Lunch Break Baseball’s Top 150 MLB Players
Photo Via: Ben Margot — Associated PressFor the inaugural rankings of Lunch Break Baseball’s top MLB players, there was only one option to top the list. Mike Trout was the only man for the job, just like he would have been if this website produced rankings over the past seven years. The three-time MVP and four-time runner-up is still only 29 years old and can potentially hold #1 position for another handful of seasons.
As for the rest of the players, Major League Baseball has no shortage of talent throughout, especially with the explosion of youngsters dominating in their early-20’s, like Juan Soto, Fernando Tatis Jr., Ronald Acuña Jr., and so on. LBB will bring you a release a midseason and postseason rankings update to go along with the preseason rankings each year. Without further adieu, here presents the official Lunch Break Baseball Preseason Top 150 Player Rankings, along with a fun fact (or a few) about each player.
Mike Trout — CF (Angels)
The Angels used a compensation pick to select Mike Trout in the 1st round of the 2009 MLB Draft. The 24th pick was sent by the New York Yankees for signing first baseman Mark Teixeira. The Yankees went on to win the World Series and the Angels received the best player of the generation. In 2011, the Angels sent Trout down to the minors just days after his debut because Peter Bourjos returned from injury. But once Trout was recalled, he stayed for good and the rest is history.
Juan Soto — RF (Nationals)
His popularized “Soto Shuffle” began in Low-A Ball. Soto was learning to lay off of breaking pitches and began celebrating his own pitch recognition abilities. Just a short time later, it became a phenomenon in the major leagues as he shuffled prior to hitting a series-changing blast off of Justin Verlander in the 2019 Fall Classic.
Mookie Betts — RF (Dodgers)
After Game 2 of the 2018 World Series, Mookie Betts spent the night out in the cold and provided meals to Boston’s homeless population. Later that week, Betts earned his first World Series ring.
Fernando Tatis, Jr. — SS (Padres)
Sure, you know about Fernando Tatis, Sr. being a major leaguer. But, El Niño always incorporates pink into his gameday attire, typically with a pink armband. Why? Because pink is his mother’s favorite color and he does it to show her that she, too, is always with him on the diamond.
Freddie Freeman — 1B (Braves)
Prior to participating in the 2018 Home Run Derby, Freeman claimed it had been a long time, possibly even years, since he hit a batting practice home run. The superstar first baseman just practices hitting line drives over the shortstop’s head as a way to train himself to stay inside the ball and use the opposite field.
Jacob deGrom — SP (Mets)
He is the top ranked pitcher on this list, but deGrom did not even primarily pitch in college. At Stetson University in Florida he was a shortstop, but began the transition to pitching in his final season when he made 12 starts.
Ronald Acuña, Jr. — RF (Braves)
In 2018, Acuña, Jr. became the youngest player in league history to blast a grand slam in a Postseason game. He achieved the feat off Walker Buehler of the Dodgers.
D.J. LeMahieu — 2B, 1B (Yankees)
This past season, LeMahieu became the first player in MLB history to win the Batting Title in both leagues. He won the NL Batting Title in 2016 with the Rockies.
Gerrit Cole — SP (Yankees)
The former first overall pick became a father during the 2020 season, and his baby will have major league genes from both sides of the family. Brandon Crawford of the Giants is Cole’s brother-in-law, and he once hit an opposite-field shot off him in Houston.
Christian Yelich — RF (Brewers)
While on vacation in Hawaii, Yelich spent 2 hours making a 12-year-old’s day better. The young kid’s father was injured in a wake-boarding accident and could not play catch with his son. When Yelich saw the boy, he decided to ask him if he wanted to throw together. The former NL MVP played catch with the kid and even invited his family to come to a game and watch batting practice on the field. Yelich told the boy’s father that it, “made me remember why I love the game so much.”
Aaron Judge — RF (Yankees)
When he was initially promoted to the major leagues in 2016, Judge really struggled. That following offseason, Judge turned to a unique place for help. Richard Schenck, a father who used video recordings of Barry Bonds’s swing to help his own kids improve at hitting baseballs, was recommended to Judge by his agent, David Matranga. While in the minors, Matranga communicated with Schenck about hitting via online message boards. Matranga’s offensive output improved then, so he made the connection years later for Judge. Judge spent the offseason hitting with Schenck and working on the mechanics of his swing. Well, the impact was immediate, as Number 99 smashed 52 home runs in his rookie 2017 season.
Manny Machado — 3B (Padres)
Machado played on the Team USA 18U team in 2009, a roster that consisted of ten eventual major leaguers, including Bryce Harper, Jameson Taillon, Kevin Gausman, and Nicholas Castellanos. He then played for the Dominican Republic national team in the 2017 World Baseball Classic, hitting a home run against Team USA (and also being robbed of one by Adam Jones).
José Ramírez — 3B (Indians)
Ramírez grew up in the Dominican Republic playing a game called Vitilla, using a stick to swing at bottle caps. Now, he is one of the best at swinging the lumber in MLB. In fact, he has finished in the top three of the AL MVP race three times already.
Anthony Rendon — 3B (Angels)
“I don’t watch baseball — it’s too long and boring,” Rendon once said. But that does not mean he cannot play the game at the highest level. He has recorded an OPS north of .900 in four consecutive seasons.
Francisco Lindor — SS (Mets)
Lindor, born in Puerto Rico, knew he was going to be a star, even when he was young. He told his parents he was going to learn English because he wanted to do interviews in the language when he was a major league ballplayer. Not only did he learn the language, but he also became one of the greatest shortstops this game has ever seen.
Cody Bellinger — CF (Dodgers)
The Bellinger Family is quite used to being a part of the World Series. Cody’s father, Clay, played in four major league seasons, and all four of the teams he played for appeared in the World Series (Yankees three times, Angels once). Well now Cody has three World Series appearances under his belt, including one victory. He is well on pace to becoming the family member with the most trips to the Fall Classic.
Corey Seager — SS (Dodgers)
The 2020 World Series champion shortstop has had luck on his side, but he claims there is a reason. Being a superstitious athlete, Seager watches the sitcom ‘New Girl’ the night before a game when he needs a big hit, as he told ESPN. The show must have received tons of plays in the Seager household in October of 2020, as he went on to become the NLCS and World Series MVP.
Trea Turner — SS (Nationals)
Trea was drafted 13th overall in 2014 by San Diego, but was traded the following offseason to the Nationals in a three-team deal. The trade was highlighted by Turner and Joe Ross being sent to Washington, Wil Myers to the Padres, and Steven Souza Jr. to the Rays.
Shane Bieber — SP (Indians)
Bieber attended UC-Santa Barbara for college, but he was a student before he was a baseball player. Yes, he did win the Pitching Triple Crown in 2020, leading the league in wins, ERA, and strikeouts, but he was originally a walk-on to his collegiate baseball team. That did not stop him from launching himself among the best in the sport, even winning an All-Star Game MVP in his home stadium.
Nolan Arenado — 3B (Cardinals)
Aside from owing the record for consecutive Gold Glove seasons to begin a career (2020 makes it 8 years), Arenado also became the sixth player in league history to cap off hitting for the cycle by way of a walk-off home run (June 18, 2017).
Trevor Story — SS (Rockies)
It did not take long to realize Story belonged in the major leagues. In 2016, he became the first player in MLB history to debut on Opening Day and hit two home runs.
Trevor Bauer — SP (Dodgers)
We all know Bauer loves studying pitching and thinks about the game scientifically. But not everybody knows Bauer was a mechanical engineering major at UCLA, and he does not let the degree go to waste. He applied the engineering mentality to pitching and turned it into a Cy Young Award winning resumé.
Matt Chapman — 3B (Athletics)
Chapman attended El Toro High School in California, but he is not even the only Platinum Glove winning third baseman to go there. He was a teammate of Nolan Arenado, who is No. 20 on this list. There must be something in the water there, right?
Yu Darvish — SP (Padres)
It is not widely advertised, but Yu Darvish is currently the number one ranked pitcher in MLB history in terms of career strikeouts per nine innings (11.1). Good luck stepping in the batter’s box against him!
J.T. Realmuto — C (Phillies)
Even at the catcher position, Realmuto has never recorded an average sprint speed under 28 feet per second in a season. He also has never finished outside of the top 3 in average “pop time” for throwing to second base on steal attempts.
Paul Goldschmidt — 1B (Cardinals)
He is an All-Star caliber first baseman, but Goldschmidt does just as much off the field. His foundation ‘Goldy’s Fund 4 Kids’ provides assistance to families with children in the hospital.
Bryce Harper — RF (Phillies)
Harper has been a baseball prodigy for quite some time now. He grew up in Nevada and played youth ball with Kris Bryant and Joey Gallo. The expectations were high for the top pick in the 2010 MLB Draft, but he has not disappointed. Harper became the youngest player to ever be selected to an All-Star Game, when he did so during his Rookie of the Year season at age 19. Then in 2015, he became the league’s youngest MVP Award winner in history, at age 23.
José Abreu — 1B (White Sox)
The Cuban-born Abreu won the AL Rookie of the Year Award in 2014 and the AL MVP Award in 2020. He is consistency personified, playing in 961 games between 6 full seasons and the 2020 shortened one.
Giancarlo Stanton — DH, LF (Yankees)
Nobody hits baseballs harder than Giancarlo… and that is a fact. Since 2015, the hardest hit ball of every season has come off the bat of the 6’6” muscle man, even though he has only played two full seasons in that span!
Carlos Correa — SS (Astros)
When he was drafted by Houston with the first overall pick in 2012, he became the first Puerto Rican player to ever do so. He went on to bring home AL Rookie of the Year honors in 2015.
Xander Bogaerts — SS (Red Sox)
The ‘X-Man’ has become one of the game’s best shortstops, posting an OPS above .850 in three consecutive seasons and counting. The 28-year-old was actually born in Aruba and remains the only player ever born there to become an MLB All-Star.
Javier Báez — SS (Cubs)
‘El Mago’ is perhaps the slickest fielder and baserunner in baseball. Well-known for his quick tags and swim-move headfirst slides, Báez has become must-watch television. He has even suggested that his tags may be so quick because he is actually a natural lefty, so the glove hand is his dominant side, even though he throws right-handed.
Marcell Ozuna — LF (Braves)
Slugging baseballs is all The Big Bear knows. League-wide in 2020, he ranked in the 97th percentile for hard hit percentage, the 96th percentile for exit velocity, and the 94th percentile for barreled-ball percentage, according to Baseball Savant.
Clayton Kershaw — SP (Dodgers)
The future Hall of Fame lefty won the Cy Young Award in 2011, 2013, and 2014. He also won the NL MVP Award in 2014. But one of his best feats occurred in 2016, a year that he missed qualifying for league leader eligibility by 13 innings because of injury. Over 149 innings that season, Kershaw amassed 172 strikeouts and only surrendered 11 bases on balls. For those keeping track at home, that is a 15.64 K/BB rate. For reference, Kershaw led the league in K/BB rate twice in his career when eligible for league leader status, in 2014 (7.71) and 2017 (6.73).
Gleyber Torres — SS (Yankees)
At age 19, Gleyber Torres became the youngest MVP in Arizona Fall League history. His path to the major leagues was clear, but faced an obstacle when he required Tommy John surgery on his non-throwing elbow after sustaining an injury while sliding into home plate in 2017. He then debuted with the Yankees in 2018 and never looked back.
Walker Buehler — SP (Dodgers)
Since he grew up in Lexington, Kentucky, it seems fairly obvious that Walker Buehler would have a love for horse-racing. He even teamed up with the most dominant trainer in the industry, Bob Baffert, to own the horse ‘Authentic’. The horse won the Breeders’ Cup and Kentucky Derby in 2020 before retiring.
Max Scherzer — SP (Nationals)
You may or may not remember that Scherzer has Heterochromia Iridis, meaning he has one blue eye and one brown eye. He also has three career Cy Young Awards (one in the AL, two in the NL), a World Series ring (2019), and seven All-Star Game selections.
Tim Anderson — SS (White Sox)
The 2019 AL Batting Title winner swings the bat well, and slams it well too. The shortstop’s home run celebrations include the signature bat slam.
Luke Voit — 1B (Yankees)
A lot of players are tough, but not many are as tough as Luke Voit. The 2020 MLB home run king once took a fastball to the face in 2019. In what would have been a scary moment for most, Voit walked it off and stayed in the game. No word yet on whether the ball survived the collision.
Will Smith — C (Dodgers)
Everybody grew up knowing Will Smith the actor-musician. Now, get to know Will Smith the catcher, but not to be confused with Will Smith the relief pitcher. In fact, the two faced each other in Game 5 of the 2020 NLCS and the catcher Will Smith got a hold of one, parking it deep into the left field seats. The Braves 3-1 series lead was cut to 3-2 and all of the momentum shifted in favor of the Dodgers, who ultimately won in Game 7.
Bo Bichette — SS (Blue Jays)
Bichette is an extra-base hit machine. He holds the MLB record as the only player to ever record 15 extra-base hits in his first 15 career games.
Jack Flaherty — SP (Cardinals)
In 2019, Jack set the Cardinals franchise record with 10.6 K/9. He bested that mark in 2018 and 2020 as well, but did not have enough innings to qualify. He put himself in great position to win his salary arbitration hearing this offseason.
George Springer — CF (Blue Jays)
The George Springer Kids’ Fund assists families in need with sending their child to Camp SAY (Stuttering Association for the Young). Springer himself has been vocal about overcoming the challenge of having a stutter and serves as a National Spokesperson for SAY.
Kris Bryant — 3B (Cubs)
Perhaps nobody has a wider variety of baseball accolades than Kris Bryant. In high school (2010), Bryant was selected to the All-USA baseball first team by USA Today. He then attended the University of San Diego for three years, was a three-time All-American, and won the Golden Spikes Award in 2013, leading the nation in home runs that season. He was drafted by the Cubs second overall and was awarded as the 2014 Minor League Player of the Year by USA Today and Baseball America. He was then called up to the majors and won the 2015 NL Rookie of the Year. To cap it off, Bryant took home the NL MVP and also a World Series victory in 2016.
Rafael Devers — 3B (Red Sox)
In 2017, a 20-year-old Devers hit an opposite-field home run off of Aroldis Chapman in Yankee Stadium. The pitch, at 102.8 mph was the fastest pitch ever hit for a home run (MLB began tracking this in 2008).
Ozzie Albies — 2B (Braves)
Albies is one of sixteen Curaçao-born players to ever play MLB. Out of the bunch, six are active major leaguers. The switch-hitting second baseman already has an All-Star Game selection and a Silver Slugger Award to his name.
Stephen Strasburg — SP (Nationals)
He was the first overall pick in the 2009 MLB Draft. A decade later, he led the major leagues in wins and innings pitched, then went on to win the World Series MVP. Strasburg has an immaculate inning on his resumé, too.
Blake Snell — SP (Padres)
In 2018, Snell led the major leagues in wins (21) and the AL in ERA (1.89). Those look like video game numbers, and speaking of which, Snell is a popular video game streamer in his spare time.
Randy Arozarena — LF (Rays)
The 2020 Postseason icon still qualifies as a rookie in 2021. The Cuban-born outfielder defected to Mexico and even spent the offseason riding and racing against horses.
Whit Merrifield — 2B, OF (Royals)
Watch out, Cal Ripken, Jr.! Whit Merrifield currently holds the longest active games played streak. He has played in 307 consecutive games heading into 2021.
Peter Alonso — 1B (Mets)
Hitting 53 home runs is not easy, no matter how many years you have played in the big-leagues. But Alonso did it in his first season in 2019, setting the MLB rookie home run record. He earned the NL Rookie of the Year Award during that same campaign.
Eugenio Suárez — 3B (Reds)
Suarez is a family-man, and they seem to bring him lots of good luck. In 2018, he delivered on a promise to his wife and mother when he hit a home run on Mother’s Day. In 2019, when playing in Miami, he told his wife and family he would hit a home run for them since they attended the game. Sure enough, he came through again. Then it occurred again in a 2020-version last season. In the middle of the season, the Cincinnati Reds created cardboard cutouts of Suarez’s wife and child and placed them behind home plate. In the first game the cutouts were placed there, Suarez hit a bomb. Even the cardboard family members give Eugenio the strength to put the ball over the wall.
Aaron Nola — SP (Phillies)
Aaron has a brother, Austin, who also plays in the major leagues (for the Padres). The two brothers attended the same college, LSU. Aaron was college roommates with Astros’ third baseman Alex Bregman.
Michael Brantley — DH, LF (Astros)
It makes perfect sense that Michael Brantley is the son of a former major league player and hitting coach. His father, Mickey Brantley, played for the Mariners and served as the hitting coach for the Mets and Blue Jays. The guidance paid off, as Michael ranked in the 93rd percentile in whiff rate in 2020, per Baseball Savant. His career high for strikeouts in a season is 76, which is very impressive for a 12-year veteran with 4,800 at bats. Another fun fact, Michael was the “player to be named later” in the trade that sent C.C. Sabathia to the Brewers in 2008.
Mike Yastrzemski — RF, CF (Giants)
Everybody loves a good baseball pedigree, well with Mike, we get a great one. His grandfather is the former MVP and Triple Crown winner, current Hall of Famer Carl Yastrzemski. In his first game ever at Fenway Park, Mike smashed a home run with grandpa Carl in attendance.
Max Fried — SP (Braves)
Most know about Max’s high school, Harvard-Westlake, as it produced Lucas Giolito and Jack Flaherty. That’s a pretty solid trio to come from one place. But you might not know that, although pitcher records are deployed less often these days in conversation, Max did not lose a game in the 2020 season (7-0 record).
Lucas Giolito — SP (White Sox)
Look at that, another Harvard-Westlake product! Giolito threw a no-no in 2020, and did so on only 101 pitches while racking up 13 punchies. He did so with a three-pitch mix, too. In the outing, he only used a four-seamer, a slider, and a changeup… impressive.
Matt Olson — 1B (Athletics)
He made his debut in 2016, but the stretch after his second call-up in 2017 was the most impressive. Olson played 59 games that year and laced 26 extra-base hits, 24 of which were dingers.
Anthony Rizzo — 1B (Cubs)
The Cubs legend is a plate-crowder. Over the past six seasons, Rizzo has led MLB three times in being hit by a pitch. He was plunked 30 times (!!!) in 2015.
Chris Sale — SP (Red Sox)
The lanky lefty finished in the top-6 of AL Cy Young Award voting in seven consecutive seasons (2012-2018). As he returns at some point this season from Tommy John surgery, he will be trying to prove that he is ready to return to that form in 2022, when he can pitch a full season.
Jeff McNeil — 2B, LF (Mets)
There are few, if any, better contact hitters in the league than McNeil. He has never finished a season below a batting average of .311 in his career. Versatility is part of McNeil’s game too, as he played second base, third base, left field, and right field in 2020.
Jose Altuve — 2B (Astros)
The hits machine led the American League in the category from 2014 to 2017. The fewest amount of hits he had in the timeframe was 200 knocks in 2015. He also led the AL in batting average in three of the four years.
Nelson Cruz — DH (Twins)
Nelson remains as one of the most feared hitters in baseball. Even in his age-39 season, he led the AL with 5 intentional walks. In 2020, he was in the 93rd percentile for barreled-ball percentage, and also in the 10th percentile for whiff percentage, per Baseball Savant. It is safe to say he still swings for the fences, as evidenced by his 417 career homers.
Eloy Jimenez — LF (White Sox)
The young man arrived in 2019, smacked 31 dingers, then came back in 2020 and hit the ball hard again. Per Baseball Savant in 2020, he ranked in the 98th percentile for hard-hit percentage and the 96th percentile for barreled-ball percentage.
Luis Castillo — SP (Reds)
In 2019, the changeup became Castillo’s primary pitch. Upon doing so, his ERA and HR/9 rate each dropped from the previous season. His K/9 rate also jumped to 10.7 in 2019 and 11.4 in 2020, so it is safe to say the new pitch mix is working.
Josh Hader — RP (Brewers)
The left-handed reliever has dominated hitters since his debut in 2017. He boasts a career 2.54 ERA and a ridiculous 15.3 K/9 rate. His strikeout rate and whiff rate have each ranked in the top four percent in each of the past three seasons, per Baseball Savant.
Patrick Corbin — SP (Nationals)
In 2010, Corbin was traded from the Angels to the Diamondbacks in exchange for Dan Haren. Corbin actually led the majors in shutouts in 2018, with one! How remarkable!
Tyler Glasnow — SP (Rays)
Glasnow throws heat, everybody knows that. But his fastball has a natural cut all because he suffered nerve issues that forbid him from gripping the baseball with his fingers close together, as he detailed during the ALDS.
Aroldis Chapman — RP (Yankees)
The flamethrowing closer nicknamed ‘The Cuban Missile’ has been a major leaguer for 11 years already. In 2008, he attempted to defect from Cuba, but failed to do so and was banned from the Cuban national team for a year. Just over a year later in 2009, Chapman, who re-joined the Cuban national team, traveled to the Netherlands for the World Port Tournament. Without advanced notice to his immediate family members and girlfriend (Chapman says he made the final decision to defect within the hour he did so), Chapman hopped in a car at the team hotel and left the Netherlands, establishing residency in Andorra. This made him eligible for MLB free agency for the first time.
Josh Donaldson — 3B (Twins)
The ‘Bringer of Rain’ was brought to the major leagues as a catcher. Since converting to third base, he has won an AL MVP (2015), been selected to three All-Star Games (2014-2016), won the AL Hank Aaron Award (2015), earned the NL Comeback Player of the Year Award (2019), and took home two Silver Sluggers (2015 & 2016).
Kyle Lewis — CF (Mariners)
Like Trevor Story, the callup of Kyle Lewis was met with immediate success. He joined Story to become the only other player in MLB history to homer in each of his first three major league games. Even when the calendar flipped to 2020, Lewis took the success with him and earned the AL Rookie of the Year Award.
Salvador Pérez — C (Royals)
In 2006, the Kansas City Royals signed Salvador Pérez for $65,000. They would probably do it again. Pérez turned into their franchise catcher, a World Series MVP and champion, six-time All-Star, five-time Gold Glove winner, and three-time Silver Slugger.
Dinelson Lamet — SP (Padres)
Lamet completely changed his pitch usage from 2019 to 2020, and it helped. In 2019, he threw his slider 12.2% of the time and relied primarily on his four-seam fastball, then a curveball. In 2020, he tossed the slider 53.4% of the time, kept the four-seamer, and scrapped the curveball. His ERA dropped from 4.07 to 2.09 and his BB/9 dropped from 3.7 to a 2.6 rate.
Brandon Woodruff — SP (Brewers)
This pitcher can hit, and in important spots too. He became the first and only left-handed batting pitcher to hit a home run off a left-handed pitcher in a Postseason game. In the 2018 NLCS, he drilled a four-bagger off of Clayton Kershaw.
Justin Turner — 3B (Dodgers)
Turner was drafted by the Reds, then bounced to the Orioles and Mets. The Mets non-tendered the third baseman after the 2013 season. His chances of returning to the majors were becoming slim, but Dodgers’ bench coach Tim Wallach noticed Turner hitting at an alumni game in California. The rest is history for the L.A. Legend.
Hyun Jin Ryu — SP (Blue Jays)
Ryu was the first Korean player to ever sign with an MLB team via the posting system. In 2013, he became the first Korean player to be the starting pitcher in an MLB Postseason game. Ryu’s gane flourished, and the 2019 and 2020 seasons included All-MLB Second Team selections for the lefty.
Charlie Morton — SP (Braves)
When the calendar flips to October, you are probably going to see Morton on the mound. In his career, he has won an MLB record four winner-take-all Postseason games. In 2017, he won Game 7 of the ALCS and World Series for the Astros. In 2019, he won the Wild Card game for the Rays. Then in 2020, he won Game 7 of the ALCS for the Rays against his former team, the Astros.
Liam Hendriks — RP (White Sox)
The Perth, Australia native became the AL Reliever of the Year in 2020. He has also received two nominations for the Roberto Clemente Award, to recognize the work he has done with Big League Impact and Striking Out Poverty — organizations focused on ending poverty in the Dominican Republic.
Ketel Marte — 2B, CF (Diamondbacks)
Marte finished fourth in the 2019 NL MVP race, but you can argue he started his breakout in 2018. That season, he led the majors with 12 triples, as part of his 52 extra-base hits. The switch-hitter mostly played centerfield in 2019, but moved back to second base in 2020.
Corbin Burnes — SP (Brewers)
Good luck trying to hit a home run off of Burnes, if he continues his 2020 ways. In the shortened season, he marked incredible 0.3 HR/9 and 13.3 K/9 rates in 59.2 innings.
Byron Buxton — CF (Twins)
Buxton was ranked as the top draft prospect by MLB.com for the 2012 draft class. Since then, he topped the site’s preseason prospect rankings on two occasions. The raw talent is undeniable. Buxton possesses the uncanny ability to track down fly balls in centerfield. His combination of speed and hand-eye coordination make him a pitcher’s best friend. In 2017, he won the AL Platinum Glove Award.
Yasmani Grandal — C (White Sox)
Grandal made his major league debut with the Padres against the Rockies at Coors Field. ‘Yaz’ hit a home run in the fourth inning for his first career hit, doing so from the right side of the plate. Two innings later, he recorded his second career hit, another home run, but from the left side of the dish. He became the first player in MLB history whose first two big-league hits were homers from each batter’s box.
Zac Gallen — SP (Diamondbacks)
Gallen is one of the game’s most under-appreciated young pitchers. In 152 career innings, he has posted a 2.78 ERA and 10.5 K/9 rate. He was traded from the Marlins in 2019 for Jazz Chisholm. But some might not know he was originally traded from the Cardinals to the Marlins in the 2017 trade that sent Marcell Ozuna to St. Louis.
Charlie Blackmon — RF (Rockies)
‘Chuck Nazty’ has had an amazing career so far. His best season was in 2017 when he became the first Batting Title winner to ever lead the majors in hits, runs, triples, and total bases. He also joined an exclusive club of hitters that drove in 100 runs from the leadoff spot (104 RBI in 2017).
Gio Urshela — 3B (Yankees)
Urshela has developed into one of the better all-around third basemen in the game. This must have been a surprise to at least two front offices, because twice the Colombian corner infielder was dealt in exchange for cash considerations. In fact, the Yankees only paid Toronto $25,000 for Urshela. Not a bad deal.
Willson Contreras — C (Cubs)
The Venezuelan backstop has played his entire professional career with the Cubs organization. It took about seven years, but he got the call to the majors in 2016. On the first pitch of his first at bat, he blasted a home run. It turned out to be a pretty good year for Contreras, as he went on to help the Cubs break the curse and win the World Series.
Ke’Bryan Hayes — 3B (Pirates)
Ke’Bryan is the son of former major league third baseman, Charlie Hayes. But now he is making a name for himself in the league. He put up a ridiculous 1.9 bWAR over 24 games in 2020, the season of his MLB debut.
Yordan Álvarez — DH (Astros)
Álvarez got the callup in the 2019 season and immediately began terrorizing pitchers across baseball. He slugged 27 homers and had 26 doubles in 87 games. The Cuban-born 23-year-old already has an All-MLB Second Team selection under his belt (2019).
Michael Conforto — RF (Mets)
The athlete genes are strong with this one. Michael’s mother is a three-time medalist in the Olympics, as Tracie Conforto competed in synchronized swimming for Team USA. His father, Mike Conforto, played linebacker for Penn State. Conforto had a great 2020 season, as he recorded an OPS+ of 156 and a .322 batting average.
J.D. Martinez — DH, RF, LF (Red Sox)
J.D. was released by the Houston Astros in 2014. He joined the Tigers then was traded to the Diamondbacks in 2017. Later that season, he became the 18th player in MLB history to smash 4 home runs in a game, which he did against the Dodgers. He signed with the Red Sox that following offseason and won a World Series ring in 2018 in his first season in Boston.
Joey Gallo — RF (Rangers)
Gallo played 57 games last season and was able to produce a 1.4 bWAR even while batting .181 on the year. He has 2 seasons of 40+ home runs on his resumé, so do not be surprised if he does it again in 2021.
Drew Pomeranz — RP (Padres)
Pomeranz desperately needed a reboost to his career. He found it in 2019 when the Brewers moved the lefty to the bullpen. He registered 45 strikeouts in 26.1 innings for Milwaukee, then rejoined the Padres in the offseason. He kept the momentum going in 2020 with a 1.45 ERA and enters 2021 as one of the league’s best relief pitchers.
Devin Williams — RP (Brewers)
Williams has a nasty changeup that is borderline unhittable. Need proof? In the 2020 season, he maintained a 0.33 ERA in 27 innings. His 17.7 K/9 was also extremely impressive.
Vlad Guerrero, Jr. — 1B, 3B (Blue Jays)
In 2018, Vlad Jr. played across four minor league levels and hit to a .381 average. The son of Hall of Famer Vlad Guerrero Sr. has yet to stand out at that level in the majors, is still only entering his age-22 season in 2021.
Luis Robert — CF (White Sox)
Robert started his professional career with a bang. In 28 games at the Rookie-Ball level in 2017, the White Sox stud put up a 1.027 OPS. In 2018, he struggled, but then in 2019, he stole 36 bases and recorder an OPS north of 1.000 again. He was promoted to the majors in 2020 and got himself a Gold Glove Award.
Ian Happ — CF, LF (Cubs)
In 2018, Happ batted leadoff for the Cubs on Opening Day. It was the first game of the MLB season, and he barreled the first pitch of the top of the first inning over the right field wall. It was the second time in MLB history that the first pitch of a season was hit for a home run.
Kyle Tucker — LF (Astros)
Kyle was selected in the first round of the 2015 MLB Draft when Houston picked him 5th overall. At that time, his brother Preston was on the Astros’ major league team.
Cavan Biggio — 3B, 2B, 1B (Blue Jays)
Cavan is another player that comes from a baseball family, which seems to be a theme for the Blue Jays. His father, Dante, played in the majors and his brother, Dante Jr., played minor league baseball. I wonder if they taught Cavan his plate discipline, as he has walked 112 times in 159 career games.
Sixto Sánchez — SP (Marlins)
When a pitcher throws 100-plus miles per hour, it is rare that their fastball is not their best pitch. However, that is the case with Sixto. His changeup is extremely effective and keeps hitters from jumping the fastball. He throws it to both lefties and righties and had a .148 batting average against in 2020.
Jose Berríos — SP (Twins)
Jose’s wife is the sister of Javier Baez’s wife, so that is a fun family matchup to look out for in 2021. Berríos has pitched for Puerto Rico in the 2013 and 2017 World Baseball Classics.
Keston Hiura — 1B, 2B (Brewers)
With the Brewers’ signing of Gold Glove second baseman Kolten Wong, the club moved Hiura to first base. Hiura’s 2019 rookie season included 19 homers and a 138 OPS+ in 84 games. Since he was selected with the 9th pick of the 2017 draft, that is the production the Brewers are banking on for 2021.
Max Muncy — 1B, 2B (Dodgers)
Muncy loves hitting bombs. He famously told Madison Bumgarner to get one of them “out of the ocean.” He also hit the latest walk-off home run in World Series history when he hit a towering fly ball that cleared the left/center wall in the 18th inning of Game 3 of the 2018 Fall Classic.
Brandon Lowe — 2B (Rays)
Brandon Lowe struggled during the second half of 2020 through the Postseason… until Game 2 of the World Series. Then, he “(kept) his booty back,” as his offseason hitting trainer stated, according to ESPN’s Jeff Passan. In Game 2, he led the Rays to victory by parking a pair of dingers over the left field wall. Lowe will try to do the same in 2021, as he has shown great potential since arriving in the majors in 2018.
Max Kepler — RF, CF (Twins)
Similar to former Twins manager Ron Gardenhire, Max Kepler was born in Germany. But they differed in the sense that Kepler lived in Germany throughout high school. He also happens to be reigning NL Cy Young Award winner Trevor Bauer’s worst nightmare (possibly even more so than Manny Machado). In 2019, Kepler homered in five (!!!) consecutive at bats against Bauer, including three times in one game.
Noah Syndergaard — SP (Mets)
Few pitchers in the majors have the frame and physique that ‘Thor’ possesses. Pitching might be what Syndergaard is best known for, but he can add acting to the list. He appeared on an episode of “Game of Thrones”, the HBO show he was a huge fan of, although the appearance was brief.
Starling Marté — CF (Marlins)
Contact and speed are two of Marté’s standout traits. He has ranked no lower than the thirteenth percentile in sprint speed, per Baseball Savant. In 2020, he managed to play 61 games, since he was traded midseason to the Marlins, who had more games remaining than the Diamondbacks.
Nick Madrigal — 2B (White Sox)
Madrigal is generously listed at 5’8”, but his bat-to-ball skills are heightened even for a rookie. In his debut season, he struck out 7 times in 109 plate appearances. In his two minor league seasons, he walked 51 times and struck out on 21 occasions. He has yet to record his first major league home run, but it is a safe bet that he will make contact when he is in the box.
Zack Britton — RP (Yankees)
You would have to go back to 2019 to see the last time Britton surrendered a home run to an opponent. He throws a bowling ball for a sinker and hitters have real trouble squaring it up. He is of Dominican descent on his mother’s side, so he honored her by wearing her maiden name on his uniform during Players’ Weekend of 2018.
Josh Staumont — RP (Royals)
If you see a pitch whiz by a batter at 100 miles per hour, there is a good chance it was thrown by Staumont. In 2020, he ranked in the 99th percentile in fastball velocity, according to Baseball Savant. However, he ranks in the bottom two percent in hard hit rate, likely a byproduct of his high velocity.
Franmil Reyes — DH (Indians)
‘La Mole’ means “The Beast,” and that is exactly the way to describe Reyes. The 6’5”, 265 pounder hit 37 tanks in 2019. He refined his hitting approach in 2020, focusing more on contact, so 2021 will be the year to see if he combines both skill sets.
Trent Grisham — CF (Padres)
When the Brewers drafted him in the first round of the 2015 draft, he was known as Trent Clark. But two years later, he legally changed his name to Trent Grisham, which matches his mother’s last name. He now has a Gold Glove to his name too, as he took home the award in 2020.
Aaron Hicks — CF (Yankees)
Hicks lands on this list as one of the best baseball players in the world, but he is also fantastic at golf. This offseason, a video circulated of him celebrating a hole-in-one on a par-4 at the Silverleaf Club. Hicks dominated youth competitive golf, but only started playing baseball after he learned that his father played professional baseball in the Padres’ organization for many years. Joe Hicks’ career was cut short when he was hit in the face with a pitch, breaking his orbital bone. So when Aaron wanted to play the game, the condition imposed by his father was that he had to switch-hit. Since then, Aaron has been one of the steadiest switch-hitters in baseball, only taking one month off from it, when he slumped from the left side with the Twins in 2014.
Ramon Laureano — CF (Athletics)
Laureano might have the best throwing arm in the game. He once threw a ball 321 feet to turn a double play. Baserunners will definitely be hesitant to test Laureano, because more often than not, they will be out by a mile.
Corey Kluber — SP (Yankees)
The two-time Cy Young Award winner is often referred to as the ‘Klubot’ because of his machine-like routine and practice methods. The righty once struck out 18 hitters in one outing, against the Cardinals in 2015. He is a star off the field too, as he started The Kluber Family Foundation with his wife to help chronically ill children.
Shohei Ohtani — SP, DH (Angels)
The two-way Japanese star became the first player in MLB history to be used as the automatic runner on second base to begin extra innings. It did not last long, as he was picked off. He was the 2018 AL Rookie of the Year, became the first Japanese-born MLB player to hit for the cycle (in 2019), and has an 11.1 K/9 rate in his hatching MLB pitching career. Ohtani decided to join MLB prior to his 25th birthday, foregoing the favorable rules for international free agents over that age, and resulting in his rookie pay scale structure. The decision was critiqued by many who projected him to earn well over $100 million in his first MLB contract, however Ohtani desired to compete at the major league level.
Ryan Mountcastle — LF, 1B (Orioles)
He might not have a full time defensive home quite yet, but Mountcastle can certainly rely on staying in the major leagues for a long time. He will likely play left field after playing shortstop and both corner infield spots throughout the minor leagues. He logged a very respectable 140 OPS+ in his debut season.
Marcus Semien — 2B, SS (Blue Jays)
Semien has been in the major leagues for parts of eight seasons now. In seven of them, he reported an OPS+ under 100. In the one that he went over the century mark, he flew past it with a 139 OPS+, finishing third in the AL MVP Award race.
Ian Anderson — SP (Braves)
Ian has a twin brother, Ben Anderson, who was drafted by the Texas Rangers in 2019. In Ian’s debut against the New York Yankees in 2020, he took a no-hitter into the sixth inning. It was spoiled by Luke Voit’s one out solo homer.
Dallas Keuchel — SP (White Sox)
Keuchel is a soft-throwing, “pitch to contact” type, but it works. Per Baseball Savant, he ranked in the 2nd percentile in fastball velocity, 11th percentile in strikeout percentage, and 84th percentile in hard hit percentage in 2020. Keuchel has two career All-Star selections and a Cy Young Award.
Trevor Rosenthal — RP (Athletics)
In 2015, Rosenthal set a St. Louis Cardinals franchise record when he recorded 48 saves in a single season, just one year after he put up 45 saves. He throws extremely hard and his career has resurged after injury concerns raised questions as to his longevity potential. In 2020, he slotted in the 99th percentile league-wide for strikeout percentage, fastball velocity, and xERA, according to Baseball Savant.
A.J. Pollock — LF, DH (Dodgers)
Pollock is finally a World Series champion, but he will tell you that his proudest 2020 achievement was becoming a father to a baby girl, who was miraculously born into this world amongst worrisome circumstances.
Nick Anderson — RP (Rays)
Anderson’s K/9 rate is downright ridiculous (15.0). He is already 30 years old and heading into his third season, so he did not arrive early to the big-leagues, but he did arrive ready. The righty reliever struggled in the 2020 Postseason, but he only allowed 1 run in 16.1 innings in the 2020 regular season.
Kyle Hendricks — SP (Cubs)
‘The Professor’ is a smart guy on and off the pitcher’s mound. He earned a degree in economics from Dartmouth College. He also led the major leagues in ERA with a 2.13 in 2016, the same year he helped the Cubs lift the World Series trophy for the first time in nearly eleven decades.
Zack Wheeler — SP (Phillies)
The righty starter throws hard fastballs, dotting every edge of the strike zone, but his pitching style made a unique change in 2020. His strikeout numbers actually dropped from 9.0 K/9 to 6.7 K/9 from 2019 to 2020. He still managed to put up a career best 2.92 ERA, partially because he kept the ball in the ballpark (0.4 HR/9, led the NL) and did not give up many lasers (90th percentile in hard hit rate, per Baseball Savant).
Lance Lynn — SP (White Sox)
A few years ago, Lynn reconstructed his pitch mix, throwing a barrage of fastballs at hitters. His four-seamer, sinker, and cutter combined for 90% of his pitches in 2020. This “junkball” style has been fruitful for Lynn, who finished in the top 6 of the AL Cy Young Award voting in each of the past two seasons.
Luis Severino — SP (Yankees)
‘Sevy’ is a great talent with an unfortunate history of injuries, but is slated to return in the middle of the 2021 season. He has spent his entire career in Yankees’ Pinstripes, but according to him, it almost did not happen. He nearly ended up with the Rockies and Marlins before he ultimately signed with the Yankees.
Travis d’Arnaud — C (Braves)
Although he has found a home in Atlanta with the Braves, d’Arnaud bounced around the majors for a long time. He was twice traded for former Cy Young Award winners (once in 2009 as part of a return to the Blue Jays for Roy Halladay, and once to the Mets as part of a return for R.A. Dickey). But he credits the Dodgers — a team he played one game for in 2019 — for giving him the best opportunity he had in his career. Dodgers’ President Andrew Friedman believed d’Arnaud was going to be good, but knew the Dodgers had no place to put him. Instead of holding onto d’Arnaud as a depth piece without a role on the team, he agreed to trade d’Arnaud to the Rays so he can play catcher there, but only after he first talked it over with Travis.
Garrett Crochet — RP (White Sox)
The left-handed reliever became the first player in ten years to be drafted and play a major league game before playing in a minor league game. However, he did play at the alternate site as part of the 60-man player pool prior to his call-up. When he entered the big-leagues, hitters could not touch his stuff. His fastball averages over 100 miles per hour and he did not allow a run in 6.2 innings between his debut season and Postseason.
Julio Urías — SP, RP (Dodgers)
You might notice that Urías wears eyeglasses on the playing field — and there is a reason. The young left-hander has undergone four eye surgeries in his lifetime. That has not stopped the 24 year old from finding success in the majors. He has a career 3.20 ERA in 239 innings. This past season, he recorded the final out of the World Series clincher on a strikeout of Willy Adames.
Alec Bohm — 3B (Phillies)
Third baseman power hitter Alec Bohm was not drafted out of high school, but three years later he went third overall to the Phillies in 2018. He attended Wichita State University and was teammates with current White Sox reliever Codi Heuer.
Dustin May — SP, RP (Dodgers)
Anytime a starting pitcher can reach back and hit triple digits on a given pitch, you know hitters are worried. May’s pitch menu features four grips that average 90-or-higher mile per hour. That being said, he only ranked in the 7th percentile in whiff percentage and 27th percentile in strikeout percentage, per Baseball Savant. If May is able to throw one more variant into the combination of velocity and shape, he will likely see the strikeout numbers dramatically increase.
Jordan Hicks — RP (Cardinals)
A lot of pitchers on this list throw hard, and some even throw really hard. But none of them throw as hard as Jordan Hicks. His fastball velocity ranked in the 100th percentile in 2019, but his fastball spin rate sat in the 8th percentile, as per Baseball Savant. That could be why Hicks, who has thrown 105.1 mph before, has a career 8.5 K/9. He missed time in 2019 due to an elbow injury that needed Tommy John surgery and was scheduled to return in 2020. Since he is a Type-1 diabetic, Hicks opted out of the 2020 season with concerns surrounding COVID-19.
Trey Mancini — RF, 1B, DH (Orioles)
Trey did not play during the 2020 season because he was diagnosed with cancer and entered a battle to get healthy, going through rounds of chemotherapy. Mancini is back in Spring Training this year and is set to play the 2021 season. The Orioles gain a great player back too, as Mancini already has 86 dingers in just 462 career games.
Victor Robles — CF (Nationals)
The former rookie World Series winning centerfielder relies on his speed to keep him in the lineup, despite ranking at or near the bottom of most hitting categories. Robles ranked in the top 5% in the league in sprint speed each of his first three seasons, but fell to the 22nd percentile in 2020, per Baseball Savant.
Austin Meadows — RF, DH (Rays)
Austin’s younger brother, Parker Meadows, was selected in the second round of the 2018 draft by the Tigers. Austin is already in the big-leagues and has shown that he belongs. He was an All-Star in 2019 and finished 14th in AL MVP voting that season.
Mitch Garver — C (Twins)
Garver’s 2019 season has been the highlight of his career so far. It was a monster year for the catcher, as he drilled 31 homers in just 311 at bats. His .995 OPS that year is 246 points higher than any other of his seasons.
Teoscar Hernández — RF, CF, LF (Blue Jays)
A free-swinger and home run hitter are the best ways to describe Hernández. He flashed signs of power in the bat over the two seasons prior to 2020, but he took it to another level in 2020. In just 190 at bats, he smoked 16 homers.
Rhys Hoskins — 1B (Phillies)
When he was called up to the majors in 2017, ‘Rhys Lightning’ was born. The slugger became the quickest player in MLB history to reach 10 home runs (the record has since been broken by Aristides Aquino.
Zach Plesac — SP (Indians)
His uncle Dan was a longtime major league pitcher. Now, Zach is on the brink of a special career. On September 18, 2020, he pitched an immaculate inning.
Carlos Carrasco — SP (Mets)
‘Cookie’ Carrasco is another pitcher on this list with an immaculate inning in his past. He wrote about his own experience coming from Venezuela and only eating Domino’s for 90 days in a row, since that was the only thing he knew how to order.
James Karinchak — RP (Indians)
With 32.1 innings of major league experience behind him, Karinchak has already amassed 61 strikeouts. He maintained a 17.7 K/9 in 2020 and only allowed 14 hits in 27 innings. It is safe to say that hitters are uncomfortable against him.
Kwang Hyun Kim — SP (Cardinals)
The former SK Wyverns superstar in the KBO took his talents overseas and played Major League Baseball for the first time. His success as a four-time Korean Series champion came along with him. His 1.62 ERA shined over his 39 innings in 2020.
Alex Verdugo — RF, CF, LF (Red Sox)
Verdugo grew up in Tucson, Arizona and is of Mexican descent. He even played for the Mexican National Team in the 2017 World Baseball Classic, at just 20 years old. He was traded from the Dodgers to the Red Sox in the Mookie Betts trade.
Didi Gregorius — SS (Phillies)
Sir Didi Gregorius is one of baseball’s most interesting players. The Amsterdam-born shortstop grew up in Curaçao and speaks four languages (Dutch, English, Spanish, and Papiamentu), he is an avid graphic designer, a self-taught pianist, and photographer. He was knighted after his Dutch national team won the 2011 Baseball World Cup (hence ‘Sir Didi’). His father and brother played Dutch professional baseball, and his mother played for the Dutch national softball team, while his grandfather pitched professionally in Curaçao.
Dansby Swanson — SS (Braves)
The Braves shortstop is a native Georgian. He grew up in Marietta, Georgia before attending Vanderbilt University in Tennessee. He was drafted first overall by the Diamondbacks and then traded to his home state.
Bobby Dalbec — 1B, 3B (Red Sox)
Dalbec was very accustomed to circling the bases in the minor leagues. He blasted 59 homers in 264 games between 2018 and 2019. In 2020, he was promoted to the majors and sent 8 baseballs over the outfield wall in 80 at bats.
Dylan Carlson — CF, RF, LF (Cardinals)
The switch-hitting outfielder was a first round pick in 2016 for the Cardinals. He attended Elk Grove High School in California, which has produced major leaguers Nick Madrigal, J.D. Davis, Rowdy Tellez, David Freitas, and Derek Hill all in recent years.
Ha-seong Kim — 2B, LF (Padres)
At 25 years old, Kim has already accrued 7 years of professional baseball experience in the KBO. In 2020, he hit 30 home runs, stole 23 bases, and batted .306. He was posted and signed by the Padres, who will likely utilize his versatility by moving him all around the diamond. However, he is a natural shortstop.
Zack Greinke — SP (Astros)
Greinke has a host of accolades earned over his 17-year career. He won the Cy Young Award back in 2009 and has been awarded with Gold Gloves and Silver Sluggers. But Greinke claims that his next goal is to join the 10-10 club. He currently has 9 career home runs and 9 career stolen bases, but with the universal DH looming, he does not know how many tries he will have at the achievement.
Brad Hand — RP (Nationals)
Hand led the major leagues with 16 saves in 2020. It did not even earn him a contract renewal with the Cleveland Indians, so Hand entered free agency and signed with the Nationals. Hand has been selected to two All-Star Games in his career.