Top 10 MLB Player Rankings - May 2023
Ranking the best players in baseball right now for the MLB 2023 Season as Shohei Ohtani lead the way
The 2023 major league baseball schedule rolls into Mid-March as the dog days of summer are fast approaching for fans, teams and players. The start to another great baseball season has continued for many teams as well as players in both the American League and National League.
This includes 10 MLB players who are off to hot starts and are well deserving of a spot on the Top 10 MLB Players 2023 Rankings list. One of those players is the Los Angeles Angels starting pitcher and designated hitter Shohei Ohtani.
Ohtani who continues to marvel fans around the world with his ability to rank among the best pitchers in baseball as well as the best hitter in baseball.
Something that has not been seen since the likes of Babe Ruth. As Ohtani ranks among the best players in Major League Baseball through the early part of May 2023, he is just one of the great players putting together a strong season.
Other MLB players well deserving of a mention include Luis Arraez of the Miami Marlins, Shane McClanahan of the Tampa Bay Rays, Bo Bichette of the Toronto Blue Jays, and Gerrit Cole of the New York Yankees. Here is a look at the Top 10 MLB Players 2023 Rankings list.
Honorable Mention
Randy Arozarena
Team: Tampa Bay Rays
Position: Left Fielder
Landing just outside of the best players in the MLB right now list is the Tampa Bay Rays left fielder Randy Arozarena. It is hard not to include the Rays left fielder among the best players in baseball to start the 2023 MLB season.
Currently the Rays hold the best record in baseball with a long list of players performing well including Arozarena. The 28-year-old outfielder currently ranks in the top 10 in batting average (.328), home runs (9), runs batted in (30), OPS (.988), slugging percentage (.588).
Zac Gallen
Team: Arizona Diamondbacks
Position: Starting Pitcher
One MLB player that is often getting overlooked this season is the Arizona Diamondbacks starting pitcher Zac Gallen. Gallen who is 27 years old has started off strong for the Diamondbacks this season while pitching to a 5-1 record to start the season.
The five wins ties Gallen with six other players for the second most wins in the majors. To go along with those numbers Gallen has pitched to a 2.36 earned run average while striking out 11.6 batters per nine innings. In five of his eight starts during the 2023 MLB schedule the Diamondbacks starter has allowed one or fewer runs.
Top 10 MLB Players
10. Justin Steele
Team: Chicago Cubs
Position: Starting Pitcher
Coming in at number 10 on the best baseball player 2023 Rankings list is another 27-year-old starting pitcher who is coming into his own for the Chicago Cubs.
That pitcher is Justin Steele who is pitching in the majors for his third straight season. Steele is off to the best start of his career recording five wins over his first seven outings while topping his total win total of four in each of the past seasons.
Over those seven starts, Steel has allowed just nine earned runs over 43.1 innings of work while pitching to a 1.45 earned run average mark and a .95 WHIP.
9. Rafael Devers
Team: Boston Red Sox
Position: Third Baseman
Entering the season coming off landing a huge pay day during the off season the Boston Red Sox third baseman is continuing his success in the major leagues.
Devers, who is only 26 years old, is continuing his production as a run producer and big bat for the Red Sox. In 35 games over the course of the season Devers has posted nine home runs, 11 doubles, and 34 home runs while scoring 35 runs.
Currently Devers ranks 2nd in MLB in home runs, 9th in Doubles, and 2nd in runs batted in. Only thing holding Devers back from a top five position is the .250 batting average and .301 on base percentage marks.
8. Ronald Acuna Jr.
Team: Atlanta Braves
Position: Right Fielder
After missing time to start the 2022 MLB season, Ronald Acuna Jr is off to a strong start this season while ranking among the leaders in batting average (.338), hits (46), and on base percentage (.431).
The Atlanta Braves leader is as good as any hitter in Major League Baseball while showing his ability to not only hit for power but hit for average as well as work a pitching count while recording 21 walks to just 23 strikeouts this season. His strong play at the plate has helped the Braves get off to a hot start in the National League East to start 2023.
7. Brent Rooker
Team: Oakland A’s
Position: Left Fielder
One name that might not be too familiar for many baseball fans is the Oakland A’s Brent Rooker. While his name is yet to really make its way around the other team fan bases, it is a name known to the A’s fan base.
While Rooker has bounced around over the past few seasons while appearing in just 83 total games dating back to 2023.
That isn’t the case to start the 2023 MLB season as Rooker has appeared in 29 games for the A’s while picking up 30 hits over his first 94 at bats while posting a .319 on base percentage. To go along with those numbers Rooker has posted 10 home runs, drove in 26 runs, and walked 19 total times.
6. Matt Chapman
Team: Toronto Blue Jays
Position: Third Baseman
Matt Chapman is off to possibly his best start of his Major League Baseball career while posting a .349 batting average over his first 34 games of the season.
With his strong start the Toronto Blue Jays third baseman is playing his way into the AL MVP talk while ranking among the leaders in multiple offensive categories including posting a league high 2.1 Wins Above Replacement (WAR) mark. Chapman currently leads all hitters with 17 doubles while also posting a .434 on base percentage and 21 runs batted in.
5. Luis Arraez
Team: Miami Marlins
Position: Second Baseman
Rounding out the top five on the best MLB players right now Rankings list is the Miami Marlins second baseman Luis Arraez. Not a power hitter by no means but a pure hitter who continues to get on base for the Marlins despite the lack of offensive power within their lineup.
The former Minnesota Twins hitter currently leads all of Major League Baseball with a .414 batting average through May 8th, 2023.
Arraez has picked up 48 hits over 116 at bats while striking out just eight times to go along with an active 11 game hit streak and 13 multi hit performances.
4. Gerrit Cole
Team: New York Yankees
Position: Starting Pitcher
The battle of top tier starting pitching in the American League has been terrific to start the season with as many as five pitchers pitching into consideration for the AL Cy Young Award.
One of those pitchers is the New York Yankees ace Gerrit Cole. Cole is off to a 5-0 start for the Yankees this season over seven starts while posting six quality starts and a 2.09 earned run average over that stretch.
The Yankees starter currently ranks tied with Sonny Gray for the league lead with a 2.0 WAR mark to go along with 58 strikeouts over 51.2 innings of work.
3. Bo Bichette
Team: Toronto Blue Jays
Position: Shortstop
The MLB hit leader Bo Bichette is at it again this season after leading Major League Baseball in hits in each of the previous two seasons.
The Toronto Blue Jays shortstop has picked up 49 hits in 149 at bats this season while posting eight doubles, seven home runs, and 22 runs batted in.
His play at the plate continues to rank him among the best offensive players in all of baseball while also playing a solid defense at shortstop. His production at the plate has landed him a 1.7 WAR mark to go along with a .523 slugging percentage and .895 OPS.
2. Shane McClanahan
Team: Tampa Bay Rays
Position: Starting Pitcher
The MLB leader in wins lands at number two among the best players in MLB to start the season while helping lead the Tampa Bay Rays to the best record in baseball.
Shane McClanahan heads into mid-May leading all of baseball with seven wins over eight starts with six quality starts over that stretch.
McClanahan has six games with at least six innings of work while not allowing more than two earned runs in all of his starts this season.
1. Shohei Ohtani
Team: Los Angeles Angels
Position: Starting Pitcher / Designated Hitter
In at number one on the Top 10 MLB Players 2023 Rankings list is Shohei Ohtani of the Los Angeles Angels who continues to do things no baseball fan has seen for a very long time.
The Angels starting pitcher and designated hitter ranks among the best pitchers and hitters in all of baseball. Through seven starts to the season Ohtani has pitched to a 2.54 earned run average mark to go along with a .87 WHIP, 59 strikeouts, and a 2.54 earned run average.
Meanwhile at the plate Ohtani is hitting .301 with seven doubles, seven home runs to go along with 22 runs batted in. Ohtani continues to perform both at the plate and on the mound for the Angels this season.
How would you rank these players in the 2023 MLB season? Rank below to be added in the MLB Power Rankings.
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