MLB Network has been working on a top 100 list of the best players in the league right now.
For weeks, they have been gathering fan votes and discussing all players to come up with the final rankings.
They have been releasing them in groups of 10 players at a time, and we have finally arrived to the last part: the top 10.
Determining the best player in the league at the moment is always a debatable exercise.
That’s the idea: to generate a discussion, within the limits of respect, of course.
The league published the top 10 players in the league right now, and Atlanta Braves star Ronald Acuna Jr., unsurprisingly, was ranked number one.
The moment has arrived.
The top 10 players in baseball, as seen on @MLBNetwork’s #Top100RightNow. pic.twitter.com/Iu5xRvt6iO
— MLB (@MLB) February 22, 2024
Acuna is fresh off a season in which he hit .337, had a 1.012 OPS, homered 41 times, and stole 73 bases.
He also scored 149 runs (!) and drove in 106, with a whopping 217 hits.
The Braves offense was historic in 2023, and Acuna was a big reason why.
His presence as the top-ranked player should surprise no one.
The second and third positions, however, were a bit shocking.
Shohei Ohtani was ranked fourth, below Mookie Betts and Aaron Judge.
It’s odd, because Ohtani was the AL MVP (for the second time in the last three seasons, no less) and he is unique in many ways.
You can even make the case that he belongs at the top instead of Acuna.
Still, it’s hard to argue against a player who just became the first member of the 40-70 club.
Acuna had a year for the ages, and he is deservedly recognized as the best player in MLB right now.
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