MLB's 10 Best Hitters and Pitchers of 2026 so Far, Ranked
From Houston's Yordan Alvarez regularly blasting moonshots to San Diego's Mason Miller repeatedly mowing down opposing batters, there have been both hitters and pitchers out to incredible starts to the 2026 campaign.
To be sure, it's still very early in the year. At this point in 2025, Tyler Mahle and Kodai Senga were battling for the title of lowest ERA among qualified pitchers, while both Cedric Mullins and Jonathan Aranda ranked top five in the majors in OPS.
Things can change.
Given what we've seen so far, though, what follows is how we rank the 10 best hitters and 10 best pitchers roughly one-eighth of the way into this six-month journey.
We'll discuss them two at a time, with the No. 10 hitter and No. 10 pitcher sharing a section and so on.
It's a bit of a weird way to tackle a ranking, but it also gives us an opportunity to look at each pairing and ask: Who would win if they squared off?
Statistics are current through the start of play on Saturday, which notably does not factor in the most recent starts by Taj Bradley and Cristopher Sanchez.
Honorable Mention Hitters: Corbin Carroll, Nico Hoerner, Brandon Lowe, Brice Turang, Kevin McGonigle, James Wood
Honorable Mention Pitchers: Dylan Cease, Tarik Skubal, Bryce Elder, Bryan Woo, Seth Lugo, Michael Wacha
No. 10: Ben Rice and Braxton Ashcraft
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Hitter No. 10: Ben Rice, 1B, New York Yankees
.339/.459/.746, 6 HR, 16 RBI
Ben Rice almost has the highest OPS in all of baseball, trailing only Yordan Alvarez in that department. However, prior to getting a solo home run off southpaw Sam Aldegheri on Thursday, all of his damage had come against right-handed pitching.
To some extent, we have to hold that against him in this ranking. Rice would likely be nonexistent in a three-game series against the Red Sox if they happened to have lefties Garrett Crochet, Connelly Early and Ranger Suárez all lined up for that one. Tough to argue for that in the top five.
Tougher, though, to argue against not having him in the top 10, with the way he has been pummeling right-handed pitching.
Pitcher No. 10: Braxton Ashcraft, RHP, Pittsburgh Pirates
22.2 IP, 2.38 ERA, 1.83 FIP, 1.06 WHIP, 10.7 K/9
Braxton Ashcraft had a solid rookie season in 2025, giving the Buccos a 2.71 ERA while averaging better than one strikeout per inning. It was only 69.2 innings pitched, though, in a long-relief / spot starter type of role, and he has yet to make 20 starts or log 120 innings in a calendar year in his professional career. That left expectations for 2026 rather murky.
He has been dealing thus far, yet to allow a home run and racking up 24 strikeouts against just three walks across his last three starts.
Ashcraft's curveball was good last year, but it has been a soul crusher in 2026. Opponents are 1-for-23 with 15 strikeouts against his Uncle Charlie.
No. 9: Shea Langeliers and Max Fried
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Hitter No. 9: Shea Langeliers, C, Athletics
.320/.386/.613, 6 HR, 12 RBI
One season after Cal Raleigh's historic run of 60 home runs as a primary catcher, could Shea Langeliers be gearing up to do something similar?
The A's backstop and former top prospect did rather quietly amass 31 home runs while triple-slashing .277/.325/.536 last year, posting the 14th-highest OPS (.861) among qualified hitters. His hot start of five home runs within the first six games of the season didn't exactly materialize out of nowhere.
One big difference, though, is how well Langeliers is seeing breaking balls. He hit .200 against them last season, but the ground-rule double off a Davis Martin slider on Friday night brought his average to .423 against breaking balls this year. Hard to find any holes in that swing early on.
Pitcher No. 9: Max Fried, LHP, New York Yankees
33.1 IP, 2.97 ERA, 3.07 FIP, 0.81 WHIP, 6.2 K/9
Max Fried's strikeout rate is the lowest of his career, with neither the curveball nor the sweeper inducing swings and misses at anything close to his usual rate.
In lieu of those whiffs, though, he generated a lot of weak contact and lazy fly balls while reeling off four consecutive quality starts to open the season.
He did get touched up by the Angels in his last outing, his ERA ballooning from 1.93 to 2.97. It almost cost him a spot in the top 10. But he has been so good over the past six years that it's going to take more than one off night to get us to give up the ghost on Fried.
No. 8: Oneil Cruz and Parker Messick
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Hitter No. 8: Oneil Cruz, CF, Pittsburgh Pirates
.313/.382/.588, 6 HR, 19 RBI, 9 SB
When Oneil Cruz was struggling in center field and batting just .200 in 2025, it was a tough combo to stomach. Despite 20 home runs and 38 stolen bases, he was barely a replacement-level player.
Now that he's tearing the cover off the ball, though, and on pace for around 50 home runs and 75 stolen bases, the occasional blunder in the outfield doesn't feel like such a deal-breaker.
Cruz always has had ridiculous speed and power, one of the best in the majors in terms of both bat speed and average exit velocity for several years running. But he might finally be putting it all together instead of just being a jack-in-the-box type of hitter who occasionally launches a moonshot.
Pitcher No. 8: Parker Messick, LHP, Cleveland Guardians
25.2 IP, 1.05 ERA, 2.53 FIP, 0.78 WHIP, 8.8 K/9
Rookie southpaw Parker Messick made big waves on Thursday by carrying a no-hitter into the ninth inning against the Orioles.
The funny thing about that is his ERA ended up more than doubling from 0.51 at the start of the day to 1.05 at the end of that inning when he allowed the first two batters to reach base, followed by Cade Smith allowing them both to score.
Up until that point, though, he had gone more than 25 innings with just one run allowed on a Matt Shaw solo shot, going at least six scoreless on the road against both the Dodgers and Braves.
If anything, we're too low with his ranking, but the top eight pitchers have all been stupendous and someone had to land here.
No. 7: Yandy Díaz and Taj Bradley
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Hitter No. 7: Yandy Díaz, DH, Tampa Bay Rays
.365/.453/.554, 3 HR, 16 RBI
Among players with at least 1,000 plate appearances from 2022-25, only Luis Arraez, Freddie Freeman and Aaron Judge had a higher batting average than Yandy Díaz's mark of .301. He also received AL MVP votes in each of 2022, 2023 and 2025, winning a batting title with a .330 average in 2023.
But because he's not that much of a slugger and because he has spent his entire career with small-market clubs, you get the sense that most people don't realize how productive this third baseman turned first baseman turned full-time DH has been.
Well, he's up to his old tricks again, already with a five-hit game to his credit as he pursues another batting title for the surprisingly first-place Rays.
Pitcher No. 7: Taj Bradley, RHP, Minnesota Twins
21.2 IP, 1.25 ERA, 1.86 FIP, 1.25 WHIP, 12.0 K/9
Transitioning from a current Ray to a former Ray, Taj Bradley is finally delivering on the potential for greatness that he showed in the minors from 2021-22.
He entered this season with a career ERA of 4.86 in nearly 400 innings pitched, but his splitter has blossomed into a wipeout pitch while he has made it through his first four starts without allowing a single home run.
Best among Bradley's starts was the home game against Detroit in which 10 strikeouts and no walks allowed him to out-duel Tarik Skubal for a win.
No. 6: Mike Trout and Jeffrey Springs
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Hitter No. 6: Mike Trout, CF/DH, Los Angeles Angels
.236/.415/.569, 7 HR, 16 RBI, 2 SB
A week ago, Mike Trout wouldn't have sniffed the top 10. He entered that four-game series at Yankee Stadium on a 13-game homerless drought and had an OPS of .777 for the season.
Four games and five home runs later, the Trout Renaissance Faire is in full swing.
Even more noteworthy than the seven home runs on the year, though, are the walk and strikeout rates reminiscent of his peak years, suggesting he is seeing the ball much better than in recent years:
| Season(s) | BB% | K% | BB/K |
| 2016-19 | 18.5 | 19.7 | 0.94 |
| 2020-25 | 13.7 | 28.2 | 0.48 |
| Current | 21.3 | 20.2 | 1.05 |
Pitcher No. 6: Jeffrey Springs, LHP, Athletics
24.2 IP, 1.46 ERA, 2.51 FIP, 0.77 WHIP, 7.3 K/9
While Trout is giving us all flashbacks to the late 2010s, Jeffrey Springs has gotten out to quite the 2022-23 start to his campaign.
His strikeout rate isn't quite what it used to be, but that's OK, because he is inducing weak contact at just about the best rate in baseball. Springs has yet to allow a home run, despite making two of his four starts at the notorious launching pad that is Sutter Health Park.
He also took a no-hitter into the seventh inning at Yankee Stadium in what proved to be a rare shutout of the Bronx Bombers.
No. 5: Sal Stewart and Shohei Ohtani
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Hitter No. 5: Sal Stewart, IF, Cincinnati Reds
.300/.405/.657, 7 HR, 17 RBI, 4 SB
Last fall was an amuse-bouche of what Sal Stewart could bring to the Reds lineup. After posting a 1.023 OPS with 10 home runs in 38 games played at Triple-A Louisville, he got called up and hit five home runs down the stretch. And in Cincinnati's brief stay in the postseason, he went 2-for-4 with four RBI and a stolen base.
Now, he's one of the top sluggers in baseball with 11 extra-base hits in his first 18 games, including the first multi-HR game of his career in a rout of the Giants on Wednesday.
The really impressive part is that six of his seven home runs and 16 of his 21 hits have gone either up the middle or to the opposite field. James Wood was the same way upon his arrival in the majors, showcasing uncommon opposite-field power before quickly becoming an all-fields, 30 homer guy.
Pitcher No. 5: Shohei Ohtani, RHP, Los Angeles Dodgers
18.0 IP, 0.50 ERA, 2.32 FIP, 0.72 WHIP, 9.0 K/9
After not homering in his first six games, Shohei Ohtani reeled off five round-trippers in the span of 42 trips to the plate. He now has batting numbers that were at least worthy of consideration for top 10 on that half of the equation.
But it's on the mound where he has particularly shone bright this season with quality starts in each of his first three outings.
He allowed just one hit in six scoreless innings of work in his first start against Cleveland. And after laboring a bit (but still not allowing an earned run) against a Blue Jays team that prides itself on not striking out, he mowed down the Mets with 10 Ks in a win on Wednesday.
No. 4: Jordan Walker and Cristopher Sánchez
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Hitter No. 4: Jordan Walker, RF, St. Louis Cardinals
.315/.375/.685, 8 HR, 16 RBI, 2 SB
After last season, it sure looked like Jordan Walker was going to be one of those top prospects who never lived up to the hype. He hit .215. He slugged .306. He struck out in 31.8 percent of plate appearances while homering in just 1.5 percent of them.
Year No. 4 has been a drastically different story, though, still whiffing a fair amount, but crushing the ball like never before with eight dingers in his first 64 trips to the plate (12.5 percent).
If you'll permit a little devil's advocate in this great start, though, let's not forget that Jarred Kelenic had a similar career arc. He was a top-five prospect who woefully disappointed for his first couple of seasons before suddenly exploding to the tune of seven home runs and a 1.121 OPS through the first 21 games of the 2023 campaign—and then he reverted right back to his disappointing ways.
Fingers crossed that Walker's breakthrough is more permanent.
Pitcher No. 4: Cristopher Sánchez, LHP, Philadelphia Phillies
22.1 IP, 2.01 ERA, 1.90 FIP, 1.39 WHIP, 12.5 K/9
Through his first four starts, Cristopher Sánchez had to endure some tough BABIP luck, with opponents hitting .411 on balls in play. Among the nearly 200 pitchers who have logged at least 10 innings, that was almost the highest mark in the majors.
And yet, he has a pristine 2.01 ERA because of his ability to erase runners via the double play, his high strikeout rate and his gift of keeping home runs to a minimum.
His changeup is one of the most lethal pitches in the game today, already responsible for 18 strikeouts and nary an extra base hit.
No. 3: CJ Abrams and Cam Schlittler
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Hitter No. 3: CJ Abrams, SS, Washington Nationals
.364/.469/.682, 6 HR, 19 RBI, 4 SB
CJ Abrams had been a respectable hitter over the past three seasons, racking up a combined total of 57 home runs and 109 stolen bases with a .736 OPS. He was even named an All-Star in 2024.
He has never been anything close to this productive, though, which could make for quite the intriguing trade deadline if and when the woeful pitching results in yet another summer with the Nationals playing the role of seller.
Fun fact: All six of Abrams' home runs have come with two outs. He entered Friday with a 2.190 OPS in 27 plate appearances with two outs, which is a downright ludicrous number, even in a small sample size.
Pitcher No. 3: Cam Schlittler, RHP, New York Yankees
27.2 IP, 1.95 ERA, 0.88 FIP, 0.76 WHIP, 11.7 K/9
Including the postseason, Cam Schlittler had a 2.03 ERA over the course of his final 10 starts in 2025. And early returns in 2026 suggest that was no fluke.
After going six strong innings with no earned runs allowed against the Royals on Friday night, his ERA is back down below 2.00, with 36 strikeouts against just three walks so far.
Every now and then he'll mix in a curveball in the low 80s, but he's mostly pumping gas in the mid-to-upper 90s all game long, with great control over each of his four-seamer, sinker and cutter.
With Gerrit Cole on the mend and Max Fried also landing in this top 10, it's a little scary to think about how good this Yankees pitching staff might be at full strength, now that Schlittler looks like the real deal.
No. 2: Andy Pages and José Soriano
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Hitter No. 2: Andy Pages, OF, Los Angeles Dodgers
.412/.453/.691, 5 HR, 21 RBI, 3 SB
This past October, Andy Pages was a disaster at the plate, going 4-for-51 with no walks. Toward the end of the World Series, the Dodgers had no choice but to bench the versatile outfielder who had appeared in 156 games during the regular season. And during the offseason, they backed up a Brink's truck to Kyle Tucker's house to ensure a weak-hitting outfield wouldn't be a potential Achilles' heel in the postseason again.
Through the first 19 games of this season, however, Pages has been their shining star, already with nine multi-hit games en route to leading the majors in batting average.
Inevitably, that .500 BABIP is going to come back to earth in a big way. And it's a bit concerning that he is striking out at the highest rate of his career. It has been a fun ride so far, though.
Pitcher No. 2: José Soriano, RHP, Los Angeles Angels
32.2 IP, 0.28 ERA, 2.36 FIP, 0.74 WHIP, 10.7 K/9
Save for a solo home run by Drake Baldwin, José Soriano has been untouchable.
Even in that start, he went eight innings, otherwise allowing just two hits and no walks with 10 strikeouts. In total, he has an MLB leading 39 strikeouts with just the one home run, one double and nine singles against him.
At 8.4 runs above average, Soriano's sinker has been the most valuable pitch in baseball, and it's not even close. Meanwhile, his knuckle curve has generated 16 strikeouts and has been one of the most valuable breaking balls in the game.
His FIP is a bit high for how dominant he has been—at least compared to Cam Schlittler sub-1.00 figures—but that's a product of his 13 walks. None of those walks have scored yet, though, and Blake Snell won a Cy Young in 2023 with a BB/9 of 5.0. If he continues to limit the damage by stranding runners, Soriano could win one, too.
No. 1: Yordan Alvarez and Mason Miller
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Hitter No. 1: Yordan Alvarez, DH/LF, Houston Astros
.333/.479/.750, 8 HR, 19 RBI
Let's open this section with a reminder that Yordan Alvarez's numbers ought to be even more ridiculous, as he had that one ball on Opening Day that definitely would have been a home run if it hadn't hit the rafters of the closed roof at Daikin Park before ricocheting into the seats along the first-base line.
Even so, he has been mashing to the point that opponents are taking an "anyone but him" approach to pitching to the Astros, already intentionally walking Alvarez five times. Not only is that the most in the majors in the early going, but it's more than 26 entire teams have been four-fingered to first base thus far.
Alvarez is at least tied for the AL lead, if not the outright MLB leader, in each of HR, RBI, OBP, SLG, OPS and total bases. Not too shabby.
Pitcher No. 1: Mason Miller, RHP, San Diego Padres
9.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 23 K, 6 saves
Can a closer seriously be the top ranked pitcher in baseball?
Better question: Outside of maybe Mike Trout for his outlandish four-game run at Yankee Stadium, is there a single player in baseball who you've heard about more often in the past couple of weeks than Mason Miller?
Over his last seven appearances, Miller has thrown 85 pitches: 34 swinging strikes, 17 looking strikes, 21 balls, 10 fouls and three balls put into play, all for weakly hit outs.
Since joining the Padres at last year's trade deadline, he has been as unhittable as they come. And if we had to give out Cy Young awards at this stage of the game, he's definitely getting the National League's honor.
