MLB's Top 10 Players at Every Position, August 2024 Edition
Who has been the best of the best at each position on the diamond during the 2024 MLB season?
That's the question at hand each month with our positional player rankings, casting aside previous performance and future expectations to focus solely on production during the current season.
With four months completed and the trade deadline now in the rearview, there is a significant sample size to pull from when assessing each position, though there is also still plenty of room for shuffling based on hot and cold streaks over the past month.
Let the debate begin.
Note: Included in parenthesis after each player's name is where they ranked in last month's version of this article, which can be found here.
Catchers
1 of 14
Top 10 Catchers
1. Adley Rutschman, BAL (1)
2. William Contreras, MIL (3)
3. Will Smith, LAD (2)
4. Cal Raleigh, SEA (8)
5. Logan O'Hoppe, LAA (6)
6. Salvador Pérez, KC (5)
7. Patrick Bailey, SF (4)
8. Connor Wong, BOS (7)
9. Yainer Diaz, HOU (NR)
10. Shea Langeliers, OAK (NR)
Notes
-In just his third big league season, Adley Rutschman has established himself as the best all-around catcher in baseball and a foundational piece of what could be a perennial contender in Baltimore. The 26-year-old is hitting .265/.332/.427 for a 118 OPS+ with 14 doubles, 17 home runs, 67 RBI and 2.8 WAR.
-Not much has gone right for the Los Angeles Angels this season, but they have found their catcher of the present and future in Logan O'Hoppe. The 24-year-old has a 119 OPS+ with 16 home runs and 46 RBI, and he has also been a workhorse defensively, leading all catchers with 785 innings behind the plate.
First Basemen
2 of 14
Top 10 First Basemen
1. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (3)
2. Bryce Harper, PHI (1)
3. Freddie Freeman, LAD (2)
4. Christian Walker, ARI (4)
5. Josh Naylor, CLE (5)
6. Michael Busch, CHC (NR)
7. Pete Alonso, NYM (7)
8. Ryan Mountcastle, BAL (6)
9. Carlos Santana, MIN (8)
10. Jake Cronenworth, SD (9)
Notes
-Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is hitting .349/.410/.609 with 24 doubles, 19 home runs and 61 RBI in 349 plate appearances since May 1, effectively erasing a rocky first month to put together his best statistical season since he was runner-up in AL MVP voting in 2021.
-At 26 years old and with limited athleticism, Michael Busch does not get as much attention as some of this season's other top rookies. However, he is hitting .260/.346/.460 for a 124 OPS+ with 22 doubles, 15 home runs, 44 RBI and 3.0 WAR in 107 games.
Second Basemen
3 of 14
Top 10 Second Basemen
1. Ketel Marte, ARI (1)
2. José Altuve, HOU (2)
3. Marcus Semien, TEX (6)
4. Brice Turang, MIL (3)
5. Luis García Jr., WAS (NR)
6. Jonathan India, CIN (5)
7. Andrés Giménez, CLE (8)
8. Luis Arraez, SD (4)
9. Nico Hoerner, CHC (10)
10. Brandon Lowe, TB (NR)
Notes
-Ketel Marte is on pace to have an even better season than his breakout 2019 campaign when he finished fourth in NL MVP voting. The 30-year-old is hitting .300/.366/.553 with 27 home runs, 77 RBI and 5.8 WAR in 107 games, and he has helped lead the D-backs charge back into the playoff picture.
-Still only 24 years old, Luis Garica Jr. appears to finally be turning a corner at the plate after hitting .333/.375/.573 with nine extra-base hits in 80 plate appearances in July. He now sports a 124 OPS+ with 19 doubles, 13 home runs, 53 RBI, 17 steals and 1.8 WAR overall on the year.
Third Basemen
4 of 14
Top 10 Third Basemen
1. Rafael Devers, BOS (2)
2. José Ramírez, CLE (1)
3. Alec Bohm, PHI (3)
4. Matt Chapman, SF (8)
5. Josh Smith, TEX (6)
6. Isaac Paredes, CHC (5)
7. Ryan McMahon, COL (7)
8. Austin Riley, ATL (10)
9. Manny Machado, SD (NR)
10. Mark Vientos, NYM (NR)
Notes
-With a career-high 167 OPS+ and 4.1 WAR in 98 games, Rafael Devers is having the best season of his career at the plate. The 27-year-old is hitting .305/.382/.607 with 28 doubles, 25 home runs, 70 RBI and 73 runs scored, and he has shouldered much of the middle-of-the-order run production load with Triston Casas and Trevor Story injured.
-After a disappointing rookie season last year, Mark Vientos has quietly put together a breakout season. The 24-year-old is hitting .280/.336/.547 with 15 doubles, 16 home runs and 42 RBI in only 259 plate appearances, and he ranks among the MLB leaders expected slugging (89th percentile) and barrel rate (96th percentile) with strong batted-ball metrics across the board.
Shortstops
5 of 14
Top 10 Shortstops
1. Bobby Witt Jr., KC (2)
2. Gunnar Henderson, BAL (1)
3. Francisco Lindor, NYM (8)
4. Mookie Betts, LAD (3)
5. Elly De La Cruz, CIN (4)
6. Corey Seager, TEX (9)
7. Masyn Winn, STL (NR)
8. Carlos Correa, MIN (5)
9. Trea Turner, PHI (7)
10. CJ Abrams, WAS (6)
Notes
-If not for Aaron Judge, Bobby Witt Jr. would be the runaway favorite for AL MVP honors as an elite-level performer on an upstart Kansas City Royals team in the thick of playoff contention. The 24-year-old hit an absurd .489/.520/.833 with 16 extra-base hits and 22 RBI in 100 plate appearances in July, and he is batting .344/.390/.590 with 155 hits, 31 doubles, 10 triples, 20 home runs, 79 RBI, 94 runs scored and 25 steals in a 7.2-WAR season overall.
-Rookie Masyn Winn leads all shortstops with 12 Defensive Runs Saved while hitting .279/.325/.414 for a 107 OPS+ with 31 extra-base hits and 3.7 WAR in 104 games. He faces an uphill battle trying to overtake Paul Skenes in the NL Rookie of the Year race, but he checks all the boxes to be a staple on the St. Louis infield for the next decade.
Left Fielders
6 of 14
Top 10 Left Fielders
1. Steven Kwan, CLE (1)
2. Jurickson Profar, SD (3)
3. Bryan Reynolds, PIT (8)
4. Riley Greene, DET (5)
5. Teoscar Hernandez, LAD (7)
6. Christian Yelich, MIL (6)
7. Tyler O'Neill, BOS (9)
8. Brandon Marsh, PHI (10)
9. Brandon Nimmo, NYM (4)
10. Colton Cowser, BAL (NR)
Notes
-Aside from his usual elite contact skills, Steven Kwan has also shown more extra-base power this season, matching his home runs total from the past two years with 11 long balls. He has also raised his slugging percentage from .370 to .482 en route to a 145 OPS+ and 3.7 WAR in 85 games, setting the table for an improved Cleveland offense.
-After batting under .200 in May and June, rookie Colton Cowser bounced back in July by hitting .329/.390/.521 with four home runs and 13 RBI in 82 plate appearances. The 24-year-old is still very much alive in a wide-open AL Rookie of the Year race and playing a key role on a title contender.
Center Fielders
7 of 14
Top 10 Center Fielders
1. Aaron Judge, NYY (1)
2. Jarren Duran, BOS (2-LF)
3. Heliot Ramos, SF (3)
4. Brenton Doyle, COL (7)
5. Jackson Merrill, SD (2)
6. JJ Bleday, OAK (4)
7. Byron Buxton, MIN (NR)
8. Jazz Chisholm Jr., NYY (5)
9. Cody Bellinger, CHC (6)
10. Jacob Young, WAS (NR)
Notes
-Aaron Judge has already put together a terrific season's worth of stats with roughly two months to go, hitting .322/.456/.701 for a 219 OPS+ with 41 home runs, 103 RBI and 7.6 WAR in 111 games. He already has a pair of double-digit home run months this year, so another 60-homer season is well within reach.
-His offensive numbers don't jump off the page with a .249 average and 83 OPS+ in 354 plate appearances, but Jacob Young has been a 2.2-WAR player on the strength of his defense. The 25-year-old has elite defensive metrics (11 DRS, 9.3 UZR/150), and his emergence led to Victor Robles being designated for assignment.
Right Fielders
8 of 14
Top 10 Right Fielders
1. Juan Soto, NYY (1)
2. Kyle Tucker, HOU (2)
3. Anthony Santander, BAL (4)
4. Seiya Suzuki, CHC (6)
5. Fernando Tatis Jr., SD (3)
6. Wilyer Abreu, BOS (5)
7. Alec Burleson, STL (9)
8. Jackson Chourio, MIL (NR)
9. Jake McCarthy, ARI (10)
10. Lawrence Butler, OAK (NR)
Notes
-Juan Soto is setting himself up for a massive payday in free agency this winter with a fantastic season, hitting .310/.437/.598 with 24 doubles, 28 home runs, 78 RBI, 93 runs scored and more walks (92) than strikeouts (79) for the fifth straight season. The fact that he is still only 25 years old is difficult to comprehend.
-Still only 20 years old, Jackson Chourio is the youngest player to appear in a MLB game this season, and after a slow start, he is settling in nicely. Since June 1, he's hitting .320/.363/.509 in 182 plate appearances, and he has also provided elite defensive metrics (11 DRS, 12.8 UZR/150) in the outfield.
Designated Hitters
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Top 10 Designated Hitters
1. Shohei Ohtani, LAD (1)
2. Brent Rooker, OAK (4)
3. Marcell Ozuna, ATL (2)
4. Yordan Alvarez, HOU (3)
5. Kyle Schwarber, PHI (6)
6. Joc Pederson, ARI (7)
7. Ryan O'Hearn, BAL (8)
8. J.D. Martinez, NYM (5)
9. Giancarlo Stanton, NYY (9)
10. Andrew McCutchen, PIT (10)
Notes
-Shohei Ohtani has won a pair of MVP awards as a two-way superstar, and now he might add a third to his trophy case serving solely as a designated hitter while recovering from elbow surgery. He is hitting .306/.396/.621 with a NL-leading 33 home runs and 5.9 WAR in his first season with the Los Angeles Dodgers.
-The Arizona Diamondbacks signing Joc Pederson to a one-year, $12.5 million deal has turned out to be one of the best moves of the offseason. The 32-year-old has a 161 OPS+ with 14 doubles, 17 home runs and 49 RBI in 314 plate appearances, serving almost exclusively as a platoon player against right-handed pitching.
Utility Players
10 of 14
Top 10 Utility Players
1. Jordan Westburg, BAL (4-3B)
2. Willi Castro, MIN (2)
3. David Fry, CLE (1)
4. Isiah Kiner-Falefa, PIT (3)
5. Brendan Donovan, STL (NR)
6. Luis Rengifo, LAA (4)
7. Spencer Steer, CIN (5)
8. Ceddanne Rafaela, BOS (NR)
9. Dylan Moore, SEA (7)
10. Edmundo Sosa, PHI (6)
Notes
-Jordan Westburg has split his time evenly between third base (542.2 innings) and second base (328.2 innings) this season while turning in a breakout year at the plate. The 25-year-old is hitting .269/.317/.497 for a 131 OPS+ with 25 doubles, 18 home runs, 58 RBI and 2.4 WAR, though he suffered a fractured hand last week and is now on the injured list.
-Rookie Ceddanne Rafaela has work to do refining his approach at the plate, as he has walked just 12 times in 411 plate appearances, but he has been an extremely valuable piece of the puzzle for the Red Sox while splitting his time between shortstop and center field. The 23-year-old has a 91 OPS+ with 16 doubles, 13 home runs, 57 RBI and 16 steals.
Right-Handed Starting Pitchers
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Top 10 Right-Handed Starting Pitchers
1. Seth Lugo, KC (1)
2. Zack Wheeler, PHI (5)
3. Corbin Burnes, BAL (2)
4. Logan Gilbert, SEA (4)
5. Paul Skenes, PIT (9)
6. Jack Flaherty, LAD (NR)
7. Hunter Greene, CIN (NR)
8. Dylan Cease, SD (NR)
9. Ronel Blanco, HOU (7)
10. George Kirby, SEA (NR)
Notes
-After tossing eight innings of four-hit, one-run ball against the Detroit Tigers in his last start, Seth Lugo again looks like the AL Cy Young front-runner. The 34-year-old has gone 13-5 with a 2.57 ERA, 1.02 WHIP and 127 strikeouts in a MLB-leading 150.1 innings playing in the first season of a two-year, $30 million deal.
-The next 10 who just missed the cut, listed alphabetically: Erick Fedde (STL), Luis Gil (NYY), Tyler Glasnow (LAD), Tanner Houck (BOS), Michael King (SD), Reynaldo López (ATL), Bailey Ober (MIN), Joe Ryan (MIN), Brady Singer (KC) and Logan Webb (SF)
Left-Handed Starting Pitchers
12 of 14
Top 10 Left-Handed Starting Pitchers
1. Tarik Skubal, DET (2)
2. Chris Sale, ATL (4)
3. Ranger Suárez, PHI (1)
4. Cole Ragans, KC (6)
5. Garrett Crochet, CWS (3)
6. Shōta Imanaga, CHC (9)
7. Tyler Anderson, LAA (8)
8. Justin Steele, CHC (NR)
9. Max Fried, ATL (7)
10. Cristopher Sánchez, PHI (5)
Notes
-It's not hard to see why the Detroit Tigers chose to hold onto Tarik Skubal at the trade deadline, as he is a homegrown ace with two years of club control remaining amid a career year. The 27-year-old is 12-4 with a 2.57 ERA, 0.95 WHIP and an AL-leading 162 strikeouts in 136.1 innings.
-The next 10 who just missed the cut, listed alphabetically: Andrew Abbott (CIN), Nestor Cortes (NYY), Bailey Falter (PIT), Andrew Heaney (TEX), Nick Lodolo (CIN), Sean Manaea (NYM), Mitchell Parker (WAS), José Quintana (NYM), Blake Snell (SF) and Framber Valdez (HOU)
Setup Relievers
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Top 10 Setup Relievers
1. Hunter Gaddis, CLE (2)
2. Bryan Hudson, MIL (1)
3. Cade Smith, CLE (9)
4. Griffin Jax, MIN (4)
5. Alex Vesia, LAD (NR)
6. Jeff Hoffman, PHI (5)
7. Matt Strahm, PHI (3)
8. Chad Green, TOR (NR)
9. Tyler Holton, DET (NR)
10. Tayler Scott, HOU (NR)
Notes
-The Cleveland Guardians have baseball's best bullpen with a 2.60 ERA, and their top two setup relievers have been rookies Hunter Gaddis (54 G, 23 HLD, 1.38 ERA, 8.3 K/9) and Cade Smith (51 G, 17 HLD, 1.86 ERA, 12.5 K/9). It will be interesting to see if either shows up on AL Rookie of the Year ballots.
-Towering 6'8" left-hander Bryan Hudson is also a rookie filling a key setup role for the Milwaukee Brewers. The 27-year-old has a 1.60 ERA, 0.75 WHIP and 9.6 K/9 in 35 appearances, but he has been sidelined since late July with an oblique strain. His return to action will be a key in-house addition down the stretch.
Closers
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Top 10 Closers
1. Emmanuel Clase, CLE (1)
2. Kirby Yates, TEX (9)
3. Robert Suárez, SD (4)
4. Raisel Iglesias, ATL (NR)
5. Carlos Estévez, PHI (NR)
6. Tanner Scott, SD (NR)
7. Andrés Muñoz, SEA (5)
8. Mason Miller, OAK (3)
9. Ryan Helsley, STL (2)
10. Trevor Megill, MIL (6)
Notes
-Emmanuel Clase could start receiving some AL Cy Young buzz in the coming weeks as the baseball world starts to dig into the major award races. The flame-throwing Guardians closer has a 0.70 ERA, 0.64 WHIP and 33 saves in 36 chances, and he is on track to lead the AL in saves for a third consecutive year.
-Standout closer Devin Williams is back in action for the Milwaukee Brewers, but Trevor Megill deserves a ton of credit for the job he did holding down the ninth inning in his absence. The 30-year-old converted 20 of 22 save opportunities with a 2.41 ERA, 1.04 WHIP and 10.7 K/9 in 35 appearances.
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