MLB Superstar Power Rankings: How Every Team's Biggest Stars Stack Up so Far
What makes a superstar? That's the first question we had to answer when ranking each MLB team's top top player.
The essential criteria include track record, name recognition and potential. In some cases, the choice was easy. In others, there were multiple worthy candidates or the pickings were hopelessly slim.
In compiling these rankings, we weighed 2019 stats, small-sample caveats be damned. But we also accounted for career numbers and accolades and added a dollop of subjectivity.
Quibble if you wish, but here's how each club's resident superstar stacks up.
No. 30-No. 21: Chris Davis-Marcus Stroman
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No. 30: Chris Davis, 1B, Baltimore Orioles
Trey Mancini is off to a hot start with a .336 average and .962 OPS, but he lacks the name recognition and track record to qualify for superstar status. While they wait to see if Mancini can sustain his pace, the Baltimore Orioles are stuck with Chris Davis as their most high-profile player. The 33-year-old hit 47 home runs as recently as 2015 but owns a .167/.244/.321 slash line and appears to be finished as a competent hitter, let alone an impactful slugger.
No. 29: Starlin Castro, 2B, Miami Marlins
The Miami Marlins sold off all of their superstars over the past two offseasons. Starlin Castro is a four-time All-Star, so he has the resume. He's also hitting .219 with a .275 on-base percentage and tanking his trade-deadline value for the rebuilding Fish.
No. 28: Shin-Soo Choo, OF/DH, Texas Rangers
Joey Gallo is hammering the ball to the tune of a 1.073 OPS for the Texas Rangers and might be turning the corner from one-dimensional masher to lineup anchor. For now, Shin-Soo Choo is the closest player the Rangers have to a superstar. The 36-year-old is following up his 2018 All-Star campaign with a nice start. He owns a .971 OPS through 31 games and has made 13 starts in the outfield, meaning he's not confined solely to DH duties yet.
No. 27: Edwin Encarnacion, 1B/DH, Seattle Mariners
The Seattle Mariners have cooled a bit after their surprisingly hot start, but they're above .500 and very much in the postseason mix. Edwin Encarnacion, their most decorated and recognizable hitter, has chipped in with 10 home runs and an .882 OPS, though the 36-year-old is limited defensively and is hitting only .241.
No. 26: Khris Davis, OF/DH, Oakland Athletics
After bashing an MLB-leading 48 home runs and finishing in the top 10 in American League MVP voting last season, Khris Davis is off to a so-so start with the Oakland A's. Yes, he's hit 10 homers, but his .229 average and .303 on-base percentage leave something to be desired.
No. 25: Miguel Cabrera, 1B/DH, Detroit Tigers
Heading into 2019, it was worth wondering if Miguel Cabrera was finished. He was limited to just 38 games by hamstring and biceps injuries in 2018 and ultimately underwent biceps surgery. So far, reports of Cabrera's demise have been exaggerated. The 36-year-old is hitting .298 with a .363 on-base percentage in 31 games, though he's managed just one home run.
No. 24: Chris Archer, RHP, Pittsburgh Pirates
Chris Archer owns a 4.33 ERA this season with the Pittsburgh Pirates and landed on the disabled list on April 27 with a thumb injury. The 30-year-old two-time All-Star did strike out 29 in 27 innings prior to the injury and showed flashes of the guy who finished fifth in American League Cy Young Award voting with the Tampa Bay Rays in 2015. When he's right, he's a rotation-fronting talent. Key words, "when he's right."
No. 23: Nelson Cruz, DH, Minnesota Twins
A six-time All-Star, Nelson Cruz just keeps hitting at age 38. For the first-place Minnesota Twins, Cruz has seven home runs and a .972 OPS in 28 games. He's exclusively a designated hitter at this point in his career, but the man can clearly still rake.
No. 22: Alex Gordon, OF, Kansas City Royals
After he posted an OPS below .700 for three straight seasons, it seemed Alex Gordon's days as an effective offensive player were coming to an end and another player such as second baseman Whit Merrifield would grab the superstar baton. In 2019, the Kansas City Royals left fielder is enjoying a renaissance with six home runs and an .897 OPS through 33 games. Will it last? Maybe not. But for now, Gordon is marrying his six-time Gold Glove-winning defense to a suddenly resurgent bat.
No. 21: Marcus Stroman, RHP, Toronto Blue Jays
After posting a 5.54 ERA in an injury-marred 2018 campaign, Toronto Blue Jays right-hander Marcus Stroman owns a 2.20 ERA with 39 strikeouts in 41 innings this season and looks more like the pitcher who finished in the top 10 in AL Cy Young Award voting in 2017. He's under club control through 2020 but could be an enticing trade chip if the Jays opt for a full-scale rebuild.
No. 20-No. 11: Jose Abreu-Aaron Judge
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No. 20: Jose Abreu, 1B/DH, Chicago White Sox
After a slow start, Jose Abreu is swinging a hot bat for the Chicago White Sox. The slugging Cuban and two-time All-Star owns a .915 OPS with nine doubles, eight home runs and 33 RBI. He's also in a contract year and should be dealt on or before the July 31 trade deadline from the still-rebuilding ChiSox to a power-hungry contender.
No. 19: Blake Snell, LHP, Tampa Bay Rays
The reigning AL Cy Young Award winner, Blake Snell paced the Junior Circuit with a 1.89 ERA last season. In 2019, that figure has ballooned to 4.31 through six starts. There are positive signs, however: Snell's 3.88 FIP suggests a degree of misfortune, and he's averaging a robust 11.8 strikeouts per nine innings.
No. 18: Buster Posey, C, San Francisco Giants
It's safe to say Buster Posey isn't the player he once was. He's 32 years old and hitting .257 with just two home runs through 30 games. But he still rates as the game's second-best pitch-framer, per Baseball Prospectus. His glory days are in the rearview, as is the San Francisco Giants' even-year dynasty. But his days as a valuable veteran backstop are not.
No. 17: Zack Greinke, RHP, Arizona Diamondbacks
After his former teammate Paul Goldschmidt departed via trade during the offseason, Zack Greinke assumed the title of the Arizona Diamondbacks' biggest superstar. The right-hander and five-time All-Star is living up to it with a 3.42 ERA and 50 strikeouts in 50 innings.
No. 16: Joey Votto, 1B, Cincinnati Reds
Is this the year Joey Votto stops being an on-base machine? The Cincinnati Reds first baseman is slashing .216/.331/.360 in 32 games. He's 35 years old. There's cause for concern. That said, Votto has earned the benefit of the doubt with six All-Star appearances and six top-10 MVP finishes, including when he won the award in 2010. Here's betting those numbers climb northward.
No. 15: Kris Bryant, 3B, Chicago Cubs
Kris Bryant burst on the scene with an NL Rookie of the Year campaign in 2015 and an NL MVP season in 2016. His star has dimmed a bit since then, and in 2019 he's hitting a modest .243. He does own an .830 OPS, however, and is 27 years old. He's fallen out of the top-10 superstar discussion, but he has all the tools to get back in it.
No. 14: Jacob deGrom, RHP, New York Mets
Jacob deGrom won the NL Cy Young Award in 2018, led baseball with a minuscule 1.70 ERA and seemed to be on the cusp of challenging for best-pitcher-in-baseball status. In 2019, his ERA has climbed to 3.82, and he's had a few rocky outings. He's also struck out 49 in 33 innings. The elite stuff is there.
No. 13: Ronald Acuna Jr., OF, Atlanta Braves
Ronald Acuna Jr. was as advertised in his first season with the Atlanta Braves, as he won NL Rookie of the Year honors and picked up down-ballot MVP votes. In 2019, he's hitting .294 with an .883 OPS and six home runs in 33 games. At age 21, the sky might not be the limit.
No. 12: Clayton Kershaw, LHP, Los Angeles Dodgers
Los Angeles Dodgers left-hander Clayton Kershaw has battled injuries and dealt with diminished stuff. The greatest pitcher of his generation is no longer untouchable. That said, even a lesser Kershaw is pretty dang good. He owns a 2.77 ERA and has struck out 27 in 26 innings. Don't write him off just yet.
No. 11: Aaron Judge, OF, New York Yankees
Before an oblique strain put him on the shelf, Aaron Judge was doing Aaron Judge things for the New York Yankees. In 20 games, he clubbed five home runs and posted a .925 OPS. He was limited to 112 games by injury last season, so durability concerns are justified. If he can stay healthy, however, there's little doubt he can replicate the 52-homer, AL Rookie of the Year season he authored in 2017 and vault into the superstar top tier.
No. 10: Bryce Harper, OF, Philadelphia Phillies
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Despite hearing it from Philadelphia's infamous boo birds, Bryce Harper is having a decent season with his new squad.
In 33 games with the Phillies, he owns an .841 OPS and has hit 10 doubles and six home runs. Of course, after he signed a 13-year, $330 million contract, decent won't be good enough.
Overall, we know what Harper is capable of. The 26-year-old has won NL Rookie of the Year honors (2012), an NL MVP trophy (2015), made six All-Star appearances and averaged 32 home runs a season since 2015.
Something tells us he'll eventually get consistent ovations in the City of Brotherly Love.
No. 9: Paul Goldschmidt, 1B, St. Louis Cardinals
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After being traded by the D-backs to the St. Louis Cardinals during the offseason, Paul Goldschmidt promptly inked a five-year, $130 million extension with the Redbirds.
He has nine home runs and an .805 OPS in 34 games with his new team...solid numbers, but not quite up to his lofty standards.
A six-time All-Star, three-time Gold Glove winner and four-time top-10 MVP finisher, Goldy is easily the best all-around first baseman in the game.
No. 8: Jose Altuve, 2B, Houston Astros
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Jose Altuve has displayed some impressive power with nine home runs in 2019. He's also hitting an un-Altuvian .250.
Should Houston Astros fans be worried? Nah.
Altuve's 43.4 percent hard-contact rate is well above his career average of 27.3 percent, yet his .237 batting average on balls in play pales in comparison to his .338 career average. This is simply a small-sample anomaly.
Altuve is still the guy who's made six All-Star teams, won a pair of batting titles in 2016 and 2017 and is among the most dynamic hitters in either league.
No. 7: Max Scherzer, RHP, Washington Nationals
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Glance at the 4.08 ERA Max Scherzer has posted in seven starts and you might think something's amiss with Mad Max. Dig a little deeper and you'll see the Washington Nationals right-hander is just fine.
Scherzer owns a sterling 2.17 FIP and has struck out 62 in 46.1 innings. So yeah...he's gonna be OK.
Last season, he led the majors in innings pitched (220.2) and strikeouts (300) and has thrown more than 200 innings and struck out at least 240 batters for six straight seasons.
Add his three Cy Young Awards, and you're talking about the best pitcher in the game until further notice.
No. 6: Manny Machado, 3B/SS, San Diego Padres
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Manny Machado is playing for his third team in less than a year and possibly feeling the weight of the 10-year, $300 million contract he signed with the San Diego Padres this offseason.
He hasn't been bad in 2019, but his .236 average and .766 OPS don't match his considerable abilities.
He hit 37 home runs with a .905 OPS last season, has won two Gold Gloves at third base and is 26 years old. Oh, and he's already hit four home runs in May.
Friars fans can assume they'll see that Machado more often than not.
No. 5: Francisco Lindor, SS, Cleveland Indians
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Calf and ankle injuries slowed Francisco Lindor early in the season, but he's back on the field for the Cleveland Indians, who desperately need his bat and glove.
The 25-year-old set career highs in home runs (38) and OPS (.871) for the Tribe in 2018, swiped 25 bases and played his usual brand of eye-popping defense at shortstop.
You could make an argument for right-hander Corey Kluber or third baseman Jose Ramirez as Cleveland's biggest superstar, but it's pretty much impossible to argue against Lindor as one of MLB's most exiting talents.
No. 4: Nolan Arenado, 3B, Colorado Rockies
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Nolan Arenado paced the National League with 38 homers last season, tallied 110 RBI and posted a .935 OPS. He won a sixth straight Gold Glove at third base, and has taken home the award every year he's been in the big leagues.
Then, he signed a whopping eight-year, $260 million extension with the Colorado Rockies.
Arenado has been his typical self in 2019, making highlight-reel plays at the hot corner and hitting .305 with nine homers and a .917 OPS. Colorado fans should be overjoyed he's staying at Mile High altitude for the long haul.
No. 3: Mookie Betts, OF, Boston Red Sox
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The reigning AL MVP, Mookie Betts is having a solid season for the mostly disappointing Boston Red Sox.
His .297 average and .907 OPS don't match the MLB-leading .346 average and 1.078 OPS he posted in 2018, but he remains an elite all-around talent, as his overall offensive output and the three straight Gold Gloves he's won in right field attest.
Last season, he appeared poised to challenge Mike Trout for the title of best player in baseball. He still might.
At the moment, however, there's another player who seems ready to tackle that Herculean task...
No. 2: Christian Yelich, OF, Milwaukee Brewers
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If you thought Christian Yelich's 2018 NL MVP season was a fluke, think again.
Yelich is solidifying his status as one of the game's best players with a scalding start to 2019. Through 31 games, he's slashing a video-game-like .346/.450/.804 with an MLB-leading 15 home runs.
Stack that on top of his 2018 campaign, in which he clubbed 36 home runs and won a batting title with a .326 average, and we're looking at a 27-year-old superstar launching himself into the MLB stratosphere.
No. 1: Mike Trout, OF, Los Angeles Angels
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There will come a day when Mike Trout doesn't top this list. That day is not today.
He's leading the league in on-base percentage for the fourth year in a row. He's won two AL MVPs. He averaged 34 home runs a season between 2012 and 2018 while playing above-average defensive in center field.
This year, he owns a 1.031 OPS through 31 games for the Los Angeles Angels after inking a record-smashing 12-year, $430 million contract extension. He's somehow only 27 years old.
But you didn't need us to tell you all of that. All you have to do is watch him to know he's the greatest player of his generation.
All statistics current entering play Monday and courtesy of FanGraphs and Baseball Reference unless otherwise noted.
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