The top 100 players in MLB right now: Judge and Santana climb the rankings

The first two months of the 2017 season are behind us, and it's time for our monthly look at 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 2017. From this point forward, though, each installment will be about performance to date. As such, the rankings you're about to see reflect nothing more than who's been the best through the first two months of the 2017 season. The preceding has been italicized for emphasis. Now we're going to bold it and italicize it for even more emphasis …

The rankings you're about to see reflect nothing more than who's been the best through the first two months of the 2017 season.

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 or are just establishing themselves as premium performers. Whatever the case, we're not worried about whether the performances will stick. It's all about what's happened in 2017 thus far.

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. When it comes to relievers, leverage, or the relative importance of the innings a reliever works, are taken into account. (Note: It's hard for relievers to crack this list in the first place, given how much more valuable starting pitchers tend to be, thanks to their much higher innings loads.)

Again, this is all about 2017 to date, and the rankings suggest nothing about whether the player in question can maintain the current level of performance going forward. As such, the next time you see this list, it'll probably look very different.

As always, reach to the author at his personal email address -- hotmail@hotmail.jpg -- with all your complaints …

The top 100 players in baseball

100	Jose Bautista Toronto RF
Given how badly Joey Bats struggled to start the season, it's a minor miracle he's on this list. A tremendous May earns him a spot.
99	Anthony Rizzo Chi. Cubs 1B
Rizzo's one of the best defensive first sackers in baseball, and although he's not hitting up to his recent standards, he's still been productive overall.
98	Jonathan Schoop Baltimore 2B
Schoop's an underrated defender at the keystone, and like a lot of other Orioles he has plenty of pop at the plate.
97	Zack Godley Arizona SP
As rotation stop-gaps go, Godley's been an excellent one, as he's posted a 2.39 ERA in six starts for the Snakes.
96	George Springer Houston CF
Springer's manning center for the best team in baseball and batting 265/.342/.500 on the year.
95	Jose Abreu Chi. White Sox 1B
In his age-30 season, Abreu's slugging better than .500 and on target for more than 30 spanks -- typical Abreu, in other words.
94	Scott Schebler Cincinnati RF
Surprised? Don't be. He's got 16 dingers, and he's slugging .558.
93	Josh Harrison Pittsburgh 3B
He's seen time at three different positions while putting up strong numbers at the plate.
92	Khris Davis Oakland LF
Davis is following up his 42-homer campaign in 2016 by once again numbering among the most prolific home run hitters in baseball.
91	Lance Lynn St. Louis SP
He's 58 ⅓ innings into his comeback from Tommy John surgery, and he owns an ERA+ of 134 with just 42 hits allowed.
90	Mitch Haniger Seattle RF
Haniger's been on the DL for a long time, but he already banked enough value -- strong production at the plate plus quality defense in right field -- to remain on this list.
89	Joey Gallo Texas 3B
No, Gallo's not hitting for average, but he's drawing his share of walks and putting up outstanding power numbers.
88	Wade Miley Baltimore SP
Miley's not going deep into games or dominating at the K/BB level, but he's keeping runs off the board to an excellent extent.
87	Andrew Triggs Oakland SP
Triggs hasn't been quite as effective in recent starts, but the overall body of work is still quite strong. Specifically, he's got an ERA+ of 150 after 10 starts.
86	Justin Smoak Toronto 1B
The veteran first baseman's got an OPS+ of around 150 and he's set to make a run at 35 homers. He's headed for a career year, in other words.
85	Matt Kemp Atlanta LF
Yes, Kemp's a liability in the field these days, but his production at the plate so far is more than making up for that.
84	Chris Owings Arizona SS
A primary shortstop with an OPS+ comfortably north of 100? That's Owings so far this season, and that earns him a spot on this list.
83	Craig Kimbrel Boston RP
Kimbrel's back to vintage form in a big way. After 22 mostly high-leverage outings, he's running an ERA of 0.78 while striking out more than half the batters he's faced.
82	Steven Souza Tampa Bay RF
Souza's an asset at the outfield corners, and he's drawing walks and putting up solid power numbers.
81	Marwin Gonzalez Houston LF
Gonzalez has put up tremendous offensive numbers in semi-regular duty while also seeing time at six different positions. That's valuable.
80	Justin Bour Miami 1B
Somewhat surprisingly, the 29-year-old first baseman in 2017 has 15 homers and is slugging a fat .582.
79	Raisel Iglesias Cincinnati RP
The Cincy relief ace has been a force this season, especially when it comes to run prevention.
78	Yu Darvish Texas SP
It's looking like another quality season for the free-agent-to-be. He owns a sub-3.00 ERA after 11 starts, and he's struck out more than a batter per inning.
77	Lance McCullers Houston SP
The curveball specialist isn't a high-volume starter, but he's put up an ERA of 2.48 after 11 trips to the mound. In related matters, he's missing bats and mostly getting ground balls when he doesn't.
76	Alex Wood L.A. Dodgers SP
Wood has injury concerns at the moment, but so far he's put up a 240 ERA+ in 48 innings.
75	Logan Morrison Tampa Bay 1B
The batting average doesn't catch your eye, but LoMo's secondary hitting skills -- i.e., drawing walks and hitting for power -- make him a valuable contributor thus far.
74	Elvis Andrus Texas SS
Texas' bedrock shortstop enjoyed a rebound season at the plate last year. Thus far in 2017, he's improved even further, and he's already closing in on a career high in home runs.
73	Michael Fulmer Detroit SP
The 2016 AL Rookie of the Year is at it again in 2017. After 10 starts, he's pitched to a 2.65 ERA and 3.60 K/BB ratio.
72	Kyle Freeland Colorado SP
Here's another homegrown starting pitcher contributing mightily to the Rockies' success thus far. He's done an excellent job of keeping the ball in the park in 2017.
71	Brian McCann Houston C
McCann's missed some time on the concussion on DL, but when healthy he's put up excellent numbers at the plate while remaining a sound defender.
70	Giancarlo Stanton Miami RF
Health will always be a concern for Stanton, but he's been healthy thus far in 2017. He's also putting up typical Stanton numbers, so here he is.
69	James Paxton Seattle SP
Paxton just returned from the DL, and he's now registering a 1.26 ERA after seven starts.
68	Travis Shaw Milwaukee 3B
Shaw's been a pleasant surprise for Milwaukee this season. At present, he's on pace to rack up more than 80 extra-base hits.
67	Jake Lamb Arizona 3B
The Arizona third baseman enjoyed a breakout season in 2016, and this year he's been even better.
66	Robinson Cano Seattle 2B
A sizzling month of May has put the future Hall of Famer back where he belongs -- on this list. He may be on his way to a second-straight 30-homer season.
65	Eduardo Rodriguez Boston SP
While most of the attention in Boston has been on Chris Sale's strikeouts and David Price's injury, Rodriguez has quietly been a force in the rotation so far.
64	Aaron Altherr Philadelphia LF
In his age-26 season, Altherr's authored an OPS+ of 160 while seeing time at all three outfield positions. Thanks to those big numbers, he's now a fixture in the Philly lineup.
63	Zack Greinke Arizona SP
Greinke's well on his way to an impressive bounceback season, especially in terms of command and control.
62	Andrew Miller Cleveland RP
The arm that revived the fireman role is still at it. He's on pace to provide the Tribe with 80 or so innings of complete and utter dominance.
61	Russell Martin Toronto C
Martin's still a highly regarded defensive catcher, and this season he's pushing his OBP close to .400.
60	Marco Estrada Toronto SP
Estrada's put up excellent command-and-control numbers, and he boasts an ERA in the low 3.00's.
59	Jose Ramirez Cleveland 3B
Ramirez has spent significant time at third base and second base this season while also putting up plus numbers at the plate.
58	Luis Severino N.Y. Yankees SP
The young righty's been a real asset for the Yankees this season. After 10 starts and 61 ⅓ innings, he's got an ERA of 2.93 and a 4.60 K/BB ratio.
57	J.T. Realmuto Miami C
Here we have one of the most underrated players in the game. He's on pace to catch more than 1,000 innings this season, and he's putting up very strong numbers as catchers go.
56	Jason Vargas Kansas City SP
Vargas has regressed a bit since last time we met, but he's still putting up excellent numbers overall and is an easy choice for inclusion once again.
55	Tyler Flowers Atlanta C
Flowers is light on playing time relative to most guys on this list, but he's produced in a big way at the plate while logging roughly 250 innings at catcher.
54	Stephen Strasburg Washington SP
Strasburg's pitching exclusively from the stretch this season, and he's perhaps on his way to a career year.
53	Nelson Cruz Seattle DH
Cruz turns 37 on July 1, but he just keeps hitting. Since leaving the Rangers following the 2013 season, he's put up an OPS+ of 148.
52	Salvador Perez Kansas City C
The stalwart KC catcher is still a durable presence behind the plate, and he's on pace to make a run at 30 homers.
51	Alex Avila Detroit C
Thanks in part to some swing changes, the veteran catcher (and now part-time first baseman) has absolutely crushed the ball thus far.
50	Gio Gonzalez Washington SP
Gonzalez in his age-31 season has struggled with his control, but the bottom line is keeping runs off the board, which he's doing at a nifty clip.
49	Xander Bogaerts Boston SS
Yes, the high batting average is driving Bogaerts' overall offensive value, but the point is that he's producing at a high level, especially considering he's an everyday shortstop.
48	Jean Segura Seattle SS
He's got an OPS+ of more than 140 while manning shortstop on a regular basis. This could be a career year for Segura.
47	Yonder Alonso Oakland 1B
Alonso's dealt with some injuries this season, but when healthy he's put up some of the best rate-based numbers in all of baseball.
46	Aaron Hicks N.Y. Yankees CF
Here he is, the best fourth outfielder in baseball thus far. He's seen time at all three outfield spots while putting up tremendous numbers at the plate.
45	Andrelton Simmons L.A. Angels SS
Simmons is still a defensive wizard at one of the most vital positions in the game, and this season he's running a career-best OPS+.
44	Joey Votto Cincinnati 1B
Votto got off to a slow start in 2017, but he's long since resumed putting up big power numbers and commanding the strike zone at the plate.
43	Avisail Garcia Chi. White Sox RF
Garcia's enjoying a higher rate of contact and much harder contact. As a result, he's on his way to a major breakout season.
42	Mookie Betts Boston RF
Betts' somewhat slow start to the season is well behind him, and now he's back to providing excellent value at the plate, in the field, and on the bases.
41	Jed Lowrie Oakland 2B
Lowrie's got an OPS+ of more than 130 while playing the middle infield on a daily basis. That easily puts him in the top 100.
40	Eugenio Suarez Cincinnati 3B
The 25-year-old third baseman has been one of MLB's most pleasant surprises thus far in 2017. He's on pace for a 30-homer season.
39	Brett Gardner N.Y. Yankees LF
Gardner's still a plus glove at the corners, and this season he's on target to easily set career bests in homers and OPS+.
38	Charlie Blackmon Colorado CF
While RBI aren't a good measure of offensive performance, they do have meaning at the margins. Speaking of which, Blackmon's already coming up on 50 RBI. Oh, and he's a leadoff hitter.
37	Max Scherzer Washington SP
By all indications this season, the 2016 NL Cy Young winner is still one of the best pitchers on the planet.
36	Yasmani Grandal L.A. Dodgers C
In addition to being a skilled pitch-framer behind the plate, Grandal's getting on base and hitting for power this season.
35	Jedd Gyorko St. Louis 3B
Gyorko's stabilized third base for the contending Cardinals while also hitting for average and power.
34	Dylan Bundy Baltimore SP
The 24-year-old's breakout campaign continues apace. He boasts a sub-3.00 ERA, and he's done a fine job of limiting hard contact.
33	Kevin Pillar Toronto CF
Pillar is one of the best defensive center fielders in the game today, and he's putting up the best power numbers of his career.
32	Robbie Ray Arizona SP
Ray's now pitched to a 3.00 ERA with 84 strikeouts in 69 innings. This season, the results are matching the stuff.
31	Michael Conforto N.Y. Mets LF
Conforto hasn't had regular playing time all year, but he's absolutely raked thus far. We're through two months, and he's running an OPS north of 1.000.
30	Paul Goldschmidt Arizona 1B
Goldschmidt remains one of the most productive hitters around and perhaps the most complete player among first basemen. Right now, he's hitting for power and leading the majors in walks.
29	Marcell Ozuna Miami LF
Ozuna's doing it all thus far at the plate. He's hitting for average and power, and he's also nudged up his unintentional walk rate.
28	Eric Thames Milwaukee 1B
Thames looked a bit more mortal in May than he did in April, but overall he's still putting up MVP-caliber numbers in his first season back in MLB.
27	Ivan Nova Pittsburgh SP
No starting pitcher's been stingier with the walks thus far. Nova's also notched a pair of complete games, he boasts a sub-3.00 ERA, and right now he leads the NL in innings.
26	Daniel Murphy Washington 2B
Murphy's not quite on the level of his 2016 campaign, when he finished second in the NL MVP balloting, but he's still exceptionally productive at the plate, particularly by the standards of middle infielders.
25	Carlos Carrasco Cleveland SP
Carrasco's once again putting up strong numbers for the Tribe. If he stays healthy, he's a Cy Young contender in the AL.
24	Starlin Castro N.Y. Yankees 2B
Castro's a quality defensive second baseman, and so far in 2017 he's hitting like an All-Star first baseman.
23	Jose Altuve Houston 2B
Thus far, the diminutive Houston second baseman looks like he's going to wind up in the top 10 of the AL MVP balloting for a third straight year.
22	Corey Dickerson Tampa Bay DH
Dickerson's been nothing but a hitter thus far in 2017, and he's also been the most productive DH in the game.
21	Freddie Freeman Atlanta 1B
The more time he misses thanks to that fractured wrist, the lower he'll rank. For now, though, his .341/.461/.748 line in 34 games is more than enough to keep him here. Freeman may have been on his way to the NL MVP Award before the injury.
20	Clayton Kershaw L.A. Dodgers SP
And the excellence continues. At this writing, Kershaw has an ERA in the low-2.00s, and he leads the majors in innings and the NL in K/BB ratio.
19	Nolan Arenado Colorado 3B
The Rockies have been one of baseball's best teams in 2017, and Arenado with his power and elite defensive skills is a major part of that success.
18	Antonio Senzatela Colorado SP
The 22-year-old rookie has been an important fixture in the Colorado rotation and has put up excellent run-prevention numbers through 11 starts.
17	Kris Bryant Chi. Cubs 3B
The reigning NL MVP got off to a bit of a slow start in 2017, but now he's actually putting up stronger numbers than he did last season. He's bumped up his walk rate, and he's hit into only one double play all year.
16	Corey Seager L.A. Dodgers SS
The 23-year-old shortstop is once again producing at a high level while capably manning a premium defensive position.
15	Justin Turner L.A. Dodgers 3B
Turner's having one of the best seasons of his career, but it's a season very much unlike what he's done in recent years. The home run power hasn't been there in 2017, but everything else has.
14	Anthony Rendon Washington 3B
Rendon remains an asset with the glove, and he's working toward the best offensive season of his career.
13	Miguel Sano Minnesota 3B
Few hit the ball as hard as Sano does when he lays into one. His combination of power and patience has made him one of the most productive hitters in baseball thus far in 2017.
12	Francisco Lindor Cleveland SS
Lindor remains one of the top defensive shortstops in baseball, and this season he's putting up impressive power numbers.
11	Buster Posey San Francisco C
Maybe it's been overlooked because of the Giants' disappointing season to date, but Posey's putting up his best offensive numbers since his MVP season of 2012. He also remains an elite defender behind the plate.
10	Carlos Correa Houston SS
An absolutely scorching May has put the 22-year-old Houston shortstop back where he belongs: high on this list.
9	Mike Leake St. Louis SP
Leake boasts an NL-leading 2.24 ERA, and he's backing it up with the best command-and-control numbers of his career. He can also hit a little, at least as pitchers go.
8	Ryan Zimmerman Washington 1B
Decline phase? The 32-year-old first baseman is putting up what will easily be the best numbers of his (very good) career. Right now, he leads the bigs in doubles.
7	Chris Sale Boston SP
He's got the innings, and he's got the run-prevention numbers, even though his performance slipped a bit in May. Sale's already at 110 strikeouts for the year.
6	Bryce Harper Washington RF
On a rate basis, Harper's numbers are very similar to what he put up in 2015, when he was the unanimous choice as NL MVP.
5	Dallas Keuchel Houston SP
The 2015 AL Cy Young winner endured a disappointing 2016 season, but this year he appears to be back to ace form for Houston, brief trip to the DL notwithstanding.
4	Zack Cozart Cincinnati SS
To say that the veteran shortstop is thus far enjoying a career year at the plate is a sizeable understatement.
3	Ervin Santana Minnesota SP
Santana's shin-deep into a career year. At this writing, he leads the majors in ERA and ERA+. If the season ended today, he'd likely be the AL Cy Young winner.
2	Aaron Judge N.Y. Yankees RF
The 25-year-old colossus boasts an OBP north of .400, and he's leading the majors in home runs. He's also deceptively good with the glove.
1	Mike Trout L.A. Angels CF
As great as Trout's been over the course of his career, the 2017 campaign was shaping up to be his best yet before the thumb injury. He'll drop as misses more time, but for now he's still the best player of 2017.