Oh man, the crack of the bat and the sound of the ball hitting leather. It’s seamhead heaven, boys of summer katnip, and time to put away the hot stove (well almost). Spring training baseball has just started. Beer is flowing from Florida to Arizona and lazy afternoons at the ballpark are in vogue.
As such, Razzball’s 2020 inaugural Top 100 Hitters is here to inform, entertain, and track your favorite sluggers, five category studs and perhaps underappreciated gems. We have to start somewhere, so here are the rules for this first list: They’re geared towards 5×5 roto leagues. “Last” is tracking where the hitters were in the last Top 100 of September of 2019. “Change” is a change from that last 2019 ranking.
Top 100 Hitters
| Rank | Name | Position | Team | Last | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ronald Acuna Jr. – Can he go 40/40? Yes, thus this #1 ranking. | OF | ATL | 4 | 4 |
| 2 | Christian Yelich – Hit .300 and have 40 homer potential and you can’t even get #1 | OF | MIL | 1 | -1 |
| 3 | Mike Trout – The man, the legend, he may go 50/30 just to spite everyone who dared to pick him third. | OF | LAA | 3 | 0 |
| 4 | Cody Bellinger – Gets a certain #6 hitter to improve his RBI count and wear down pitchers. Another of the top four who could end up #1 at year’s end. | 1B/OF | LAD | 2 | -2 |
| 5 | Trevor Story – Coors hitter who could top 30 homers at home, 45 overall. | SS | COL | 6 | 1 |
| 6 | Mookie Betts – Move to LA could result in a .280 average…and a career high in home runs. Plus, with Dave Roberts’ tutelage he could do the same with steals. | OF | LAD | 10 | 4 |
| 7 | Francisco Lindor – Linchpin of the most surprising offense in baseball in 2020. | SS | CLE | 12 | 5 |
| 8 | Trea Turner – Another year of maturity, World Series winning bling, 20/40 and a batting average that could approach .300 get’s top 10 attention | SS | ATL | 19 | 11 |
| 9 | Juan Soto – Back to back Nats. Best two strike approach in a power hitter. Another who could challenge for top five, like…. | OF | WAS | 13 | 4 |
| 10 | Fernando Tatis Jr. – His skills are among the best in the game, if you feel frisky taking him #1 is justified. In year two going 30/30 is the mid-case. | SS | SD | NA | NA |
| 11 | Jose Ramirez – A risky pick, but there is an MVP lurking in this skillset. Another 30/30 possibility. | 3B | CLE | NA | NA |
| 12 | Nolan Arenado – Ignore the noise, so what if he’s in a ‘trade me’ fight with his team. 40 homers with .300 lurking in that bat. | 3B | COL | 7 | -5 |
| 13 | Anthony Rendon – Chill demeanor perfect for SO-CAL, likely to hit in front of Mike Trout, you’re not looking at a long term contract. He’s money. | 3B | LAA | 9 | -4 |
| 14 | Freddie Freeman – Are you bored of a .300 hitter with 30 bombs and driving in Acuna over 100 times? | 1B | ATL | 5 | -9 |
| 15 | Pete Alonzo – Hitting 53 bombs grabs some attention. | 1B | NYM | 17 | 2 |
| 16 | Alex Bregman – So much potential, for being the best player on a World Series team and getting plunked for a tone-def press conference. | SS/3B | HOU | 11 | -5 |
| 17 | Bryce Harper – Finally underrated, he’s got the potential to surprise all the way to NL MVP. | OF | PHI | 33 | 16 |
| 18 | Rafael Devers – Baby faced assassin, ready to take the mantle of best player on the Red Sox. | 3B | BOS | 8 | -10 |
| 19 | Adalberto Mondesi – 65 steal potential. | SS | KC | 67 | 48 |
| 20 | Matt Olson – He’s here because he can top Khris Davis for Oakland HR leader and hit close to .300. | 1B | OAK | 85 | 65 |
| 21 | J.D. Martinez – Batting maestro and chief defender of Alex Cora, he can hit .300 and boom 35 homers. | OF | BOS | 22 | 1 |
| 22 | Javier Baez – 30 homer potential with 25 steals. Standard barer of Cubs nation. | SS | CHC | 15 | -7 |
| 23 | Xander Bogaerts – .300/30 potential as a short top, could be the best of the SS if he puts it all together. | SS | BOS | 14 | -9 |
| 24 | Gleyber Torres – The biggest steal of Cashman’s career, 30 home run and potential 3rd hitter in the bronx. | 2B/SS | NYY | 35 | 11 |
| 25 | Jose Altuve – Sure, he could get plunked a lot, he could also prove everyone wrong and show MVP form. | 2B | HOU | 30 | 5 |
| 26 | George Springer – Contract push could result in 40 home runs. | OF | HOU | 32 | 6 |
| 27 | Aaron Judge – Spring noise around an injury, but he’s 50 homers waiting to happen. | OF | NYY | 43 | 16 |
| 28 | Starling Marte – A move to Arizona could result in a 30/20 season. | OF | ARI | 18 | -10 |
| 29 | Jonathan Villar – He’s taken his talents to South Beach, if things break right could steal 40. | 2B/SS | MIA | 21 | -8 |
| 30 | Ketel Marte – Breakout 2019 carries .300/30 potential. | 2B/OF | ARI | 26 | -4 |
| 31 | Yordan Alvarez – 45 homers are lurking here. | DH/OF | HOU | 61 | 30 |
| 32 | Ozzie Albies – Average and steals and homers and runs and rbi oh my! | 2B | ATL | 46 | 14 |
| 33 | Keston Hiura – Will trot home in front of Yelich a lot, 30 homer potential. | 2B | MIL | 81 | 48 |
| 34 | Anthony Rizzo – Ho hum, just another .300/30/100 waiting to happen. | 1B | CHC | 25 | -9 |
| 35 | Jose Abreu – Coming up all the guys he’s going to drive in, .300/30 potential. | 1B | CHW | 40 | 5 |
| 36 | Eloy Jimenez – Potential .300 hitter with power. | OF | CHW | 84 | 48 |
| 37 | Austin Meadows – The Rays keep losing guys, but keep trading for linchpins like this. | OF | TAM | 72 | 35 |
| 38 | Manny Machado – Ok first year in San Diego, may wake up and be the .300/30/100 guy he can be. | SS/36 | SD | 34 | 4 |
| 39 | Eugenio Suarez – Could bring the Reds back to national prominence with 40 home run potential. | 3B | CIN | 39 | 0 |
| 40 | Jorge Soler – Can he hit approach 50 homers again? It’s tantilizing. | OF | KC | 45 | 5 |
| 41 | Yoan Moncada – Jewel of the Chris Sale trade, he could go .280/30/100. | 3B | CHW | 58 | 17 |
| 42 | Vladimir Guerro Jr. – Svelter this spring, could be the steal of 2020 drafts. | 3B | TOR | 63 | 21 |
| 43 | Max Muncy – He was injured last year, best postseason hitter on the Dodgers is his ceiling. | 1B/2B/3B | LAD | 52 | 10 |
| 44 | Marcus Semien – Sneaky 25 homer bat with .300 potential in spacious Oakland. | SS | OAK | 57 | 14 |
| 45 | Ramon Laureano – 20/20 with potential for more. | OF | OAK | NA | NA |
| 46 | Matt Chapman – Star has fallen a little, but he could still jack 40. | 3B | OAK | 49 | 4 |
| 47 | Josh Donaldson – Takes his over 30 homer potential to the great white north. | 3B | MIN | 64 | 18 |
| 48 | Mike Moustakas – Might taking not getting the contract he wants out of NL pitchers. | 2B/3B | CIN | 50 | 3 |
| 49 | Tim Anderson – Speedster capable of repeating as batting champ. | SS | CHW | 51 | 3 |
| 50 | Bo Bichette – Power, patience, speed, contact, all he’s missing is experience. | SS | TOR | 91 | 42 |
| 51 | Eddie Rosario – Will make Donaldson’s job a lot easier. 35 homer pop with a .280 batting average. | OF | MIN | 23 | -27 |
| 52 | Nelson Cruz – Father time will take the toll eventually, but he’s still got 40 home run potential. | DH | MIN | 36 | 15 |
| 53 | Charlie Blackmon – Overlooked Coors guy who was a top 16 batter at the end of 2019. | OF | COL | 16 | -36 |
| 54 | Giancarlo Stanton – Sure, he’s injured again. But he can hit 30 in half the year. Potential for much more if he can stay on the field. | OF | NYY | NA | NA |
| 55 | Paul Goldschmidt – Former MVP unlikely to do it again, but still .280/35 potential. | 1B | STL | 56 | -2 |
| 56 | Kris Bryant – Lost his grievance, can either sulk to a bad season or heal up from last season’s injuries and be an MVP candidate. | 3B/OF | CHC | 31 | -24 |
| 57 | Joey Gallo – 50 home run potential, but could bat .210 too. | OF | TEX | NA | NA |
| 58 | Tommy Pham – Not many guys get better when traded from Tampa, but 20/20 is in the cards. | OF | SD | 60 | 3 |
| 59 | Oscar Mercado – 2013 draft pick finally ready to take the leap? 20/30 potential. | OF | CLE | NA | NA |
| 60 | Luis Robert – Young Cuban could be the toast of Chicago. Early Puig or Rusney Castillo? | OF | CHW | NA | NA |
| 61 | Victor Robles – Young gun, could steal 40 and hit 15 homers. Think Trea Turner light. | OF | WSH | 65 | 5 |
| 62 | Marcell Ozuna – Could greatly benefit from playing for the most exciting NL team. | OF | ATL | 44 | -17 |
| 63 | Michael Conforto – Will he hit his .280/30/100 potential? | OF | NYM | 54 | 8 |
| 64 | Nicholas Castellanos – Possible for career year after an incredible second half in Wrigley last year. | OF | CIN | 77 | 14 |
| 65 | J.T. Realmuto – Best hitting catcher, conservatively hit .280/25. | C | PHI | 47 | -17 |
| 66 | DJ LeMahieu – The benefactor of other Bronx injuries to pile up stats in the middle of the Yankee lineup. | 1B/2B/3B | NYY | 29 | -36 |
| 67 | Whit Merrifield – Late bloomer, can he keep up the .300/100 RBI 20 steal pace? | 2B/OF | KC | 27 | -39 |
| 68 | Josh Bell -Will he break out with 30+ homers or fall to low 20’s? | 1B | PIT | 20 | -47 |
| 69 | Yuli Gurriel – Underrated .300 hitter. | 1B/3B | HOU | 53 | -15 |
| 70 | Eduardo Escobar – If he puts it all together he could bang 30 homers and get 100 rbi. | 2B/3B | ARI | 24 | -45 |
| 71 | Jeff McNeil – Young gun being counted on to step forward in Queens. Legit .300/100 bat. | 2B/3B/OF | NYM | 95 | 25 |
| 72 | Gary Sanchez – Might get injured and miss half the year, might bash 40 homers. | C | NYY | 74 | 3 |
| 73 | Yasiel Puig – The only reason he’s here is he doesn’t have a team. .300/25 homer potential. | OF | FA | 59 | -13 |
| 74 | Yasmani Grandal – Part of a rebuilt White Sox lineup, won’t hit much more than .250 but 25 homer potential. | C/1B | CHW | 83 | 10 |
| 75 | Michael Brantley – Overlooked Astro, professional hitter. | OF | HOU | 38 | -36 |
| 76 | Andrew Benintendi – Spring training news about a change back to pre-2019 weight and batting style. Potential for over 100 runs scored atop the Red Sox lineup. | OF | BOS | 55 | -20 |
| 77 | Shohei Ohtani – Draft him almost just for the fun of it. Is a potential .300 20/20 guy. | DH | LAA | 80 | 4 |
| 78 | Franmil Reyes – Has the power to surprise with 35 homers. | OF | CLE | 82 | 5 |
| 79 | Willie Calhoun – Former prospect ready to graduate, .290 potential with power. | OF | TEX | NA | NA |
| 80 | Kyle Schwarber – Post-hype at this point. Could surprise with a .300/30 homer season. | OF | CHC | NA | NA |
| 81 | Cavan Biggio – Another of the TO gunslingers, 25/20 potential. | 2B | TOR | NA | NA |
| 82 | Miguel Sano – Will he finally break out and hit 35 bombs with a decent average? | 3B | MIN | NA | NA |
| 83 | Hunter Dozier – 30 homer potential in KC. | 3B/OF | KC | 78 | -4 |
| 84 | Christian Walker – 30 homer potential in the desert. | 1B | ARI | NA | NA |
| 85 | Trey Mancini – If he played somewhere else he’d be a star. .275/30 potential. | 1B/OF | BAL | 41 | -53 |
| 86 | Scott Kingery – Young guy with more to prove, but could pop 25 in Philly. | 3B/OF | PHI | NA | NA |
| 87 | Amed Rosario – Seems like he’s been around but only 24, might be the bell of the ball in Queens this summer. | SS | NYM | 79 | -7 |
| 88 | Didi Gregorious – Sir Didi isn’t done quite yet. 25 homers and hitting .280 isn’t stretching it. | SS | PHI | NA | NA |
| 89 | Danny Santana – Might approach 30 homers this summer in Arlington. | 1B/OF | TEX | 69 | -19 |
| 90 | Max Kepler – His last rating from last year shows the potential. 30 homers a sinch, but can he crack .250? | OF | MIN | 42 | -47 |
| 91 | Rhys Hoskins – Is this an MVP in waiting or will he crack .230? | 1B | PHI | 66 | -24 |
| 92 | Edwin Encarnacion – Maybe he’s too old, but he could also bash 35 and drive in 100. | 1B | CHW | 73 | -18 |
| 93 | Carlos Correa – Cheif Astros apologist has all the potential in the world but many injury concerns. | SS | HOU | NA | NA |
| 94 | Carlos Santana – Might be boring same old same old, or could wack 30 homers, hit .280 and drive in 100. | OF | CLE | 28 | -65 |
| 95 | Dansby Swanson – Former #1 pick ready to step up? Could be much better than .270 and 22 homers. | SS | ATL | NA | NA |
| 96 | J.D. Davis – 30 homer potential in a surprising Mets lineup that could be even better if Cano has a renaissance. | 3B/OF | NYM | 100 | 5 |
| 97 | Willson Contreras – A bright spot for the Cubs, could approach 30 homers. | C | CHC | 89 | -7 |
| 98 | Lourdis Gurriel – .260 batter who could hit 30. | OF | TOR | 71 | -26 |
| 99 | Tommy Edman – .304/11/15 in half a year. Is it real or just a dream? | 2B/3B | STL | NA | NA |
| 100 | Gavin Lux – Could be the Dodgers’ answer to a pre-scandal Jose Altuve. | 2B | LAD | NA | NA |
In a H2H dynasty league that’s 10×10, are Lourdes and Robles essentially the same value? I.e. LG gives you 30/5, Robles maybe 15/30, so a bit of potato-potahto?
All opinions welcome :)
Pretty bad list. Rendon is not as good as Freeman let alone a long list of players below him. A contract year with a juiced ball shouldn’t overrate him. Bellinger’s second half stats without the high BABIP showed his true talent level: .260 hitter.
Do you think Y Alvarez gains OF eligibility early on or gonna take awhile. Or not at all ?
He was playing in pain most of last year with his knee (I think) so this year he could get OF eligibility depending on your league settings.
Can I ask you a keeper question? I’m torn right now between two guys – Vlad and Bo. My league is 12 team H2H OBP+SLG with 3 keepers on each team. You get to keep them for 3 years before they have to go back into the pool. With Vlad I can keep him for this year and next year at $10 and $15. With Bo I can keep him for this year, next year AND 2022 at 5/10/15 respectively.
Which one would you keep? 2 years of Vlad or 3 years of Bo? I’m leaning Vlad but I’m so, so torn.
That’s as tough as it gets! Vlad seems to be taking his diet seriously, and that power potential from the minors is so tantalizing. Also had the hardest hit ball in 2019 (upwards of 118 MPH I believe). From this view it looks like Vlad’s the choice. But I could find almost as much positive to say about Bo.
not one giant, sucks to be a fan.
I don’t know. You’ve got the satisfaction of 2010, 2012, and 2014. You’ve got Mike Yastrzemski finding launch angle and saying he just wants to help. You’ve got the remaining years of Posey as he burnishes a HOF case. That guy should be celebrated daily for all the Championships. Plus, how sweet will any win in SF over the Dodgers be? Lots of reasons to enjoy the season!