Hitter List 4/3: Ranking the Top 150 Hitters to Own ROS

Hello and welcome to Hitter List, where every Wednesday I’ll be unapologetically ranking the top 150 hitters in baseball from now through the end of the season.

Before we jump in to this week’s edition, I’d like to give a general overview of how I go about evaluating players for these rankings, so that when you call me the dumbest person imaginable later, at least you’ll know exactly why I’m the dumbest person imaginable:

• I value stolen bases significantly more than home runs. The 5,585 homers hit in 2018 were the fourth-highest total in modern history. And the 2,474 stolen bases from last year were the lowest total since 1994 and the eighth-lowest total since 1969. In other words, stolen bases are a scarce resource getting even scarcer, like crude oil. And home runs are an abundant resource that are becoming more prevalent, like… Beanie Babies? All else being equal, I’ll always take the guy with 15 HR/20 SB over the guy with 20 HR/15 SB. 
• I’m generally not a believer in positional scarcity, so position eligibility only comes into play in two instances: as a tiebreaker when two players are fairly evenly matched, or if a player is eligible at catcher, because catcher is a barren wasteland this year filled with adrenaline-fueled maniacs playing guitar riffs while strapped to 18-wheelers. Wait, no, that’s “Mad Max: Fury Road,” but catcher is just as bleak and weird.
• I’m an old man who’s afraid of change, so I tend to be low on young players without major league track records.
• These rankings apply only to leagues using standard scoring (R, RBI, HR, SB, AVG). Adjust accordingly for other formats.
• These rankings are meant to be from today’s date through the end of the season. These are purely for redraft, so I’m not taking 2020 into account here at all (though it is weighing heavily on my mind politically — thanks for asking).

Rank	Player	Team	Position
1	Mike Trout	LAA	CF,DH
2	Mookie Betts	BOS	CF,RF
3	Christian Yelich	MIL	LF,CF,RF
4	Jose Ramirez	CLE	2B,3B
5	Nolan Arenado	COL	3B
6	J.D. Martinez	BOS	LF,RF,DH
7	Manny Machado	SD	3B,SS
8	Ronald Acuna	ATL	LF,CF
9	Jose Altuve	HOU	2B
10	Paul Goldschmidt	STL	1B
11	Aaron Judge	NYY	RF,DH
12	Bryce Harper	PHI	CF,RF
13	Charlie Blackmon	COL	CF
14	Alex Bregman	HOU	3B,SS
15	Freddie Freeman	ATL	1B,3B
16	Trevor Story	COL	SS
17	Javier Baez	CHC	2B,3B,SS
18	Starling Marte	PIT	LF,CF
19	Andrew Benintendi	BOS	LF,CF
20	Anthony Rizzo	CHC	1B,2B
21	Whit Merrifield	KC	1B,2B,CF,RF,DH
22	Anthony Rendon	WSH	3B
23	Carlos Correa	HOU	SS
24	Kris Bryant	CHC	3B,RF
25	Cody Bellinger	LAD	1B,LF,CF
26	Lorenzo Cain	MIL	CF
27	Tommy Pham	TB	LF,DH
28	Francisco Lindor	CLE	SS
29	Khris Davis	OAK	1B,LF
30	Rhys Hoskins	PHI	3B
31	Eugenio Suarez	CIN	LF,CF
32	Jose Abreu	CWS	1B,DH
33	Xander Bogaerts	BOS	SS
34	Ozzie Albies	ATL	2B
35	Wil Myers	SD	1B,LF,RF
36	Raul Adalberto Mondesi	KC	2B,SS
37	Trea Turner	WSH	SS
38	Yasiel Puig	CIN	RF
39	George Springer	HOU	CF,RF,DH
40	Eddie Rosario	MIN	LF,CF,RF
41	Nelson Cruz	MIN	RF,DH
42	Jean Segura	PHI	SS
43	Mitch Haniger	SEA	LF
44	Giancarlo Stanton	NYY	LF,RF,DH
45	Juan Soto	WSH	CF,RF
46	Vladimir Guerrero Jr.	TOR	3B
47	J.T. Realmuto	MIA	C,1B
48	Gary Sanchez	NYY	C,DH
49	Matt Carpenter	STL	1B,2B,3B
50	Joey Votto	CIN	1B
51	Justin Turner	LAD	3B
52	Jesus Aguilar	MIL	1B
53	Corey Seager	LAD	SS
54	Michael Brantley	HOU	LF,DH
55	Nicholas Castellanos	DET	3B,RF
56	A.J. Pollock	LAD	CF
57	Josh Donaldson	ATL	3B,DH
58	Matt Chapman	OAK	3B
59	Max Muncy	LAD	1B,2B,3B,LF,RF
60	Travis Shaw	MIL	3B
61	Jonathan Villar	BAL	2B,CF
62	Marcell Ozuna	STL	LF
63	Gleyber Torres	NYY	2B,SS
64	Robinson Cano	NYM	2B
65	Andrew McCutchen	NYY	CF,RF
66	Michael Conforto	NYM	LF,CF,RF
67	Daniel Murphy	COL	1B,2B
68	Ender Inciarte	ATL	CF
69	Tim Anderson	CWS	SS
70	Brian Dozier	WSH	2B
71	Rougned Odor	TEX	2B,DH
72	Victor Robles	WSH	RF
73	Ryan Braun	MIL	1B,LF
74	Eloy Jimenez	CWS	LF,RF
75	Edwin Encarnacion	SEA	1B,DH
76	Joey Gallo	TEX	1B,3B,LF
77	David Peralta	ARI	LF,RF
78	Jose Peraza	CIN	2B,SS
79	David Dahl	COL	LF,CF,RF
80	Adam Eaton	WSH	LF,CF,RF
81	Wilson Ramos	NYM	C,DH
82	Mallex Smith	SEA	LF,CF,RF
83	Corey Dickerson	PIT	LF,DH
84	Mike Moustakas	MIL	3B,DH
85	Austin Meadows	TB	LF,CF,RF
86	Luke Voit	NYY	1B
87	Dee Gordon	SEA	2B,CF
88	Amed Rosario	NYM	SS
89	Justin Upton	LAA	LF,DH
90	Miguel Cabrera	DET	1B,DH
91	Buster Posey	SF	C,1B
92	Andrelton Simmons	LAA	SS
93	Rafael Devers	BOS	3B
94	Harrison Bader	STL	LF,CF,RF
95	Aaron Hicks	NYY	LF,CF,RF
96	Jurickson Profar	OAK	1B,2B,3B,SS,LF
97	Ian Desmond	COL	1B,LF
98	Nomar Mazara	TEX	LF,RF,DH
99	Yasmani Grandal	MIL	C
100	Brandon Nimmo	NYM	LF,CF,RF
101	Elvis Andrus	TEX	SS
102	Fernando Tatis Jr.	SD	SS
103	Cesar Hernandez	PHI	2B
104	Yulieski Gurriel	HOU	1B,3B,DH
105	Peter Alonso	NYM	1B,DH
106	Willson Contreras	CHC	C
107	Jonathan Schoop	MIL	2B
108	Miguel Andujar	NYY	3B,DH
109	Byron Buxton	MIN	CF
110	Matt Olson	OAK	1B,RF
111	Yadier Molina	STL	C
112	Paul DeJong	STL	2B,SS
113	Jorge Polanco	MIN	SS
114	Danny Jansen	TOR	C
115	Domingo Santana	SEA	RF
116	Asdrubal Cabrera	TEX	2B,3B,SS
117	Hunter Renfroe	SD	LF,RF
118	Eric Hosmer	SD	1B
119	Max Kepler	MIN	CF,RF
120	Odubel Herrera	PHI	CF
121	Yoan Moncada	CWS	2B
122	Ramon Laureano	OAK	RF
123	Jesse Winker	CIN	LF
124	Stephen Piscotty	OAK	RF
125	Eduardo Escobar	ARI	2B,3B,SS,DH
126	C.J. Cron	MIN	1B,DH
127	Ryan Zimmerman	WSH	1B
128	Justin Smoak	TOR	1B,DH
129	Carlos Santana	CLE	1B,RF
130	Scooter Gennett	CIN	2B,3B,LF
131	Kyle Schwarber	CHC	LF
132	Tyler White	HOU	1B
133	Adam Jones	OF	CF,DH
134	Enrique Hernandez	LAD	2B,3B,SS,LF,CF,RF
135	Willy Adames	TB	2B,SS
136	Ryan McMahon	COL	1B,2B,3B
137	Marcus Semien	OAK	SS
138	Yonder Alonso	CWS	1B
139	Maikel Franco	PHI	3B
140	Jake Bauers	CLE	1B,LF
141	Lewis Brinson	MIA	LF,CF
142	Garrett Hampson	COL	2B,SS
143	Joc Pederson	LAD	LF,CF
144	Gregory Polanco	PIT	LF,RF
145	Franmil Reyes	SD	LF,RF
146	Nick Senzel	CIN	3B
147	Francisco Mejia	SD	C,DH
148	Delino DeShields	TEX	LF,CF
149	Billy Hamilton	KC	CF
150	Wilmer Flores	ARI	1B,2B,3B

 

• Injuries: It was a rough start to the season for fantasy owners — and, I guess, for the human beings who actually suffered debilitating injuries. Francisco Lindor, Giancarlo Stanton, Justin Upton, Daniel Murphy, Matt Olson, Miguel Andujar, and Trea Turner all suffered injuries and don’t have concrete timelines for return at the moment. Scooter Gennett, Nick Senzel, Vlad Guerrero Jr., and Steven Souza Jr. were also hurt towards the end of spring training. In terms of hitters who made the list, these injuries are a boon to the values of Luke Voit, Wilmer Flores, Jesse Winker, Kendrys Morales, Ryan McMahon, Garrett Hampson, and Adam Jones.

 

• Speaking of Adam Jones, he appears to be the Arizona Diamondbacks‘ new leadoff hitter and he’s been off to a torrid start. I already thought he was a solid source for 20+ homers with a .275 average and a handful of steals, but now he should rake in the runs too. Not a bad guy to grab considering he’s practically free.

 

• While the Daniel Murphy injury theoretically should have opened up full-time at-bats for my boy Garrett Hampson, he has astoundingly still struggled to get into the lineup. This is a situation I’m monitoring closely, as I think Hampson has big-time breakout potential and could use this opportunity to establish himself over Ryan McMahon as the rightful heir to the Colorado Rockies’ second-base gig.

 

• It has been a huge start to the year for rookies Pete Alonso (AKA Alonso RBI-era) and Victor Robles, who each casually mashed against a trio of top-tier aces over the past week. They’ve each been equally impressive at the plate, but I am curious to see how they’ll react over the next few weeks as pitchers start exploiting their weaknesses.

 

• With Trea Turner likely on the shelf for at least a month, those in deeper leagues might want to keep an eye on Carter Kieboom. If he’s recalled, he has enough pop, speed, and contact to make a difference and launch himself into the top 150 hitters going forward. It’s worth mentioning that it may take a week or so until he magically becomes “ready” for promotion due to service time manipulation.

 

Graphic by Michael Haas (@digitalHaas on Twitter)