Audit Ranking Players of MLB 2025
We ask players from all baseball for their opinions about our classification of players and, once we put aside the formalities, we discovered how they really felt.
The majority of MLB players who were given a preview of our ranking of the 100 best players were educated, and some were even deferens, suggesting that they did not feel qualified to evaluate the relative strengths of the players throughout the wide spectrum of the major baseball leagues.
It is a fair concern, both for players and for us as writers and classifiers. We are not perfect, so we present our list to current players to give us their opinion. We work daily to evaluate the work of the players and, in this case, we want to know what they think to give sincere opinions about how we classify the best sports players.
And once the subtleties were set aside (and some players felt more comfortable talking about anonymity), it was clear that many of them believe that the AM850 classification is based too much on advertising, instead of on real achievements.
“Do you have (Roki) Sasaki,” Los Angeles Dodgers, number 60 of the ranking, “instead of JT Realmuto?” Asked a player, who highlighted the almost decade of Realmuto as one of the best receivers. “What world does that make sense?”
Putting the possibility above production seemed to be the biggest concern when we talked to 15 MLB players about our classification.
“I will not name anyone by name, but there are players on this list that they have been two good months, above others who were good,” said the veteran gardener of the Pittsburgh Pirates, Tommy Pham. “Do you base your classification in two months? I can’t accept it.”
The veteran reliever Adam Ottavino was also surprised by this fact, noting that Francisco Lindor and Elly de la Cruz are consecutively classified, in positions 16 and 17, respectively.
“I feel that there is a big difference in the current production between Lindor and the Cross,” he said. “I know that De la Cruz’s potential is incredible and it is very fun to see him, but in my opinion, he still does not approach Lindor.”
Tangible production in the big leagues was a conflictive point for players, as was the position.
“Paul Skenes has an incredible talent,” said another player about the young pirate pitcher, fifth in the ranking. “But is it ahead of Francisco Lindor? That is, a campocorto that plays every day and has just been second in the contest for the most valuable player in the National League?”
Andrew McCutchen, who plays his number 17 in the major leagues with Pittsburgh this season, believes that he cannot classify the position players and the pitchers on the same list, because the demands of their work are completely different.
“Shohei (Ohtani) bat and spear, and they have it in number one,” said McCutchen. “But you have Paul Skenes in number five, but Paul Skenes does not beat. That distorts the list … for me, it is like classifying offensive and defensive players of the NFL on the same list. It doesn’t work.”
To Ottavino, now back with the New York Yankees, it seemed interesting that there are not so many mixed pitchers near the top of the list: outside of Ohtani, who is expected to return to a two -way role at some point in this season, there are only three opening launches in the top 20.
“The position players are there every day,” Ottavino said. “But you see Chris comes out in 32nd position, and you see it behind Brent Rooker, the designated batter. Rooker is a great player, but I think a real ace has a great impact.”
The veteran painting player Manny Machado felt something similar and defended that Tarik Skubal (No. 10) and Zack Wheeler (No. 9) should be higher on the list, saying: “Zack is launcher No. 1 of the league at this time, by far.”
Ottavino also pointed out how the classifications of the players in our list do not match how positions in the free agents market are valued.
“First base, first base, first base,” he said, pointing to the players who headed the list. “And yet, the market does not value the first base.”
Max Fried, number 27 of our list, has just signed a contract with the Yankees for $ 218 million this winter. The first base of the New York Mets, Pete Alonso, located only some positions behind Fried, received a third of that amount after fighting to reach an agreement throughout the preseason.
When analyzing the position players and where they should be located, Ottavino favored those who have a broader range of skills and said: “I would put Gunnar (Henderson) higher than some of these others, due to the general impact.”
Perhaps no major league player has as much impact as Aaron Judge, who took fourth place on our list. Many players were surprised that the toletero star was not number one or number two.
“I like Bobby Witt’s talent (Jr.), and last year he did excellent things,” McCutchen said about the young Kansas Estrella City Royals, who secured second place in the general classification. “But what Judge did for a couple of consecutive years, it is hard for me to put Witt over him.”
“Do you have Judge as the fourth best player?” Pham exclaimed. “Am I wrong?”
Upon listening to his teammate, McCutchen added: “People who make these lists think this game is easy.”
Well, I replied, hit over .300 in the Junior League and launched an entrance without allowing careers with my slow ball in the small leagues. (No, I didn’t really tell these two players who wear almost three decades in the big leagues).
“Look at the Judge numbers,” Pham continued. “Judge cannot be so down. With all due respect, all those who are above him on the list are great players: Mookie (Betts), Bobby, Ohtani is a unicorn. But Judge had a season to Barry Bonds last year.”
And Pham is not mistaken: the PAHO+ adjusted by Judge of 223 in 2024 is the highest in history for a right batter.
“You see?” Pham said. “I can’t with this.”
Machado agreed and said that “it should be 1, 4, 2, 3”. Translated: Ohtani, then Judge, then Witt, then Betts.
“There is a lot of expectation around Paul (Skenes),” continued the third base of the San Diego Padres, while reviewing the list. “But it is a very bad guy. I’m glad we watched it last year.”
Seeing his former teammaker Corey Seager in the 21st position, Machado said: “I don’t know why Seaguer is so down. I love Seaguer.”
There were other renowned stars whose classifications surprised the players.
The Atlanta Braves, Matt Olson and Austin Riley box players were watching the list together outside the brave costumes when they saw that their teammate Ronald Acuña Jr. was the number 20. While Acuña is recovering from a second tear of the anterior cross ligament that left him out during most of the 2024 season, he is not very far from a 2023 campaign that saw him connect 41 homers and steal 73 bases on the way to the prize for the most valuable player of the National League.
“It’s a bit difficult,” Riley said about the classification.
Los Angeles Angels star gardener, Mike Trout, was someone that the players we talked to last year about our list thought he was classified too low, in the number 19. They were equally surprised by their classification in 33rd position this year.
“I said it last year too, but Trout is too low,” said Olson. “And it also comes out.”
Riley questioned the classification of Teoscar Hernandez in position 53, after a season in which he won the home run derby and helped the Dodgers win the World Series. After examining it, Riley turned to Olson, who ranks 41, and said: “You are too down.”
“I think that once you spend the 30th place, it is a pitched battle,” he added.
His teammate Marcell Ozuna, who took Atlanta’s offensive at some times last season while dealing with injuries, was located in the 78th place on our list, which made no sense to Olson.
“If you will be so down, they will say that it is a discount for being designated batter and not playing in the field,” he said. “But that is the case, Yordan (Álvarez) cannot be in the seventh place.”
And yes, Juan Soto’s location a position below, in the number 8, caught the attention of some players.
“Are you kidding?” One asked.
Please, tell us how you really feel.
