MLB Top 100: #20-11
Welcome back to the countdown of my top 100 players in Major League Baseball! To find #30-21, click here or at the link at the bottom of the page.
20. William Contreras (27), 2024 rank: #30
2024: 679 PA, 23 HR, 92 RBI, 9 SB, .281/.365/.466, 131 wRC+, 6 DRS, 5.4 fWAR
William Contreras is my top catcher in baseball and seems to be the consensus top catcher for many baseball fans. Contreras is coming off of his second straight 5.0+ fWAR season, and also posted career highs in home runs and defensive runs saved from behind the plate. Contreras led all qualified catchers in 2024 in OPS and wRC+, and only his brother Wilson (who is actually no longer a catcher) leads him in both OPS and wRC+ since the start of 2022 when William introduced himself to the league as a top catcher in baseball.
19. Spencer Strider (26), 2024 rank: #10
2023 (2024 DNP): 186.2 IP, 3.86 ERA, 2.85 FIP, 1.09 WHIP, 29.2 K-BB%, 5.5 fWAR
Prior to undergoing Tommy John surgery early last season, Spencer Strider was ranked as the best pitcher in baseball on my inaugural top 100 ranking, and was my favorite to win the National League Cy Young award. Between 2022 and 2023, Strider led all starters in FIP (2.43), K% (37.4), and K-BB% (29.4), while finishing within the top ten in WHIP (1.05) and fWAR (10.3). It’s always tough to forecast what exactly we can expect from a pitcher returning from Tommy John surgery, but there were a lot of good signs that Strider has been progressing towards his Cy Young-caliber form during Spring Training.
18. Matt Olson (31), 2024 rank: #9
2024: 685 PA, 29 HR, 98 RBI, 0 SB, .247/.333/.457, 117 wRC+, 13 DRS, 3 OAA, 2.6 fWAR
Although Matt Olson took a big step back from his 2023 campaign, it was tough to leave him outside of the top 20 considering how recent it was that we got a 50+ home run/MVP-caliber season from him. Olson ranks second in fWAR (12.2) among first basemen since the start of 2022, and ranks within the top five in home runs (117), SLG (.513), ISO (.256), OPS (.862), and wRC+ (133) over that same time frame. He’s also one of the top defenders in the game at first base, and it showed last year as he led all first basemen in DRS and ranks second since the start of 2021. Olson also happens to play literally ever day. He has appeared in all 162 games in each of the last three seasons, so you can count on an above-average bat and glove to be in your lineup at first base every single day if you’re a Braves fan.
17. Fernando Tatis Jr (26), 2024 rank: #12
2024: 438 PA, 21 HR, 49 RBI, 11 SB, .276/.340/.492, 135 wRC+, 0 DRS, -1 OAA, 3.2 fWAR
Fernando Tatis Jr is one of the most exciting talents in baseball, and nearly cracked last year’s top ten based off of his elite defense that earned him the 2023 National League Platinum Glove award. His bat has been great, but hasn’t quite returned to the level it was on in his breakout season in 2021. The defensive metrics took a big step back in 2024 and Tatis missed some time due to injury which is why he gets bumped down this year. However, he doesn’t get bumped down much as I’m really betting on Tatis putting everything together this season and being a part of the MVP conversation this year. He has the potential to be one of the best hitters and defenders in the game along with the ability to steal 20+ bases. Entering just his age 26 season, there is not a whole lot of players I’d rather take into 2025.
16. Freddie Freeman (35), 2024 rank: #6
2024: 638 PA, 22 HR, 89 RBI, 9 SB, .282/.378/.476, 137 wRC+, 1 DRS, 1 OAA, 4.0 fWAR
Despite the battles Freddie Freeman faced last year, he was the last man standing at the end of the season as he held the World Series MVP trophy. His numbers in 2024 took a step back from his career best 2023, but still fell in line with an average Freddie Freeman season. He has aged gracefully into his mid-30s, and injury is the only thing I see slowing him down. He was still a top three first baseman in baseball last year according to OBP, SLG, OPS, wRC+, and fWAR, and also remained above-average defensively. Aside from the shortened 2020 season (in which Freeman won MVP), Freddie has posted 4.0+ fWAR in every season since 2016, and I would imagine he does the same in 2025 if the health gods are good to him.
15. Tarik Skubal (28), 2024 rank: #90
2024: 192.0 IP, 2.39 ERA, 2.49 FIP, 0.92 WHIP, 25.6 K-BB%, 5.9 fWAR
Although this is not the case for me (yet), Tarik Skubal is widely regarded as the best pitcher in all of baseball after a stellar 2024 in which Skubal took home a triple crown and the American League Cy Young award. Skubal finished second across both leagues in ERA, FIP, WHIP, K% (30.3), K-BB%, and fWAR - trailing only his Cy Young counterpart Chris Sale in each category. Skubal has been the best pitcher in baseball since the start of 2023 on a rate basis as he leads all pitchers in ERA (2.51), FIP (2.35), WHIP (0.91), and K-BB% (26.4). The only factor that keeps him from the top spot among pitchers is the lack of postseason track record, so I’ll let you decide who you think the number one pitcher will be.
14. Bryce Harper (32), 2024 rank: #11
2024: 631 PA, 30 HR, 87 RBI, 7 SB, .285/.373/.525, 145 wRC+, 5 DRS, 7 OAA, 5.2 fWAR
For as long as Bryce Harper is playing baseball, I expect him to land right here just outside of the top ten. He’s arguably a top ten hitter in the league and made a seamless transition to first base establishing himself as one of the best defenders at the position in the middle of his career. He absolutely rakes in the playoff as well. He has the second most postseason plate appearances since the start of 2022 and also owns the second highest OPS (1.153) and wRC+ (208). In the regular season over the same time frame, Harper is a top ten hitter in the game according to OBP (.380), SLG (.513), OPS (.893), and wRC+ (143). Harper was also a top five defender at first base last year according to both DRS and OAA.
13. Zack Wheeler (35), 2024 rank: #17
2024: 200.0 IP, 2.57 ERA, 3.13 FIP, 0.96 WHIP, 21.9 K-BB%, 5.4 fWAR
Zack Wheeler is my top pitcher in baseball entering 2025. He entered 2024 as my third best pitcher only behind Spencer Strider and Gerrit Cole who he obviously passed up due to their injuries, while I believe he did enough to remain higher than Tarik Skubal. He’s consistently one of the most valuable pitchers in baseball year in and year out as he finished third in fWAR last year, and leads all pitchers in fWAR (15.5) since 2022 by nearly a two win margin. The postseason success is a huge factor for why Wheeler is the best in the game as well. He has thrown a league-leading 68.2 postseason innings since the start of 2022 and owns a 2.23 ERA, 2.69 FIP, 0.73 WHIP, and a 24.4 K-BB% over that time frame.
12. Jose Ramirez (32), 2024 rank: #20
2024: 682 PA, 39 HR, 118 RBI, 41 SB, .279/.335/.537, 141 wRC+, 6 DRS, 3 OAA, 6.5 fWAR
In year 11, Jose Ramirez arguably posted a career year. It was career highs in both home runs and stolen bases as he nearly joined the 40 HR/40 SB club. It was his sixth season with at least 6.0 fWAR and also yet another season of above-average defense. He has been the best third baseman in baseball for what has felt like almost a decade, and there’s no reason to believe he’s going to take a significant step back in 2025.
11. Francisco Lindor (31), 2024 rank: #15
2024: 689 PA, 33 HR, 91 RBI, 29 SB, .273/.344/.500, 137 wRC+, 1 DRS, 16 OAA, 7.8 fWAR
Shortstop has become such a loaded position in Major League baseball that Francisco Lindor is only my fourth best shortstop headed into 2025 after coming off of an MVP-runner up. 2024 was a career year for Lindor according to fWAR, and was also his fourth 30 home run/20 stolen base season. The defense at shortstop is premium as well as Lindor finished second at the position in OAA, Fangraphs DEF (17.6), and Fielding Run Value (12). At the plate among qualified shortstops, Lindor is a top ten hitter since the start of 2022 according to home runs (90), SLG (.473), OPS (.813), and wRC+ (128). No other shortstop has more fWAR (19.7) in the same time frame.
