Top 11 MLB Players Heading Into 2025
Part 1 of my offseason MLB player rankings!
11. Jose Ramirez - 3B - Guardians
Unsurprisingly, Jose Ramirez put up another tremendous statistical season in 2024. Among hitters with at least 650 plate appearances in 2024, Ramirez ranked 8th in WRC+, 6th in home runs with 39, and 8th in fWAR.
What solidifies Ramirez as a top-10 player for me is his elite track record. Since 2016, Ramirez has recorded 340 doubles, 247 homers, 820 RBIs, 553 walks, and 223 stolen bases. It’s also worth mentioning that Ramirez was great defensively at the hot corner this year, posting an 83rd-percentile OOA.
José Ramírez’s go-ahead homer off Jhoan Duran, via Baseball Savant.
10. Corey Seager - SS - Rangers
While Corey Seager has only played one full season in the last four years, he’s put up elite offensive and defensive numbers when he’s been on the field. Since making his Rangers debut in 2022, Seager has hit 96 home runs on top of a 15.7 bWAR in 393 games. Seager ranks first among qualified shortstops from 2022-2024 in pretty much every offensive statistic: WRC+ (141), wOBA (.368), SLG (.524).
In addition to his elite power and contact tools, Seager has been a very good defensive shortstop. Among players who logged at least 900 innings at shortstop in 2024, Seager ranks 8th out of 19 with a 5 OOA.
Like most players on this list, Seager knows how to hit in October. In 17 series and 78 games, Seager is slashing .251/.347/.505 in the postseason. More importantly, his 1.137 OPS in the 2023 World Series led the Rangers to their first championship in franchise history. Seager joined the likes of Hall of Famers Sandy Koufax, Bob Gibson, and Reggie Jackson as the only players to win multiple World Series MVPs.
Corey Seager breaks up Framber Valdez’s no-hitter with two outs in the ninth inning, via Baseball Savant.
9. Bryce Harper - 1B - Phillies
When it’s all set and done, Bryce Harper will likely go down as the most accomplished player of the 2010s and into the 2020s. Since debuting in 2012, Harper has 2 MVP awards, 4 Silver Sluggers, a Home Run Derby win, an NLCS MVP, and 8 All-Star selections.
Harper showed no signs of regression in 2024, recording a 149 OPS+, 6 points higher than his career average of 143. That said, I think Harper loses a tad bit of value as a first baseman rather than a right fielder, but he’s still one of the most valuable players in baseball, hence his 4.8 bWAR in 145 games this past season.
Not to mention, Harper might be the best hitter in baseball come the playoffs. He’s slashing a ridiculous .280/.394/.622 in 232 career postseason plate appearances.
Bryce Harper’s walk-off grand slam, via Baseball Savant.
8. Kyle Tucker - RF - Cubs
If you’re a casual baseball fan, seeing Kyle Tucker as the eighth-best player in baseball might surprise you; however, Tucker has quietly been one of the most consistent hitters in the sport since 2021.
I’m guessing the main reason why Kyle Tucker isn’t a “household name” is because he’s not great at one specific thing but is good at everything. For context, Tucker’s single-season career-highs are 30 home runs, 30 stolen bases, 5 OOA, and a .294 batting average. Again, he’s very good at everything, but none of his tools stand out above the others.
Part of it could also be because he burst onto the scene during the peak of the Astros dynasty when they already had established superstars such as Jose Altuve, Alex Bregman, and Yordan Alvarez.
Regardless, Tucker reinforced that he is a top-10 player in 2024. He finished tied for third in WRC+ among players with at least 300 plate appearances. The only players ahead of him are reigning MVPs Aaron Judge and Shohei Ohtani.
Tucker should take center stage in 2025 now that he’s out of Houston and the face of the Cubs franchise.
Kyle Tucker’s go-ahead homer in Seattle, via Baseball Savant.
7. Francisco Lindor - SS - Mets
It’s puzzling how, despite putting up a 49.6 bWAR through his first decade in MLB, Francisco Lindor still hasn’t gotten the respect he deserves. So far in his ten big league seasons, Lindor has racked up 6 top-10 finishes in MVP voting, 4 All-Star Game selections, 4 Silver Slugger awards, and 2 Gold Glove awards at shortstop.
Simply put, Lindor is one of the most complete 5-tool players in baseball.
Among all position players with at least 2,000 plate appearances since 2022, Lindor ranks 9th in WRC+ (128), 3rd in stolen bases (76), 6th in home runs (90), and 1st in fWAR (19.6). That puts him ahead of Freddie Freeman, Bobby Witt Jr., Juan Soto, and other big names in the fWAR department.
The only blemish on Lindor’s career was some inconsistent play in 2020 and 2021. In those two seasons, which was his last year in Cleveland and first in New York, he posted an underwhelming 102 OPS+ and 4.4 bWAR in 185 games. Outside of those two seasons, Lindor has been a reliable superstar throughout his career and will go down as one of the best players in the late 2010s and early 2020s.
Francisco Lindor’s 100th home run as a Met, via Baseball Savant.
6. Mookie Betts - 2B/SS/RF - Dodgers
At the #6 spot, I have arguably the most consistent player over the past ten years, Mookie Betts. Out of the 16 players who have made at least 6,000 plate appearances since 2014, nobody has a higher fWAR than Mookie Betts’ 59.7 mark. To put things into perspective, Betts has already surpassed Hall of Famers Andre Dawson, Richie Ashburn, Joe Mauer, Vladimir Guerrero, and Tony Perez in fWAR, and he’s only 32!
What puts Betts ahead of guys who have put up similar production over the past 10 years, like Jose Ramirez and Bryce Harper, is that Betts has done it on top of being an elite defensive outfielder and middle infielder. Out of 1,381 games played, 118 have been at second base, 81 at shortstop, 1,021 in right field, and 223 in center.
Betts has earned almost every award imaginable, winning 6 Gold Gloves, 7 Silver Sluggers, an MVP, and 3 World Series rings. He was a massive contributor to the Dodgers 2024 championship, posting a .889 OPS in the NLDS and 1.182 OPS in the NLCS.
If this list were entirely based on the last 11 years, I’d have Betts at #1. In my opinion, he’ll undoubtedly be a first-ballot Hall of Famer once he’s eligible and should get in unanimously.
Mookie Betts’ go-ahead three-run blast with LeBron James in attendance, via Baseball Savant.
5. Gunnar Henderson - SS - Orioles
Gunnar Henderson followed up his 2023 Rookie of the Year campaign with a historic season. In 2024, Henderson broke the single-season home run record by an Orioles shortstop, became the 2nd youngest player in MLB history with at least 35 home runs and 84 RBIs while every game at shortstop, and recorded the 4th best WAR by an Orioles player in a season. The only Orioles players to put up a higher WAR in a season are Cal Ripken Jr. and George Sisler, both in the Hall of Fame.
To further emphasize how good of a start Gunnar Henderson’s career is off to, his 13.6 fWAR ranks 11th among players in their ages 21-23 seasons since 2000.
Henderson’s only deficiency is his defense, which is around league average based on his 0 outs above average.
With Juan Soto out of the American League for the foreseeable future, Gunnar Henderson will be in the running for AL MVP for many years to come.
Gunnar Henderson’s 113.1 MPH homer off DJ Herz, via Baseball Savant.
4. Juan Soto - RF - Mets
At first glance, leaving Juan Soto out of the top 3 might come as a surprise, but it isn’t that crazy once you take a deeper dive.
While Soto just signed the largest contract in sports history, which I think was a somewhat fair contract, that by no means makes him the best player in baseball or even a top 3 player for this matter.
The most significant drawback in Soto’s game is his fielding. Soto’s outs above average in 2024 was -5, placing him in the 14th percentile. That was actually an improvement from his previous two seasons when he had -9 outs above average in 2023 and -16 in 2022. With Soto not getting any younger, it’s safe to assume he’ll become a 1B/DH later in his 15-year contract with the Mets, which would diminish his value regardless of offensive statistics.
That said, Juan Soto’s hitting talent alone is good enough to earn him the #4 spot on this list. I’d go as far as saying Soto is one of the most skilled offensive players in baseball history. To back that up, here’s a list of players who made at least 4,000 plate appearances before turning 26 while hitting for a 150 WRC+ or higher:
Ty Cobb - 177
Mickey Mantle - 172
Mike Trout - 169
Juan Soto - 158
Mel Ott - 154
That’s it, that’s the list. Three of the greatest players of all time, the greatest player of the 2010s, and Juan Soto. Even further, Soto joined the exclusive 200 homers before turning 26 club this year, finishing 2024 with 201 career home runs, which happens to be the same amount that Mike Trout and Albert Pujols hit before their 26th birthday.
It was ultimately tough leaving Soto out of my top 3, but the following three players are just that good of all-around players.
Juan Soto’s no-doubt go-ahead two-run homer off Cole Ragans, via Baseball Savant.
3. Bobby Witt Jr. - SS - Royals
With all due respect, Bobby Witt Jr. is essentially a better version of Gunnar Henderson. Witt Jr.’s 2024 season might’ve been one of the best all-around performances we’ve ever seen. He recorded a 99th percentile batting run value, 96th percentile baserunning run value, and 95th percentile fielding run value.
Since integration, only four shortstops have recorded a fWAR of 10 or higher in a single season: Lou Boudreau in 1948, Cal Ripken Jr. in 1991, Alex Rodriguez in 2002, and Bobby Witt Jr. in 2024. If you include every position, Witt Jr. still ranks 17th in single-season fWAR since integration. Some players slightly ahead of him include Willie Mays, Barry Bonds, Mickey Mantle, Joe Morgan, and more legends.
Let me remind you that Bobby Witt Jr. is only 24, so if he keeps up this level of all-around production, he could go down as one of the best shortstops in baseball history.
Bobby Witt Jr. hits a ball 440 feet to center, via Baseball Savant.
2. Aaron Judge - RF/CF - Yankees
I’m not even exaggerating: Aaron Judge is the best power hitter since Barry Bonds.
To back that up, look at the top five best seasons by WRC+ since integration: the top 3 are all from Barry Bonds, who took steroids, followed by Ted Williams’ 1957 season at #4, and #5 is 2024 Aaron Judge.
What makes what Aaron Judge did in 2024 even more impressive is that he got off to a very slow start, hitting just six home runs and six doubles for a .754 OPS during March and April, which is very underwhelming compared to his career standards. Judge then hit 14 home runs with a ridiculous 1.397 OPS in May and stayed hot for the rest of the regular season.
He led MLB in bWAR, home runs, RBIs, walks, OBP, SLG, OPS, OPS+, and many more stats.
Statistically, Judge was a poor fielder in 2024, but that was primarily due to the fact that the Yankees played him in center field, which isn’t his natural position. The last time Judge primarily played right in a full season, 2022, he recorded an 85th percentile OOA. If the Yankees move him back to right field in 2025, his value should increase even more.
The only actual shortcoming in Judge’s game is his lack of postseason production, which became an even bigger issue during the Yankees 2024 playoff run. Judge has a lifetime .768 OPS in the postseason, which is simply inexcusable when you’re the team captain.
If Judge can eventually lead the Yankees to a championship and improve his postseason performance, a lot of what I just mentioned will be irrelevant. Still, for now, his legacy is not complete.
Aaron Judge’s walk-off home run, via Baseball Savant.
1. Shohei Ohtani - SP/DH - Dodgers
As if what Shohei Ohtani had accomplished before the 2024 season wasn’t impressive enough, he put up the first 50/50 season in MLB history and recorded a 9.1 fWAR while only playing DH.
Not only did Ohtani break Hideki Matsui’s record for the most career home runs by a Japanese player, but he also broke Ichiro Suzuki’s record for the most stolen bases in a season by a Japanese player, with 59.
Even though he didn’t throw a single inning in 2024, it’s worth acknowledging how good of a pitcher Shohei Ohtani is when healthy. In 428.1 innings over his final three seasons with the Angels, Ohtani recorded a 2.84 ERA, 3.79 SO/BB ratio, and a 1.051 WHIP. Additionally, he finished fourth in AL Cy Young voting in 2022, ahead of Framber Valdez, Shane McClanahan, Shane Bieber, Nestor Cortes, Gerrit Cole, and Kevin Gausman.
If all goes to plan, 2025 will be the first season where Ohtani pitches & hits for the Dodgers, so the sky is still the limit for Ohtani, who has already posted a career 43.8 bWAR in 860 games as a hitter and 86 starts on the mound.
Shohei Ohtani becomes the first player in baseball history to hit 50 homers and steal 50 bases in a season, via Baseball Savant.