MLB official website releases ranking of top 100 active players; Shohei Ohtani retains the top spot, Cal Raleigh surges to a record high

With the 2026 MLB season drawing near, the official MLB website today published the “Top 100 Active Players” ranking. The top three positions are identical to 2025, held by Shohei Ohtani, Aaron Judge, and Bobby Witt Jr., while Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh made a remarkable leap from 59th last year to 4th, marking the biggest highlight of this ranking.

The official site noted that this ranking was created by the MLB Network production and data research team using an independent algorithm, aiming to evaluate players’ current performance and overall value.

Shohei Ohtani of the Los Angeles Dodgers was unsurprisingly named the league’s number one player again, marking his fourth time at the top after 2022, 2023, and 2025 (he ranked fourth in 2024). The four-time MVP set a Dodgers record last season with 55 home runs and led the league with 146 runs scored and 380 total bases. Returning to the mound, he also posted 47 innings pitched with a 2.87 ERA, 62 strikeouts, and only 9 walks, helping the Dodgers secure back-to-back World Series titles.

The official website commented that Aaron Judge of the New York Yankees would have been a perennial number one if not for sharing the era with “the most talented baseball player in history.” He ranks second for the third time in four years (third in 2024). Kansas City Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. had a career year last season, leading the league with 184 hits and topping the charts with 47 doubles as well.

Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh is the biggest surprise on this list. No catcher, switch hitter, or Mariners player had ever hit 60 home runs in a single season before, but he accomplished this feat and led the Mariners to their first division title since 2001. His 125 RBIs also topped the league, making him the tenth member in history to join the “60 home run club.”

Cleveland Guardians third baseman José Ramírez entered the top five for the first time thanks to his first-ever “30-30” season, with 30 home runs and 44 stolen bases. Last season marked his seventh All-Star selection and his sixth Silver Slugger Award.