Who's No. 1? Ranking the best at RP, SS
MLB Network's countdown of baseball's best players at each position came to a conclusion on Saturday night, with the final installment of the "Top 10 Right Now!" series featuring the game's top relief pitchers and shortstops.The five-week program hosted by Brian Kenny used rankings based on player performance over the
MLB Network's countdown of baseball's best players at each position came to a conclusion on Saturday night, with the final installment of the "Top 10 Right Now!" series featuring the game's top relief pitchers and shortstops.
The five-week program hosted by Brian Kenny used rankings based on player performance over the last two seasons, a number of offensive and defensive metrics, both advanced data and traditional numbers and analysis by the MLB Network research team.
The series featured appearances from MLB Network on-air personalities and former Major Leaguers Eric Byrnes, Cliff Floyd, Mike Lowell, Dan Plesac, Harold Reynolds, Ron Darling, Jim Thome and Joe Girardi, as well as roundtable discussions with Kenny, president of SABR Vince Gennaro, the Ringer's Ben Lindbergh and MLB.com analyst Mike Petriello. Each episode also featured a fan-generated Top 10 Right Now list compiled via voting on MLB Network's Facebook, Instagram and Twitter pages using #Top10RightNow.
• A look back: MLB Network's Top 10 at every position for 2018
Below is a breakdown of this year's rankings results:
Top 10 relief pitchers right now
Craig Kimbrel Sean Doolittle Josh Hader Edwin Díaz Blake Treinen Felipe Vázquez Chad Green Aroldis Chapman José Leclerc Brandon Morrow
Video: Craig Kimbrel is the No. 1 relief pitcher right now
Top 10 shortstops right now
He might miss Opening Day, butFrancisco Lindor 's remarkable consistency keeps him at the top of this list, with NL MVP runner-upJavier Báez closing fast.
1.Francisco Lindor Javier Báez Trevor Story Manny Machado Andrelton Simmons Carlos Correa Corey Seager Paul DeJong Jean Segura Didi Gregorius
Top 10 first basemen right now
1.
Freddie Freeman - Joey Votto
Max Muncy Anthony Rizzo Matt Olson Justin Smoak Jesús Aguilar Rhys Hoskins José Abreu
Top 10 starting pitchers right now
While
1.
Chris Sale Jacob deGrom Corey Kluber Justin Verlander Aaron Nola Clayton Kershaw Luis Severino Carlos Carrasco Blake Snell
Top 10 left fielders right now
Some might argue that
1.
Giancarlo Stanton Ronald Acuña Jr. Tommy Pham Justin Upton - Juan Soto
Marcell Ozuna Michael Conforto Khris Davis David Peralta
Top 10 center fielders right now
There is obviously no doubt about No. 1, but
Mike Trout Cody Bellinger Lorenzo Cain Aaron Hicks George Springer Charlie Blackmon A.J. Pollock Starling Marte Harrison Bader Kevin Kiermaier
Top 10 right fielders right now
We know what you are thinking,
But consider this: These lists are dictated by The Shredder, MLB Network's player rating formula, which looks back at the last two seasons and weights them evenly. Over the past two years ….
Judge: .282/.409/.584, 79 homers, 15 steals, 162 wRC+
Betts: .301/.388/.541, 56 homers, 56 steals, 143 wRC+
And while Betts is a stud on defense, Judge also rates highly in the outfield, with the third-most Defensive Runs Saved among right fielders in the last two years, which allowed him to hold Betts off for the top spot.
Aaron Judge Mookie Betts Christian Yelich Mitch Haniger Bryce Harper Brandon Nimmo Yasiel Puig Andrew McCutchen Nicholas Castellanos Stephen Piscotty
Top 10 catchers right now
There is a strong argument that
Buster Posey J.T. Realmuto Yasmani Grandal Gary Sánchez Willson Contreras Yadier Molina Kurt Suzuki Wilson Ramos Mike Zunino Salvador Perez
Top 10 second basemen right now
This position is going through a bit of a transition, with a bunch of youngsters entering the mix, though veterans such as
Video: Analytics panel on Top 10 second basemen right now
1.
Jed Lowrie Whit Merrifield Robinson Canó Chris Taylor Scooter Gennett Joey Wendle Gleyber Torres Ben Zobrist DJ LeMahieu
Top 10 third basemen right now
This might be the most stacked position in baseball right now, and you can argue for about six different guys at No. 1.
1. Jose Ramirez
Justin Turner Nolan Arenado Anthony Rendon Alex Bregman Matt Carpenter Matt Chapman Kris Bryant Josh Donaldson Eugenio Suárez