gradually but inevitably set HR/SB history was a season-long spectacle, but did you know he also led the majors in OBP? Or that he became just the third player since 1940 to score at least 147 runs in a single season? [The others were Ted Williams (150 in 1949) and Jeff Bagwell (152 in 2000).] Just an unbelievable season for a guy who was finally able to stay healthy for the first time since 2019. And considering he is only turning 26 in December, it is preposterous but plausible to think he hasn't even reached his peak.
Top 100 Players by Team
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Arizona Diamondbacks (5): 9. Corbin Carroll; 36. Ketel Marte; 41. Zac Gallen; 68. Christian Walker; 71. Merrill Kelly
Atlanta Braves (8): 1. Ronald Acuña Jr.; 7. Matt Olson; 15. Austin Riley; 33. Spencer Strider; 48. Ozzie Albies; 58. Sean Murphy; 74. Michael Harris II; 86. Marcell Ozuna
Baltimore Orioles (5): 17. Gunnar Henderson; 26. Félix Bautista; 38. Adley Rutschman; 42. Kyle Bradish; 82. Yennier Cano
Boston Red Sox (1): 85. Rafael Devers
Chicago Cubs (5): 31. Nico Hoerner; 34. Dansby Swanson; 40. Justin Steele; 43. Cody Bellinger; 95. Jeimer Candelario
Chicago White Sox (1): 20. Luis Robert Jr.
Cincinnati Reds (2): 64. TJ Friedl; 93. Matt McLain
Cleveland Guardians (3): 25. José Ramírez; 53. Andrés Giménez; 87. Tanner Bibee
Colorado Rockies (1): 63. Nolan Jones
Detroit Tigers (1): 90. Eduardo Rodriguez
Houston Astros (8): 18. Kyle Tucker; 22. Yordan Alvarez; 39. Alex Bregman; 69. Framber Valdez; 77. Chas McCormick; 80. Justin Verlander; 91. Jeremy Peña; 92. Jose Altuve
Kansas City Royals (1): 23. Bobby Witt Jr.
Los Angeles Angels (1): 2. Shohei Ohtani
Los Angeles Dodgers (5): 3. Mookie Betts; 6. Freddie Freeman; 51. Will Smith; 60. Clayton Kershaw; 65. James Outman
Miami Marlins (4): 50. Luis Arraez; 67. Jesús Luzardo; 89. Braxton Garrett; 98. Tanner Scott
Milwaukee Brewers (4): 32. Devin Williams; 35. William Contreras; 66. Christian Yelich; 79. Corbin Burnes
Minnesota Twins (2): 14. Sonny Gray; 59. Pablo López
New York Mets (4): 11. Francisco Lindor; 55. Brandon Nimmo; 56. Kodai Senga; 100. Pete Alonso
New York Yankees (2): 4. Gerrit Cole; 21. Aaron Judge
Oakland Athletics (0)
Philadelphia Phillies (6): 19. Zack Wheeler; 52. Bryson Stott; 73. Trea Turner; 76. Bryce Harper; 88. Brandon Marsh; 99. Aaron Nola
Pittsburgh Pirates (3): 62. David Bednar; 75. Ke'Bryan Hayes; 97. Mitch Keller
San Diego Padres (6): 10. Blake Snell; 13. Juan Soto; 24. Fernando Tatis Jr.; 28. Ha-Seong Kim; 44. Josh Hader; 45. Xander Bogaerts
San Francisco Giants (1): 16. Logan Webb
Seattle Mariners (6): 12. Julio Rodríguez; 29. J.P. Crawford; 57. George Kirby; 70. Cal Raleigh; 81. Luis Castillo; 96. Logan Gilbert
St. Louis Cardinals (2): 78. Paul Goldschmidt; 94. Lars Nootbaar
Tampa Bay Rays (5): 27. Yandy Díaz; 49. Isaac Paredes; 54. Zach Eflin; 72. Josh Lowe; 84. Randy Arozarena
Texas Rangers (5): 5. Corey Seager; 8. Marcus Semien; 37. Adolis García; 47. Jordan Montgomery; 83. Jonah Heim
Toronto Blue Jays (3): 30. Kevin Gausman; 46. Bo Bichette; 61. Matt Chapman
Washington Nationals (0)
