Updated 2021 MLB Position-by-Position Power Rankings, September Edition
Who are MLB's 10 best players at each position in 2021?
It sounds like an easy question until you try to trim the list and are forced to decide whether a few more home runs from Player A earns him a spot above Player B, who has a slightly higher OPS+.
Our first positional power rankings of the year were released May 1 with subsequent updates published June 4, July 2 and Aug. 6. With another month of games complete, it's time for the next update.
Once again, these rankings are based on what each player has accomplished in 2021. Production prior to this season and future expectations have been removed from the equation.
To be eligible for inclusion, a player must have at least 200 plate appearances for position players, 100 innings pitched for starting pitchers and 30 appearances for relief pitchers. Players are included at the position where they have appeared in the most games in 2021, so while Trea Turner is now manning second base for the Los Angeles Dodgers, you'll still find him with the shortstops.
Included under the "Aug" column on the positional charts is a look at where each player was ranked last month to give an idea of who has climbed and who has fallen.
Let's get to it.
Catchers
1 of 12
Top 10 Catchers
| 1. Salvador Perez, KC | 2 |
| 2. Buster Posey, SF | 1 |
| 3. Will Smith, LAD | 3 |
| 4. Willson Contreras, CHC | 4 |
| 5. Mike Zunino, TB | 8 |
| 6. Omar Narvaez, MIL | 5 |
| 7. Yasmani Grandal, CWS | 9 |
| 8. J.T. Realmuto, PHI | 6 |
| 9. Eric Haase, DET | 7 |
| 10. Max Stassi, LAA | NR |
The No. 1 Spot: The top spot belongs to Salvador Perez after he posted a .998 OPS with 12 home runs and 28 RBI in August. The 31-year-old is putting together one of the best offensive seasons by a catcher in recent memory. With two more home runs, he'll become the sixth backstop in MLB history with a 40-homer season.
Rising: An All-Star for the first time this season, Mike Zunino sports a 137 OPS+ with a career-high 27 home runs after tallying seven long balls and a 1.008 OPS in 61 plate appearances in August. The Rays pitching staff has a 3.58 ERA in 704 innings with him behind the plate, compared to a 3.79 ERA when he's not catching.
Falling: The catcher of the present and future in Oakland, Sean Murphy is having a solid overall season with a 99 OPS+, 38 extra-base hits and 2.3 WAR in 106 games. However, the 26-year-old has slowed down since the All-Star break with a .200 average and .672 OPS in 116 plate appearances.
First Basemen
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Top 10 First Basemen
| 1. Vladimir Guerrero Jr., TOR | 1 |
| 2. Max Muncy, LAD | 2 |
| 3. Matt Olson, OAK | 3 |
| 4. Freddie Freeman, ATL | 5 |
| 5. Yuli Gurriel, HOU | 4 |
| 6. Joey Votto, CIN | 6 |
| 7. Paul Goldschmidt, STL | NR |
| 8. C.J. Cron, COL | NR |
| 9. Jose Abreu, CWS | NR |
| 10. Ty France, SEA | NR |
The No. 1 Spot: Despite a lackluster month of August relative to the rest of his season, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is the top dog at first base. The 22-year-old leads the AL in OPS+ (171), on-base percentage (.405), hits (152), runs (98) and total bases (292), and he is one of nine position players to amass 5.0 WAR this year.
Rising: Few players had a better month of August than C.J. Cron, who hit .387/.463/.828 with 11 home runs and 34 RBI in 108 plate appearances. The Colorado Rockies signed him to a minor league deal during the offseason, and he's been worth 3.1 WAR while posting a 132 OPS+ with 25 home runs and 77 RBI.
Falling: The Philadelphia Phillies suffered a significant blow when Rhys Hoskins underwent season-ending surgery to repair a tear in his lower abdomen in late August. Despite posting a career-low .334 on-base percentage, he had a 132 OPS+ and 27 home runs when his season ended.
Second Basemen
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Top 10 Second Basemen
| 1. Marcus Semien, TOR | 1 |
| 2. Jake Cronenworth, SD | 2 |
| 3. Jorge Polanco, MIN | 7 |
| 4. Brandon Lowe, TB | 6 |
| 5. Jose Altuve, HOU | 3 |
| 6. Jean Segura, PHI | 5 |
| 7. Jonathan India, CIN | 10 |
| 8. Whit Merrifield, KC | NR |
| 9. Adam Frazier, SD | 4 |
| 10. Ozzie Albies, ATL | 8 |
The No. 1 Spot: After a down season in 2020 led him to settle for a one-year, $18 million deal, Marcus Semien has rebuilt his stock in a big way ahead of another foray into free agency. The 30-year-old has a 131 OPS+ with 34 doubles and 33 home runs, and he's playing Gold Glove-caliber defense at second base in a 5.8-WAR season. A nine-figure payday could await this winter.
Rising: It's been a disappointing season for the Minnesota Twins after back-to-back AL Central titles in 2019 and 2020. Veteran Jorge Polanco has been one of the few bright spots, and he is hitting .309/.356/.594 with 12 home runs and 35 RBI in 42 games since the All-Star break.
Falling: Since he was traded to San Diego ahead of the deadline, Adam Frazier has seen his OPS plummet by 300 points. The 29-year-old is hitting .221/.277/.260 in 114 plate appearances with the Padres after posting a .324/.388/.448 line in 428 plate appearances with the Pittsburgh Pirates.
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Third Basemen
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Top 10 Third Basemen
| 1. Jose Ramirez, CLE | 3 |
| 2. Austin Riley, ATL | 5 |
| 3. Rafael Devers, BOS | 1 |
| 4. Manny Machado, SD | 2 |
| 5. Justin Turner, LAD | 4 |
| 6. Kris Bryant, SF | 9 |
| 7. Yoan Moncada, CWS | 7 |
| 8. Ryan McMahon, COL | 10 |
| 9. Josh Donaldson, MIN | 8 |
| 10. Nolan Arenado, STL | 6 |
The No. 1 Spot: Cleveland star Jose Ramirez has been a better second-half performer throughout his career, and this year is no different. He has a .931 OPS with 12 home runs and 32 RBI in 39 games since the break. The 28-year-old has a 138 OPS+ with 31 home runs and 84 RBI in a 5.2-WAR season and could secure another top-10 finish in AL MVP voting.
Rising: One of the biggest breakout stars of 2021, Austin Riley is hitting .351/.401/.649 with 14 home runs since the All-Star break. The 24-year-old has a .303/.373/.532 line with 23 doubles, 28 home runs and an NL-leading 253 total bases. He has also made significant strides defensively (-10 defensive runs saved in 2020, 7 DRS in 2021) at the hot corner.
Falling: It's been an up-and-down first season in St. Louis for Nolan Arenado. The perennial MVP candidate hit just .212 with a .278 on-base percentage and 24 strikeouts in 115 plate appearances in August, but he holds on to the No. 10 spot ahead of Matt Chapman, Joey Wendle and Jeimer Candelario.
Shortstops
5 of 12
Top 10 Shortstops
| 1. Fernando Tatis Jr., SD | 1 |
| 2. Trea Turner, LAD | 2 |
| 3. Carlos Correa, HOU | 4 |
| 4. Brandon Crawford, SF | 5 |
| 5. Xander Bogaerts, BOS | 3 |
| 6. Willy Adames, MIL | 6 |
| 7. Bo Bichette, TOR | 7 |
| 8. Tim Anderson, CWS | 8 |
| 9. Dansby Swanson, ATL | NR |
| 10. Isiah Kiner-Falefa, TEX | 10 |
The No. 1 Spot: "But he has 20 errors!" Give me a break. Fernando Tatis Jr. is having an MVP-caliber season with a 1.003 OPS, an NL-leading 36 home runs, 24 steals in 27 attempts, and 5.4 WAR in 102 games. And for what it's worth, he committed 10 of those errors in his first 16 games, so it hasn't been an ongoing issue.
Rising: While they didn't make the cut for a spot in the top 10, Cleveland's Amed Rosario (190 PA, .341/.368/.523, 20 XBH) and Kansas City's Nicky Lopez (164 PA, .333/.384/.422, 9 XBH) both deserve a shoutout for their stellar performance since the All-Star break.
Falling: In 19 games since joining the New York Mets at the trade deadline, Javier Baez is hitting .227/.282/.455 with 23 strikeouts in 71 plate appearances. He leads the NL with 154 strikeouts and has a 35.6 percent strikeout rate to go along with an ugly .290 on-base percentage.
Left Fielders
6 of 12
Top 10 Left Fielders
| 1. Michael Brantley, HOU | 1 |
| 2. Jesse Winker, CIN | 2 |
| 3. Tyler O'Neill, STL | 5 |
| 4. Kyle Schwarber, BOS | 4 |
| 5. Randy Arozarena, TB | 6 |
| 6. AJ Pollock, LAD | 8 |
| 7. Robbie Grossman, DET | 7 |
| 8. Mark Canha, OAK | 3 |
| 9. Austin Meadows, TB | NR |
| 10. Alex Verdugo, BOS | NR |
The No. 1 Spot: My pick for the most underrated player in baseball, Michael Brantley is arguably the best pure hitter in the game. He tops the AL batting title race with a .317 average, just ahead of teammate Yuli Gurriel (.313) and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (.312). The 34-year-old has been worth every penny of the two-year, $32 million deal he signed during the offseason.
Rising: Tyler O'Neill has flashed loud tools dating back to his time in the Seattle Mariners farm system, and things are finally clicking. The 26-year-old is hitting .273/.343/.503 with 21 home runs and 50 RBI, and he had a .917 OPS in August. He is also well on his way to another Gold Glove with 10 DRS and a 9.6 UZR/150 in left field.
Falling: With free agency looming, Tommy Pham is not doing himself any favors by hitting .190/.304/.333 in 148 plate appearances since the All-Star break. The 33-year-old has found himself in a part-time role after Fernando Tatis Jr.'s shift to the outfield to protect his shoulder injury.
Center Fielders
7 of 12
Top 10 Center Fielders
| 1. Cedric Mullins, BAL | 1 |
| 2. Bryan Reynolds, PIT | 2 |
| 3. Starling Marte, OAK | 4 |
| 4. Chris Taylor, LAD | 3 |
| 5. Enrique Hernandez, BOS | 5 |
| 6. Trent Grisham, SD | 6 |
| 7. Adolis Garcia, TEX | 7 |
| 8. Brandon Nimmo, NYM | NR |
| 9. Michael A. Taylor, KC | NR |
| 10. Tyler Naquin, CIN | NR |
The No. 1 Spot: Cedric Mullins is hitting .306/.370/.529 with 31 doubles, 24 home runs, 25 steals and an AL-leading 152 hits in 129 games. Entering the season, he was a .225/.290/.342 hitter in 418 plate appearances over parts of three seasons. This is what an out-of-nowhere breakout looks like, folks.
Rising: A fun bit of trivia: Starling Marte is the first player in MLB history to steal 20 bases in both leagues in the same season, according to Ryan M. Spaeder. The 32-year-old is hitting .346/.377/.485 with 12 extra-base hits and 20 steals in 30 games since being traded to the Oakland Athletics at the deadline.
Falling: Oakland center fielder Ramon Laureano was slapped with an 80-game suspension for performance-enhancing drugs at the beginning of August. The 27-year-old tallied 2.5 WAR in 88 games with 21 doubles, 14 home runs and 12 steals, but he drops out of the rankings after occupying the No. 8 spot last month.
Right Fielders
8 of 12
Top 10 Right Fielders
| 1. Bryce Harper, PHI | 2 |
| 2. Aaron Judge, NYY | 7 |
| 3. Juan Soto, WAS | 1 |
| 4. Mookie Betts, LAD | 4 |
| 5. Joey Gallo, NYY | 3 |
| 6. Ronald Acuna Jr., ATL | 5 |
| 7. Nick Castellanos, CIN | 6 |
| 8. Kyle Tucker, HOU | 8 |
| 9. Teoscar Hernandez, TOR | 9 |
| 10. Avisail Garcia, MIL | NR |
The No. 1 Spot: The Bryce Harper (175 OPS+, 26 HR, 4.3 WAR) vs. Aaron Judge (156 OPS+, 30 HR, 5.5 WAR) vs. Juan Soto (163 OPS+, 22 HR, 5.1 WAR) decision for the top spot among right fielders was a tough one. They have been the three best outfielders in baseball this season, and each has a viable argument. Harper gets the nod thanks to a huge August (1.231 OPS, 10 HR, 25 RBI) and his sizable OPS+ edge.
Rising: In the second season of a two-year, $20 million deal, Avisail Garcia has slugged a career-high 24 home runs while tallying a team-high 77 RBI for the first-place Milwaukee Brewers. The 30-year-old is hitting .298/.386/.540 with eight home runs and 22 RBI in 37 games since the All-Star break, and his $12 million club option for 2022 looks like a solid bet to be exercised.
Falling: With a 119 OPS+ and 29 home runs, Mitch Haniger has been one of the better comeback stories of the 2021 season. However, he hit .213/.302/.361 with seven extra-base hits in 126 plate appearances in August.
Designated Hitters
9 of 12
Top 5 Designated Hitters
| 1. Shohei Ohtani, LAA | 1 |
| 2. Yordan Alvarez, HOU | 4 |
| 3. J.D. Martinez, BOS | 2 |
| 4. Giancarlo Stanton, NYY | NR |
| 5. Nelson Cruz, TB | 3 |
The No. 1 Spot: Ignoring his ace-caliber contributions on the mound, Shohei Ohtani has been a 4.4-WAR player in his designated hitter role. The 27-year-old has launched an MLB-leading 42 home runs while logging a terrific .361 on-base percentage with 90 RBI, 88 runs scored and 22 steals.
Rising: After a lost 2020 season, Yordan Alvarez has picked up where he left off during his 2019 AL Rookie of the Year campaign. The 24-year-old is hitting .280/.344/.533 with 25 doubles, 28 home runs and 89 RBI, and he had a .977 OPS with nine long balls and 22 RBI in August.
Falling: Since joining the Tampa Bay Rays on July 22, Nelson Cruz is hitting .210/.269/.429 with seven home runs and 21 RBI in 30 games. He has continued to be a solid run producer, but his 96 OPS+ is a far cry from the 151 OPS+ he had for the Minnesota Twins.
Right-Handed Starting Pitchers
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Top 10 Right-Handed Starting Pitchers
| 1. Walker Buehler, LAD | 2 |
| 2. Corbin Burnes, MIL | 8 |
| 3. Brandon Woodruff, MIL | 4 |
| 4. Zack Wheeler, PHI | 5 |
| 5. Gerrit Cole, NYY | NR |
| 6. Kevin Gausman, SF | 7 |
| 7. Max Scherzer, LAD | 9 |
| 8. Lance Lynn, CWS | 6 |
| 9. Freddy Peralta, MIL | 3 |
| 10. Logan Webb, SF | NR |
The No. 1 Spot: With Jacob deGrom sidelined since early July and ineligible for our rankings with just 92 innings pitched, the top spot belongs to Walker Buehler, who leads qualified pitchers in ERA (2.05) and ERA+ (193). The 27-year-old appears to be on a trajectory to take the mantle of best pitcher in baseball.
Rising: Young right-hander Logan Webb has ripped off seven straight quality starts for the San Francisco Giants. The 24-year-old has a 1.42 ERA, 0.92 WHIP and 46 strikeouts in 44.1 innings during that stretch and is 8-3 with a 2.65 ERA, 1.11 WHIP and 111 strikeouts in 105.1 innings on the year.
Falling: Will we see Jacob deGrom again in 2021? According to Pat Ragazzo of Sports Illustrated, there is "about a 99.9 percent chance that he is done for the season" even as the New York Mets battle for a postseason berth.
Left-Handed Starting Pitchers
11 of 12
Top 10 Left-Handed Starting Pitchers
| 1. Robbie Ray, TOR | 3 |
| 2. Wade Miley, CIN | 4 |
| 3. Carlos Rodon, CWS | 1 |
| 4. Trevor Rogers, MIA | 2 |
| 5. Julio Urias, LAD | 10 |
| 6. Framber Valdez, HOU | NR |
| 7. Clayton Kershaw, LAD | 5 |
| 8. John Means, BAL | 8 |
| 9. Jordan Montgomery, NYY | NR |
| 10. Max Fried, ATL | NR |
The No. 1 Spot: There was not a better investment made this offseason than the one-year, $8 million contract the Toronto Blue Jays gave Robbie Ray despite his ugly 6.62 ERA in 51.2 innings last year. The 29-year-old has always had swing-and-miss stuff, and everything has clicked in 2021. With a 2.71 ERA, 1.01 WHIP and 202 strikeouts in 159.1 innings, he is a bona fide AL Cy Young contender.
Rising: Houston Astros southpaw Framber Valdez didn't make his 2021 debut until May 28 after suffering a fractured left ring finger during spring training. The 27-year-old had a brilliant month of August, pitching to a 2.70 ERA and 1.05 WHIP with four quality starts in five appearances, and he'll look to match his 2020 postseason success again in October.
Falling: One of the bigger All-Star Game snubs after posting a 3.19 ERA and 1.20 WHIP in 104.1 innings with a pair of shutouts during the first half, Sean Manaea has struggled of late. The 29-year-old had a 9.90 ERA and 1.90 WHIP in five August starts, completing five innings just once.
Relief Pitchers
12 of 12
Top 10 Relief Pitchers
| 1. Josh Hader, MIL | 2 |
| 2. Jonathan Loaisiga, NYY | NR |
| 3. Garrett Whitlock, BOS | NR |
| 4. Andrew Kittredge, TB | NR |
| 5. Ryan Pressly, HOU | 6 |
| 6. Mark Melancon, SD | 8 |
| 7. Craig Kimbrel, CWS | 1 |
| 8. Kendall Graveman, HOU | 4 |
| 9. Emmanuel Clase, CLE | 5 |
| 10. Jake McGee, SF | 7 |
The No. 1 Spot: Another year, another dominant stat line for Josh Hader at the back of the Milwaukee Brewers bullpen. The hard-throwing lefty has a 1.48 ERA, 0.80 WHIP and 29 saves in 30 opportunities over his 50 appearances. He has struck out 84 of 185 batters for a rate of 15.5 strikeouts per nine innings.
Rising: The trio of Jonathan Loaisiga (53 G, 5 SV, 18 HLD, 2.16 ERA, 66.2 IP), Garrett Whitlock (39 G, 1 SV, 13 HLD, 1.52 ERA, 65.0 IP) and Andrew Kittredge (47 G, 5 SV, 6 HLD, 1.31 ERA, 62.0 IP) might not be nailing down saves in a ninth-inning role, but they have been invaluable to the bullpens of a trio of AL East contenders as multi-inning weapons that can be deployed in a variety of roles.
Falling: Craig Kimbrel has a 6.57 ERA in 13 appearances with the Chicago White Sox since they acquired him from the crosstown Chicago Cubs at the trade deadline. The future Hall of Famer was dominant enough during his time on the North Side to still earn a spot on this list, but he's falling fast.
All stats courtesy of Baseball Reference and FanGraphs and are accurate through Wednesday's games.
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