Ranking the top 10 free agents this offseason

A number of postseason races are entering the home stretch, and 21 of the league’s 30 teams are still within five games of a playoff berth as we enter the final month of the regular season.

But it’s never too early to look ahead at the offseason, when a number of impact players will hit the free-agent market looking for new deals. Many of those contenders -- and some of this year’s disappointments -- will be in the mix for the top free agents. But who will those players be?

MLB.com takes an early look ahead at the Top 10 players set to hit the free-agent market in the coming months.

(All stats are through Monday’s games; ages listed represent the player’s “baseball age” for 2027, which is their age as of June 30)

1) Tarik Skubal, LHP (age 30)

The undisputed No. 1 free agent this offseason, Skubal is a near-lock to set a new standard for a free-agent pitching-only contract, currently held by Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who signed a 10-year, $325 million deal with the Dodgers before the 2024 season. Skubal has won the past two American League Cy Young Awards, and although early-season elbow surgery forced the left-hander to miss six weeks, he’s having another strong season (2.91 ERA in 20 starts with the Tigers and Dodgers). He’ll be the top target for every team looking to add a bona fide ace on a multi-year deal.

2) Michael King, RHP (age 32)

After missing roughly half of the 2025 season due to shoulder and knee injuries, King signed a three-year, $75 million contract with the Padres last winter, a deal that allows him to opt out and become a free agent after both 2026 and 2027. King would earn $28 million in 2027 and $30 million in 2028 if he plays out the contract, but given his strong, healthy season (3.38 ERA in 26 starts), there’s a strong possibility that he opts out, taking the $5 million buyout with the goal of securing a longer-term deal on the open market. Since becoming a full-time starter in 2024, King has a 3.20 ERA in 72 games (71 starts).

3) Randy Arozarena, OF (age 32)

Arozarena has been one of the few consistent performers on an otherwise underachieving Mariners team in 2026, already posting a 20 homer/20 stolen base season –- his sixth straight year reaching that milestone –- with an .836 OPS in 124 games. He ranks in the top 10 in both bWAR (4.4) and fWAR (3.9) among all AL hitters, earning his third All-Star selection in the past four years. The 2021 AL Rookie of the Year has also been a strong postseason performer throughout his career, posting a .945 OPS with 12 home runs in 45 games.

4) Jazz Chisholm Jr., 2B (age 29)

Chisholm posted his first career 30-30 season in 2025, and while he hasn’t been as productive this season, he still has 18 home runs and 34 stolen bases while playing elite defense (his 9 Outs Above Average rank in the 96th percentile). Among the top free agents, Chisholm is one of the few still in his 20s, which could bode well for him as he seeks a new deal. The Yankees could also extend a qualifying offer to Chisholm, one he might consider accepting given his down season.

5) Seiya Suzuki, OF (age 32)

Suzuki has already established a new career high in both bWAR (4.1) and fWAR (3.6) in only 114 games this season, hitting 22 home runs with 75 RBIs and an .840 OPS. The right fielder ranks in the 89th percentile with 5 Outs Above Average and owns one of the strongest arms in baseball, providing plenty of defensive value to go along with his bat. Given the relatively weak outfield class, Suzuki could do quite well on a four- or five-year contract.

6) Brandon Lowe, 2B (age 32)

Lowe has been a steady presence in the Pirates’ lineup during his first year in Pittsburgh, hitting 27 home runs with 80 RBIs and a .792 OPS in 123 games. The two-time All-Star has shown great improvement at second base, ranking in the 97th percentile with 10 Outs Above Average. He strikes out too much (160 in 545 plate appearances), but Lowe ranks in the top 25% of the league in average exit velocity, barrel percentage and hard-hit percentage. Among all second basemen since 2020, he ranks first in homers (161), second in slugging percentage (.478) and third in OPS (.801).

7) Clay Holmes, RHP (age 34)

Like King, Holmes has reinvented himself since moving to the rotation in 2025, posting a 3.23 ERA in 45 games (43 starts) since the start of last season. Holmes has a 2.49 ERA for the Mets and Cubs in 12 starts this season, though he missed nearly three months after suffering a fractured leg in mid-May. Holmes was dealt to Chicago at the Trade Deadline, so he won’t be subject to a qualifying offer if he decides -- as expected -- to opt out of his $12 million salary for 2027.

8) Casey Mize, RHP (age 30)

Mize was having a superb season with the Tigers, posting a 2.70 ERA in 16 starts before being dealt to the Padres at the Trade Deadline. He hasn’t fared as well in San Diego (7.00 ERA in four starts), but the 2025 All-Star should be one of the most sought-after arms on the market. Mize’s elite command – he ranks in the 86th percentile in walk percentage -- makes up for his middle-of-the-road strikeout numbers (48th percentile in strikeout percentage), and unlike some of the other starters in this year’s free agent class, Mize won’t turn 30 until next May.

9) Nick Martinez, RHP (age 36)

Martinez is in the midst of the best year of his career, going 13-4 with a 2.93 ERA through 25 starts while making the first All-Star team of his career. Martinez doesn’t strike out many hitters (87 in 147 2/3 innings), but his 1.3 walks per nine innings are the lowest in the league. After accepting a qualifying offer from the Reds in 2025, Martinez signed a one-year, $13 million deal with the Rays this season, placing a successful bet on himself. His bounce-back season should result in a better contract this offseason, though at age 36, he will likely be looking at a two- or three-year contract.

10) Luis Arraez, 2B (age 30)

Arraez settled for a one-year, $12 million deal with the Giants last winter in his first go-around at free agency, but that was following a season in which he set career-lows with a .292 average and .719 OPS. Arraez has looked more like his old self this season, leading the Majors with a .321 average and 160 hits in 124 games with the Giants and Phillies, who acquired him at the Trade Deadline. Arraez has also shown great improvement in the field, his 11 Outs Above Average ranking in the 98th percentile of the league.

Honorable mentions: David Bednar, Kevin Gausman, Sonny Gray, Trent Grisham, Ian Happ, Shota Imanaga, Ryan Jeffers, Adrian Morejon, Freddy Peralta, Taylor Ward