As I was looking to figure out what to do with my teams and see if there were any trades/waiver moves that would strengthen my rosters I thought it was the right time to put together some positional rankings. Understanding a player’s value relative to another goes a long way in simplifying the process. The rankings that follow are a combination of year-to-date performance and rest of season expectations. The blend is about 70/30 YTD (in most cases). I live in the here and now and put a much heavier weight on what someone’s doing right now than I do on what they did last year or the year before that. Don’t get me wrong, it counts, but that’s where the thirty percent comes in.
Catcher
1. Gary Sanchez (126 points/0.703)
2. J.T. Realmuto (129 points/0.558)
3. Mitch Garver (87 points/0.844)
4. Yasmani Grandal (147 points/0.656)
5. Willson Contreras (133 point/0.645)
6. Robinson Chirinos (122 points/0.689)
7. Omar Narvaez (109 points/0.556)
8. Wilson Ramos (123 points/0.611)
9. Yadier Molina (122 points/0.613)
10. Willians Astudillo (73 points/0.640)
I really wanted to put Realmuto at the top of this list, but I think Sanchez’s power and being part of the Yankees lineup gives him the edge. Now that Mitch Garver is back his owners have to be thrilled. The guy on this list that I think has the best chance of jumping past everyone and reaching the top is Willson Contreras. Yadier Molina takes a hit due to injury and age. Buster Posey who? I think you mean Adley Stan Rutschman.
First Base
1. Cody Bellinger (275 points/1.065)
2. Anthony Rizzo (206 points/0.840)
3. Freddie Freeman (206 points/0.765)
4. Josh Bell (235 points/0.903)
5. Paul Goldschmidt (126 points/0.486)
6. Carlos Santana (186 points/0.718)
7. Edwin Encarnacion (184 points/0.707)
8. Rhys Hoskins (165 points/0.620)
9. Pete Alonso (174 points/0.710)
10. Jose Abreu (163 points/0.626)
11. Trey Mancini (173 points/0.681)
12. Hunter Dozier (158 points/0.738)
12. Luke Voit (171 points/0.652)
Goldschmidt’s ranking has a lot to do with Goldschmidt’s track record and talent. I feel confident he will turn things around, just as he did last year, and solidify his placement in the top five. The question is whether Josh Bell can sustain. I think he can. So happy to see Santana where he is on this list.
Second Base
1. Whit Merrifield (166 points/0.601)
2. Ketel Marte (189 points/0.707)
3. Jose Altuve (102 points/0.625)
4. DJ LeMahieu (175 points/0.720)
5. Javier Baez (154 points/0.596)
6. Mike Moustakas (179 points/0.752)
7. Tommy La Stella (178 points/0.820)
8. David Fletcher (156 points/0.661)
9. Daniel Murphy (92 points/0.666)
10. Max Muncy (147 points/0.615)
11. Gleyber Torres (141 points/0.585)
12. Cesar Hernandez (145 points/0.587)
Jose Altuve ranked third?!! He might be the most talented player on the list, but right now I just cannot justify ranking him ahead of Merrifield or Marte. Truth is when I first made this list I ranked Marte ahead of Merrifield, but at the last minute I swapped the two. Could go either way. I’m a Marte owner, so I’m pulling for him, but I think I’d rather own Merrifield. Either way it’s a win/win. It seems like LeMahieu has been flying under the radar. Not sure why he’s only 95 percent owned.
Third Base
1. Nolan Arenado (252 points/0.940)
2. Alex Bregman (226 points/0.830)
3. Anthony Rendon (200 points/0.985)
4. Kris Bryant (189 points/0.744)
5. Carlos Santana (186 points/0.718)
6. Rafael Devers (190 points/0.727)
7. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (71 points/0.541)
8. Javier Baez (154 points/0.596)
9. Mike Moustakas (179 points/0.752)
10. Tommy La Stella (178 points/0.820)
11. Eduardo Escobar (186 points/0.686)
12. Matt Chapman (172 points/0.641)
Nolan Arenado all the way, but after him it was a toss up between Bregman and Rendon. Ultimately I gave the edge to Bregman because he hits second in the best lineup in the league, he’s younger and I trust him more to stay on the field.
Shortstop
1. Francisco Lindor (146 points/0.768)
2. Trevor Story (194 points/0.726)
3. Xander Bogaerts (191 points/0.718)
4. Jorge Polanco (204 points/0.787)
5. Ketel Marte (189 points/0.707)
6. Dansby Swanson (167 points/0.660)
7. Eduardo Escobar (186 points/0.686)
8. Adalberto Mondesi (156 points/0.582)
9. Paul DeJong (167 points/0.659)
10. Carlos Correa (137 points/0.643)
11. Javier Baez (154 points/0.596)
12. David Fletcher (156 points/0.661)
I’m not sure if you are going to be angrier that I ranked Correa tenth or that I left Manny Machado off the list all together. Well I did both of those things. San Diego was a bad choice. He currently has 131 points with a 0.507 PPPA. I honestly could not bring myself to rank him in this list. He’s obviously better than his numbers, but I’m not even buying low right now. No interest. And with that I’ve just spent the entire shortstop paragraph writing about a shortstop that didn’t even make the cut. Love you Francisco. Literally, I do. You can’t spell Lindor without “I do”.
Outfield
1. Mike Trout (246 points/0.957)
2. Christian Yelich (272 points/1.133)
3. Cody Bellinger (275 points/1.065)
4. Mookie Betts (204 points/0.723)
5. Michael Brantley (197 points/0.760)
6. Austin Meadows (168 points/0.893)
7. Kris Bryant (189 points/0.744)
8. George Springer (191 points/0.892)
9. Eddie Rosario (198 points/0.792)
10. J.D. Martinez (177 points/0.728)
11. Juan Soto (160 points/0.704)
12. Ronald Acuña Jr. (159 points/0.604)
13. Charlie Blackmon (155 points/0.720)
14. Whit Merrifield (166 points/0.601)
15. Marcell Ozuna (191 points/0.775)
16. Ketel Marte (189 points/0.707)
17. Max Kepler (185 points/0.767)
18. Bryce Harper (157 points/0.591)
19. David Dahl (120 points/0.581)
20. Andrew Benintendi (131 points/0.510)
21. Joc Pederson (171 points/0.876)
22. Joey Gallo (166 points/0.779)
23. Trey Mancini (173 points/0.681)
24. Alex Gordon (187 points/0.766)
25. Rhys Hoskins (165 points/0.620)
26. Byron Buxton (137 points/0.695)
27. Michael Conforto (148 points/0.657)
28. Starling Marte (141 points/0.615)
29. Nick Markakis (162 points/0.645)
30. Aaron Judge (54 points/0.613)
Yes, if we drafted today I would still take Mike Trout with the first pick over both Yelich and Bellinger. So should you. I can see Springer jumping a few spots once he’s healthy. My Meadows ranking might be a bit bullish, but he’s been great. After the top ten or so ranking outfielders and a tedious task. I will say this, unlike Machado, I have given Bryce Harper a long leash. If he doesn’t turn things around quickly he will find himself off this list.
Follow malamoney on Twitter at @malamoney
