A few days before Opening Day, the new MLB season is approaching, and with it, the question everyone is asking: Who will be the best player in 2026? To answer this question, we compiled the annual list of the 100 best MLB baseball players. More than two dozen baseball experts from Alofoke Deportes submitted their rankings, which we averaged to create the definitive list. This exercise raised questions about how to compare players with different but important roles in the sport. How does one compare a generational talent like Shohei Ohtani with another starting pitcher, or with the best hitters in the game? How do you rank players without much experience in the Major Leagues? And what about elite relievers? Although it seems impossible to pit these stars against each other, we did it, and you won’t be surprised who came out victorious.
Our Top 100 list features a wide variety of players, from MVP and Cy Young winners to veterans building their Hall of Fame legacies, to young megastars who could dominate MLB for years, building their own cases to be enshrined in Cooperstown. But, who is number 1? And where does your team’s best player rank?
Alofoke Deportes experts analyzed why each player is ranked where they are and what to expect from each one next season.The 10 Best MLB Players in 2026
1. Shohei Ohtani, BD/SP, Los Angeles Dodgers
Including Ohtani on this list almost seems unfair. Sometimes, it seems like he belongs in a category of his own. He has won four MVP awards in the last five seasons, all unanimously. And now, somehow, it is believed that Ohtani can rise to an even higher level. After recovering from a second elbow surgery to pitch in the final stretch and in the postseason, Ohtani will return to his full-time two-way duties for the first time in three years. He will do so at the top of the best lineup in the game and within its deepest rotation. Two words continue to haunt Ohtani as he enters his 31st season: Cy Young. It’s the only major award he hasn’t won, and many around him believe he is motivated to win it.Season Prediction: At the plate: .980 OPS, 45 home runs, 20 stolen bases. On the mound: 2.65 ERA, 160 innings, 213 strikeouts. The result: a third-place finish in the Cy Young voting and a fifth-place MVP.2. Aaron Judge, RF, New York YankeesOhtani is, without a doubt, the best player in the world. There is no discussion. But Judge, not Ohtani, is the best hitter in the world. The Yankees captain has ascended to the status of the greatest of all time with historic production in three of his last four seasons, and was on track for another round in 2023 if it weren’t for a toe injury. His numbers over the last four years are video game level production: a .311/.439/.677 batting line with 210 home runs and 37.9 bWAR in 573 games. He has accumulated 56 intentional walks in the last two years. He won the first batting title of his career last season. To top it off, he exorcised some postseason demons with a standout performance in October. Judge says he wants to steal more bases this year after seeing runners with little speed rank among the league leaders last season. His flexor strain last summer remains a concern on the field, but nothing suggests Judge will slow down if he stays healthy.Season Prediction: Judge will hit 55 home runs, becoming the first player to record five 50-home run seasons in his career. He will add 20 steals, the most of his career, and win his fourth American League MVP in five years.3. Bobby Witt Jr., SS, Kansas City Royals
If 2024 turns out to be Witt’s best season, he wouldn’t be the first great player whose best season of his career came in his 25th season. However, although the second part was a little less elite, in many ways it underscored how much Witt has become a superstar. It wasn’t a bad season; 2025 was simply a different gradation of greatness. He still recorded 7.1 WAR, earned another top-five finish in the American League MVP race, led the majors in hits and doubles, and accumulated value across the board with his mesmerizing base running and Gold Glove defense.
As long as Witt is healthy, he will be one of the best baseball producers in the coming years. This will always be reflected in the value metrics, but one of the key questions about next season is what impact the dimension adjustments at Kauffman Stadium could have on his numbers, as well as how that could influence his quest to win what appears to be an inevitable first MVP award.Season Prediction: With half of his games in the smallest K, Witt enters his prime ready for a monster season. A 40-40 season backed by elite defense and a WAR in the 9 to 10 range will earn him his first MVP.4. Tarik Skubal, SP, Detroit Tigers
The best at his job: only one player can claim that label over their profession, and Skubal is among the pitchers on this planet. Paul Skenes could reach it someday, but until he or someone else wins consecutive Cy Young awards, let’s not think too much about this. Skubal is at the top of his game as he heads into his free agency year. Not only is he beginning to build a dominant regular season resume, but after a couple of playoff trips, the lefty’s 2.04 ERA in six postseason starts screams “pitcher you want on the mound in a win-or-die game.” In April or October.Season Prediction: Why stop at two? Skubal will win his third consecutive Cy Young award and then hit the free agent market, where the terms of his contract will make him the first pitcher to sign a package worth $500 million, or more.5. Juan Soto, RF, New York MetsThe baseball world is legitimately excited about Konnor Griffin, the Pirates’ star prospect who turns 20 in April, and his rise helps put Soto’s trajectory in perspective. Before turning 20, Soto had already recorded a .923 OPS in his rookie season and had been intentionally walked in a World Series game en route to a title. He is now 27 years old and will reach two career milestones this year: 250 home runs and 1,000 walks. A Hall of Famer in the making.Season Prediction: He’ll give Ohtani a shot at the National League MVP, as he’s talked about, but will ultimately finish second or third. And along the way, he’ll get the 100th stolen base of his career (needs just five more).6. Paul Skenes, SP, Pittsburgh PiratesSince May 11, 2024, the day he reached the Major Leagues, Skenes has found himself directly in the conversation for “Best Pitcher in the World.” And the numbers back up Skenes’ claim to that title. Since his debut, he has the best effectiveness in the sport by almost four tenths of a run (1.96), the fourth-lowest home run rate (0.59 per nine innings), the sixth-best strikeout rate (10.83 per nine), the hardest fastball average (98.5 mph) and, even with restrictions on his production, the tenth-highest number of innings (320¼). What’s scary is that this is just the beginning. If health permits, Skenes will be an all-time great.Season Prediction: 18-4, 2.03 ERA, 206 innings, 251 strikeouts, 48 walks, 11 home runs allowed, second consecutive National League Cy Young Award.7. Cal Raleigh, C, Seattle MarinersIt’s one of the most important questions heading into 2026: Can Raleigh do it again? This ranking suggests the panel believes he will remain one of the best players in the game. That’s reasonable. From 2022 to 2024, Raleigh hit 91 home runs and ranked fourth among catchers in Baseball-Reference WAR. Through FanGraphs, which incorporates pitch framing into its WAR metric, he ranked first among catchers and 18th among all position players. Replace 2022 with 2025, and he now ranks sixth among position players in WAR. Even with some expected regression, Raleigh’s combination of power and defense makes him a star.
Season Prediction: Of the 23 players who have hit more than 50 home runs only once in their career, their average drop to their highest total is 13. Including a similar decrease for Raleigh, let’s go with 47 home runs.8. Garrett Crochet, SP, Boston Red Sox
Anyone concerned that Crochet could complete a six-month season with a full workload is certainly convinced now. In 2024, he made 32 starts for the cautious Chicago White Sox, throwing just 146 innings. Changing his socks, or Sox, worked. Boston negotiated for the 6-foot-6-inch lefty and then allowed him to be one of only three pitchers to surpass 200 innings last season. Crochet won 18 games (double his career production) and led MLB with 255 strikeouts. Nobody seems to care too much about his health.Season Prediction: It’s far from outrageous to project Crochet moving from second place in the AL Cy Young voting to number 1. How about 20 wins as well?9. Julio Rodriguez, CF, Seattle MarinersRodriguez plays the game with energy and enthusiasm, always smiling and always playing hard. While he has flaws in his game (doesn’t walk much, has slow starts), focusing on what he has already achieved tells the story of one of the brightest young stars in the game: three top-10 MVP finishes, two 30/30 seasons, tenth all-time in WAR among center fielders through age 24.
Batted .290/.341/.560 in 65 games in the second half of last year, which once again led to the belief that there is still room for improvement with more consistency.Season Prediction: This is the year everything comes together. Batted better in April. Batted better at home. He’s 40/30 and finishes with 8.0 WAR, which puts him in the middle of the MVP race.10. Ronald Acuña Jr., RF, Atlanta BravesSince Acuña’s superstar season in 2023 (41 home runs, 73 stolen bases) that earned him a unanimous MVP, he has only played 149 games due to a torn left ACL and some other minor issues. His eight-year extension actually ends after 2026, but his two club options are sure to be picked up for 2027 and 2028. It feels like this season is the beginning of the second half of Acuña’s career, now fully healthy and at 28 years old, no longer the prodigy who signed an extension at 21.Season Prediction: Returns to his healthy self, posting a 5+ WAR season.11. Vladimir Guerrero Jr., 1B, Toronto Blue JaysIt’s hard to imagine how different the trajectory of the Blue Jays franchise could have been if they hadn’t given up on their negotiations with Guerrero last spring and signed him to the $500 million contract. He could have been traded last summer, and the Jays might not have made the playoffs. Instead, the Jays made it to Game 7 of the World Series, with Vladdy propelling Toronto through the postseason with one of the best October performances we’ve ever seen: 29 hits, 16 walks, and eight home runs in 24 games.Season Prediction: Having learned something about himself during the postseason run, he will carry his greatness into 2026 and challenge Aaron Judge for the American League batting title.12. José Ramírez, 3B, Cleveland GuardiansThose who consider Ramírez one of baseball’s most underrated superstars have a valid case, as his 54.9 WAR in the last 10 seasons is only behind Mookie Betts (66.9) and Judge (62.3), but it wasn’t enough to qualify him for our top 10. A model of consistency, Ramírez batted .284 while averaging 30 home runs, 29 steals and 5.7 outs above average at third base per 162 games over the last decade, rarely straying far from those numbers in a single season. He is the cornerstone of a Cleveland franchise that advanced to October in seven of those seasons.Season Prediction: Ramirez, now 33 years old, could soon exhibit signs of decline, but it’s difficult to see him straying far from his 30/40, 6-WAR form in 2026. We will predict a .280 batting average, 32 home runs, and 31 stolen bases.13. Gunnar Henderson, SS, Baltimore OriolesHenderson had a great first full season in the Major Leagues in 2023 (4.7 WAR, 122 wRC+) and basically copied that last year (4.8 WAR, 120 wRC+), but his 2024 season was on another level: 7.9 WAR, 154 wRC+. He played with a shoulder problem in 2025, and you could see that in his decreased bat speed (but still above average), which disrupted his timing enough that, according to his Baseball Savant page, his swing was a bit longer and his barrels (and overall performance) in the center of the plate plummeted.Season Prediction: Expect him to rebound to near-2024 levels, even if predicting a 7.9 WAR season would be a high bar for almost any player.14. Fernando Tatis Jr., RF, San Diego PadresWhen Tatis enters his number 27 season, often the best year for a hitter, we might discover how much of his early-career brilliance he can recover. It’s not that he hasn’t been good, but consider that from 2019 to 2021, he averaged 8.0 bWAR and 48 home runs per 162 games. Tatis was suspended for 2022, and then, in the last three years, those averages have dropped to 5.6 bWAR and 28.9 home runs. He’s still a star, but those early numbers had him on track to be an all-time great. The Padres could really use that version of Tatis to return. If he does, he’s as well-positioned as anyone for that second spot in the National League MVP voting behind Ohtani.Season Prediction: Tatis has predominantly batted cleanup this spring after leading off in 150 of his 155 starts in 2025. We’ll see if that translates to the regular season, but if it does, Tatis should surpass 100 RBIs for the first time in his career. That is, of course, if those batting ahead of him get on base as often as he does.15. Kyle Tucker, RF, Los Angeles DodgersTucker’s swing isn’t one you want to imitate, but it gets the job done, as he continues to dominate the strike zone in the same way Soto does. These guys just hit strikes. For Tucker, it has led to a .500 slugging percentage while drawing as many walks as strikeouts in recent seasons. He just needs to avoid the more accidental injuries. His swing path lends itself to the occasional foul ball off the shin, and then there was the fracture in his hand last season that slowed him down. When healthy, Tucker remains among the best hitters in the game.Season Prediction: There are two: a full and healthy year in the Dodgers’ lineup and will produce a season of 8 WAR, or more. If Tucker is bruised, just cut that number in half. A 4 WAR season is good, but he can do much better.16. Francisco Lindor, SS, New York MetsFor all his talent, and he has a lot, Lindor’s greatest attribute might be his durability. The shortstop hasn’t landed on the injured list since 2021. He has played at least 160 games in three of the last four seasons. He played 152 in 2024, his best season with the Mets, despite dealing with a back injury in September, and then returned to lead New York to the National League Championship Series. Last season, Lindor’s defense took a step back as he played with a pinky injury and hamate bone discomfort. The irritation in his hand bone resurfaced enough last month that Lindor opted for surgery. He and Mets officials have said they are optimistic that he will be ready for Opening Day, but it’s a tight window. How quickly Lindor regains his usual production at the plate after a surgery that can sap a hitter’s power for months is another story. The revamped Mets will need him to produce to make a real run.Season Prediction: Hamate surgery leads to a slow start before Lindor gets going, finishing with 20 home runs, an .800 OPS, and 5 fWAR.17. Yoshinobu Yamamoto, SP, Los Angeles DodgersThe Dodgers showered Yamamoto with the largest contract ever given to a starting pitcher, and then watched him battle injuries and inconsistency as a rookie during the 2024 regular season. But then he stepped up in the playoffs, approached 2025 with remarkable conviction, and ultimately proved why he is among the best pitchers in the world. In 30 regular season starts in 2025, Yamamoto recorded an ERA of 2.49. In 37⅔ playoff innings, he allowed only six earned runs, including none when he entered from the bullpen with no days of rest in a heroic Game 7 performance. Yamamoto’s mastery of six different pitches is legendary. The way he leverages his body to exert velocity and maintain stamina is seen by many, including recently retired former teammate and future Hall of Famer Clayton Kershaw, as revelatory.Season Prediction: The Dodgers will give Yamamoto a rest at some point, given his postseason workload and his presence on Team Japan in the World Baseball Classic in March. He will be limited to 20 starts, but will once again justify Cy Young consideration.18. Corbin Carroll, RF, Arizona DiamondbacksThe fracture of the hamate bone in Carroll’s right hand will keep him out of spring training and could affect his status for Opening Day. Even if he returns, the power surge he experienced last season, with a slugging percentage of .541, the best of his career, could see a regression. Injuries to the hamate bone require time for a full recovery, and no matter how hard-working Carroll is, few are immune to the waiting game. Anyway, he is among the most complete players in the game: strong, extraordinarily fast, intelligent in all phases. And he is still only 25 years old, in the prime of his life and eminently capable of finding himself in the top 10 next year.Season Prediction: .282/.370/.495 with 23 home runs, 47 stolen bases, 116 runs, and 82 RBIs.19. Cristopher Sanchez, SP, Philadelphia PhilliesA year after his surprising breakthrough, the lanky lefty Sánchez continued to ascend, finishing second behind Skenes in the National League Cy Young Award voting. The emerging Philadelphia ace was one of three pitchers to surpass 200 innings (Logan Webb and Garrett Crochet were the others) and one of 12 to reach 200 strikeouts. No pitcher, not even Skubal, recorded a higher bWAR (8.0). Sánchez continues to confuse batters on both sides of the plate with his sinker/changeup combination, and remained undefeated in 15 home starts (6-0, 1.94 ERA, .90 WHIP) at Philadelphia’s stadium.Season Prediction: Thanks to the bullpen’s improved performance, Sanchez becomes the Phillies’ first 20-game winner since… Roy Halladay in 2010, and only the second since Steve Carlton in 1982.20. Ketel Marte, 2B, Arizona DiamondbacksIt could be argued that he is the most underrated hitter in the game, except that this ranking shows the respect he has earned in recent seasons. Since 2023, Marte has matched Vladimir Guerrero Jr. in wRC+, hitting more home runs with a higher slugging percentage. His wRC+ is higher than that of Bobby Witt Jr., Kyle Schwarber, and José Ramírez in those three seasons. Marte plays solid second base and ranked in the top 15% in walk rate and lowest strikeout rate in 2025. He spent the winter mentioned in trade rumors and is coming off a season in which he was scrutinized for an absence after his house was raided and his apology to the team.Season Prediction: He makes his fourth All-Star Game and third straight, and then, with Arizona’s pitching in freefall and the Diamondbacks below .500, he’s traded in a blockbuster deadline deal.21. Kyle Schwarber, DH, Philadelphia PhilliesSchwarber provides his team with little defensive contribution, but what a powerful designated hitter he is. He is one of three hitters with at least 180 home runs, 420 RBIs, and 420 runs in the last four combined seasons (Judge and Ohtani are the others). He led the National League in home runs (56) and the majors in RBIs (132) last season, and also recorded the third-best barrel rate (20.8%) in the sport. Schwarber’s keen eye at the plate is a big advantage for his hitting, as his 426 total walks and 15.2% walk rate from 2022 to 2025 rank third and fourth in that span, respectively.
