The MLB is amidst its spring training games, and many fans are getting a first look at their favorite team's newest members. This offseason has been one of the most memorable in recent history, with top players at their positions switching teams. High-profile players like Shohei Ohtani, Juan Soto, and Corbin Burnes joined new ball clubs this winter.
The MLB has done its best job of making the sport more exciting to the younger generation by implementing rule changes that make it faster pace. Baseball is in a new era with the rule changes along with the super-talented players who now rule the MLB landscape.
The days of power hitters who can’t run and speedsters who can’t hit are no more. In baseball's modern era, the best players can hit home runs and steal bases. Mike Trout seemed to be the prototype for the new era of players dominating the league. When Trout came into the league, his mix of power and speed was an anomaly that only a few players before him had possessed. The three-time MVP was on a different level in many advanced metrics that also were taking over the league.
As we head into the 2024 season, Trout is still one of the best players in the league, but is he still sitting atop his position? This article will list the top players at each position and give some evidence to support the claim.
Starting Pitcher – Corbin Burns (Orioles)
It’s hard to predict who will be the best pitcher each year, but Corin Burns is at the top of a short list of players who are in their prime and have been dominating the past few years. The 2021 NL Cy Young is entering his seventh season, first with the Orioles, the second team of his career. Burns was a three-time All-Star with the Brewers, the NL strikeout leader in 2022, and the NL ERA leader in 2021. Burns is a strikeout pitcher with 870 in his career, and he is adding a second curveball this season that he will throw in a strikeout situation.
Honorable Mention
Relief Pitcher – Devin Williams (Brewers)
The 2020 NL Rookie of the Year has been a batter’s worst nightmare since joining the league. Devin Williams is also 29 years old, like his former teammate above, but has only three seasons in the majors, and in those seasons, he has already won two NL Reliever of the Year awards. Williams has a career ERA of 1.89 with 337 strikeouts and 54 career saves. Williams only throws two pitches, a 4-seam-fastball, and a circle change nicknamed the ‘Airbender’ due to its ridiculous movement. The ‘Airbender’ is so dominant it reminds me of Mariano Rivera’s cut-fastball, one of baseball's most iconic pitches.
Honorable Mention
Catcher – Adley Rutschman (Orioles)
Adley Rutschman was the first overall selection in the 2019 Major League Baseball draft and is living up to the hype. Rutschman quickly became the best at his position, winning his first Silver Slugger Award last season. The Oregon State standout is a switch hitter who can hit for power from both sides of the plate. He finished last season with a BA of .277 and 20 home runs. Rutschman is already at the top of his position and is still improving.
Honorable Mention
- Will Smith, LAD
- Sean Murphy, ATL
- J.T. Realmuto, PHI
- William Contreras, MIL
First Basemen – Freddie Freeman (Dodgers)
Freddie Freeman is a seven-time All-Star who has continually gotten better. Freeman has been voted to the All-MLB First Team twice in 2023 and 2020, winning the NL MVP in 2020. Last year, Freeman had one of the best seasons of his outstanding career. He became the only first baseman in history to have 20 home runs, 20 steals, and 200 hits in the same season. In 161 games, Freeman amassed a .331 batting average, 211 hits, 29 home runs, 102 RBI, 102 runs scored, and an MLB-leading 59 doubles. Defensively, he committed only one error in 1,260 total chances in 1,378.1 innings for a league-leading .999 fielding percentage at his position.
Honorable Mention
- Bryce Harper, PHI
- Matt Olson, ATL
- Paul Goldschmidt, STL
- Yandy Díaz, TB
Second Basemen – Mookie Betts (Dodgers)
Mookie Betts is one of the most versatile and decorated players in the MLB right now, with two World Series victories and an NL MVP to his name. He is also a six-time Silver Slugger and Gold Glove Award winner, along with his seven All-Star appearances. All that was when he was primarily playing right field. Last season, he started playing more second base and showed off his crazy versatility with his first appearance at shortstop. This season, he is expected to play second base primarily, and yes, he instantly becomes the best second baseman in the game (no offense to the guys below).
Honorable Mention
- Jose Altuve, HOU
- Marcus Semien, TEX
- Luis Arraez, MIA
- Andrés Giménez, CLE
Third Basemen – José Ramírez (Guardians)
Jose Ramirez has been one of the best third basemen in the league since 2017, earning four Silver Slugger Awards. He is the undoubted leader for Cleveland, who severely struggled to hit the ball last season. He joined the 30-30 Club in 2018 and had his best season in 2020, leading the league in extra-base hits, runs created, and Power-Speed numbers. In 2023, Ramirez batted .282/.356/.475, led the AL in intentional walks (22) and was second in the AL in walks/strikeouts (1.00). If the Guardians batters around Ramirez can improve in 2024, so will the five-time All-Star third baseman.
Honorable Mention
- Austin Riley, ATL
- Manny Machado, SD
- Rafael Devers, BOS
- Gunnar Henderson, BAL
Shortstop – Corey Seager (Rangers)
Corey Seager has won two World Series with two different teams after he led the Rangers to the franchise’s first-ever championship last season. Seager was the MVP of the World Series in 2020 when the Dodgers won it and again last season for the Rangers. He became the fourth player to win the award twice, joining Sandy Koufax, Bob Gibson, and Reggie Jackson. He and Jackson are the only players to do it with multiple teams, and Seager is the first to win the award in the NL and AL. In 2023, Seager batted .327/.390/.623 with 33 home runs and a career-high 96 RBI, leading the AL in doubles (42), which was good enough for his third Silver Slugger Award.
Honorable Mention
Left Fielder – Yordan Alvarez (Astros)
Yordan Alvarez was the 2019 Al Rookie of the Year and has been a part of the All-MLB First or Second team every year he has been in the league except 2020 – which he sat out after receiving arthroscopic surgery on both knees. Alvarez, a Silver Slugger Award winner and a World Series champ in 2022, followed it up with another great season last year. In 2023, he appeared in 114 games, batting .293/.407/.583/.990 for a 170 OPS+, with 77 runs scored, 31 home runs, and 97 RBI. Alvarez was first in win probability added (WPA, 4.7) last season, which is a stat that measures his impact on a game.
Honorable Mention
- Brandon Nimmo, NYM
- Nolan Jones, COL
- Randy Arozarena, TB
- Lars Nootbaar, STL
Center Fielder – Aaron Judge (Yankees)
Aaron Judge busted on the MLB scene in 2016, hitting a home run in his first two major league games. That season ended prematurely due to injury, so his official rookie season was 2017. In 2017, he set the record for most home runs by a rookie with 52 and led the American League in home runs, runs scored (128), and walks (a major-league rookie record 127). He became the first rookie in MLB history with at least 45 home runs, 100 RBIs, and 100 runs scored. Since then, he has been doing more of the same, hitting home runs and striking out. In 2022, he set the record for the most home runs in AL history with 62. Last season, Judge became the fastest to reach 250 career home runs in 810 games. Judge was drafted as a center fielder and has mainly played right field for the Yankees, but it has been announced he will play center this season.
Honorable Mention
- Julio Rodríguez, SEA
- Mike Trout, LAA
- Luis Robert Jr., CWS
- Byron Buxton, MIN
Right Field – Ronald Acuña Jr. (Braves)
Saving the best for last, Ronald Acuna Jr. is easily the best at his current position. Acuña Jr. is a two-time Silver Slugger Award winner and has led the league in steals twice. He is coming off his best season, winning the NL MVP and the Hank Aaron Award, the best hitter in each league voted by fans and MLB media. Acuña joined the 40–40 club for the first time in his career, becoming the first player in MLB history to record 40 home runs and 60 stolen bases in the same season. He finished the regular season with a .337 batting average, 41 home runs, 106 RBIs, 73 steals, 217 hits, 149 runs, and 383 total bases. Each of the latter four statistics led Major League Baseball. Acuña, who is extremely exciting to watch, is in the mold of Mike Trout and the next evolution of the MLB wrapped into a player.
Honorable Mention
- Kyle Tucker, HOU
- Juan Soto, NYY
- Fernando Tatis Jr., SD
- George Springer, TOR
