MLB Top 100: #30-21
Welcome back to the countdown of my top 100 players in Major League Baseball! To find #40-31, click here or at the link at the bottom of the page.
30. Jarren Duran (29), 2024 rank: N/A
2024: 735 PA, 21 HR, 75 RBI, 34 SB, .285/.342/.492, 129 wRC+, 23 DRS, 11 OAA, 6.7 fWAR
Jarren Duran had one of the better breakout seasons last year on his way to an All-Star game MVP and a top ten finish in fWAR. Duran was one of ten players last year with a 20 home run/30 stolen base campaign. Defensively, Duran was a wizard, leading all center fielders in DRS (17) despite not qualifying for the leaderboard with enough innings. He also finished top ten in DRS as a left fielder as well. Duran should leverage his career year into another productive season, although I’m not convinced he can repeat the level of production he saw in 2024 which is why he’ll fall at 30 despite putting up one of the better all-around seasons in baseball last year.
29. Cal Raleigh (28), 2024 rank: #49
2024: 628 PA, 34 HR, 100 RBI, 6 SB, .220/.312/.436, 117 wRC+, 17 DRS, 5.4 fWAR
Cal Raleigh is my second best catcher in the big leagues, and I wouldn’t argue with you if you said he was the best. He was a top three defensive catcher in baseball last year according to DRS, Fangraphs DEF (23.8), and Framing Value (12.9). On top of being a world class defender behind the plate, Raleigh is one of the best switch-hitting power hitters in the game. Among qualified catchers, Raleigh trailed only William Contreras for the lead league in wRC+ while hitting the most home runs. There aren’t a whole lot of catchers like Raleigh that can pick it behind the plate and hit at a high level from both sides of the batter’s box.
28. Austin Riley (28), 2024 rank: #23
2024: 469 PA, 19 HR, 56 RBI, 0 SB, .256/.322/.461, 116 wRC+, 0 DRS, -4 OAA, 2.4 fWAR
It was an injury-riddled down year for Austin Riley in 2024, but I still believe he is at least a top three third baseman in the game. No other third baseman has more home runs than Riley since the start of 2022 as he also lands within the top five among third basemen in SLG (.507), OPS (.848), and wRC+ (131). Defensively, while OAA isn’t as kind to Riley as DRS, only four third basemen have logged more DRS than Riley since the start of 2021. He has gold-glove and silver slugger upside at the hot corner. He of course gets bumped a slight bit due to the lack of production in 2024, but sticks around in the top 30 because I believe he’s in for a big bounce back in 2025.
27. Garrett Crochet (26), 2024 rank: N/A
2024: 146.0 IP, 3.58 ERA, 2.69 FIP, 1.07 WHIP, 29.6 K-BB%, 4.7 fWAR
Garrett Crochet broke on to the scene in 2024 as one of the top pitchers in baseball and has already earned a lot of consideration as a pre-season American League Cy Young favorite. Crochet’s 2024 campaign was so dominant, but the only thing it lacked was volume. He only threw 146 innings even though he started 32 games, so he has yet to show that he is a true work horse that can pitch deep into games every five days. Minimum 140 innings, Crochet led all pitchers in K% (35.1), K-BB% (29.6), and xFIP (2.38), while he finished third overall in FIP. At just 26 years old, there’s a lot to like about Crochet if he can bear upwards of 180+ innings in 2025.
26. Ketel Marte (31), 2024 rank: #53
2024: 583 PA, 36 HR, 95 RBI, 7 SB, .292/.372/.560, 151 wRC+, 10 DRS, 8 OAA, 6.3 fWAR
Ketel Marte’s career year in 2024 was a whole lot of fun to watch as the second baseman finished third in National League MVP voting. He saw career highs across the board both offensively and defensively, and was also coming off of a stellar postseason run in 2023. He is undoubtedly the best second baseman in baseball, and it showed in his 6.3 fWAR which ranked tenth among position players last year. Marte has always been an above average defender at second base, but he really showed up with the glove last year, finishing within the top five among qualified second basemen in DRS, OAA, UZR (2.7), and Fangraphs DEF (7.1). Given Marte is still in the prime of his career, it’s going to take a big season elsewhere to dethrone Marte as the top second baseman in the game.
25. Elly De La Cruz (23), 2024 rank: N/A
2024: 696 PA, 25 HR, 76 RBI, 67 SB, .259/.339/.471, 118 wRC+, -2 DRS, 15 OAA, 6.4 fWAR
Similar to Jarren Duran earlier on this list, Elly De La Cruz had one of the more impressive breakout campaigns in baseball. He was just the fourth player in Major League history with at least 20 home runs and 60 stolen bases, and was the first shortstop to do so. De La Cruz brings freakish tools to the table that provide MVP upside if everything clicks right. Offensively, he still struggles with high strikeout rates, but also hits the ball so hard and possesses elite speed that helps to mitigate his concerns in the contact department. He’s one of the better defensive shortstops in the game as well which seems to go overlooked just because of how exciting he is in other facets of the game. He gets the switch hitter bump as well. Entering just his age 23 season, it’s tough to forecast just how good Elly can be.
24. Paul Skenes (23), 2024 rank: N/A
2024: 133.0 IP, 1.96 ERA, 2.44 FIP, 0.95 WHIP, 26.8 K-BB%, 4.3 fWAR
Paul Skenes is the highest ranking player on my top 100 that was not on the list last year. Although track record is obviously a big theme when it comes to these rankings, I had a hard time leaving a pitcher as young and as talented as Skenes outside of the top 25. He only threw 133 innings last year due to not being called up to the Pirates until May, but still managed to win National League Rookie of the Year and also earned Cy Young consideration. There’s no reason he shouldn’t get that innings mark closer to 200 this year, and if he does so, there’s a good chance he’s taking home the hardware at just 23 years old. Minimum 130 innings last year, Skenes led the league in ERA, while finishing second in FIP, K% (33.1), and K-BB%.
23. Julio Rodriguez (24), 2024 rank: #13
2024: 613 PA, 20 HR, 68 RBI, 24 SB, .273/.325/.409, 116 wRC+, 3 DRS, 7 OAA, 3.8 fWAR
Julio Rodriguez is a player in which I’m betting on upside over track record. Based on 2024, Rodriguez’s numbers don’t warrant a top 25 ranking. However, this is a young star that has two 20 home run/20 stolen base campaigns and a 30 home run/30 stolen base campaign in as many years. He also plays well above average center field defense. Julio has been a player that has floated around the preseason MVP conversation in each of the last two seasons, and it feels like he should finally fulfill those expectations here in year four.
22. Corbin Burnes (30), 2024 rank: #19
2024: 194.1 IP, 2.92 ERA, 3.55 FIP, 1.10 WHIP, 17.0 K-BB%, 3.7 fWAR
Although the decline in K% has become a big narrative surrounding Corbin Burnes, this is still one of the best pitchers over the last five years. Since the start of 2020, Burnes is a top ten pitcher in the game according to ERA (2.88), FIP (3.01), WHIP (1.02), BAA (.203), K-BB% (22.2), fWAR (21.7), and innings pitched (816.2). His K% has decreased in every season since 2020, but has remained as one of the top arms in the game when it comes to limiting free passes and hard contact. Despite a career low in K% in 2024, Burnes still managed a top ten finish in ERA. He knows how to get outs deep into games with the best of them, and there’s no reason to believe he won’t continue to do so in 2025.
21. Vladimir Guerrero Jr (25), 2024 rank: #64
2024: 697 PA, 30 HR, 103 RBI, 2 SB, .323/.396/.544, 165 wRC+, -1 DRS, -8 OAA, 5.5 fWAR
Is it crazy to say that I have Vladimir Guerrero Jr as my fourth best first baseman in baseball while he still falls within the top 25 on this ranking? While he had a monster season in 2024 that resembled his MVP-caliber campaign in 2021, his recent track record has been a bit rocky. His numbers declined year to year after 2021 which makes it tough to decide whether or not his 2024 was a blip on the radar or if it is what we can expect from Vlad year in and year out from now on as he has matured as a big league ballplayer. Even then, 21 feels a bit high for a poor defensive first baseman that has struggled to remain consistent over the years. However, we are still talking about one of the more advanced and powerful hitters in baseball when everything is clicking.
