Ranking Pete Alonso and the Top 10 Hitters of the 2025-26 MLB Free-Agent Class
There will be a time and place to get to some of the tremendous pitchers who could be available on the free-agent market this offseason, from starters like Framber Valdez, Ranger Suárez and Dylan Cease to back-end arms like Edwin Díaz and Robert Suarez.
Today, though, we're just going to focus on the hitters. And when we say hitters, that isn't only including what they do at the plate, but it's the cleanest way in a headline to say position players and designated hitters are included. But yes, baserunning, fielding and other factors are considered.
Without further ado, here's a look at the top 10 hitters of the 2025-26 MLB free-agent class.
10. Harrison Bader, OF
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Harrison Bader edged out teammate J.T. Realmuto and others to claim this final spot in the top 10 after arguably the finest season of his career.
Entering the season, Bader was a career .242 hitter with a .698 OPS. In a season that he split between the Minnesota Twins and Philadelphia Phillies, the veteran outfielder hit .277 with a .796 OPS. He was particularly effective after a midseason trade to the Phillies, hitting .305 after joining Philadelphia.
Of course, Bader's calling card has always been his outfield defense. He was primarily playing in left field with the Twins, before shifting over to center field with the Phillies. He shined at both spots, finishing the season with 13 defensive runs saved and six outs above average.
Bader did injure his left hamstring in Game 1 of the NLDS, which prevented him from starting during the final three games of the Phillies' season. That was a reminder that he's dealt with injuries during his nine-year MLB career, and that there's some risk in paying an outfielder on the wrong side of 30.
With that said, there are so few impact center fielders that Bader will surely decline his half of a $10 million mutual option and head to free agency. He should have no problem getting two guaranteed years on the open market, and given the impact he had after being traded to the Phillies, don't rule out three.
9. Josh Naylor, 1B
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The Mariners came up a game short of reaching the World Series for the first time in franchise history, but Josh Naylor did his utmost to get them to the Fall Classic.
Following a midseason trade from the Arizona Diamondbacks, he hit nine home runs and drove in 30 runs. Out of nowhere, he also stole 19 bases in as many attempts.
Naylor was tremendous in the postseason, hitting .340 with a .967 OPS over 12 games, often feeling in the playoffs like the top hitter in a lineup that wasn't short on star power.
Even though Naylor only spent half the season with the Mariners and was on a Cleveland Guardians team that reached the ALCS just a year ago, it felt like by the end of the postseason that he had been playing in Seattle for years.
As early as mid-September, president of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto said the M's had interest in re-signing Naylor, and that makes quite a bit of sense considering Seattle finally had the offense to make a deep playoff run after adding him.
The 28-year-old won't be eligible to receive a qualifying offer because he was traded during the middle of the season, which will make him appealing to teams in need of a slugger.
Naylor will likely aim higher, but he should end up with at least four guaranteed years.
8. Eugenio Suárez, 3B
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Where Naylor hit another level after being traded from the Diamondbacks to the Mariners, Eugenio Suárez hit a wall:
2025 with Diamondbacks: .248 batting average, 36 home runs, 87 RBI, .897 OPS, 3.1 WAR in 106 games
2025 with Mariners: .189 batting average, 13 home runs, 31 RBI, .682 OPS, 0.7 WAR in 53 games
As recent seasons have shown, T-Mobile Park isn't an ideal place for right-handed power hitters.
It's not like there wasn't prior evidence of that, as Suárez posted a .751 OPS between 2022 and 2023, his first stint with the Mariners. Following a trade to the Diamondbacks, he rebounded to post an .832 mark in parts of two seasons.
So while "Geno" seems to be loved in Seattle, you can bet he'll opt for greener hitting pastures this offseason. He'll always have the ALCS Game 5 grand slam, but he's 75 homers away from 400, and playing 81 games a year in Seattle won't help him to get there.
There are some limiting factors with Suárez as a free agent. He turned 34 in July. He had minus-six defensive runs saved and minus-4 outs above average this year, so he's a net negative at the hot corner, and it's unclear how open he would be to spending more time at DH or first base.
Still, he's coming off of the second 49-homer season of his career. If he had been traded to pretty much anywhere other than Seattle, he might have made a run at 60. There are going to be a few teams interested in him in a high-priced two-year deal to hit in the middle of their order.
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7. Trent Grisham, CF
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For the second consecutive offseason, the Yankees have a very productive outfielder they acquired via trade with the San Diego Padres who is set to hit the open market.
Granted, Trent Grisham won't be coveted in nearly the same way as Juan Soto—who was dealt from the Padres to the Yankees in the same December 2023 trade—but he'll have plenty of interest coming off of a tremendous 2025.
Grisham flopped in his first season as a Yankee in 2024, hitting .190 with nine home runs and a .675 OPS in 76 games. He came back with a vengeance in 2025, though, hitting .235 with 34 home runs, 74 RBI, 82 walks and an .811 OPS. The 3.2 WAR that he posted was a career-high, per FanGraphs.
What's strange about Grisham's season is that his defensive metrics plummeted. The two-time Gold Glover finished the 2025 campaign with minus-11 defensive runs saved and minus-two outs above average.
He's only 28, so teams will have to decide whether he can make the defensive adjustment needed to get back on track. He remains far more valuable in center field than in a corner role.
Grisham is going to be a complicated free agent because of the year-to-year offensive fluctuation, along with the defensive struggles in 2025. He'll also likely be saddled with a qualifying offer, meaning any team who signs him other than the Yankees will have to give up draft-pick compensation.
However, teams are desperate for quality play in center field. Whether it's the Yankees or another club, Grisham should make out well in free agency.
6. Cody Bellinger, OF/1B
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While we're on Yankees outfielders with wild year-to-year fluctuations in offensive production, let's talk Cody Bellinger.
The former NL MVP was tremendous after being traded to the Yankees from the Chicago Cubs, hitting 29 home runs with 83 RBI and an .813 OPS. Bellinger also continues to be one of the most flexible defenders in baseball, seeing time at all three outfield spots and first base in 2025.
It will be interesting to see how teams evaluate Bellinger as an offensive player. You never seem to know from year-to-year what he's going to be.
- 2022 with Los Angeles Dodgers: .654 OPS
- 2023 with Cubs: .881 OPS
- 2024 with Cubs: .751 OPS
- 2025 with Yankees: .813 OPS
Unsurprisingly, Bellinger loved hitting at Yankee Stadium, which feels like it was designed for him to thrive at. In 337 home plate appearances this past year, he batted .302 with a .909 OPS. However, he hit a much more modest .241 with a .715 OPS in 319 road plate appearances. If you're a team other than the Yankees, that has to be concerning.
There is a lot to like with Bellinger. He's played for three blue-blood franchises and has extensive postseason experience. He continues to be a valuable piece defensively. At his best, he's a valuable offensive player. And he's ineligible to receive a qualifying offer since you can only be saddled with that once in your career.
MLB.com's Bryan Hoch has already reported Bellinger plans to opt out of the final season of a three-year, $80 million pact and return to free agency. Will this finally be the offseason when teams feel comfortable making a long-term offensive projection on the 30-year-old?
5. Alex Bregman, 3B
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Alex Bregman "settled" for a three-year, $120 million contract in his first stint in free agency last offseason. Following a successful season with the Boston Red Sox, he'll opt out and return to free agency, where he should do much better this time around.
A right quad strain limited him to 114 games this past year, but he was excellent when healthy, hitting 18 home runs, doubling 28 times and driving in 62 runs. For the first time since 2019, he was selected to the AL All-Star team.
What's particularly noteworthy is that while you might be inclined to believe he wouldn't be as valuable playing his home games away from Fenway Park and the Green Monster, the numbers don't bear that out. He actually posted an .875 OPS on the road this season, as opposed to .761 at home.
Prior to joining the Red Sox, he had the advantage of the Crawford Boxes in left field in Houston. Again, though, his career OPS on the road (.852) is actually higher than at home (.838). There isn't evidence that suggests he couldn't thrive at a park without a hitter-friendly left field.
Bregman is also a strong defender at the hot corner with about as much playoff experience as anyone. He's seen around the sport as a tremendous leader, and without a qualifying offer weighing him down this time around, he should do well in free agency.
It's just a matter of how well Bregman, a Scott Boras client, will do this winter. With all the positives mentioned, he'll turn 32 next March and has a ton of wear and tear. He'll probably get five years, but likely not more.
4. Pete Alonso, 1B/DH
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There will be those who think this is too high given Pete Alonso is a declining defender, one who posted minus-nine defensive runs saved and minus-nine outs above average this past year.
That's fair, and it's why you'll notice we've listed him as a first baseman or DH, because he would be more valuable at the latter.
The reason Alonso checks in at No. 4 is simple, though: There are about five elite power hitters in baseball, and he's one of them.
Over the last five seasons, he is fourth among all hitters in home runs (195) and second in RBI (557). Running backs have come back en vogue in the NFL, and if they haven't already, elite power producers are about to in baseball.
Alonso, another Boras client, has already said he will opt out of the second season of a two-year, $54 million deal and head back to free agency. This time, he won't have a qualifying offer weighing him down. He also is coming off of posting an .871 OPS in 2025, as opposed to a .788 mark in 2024.
The Mets still feel like the best spot for Alonso, but last offseason he seemed to be more interested in them than they were in him.
Now the franchise's all-time leading home run hitter, Alonso will probably be less inclined to wait out the Mets this year. Set to turn 31 in December, he'll also likely end up with a five-year deal.
3. Kyle Schwarber, DH
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Kyle Schwarber is almost exclusively a DH at this stage of his career, and is entering his age-33 season.
He seems to be getting better with age, though, as evidenced by the fact that he clubbed a career-high 56 home runs in 2025, which will likely make him runner-up to Shohei Ohtani in NL MVP voting.
The incumbent Phillies seem to be the heavy favorites to sign Schwarber, but it's wise for him to test free agency. Maybe the Cincinnati Reds—the team he grew up rooting for—make an uncharacteristic free-agent splurge. Perhaps the Chicago Cubs feel like there's unfinished business and pivot to him if they fall out of the sweepstakes for Kyle Tucker (more on him in a minute).
Or maybe just the thought of Schwarber not spending the rest of his career in red pinstripes is enough to up the ante for the Phillies.
2. Bo Bichette, SS
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Bo Bichette said after the Toronto Blue Jays won the AL pennant that he'll "be ready" to play in the World Series. He's missed the entire playoff run to this point with a left knee sprain that has sidelined him since Sept. 6.
Frankly, it's remarkable the Blue Jays have made it this far without Bichette, because prior to the injury, he was putting together the finest season of his career.
Following a disappointing 2024 that saw Bichette hit just .225 over 81 games, the two-time All-Star responded by hitting .311 with 18 home runs, 94 RBI and 181 hits over 139 games. In an era where players who make consistent contact are at a premium, he is a hits machine.
Granted, there are going to be serious questions about Bichette as a defender. In his career at shortstop, he has minus-19 defensive runs saved and minus-32 outs above average. There might be some teams who prefer him at second base right away, while any signing team would likely have to factor an eventual position change into what will likely be at least a six-year deal for the 27-year-old.
Bichette's former teammate, Marcus Semien, is a completely different hitter, but he has shown teams will pay a premium for natural shortstops with great offensive profiles that are better suited to play second base over a long-term deal.
1. Kyle Tucker, RF
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Kyle Tucker hit 22 home runs with 73 RBI and an .841 OPS in what could prove to be his lone season with the Cubs.
That might feel relatively disappointing for his contract year, but there's context. First of all, he struck out just 88 times, while drawing 87 walks. He also sustained a hairline fracture in his right hand in mid-June that he played through, likely limiting his production.
The question teams will have to ask themselves is how they feel Tucker is going to hold up physically. Ahead of his age-29 season, he is likely to seek a contract of a decade, or thereabouts, in length.
In 2025, he not only dealt with the hairline fracture in his hand but also spent time on the injured list with a left calf strain in September. A right shin contusion—one that was poorly managed by the Astros—limited him to 78 games in 2024.
Were those injuries just one-off things, or are there durability concerns with Tucker?
At his best, Tucker is one of the most well-rounded players in the sport, just as capable as winning a game with his defense in right field as hitting a go-ahead three-run home run. He is, without a doubt, the top free agent available this offseason, hitter or otherwise.
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