MLB Network’s Top 100 Players Entering 2016
As I did last year, and the year before, and the year before, and the year before that, I’ll be keeping a running list of the Top 100 Players Right Now as they are revealed on MLB Network, eventually compiling the entire list.
They will have revealed all 100 by the end of Thursday, February 25th. I’ll update this same space as they reveal the remaining entries.
The criteria for the list remains the same:
- Emphasized stats from the last three (3) seasons, weighting 2015
- Projected 2016 performance
- Defensive position
- Accolades
- Intangibles
Here now are the Top 100–1* Players as listed by MLB Network:
100. Alex Rodriguez — DH/3B — New York Yankees
99. Corey Seager — SS — Los Angeles Dodgers
98. Aroldis Chapman — CL — New York Yankees
97. Andrew Miller — RP — New York Yankees
96. David Ortiz — DH — Boston Red Sox
95. Kyle Schwarber — LF — Chicago Cubs
94. Miguel Sano — RF — Minnesota Twins
93. Jose Fernandez — SP — Miami Marlins
92. Stephen Strasburg — SP — Washington Nationals
91. Andrelton Simmons — SS — Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
90. Craig Kimbrel — CL — Boston Red Sox
89. Daniel Murphy — 2B — Washington Nationals
88. Matt Carpenter — 3B — St. Louis Cardinals
87. Carlos Gomez — CF — Houston Astros
86. Ryan Braun — LF — Milwaukee Brewers
85. Yasiel Puig — OF — Los Angeles Dodgers
84. Justin Turner — 3B — Los Angeles Dodgers
83. Albert Pujols — 1B — Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
82. Prince Fielder — DH/1B — Texas Rangers
81. Jordan Zimmermann — SP — Detroit Tigers
80. Dustin Pedroia — 2B — Boston Red Sox
79. Adrian Gonzalez — 1B — Los Angeles Dodgers
78. Eric Hosmer — 1B — Kansas City Royals
77. Alex Gordon — LF — Kansas City Royals
76. Todd Frazier — 3B — Chicago White Sox
75. Stephen Vogt — C — Oakland Athletics
74. Carlos Carrasco — SP — Cleveland Indians
73. Carlos Martinez — SP — St. Louis Cardinals
72. Jonathan Lucroy — C- Milwaukee Brewers
71. Gerrit Cole — SP — Pittsburgh Pirates
70. Jhonny Peralta — SS — St. Louis Cardinals
69. Russell Martin — C — Toronto Blue Jays
68. George Springer — RF — Houston Astros
67. Ian Kinsler — 2B — Detroit Tigers
66. Chris Archer — SP — Tampa Bay Rays
65. Kevin Kiermaier — CF — Tampa Bay Rays
64. Yadier Molina — C — St. Louis Cardinals
63. Dellin Betances — RP — New York Yankees
62. Salvador Perez — C- Kansas City Royals
61. Brandon Belt — 1B — San Francisco Giants
60. Johnny Cueto — SP — San Francisco Giants
59. Xander Bogaerts — SS — Boston Red Sox
58. Logan Forsythe — 2B — Tampa Bay Rays
57. Sonny Gray — SP — Oakland Athletics
56. Brian McCann — C — New York Yankees
55. Chris Davis — 1B — Baltimore Orioles
54. Jung Ho Kang — 3B — Pittsburgh Pirates
53. J.D. Martinez — LF — Detroit Tigers
52. Jason Kipnis — 2B — Cleveland Indians
51. Adam Wainwright — SP — St. Louis Cardinals
50. Mookie Betts — RF — Boston Red Sox
49. Justin Upton — LF — Detroit Tigers
48. Kyle Seager — 3B — Seattle Mariners
47. Edwin Encarnacion — 1B — Toronto Blue Jays
46. Wade Davis — CL — Kansas City Royals
45. Ben Zobrist — 2B — Chicago Cubs
44. Randal Grichuk — OF — St. Louis Cardinals
43. Starling Marte — LF — Pittsburgh Pirates
42. Francisco Lindor — SS — Cleveland Indians
41. Dee Gordon — 2B — Miami Marlins
40. Madison Bumgarner — SP — San Francisco Giants
39. Jose Abreu — 1B — Chicago White Sox
38. Troy Tulowitzki — SS — Toronto Blue Jays
37. Jacob deGrom — SP — New York Mets
36. Matt Harvey — SP — New York Mets
35. Felix Hernandez — SP — Seattle Mariners
34. Adam Jones — CF — Baltimore Orioles
33. Brandon Crawford — SS — San Francisco Giants
32. Jason Heyward — CF — Chicago Cubs
31. Michael Brantley — LF — Cleveland Indians
30. Corey Kluber — SP — Cleveland Indians
29. Dallas Keuchel — SP — Houston Astros
28. Yoenis Cespedes — CF — New York Mets
27. Nelson Cruz — RF/DH — Seattle Mariners
26. Jose Bautista — RF — Toronto Blue Jays
25. Chris Sale — SP — Chicago White Sox
24. Adrian Beltre — 3B — Texas Rangers
23. Nolan Arenado — 3B — Colorado Rockies
22. Lorenzo Cain — CF — Kansas City Royals
21. Max Scherzer — SP — Washington Nationals
20. A.J. Pollock — CF — Arizona Diamondbacks
19. Kris Bryant — 3B — Chicago Cubs
18. Anthony Rizzo — 1B — Chicago Cubs
17. David Price — SP — Boston Red Sox
16. Zack Greinke — SP — Arizona Diamondbacks
15. Robinson Cano — 2B — Seattle Mariners
14. Giancarlo Stanton — RF — Miami Marlins
13. Carlos Correa — SS — Houston Astros
12. Jose Altuve — 2B — Houston Astros
11. Joey Votto — 1B — Cincinnati Reds
10. Miguel Cabrera — 1B — Detroit Tigers
9. Jake Arrieta — SP — Chicago Cubs
8. Manny Machado — 3B — Baltimore Orioles
7. Buster Posey — C — San Francisco Giants
6. Paul Goldschmidt — 1B — Arizona Diamondbacks
5. Josh Donaldson — 3B — Toronto Blue Jays
4. Andrew McCutchen — CF — Pittsburgh Pirates
3. Clayton Kershaw — SP — Los Angeles Dodgers
2. Bryce Harper — RF — Washington Nationals
1. Mike Trout — CF — Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
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Ryan Braun has been revealed as the 86th best player in Major League Baseball “Right Now” entering 2016.
After a rough 2015 campaign, Jonathan Lucroy plummets from 23 all the way to 72.