Ranking the top 100 players in MLB right now: Only one player better than Altuve
Who's been the best of 2016 so far? Here's a look at where players rank going into July
By
Dayn Perry
•
14 min read
Since we're roughly halfway through the 2016 regular season, it's time for another monthly rundown of the top 100 players in baseball.
When we did this coming into the season, the rankings were based upon reasonable expectations -- using things like age and recent performance history -- to make educated guesses at which players would provide the most value in 2016. Now, though, it's all about the season to date. As such, the rankings you're about to see reflect nothing more than who's been the best in 2016 so far. In coming up with these rankings, your scribe paid no heed to what may or may not be sustainable. Some of the names will be very much at home among the game's best, while others belong to players who have solidly over-performed. In either case, we're not worried about whether the performances will stick. It's all about what's happened thus far in 2016 and 2016 alone.
As for what matters, with position players it's a mix of batting, defense, and baserunning. On offense, we're not concerned with things like RBI. Getting on base and hitting for power matter above all, as do playing time, context of the player's home ballpark, and production relative to positional peers (e.g., the offensive bar is lower for shortstops and catchers than it is for first basemen and DHs). For pitchers -- and since this a backward-looking assessment of value provided -- run prevention and workload will be the drivers, but we'll also give some consideration to underlying fundamental indicators like strikeouts and walks. Again, this is all about the season to date, and the rankings suggest nothing about whether the player in question can maintain the current level of performance. As such, the next time you see this list, it'll probably look very different.
Now let's roll out the current rankings (rankings and statistics cited are current as of the start of play on July 4) ...
100. Edwin Encarnacion, Blue Jays
No, RBI aren't a great stat, and they're useful only at the extremes. Speaking of extremes, E.E. is on pace for 150 RBI this season. In related matters, he's batting .265/.357/.545.
Ross in 95 1/3 innings has logged a 3.49 ERA (120 ERA+). He just recently hit the DL with shoulder inflammation, but this time around he passes top-100 muster.
98. Zack Greinke, Diamondbacks
Greinke's on the DL, but in 109 ⅓ innings, he's put up an ERA+ of 120 with typically strong command-and-control indicators.
97. Brian Dozier, Twins
Dozier struggled badly early in the season, but the Minnesota second baseman not has an OPS of .820, which would easily be a career-best mark if it holds up.
96. Nelson Cruz, Mariners
Yep, Cruz just keeps on hitting. He's got an OPS+ of 145 to go with 21 homers.
95. Jerad Eickhoff, Phillies
The 25-year-old has an ERA+ of 124 after 16 starts. In all but three of those starts, he's allowed three runs or fewer.
94. Danny Espinosa, Nationals
Espinosa has been on fire of late, and he's now running an OPS+ of 114. That's strong production for a regular shortstop.
93. Fernando Rodney, Marlins
Sure, he's pushing 40, but Rodney has allowed just two runs in 30 ⅔ innings this season while converting all of his save opportunities and stranding 92.9 percent of base-runners.
92. Corey Kluber, Indians
Consistency in terms of batted-ball results has eluded Kluber at times, but the overall resume is indeed top 100-worthy: 114 IP, 123 ERA+, 4.22 K/BB ratio.
91. Zack Cozart, Reds
He's an every-day shortstop who's hitting .264/.318/.461.
90. Aaron Sanchez, Blue Jays
In 105 1/3 innings, he's pitched to an ERA of 3.08, and he's registered a quality start in 81 percent of his trips to the mound.
89. John Lackey, Cubs
Yep, Lackey's still good. The 37-year-old has allowed 39 runs in 104 ⅔ innings while running a career-best K/BB ratio.
88. Freddie Freeman, Braves
Freeman's played in all but one of the Braves' games this season, and along the way he's batted .292/.375/.516.
87. Todd Frazier, White Sox
The downside is that Frazier has a sub-.300 OBP. The upside is that he's defensive wiz at third who has 23 home runs.
86. Miguel Cabrera, Tigers
Peak Miggy is probably gone forever, but the 33-year-old future Hall of Famer is still batting a nifty .298/.379/.531 this season.
85. Chris Davis, Orioles
Davis continues on as one of the best left-handed power threats around. Recommending him this time around are an OPS of .862 and a 42-homer pace.
84. Odubel Herrera, Phillies
The former Rule 5 pick continues to thrive for Philly. He's held down center field while batting .301/.390/.430.
83. Drew Pomeranz, Padres
Much has been expected of Pomeranz since he was taken fifth overall in 2010, and this year he's finally doing it. He's struck out 109 batters in 95 innings and also put up an ERA of 2.65.
82. Bryce Harper, Nationals
Obviously, Harper has tumbled from his early-season heights, but let's not lose sight of the prevailing reality: he's a 23-year-old who's batting .261/.405/.496 after 79 games played.
81. Masahiro Tanaka, Yankees
Tanaka's worked more than 100 innings thus far, and over that span he's put up an ERA+ of 129 and a K/BB ratio of 4.32.
80. Trevor Story, Rockies
Story as expected has cooled off after his magma-hot start to the season, but overall he's been a valuable contributor: 19 homers, 114 OPS+, 630 2/3 defensive innings at shortstop.
79. Martin Perez, Rangers
The peripherals aren't pretty (1.16 K/BB), but he's keeping runs off the board (41 allowed in 103 ⅔ innings).
78. Josh Tomlin, Indians
Yep, the Indians are overflowing with starting pitching this season. In 95 ⅓ innings, Tomlin's put up a 3.21 ERA and an AL-leading K/BB ratio of 6.40.
77. Michael Saunders, Blue Jays
Saunders has finally been healthy this season, and thus far he's put up a slash line of .294/.370/.552.
76. Brad Brach, Orioles
He's on pace to approach 90 innings of relief, he's pitched to an ERA of 1.04, and he's struck out more than 30 percent of the batters he's faced.
75. Carlos Gonzalez, Rockies
An OPS in the mid-.900s will put on here even if you play your home games at a mile above sea level.
74. Adam Duvall, Reds
Duvall's been a real power threat in his age-27 campaign. He's hit 22 homers in 77 games and is right now slugging .570.
73. Bartolo Colon, Mets
The 43-year-old right-hander is no novelty act in 2016. In 94 innings of work, he's allowed 31 runs and walked just 17 batters.
72. Tanner Roark, Nationals
He gets overshadowed in that D.C. rotation, but Roark's crafting an excellent season. After 17 starts, he's registered an ERA of 2.93 and an ERA+ of 143.
71. Dustin Pedroia, Red Sox
Pedroia still adds value with the glove, and thus far in 2016 he's batting .302/.366/.435 in 359 plate appearances.
70. Evan Longoria, Rays
Relative to last season, the Rays' franchise third baseman has added roughly 100 points to his OPS.
69. Colby Lewis, Rangers
In 98 innings, he's running an ERA+ of 143. That kind of run prevention easily puts the 36-year-old in the top 100.
It looked a questionable investment this past offseason, but Hill has been outstanding thus far in 2016: In 12 starts, he's registered an ERA+ of 179 while striking out more than three times as many as he's walked.
67. Stephen Piscotty, Cardinals
He's playing a nifty right field while batting .294/.374/.478 at the plate.
66. Jean Segura, Diamondbacks
He's adapted quite well to the shift to second base, he's running the bases, and he's producing by middle-infielder standards.
65. Carlos Carrasco, Indians
Carrasco missed significant time with a hamstring injury, but he's still put up a sparkling ERA+ of 183 in 63 1/3 innings.
64. Max Scherzer, Nationals
Scherzer endured a slow start to the season, but he's since pitched like his vintage self. He's on pace to top 230 innings, he's got an ERA+ of 129, and he leads the majors in strikeouts.
63. Trevor Bauer, Indians
He started out the season having been bumped from the rotation, but he's emerged as a stabilizing force for the Indians. Across 12 starts and seven relief appearances, Bauer owns an excellent ERA+ of 154.
62. Marco Estrada, Blue Jays
Estrada cracked the top 10 of the AL Cy Young balloting last season, and he's been even better thus far in 2016.
61. Jose Quintana, White Sox
In 111 ⅔ innings, Quintana this season has put up an ERA of 3.06. He's also allowed only one unearned run over that span (and, yes, pitchers bear some responsibility for unearned runs).
60. Adrian Beltre, Rangers
The ageless Beltre and can still pick it at third base, and he's got an OPS approaching .800.
59. Jacob deGrom, Mets
On a rate basis, deGrom's been just about as good as he was in 2015. This season, he's got an ERA+ of 153 and a K/BB ratio of 4.20. Only once has he allowed more than three runs in a start this season.
58. Tyler Chatwood, Rockies
Chatwood (back spasms) will soon return to the Colorado rotation. Even with the lost time, he's been a valuable one in 2016: 85 2/3 innings, 3.15 ERA, 160 ERA+.
57. Dexter Fowler, Cubs
Fowler hasn't played since June 18 because of a hamstring injury, but he's got enough value in the bank to crack this countdown. In 284 plate appearances, the veteran fly-catcher is batting a nifty .290/.398/.483.
56. Carlos Martinez, Cardinals
He's the only Cardinal starting pitcher who's delivered this season. After 95 ⅓ frames, Martinez owns an ERA+ of 145.
55. Ryan Braun, Brewers
When he's healthy, he rakes. And in 2016 Braun is healthy and raking. He's got an OPS of more than .900 and he's on target for 26 home runs this season.
54. Adam Eaton, White Sox
Eaton's getting base and adding value with his wheels. As well, he's in the discussion for best defensive corner outfielder in baseball this season.
53. Jonathan Schoop, Orioles
Schoop's a plus defender at the keystone, and thus far in 2016 he's batting .301/.332/.510. By comparison, the average second baseman this season has a line of .277/.335/.433.
52. Stephen Strasburg, Nationals
To say the least, Strasburg's return from the DL went swimmingly. He's not pitched to a 2.99 ERA after 15 starts with a 4.39 K/BB ratio.
51. George Springer, Astros
Springer has emerged as a complete threat in 2016. He's one of the best defensive corner outfielders around, and he boasts an OPS of .825 to go with 18 home runs.
50. Yoenis Cespedes, Mets
Cespedes is once again pacing the Mets: .294/.362/.570 with 20 homers in 304 plate appearances.
49. Buster Posey, Giants
Posey's spent more than 90 percent of his defensive innings at catcher, where's a very good defender. At the plate, he's got an OPS+ in the 120s.
48. Jonathan Villar, Brewers
The Milwaukee shortstop is having a prototypical leadoff season: on-base chops, high-volume stealer, excellent at taking the extra base.
47. Jose Fernandez, Marlins
He's in vintage form when it comes to run prevention, and he's on pace to approach 200 innings. As well, Fernandez leads the majors in strikeout rate.
46. Cole Hamels, Rangers
In 107 ⅔ innings, Hamels boasts a sub-3.00 ERA, and he's struck out almost a batter per inning.
45. Wil Myers, Padres
Not much is going right in San Diego this season, but Myers is an exception. He's running an OPS of almost .900 despite playing home games in Petco, and he's on pace to make a run at 30-30.
44. Aledmys Diaz, Cardinals
The Cardinals' shortstop has an OPS+ that exceeds 130, and he's on pace to top 20 homers and 40 doubles.
43. Wilson Ramos, Nationals
The Nats' catcher is batting a robust .343/.394/.567 in 269 plate appearances. Suffice it to say, that's outstanding production from someone manning such a premium position.
42. Michael Fulmer, Tigers
Fulmer doesn't have the innings load of other frontline starters, which is because he didn't make his big-league debut until April 29. Consider the results on a rate basis, though: 2.17 ERA, 194 ERA+.
41. Brandon Crawford, Giants
Crawford remains a highly valuable defender, and his offensive outputs are strong by the standards of shortstops. Also bear in mind he plays his home games in a run-suppressing environment.
40. Christian Yelich, Marlins
Yelich is indeed looking a present and future star. This season, he's flashing doubles power and high-level on-base skills.
39. Brandon Belt, Giants
This season Belt's been a steady on-base threat, and he's on pace to make a run at 50 doubles and 20 homers.
38. Kyle Seager, Mariners
The No. 2-ranked Seager brother is a power threat, is showing strong on-base skills, and remains a plus fielder at the hot corner.
37. Jon Lester, Cubs
Prior to Sunday's blow-up against the Mets, you could've made the case the Lester was having a better season than Arrieta. Even after that, though, he's pitched to a 2.67 ERA in 107 2/3 innings and as such easily merits a spot on this list.
36. Ian Desmond, Rangers
To say the least, Desmond has been the free agent bargain of 2016. He's taken very well to the outfield, he's stealing bases, and best of all he's batting .317/.371/.525 for Texas.
35. Ben Zobrist, Cubs
Clear of the knee injury that limited him last season, Zobrist is on target for a career year at the plate while pinning down second base for the mighty Cubs.
34. Carlos Correa, Astros
The 21-year-old phenom has made progress with his patience at the plate this season, and he's been one of the best-hitting shortstops around.
33. Gregory Polanco, Pirates
Plus defense at the corner and an OPS of almost .900 are the reasons Polanco makes the cut.
32. Jake Lamb, Diamondbacks
Is he 2016's most underrated hitter? The D-backs' third basemen leads the NL in slugging, and his OPS+ is around 150.
31. Ian Kinsler, Tigers
Decline phase? None here. The 34-year-old is a defensive asset at an up-the-middle position, and he's batting .293/.352/.502 on the season with 16 homers.
30. Salvador Perez, Royals
KC's warrior-poet is of course a rock behind the plate, and this season he's running a slugging percentage of almost .500. Perez, like all good catchers, provides value even he's not hitting, but he's bringing the power in 2016.
29. Paul Goldschmidt, Diamondbacks
Goldy's been heating up and presently leads the NL in OBP. Among first basemen, he's one of the best defenders and base-runners.
28. Noah Syndergaard, Mets
Bone spur or not, Thor's got an ERA of 2.41, and he's struck out more than seven times as many as he's walked.
27. Anthony Rizzo, Cubs
Rizzo's a classic take-and-rake corner producer. He's been good for lots of walks and lots of power.
26. Jonathan Lucroy, Brewers
Healthy again, Lucroy is once more hitting at an All-Star level. He also remains one of the best defensive catchers in baseball.
25. Marcell Ozuna, Marlins
He's the regular center fielder for the contending Marlins, and he boasts an OPS+ of around 150.
24. Daniel Murphy, Nationals
Those swing changes he made in the middle of last season continue to yield increased production. He's got an OPS+ north of 150, and he leads the NL in hits, batting average, and total bases.
23. Xander Bogaerts, Red Sox
The best-hitting shortstop in the AL this season not named Manny Machado? It's been Bogaerts.
22. Starling Marte, Pirates
Marte combines standout fielding and plus base-running with an OPS+ around 130.
21. Chris Sale, White Sox
He's got a sub-3.00 ERA, he's already worked 120 innings, and he's struck out 25 percent of opposing hitters.
20. Julio Teheran, Braves
The prize of the trade deadline is pitching like an ace once again. He's on pace for a sub-3.00 ERA and 227 2/3 innings pitched.
19. Steven Wright, Red Sox
The knuckleball-ing Wright has been one of the best stories of 2016, and he's also been one of the best pitchers.
18. Mookie Betts, Red Sox
Betts adds value in the field, is an impact base-stealer, and is showing plenty of pop in this, his age-23 campaign.
17. Johnny Cueto, Giants
After a down 2015, Cueto is right back to be one of baseball's best starting pitchers. He's on pace to put up a career-best K/BB ratio, and only once has he failed to at least 6.0 innings in a start.
16. Corey Seager, Dodgers
What a rookie season Seager is authoring. He's spent almost 700 defensive innings at short, and he's on pace for 33 bombs.
15. Jake Arrieta, Cubs
Some of the shine has come off lately, but we're still talking about an ace who's on pace to clear 200 innings with an ERA+ of near 200.
14. David Ortiz, Red Sox
The greatest final season in baseball history? Big Papi is well on his way. He's got a shot at 100 walks and 100 extra-base hits.
13. Madison Bumgarner, Giants
He's got a higher OPS with the bat in his hands (.624) than opposing hitters have against him this season (.609).
12. Robinson Cano, Mariners
The Seattle second baseman has put his decline phase on hold. He's as durable as ever, which is to say one of the most durable players in the game, and he on a park-adjusted basis he's producing right in line with his peak Yankees years.
11. Jackie Bradley, Red Sox
Bradley's a regular center fielder who adds value on the bases, hits for power, and is running an OBP in range of .400.
10. Matt Carpenter, Cardinals
He's spent time at three different infield positions, and he leads the NL in OPS+.
9. Kris Bryant, Cubs
The defense remains better than advertised, and Bryant may make a run a 50 homers while cutting down his 2015 strikeout levels.
8. Francisco Lindor, Indians
The most valuable fielder in all of baseball? It's probably Lindor. It's gravy that he's also hitting the ball, especially by positional standards.
7. Nolan Arenado, Rockies
He's one of the most valuable defenders at any position, and he's a productive hitter even after you adjust for the Coors Field effect.
6. Danny Salazar, Indians
Here's a stealth Cy Young candidate in the AL. Right now Salazar tops the junior circuit in ERA and ERA+ and is top 10 in strikeouts.
5. Manny Machado, Orioles
He's a primary shortstop who's playing every day and hitting like an All-Star first baseman. Consider Machado to be a strong AL MVP candidate.
4. Josh Donaldson, Blue Jays
Donaldson still provides excellent defense at the hot corner (and underrated base-running). He's also running a higher OPS+ than he did in his AL MVP campaign last season.
3. Clayton Kershaw, Dodgers
Obviously, Kershaw's status going forward is uncertain because of his back injury. To date, though, he's put up a majors-leading ERA of 1.79 and allowed only one unearned run in 121 innings. As well, he's on pace to shatter the all-time record for K/BB ratio.
2. Jose Altuve, Astros
He's a middle infielder, he's one of the best base-stealers in baseball, and his OPS is hovering around 1.000.
1. Mike Trout, Angels
Yeah, his team's bad, but Trout continues to be a force of nature at the plate and in center field. He's also enjoying a nice rebound on the base-stealing front.
