Shohei Ohtani has been No. 1 on MLB Network's Top 100 Players Right Now list in three of the past four years, including 2025. We'll soon find out if he will hold onto his crown for 2026, but we first have to see who slots in from No. 2 to No. 100. And the unveiling is underway.
MLB Network’s production and research team has once again ranked the very best players in the Majors using a formula that differs from "The Shredder," which is used to determine the Network’s annual rankings of the top 10 players at each position.
Here is MLB Network's full Top 100 Players Right Now schedule (all times ET):
Nos. 60-41: Jan. 15 at 8 p.m.
Nos. 40-21: Jan. 19 at 8 p.m.
Nos. 20-11: Jan. 21 at 8 p.m.
Nos. 10-1: Jan. 22 at 8 p.m.
No. 61-No. 70
Yankees infielder Jazz Chisholm Jr. was one of a record seven players to reach 30 homers and 30 steals last season. He was joined in the 30-homer club by the Cubs’ Michael Busch (34) while free agent third baseman Eugenio Suárez crushed 49 home runs during his time with the D-backs and Mariners. Rangers second-year star Wyatt Langford -- the only member of this grouping who was on the 2025 Top 100 Right Now list -- didn’t go 30-30, but 22 home runs and 22 stolen bases at age 23 isn’t too shabby.
Nathan Eovaldi, one of Langford’s teammates, turned in a sparkling 1.73 ERA over 130 innings despite dealing with multiple right arm injuries. Brewers ace Freddy Peralta finished fifth in the NL Cy Young voting after striking out 204 batters and limiting hitters to a .193 average through a career-best 176 2/3 frames.
61. Jazz Chisholm Jr., 2B, Yankees (2025 rank: no rank)
62. Brice Turang, 2B, Brewers (2025 rank: NR)
63. Freddy Peralta, SP, Brewers (2025 rank: NR)
64. Nathan Eovaldi, SP, Rangers (2025 rank: NR)
65. Maikel Garcia, 3B, Royals (2025 rank: NR)
66. Eugenio Suárez, 3B, free agent (2025 rank: NR)
67. Michael Busch, 1B, Cubs (2025 rank: NR)
68. Kyle Stowers, LF, Marlins (2025 rank: NR)
69. Wyatt Langford, LF, Rangers (2025 rank: 97)
70. Josh Naylor, 1B, Mariners (2025 rank: NR)
No. 71-No. 80
This collection of players largely proves that you can succeed in this game without top-shelf power or velocity. Alejandro Kirk, Steven Kwan and Jacob Wilson give pitchers fits with their tremendous bat control and ability to make contact. Wilson had the second-lowest strikeout rate among qualified hitters (7.5%), and his .311 average as a rookie tied for second best in MLB.
Joe Ryan, Ranger Suárez and Framber Valdez possess below-league-average fastball velo, but they all registered at 3.0 FanGraphs WAR last season. Suárez and Valdez entered the offseason as two of the top starters on the free-agent market, and the former Phillies left-hander agreed to a lucrative five-year deal with the Red Sox on Wednesday, per a source.
71. Yandy Díaz, 1B, Rays (2025 rank: no rank)
72. Logan Gilbert, SP, Mariners (2025 rank: 51)
73. Joe Ryan, SP, Twins (2025 rank: NR)
74. Alejandro Kirk, C, Blue Jays (2025 rank: NR)
75. Steven Kwan, LF, Guardians (2025 rank: 66)
76. Jacob Wilson, SS, Athletics (2025 rank: NR)
77. Seiya Suzuki, RF, Cubs (2025 rank: 73)
78. Christian Yelich, LF, Brewers (2025 rank: 61)
79. Ranger Suárez, SP, free agent (2025 rank: NR)
80. Framber Valdez, SP, free agent (2025 rank: 45)
No. 81-No. 90
It wasn’t that long ago when Jose Altuve and Mike Trout were near the very top of this list. (Trout was ranked No. 3 as recently as 2023.) Now, as they prepare for their age-36 and age-34 seasons, respectively, the likely Hall of Famers fall into the 80s. They are directly followed by a couple of veteran closers who were outstanding in 2025. Edwin Díaz and Aroldis Chapman each recorded a sub-2.00 ERA and were among the top three in strikeout rate among qualified relievers last season.
Three shortstops with serious pop land in this range. Last season, Willy Adames became the first Giants player to have a 30-homer season since Barry Bonds in 2004. The Angels’ Zach Neto produced 26 home runs and 26 stolen bases last year while Colson Montgomery, the White Sox former No. 1 prospect, smashed 21 dingers in his first 71 MLB games.
- Jose Altuve, LF, Astros (2025 rank: 30)
- Mike Trout, RF, Angels (2025 rank: 39)
- Edwin Díaz, RP, Dodgers (2025 rank: no rank)
- Aroldis Chapman, RP, Red Sox (2025 rank: no rank)
- Matt Chapman, 3B, Giants (2025 rank: 38)
- Willy Adames, SS, Giants (2025 rank: 41)
- Zach Neto, SS, Angels (2025 rank: no rank)
- Colson Montgomery, SS, White Sox (2025 rank: no rank)
- Cole Ragans, SP, Royals (2025 rank: 43)
- Andrew Abbott, SP, Reds (2025 rank: no rank)
No. 91-No. 100
The back end of the Top 100 contains a quartet of backstops on the rise, highlighted by National League Rookie of the Year Drake Baldwin. The Rockies’ Hunter Goodman led all NL catchers last season with 31 homers, a number that was matched by A’s catcher Shea Langeliers. And Cardinals catcher Iván Herrera launched 19 homers and had an .837 OPS in 107 games.
The Yankees’ Ben Rice can set up behind the plate as well, but he will see most of his playing time at first base following a breakout year in the Bronx. He will have plenty of matchups against new AL East foe Dylan Cease in the seasons ahead. Cease, who checks in at No. 100, joined the Blue Jays this offseason on a record-setting seven-year contract.
- Brent Rooker, RF, Athletics (2025 rank: 46)
- Shea Langeliers, C, Athletics (2025 rank: no rank)
- Vinnie Pasquantino, 1B, Royals (2025 rank: no rank)
- Kerry Carpenter, RF, Tigers (2025 rank: 89)
- Ben Rice, 1B, Yankees (2025 rank: no rank)
- Drake Baldwin, C, Braves (2025 rank: no rank)
- Hunter Goodman, C, Rockies (2025 rank: no rank)
- Iván Herrera, C, Cardinals (2025 rank: no rank)
- Carlos Rodón, SP, Yankees (2025 rank: no rank)
- Dylan Cease, SP, Blue Jays (2025 rank: 55)
