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Who’s The Best Player in the MLB Right Now?

For quite some time now, Aaron Judge and Shohei Ohtani have been Major League Baseball’s best players, and with both winning three MVP’s in the past four years, it’s safe to say that the respect they’ve got has been earned. However, with a new generation coming through, the players that have dominated the league for years are being pushed hard, with a whole new group of players ready to take over.

Those veterans aren’t giving up their spot at the top either, and with so many competitive teams around the league this season, there’s never been a bigger group of players at the top in history. However, only a select few can be considered among the elite in MLB, and after six weeks of the 2026 season, these are our top 10 players in the league.

Here is a look at the Top 10 Best MLB Players 2026 rankings list:

Honorable Mention

Nico Hoerner

Team: Chicago Cubs

Position: second base

The Chicago Cubs have built one of the deepest teams in all of baseball, and through it all, it’s second baseman Nico Horner that has become a major leader of the team. While he’s driven in 23 runs and hit 4 bombs, it’s the average that’s the most impressive, as he has hit .307 to this point, and with the high level defense, he’s as well rounded a defender as anyone in the sport.

Around him, there’s been some very impressive performers, but to this point, no one has put it together like Hoerner, who is establishing himself as one of the top players in baseball at the position. If he keeps this up, he’ll garner some serious attention for MVP, and with balance and talent at every skill, he’s coming into his prime as a player at 28-years of age.

Max Fried

Team: New York Yankees

Position: starting pitcher

The New York Yankees entered the 2026 season with a very unhealthy starting rotation, as the team still don’t have either Carlos Rodon or Gerrit Cole back on the mound. In their place, the team have turned to the duo of Cam Schlittler and Max Fried, and across 41.1 innings of work, it’s been the latter that’s led their pitching staff to immense success.

In that time, he has a 2.40 ERA and 32 strikeouts, and while he may be overshadowed when the team get fully healthy, as of right now, he’s the clear ace of this staff. The numbers may not be enough to get him into the top-10, but if the Yankees get back to the World Series in 2026, Fried will be just as big a reason as anyone on this loaded team.

Top 10 MLB Players 2026 Rankings

10. Mason Miller

Team: San Diego Padres

Position: Closer

The last relief pitcher to win the Cy Young was Eric Gagne way back in 2003, and while no one has come close since then, San Diego’s Mason Miller may be the favorite for the award early in 2026. Across 13 appearances (13.1 innings) this season, Miller has 10 saves, a perfect ERA of 0.00 and an absolutely insane 27 strikeouts, becoming close to unhittable.

Sure, we’ve seen dominant relievers before, but nothing at this level, and with a WAR of 1.0, he’s by far and away the best reliever in the entire sport. If he can keep this up through a full season, 2026 may end as one of the greatest pitching seasons in Major League Baseball history, and for now, he’s more than earned a spot on this list.

9. Vladimir Guerrero Jr.

Team: Toronto Blue Jays

Position: First base

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. comes from an iconic baseball family, and after being drafted to the Toronto Blue Jays, the young star has made the franchise his own. Last season, he signed a massive deal worth $500 million before going on an iconic playoff run, and in 2026, he’s solidified himself as the leader and the face of the Blue Jays franchise.

While the home run numbers aren’t quite there as he has just two, he’s hitting for great average at .340 with an OBP of .426, and given the elite defense he plays at first base, he’s clearly among the elite players in baseball. To be a true MVP candidate, he’ll need to find that power, and he may do that when the lineup gets fully healthy, but for now, he’s doing enough to be considered a top-10 player in the sport.

8. Andy Pages

Team: Los Angeles Dodgers

Position: center field

If anyone predicted a member of the Los Angeles Dodgers team would be on this list, it would be Shohei Ohtani or one of their other big names, but to this point, it’s been all about Andy Pages. On paper, he’s been a very good player for them over the past few seasons, but in 2026, despite all of the attention that those big stars get, it’s been Pages that’s delivered on a consistent basis.

In 28 games, Pages is fifth in baseball in average at .337 while being third in RBI at 25 and hitting five home runs, making him one of the most productive players in baseball. Sure, you can argue that the talent around him helps these numbers just as much as the player himself, but with those numbers, it’s hard to deny just how impressive he’s been early in the Dodgers campaign for three straight World Series.

7. Sal Stewart

Team: Cincinnati Reds

Position: first base

There’s just one rookie on this list, and while he’s going to have to prove himself over a long season, there’s no way to deny just how dominant Sal Stewart has been for the Cincinnati Reds. Not only is he hitting for power (9 home runs) and average (.291 through 28 games), but Stewart leads all of baseball in RBI with an impressive 29 thus far.

The defense at first base has been more than respectable as well, and he’s become a major part of the early season success for the Reds as they sit at 18-10 and first in the NL Central. Whether he ends up on this list at seasons end or not, only time will tell, but after the immediate impact, Stewart has been amongst the leagues best, and if he keeps this up, Rookie of the Year may not be his only honor in 2026.

6. Paul Skenes

Team: Pittsburgh Pirates

Position: Starting pitcher

From the moment he stepped foot on a mound for the Pittsburgh Pirates, Paul Skenes has been baseball’s best starter, but in 2026, things started off on the worst possible foot after he gave up 5 earned runs in just 0.2 innings. Since that point however, Skenes has been utterly ridiculous, allowing just 3 earned runs across 28.1 innings of work, taking his ERA down to 2.48.

That comes on the back of his first two full seasons in which he had an ERA under 2.00, and with 30 strikeouts in 29.0 innings, he’s clearly back to his best. Last season, the 23-year old was crowned as baseball’s best pitcher, and while there’s some great competition, there’s absolutely no doubting the fact that he’ll be at the top of the Cy Young race again in 2026.

5. Jose Soriano

Team: Los Angeles Angels

Position: Starting pitcher

Coming into this season, nobody in Major League Baseball expected a Los Angeles Angels pitcher to be dominating the top of the Cy Young race, but in six appearances, it’s been all about Jose Soriano. In that time, he has tossed 37.2 innings and posted an incredible ERA of 0.24, allowing just one earned run in that time while striking out 43 hitters.

In those six starts, the Angels have gone 6-0, and while he averages just over six innings per start, he’s easily the most valuable starting pitcher in the entire league. Across four seasons, Soriano has an ERA of 3.51, so it’s unclear how long he can keep this up, but if he’s even close to as good as this throughout the remainder of 2026, he’ll no doubt finish the year atop the Cy Young voting in the American League.

4. Matt Olson

Team: Atlanta Braves

Position: First base 

Last season, Matt Olson along with the rest of the Atlanta Braves team had a down year, but early in 2026, the entire squad has bounced back as they own MLB’s best record thus far at 20-9. Unsurprisingly, that means the power numbers are back for Olson, as he has 8 big flies and 25 RBI through just 115 at bats early in the season.

With the protection that Ronald Acuna’s return brings, Olson has once again become comfortable at the plate, at thus far, he’s the biggest reason for the Braves success. We’ve seen Olson hit over 50 home runs before in his career, and even if he doesn’t get to that mark again in 2026, with the elite level defense he plays, there’s no doubting he’ll be among the MVP candidates in the National League this season.

3. Aaron Judge

Team: New York Yankees

Position: Right Fielder

When healthy, there’s been no one-way player better than Aaron Judge over the past five seasons, and while the power numbers have slowed down early in 2026, he remains an incredibly effective player with a WAR of 1.2 early in the season. In 28 games thus far, Judge has 10 big flies and 18 runs driven in through his first 100 at bats, there’s still a chance he takes a step back, but given how he warms up throughout a season, it’s only a matter of time until he gets going.

Even at less than 100%, Judge remains one of baseball’s best players, and after back-to-back MVP’s in the American League, it looks like we’re in for another season of elite level play from the New York Yankees captain.

2. Yordan Alvarez

Team: Houston Astros

Position: Left Field

Last season was Yordan Alvarez’ worst in Major League Baseball, as he was plagued due to injury, playing in just 48 games and hitting a career worst .273 in that time. In 2026, he’s come back with a vengence, and despite the Houston Astros struggles, hitting 11 home runs and driving in 26 runs in just 29 games played.

Right now, he will be considered the favorite to win MVP in the American League, and given that we’ve seen him hit 30+ home runs in four straight full seasons, there’s no reason to doubt he can keep up his play at this level. If he does, it’s only a matter of time until the Astros can turn things around, and after back-to-back Aaron Judge MVP’s, he’s certainly got some competition from Houston’s slugger in 2026.

1. Shohei Ohtani

Team: Los Angeles Dodgers

Position: Pitcher/DH

Ever since he arrived in Major League Baseball, Shohei Ohtani has been the best player in the league, and in 2026, despite the numbers not reflecting it perfectly, he remains baseball’s top player. At the plate, Ohtani has 6 home runs and 12 RBI, and while that’s not the production we’ve become accustomed too, it’s only a matter of time until he bounces back to 2025 form when he hit 55 home runs and drove in 102 runs.

On the mound, Ohtani has been utterly dominant, compiling a 0.38 ERA across 24.0 innings of work with 25 strikeouts, putting him firmly in the Cy Young race. After Since joining the Dodgers, Ohtani has won back-to-back MVP awards, and while the numbers at the plate aren’t his best right now, given what we’ve seen in the past, there’s no reason to doubt that he’s still the best player in baseball.

With the 2026 MLB season in full swing, let us know who you think the best players in the league have been this year.

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