Photo Credit: Sporting News
My Brooklyn Nets are tearing it down - perhaps Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant could both be gone? - but my New York Mets are still pretty good right now... so of course I have Baseball Fever at the moment!
When inspiration strikes, I write. So here come the top 100 players in the MLB...
But first, a bit about my criteria:
1. Yes, I'm focusing on the current season as a jumping-off point, but it certainly isn't the end-all, be-all. We absolutely have to consider the full context of the player.
2. Stats are as of "last check" which may have been 6/17/2022, 6/19/2022, 6/24/2022 or 6/25/2022.
3. I don't wanna be "youth biased" - steady veterans like Adam Wainwright and Kenley Jansen have to get their due.
4. That said, I don't wanna be "resume focused" to the point where guys like Charlie Blackmon, Joey Votto and Kris Bryant get on here. Spoiler: They didn't make it.
5. When in doubt, in a tight spot, I'm going with explosiveness. Taking the potentially dominant individual player.
6. We're in the era of TikTok, Twitter and Snapchat - these synopses are gonna be short. One sentence per player. Okay, here we go!
HONORABLE MENTION
Brandon Lowe, 2B/OF, Tampa: Finished 10th in AL MVP voting last season, but has been off the grid as an afterthought thus far this season.
Mike Yastrzemski, OF, San Fran: Was an MVP candidate a couple years ago, tapered off, but is now quietly returning to form.
Taylor Ward, OF/3B, Angels: Has come out of nowhere with a monster start to this season; if it continues he easily enters my top 100 next time around.
Max Muncy, Infielder, Dodgers: Is usually a fixture in my top 100, but he's just been absolutely atrocious this year.
Salvador Perez, C, KC: Finished 7th in AL MVP voting last year, but he's having a down year and just went on the IL after thumb surgery.
JOHN FRASCELLA'S TOP 100 MLB PLAYERS
100. Bobby Witt Jr., SS/3B, KC: One of the most exciting young players in baseball; should be around the top 75 next time.
99. Logan Webb, SP, San Fran: Developing into a steady ace despite slightly above average pure "stuff".
98. Cedric Mullins, OF, Baltimore: Finished 9th in AL MVP voting last season; can beat you with his bat and legs.
97. Luis Robert, OF, White Sox: We all know about his limitless raw potential, but where's the consistent health and performance?
96. Luis Severino, SP, Yankees: His stuff looks fantastic this season; we just need to see him stay healthy and consistent.
95. Pablo Lopez, SP, Miami: Sort of like Logan Webb; excellent stats with "really, that's it?" stuff.
94. Christian Yelich, OF, Milwaukee: Once a fixture as one of the top 10 hitters in the game, Yelich has returned to form a bit this season after some injury-plagued years.
93. Tony Gonsolin, SP, Dodgers: One of the current frontrunners for NL Cy Young; if this continues he rockets toward my top 50.
92. Julio Rodriguez, OF, Seattle: Purely explosive, like Luis Robert; I love Julio's look and see him as a top 50 player in the near future.
91. Adam Wainwright, SP, Cards: Quietly one of the best and most reliable pitchers of his generation.
90. Alejandro Kirk, C, Toronto: Haven't seen a young catcher hitting like this in quite some time; 9th overall in OPS at last check.
89. Zac Gallen, SP, Arizona: Pitching very well this season, and for a young pitcher he's always had a really good feel for his craft.
88. Kenley Jansen, RP, Atlanta: Like Wainwright, consistently one of the best pitchers of his generation.
87. Liam Hendriks, RP, White Sox: Has been a given as one of the top five closers the past few years; some might have him second to the electric Josh Hader.
86. Dansby Swanson, SS, Atlanta: Having a spectacular season exactly when the Braves needed it; Freddie Freeman is no longer around, of course.
85. Trey Mancini, 1B/OF, Baltimore: A "professional hitter" (you're about to see more of those) who was 46th in OPS at last check.
84. Nelson Cruz, OF/DH, Washington: One of the best hitters of his generation - and maybe one of the best hitters of all time? - but he finally appears to be slowing down at the ripe old age of 41.
83. Trevor Story, 2B/SS, Boston: Started off slow, but his since become that fourth impact bat the Red Sox were looking for.
82. Randy Arozarena, OF, Tampa: An electric all-around player who hasn't quite been able to replicate his playoff glory of a couple seasons ago.
81. DJ LeMahieu, Infielder, Yankees: Another "professional hitter" who complements Judge, Stanton and Rizzo nicely.
80. Brandon Woodruff, SP, Milwaukee: Finished 5th in NL Cy Young last year, but is currently dealing with Raynaud's Syndrome while sporting a messy 4.74 ERA.
79. Ozzie Albies, 2B, Atlanta: Finished 13th in NL MVP voting last season, but the 25-year old second baseman is currently in the midst of a down year.
78. Alex Bregman, 3B/SS, Houston: A former MVP candidate who is only hitting .234 this season; heating up in the power categories, though.
77. Rhys Hoskins, 1B, Philly: A dangerous power bat who was 37th overall in OPS at last check.
76. Josh Bell, 1B, Washington: Splitting hairs with Hoskins, really; two power-hitting NL East first basemen who are very close in the OPS rankings.
75. Kyle Schwarber, Utility & DH, Philly: 31st in OPS at last check, I like the way Schwarber can carry an entire organization when he gets smokin' hot with his thunderous bat.
74. Corey Seager, SS, Texas: $325,000,000 is a number that's simply hard to ignore; I do feel like the Dodgers miss him a bit this season, actually.
73. Francisco Lindor, SS, Mets: Recently became the first shortstop in MLB history to have 50 RBI in 66 games or less since Alex Rodriguez in 2000.
72. Starling Marte, OF, Mets: A consistently dynamic player over the course of a long, productive big league career.
71. Michael Brantley, OF, Houston: A third "professional hitter" in a short period of time here; having a better year than LeMahieu and he provides stability within that explosive Astros' lineup.
70. Ketel Marte, 2B/SS/OF, Arizona: Quietly and consistently the best all-around Arizona Diamondback.
69. Teoscar Hernandez, OF, Toronto: Finished 19th in AL MVP voting last year; the unsung hero of the powerful Toronto lineup.
68. Emmanuel Clase, RP, Cleveland: Averaging 100.1 on his four-seam fastball; like... what?
67. Nick Castellanos, OF, Philly: Finished 12th in the NL MVP race last season, but hasn't been nearly as good this year with Philly.
66. Bryan Reynolds, OF, Pittsburgh: Finished one spot ahead of Castellanos in the MVP race last year; this year Reynolds is 48th in OPS.
65. Ty France, Infielder, Seattle: These Seattle kids don't get nearly enough attention; Ty was 14th overall in OPS as last check.
64. Walker Buehler, SP, Dodgers: Usually a lock for my top 30, Buehler has an uncharacteristic 4.02 ERA this season and was recently placed on the 60-day IL.
63. Jacob deGrom, SP, Mets: Either the best or second-best starter in the game, but we have to see him back healthy before returning him to proper ranking position.
62. Nestor Cortes, SP, Yankees: I don't believe in his pure stuff, but I can't deny the incredible success he has had over the past two seasons.
61. Joe Musgrove, SP, San Diego: Like Cortes, I don't really believe in Musgrove's pure stuff, but he's sporting a silly 2.12 ERA right now.
60. Edwin Diaz, RP, Mets: One of the MVPs of the Mets' somewhat surprising success thus far; throwin' some serious chedda at 98.9 MPH (average) this season.
59. Michael Kopech, SP, White Sox: Has been terrific with a miniscule 2.59 ERA; something in the water with Kopech, Dylan Cease, Lucas Giolito and Lance Lynn all with the ChiSox?
58. Marcus Semien, 2B/SS, Texas: Finished 3rd in AL MVP voting last season; like Story he started slow, but he'll continue to come on.
57. Alek Manoah, SP, Toronto: Do you know how hard it is to have a 2.05 ERA as a starting pitcher in the powerful AL East?
56. Logan Gilbert, SP, Seattle: Averaging nearly 96 MPH on his heater, Gilbert has been a monster for a couple seasons now for Seattle; like his teammate Ty France, he doesn't get enough media coverage.
55. Dylan Cease, SP, White Sox: Striking out nearly 13 batters per 9 innings at last check; check out this absolutely filthy stuff.
54. Jazz Chisholm Jr., 2B/SS, Miami: Yet another "electric" young player; I could make a nice list with Chisholm, Julio Rodriguez, Luis Robert and Bobby Witt Jr. already ranked in this piece.
53. Fernando Tatis Jr., SS, "San Diago": Finished 3rd in the NL MVP voting last year; one of the most exciting players in the game, we just need to see Fernando come back healthy and "himself".
52. Frankie Montas, SP, Oakland: A frontline horse having another superb season.
51. Willson Contreras, C, Cubbies: Consistently one of the elite offensive catchers, Contreras was incredibly 10th in OPS at last check.
JOHN FRASCELLA'S TOP 50 MLB PLAYERS
50. Nathan Eovaldi, SP, Boston: Finished 4th in AL Cy Young voting last year and is backing it up with another especially strong season this year.
49. Kyle Tucker, OF, Astros: A dynamic all-around player who finished 20th in the AL MVP race last season; this year he's backing it up, 27th in OPS.
48. Luis Arraez, Super Utility, Minny: At .349 this season and .320 for his career, in all seriousness... is this guy the best pure hitter in the game right now?
47. Byron Buxton, OF, Twins: Perhaps the most athletic player in the game; purely explosive and physically dominant.
46. Shane McClanahan, SP, Tampa: We just don't hear "lefty throwin' heat" that often; at 96.9 MPH, young McClanahan is chuckin' em like Randy Johnson or David Price out there.
45. Robbie Ray, SP, Seattle: The reigning AL Cy Young has come back down to earth a bit this season; deserves a spot in my top 50, though.
44. Max Fried, SP, Atlanta: Lefties are absolutely dominating this MLB season, and Fried continues to be one of the best of the best - maybe only behind Kershaw, Rodon and Urias?
43. Yu Darvish, SP, San Diego: A pro's pro out there on the hill; still averaging over 95 MPH on his heater.
42. Shane Bieber, SP, Cleveland: Consistently one of the best pitchers in the game, but his velo is scarily down to 90.7 MPH.
41. Anthony Rizzo, 1B, Yankees: These Yankees are simply unbeatable right now, and a lot of credit has to go to the Judge/Stanton/Rizzo trio on the offensive side of the ball.
40. Giancarlo Stanton, DH/OF, Yankees: See comments on #41.
39. Max Scherzer, SP, Mets: Finished 3rd in the Cy Young race last year and was providing a real lift for the Mets pre-injury; we'll see how he looks upon return.
38. Kevin Gausman, SP, Toronto: Finished 6th in the Cy Young race last year and is backing it up with another fantastic season.
37. Julio Urias, SP, Dodgers: Finished 7th in NL Cy Young last season, and this year he's backing it up with a miniscule 2.56 ERA.
36. Bo Bichette, SS, Toronto: Finished 12th in the AL MVP race last year; a dynamic young shortstop with limitless all-around potential.
35. Aaron Nola, SP, Philly: Just personally, I've never loved his stuff, but he always gets the job done and is cruising along at 3.11, striking out over 1 batter per inning.
34. George Springer, OF, Toronto: I just love his approach in big spots; I have a lot of confidence in this guy to deliver in high-leverage situations throughout the year.
33. Matt Olson, 1B, Atlanta: Finished 8th in the AL MVP race last season, and his power bat is heating up lately as he continues to try to replace Freddie Freeman.
32. Carlos Rodon, SP, San Fran: Finished 5th in the Cy Young race last year and he's simply a dominant lefty right now, striking out over 11 per 9 innings.
31. Tim Anderson, SS, White Sox: Easily one of the best all-around players in the game, but I feel like his constantly nagging injuries get annoying.
30. Zack Wheeler, SP, Philly: Finished 2nd in the Cy Young race last season and is wheelin' and dealin' once again this season.
29. Nolan Arenado, 3B, St. Louis: One of the steadiest two-way players of his generation.
28. Sandy Alcantara, SP, Miami: Averaging nearly 98 MPH on his fastball as a starting pitcher - just, wow - he's dominating with a 1.95 ERA.
27. Clayton Kershaw, SP, Dodgers: It's the return of the veteran aces, as Kershaw and Verlander dominate their respective leagues this season.
26. Austin Riley, 3B, Atlanta: Finished 7th in NL MVP voting and is raking once again this season; a young star on a serious rise.
25. Jose Abreu, 1B, White Sox: One of the best and most consistent hitters; can always hit for power and/or average.
24. Josh Hader, RP, Milwaukee: The best reliever in the world, hands down.
23. Carlos Correa, SS, Minny: Finished 5th in the MVP race last year, and has provided a real all-around lift for the Minnesota Twins' organization this year.
22. Pete Alonso, 1B, Mets: 11th in OPS at last check; leading the majors in RBI, with 66.
21. Justin Verlander, SP, Houston: Back with a serious vengeance this season, Verlander has obviously returned to form as one of the most dominant pitchers in the world.
20. J.D. Martinez, DH/OF, Boston: Easily one of the best pure hitters in the game; 6th overall in OPS at last check.
19. Xander Bogaerts, SS, Boston: As steady and reliable as they come.
18. Mookie Betts, OF, Dodgers: 13th in OPS at last check; some people thought he was tapering off, but that certainly doesn't appear to be the case this season.
17. Jose Altuve, 2B, Houston: One of the greatest and most surprising players of his generation.
16. Vladimir Guerrero Jr., 1B/3B, Toronto: Finished 2nd in AL MVP last year and is top 20 in OPS once again this season.
15. Trea Turner, SS, Dodgers: Finished 5th in the NL MVP voting last year; an explosive triple threat who recently had an impressive 26-game hitting streak.
14. Yordan Alvarez, DH/OF, Houston: It's very hard for an individual hitter to be dominant, and Yordan Alvarez is exactly that, leading the majors in OPS.
13. Juan Soto, OF, Washington: I thought he was the best hitter in baseball, but this season he is 45th in OPS.
12. Manny Machado, 3B/SS, San Diego: Always one of the best two-way players in the game, Manny was 9th in OPS at last check.
11. Freddie Freeman, 1B, Dodgers: Finished 9th in the NL MVP race last season; he's been taking his time adjusting to life in Los Angeles, but now he is 15th in OPS.
10. Corbin Burnes, SP, Milwaukee: He's the reigning NL Cy Young and he's doin' it again at 2.52, striking out over 11 per 9 innings.
9. Rafael Devers, 3B, Boston: Quietly one of the best players in the world; all this kid has done is rake since day one in the bigs.
8. Gerrit Cole, SP, Yankees: Consistently either the best or second-best starter in the world.
7. Ronald Acuna Jr, OF, Atlanta: The Braves were shaky while he was out; now, everything is much different coming off a 14-game winning streak.
6. Paul Goldschmidt, 1B, St. Louis: Finished 6th in the NL MVP race last season and is even better this year, 3rd overall in OPS and 2nd in batting average.
5. Bryce Harper, OF, Philly: He's the reigning NL MVP and he's doin' it again, 7th overall in OPS.
4. Mike Trout, OF, Angels: Universally considered the best of his generation, Trout is back in a major way from injury this season, 2nd overall in OPS.
3. Jose Ramirez, 3B, Cleveland: This guy literally does it all; talk about a one-man team in Cleveland.
2. Aaron Judge, OF, Yankees: He's been so good, he should really get a $500,000,000 deal.
1. Shohei Ohtani, SP/OF/1B/DH: The Babe Ruth of his generation, Ohtani has 15 homers and 46 RBI at the plate, while striking out 90 batters in 68 innings on the hill. Simply incredible.
John Frascella is a published baseball author and the senior sportswriter at Aaron Torres Online. Follow him on Twitter @LegendSports7 and @MetsDepression for all things baseball, football and basketball.
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