Ranking MLB’s best 26-and-under position players

Our rating of all 30 MLB groups primarily based on their 26-and-under talent concluded this week with the highest spot going to the defending world champion Houston Astros. Before we put a bow on this mission utterly, we wished to shift the main focus from the groups as a collective to the person players who comprise these teams of younger expertise and thus knowledgeable our rankings by extension. Just as we thought of how robust the depth of every group’s U-27 expertise seems to be for the following half-decade, these rankings are primarily based on which particular person position players we’d need probably the most for the following 5 seasons.

This was much more difficult than lining up the groups, as there may be a lot overwhelming younger expertise that feels worthy of inclusion on a listing like this. We compiled roughly 50 candidates and did our best to chop it in half, leaving us with a ton of honorable mentions. Gavin Lux, Eloy Jiménez, Gleyber Torres, Tyler Stephenson, Alec Bohm, Luis Urías, Lars Nootbaar, William Contreras, Ozzie Albies … these are only a few of the various players (together with a number of others talked about beneath) who we strongly thought of for inclusion however got here up brief.

It wasn’t simple, however we wished to slender it right down to the best of the best. Without additional ado, listed here are our top-26 position players ages 26 and beneath (pitcher rankings will probably be launched later Tuesday): 

*2023 age-season in parentheses

WAR Mongers

26. Cal Raleigh, Mariners (26)
25. Ke’Bryan Hayes, Pirates (26)

It was awfully tough to resolve who to squeeze into these ultimate two spots, however we finally went with two players who mix secure high-end defensive worth with still-undetermined offensive upside. Raleigh makes the lower for the uncommon energy he affords for a backstop mixed with a sterling defensive repute on the sport’s most demanding position. Hayes is on the very brief listing of best third-base defenders on the planet, securing a formidable WAR baseline that he simply demonstrated with a 3.0 fWAR/4.3 bWAR season regardless of the lackluster .659 OPS. He’s all the time hit the ball laborious, so there’s nonetheless untapped offensive potential right here if he can discover a solution to elevate the ball extra constantly. The similar could possibly be stated for the switch-hitting Raleigh, if he can lower down on the strikeouts or grow to be extra constant from the best aspect of the plate. Still, the requirements they’ve already set have made each of those players vital pillars for his or her respective franchises, even in the event you wouldn’t name them full-blown stars proper now. 

Honorable point out: Infielder Nico Hoerner, who simply agreed to a three-year extension, was one other plus-glove participant with a promising bat who was thought of for the listing for comparable causes. 

Cathedral Ceilings With Concerns

24. Bobby Witt Jr., Royals (23)
23. Luis Robert Jr., White Sox (25)

The sky is the restrict for these two — we’re speaking upside worthy of a top-10 spot on this listing if all of it clicks — however every comes with sufficient crimson flags that we had been hesitant to leap all the way in which in simply but. Witt Jr.’s otherworldly energy/velocity combo was on show as a rookie, however his low on-base proportion and shockingly poor defensive metrics at shortstop severely diminished his total worth. Still, we’re speaking concerning the youngest shortstop ever to hit 20 homers and steal 30 baggage in a season, eclipsing a 22-year-old Álex Rodríguez in 1998. The bodily expertise is plain — now he simply has to hone in on the little issues. 

Robert, in the meantime, is monitoring like Chicago‘s reply to division rival Minnesota’s Byron Buxton — a do-it-all middle fielder who seems like one of many best players on the planet … when he can keep on the sphere. Granted, like Witt, Robert additionally comes with a propensity to swing at every thing thrown his means and wishes to higher curate his pitch choice as a way to maximize his potential on the plate.

Honorable mentions: As far as pure bodily skill, Pittsburgh’s Oneil Cruz’s potential exists in the same spectacular stratosphere, however Cruz hasn’t proven fairly sufficient but on the highest stage to persuade us he belonged on the listing. That might change in a short time, however we wish to see him show it. 

OBP Machines

22. Steven Kwan, Guardians (25)
21. Alejandro Kirk, Blue Jays (24)
20. Luis Arráez, Marlins (26)

Kwan, Kirk and Arráez account for 3 of simply six certified hitters who walked extra typically than they struck out in 2022, together with Juan Soto (he’s a bit larger on this listing), Alex Bregman and Yandy Díaz. This uncommon skill to manage the zone in such a strikeout-heavy period deserves recognition and inclusion on this listing. Arráez, a profession .314 hitter in over 1,500 plate appearances, has the longest MLB monitor file of raking and thus earns the highest spot, however you could possibly argue these three in any order contemplating Kirk performs an important position and Kwan’s glorious protection within the outfield. 

Honorable mentions: The Cardinals‘ Brendan Donovan’s on-base expertise and defensive versatility had him beneath robust consideration, however he finally simply missed. Vinnie Pasquantino additionally walked greater than he struck out in his breakout rookie marketing campaign with the Royals, but it surely was nonetheless a comparatively small pattern and his restricted defensive worth stored him off the listing for now. 

Former D-Backs With Unique Skill Sets

19. Daulton Varsho, Blue Jays (26)
18. Jazz Chisholm Jr., Marlins (25)

Enter Varsho, a former full-time catcher who has turned himself into an elite defensive outfielder, and Chisholm Jr., a former infielder who’s about to attempt to flip himself into an elite defensive outfielder together with his stunning transfer to middle subject for the 2023 Marlins. More importantly, every has super offensive skill from the left aspect. Varsho simply broke out with 27 dingers for Arizona earlier than being traded to Toronto over the winter, whereas Jazz’s .282 ISO was tied with Pete Alonso for seventh-best in MLB on the time he hit the IL with a season-ending again damage. Now wholesome, Chisholm might want to preserve his energy surge whereas studying a brand new position whereas Varsho adjusts to taking part in a key position for a brand new workforce with World Series aspirations. You definitely received’t discover me betting towards both of them. 

Free-Swinging Stars

17. Jeremy Peña, Astros (25)
16. Andrés Giménez, Guardians (24)

These had been two of the most important breakouts of final season. Giménez led all players on these rankings in bWAR with a outstanding 7.4, the best bWAR mark by a second baseman 23 years outdated or youthful since … *checks notes* … Eddie Collins in 1910?!? Yes, that’s an actual truth, and an apparent signal that Cleveland has a transparent franchise second baseman (and probably shortstop if/when Amed Rosario leaves in free company). 

All Peña did in his debut season was grow to be the primary rookie position participant ever to win LCS and World Series MVP, and that got here after a daily season wherein he grew to become the primary rookie shortstop to win a Gold Glove whereas launching 22 homers for good measure. The restricted OBP expertise cloud his final offensive ceiling, however the baseline right here of power-hitting elite defensive shortstop is already an immensely beneficial one — simply ask Dansby Swanson. 

Both Giménez and Peña chased at a troubling variety of pitches out of the zone, leaving the door open for some attainable regression on the plate. To be truthful, you *can* be a star hitter while chasing over 40% of pitches out of the zone — Rafael Devers says hi there — but it surely isn’t widespread. Time will inform if Peña and Giménez have that kind of skill, or if they are going to settle into being merely nice moderately than elite players.

The Kids Who Are About To Do It

15. Corbin Carroll, Diamondbacks (22)
14. Gunnar Henderson, Orioles (22)

The consensus prime two prospects within the sport examine in simply inside the highest 15 on this listing after stellar Septembers the place they appeared each bit like they belonged on a big-league subject. Each has already proven a capability to affect the sport on each side of the ball and appear like franchise cornerstones for Arizona and Baltimore for years to come back. 

Honorable mentions: It felt ridiculous to incorporate anybody who has but to file an MLB hit, however that is the half the place we inform you that fellow prime prospects Jordan Walker and Anthony Volpe had been strongly thought of for this listing, as properly. But even with the concept we’re projecting for the following half-decade, we felt extra snug together with those that had already demonstrated success at each Triple-A and the big-league stage earlier than crowning Walker and Volpe simply but. 

The similar could possibly be stated about two of the opposite best non-MLB hitters on the planet proper now who had been thought of within the preliminary phases: 21-year-old LSU outfielder Dylan Crews (the prohibitive favourite to go first total within the upcoming draft who’s presently hitting .531/.658/.988 for the No. 1-ranked Tigers) and 23-year-old Japanese slugger Munetaka Murakami, who simply starred for champion Samurai Japan within the World Baseball Classic after launching 56 homers in Nippon Professional Baseball final season. They might find yourself two of the best hitters in MLB three years from now, but it surely’s means too early to incorporate them.

The Kids Who Have Already Been Doing It

13. Wander Franco, Rays (22)
12. Michael Harris II, Braves (22)

Though they’re youthful than Carroll and barely older than Henderson, Franco and Harris have already proven star-level efficiency for longer stretches of MLB motion and every appears to simply be scratching the floor of what’s attainable. Franco has been hyped for therefore lengthy — and been lauded because the best participant his age relationship again nearly a decade — that he nearly will get misplaced within the shuffle of all of the younger superstars in at this time’s sport. But switch-hitting shortstops together with his really feel to place the bat on the ball simply don’t come round typically. We’re betting huge on a more healthy model of Franco having a a lot louder season in 2023 than he did whereas constantly banged up a yr in the past. 

Harris had respectable buzz as a prospect however nothing to recommend he was about to ship some of the electrical rookie seasons we’ve seen in years — particularly for a participant with simply 43 video games above A-ball earlier than his call-up. His elite protection in middle mixed with surprising uncooked energy from his 6-0, 195-pound body has instantly vaulted him into the inside circle of most fun players in baseball. Like Peña and Giménez, his propensity to swing as typically as he does and his aversion to walks opens up the chance that MLB arms might exploit him a bit extra in his sophomore yr, however the expertise right here is so overwhelming that he’s in all probability a star anyway even with some lower-OBP seasons. There’s clearly endurance right here, and he’s nonetheless so, so younger. 

Sweet-Swinging Florida Men

11. Bo Bichette, Blue Jays (25)
10. Kyle Tucker, Astros (26)

In 2015, Tampa outfielder Kyle Tucker received Gatorade High School Player of the Year for the state of Florida. A yr later, a shortstop simply half-hour down the street in St. Petersburg named Bo Bichette did the identical. Fast-forward seven years and every continues to rake on the highest stage simply as they did in highschool. Bichette has led the American League in hits every of the previous two years, whereas Tucker is coming off back-to-back 30-HR campaigns and his first journey to the All-Star Game. Tucker will get the slight nod over Bichette for his extra discerning plate self-discipline and manageable strikeout charge, however that is fairly rattling near a toss-up. These are each unbelievable ballplayers.

Corner Mashers

9. Rafael Devers, Red Sox (26)
8. Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Blue Jays (24)
7. Austin Riley, Braves (26)

Now we’re attending to the great things. Here we’ve got three of probably the most feared energy bats in our sport, two of whom (Devers and Riley) have made drastic enhancements defensively as a way to stick on the scorching nook, whereas the one which did have to maneuver throughout the diamond has grow to be a stellar defender at first and has confirmed MVP-caliber offensive potential. 

That we might provide you with eight players to rank forward of Devers ought to inform you how loaded the league is with younger expertise proper now. Since the beginning of the 2019 season, no participant in MLB has notched extra extra-base hits than his 264, and he was lastly (and deservingly) rewarded with a historic contract extension to stay in Boston probably for all times. 

Vlad Jr.’s common launch angle fell considerably in 2022, lessening his slugging proportion and sinking his manufacturing to a 132 OPS+ — a mark that the majority players would dream of posting however appeared like a stark disappointment following his monstrous 2021. As the youngest member of this trio, there’s greater than sufficient time for Guerrero — some of the gifted hitters scouts have seen relationship again to when he was 14 years outdated — to make the mandatory tweaks to return to MVP kind.

We are only some years faraway from Riley monitoring like a helpful, albeit whiff-heavy platoon bat with an unclear defensive house. Allow his gorgeous growth to remind everybody of how vital it’s to achieve the massive leagues at a younger age (22 in Riley’s case) and thus enable extra time to determine find out how to hit the best pitching on the planet, as Riley has carried out so extremely over the previous two seasons. The strides he’s made on protection have allowed his glorious offensive manufacturing to shine even brighter, leading to back-to-back 6-plus bWAR seasons, one thing solely three different MLB players can declare (Aaron Judge, José Ramírez and Paul Goldschmidt). He’ll be the Braves’ third baseman for a protracted, very long time. 

Might Make This Ranking Look Very Stupid At This Time Next Year

6. Ronald Acuña Jr., Braves (25)
5. Fernando Tatís Jr., Padres (24)

This duo is so outrageously gifted that we might simply lookup in even a pair months and notice rating them this low was an embarrassing mistake. Along with Vlad Jr. and Soto, these have been probably the most constant contenders at or close to the tops of lists of this ilk for a number of years now. The problem now for each Acuña and Tatís is that they’re no less than a yr faraway from trying just like the best players within the sport and thus there may be no less than some extent of uncertainty relating to what to anticipate shifting ahead. 

For Acuña, it’s clear his ACL damage has sapped a few of his explosiveness and athleticism within the outfield and on the basepaths, however his underlying batted-ball information suggests he actually hasn’t fallen off a lot with the bat as a lot because the floor stats recommend. He remains to be able to being one of many best hitters in MLB, it simply stays to be seen the diploma to which his secondary expertise will return post-injury. 

As for Tatís, a self-inflicted yr off resulting from a bike accident and a PED suspension has made recollections of his otherworldly affect on the Padres and baseball as a complete really feel way more distant than they really are. When he’s proper, he’s within the dialog for best participant within the sport and, in flip, belongs within the prime 5 even with out having performed since 2021. His transfer off shortstop might lower his total worth, however the bat is so overwhelming that he could also be worthy of the highest spot on this listing a yr from now anyway. April 20, his projected return from suspension, can’t come quickly sufficient. 

The Saviors

4. Adley Rutschman, Orioles (25)
3. Julio Rodríguez, Mariners (22)

Individual players hardly ever sway the fortunes of a workforce so shortly or dramatically in baseball the way in which they will in different sports activities, but that gave the impression to be precisely what befell within the circumstances of Rodríguez and Rutschman, the 2 best American League rookies in 2022. It took J-Rod one season to assist lastly deliver postseason baseball again to Seattle, ending a historic and notorious drought that was nearly as outdated as he was. His transformation right into a legitimately superior middle fielder was the cherry on prime of his well-established repute as an offensive drive. That he has confirmed worthy of staying up the center can be an enormous a part of the explanation he ranks as extremely on this listing as he does, as middle fielders with this type of offensive ceiling simply don’t come round fairly often. 

Baltimore, nonetheless seemingly within the depths of a rebuild that featured no less than 108 losses in every of the earlier three full seasons, was instantly restored to competency following Rutschman’s call-up. The Orioles went 16-24 earlier than Rutschman made his debut and 67-55 after, ending with a profitable file for the primary time since 2016. Though his uncooked manufacturing with the bat might not soar off his baseball-reference web page the way in which it does with Rodríguez or any of the opposite players within the top-10, his affect on protection can’t be overstated. That command of the sport as a subject common, mixed with even simply an above-average bat is what has him already within the dialog for being the best catcher in MLB — some of the beneficial players a workforce can have on this league. That is why he belongs within the prime 5.

The Best Hitters On Earth

2. Yordan Álvarez, Astros (26)
1. Juan Soto, Padres (24)

It’s easy: If baseball folks, from followers to entrance workplaces, have earnest conversations about whether or not you’re the best pure hitter on the planet, you need to be on the prime of this listing. Despite their youth, Soto and Álvarez have every impressed such conversations lately and thus are rewarded with the highest two spots on our U-27 position participant rankings. 

Deciding who belonged within the prime spots between so many excellent all-around abilities was tough, but it surely felt affordable to default to the players who’re the most secure bets to dramatically affect the sport any time they’ve a bat of their palms. And past their spectacular monitor file of regular-season performances, these are additionally two players who’ve already delivered a number of the greatest postseason hits and homers of the previous decade, one thing only a few different U-27 players can declare, not to mention players of all ages throughout the league. The legends of those two hitters are already safe, but they’re additionally constructing towards one thing a lot better. We can’t wait to see what they’ve in retailer subsequent.

Jordan Shusterman is half of @CespedesBBQ and a baseball author for FOX Sports. He has coated baseball for his complete grownup life, most notably for MLB.com, DAZN and The Ringer. He’s a Mariners fan residing within the Eastern Time Zone, which implies he loves a superb 10 p.m. first pitch. You can comply with him on Twitter @j_shusterman_. 

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