MLB Midseason Position Power Rankings: Top 10 Stars at Each Position
Who are MLB's best players at each position midway through the 2018 season?
Ahead is an updated version of our positional power rankings that were published during the preseason. This update takes into account players' all-around offensive abilities, their defensive contributions and what they have meant to the success of their respective teams.
To put it simply, this is an overview of the top players at each spot based solely on what they have accomplished during the 2018 season. Past performance and future expectations did not play a part in these rankings.
Let's get started.
Note: We did not do a top designated hitters list as part of the preseason series, but J.D. Martinez, Nelson Cruz, Shin-Soo Choo, Giancarlo Stanton and Khris Davis are worth a mention. In that order, they would be the midseason top five at the position.
Catchers
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Top 10 Catchers
2. Buster Posey, SF (Preseason Rank: 1)
117 OPS+, 22 XBH (5 HR), 4 DRS, 2.0 WAR
3. Willson Contreras, CHC (Preseason Rank: 3)
108 OPS+, 25 XBH (5 HR), 4 DRS, 2.2 WAR
4. Francisco Cervelli, PIT (Preseason Rank: HM)
139 OPS+, 19 XBH (9 HR), -6 DRS, 1.8 WAR
5. Wilson Ramos, TB (Preseason Rank: 16)
126 OPS+, 20 XBH (11 HR), -1 DRS, 1.6 WAR
6. Tucker Barnhart, CIN (Preseason Rank: 8)
98 OPS+, 17 XBH (5 HR), 5 DRS, 1.6 WAR
7. Max Stassi, HOU (Preseason Rank: NR)
131 OPS+, 17 XBH (7 HR), 5 DRS, 1.3 WAR
8. Yan Gomes, CLE (Preseason Rank: 25)
105 OPS+, 22 XBH (9 HR), 3 DRS, 1.3 WAR
9. Kurt Suzuki, ATL (Preseason Rank: 24)
126 OPS+, 20 XBH (8 HR), -5 DRS, 1.1 WAR
10. Gary Sanchez, NYY (Preseason Rank: 2)
93 OPS+, 28 XBH (14 HR), 2 DRS, 1.0 WAR
Position Overview
Marlins catcher J.T. Realmuto is improving his trade value with each passing day. He's not only been the most productive offensive catcher in baseball, but he's also thrown out 41 percent of base-stealers. Just entering his prime at 27 years old and with team control through the 2020 season, he's an incredibly valuable asset.
Meanwhile, Buster Posey has maintained his standing as one of the game's elite, while fellow veterans Wilson Ramos and Yan Gomes are enjoying resurgent seasons, and Francisco Cervelli has taken his offensive game to a new level.
Willson Contreras is still just scratching the surface of his vast potential, and it wasn't until after the All-Star break last season that he caught fire at the plate.
Anything Tucker Barnhart produces offensively is a bonus thanks to his elite defense, and he's been roughly a league-average contributor at the plate so far.
Kurt Suzuki and Max Stassi find themselves in more of a platoon role than the other eight guys on this list, but they've outperformed a number of backstops who see everyday reps. Stassi, in particular, has been one of the biggest surprises of the season.
The final spot goes to Gary Sanchez thanks to his impressive power production. He's hitting just .190/.291/.433, though, and is expected to miss the next month with a groin strain.
First Basemen
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Top 10 First Basemen
2. Joey Votto, CIN (Preseason Rank: 1)
147 OPS+, 26 XBH (8 HR), 8 DRS, 3.0 WAR
3. Brandon Belt, SF (Preseason Rank: 7)
151 OPS+, 26 XBH (12 HR), 5 DRS, 2.6 WAR
4. Paul Goldschmidt, ARI (Preseason Rank: 2)
133 OPS+, 36 XBH (17 HR), 4 DRS, 2.6 WAR
5. Matt Olson, OAK (Preseason Rank: 15)
121 OPS+, 29 XBH (17 HR), 6 DRS, 2.5 WAR
6. Jesus Aguilar, MIL (Preseason Rank: HM)
150 OPS+, 28 XBH (16 HR), 0 DRS, 1.5 WAR
7. Mitch Moreland, BOS (Preseason Rank: 21)
147 OPS+, 29 XBH (11 HR), 0 DRS, 1.9 WAR
8. Eric Hosmer, SD (Preseason Rank: 11)
116 OPS+, 31 XBH (9 HR), 4 DRS, 1.3 WAR
9. Justin Smoak, TOR (Preseason Rank: 12)
115 OPS+, 29 XBH (9 HR), 2 DRS, 1.2 WAR
10. Jose Martinez, STL (Preseason Rank: NR)
134 OPS+, 28 XBH (11 HR), -9 DRS, 0.8 WAR
Position Overview
After ranking fourth in our preseason edition, Freddie Freeman is an easy choice for the No. 1 spot here at midseason. As long as he stays healthy, he looks like a real threat to win NL MVP as the leader of an upstart Braves team.
Joey Votto and Paul Goldschmidt still earn a spot inside the top five as two of the game's true superstars. Brandon Belt is well on his way to the first 20-homer season of his career while providing the same defensive and gap power that has earned him high marks in the past.
Beyond those four guys, this list is full of surprises.
Matt Olson has backed up his impressive rookie season with steady production in the middle of the Oakland lineup, while Justin Smoak is also lending some credence to his breakout 2017 season.
Eric Hosmer still has a long way to go to live up to his eight-year, $144 million contract, and he's not quite performing at the level we saw last year, but his debut in San Diego has been solid. Meanwhile, the decision to bring Mitch Moreland back on a two-year, $13 million deal looks like a stroke of genius by the Red Sox.
Despite his defensive shortcomings, Jose Martinez earns a spot thanks to his .299/.371/.489 batting line, as he's hit his way into the everyday first base job and pushed Matt Carpenter back to a super utility role of sorts.
The biggest surprise is Jesus Aguilar, who looked like a potential roster casualty heading into spring training despite posting an .837 OPS with 16 home runs in a part-time role last season. Instead, an early injury to Eric Thames opened the door for more playing time, and he's made the most of it.
Second Basemen
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Top 10 Second Basemen
2. Scooter Gennett, CIN (Preseason Rank: 24)
140 OPS+, 30 XBH (13 HR), -2 DRS, 2.7 WAR
3. Jed Lowrie, OAK (Preseason Rank: 19)
125 OPS+, 34 XBH (12 HR), -1 DRS, 2.4 WAR
4. Gleyber Torres, NYY (Preseason Rank: 18)
136 OPS+, 22 XBH (14 HR), 2 DRS, 1.8 WAR
5. Javier Baez, CHC (Preseason Rank: 11)
117 OPS+, 35 XBH (14 HR), 3 DRS, 2.3 WAR
6. Ozzie Albies, ATL (Preseason Rank: 12)
120 OPS+, 44 XBH (17 HR), 1 DRS, 2.3 WAR
7. Whit Merrifield, KC (Preseason Rank: 13)
112 OPS+, 27 XBH (4 HR), 3 DRS, 1.9 WAR
8. Cesar Hernandez, PHI (Preseason Rank: 9)
108 OPS+, 19 XBH (8 HR), -1 DRS, 2.0 WAR
9. Brian Dozier, MIN (Preseason Rank: 3)
90 OPS+, 27 XBH (10 HR), 1 DRS, 1.5 WAR
10. DJ LeMahieu, COL (Preseason Rank: 8)
94 OPS+, 22 XBH (7 HR), 4 DRS, 1.1 WAR
Position Overview
No big surprise at the top here, as Jose Altuve continues to be the gold standard at the second base position. He's won three AL batting titles in the past four years and currently leads the majors with a .343 average.
The play of Scooter Gennett has been infinitely more surprising.
Despite breaking out to the tune of an .874 OPS with 27 home runs and 97 RBI last season after being claimed off waivers from the Brewers, there were still more than a few skeptics. He's answered any remaining questions by leading the NL with a .331 average while continuing to show elite power for the position.
Jed Lowrie has also backed up a surprising 2017 performance when he posted a 121 OPS+ with 49 doubles, 14 home runs and a 4.0 WAR. He's putting up similar numbers this year with even more over-the-fence power, and he could be a valuable trade chip if Oakland decides to make him available.
Ozzie Albies and Javier Baez are two of the game's most exciting young players, and while they've gone through some ups and downs this year, they've more than earned their spots in the top 10. The same goes for rookie Gleyber Torres, who has shown no lingering effects of last year's Tommy John surgery while establishing himself as the Yankees' everyday second baseman.
Philadelphia second baseman Cesar Hernandez remains one of the most underrated players in the game. Since the start of the 2016 season, he's hit .287/.372/.402 and tallied 8.3 WAR.
Brian Dozier and DJ LeMahieu are both headed for free agency at season's end, so they'll be plenty motivated to improve on their current numbers. At the same time, expect to hear Whit Merrifield's name pop up in trade rumors this summer as the Royals continue to rebuild.
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Third Basemen
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Top 10 Third Basemen
2. Matt Chapman, OAK (Preseason Rank: 11)
122 OPS+, 25 XBH (10 HR), 18 DRS, 3.9 WAR
3. Eugenio Suarez, CIN (Preseason Rank: 13)
162 OPS+, 29 XBH (16 HR), 1 DRS, 3.0 WAR
4. Nolan Arenado, COL (Preseason Rank: 1)
150 OPS+, 38 XBH (18 HR), -2 DRS, 2.9 WAR
5. Eduardo Escobar, MIN (Preseason Rank: HM)
147 OPS+, 47 XBH (12 HR), 0 DRS, 2.0 WAR
6. Alex Bregman, HOU (Preseason Rank: 8)
138 OPS+, 35 XBH (12 HR), -3 DRS, 2.7 WAR
7. Travis Shaw, MIL (Preseason Rank: 9)
117 OPS+, 33 XBH (14 HR), 7 DRS, 2.3 WAR
8. Jeimer Candelario, DET (Preseason Rank: 25)
115 OPS+, 29 XBH (11 HR), 0 DRS, 1.9 WAR
9. Kris Bryant, CHC (Preseason Rank: 2)
129 OPS+, 32 XBH (9 HR), 0 DRS, 1.7 WAR
10. Mike Moustakas, KC (Preseason Rank: 20)
110 OPS+, 32 XBH (14 HR), 2 DRS, 1.5 WAR
Position Overview
The rise of Jose Ramirez continues here in 2018.
A .219 hitter serving in a utility role as recently as 2015, he's exploded for 16.3 WAR since the start of the 2016 season, and after finishing third in AL MVP voting last season, he's been even better this year. Only Mike Trout has a higher WAR.
Then there's Matt Chapman, who has been arguably the best defensive player in baseball.
The 25-year-old racked up 19 DRS in just 727 innings at third base as a rookie last season. To put that into perspective, it took Nolan Arenado 1,343.1 innings to reach his position-leading 20 DRS. Chapman has already nearly matched that total this season with 18 DRS to lead all players, and he's shown some solid pop at the plate to boot.
Nolan Arenado, Kris Bryant, Travis Shaw and Alex Bregman are all part of the top 10 as expected, albeit with Bryant not quite putting up the elite numbers we've grown accustomed to in recent seasons.
The Reds made the decision to sign Eugenio Suarez to a seven-year, $66 million extension during the offseason, and he's been worth every penny so far. That could wind up being a key decision in the Cincinnati rebuild.
Mike Moustakas should generate some interest on the trade market, although we all saw how slow his free-agent market was to develop during the offseason, so who knows.
It looks like the Tigers have found a long-term piece in Jeimer Candelario, who was acquired from the Cubs in exchange for Alex Avila and Justin Wilson last summer.
And finally, the biggest surprise, Eduardo Escobar. He leads the world with a ridiculous 33 doubles, putting him on pace for 72 two-baggers. He's done an excellent job filling in for the struggling Miguel Sano.
Shortstops
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Top 10 Shortstops
2. Andreltion Simmons, LAA (Preseason Rank: 5)
122 OPS+, 18 XBH (4 HR), 9 DRS, 3.4 WAR
3. Carlos Correa, HOU (Preseason Rank: 2)
136 OPS+, 30 XBH (13 HR), 2 DRS, 2.8 WAR
4. Brandon Crawford, SF (Preseason Rank: 8)
133 OPS+, 30 XBH (8 HR), 5 DRS, 2.6 WAR
5. Jean Segura, SEA (Preseason Rank: 10)
132 OPS+, 29 XBH (6 HR), 2 DRS, 2.7 WAR
6. Trea Turner, WAS (Preseason Rank: 6)
100 OPS+, 24 XBH (8 HR), 10 DRS, 2.8 WAR
7. Manny Machado, BAL (Preseason Rank: 4)
156 OPS+, 36 XBH (19 HR), -16 DRS, 1.7 WAR
8. Trevor Story, COL (Preseason Rank: 16)
112 OPS+, 40 XBH (16 HR), 0 DRS, 2.0 WAR
9. Didi Gregorius, NYY (Preseason Rank: 7)
116 OPS+, 28 XBH (14 HR), -4 DRS, 1.9 WAR
10. Xander Bogaerts, BOS (Preseason Rank: 11)
122 OPS+, 32 XBH (12 HR), -8 DRS, 1.5 WAR
Position Overview
With eight players from our preseason top 10 still checking in among that top-tier group and no one outside of the top 20 making the jump, the shortstop position has gone largely as expected.
Francisco Lindor has continued his ascent as one of the game's best two-way players, and after leading the position with 33 homers last season, he's on pace for an even gaudier home run total this year while continuing to play elite defense.
A case can be made that Carlos Correa deserves the No. 2 spot, but it's hard to argue with Andrelton Simmons there when the defensive whiz is posting a career-high 122 OPS+ to go along with his all-world glove work.
Speaking of defense, a bigger, bulkier Manny Machado has not taken kindly to the move back to shortstop, posting brutal defensive metrics (-16 DRS, -14.6 UZR/150) and generally looking out of place. He's raking at the plate, enough to earn the No. 7 spot, but a move back to the hot corner might be unavoidable.
Brandon Crawford remains a standout two-way threat, Jean Segura provides a nice mix of average and speed with some sneaky pop and Trea Turner has been better than expected defensively while continuing to wreak havoc on the bases with 21 steals in 23 attempts.
Didi Gregorius and Xander Bogaerts are both central figures in the resurgence of the Yankees-Red Sox rivalry, and they could both be playing their way into new, long-term deals this season.
The closest thing to a surprise is Trevor Story, who looked to be in danger of being overtaken by top prospect Brendan Rodgers when the season began. The 25-year-old has raised his OPS from .765 to .851, thanks in large part to a decline in his strikeout rate from 34.4 to 26.0 percent.
Outfielders
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Top 10 Outfielders
2. Mookie Betts, BOS (Preseason Rank: 3)
189 OPS+, 39 XBH (19 HR), 5 DRS, 4.4 WAR
3. Aaron Judge, NYY (Preseason Rank: 4)
156 OPS+, 38 XBH (20 HR), 9 DRS, 4.0 WAR
4. Lorenzo Cain, MIL (Preseason Rank: 14)
124 OPS+, 23 XBH (8 HR), 11 DRS, 3.9 WAR
5. Eddie Rosario, MIN (Preseason Rank: HM)
154 OPS+, 40 XBH (17 HR), 6 DRS, 3.9 WAR
6. Mitch Haniger, SEA (Preseason Rank: HM)
133 OPS+, 31 XBH (16 HR), 6 DRS, 2.9 WAR
7. Nick Markakis, ATL (Preseason Rank: NR)
142 OPS+, 33 XBH (8 HR), 5 DRS, 2.7 WAR
8. Brandon Nimmo, NYM (Preseason Rank: NR)
169 OPS+, 27 XBH (12 HR), -3 DRS, 2.5 WAR
9. George Springer, HOU (Preseason Rank: 7)
129 OPS+, 31 XBH (15 HR), 1 DRS, 2.5 WAR
10. Christian Yelich, MIL (Preseason Rank: 9)
120 OPS+, 22 XBH (10 HR), 5 DRS, 2.2 WAR
Position Overview
Mike Trout is currently on pace for a 13.5 WAR. Enough said about why he deserves the No. 1 spot.
Likewise, Mookie Betts and Aaron Judge are right where they were expected to be among the game's elite offensive producers, while George Springer and Christian Yelich have also lived up to their preseason ranking as part of the second tier of outfield stars.
Lorenzo Cain was one of the few players who still managed to cash in as a free agent this past winter, signing a five-year, $80 million deal with the Brewers. The 32-year-old currently leads NL position players with 3.9 WAR, as he's brought his impressive mix of speed, gap power and defense to one of the NL's breakout contenders.
Eddie Rosario (.836 OPS, 27 HR, 78 RBI) and Mitch Haniger (.843 OPS, 16 HR, 47 RBI) both showed flashes last season, and they've built on those intriguing showings with true breakout performances so far in 2018.
Veteran Nick Markakis hit .280/.357/.386 and averaged a 1.4 WAR during his first three seasons with the Braves. Modest production but nothing close to what he's done this season in his age-34 campaign, as he's hitting .330/.395/.490 while matching his home run total from a year ago in roughly half as many plate appearances.
The biggest breakout among outfielders belongs to Brandon Nimmo.
The No. 13 overall pick in the 2011 draft spent much of last season shuttling between Triple-A and the majors, but he's carved out an everyday role this year, hitting .283/.403/.571 with 12 home runs. He's been one of the few bright spots for a Mets team that has been in a freefall since the middle of April.
Starting Pitchers
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Top 10 Starters
2. Corey Kluber, CLE (Preseason Rank: 2)
210 ERA+, 0.81 WHIP, 113 K, 111.2 IP, 4.7 WAR
3. Max Scherzer, WAS (Preseason Rank: 3)
197 ERA+, 0.85 WHIP, 161 K, 107.2 IP, 4.1 WAR
4. Justin Verlander, HOU (Preseason Rank: 5)
205 ERA+, 0.81 WHIP, 136 K, 113.2 IP, 3.5 WAR
5. Luis Severino, NYY (Preseason Rank: 6)
189 ERA+, 0.96 WHIP, 123 K, 104.2 IP, 4.1 WAR
6. Chris Sale, BOS (Preseason Rank: 4)
172 ERA+, 0.93 WHIP, 153 K, 109.0 IP, 4.2 WAR
7. Trevor Bauer, CLE (Preseason Rank: 29)
180 ERA+, 1.09 WHIP, 140 K, 107.0 IP, 3.2 WAR
8. Blake Snell, TB (Preseason Rank: NR)
171 ERA+, 1.04 WHIP, 113 K, 101.1 IP, 3.3 WAR
9. Aaron Nola, PHI (Preseason Rank: 21)
155 ERA+, 1.02 WHIP, 99 K, 101.1 IP, 4.2 WAR
10. Jon Lester, CHC (Preseason Rank: HM)
198 ERA+, 1.09 WHIP, 70 K, 90.0 IP, 2.6 WAR
Position Overview
Narrowing all of the game's starting pitchers down to a top 10 is no easy task.
The players who filled the Nos. 2-6 spots on our preseason list are once again occupying those five positions, albeit with the order shuffled a bit, as Corey Kluber, Max Scherzer, Justin Verlander, Luis Severino and Chris Sale continue to dominate opposing hitters.
The No. 1 spot at the start of the year belonged to Clayton Kershaw, but a lower back strain has limited the Dodgers ace to just nine starts.
Instead, it's Jacob deGrom who claims top honors at midseason, thanks to a 1.69 ERA, 1.01 WHIP and 126 strikeouts in 101.1 innings. He's shaping up to be the prize of the trade deadline if the Mets decide to blow it up and start rebuilding, and he would bring quite a haul to a farm system in need of a talent infusion.
Trevor Bauer and Aaron Nola have both built on solid 2017 seasons to emerge as top-10 guys here at midseason. Bauer gives the Indians a second ace-caliber starter alongside Kluber, while Nola has maintained the role of staff ace even after the addition of Jake Arrieta during the offseason.
After finishing second in NL Cy Young voting in 2016, Jon Lester looked downright ordinary last season when he went 13-8 with a 4.33 ERA (101 ERA+). While his numbers this season have been stellar, his 2.10 ERA is accompanied by a 4.19 FIP, so there could be some inevitable regression to come.
Breakout honors here go to Blake Snell, who has performed admirably for a Tampa Bay rotation that lost Alex Cobb and Jake Odorizzi during the offseason. The 25-year-old is pitching deeper into games thanks to an improved walk rate (4.1 to 3.6 BB/9) while also improving his strikeout rate (8.3 to 10.0 K/9).
There was no shortage of tough omissions from this list, with Gerrit Cole, Jose Berrios, Miles Mikolas, Mike Clevinger, Sean Manaea and Patrick Corbin among the toughest.
Relief Pitchers
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Top 10 Relievers
2. Adam Ottavino, COL (Preseason Rank: NR)
32G, 16 HLD, 0.79 ERA, 0.61 WHIP, 14.2 K/9, 2.3 WAR
3. Aroldis Chapman, NYY (Preseason Rank: 5)
23/24 SV, 1.29 ERA, 0.86 WHIP, 15.4 K/9, 1.8 WAR
4. Sean Doolittle, WAS (Preseason Rank: 14)
21/22 SV, 1.60 ERA, 0.53 WHIP, 11.8 K/9, 1.7 WAR
5. Blake Treinen, OAK (Preseason Rank: 29)
18/20 SV, 0.96 ERA, 0.90 WHIP, 11.0 K/9, 1.7 WAR
6. Craig Kimbrel, BOS (Preseason Rank: 1)
22/24 SV, 2.32 ERA, 0.87 WHIP, 12.8 K/9, 1.4 WAR
7. Kirby Yates, SD (Preseason Rank: HM)
32 G, 14 HLD, 0.84 ERA, 0.88 WHIP, 10.4 K/9, 1.6 WAR
8. Chris Devenski, HOU (Preseason Rank: 20)
32 G, 13 HLD, 1.42 ERA, 0.82 WHIP, 11.1 K/9, 1.2 WAR
9. Kelvin Herrera, WAS (Preseason Rank: HM)
14/16 SV, 1.57 ERA, 0.84 WHIP, 7.5 K/9, 1.4 WAR
10. Yoshihisa Hirano, ARI (Preseason Rank: HM)
37 G, 16 HLD, 1.32 ERA, 0.97 WHIP, 8.2 K/9, 1.5 WAR
Position Overview
As bullpen usage has continued to evolve, the days of a team's closer automatically being its best or most important reliever are a thing of the past.
That's reflected on this list, where just five of the league's top 10 relievers are closers, and one of them has since moved into a setup role after an early-season trade.
Aroldis Chapman, Sean Doolittle, Blake Treinen, Craig Kimbrel and Kelvin Herrera are the five ninth-inning guys who made the cut.
When it comes to placing value on closers, save percentage trumps save total, and limiting baserunners is of the utmost importance.
While Chapman, Doolittle and Treinen all cracked the top five, the top two spots in these rankings went to non-closers.
Brewers lefty Josh Hader has struck out a ridiculous 55.2 percent of the batters he's faced this season, punching out 80 hitters in 39.2 innings. He has two wins, six saves and 12 holds, filling whatever role the situation calls for in the Milwaukee bullpen. The former starter has also recorded more than three outs 17 times, further adding to his value.
Adam Ottavino has struck out 45.0 percent of the batters he's faced while allowing just 10 hits in 34.1 innings for an .094 opponents' batting average. However, unlike Hader, he's been used exclusively in a setup role and has rarely been asked to get more than three outs.
Kirby Yates, Chris Devenski and Yoshihisa Hirano round out the top 10 list, though a case can be made for a number of players filling out the list behind the top six.
All stats courtesy of Baseball Reference and FanGraphs, and accurate through Monday.
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